The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-03-13
The Greece Of To-Day.

Modern Athens-HOw Its People Eat
Dress, and Talk.-Is 1t "LivIng Greece
Once more
Among the best promises which the
Athens OF to-day makes to herself are
two schools, one ladies' college called
the Arlkeion, after its founder, Mr..
Arskes, and blessed with 1000 stu
dents the other the university OF
Athens, supported by the state, boast
four professional schools, an observa-
tory, anatomical and natural history
museums. . library of 100, 600 volumes,
and rare collection. of Greek coins.
Tnition is free.
The fantastic fustinello still some
times walks abroad on the streets OF
Athene. Ills male attire. bound at
the wrist, below which it flows loose,
reaching to the knee. It is usually
white, contains in some cases 100 yards
of cotton cloth, and with its compile
ment of jscket, Waistcoat. and leggins,
costs from $50 to $500. A woman may
also now aud then be seen wearing q
long-tssseled fez, which, seen from be-
bind, would bespeak q Magyar pirate
underneath. But such fantasia are
RAPIDLY surrendring to Paris fashions,
and will soon be things of theatres and
ancestral wardrobe chests.
Taine says the Athenians eat but
little. One would think they might
live on the air. Bntif it be true that
one in that climate requires little food,
then the prices at which that it'll can
be purchased would seem to make ex-
lstence possible even to poverty. For
instance lemons. 6 for a penny ;
oranges, ha penny each; Gin ordiaasre
(oomaa0n wine), 5 cents a pint, and
drinking water, which is brought on
doukeys backs from q spring at the
foot OF Mt. Hymettus, about as dear as
-wine; grapes apricots, and pomegran-
ates, 5 cents per oke (2a lbs. Il; meats
and vegetables, cheaper than in Amer
lea. Indeed, the laborer must buy
cheaply. for see what wages hs gets !;
common Iaborer, drachmas ($2. 40) q
month. Yet canty- as is the return for
his efforts when he does work there
are in the year more than one hundred
fete days, which the laborer celebrates
by an enforced idleness.
Taine says drunkenness is unknown
carried his eyes in his pocket, or lived
in q Good Templar's lodge, from which
he emerged only on pitch dark nights.
wears q little old shabby genteel silk
hat, slightly tipped to one aide, and his
name is Themistocles Diophites. He
mounts the box with iastructions as to
your desired destination. Presently
he comes. to "a pump. He unhitches
his horses, dives them to the trough,
and let's them drink. On again, and
directly whisky-shop confronts him.
Jehu alights and takes a leisurely
drink. This duty done, he proceeds.
A pump again. Tho horses are I'M
hitched and watered. Ohi where is
unhappy Bergh now , Wilihe not see
Athens and die 2 A saloon heaves in
vefw. Shall the beast drink every half
hour, and not the mani He shall not.
Another pump. followed by another
whisky-shop. It is touching, but it is
getting tedious. After q time he be-
gins to climb upon the box with a great
difficulty as we'll as uncertainty, and
roll about on his seat like q top in its
dying revolutions. It is enough. The
horses have proved their ability to
stand more drinks than the man, and
the latter does nothing now but go 70
sleep and race horses with the other
hackmen. -
The Athenian OF today reminds one
far more Of the ancient Athenian than
the Roman of to-day does OF his pro-
genitor. He is vivAcious, polite, indie
pendent, proud of his origin, and full
of aspiration. The people which
nodded its independence III such fur
naces as the Greeks passed through
half century ago has . future as we'll
as past. Since that time Athens has
grown from 10, 600 to $4,000. All its
newer houses are substantial and fresh
in appearance, built of limestone or
Pentelic marble, and quite American
in fashion, save their balconies and
other adaptations to a more summary
climate. The kings palace is located
with the true Athenian genius for site
choosing, so as to crown the highest
spot in the city-hills, of course, ex-
cepted. Back and around it is the
royal park, thick forest grove, inter
twined with paths, undererown with
red and white roses, and ever voiceful
with the singing of the nightingale.
Quite possibly few more years of
the sway of Periclean memory will 70
store to the street corners Of Athens
the dialect OF Thucydides, only wear
ing the harness and drawing the vehi-
Gle of the nineteenth century thought.
The leadership Of this remembered
past is also seen in the revival of art.
Not that they have achieved much,
even in copy less in creation. They
have been too busy hedging about
their liberties, resurrecting their COM
merce, perfecting their schools, and
dreaming ont railway pchemeA Like
the crafty Clyssse Of old, they are. fut
then sentiment61, 30 with
the pss1eut Athens. But itfeacredly
guards he Acropolis and it's other
ruins, and il just beginning to sculpture
and paint for itselt There remains
the aams= s1hse kaz61ae ssery beauty,
and inviting it where it is not; the
same climate, rainless from June to 90
tober, and bathing the spirit in a cease-
less soft delrium; the same deep wealth
Of waiting whiteness in the side, of
ribbed Pertelicon.
= II