St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-16

serve their national badges. In every
other respect the styles of Paris and
New York are in vogue. In fact they
sometimes seem to aspire to he leaders
of their western sisters III f;ishiom-if we
may give any credence to names-and
with what success. witness the preva-
lence not long since of Il style, of which
the first name was "Grecian.
The Greeks are Il literary people, and
in this respect, at least, they initiate
their ancestors. The school system of
Athens has received special attention.
| There are four grades of schools from
the elementary up to the University.
| The ICY mnasia" are of as high Il
grade lis our best schools ut home, and
the University is very tiourishing. 1t
has four Observation-Disclosures, the
olgy, medicine and law,-and has 30
professors and more than 200 students.
| The majority of the students enter the
department OF law. 1t is almost the
only gcntc-l road to distinction open to
Il Young Greek, and hence that road is
crowded. To enter the church one
does not need to he educated. The
support of the priests is very meagre,
and us not much is demanded OF them
in an intellectual way, they are mainly
very illilerate. and the Theological
CLASSES in the university are small.
/ Through the legal profession leads the
way to IL political life. and like their
ancestors the Greeks are all politicians.
There is always bitter rivalry of parties,
which has been furcihly shown 10y the
dead lock in their Parliament this win
ter. For tw" months they have been
unable to do any business in their na-
tinnal assembly on account of it.
The education of girls has of late
wears received considerable attention in
Athens. For the impuls. in this dircc-
ton they ale largely indebted to Amer
! lea. Forty NcalS ago DR.. Hill and wife
was then Il new thing. is in fact Athens
WAS then Il new city. The two have
grown up together. until now there are
600 pupils III their school. and Or. Hill
told us there had been 10000 girls under
| their instruction.. MIS-. Hill. Il hale old
| lady. is still the honorary head of the
school. and on state occasions occupies
the seat of honor. The influence of
this school in the little kingdom can
not he estimated. Many of the students
| HAY" themselves become teachers. and
as wives and mothers they have shown
/ the advantage of female education in
| thousands of homes. The Greek GOV
rImmcnt his fallen i'll with the tide. and
now they have their "Ar>;lkciom." or
girls school. with FOO pupils.
ThcI" are Il great many new >papers
! published i'll Athens. the majority of
them. however being small partisan
! sheets.
( The language spoken differs corI>id-
erahlN from the ancient Greek. but no
more than one would expect from the
foreign influences that have been
brought to bear upon it. As WAS
walking alon. the streets one day ear
rNing my travelling bag, Il little rag-a-
mnlliu came up and offered Ia "pbcrO"
il for me. There was something quite
familiar about the word but it sounded
father strange coming from his lips
The people in general seemed very
quiet and orderly. We SAW no drunk
cInesS except on New Years night. 1t
WAS our good fortune To- Ice there on
that national holiday the l}lh of Jan
uarl according to omr reckoning. The
whole city WIS given up to pleasure.
and We S;lw Athcnian life in its glory.
Ii seemed more like our fourth of Jull
than any thing else. The evening before
New Years Ihc city was il perfect bed
lam. Boy and men Were going about
the streets with whistles. aud rattleS.
and every kind of instrument that could
bc d-sncd for making Il noise. The
coffee shops and drinking saloons were
full. and III every one there WAS gam
bling. This is Il strange custom i'll Atli-
ems. Men Who do not think of gambling
at any other time, spend the last night
of the year at the card table. irving
their fortune for the wear To come.
About midnight for with good many
others We 'Watched the old Year out
We Sauntered ont into the city to see
what We could discern. The streets
were nearly deserted. but through the
windows of coffee shops we could see
men at their gaming tables. We went
int" one large building that seemed like
il hotel, and found there in Il suite of
rooms us many aS two or three hundred
men gambling. They looked like men
of the better classes. and theiI faces and
whole demranor showed that it wis
earnest work with them. The rooms
were quiet there was no loud talk
ing drinking. The men seemed to
be playing for their lives. The next
day was IL holiday. The great event of
the OCCASION WAS the royal procession to
the metropolitan church in the morning.
OF course we joined the rabble to catch
sight of the king. Greece is il little
kingdom. and this was il little show.
| There was small number of soldiers
for an e>cort,-a few carriages contain
ing the court and ministry and then
the royal equipage containing the young