The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-04-11
CyPRroT WOMEN.


girl merchant paid his yearly visits 10
Cyprus. His ostcnsible purpose was 20
recruit dancing girls, for the word slav
cry was not to be so much as mention
ed among the Greeks: but it was pref
" well understood that when Young
Cypriot woman accepted an offer TO 20
and dance at Constaninople or Bngdad
her relatives saw no more of her uule.,
she turned up III after years as large
widow with great deal of superflunus
jewelry about her. Nassilopoulos, the
innkeeper, used to sav--but this wns
some years ago--that the pashas, and
even his majesty the sultan had par
ticular liking for The Cypriot maidens,
owing to their merry eyes and their in
comparable grace in dancing, and that
it it had not been for the vigilance of
the Cyprian young men and the patri-
otic disinteresteduess of Cyprian moth
ers the whole female population OF the
island sacred to Aphrodite would have
found its way into the Turkish serag-
lios. This statement contained posi-
bly, but grain of truth, for Cyprian
mothers of the peasant class, overDur-
dened with families, did not think twice
about accepting a merchants offer of
cash payment i'll EXCHANGE for one of
their daughters. The transaction was
not, indeed. regarded as honorable. it
was not talked about. and some mvste-
ry had to bc observed in conveying the
girl away; but the merchants scarcely
selected more than score or two OF
the population every year, and ii was
known that the chosen few were going
to life of brilliant possibilities which
might result in their welding consid-
cradle power in the state, and sending
home frequent remittances to their re-
lations. For the rest. the female pop
ulation in Cyprus. as in the other Greek
islands, much exceeded that of the
ma,es and when the innkeepers two
sons, Dimitri and Pericles, went p
counting they must have found the mar
riage market overstocked. The Cyp-
rian damsel Is curious compound of
destinations and oddities. Seen at her
best, on one OF those innumable saints
days when she does 10 work beyond
tricking herself out in fine clothes and
assisting her mother to dispense hos
pitality, she looks like q masquerade
heroine, whatever be her station. She
weavcs up her hair with gold coins.
twists it, plaits it and contrives, with
red and yellow kerchief, head-drcss
which looks like turban, but is made
top-heavy by being surmounted with
embroidered muffin-cap and tassel
She wears baggy breeches, sky-b1ne or
pink, which descend 10 the knee, the
rest of the legs and feet being bare, ex-
cept when to honor company she reluc-
family dons pair of babouches, in
which she feels uncomfortable. She il
generally fat, and wears a short Jacket
profusely braided, which does moi
reach to her waist; she rouges and
whitens her creamy complexion till it
looks like the face of a wax image she
paints her eyebrows deep black, and 10y
some cunning pencil-touches at the cor
ners of her eyes contrives to make them
look twice their proper size. Then she
feels happy, and giggles when compli-
mented. She cannot read or write, but
she can sing, play on triangular gui-
tar and spin ronnd in Il fantastic
dance which takes her breath away,
/ and makes her cry "Iloow while the
stranger who watches her turns giddy
from sympathy. Nor is she withOu;
religion; for during the long lcnien
fast and on Fridays throughout the
year she lives on bread and olives, colt
sdcring ii deadly sin to eat ''any
ihln@ That has Dreathcd lish lhci'ln,
ed. She sees less SIN III telling iibs ami
discussing scandal. IL lakes some tiine
to tanlllarlzc one se't TO Cypriah
girl; for something OF the Mussnlman
practice OF sccludlng women prevails
among the Greeks, and Il bevv OF maid
ems will scllrrv of like frightened poul-
try if n man approaches them To talk :
but once TINS shvhess mas worn OH. me
chief conversational topic OF the bash.
fnl maiden Will relate to her nelghbors'
shortcomings. She Will tell You WIN
smothered laughter ihings whicli sue
has learned IN the most surrep'ilions
manner, ana her dark eyes VIII sparkle
with the fun OF misehiel-making
The countless teast-days III the Greek
calendar ailorn an excuse lof constant
lazlness, mixed with social festlvity !:
and there Is no mover 5" poor nut man
ages somehow on these occasions 10
put forth iru't-jeilies' raw splr'ts an"
coffee to entertain the stranger. lIaV-
enhg ABOUT inc islan'' WIN asslopou-
los, one was reminded once or twice IL
week that "a gay iaa come When no
, work was to be done; ana, III faci, ;,
the helds are on tnese days AS oco.ch
ones ON SUNDAY. In the morning the
: people troop to church where the pa
pas (priests lofilcia'e IN gorgeous vest
ments within churches mostly III runs
, but full of votlve images IN painted
; marble or in carved wood, dressed ont
t like dolls. In the afternoon rompihg
8 gambling, athletic leafs, ana oiier
a shrieking quarrels ending, with fght'
e with knives, serve TO whlie away the
a time until night comes on, when there
is a great deal of dancing, singing, and
1 carousing inside barns. All This Is gay
n enough, but soon pals upon the stran
!. ger, who finds the people more attract
Q i've OH working days, when they hav'
/ no frippery or gewgaws about them
+ The women are excellent housewives
II and their daughters learn early TO swal