The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-01
THE MODERN MAID OF A1HENS'
They Toll Not Nor spin-rhe Soft Air Gar
lie Tainted.

i'm our Illusions says the New ork 9uIl,
one Of these people mas painter p, ,.ht.b y
of the modern maid of Athe's, Will
would make men and gods-even Droheh-
nossd, one-legged gods-weep; -. a.
I'm the country says TINS rude ue-
strover of ideals, THE W On ~ wear snort,
shapeless, tight skirts. reaching Il niue
above the ankle, made Of The s;1n:e ma
terlal rs their rugs, win hanus
fringe of dirt, and "a short while ldnlc
made OF coarse serge. Their h"lF -
worn In a long pigtail. ana 10 make -
reach past the waist they plat IL morse
hair or blnck tow. and deco .a.e 1t " IN
cheap coins, beads. or COARSE bright
cottons. Greek children AZ rrcuy, ana
so are the very young g.ris, out they
step directly from childhood > woman
hood, and become greasy-sknned and
overfed.
"rhe women toil no., neither 10 they
spin. They are as lazy as the men i"u
seem TO have no higher idea Of he fHah
lying In the sun, 1efling The SOL ar
with garlic and drinking coffee or cold
water. The food is "ross between |t-
man and Greek. The bread is black and
Under-Daked and the butter Is CLuTLed
from Sleeps milk and never get solid.
The COW IS not milk purveyor In Athens
but an humble beast Of toll.
"Our breakfasts were served In our
rooms and were severely simple. JhSY
consisted Of green tea with Sleeps milk,
black bread, and the pure hoaey of by,
mettus. The honey OF Hymctu's ~ rot
so delightful as IL sounds. / 'upp0se 4
has dcgenerated. but, at any rate. II -
awful The bees had evidently broWsed
among the strong-scented broWsed
with which the mountain IS covered. and
the result was not appoti-l1g.
The Maid Of Athens with whom /
was most familiar was Bettina, our maid
of-al-work. Her dress consisted Of the
remains OF her scdnty country skirt and
the discarded German jersey bodice which
had formerly belonged to her portly mis-
tress Bettina was tall and lanky and as
Wild as a goat She pulled the ample fronts
Of her bodice tightly round her skinny
chest until she made them meet again
down the back Her figure was too purely
Greek 10 admit Of stays. | presented her
with an abandoned blue satin pair, but To
my CONSERVATION she appeared 10 wait at
table with them worn outside her Jersey.
Her hair was black and she still wore IL
besettng sin Qaziness) had prevented her
unraYeling the plaits Of her early days.
Poor Bettina, Her intentions were honest,
but her tout ensemble was disturbing her
trOdden-dOwn slippers made clitter-clat-
ter as she induced them TO go with her
across the stony courtyard which divided
the kitchen from the house. She split
whole army of plates and the ubiquitous
mutton there one day. She had put her
foot on the broad back Of the friendly
tortoise (who had made his home there
for many years. Bettind certainly dld not
cry over split muttOn: she threw M her
ldlkN arms anu ldhtltI IKE Il 'l4A iNNi
hyent. 'Kyria' Cnistress) IS all ] have
ever induced her to say but this she re-
peate1 loud and often when ! ENCOURAGED
her TO bring me some water. thing she
never thought necessary in ones bed
room.
MY first morning in Athens I spent
I'm searching for bath. did ma one
at last. shaped like gentlemans SILK
hat. | think IL had feen an ice pail. II
was impossible to SIT down in 1t. l
thought 1t was very fanny but Bettina
renewed her tragic laugh and shouted
'Kyria.' Bettina said she did not know
how / was going TO get hot water enough
TO I'LL IT, Would / like 10 see the kitchen
stove? They had no boiler. When / saw
1t | was amazed. There was this peace
ful-loOking woman keeping boarding
was a revelation. The stove, as IT was
called was n large. solid brick square,
about six feet by six feet. with an outer
crust Of white tiles, and on the top here
been removed. These small holes were
filed with hot ashes from q large buck
et which stood near the stove / learned
10 think Of her more in pity than IN
anger when anything was more than
usually under-cooked
by far the prettlest Greek maiden I
ever saw was one dressed as a bride for
her funeral. | was looking up the steep.
uneven street from Galata 10 Pera. IA
Constantinople, and as I looked NJ a
procession was coming down and going
to cross the old bridge OF boats ever the
Bosporus to Phanar. which holds all
that is most sacred 10 the Greek In Con-
stantinople. There was n troop of little
acolytes chanting mournfully as they
stumbled down the ill-paved street: they
were followed by some Greek clergy
with long boards and flowing black gowns
and tall brimless hats. The bier came
last, carried by the mourners. I was
amazed. The corpse was quite uncovered
and IL was lovely young girl. with
clearly chiseled features and bIue-black
nair. She was dressed in a white satin
bridal dress. with a heavy train, which
hung over the sides Of the bier, and so
displayed her dainty white slippers.
There was an abundance Of white orange
blossoms. and the whole thing was grew
somely dramatic"