Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-07
LIFE In ASIA MINOR.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE peo-
PIE DESCRIBED.
Cucumbers--A Wedding AZ Marsov""--'"e
Work OF the American
Missionaries.
. lo,,or from Marsoyan, Turkey.in-Asia,

still in progress, ana tne fehPSic s"I
ing their handfuls with the oid-iashl9na,s ~,
farmer. Even the babies were there IN
their cradles in the shade Of the rare trees
visited hy the sturdy mothers occasion
ally. under the influence Of that curious
dread common to mothers that Their on-
spring may take a sudden notion TO cease
breathing. Small boys and girls ran oui
20 the edce of the road as we approached
md stood in bashful silence, poking the
dust with their toes and holding each
handful of the new grain in the ear, IN inc
hone that the travellers would toss out "A
pennv 10 be scrambled for IN reward Tor
their offer Of the fruit of the SOIL. houses
there were none. save as we could see NJ
yare intervals the clumps OF trees ana mud-
huts Of tho villages where these farmers
hudale for safety. far away from their helds.
AZ noon we stopped 81 one OF these VII
lagos for luncheon. and selected the porcn
Of the little mosque with tlpsy mlnaret
for tho purpose. availing ourselves OF the
custom in Turkey which makes mosque
yard lawful camping-gr for ,NaSrahts:
The door of the mosque was closed out
nfter enscOnCiug ourselves on the porch
we could hear n single voice within IN
topinr the Allah AkbcrN Of the Muslin
service. All was ready for the demolition
ofthe yiands produced from our luncheon
baskets when the door OF the mosque SUI
denly opened and some thirty or iorly
ragccd and weather-beaten Turkish
VILLAGERS came forth adjusting their
raw-hide sandals while with open
mouths and suspicious scOwls they glared
M tho Oronp of foreigners who had SO un-
CeremOni0usly seized upon the premises.
The whole male population OF thelr iit'Ie
sauaid village was there. Inc races iresh
from the noon dovOuOns, wore solemn
expression, which left no question OF tbe
sincerity of the religious feeling wmch had
brought these simple peasants 10 ther
lravers. II so happened that Just as these
stohdlo0king Turks began 10 swarm
out of the mOsQue-door grace was beng
SAID over our frugal repast by. one 0l our
party. The foremost Of the villagers
observed this. and as more ana
moro Of the turbaned farmers
came forth tho whisper was passed
along. They are good people. lhey
lrav before they eat" At this the scowis
quickly melted away. a chord OF sympa-
tiny had been touched and bond OF COM
mon interest had been eSt4ollshep Wien
the Aluelims discovered that Christlan
foreigners also sometimes pray. At the
close Of oar meal. when the old Imam re-
ccivcd q Cratuity of ten cents Tor the use
If the porch. both be and ms mock "lsheI
ue God speed IN the souorous phrases ol
the Muslin benCdIcuOn, and urged upon
is entertainment of unlimited cucumbcrS,
sesscd ma the way of food. We drove on,
wouderin. what the farmers of an Ameri-
cen village would do If the Government
made them give MP half an hour OF Their
incoming to q praybr-mectng IN the chuIch
a. % regular daily practice.
Twenty miles of riding brought Us 10
Msrs0ysn. I'm keeping with the usages OF
Asia Minor the people have their VINE
wards and their orchards IN the outskirts
of the town. and pack their houses OF sun
dried brick on the sides Of the narrow.
winding lanes which answer the purpo-eot
streets. The houses are silu buut on the
theory az the castles of more ancient
and troublous times, with windows
looking Ola the street only in the upper
story. The contrast between the verdure
OF the outskirts of the town and tho gloom
of its streets. hcmmed III 10y endless dead
walls OF brown mud. is striking ana de-
pressing. MarsOSan has $4,000 inhabitants,
and the difference between tue eject on
The mind of entering it aud that expert
,uced ON entering am American town Of
She same population is about like the dill
ference of Impressions produced 10y gong
into "a peuitontlaTy and those evoked by
the interior of % $4,000 house in civilized
country.
HosrITABIE WELCOME.
These feelings disappeared, however.
when we found "a hosptable welcome at
the home Of the American missionaries.
which forms "a delightful annex 10 the
northern oud Of Mar-oyau. The next day
being Sunday We went with the mlsSiona-
Ties 10 the church built mp under their
auspices. Puritan simplicity Is too luXu-
nous term 10 describe the style OF this
church and its appointments. It's walls
were of the usual material, of the earth
earthly. hat were neatly whitewashed. The
roof was supported 10y columns formed Of
pine logs merely stripped of their bark
and sand-papered TIL smooth. The
pews were strips of hair-clOth spread
on the floor. Upon these rough car
pets the audience sat crOss-legGed-an eco
nomical arrangement. by which congre-
cation Of a thousand We're compressed
within the limits Of a hall which would
not seat coo on the American plan. a
problem in an Oriental church Is always
developed out Of the fact that women
have 10 be provided with places. The I'M
proprety OF having the women mngle
with the men always weighs upon the
Oriental mind. The Greeks of the early
centuries used TO solve the problem
by refusing the women entrance TO
the body Of their churches, or by
having certain churches assigned to the
women. In this church, where American
ideas have tempered eastern eXcluslyeness,
"A light fence ran along each side OF the
building TO mark off the narrow STRIPS Of
sex. With prudent fOrethought worthy of
the mon of the early New England times,
the deacons had arranged the small boys
Of the assembly, to the number OF hun
bred or more, in front and directly under
the awe-insplrlng eye OF the munster When
the whole congregation. led 10y an Amerl-
can organ. burst forth IN hearty render
ing of Turkish HYMN, set TO familiar
Moody and Sankey tune, there was no ms
taking the adoption of some AT least OF the
ideas introduced by the missionaries. The
welding of American training upOn the
hereditary equipment OF these people was
a suggestive novelty to the visitor. II was
impossible to sit III that place and 10 OBJ
serve the close attention given to the ser
mon of the missionary without feeling that
the moral and intellectual influences of
Americans will certainly affect the whole
future Of these cuTiously backward races.
MARRIAGE.
A few DAYS later we attended wedding
in the same church. An eastern marriage
ceremony is a very solemn affair indeed,
and the people utterly abhOr the foreign
idea of finishing II in ten or fifteen min
utes. The ceremony showed that the east
ern nations hold to their individuality.
even while the people asslmllate, from the
example Of their American teachers, what
is suited TO their needs. -Four chairs were
set directly in front Of the pulpit. IN which
the bride and bridegroom and the grOoms-
man and bridesmaid (the latter being a
married pair for the sake of propriety) took
their places and sat for an hour listening
20 sermon on the duties of the married
states The American idea of suffering the
brides face TO be visible was adopted. but
the veil was the eastern veil of long strips
of tinsel. The eastern usage does not per-
NIT the newly married pair TO receive con-
CALCULATIONS together; but this usage was
set aside in this case, but the BRIDE, out of
respect for the eastern feeling. kept her
ewes tight-shut while her friends shook
hands with her. The congratulations be-
ing over the bridegroom abandoned his
wife and made the best of his way 10 his
house. attended by some two hundred of
his masculine friends. After the men had
all left the church the women. escorting
the bride. followed TO the house of the
bridegroom, and were ushered in by a
separate door INTO a separate part OF the
house, 20 wait while refreshments of sherbet
and candy were being served 10 the men.
After the men had all partaken Of the we'd |
ding sweets and had loft the house. the |