The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-04
LIFE IN A PARKWAY PLACE.
How the Hamais or Porters or Constantine
pie Live ut Home.
IConstantinople Eastern Express

ItOnstdntlnOplc ra-tcIh
Far up that ancient river lIalys, on
either side. is many village where almost
every house has man ut work in Constan-
| tinoplc, for the farming OF these villages is
| Just about as ancient as the river, and needs
outside help to hold its own year by year.
And as there is no bank in Anatolia and
no system OF postal notes, sometimes from
TO 10 per cent. OF the hama's earnings
is consumed by the sharp polltzadii for
transferring the remainder from Constanti-
noplc to the old home.
These Armenian women and girls, which
they left behind them, are usually robust,
as we'll as the men. Indeed, any one born
there with frail constitution dies before
long running this gauntlet OF infaHtile
disease and exposure; so that only the
strong are left. And the two-pence worth
per day on which they live. Of coarse bread
and curds, or hulled wheat and simple
soups, helps to develop beautiful teeth and
bones, good digestion and iron muscles.
Some years ago an American doctor, prac-
ticing in Sivas, told me twas not at all I'M
common for a village woman to take her
child, one or two days old, on her back and
walk three miles to town to inquire OF him
il everything was all right with them. But
when the doctor asked one Of them, "Why
don't you learn to read 2" she answered,
with that peculiar shrug Of her magnificent
shoulder, "Ugh! You get out. What
can a cow learn!" And some OF them are
about as awkward in handling a needle,
too, rs a COW would be.
When hamal, or custom-house porter,
returns after years at Stamboul, he natural
" brings with him new ideas. / know one
who presented his wife with full set OF
civilized spoons. knives, and forks; but
she promptly traded them off and turned
again to rely solely on the great wooden
spoon Of her ancients and on fingers. An
other steadily refused to sell his daughter
till the villagers made him pay S7j for a
girl his boy wanted. Others discourse
lcarnedly on custOm.house tricks and on
the different European linguas. Some OF
them are quite eager for the mental inn
provement Of their women and children.
| visited small village near Siyas, which
has good school for both sexes, supported
entirely by the interest on money cOntri-
buted from its own citizens working in
| StambOul. Some time ago, strolling into
an Armenian village church, / took a
secluded corner, and heard sentiments
| in the address OF the Bishop there
which ten years ago would have been
considered rank heresy, worthy only an
American missionary. Among other eX-
cellent things, the Bishop said: Educate
every one OF your girls, and simplify your
weddings. Here's one Of our young men
with elastic step and beaming face. He has
future OF vast possibilities. Rumors Of
q wedding rise. That young man goes to
town. At eve he returns, walking heavily.
You look into his face. It's no face at all.
What's the matter, man? Got tooth
ache? Your girl dead?' 30, nothing,
nothing he says, but l know he has to-
day run 5000 piastress (S240) into debt for
the extravagances OF one Of our village
weddings. A few months later for that
debt he goes to Constantinople to be ii
slave for years, and leaves his young wife
to be another here. Beloved, by your
own voluntary slavery to evil custom we
are becoming poorer and fewer every year
in this progressive century"