The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-21
Irner Village I'm CyureSs

A traveller in the island of Cypress
thus describes a leper village One
little clump of trees ON the plain two or
three miles west of Nicosia next at
tracted my attention. IL was the lepor
village, was told, and we soon came
across Ivy the roadside n sort ot impro-
vised tent-a white, ragged sheet,
mounted on four scraggy sticks-under-
meath which some equally attcnuated-
looking fellow .mortals were huddlei up.
These we're leper beggars. pursuing
their usual custom and only pastimc hy
which they can obtain bread 20 prolong
their miserable existence. They were
all Greeks, and as We closely approached
we could hear their poor, weak voices
begging for some money. tossed 10
them all the piastrcs | had, observing
NJ the same time little child-a beau
tiful child dressed in long white
wrapper, and standing ON one side Of
the tent My Turk had ridden quickly
by. hut drew rem and called the little
one 90 me. ualf-hcsitatiugly she came.
Her features were ot that purely classic
mould for which the Cypriutes oi to-day
arr not usually distinguished. She
might have been mistaken for master
piece oi rhldias. had IL not been for the
delicate pink tint which added life u
her fair complexion, the look OF wonder
and surprise with which she regarded
my appearance. and the sal, halt-trem-
bling expression of the small, curved
lips which parted 10 disclose her regular
pearly teeth, Can it be possible that
she is "A leper, thought l. What do
YOU DO here, child?" | asked. " Must
not come near a. vou, she replied
quietly. IN Greek Il am IN. and shall
die some day. " 50 shall we all. " |
said, tossing 10 her the last bunch of
grapes from my saddle.bags. A great
clamor arose among the weak voices IN
the tent when :hey saw the little child
eating grapes. and all begged and prayed
ME IL give them some. But when l
such a vollcy of fierce anathemas in the
most uusympathetlc Greek that | never
can forget, node away. sickened and
saddeuei at the sight | had Witnessed;
and even now that awful sound ringing
IN my ears and the sad upturued face of
the little lepur child at times re-
turn a. my memory with depressing
influence.
Some Oi the native opinions about
leprosy and eOnjectures As 10 its cause
are curious. The leper children are III
variably beautiful. Sometimes the fatal
disease makes its appearance IN child
Of good family residing in the city, and
Il is at once sent of As Al outcast 10 the
leper village. None Of the men or wo-
men saw by the roadside exhibited in
their faces anything more than the ema-
ciation ~ semi-starvaiiun, but probably
their limbs or bodies we're gradually
decayinG, and truly "from hour 10 hour
they rot aRt rot, until life itself is cx-
tinguiShed Sometimes they linger
many years. Sometimes the fatal spots
do not appear until they are thirty or
forty years of age, and then there is no
delay; be the infected one the father or
mother Of a respectable family, or a be-
loved member of IL, they have 10 hear
the city gates close behind them forever
and 60 forth as eIiles 10 the village 10
await their slow, terrible death. The
consequence Is there ars people Of all
castles aud denominations III these mys-
terious settlements, and they have their
priests, pashAs, codias and hadiis, who
oficiate in their respective calliugs. The
common ScOurge does not make these
people entirely united. as one would
suppose, They have their dissensions
and their cliques: these who depend
upon their former city friends for their
support are very exclusive; those who
have no friends are compelled TO beg by
the way as We have seen.