Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-04-24
WOMEN OF EASTERN LANDS.
None of Them SO Pretty as the sikh Girls
OF Northwestern India.
From a London letter.

The Russian is the plainest woman TO
no seen in Europe-unless, indeed, the
Greek q ftIreece should be put before her.
One mast be careful not to say Greek I'm.
qualified for in the islands and Turkish
ports, where some faint traces or Hell
ienic blood survive. handsome women
abound. IL becomes more and more
fhe fashion Tor wealthy members Of
this. the true race TO keep house IN the
capital. end Athens can show a galaxy OF
loneliness during the winter, no doubt.
But was summer yisltOrfor two months,
and IN that time | beheld but one face
that could Zoe termed even passable. The
Girl proved TO be a Hungarian. 1t - not
ogite so bad as that IN 81. Petersburg
where. also. resided ont Of the season
because the Gar was there, and very many
ladies of the court have mixed blood.
The true Hellenic blood has left its trace
ali through the Balkan Peninsula. Even
in Greece, they allege there are lew Sc
cluded districts where the divine beauty
of old survives, and incline TO credit IL,
for IN the EvZOne battalons, recruited
among the mountain youth, perfect
faces OF the classic cast ana TAI,
supple figures, proportional like that
ri the Apollo, may be seen some
times. The most famous of these Hell
leulc refugees is q valley IN the nelghDOr-
hood of Cape Matapan, containing @OO
households. among whom, as enthusiasts
doclere. ali the gods and goddesses OF
0lvmnns and all the fine statues OF anti
oulty NAV be matched. In Servia and Bull
Gara also. ono notes a girl here and there
whose regular and graceful beauty IS quite
startling among her dull ana stold
kinsfolk. / make no doubt thet TINS IS
an example of throwing back" rs ian
ciers say, the Hellenic blood asserting IT,
self AGAIN. ] remember STAYING some Gays
A l.. LII "A national
his chateau. A young lady of the neigh
borhood was about 10 marry, and she came
one afternoon, with girl friends invited 10
take part in the ceremony, for q consulta-
ZION with the poet and his daughter upon
the national dress, which was 10 be worn.
Those who were not pretty were beautiful
all trimming with life and tun.
OF Circassians | have nothing to say.
Not seldom nowadays one meets them III
the bazaars Of StambOul, IN the valley OF
Sweet Waters. or even-ln carriages, or
course-passing along the Grande Rue
of Pera. almost as lightly velled as
n urudish Christian beauty. but when
ever have been able 70 oDI
servo them their faces were so plastered
with white lead or something a. Opaque
that one could a. easily Judge the features
~ a clown. The Armenian girls of Con-
stantinople are very handsome and very
much an evidence but they weigh 100 at
least on an average nj 20 years OF age ana
2O0 at Is. Most persons who have VISITED
Egypt may be surprised TO hear the S9ptss
reckoned among the most oeautlIul Oh
races. - 4,
But those who took part in the scurrv to
Cairo after Te!-el-Hebir had unique OPP
portunity of Judging. The beauty on tue
Tontic women was soon remarked. Stand
ING at their doors or on the house'ops;
conspicuous by bare faces. black robes ana
a white scarf about the head. they remain
IN my memory, ana IN thaV Oh V'nciS "'
the stateliest women | ever saw.
Briefly, speaking from very VIDE e1-
perience. my impression Is that the most
beautiful women ia the world are tho
Sikh-that Is, the highest average OF reGu,
larlty in feature, charm Of EXPRESSION, ana
symmetery of figure IS observed among
them. But. perhaps. one must be an oIu
traveller TO disregard compleAlop. n"se
cot so far "a to think the golden bronze OF
the Sikh girl at least as agreeable TO the
eve as our Saxon girls lilies and roses.