The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-31
THE BEAUTY OFF CRETAN WO.
MEN.

A Cretan village is strange e-looking
place. All the dwellings are alike in ugli-
ness, oblong in focm with walls of rough
stone, and fiat roofs destitute of parapets
and chimneys. One or two arches are
thrown across the length of the cottages to
support the roof, which consists of tena-
cious clay few inches deep, laid on pieces
of bark, and rolled fat-let antiquaries
shudder - with the drums Of marble
columns. In Askypho the heavy snow
storms which occur there make it unsafe
to carry up the buildings higher than one
story, and they certainly have most mis-
erable exterior.
But the comfort within doors depends at
| Askypho, as everywhere else, not on the
architect, but on the lady of the house,
and the wives of Sphskia rank high among
their sex. They are conspicuous for their
beauty. Their dark eyes are large and lus-
trous, their features are delicately chiselled,
and waving tresses fall in profusion
from beneath their modest kerchiefs Their
carriage is graceful as the does.
But though possessed of uncommon per-
sonal charms, their attention is by no
means confined to the toilet. Everything
which their homes contain is the work of
their own hands. The cloth of the hus-
bands 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 COT
ton plant which grows before the door;
the bright scarf that binds his waist is from
the silkworm which feeds upon his mul-
berry trees the mats and tapestries whose
bright designs, taken from the pattern
book of tradition alone, give his home a
cheerful air, are the work of her indus
trious loom, and many more objects that I
am incompetent to enumerate are due to
her untiring labors.
1t was these same Sphakian women who
only ten years ago were, with their help
less children, hunted from mountain to
mountain, outraged, and murdered In
the cottage of my guide, though the owner
WAS by no means a chief among his people,
the tablecioth, the napkins, the sheets, all
of them homemade, were bordered with
Cretan lace; the pillow case was single
piece of the same rich material; the coun-
terpane was so gorgeous with many oolors
that did not refrain from expressing my
admiration of it. "Yes," said my host,
"my wife is of very good family, and
knows the old-fashioned ways of weaving
which her mother taught her."
The cottage itself consisted of moderate
sized room, with gallery for sleeping in,
and two very small ones, of which the
larger was the kitchen. The walls were not
even whitewashed, and the floor was of
mud; yet the spirit that reigned there
reconciled one to all. I dined with great
zest off English plates, which are priced
there much as Japanese crockery is in Eng
land but without wine, not drop of
which was to be found in any of the seven
villages - a significant fact. The wife
waited on us, for conjugal respect is strict
ly enforced, while even suspected infdelity
is punished with death. 1t is easy to believe
how such people hate and despise any
one, be he caimakam or be he 'milordi,"
who attempts to introduce the vices Of
Western Europe into their mountain re-
treats.