The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-03-12
The Women Of Crete.

A correspondent writes rs IolioWs ITOHi
| Crete, the celebrated island in the MeG-
terranean A Cretan village is strange
looking place. All the dwellings are
alike in uglincss. oblong in ioru, with
walls of rough stone and fat roofs'des-I
titute of paraprts~ and -ehimDeys. One'
or two arches are thrown across the
length Of the cnttages to support the
roof, which consists Of tenacious clay a
few inches deep laid on pieces of bark,
and rolled flat-let antiquaries shudder
with the drums Of marble columns.
In Askypho the. heavy snow storms
which occur there make It uuafe to!
carry up the buildings higher than ono
story, and they certainly have miser-
able exterior. ~. .s@~pF,,
But the comfort within doors de-
pepds at Askyrho, as everywhere els",
not on the architect, but on the lady of
the house. and the wives of the Spbakia
rank high among their sex. They are
conspicuous for their beauty, Their
dark eyes are large and lnstrcus. their
features are very delicnielv chisrlled,
and waving tresses fall in rich profu-
sion from beneath their modest kerr
chiefs Their carriage is as graceful as
the doe
But. though possessed Of uncommon
personal charms, their attention is by 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 1t is who makes his gar
mcnts from the cotton plant which grows
before the door; the bright scarf that
binds his waist is from the silkworm
which feeds from his mulberry trees;
the mats and tapestries whose bright
designs. taken from the pattern book Of
tradition alone, give his home a cheer
full air, are the work Of her industrious
loom, and many more objects that am
incompetent to enumerate are due to
her untiring labors.
1t was these same Sphakian women
who only ten years ago were. with their
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 tablecloth, the napkins,
the sheets. all Of them homemade, were
bordered with Cretau lace; the pillow
case was a single piece of the samc ma-
terial; the counterpane was so gorgeous
with maby colors that | did not refrain
from expressing my admiration for it.
"Yes," said my host, "my wife is OF a
very good family. and knows the old
fashioned ways of weaving which her
her mother taught her"
The cottage itself consisted of mod
crate sized room, with gallery for
sleeping in, and two very small ones.
of which the larger was the kitchen.
The walls were not even white washed.
and the floor was of mud; yet the spirit
that reigned there reconciled one to all.
7 dined with great z"st off English
plates, which are priced there much as
Japanese crockery is in England /; but
without wine, not drop of which was
to he found in the seven villages-a
significant fact. The wife waited on US.
for conjugal respect is strictly enforced
while even suspected infdelity is pun
ished with death. 1t is easy to believe
how such people hate and despise any
one, be he caimakam or be he emil
ordi," who attempts TO introduce the
vices Of Western Europe into thel'
mountain retreat.