The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-12-25
THE BEAUTY OF CRETAN WOMEN.
Ugly Homes Outside Made Pheasant
Inside by Model Mothers anu

From the London Times.
KHALEPA, CRETE, October IA
Cretan village is u strange looking place.
Ali the dwelling are alike in ugliness'
oblong in form, with walks OF rough
stone, and fat roofs, destitute OF parapets
and chlmEeys. One or two arches are
thrown across the length OF the cottages
TO support the roof, which consists Oh
tenacious clay few inches deep, lad on
pieces of bark, and rolled fat-let an
IiQuaries shudder-with the drums OF
OF marble columns. In Askypho the
heavy snow storms which occur there
make it unsafe to carry up the buildings
higher than one story, aud they certainly
have most miserable exterior.
But the comfort within doors depends
at Askypho, as everywhere else, not on
the architect, bu! on the lady of the house,
and the wives of Sphakia rank hlgh
among their sex. They are conspicuous
for their beauty. Their dark eyes are
large and lustrous, their features are
dehcately chiseled, anc waving tresses
fall iii profusion from beneath their mod
est kerchieis. Their carriage is graceful
as the does.
But, though possessed of uncommon
personal charms, their attention IS oy no
means confined to the toilet. Every
thing which their homes contain is the
work of their own hands. The cloth
of the husbands jacket and
fez of the wool of the sheep he tends is
dyed, spun and woven by the hands OF
his faithful wife. She it is who makes
his garments from the cotton plant which
grows before the door; the bright scarf
that binds his waist is from the silk
worm which feeds upon his mulberry
trees; the mats and tapestries whose
bright designs, taken from the pattern
book OF tradition alone, gives his home
cheerful air, are the work OF her indus
trious loom, and many more objects that
| am incompetent TO enumerate are due
to her untirlng labOrs.
1t was these same Sphskisn women
who only ten years ago were, with their
helpless children, hunted from mountain
to mountain, outraged and murdered.
In the cottage of my guide, though the
owner was by no means chief among
his people, the table-c.oth, the napkins,
the sheets, all of them homemade, were
bordered with Cretsn lace; the pillow
case was single piece of the same rich
material; the counterpart was SO gor-
geols with many colors that did not re-
frain from expressing my admiration OF
1t. ~ es, said my host, "my wife Is OF
a very good family and knows the old
fashioned ways OF weaving which her
mother taught her."
The cottage itself consisted OF moder-
ate-sized room, with y gallery for sleep
ing IN, and two very small ones, OF which
the larger was the kitchen. The walls
were not even whltewashed, and the floor
was of mud, yet the spirit that reigned
there reconciled ore TO all. l dined
with great zcst of English plates, which
are priced there rs much as japanese
crockery Is in England, but without
wine, not drop OF which was to be
found in any of the seven villages-s
significant fact. The wife waited on US,
for coDjuga respect is strictly enforced,
white even suspected infdelity i: punish
ed with death. 1t is easy to believe how
such a people hate and dispose any one,
be he caimakam or be ne "milordi," who
attempts to introduce the vices OF West
ern Europe into their mountain retreats.