The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-27


public structures at Pentelicus, and favor
lite excursion is made from Athens to the old
quarries and 10 the top OF the mountain,
from whence there is glorious view OF great
part OF Greece, including the battlefield OF
Marathon. Mt. Delphi, Euboea, distant Milo
and the Handicapped peaks of faraway He'll
con and Parnassus. The Greeks of the present
are devoted adherents of the orthodox Greek
ehurch, being an exceptionally religious and
moral people, and there is no European capital
so free as Athens from those coarse outer evil
dences of immortality generally prevalent in
large cities. They are strongly marked in APP
pearanee and characteristics, and are a restless,
bright, active race. deeply imbued with parl-
otto love OF country and the remembrance that
their ancestors in this little land once ruled the
known world and we're foremost in all litera-
ture, art, culture and refinement. They are
courageous and full of fight and always "hon-
ing Tor another round with Turkey, |hOm
they never have forgiven for the expressions
heaped upon them previous TO their independ-
enee. They may be said to be continuously IN
the condition of the man whose pugnacous
admirers declared that he would fight at the
drop OF the hat and then drop the
hat himself, and are only now held
in check by the great powers who
but recently were compelled to blockade
the Piraeus to prevent their men-of-war sailing
out to attack the old time enemy. This little
bantam unaided attacking (a) great big Turkey
would almost certainly get badly thrashed in
tue cuus Out, ike Henry Nelson's famous Dull,
II is "a willin' little cuss" and would make
lively fight of il until OverpOwered by sheer
force OF numbers. No red rag IN the face of
bull ever had more effect than to say Turkey"
to the Greeks. and they always have the salts.
faction OF knowing that however bad licking
they might receive the powers would never
permit them to be despOiled; on the contrary, it
Is only question of time when their territory
Will be still further increased at the expense of
the Ottoman empire. The language of modern
Greece as printed can be Understandings read
by the student of ancient Greek, but the
changes OF time have altered its prOnuncia-
ton that II PeTicies were to return to Athens
to-day Tor a stroll down EOlus and Hermes-sts.,
now the principal thoroughiares of the city he
did so much to adOrn, he would probably find
no one able TO converse with him with any de-
gree OF success. Greek meeting Greek under
such circumstances would no doubt find it "all
Greek" to both Of them through all the varia-
tons OF the alphabet from Alpha to Omega.
Speaking of the language there is one contra
dictory feature of il that is very confusing to
the EnglIsh-speaking stranger, and that is that
when the modern Greek says no from our
standpointl he means yes, the Greek word for
yes being may"
In the matter of money the ancient "Drach-
ma" has retained its place in the coinage of
the country and the currency of to-day is rem
resented by "Leptas" and ''Drachmas," 100 of
the former making one of the latter, or 20
cents in the filthy lucre of the United States.
The government of Greece is a constitutional
monarchy consisting of the king and his min
istry and the senate and chamber of deputies.
The senators are appointed by the king aud
serve Tor life, while the deputies are elected by
the people every four years. The right TO vote
begins at the age of twenty-five and the elector
becomes eligible TO Office at thirty. The royal
palace stands on the place de la Consttu-
ton" the principal square of the city, and di-
recty opposite is the Hotel Angleterre,"
where resided, whit gave me numerous OPP
pOrtunities to see King George and family. |
had, however previously both the king
and the crown prince, the duke OF Sparta, on
two occasions while visiting London. The lat
ter young man has just been betrothed to the
sister OF the emperor of Germany whereat all
Athens seems 10 be as much gratltied as il they
were about to celebrate their own individual
nuptials. King George, by the way, was not
originally so christened, but assumed that
euphOnious appellatiOn at the time he was
brought down from Denmark to become liking
OF the Hellenes' (his official title.) His rea-
son for giving up the beautiful, soul-liit-
ing cOgnOmen of William-or Bill
to be able 10 say "call me George"
was that the latter is favOrite name among
the modern Greeks and the one borne by about
every other person that you meet This results
from religious veneratiOn for Saint George the
dragon slayer, but Pericles, Anstdes, Deme-
trius and other old Greek names are still pop
Ular with the masses. The kings birthday fete
WAS uuItiiE the kiilt OF lily WISH Win
great ceremony and rejoicing. The pretty blue
and white dag of Greece was flying on all sides
and the streets and houses were gaily decorated
and the jolly country people danced in the
public squares. In the evening the theater
gave one of Sophocles' plays in the original
Greek, the lads and lassies devoured 900 and
"loOcOomia" lfavorite sweetmeatsl in the cafes,
while plenty of "mastic' was absorbed by the
sterner sex in drinking many happy returns OF
the day. The 'mastic" is a strong spirit, made,
IL. I IL.
which when mixed has a milky appearance
and disagreeable smell and makes 'the drunk
come" very rapidly. The finest grapes have
ever seen grow in the greatest profusiOn in
Greece, and good pure wine twin ordnaire) is
cheap and plentiful at about cents pint bot
tie. A still cheaper wine strongly and un-
pleasantly impregnated with rosin is favorite
drink with the natives. The people OF the
rural districts devote themselves principally to
the cultivation of the olive and grape, and
olive orchards and vineyards are their principal
possessions.
have already spoken of the strange
dress of the island peasantry, but
in novelty il does not compare
with the national Greek Tor Albanian) costume
of the mainland. Ii the Highlander is cor
rectly denominatad "a petticoat man" then the
appellation properly belonging TO the Greek is
"a ballet-dancing man." for his apparel comes
nearer that OF the light and airy coryphee than
anything else know OF. The legs are inclosed
in skin-tight knee breeehes, red CATERS and red
slippers turned up 10 point ut the toes, with
a tassel or tuft on the end. For a head-coveT-
ing he wears a red fez-shaped cap, with long
blue tassel suspended from it, and then comes
a blue or red embroidered jacket with open
sleeves, under which there is a similarly made
vest, under which again there is q shirt with
wide, flowing sleeves. Around the waist a
heavy belt is worn with immense leather
pouch in front containing enough knives and
pistols 10 stock an arsenal below which comes
the funniest part of this remarkable get-up.
the "fustanels" short, fiuted looking white
skirt which stands out above his tight legs, Civ
ing him. at n little distance, the exact appear
ance OF an escaped member of the corps de
ballet In cod weather a heavy outside cloak
of goats hair Is worn with a peaked hood
pulled up over the head. The Greek private
soldiers all wear this costume, but il is hard TO
imagine men fighting in these grotesGue uni
FORMS
The dress of the female peasants varies to
some extent, according TO the province from
which they come. The women from Sparta, for
instance, wear a small red fez on the
head, from which a long braid is suspended
down the back with heavy gilt tasse at the
end. The Albanian women stick closely to
their own provincial costume, consisting of
gaily embroidered skirt with a short white
wooden sack above it, while the neck and hair
are profusely adorned with chains of silver
coins strung together. 1t had been my inten-
ton to bring my description of Athens to a
comDletiOn in this letter but find that / shall