Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-06-12
a .,oya, naagaz,ne WRITER.


"Carmca SYLVIA" who is the queen of
Roumania, contributes an idyllic sketch
30 The Forum. She writes of the Rou-
manian peasant. Her sketch begins:
A sun as big again as In the rest Of Europe; the
shy deep blus overhead, shading down to white;
On tho horizon shimmering curtain of golden
dust cloud; green maize and ripening wheat as
Tar as the eye can reach; and In the vast sun
acorched solitude . single cart drawn by black
hul3A1oes moves slowly on as though of its own
accord, though on closer observation the driver
win be seen stretched prone ON top of his high
pilcd load: such is Roumania The team comes
10 q hFidge-for since King Charles began to rule
thera are bridges. But the peasant rises. stands
srAighk ND In his white blouse and white breeches,
broad heather belt and felt hat and drives his
hufEaloes past the bridge and almost perpendicu-
lasay down the steep bank into the water.
The exquisite word painting continues
Here boy, with nothing on but an alb
breviated shirt and enormous lambskin
cap, hugs to his breast goose nearly as
big as himself. The married women all
wear white wells constantly. From her
wedding day, nobody, not even her hus-
band, ever sees Roumanian peasant
woman's hair. As a matter of form, q
bride is expected to cry little, when her
hair is rolled up tight and tucked under
handkerchief which is henceforth to
cover it during her earthly existence.
Women who work in the fields wear fire.
quently felt hats like men, but the hat
must be put over the white veil. To die
unwedded seems to both men and women
the greatest misfortune that can over
take one.
The Roumanian peasants are unique.
French fashions and modern ideas have
not reached them. They are, therefore,
the most picturesque and interesting peo-
pie of Europe. Descended from the
Roman colonists who settled the country
under Emperor Trajan, they preserve
still something of the noble carriage and
dignity of character Of the ancient
Roman. They have aquiline features
and piercing black eyes, But they are
mixed with other strains of blood, both
eastern and western. They are quite as
much Oriental as European. There are
200, 900 gypsies among them. The Rou-
manian language is Latin dialect. But
the admixture of wilder, younger and
warmer blooded races than that of
Rome has given to the people fervid
poetic temperament. The common peo-
Pile speak naturally in metaphor.
Have you any sons?" the queen asked
Of an aged peasant woman of graceful
and imposing presence.
81 had two frs, but the tempest laid
them low" was the reply.
One day the queen visited seven schools
in Little Wallachia. ''Never have seen
ct once SO many ssttrrikingly beautiful
eyes," she writes. 1.-THE most incompe-
tent school master surely never could
spoil what the good God made SO per-
feet"
The genuine Roumanian is the LATEST
of mortals. In the morning he drinks
glass Of whisky. Through the day he
has two meals, each consisting of some
corn cakes and a couple Of onions Two
days work in the week will keep him
abundantly supplied with these! Why
should he work longers In point of fact,
he does not and viii not work longer.
Happy philosophy! Jolly content! What
to him are revolutions and the contests
Of labor and capital? He owes his con-
tent and security to the fact that Rou
mania Is thinly peopled country.
Finally, the masculine Roumanian is
not wildly devoted to wife and children.
But he loves his mother passionately, and
places her before everybody else.