Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-14
THE GREEK OF TODAY
HE DOES NOT WORK WHEN HE GAN
 GET CIGARETTES.

GET CtGAhE " Go- The Oath About Washing Out Disgrace and
 other Things-The Influence Upon Archi-
 tecturaI styles-The Modern Greek wom-
 an-How the Men Dress.
 The modern Greek says he is the lineal descendant and heir of the an- cient Greek, but he is not. He may be divided into two classes-such exam pies of him as look like the young Apol- To and such as do not. Those of the lat ter class, which is very far the larger, look for the most part like tho impeni- tent thief. The dress of the modern Greek is a number of short white pet ticoats, not unlike those worn by fairy in the ballet, only in cases less clean. To call him dirty, however, as some travellers have done, is most unjust. A chimney sweep is dirty at the close of his days work, but with tho modern Greek dirt is less n custom than an inn memorial tradition.
 The first cases of him seen by the traveler-supposing him to approach the country from that side-are in Mes senia. This fact has suggested to an an- tiquary that at the disastrous close of the first Messenian war, in 735 B. C., the Messenians bound themselves by great oath that until they had washed out disgrace they would wash nothing That oath they have faithfully kept, and now it is unlikely ever to be either terminated or broken.
 The modern Greek does not work There are, it is true workingmen. They are needed for demonstrations of the unemployed, but they do not work. In the same paradoxical spirit it may be said that the principal industry of the country is idlencss. But for the conven- ienco of the gazetteer it is officially given out that the nation is engaged in commerce-mainly entrants. Besides this there is brisk trade in justice in many parts of the country, while the inhabitants of some seaport towns de- voto their energies to blacking one an- others boots in the principal streets. Such arc tho industries of modern Greece. It is to be observed. however, that, although the modern Greek never works, he has an unequaled natural aptitude for looking as if he were just thinking it almost time to begin work.
 Although inactive, he is contemplating. The race is very widely spread. Indeed tho only place near Greece where you may not expect to find Greeks is the post of duty. Even here the modern Greek has been noticed more than once, but he was almost invariably just stepping off moment to light cigarette. When he is about to light cigarette, he is al- ways smoking one, except when his neighbor's tobacco gives out. He is not always drinking-a fact which may be ascribed more to the character of his native wines than to his native sobriety though he can seldom spare the time to leave the wineshop, but fills in the interval trying to induce his neighbor to buy him wine to drink. It is proba- ply the national devotion to the ciga- cette to which We may attribute the characteristic architectural styles of modern Greece. The common feature i'll all these is their rough, bold incom pleteness. To tho experienced eye the building looks as if it were tumbling down, but this is not tho true explana- tion. Plainly tho house was half built when the master builder stepped away to get light and forgot to return. In agriculture the modern Greek does not excel
 It is thought by sociologists that the land was so ravaged by the end of the Peloponnesian war (4o4 B. C. that the | Greek became dispirited and has not planted anything since. Certainly it would be impossible to ravage the land now. Thus cut off from his traditional military exploit, the modern Greek is Il T,,N sN s., t.. be remembered that it is now hardly I over 50 years since he freed himself, acting through the fleets of England, France and Russia, from the brutal do- minion of the Turks. Doubtless in a century or two he will have advanced more than one step on the road to re- | juvenescent prosperity. The perpetual invention of new labor saving machines is of the happiest augury for his future civilization. It should be said, more- over, that there is in the islands a town with a large square and fine subtroISc- al plant in the middle. It contains pub lie buildings partly finished and eight or nine drinking shops, besides a statue of patriot in knickcrbockers called Muley-no doubt i'll affcctionate recog milton of his tenacity of purpose. The square is called the Place of the Glory of the Rcsurgcnt Hellas, but it is very many times too large for it.
 The modern Greek woman differs in several important points from the mod ern Greek man. She sometimes works and not seldom in early youth looks like habitual criminal. It must not be thought, however. as some have done, that she goes so far as ever to tell the truth. When she goes on journey. she carries with her everything she has in the world, in this respect approximating to the custom of her sisters among less civilized peoples. She carries her goods in n broken box with particolored leather top, trelliscd with yellow tinscl In the rare cases when the lock is not broken she further secures it with a piece of broken string.-Pall Mall Ga zette.
 Anything to OblIgc.
 The conductor approached the man who carries lighted cigars into public conveyances.