Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-03-22
The ROMANCE OF A STATUE.

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enough for that; but the facts, and some Of
his quaint expressions, can recount, for
these shall never forget. Ny travel took
me TO distant island Of the Greek Archi-
pelsgo, called Sikinos last winter, an island
only to be reached BY sailing boat, and
hare, in quarters Of the humblest nature, |
vas storm-stayed for FIVE long days Nikola
had been my muleteer on sn expedition l
mace to . remote corner Of the island where
still sre 10 be traced the ruins Of an ancient
Hellenic town, and about mile from it
temple Of Pythian Apollo. He was dne
stSlwart fellow of thirty or thereabouts; he
lad brighs intelligent face, and he wore
he usual island costume, namely, knicker-
becker trousers Of blue homesPun calico,
with fullness, which hangs down between
the legs, and when full of things, for it is
;he universal pocket wsbbles about like the
stomach of a goose; on his head he wore
faded old fez, his feet were protected from
the stones by sandals Of untanned skin, and
he carried long stick in his hand with
Sbich to drive his mule.
Sikinos is perhaps the most unsttaiusble
corner Of Europe, being nothing but bar
ren hArOOrless rock ia the middle OF the
.Egeau Sea possessing as fleet one caique,
~h!ch occasionally goes 10 neighboung
stand where the steamer stops, 10 see II
;bere are any communications from the
Eakf
which seldom venture more than hundred
wards from the shore. The fifteen hundred
inhabitants Of this rock lead monotou0us
life IL two villages, oae Of which is 70 hun
cred years Old, fortified and dirty. and
oslled the "Kss,ro or the camp the
other is modern. and about Eve minutes
walk from the camp, and is called the other
place." so nomenclature IN Sikinos Is sim
pie enough. heinhsbitsnts are descended
from certain refugees who, two hundred
Years ago, fed from Crete during a reyolu-
ton. and bulk the fortified village up on the
hillside out Of the reach of pirates and re-
NAMED isolated from the world ever since.
Before they came. SikinOs had been unlu-
habited since the days of the ancient Greeks.
The only two men IN the place who have
lraveled-thst Is to say, who have been as
!er as Atheu-sre the DemArch, who is the
chief legislator Of the island. aud looked up
10 as quite a man Of the world, and Nikols,
the muleteer.
must say, the last thing | expected to
hear in SikinOs was romance, but on one
of The stormy DAYS of detention there, with
the object of willing away an hour. | paid
q visit 10 Nikola in his clean, white house
- - l., 49, no
threshold with q hearty We hsve we'll
met" babe me cit down on his dlyan, and
sent his wife-s bright buXom young wo,
msn-for the customary coffee, sweets and
rski; be rolled ne q cigarette which he
carefully licked, to my horror, but which
dared not refuse to smoke, cursed the
weathse, and stirred the embers in the bra
zier preparatory to attacking me with
yolley Of questions. | always disarm in
duisitiyeDess on such occasions By being
,nauisitiye myself. How long have you
been msrried7' How many children have
vou gotT' How old is your WifeT' and
by the time had asked half dozen such
questions, Nikola, after the fashion Of the
Greeks. had forgotten his own thirst for
knowledge in his desire to satisfy mine. In
Eikola's case unparalleled success attended
this mauryre, and from the furtiye smiles
which passed between husband and wife |
realized that some mystery was attached
10 their union, which | forthwith made It
my business 10 solve
IL always cali her my statue said the
muletetr, laughing, my marble statue,
and he slapped her on the back 20 show that,
at any rstc. she was Of pretty hard material.
Can Pygmalion have married Galstea
sfter ALL I remarked. FOE the momeu: tor
getting the ignorance OF my friends on sHoa
Upics. but Greek never admits that he
1oes not understand and Nikola replied,
No; her name is kallirhoe, and she was
the priest daughter" Having nov broached
The subject Nikols was sll anxiety to con-
;inue il; be seated himself on one chair, ais
siie took another, ready to prompt him, il
necessary, and remind him OF forgotten
facts. l sat on the divsn; between Us vas
the brazier; the only cause for interruption
came from an exceedingly naughty child,
which existed as living testimony that
this modern Gslstes had recovered from
her transformation into stone.
Il was gay young fellow in those days
began NikolA.
Five years ago last carnival time Pot
in the wife, but she subsidized on froEn
from her better half; for Greek husbands
never meekly submit, like English ones, 70
the lesser portion Of command, aud the
Greek wife is the pattern OF q weaker vessel,
seldom sitting down to meals, cooking, spin
ming. Shaving mere chsttel, in fact
IL was the youngest OF siS-two sisters
and four brothers, and We tour worked day
after day 20 keep our old fathers land in or.
der, for we were very poor and had nothing
10 live upon except the produce OF oar land.
We worked every day in the year excep.
feast DAYS, starting early with our ploughs
our hoes and our pruning hooks, according
to the season. returning late, driving our
bullOcks and our mules before Us. On fcas.
days We danced on the village square.
used TO look forward to those days, for then
met KsllirbOe, the priests daughter, who
danced the syrtos best Of all the girls, trip
ping as softly as Nereid, said Nikola, look
ing spproyingly st his wife. | had seen a
syrtos at Sikinos, and could testify to the
fact that they danced 1t well, revolving in
light Wayy lines backward, forward, now
quick, nov SLOW, until you do not wonder
that the natives imagine those mystic beings
they call Nereids 10 be forever dancing thus
in The caves and groltoes. The syr,Us is .
semicircular dance Of alternate young nsu
and maidens. holding each other by hand
kerchiels, not from modesty. ss oue Nigh:
st FIRST suppose, bat 50 as to give more liz
erty of action to Their limbs, aud Ia dancing
this dance il would appear Nikol& aad k4l
frboe 6rst felt the tender passion OF lore
kindled in their breasts But between lhs
two . great gull Was fixed, for marriages
among pessautry so shrewd as the Greeks
are not 80 easily settled as they are wish as.
Parents have absolute authority over their !
daughters. and never allow them to marty
without prospect, and before prOridiag for
any son fathers duty is to give his daEsh- /.
tiers q house and a competency, aud be ey- /
-. -. a,;an. e.. Ahn:r Ia nd 10 r,-asrnl an |