The Opelousas courier., 1884-12-06
LIFE IN a FAR-AWAY PLACE.
How the Hamals or Porters of Consfanti-
nOpIe Live ut Home.

az VIZ W
nOpIe Live at Home.
Far mp that ancient river Hays, on
either side, is many a village where al
most every house has a man at work
in Constantinople. for the farming of
hese villages is just about as ancient
s the river, and needs outside help to
hold its own year by year. And as
there is nc bank in Anatolia and 10
system of postal notes, sometimes from
8 to 10 per cent. Of the hamal's earn
ings is consumed by the sharp polli-
zabji, for transferring the remainder
from Constantinople to the old home.
These Armenian women and girls,
whom they left behind them, are usual
ly robust as well as the men. Indeed,
any n born there with frail constitu-
ton dies before long running the
gauntlet of infantile disease and expo
sure, 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 Ameri-
can doctor, practicing in Silyas, told me
it was not at all uncommon for a vii
lage woman to take her child, one or
two days old, on her back and walk
three miles to town to inquire Of him
if everything was all right with them.
But when the doctor asked one of them
why don't you learn to read?'' 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 awk-
ward an handling a needle, too, as q
COW would be.
When a hamal, a custom house por-
ter, returns after years at Stamboul, he
naturally brings with him new ideas. |
now one who presented his wife with
a full set of civilized spoons, knives
and forks, but she promptly traded
them off and turned again to rely SOLE
ly on the great wooden spoon of her
ancestors and on her fingers. Another
steadily refused to sell his daughter
till the villagers made him pay SIS for
d girl his boy wanted. Some of them
are quite eager for the mental i'm
proyement of their women and child
rem. I visited a small village near
Sivas, Which has a good school for both
sexes, supported entirely by the interest
on money contributed from its own
citizens working in Stamboul. Some
time ago, strolling into al Armenian
church, | took a secluded corner
and heard sentiments in the address
of the bishop there which ten years
ago would have been considered rank
worthy only an American mis-
Bionary. Among other excellent things
the bishop said: Educate every one
Of your girls; and simplify your wed
dings. Here's one of our young men
with elastic step and beaming face.
He has a future 1of possibilities
Rumors Of a wedding rise. Thal
young man goes to town. AT " Ii
returns walking heavily. You lool
into his face. It's no face at I'LL. Ii.
no face at all. whats the matter,
man. Got a toothache? Your cir
@ nothing. nothing he say
but | know be has to-day run 6.0N
piasters ($24O) into debt for the G
travagances of one of our village wei
dings. A few months later for tia
debt he goes To Constantinople to be
a slave for years, and leaves his young
wife to be another, here. Beloved BY
your own voluntary slavery 10 evil
custom We are becoming poorer and
fewer every year in this progressive
tury."-Consta1.tinople Eastern Er
press.