The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-24
THE GREEK OF TODAY.

From the Pail Mall Gazette.
The modern Greek SAYS he is the
lineal descendant and heir OF thG
ancient Greek. but he is not. He may
be divided into two classes-sucf
examples of him as look like the young
Apollo and such as not. Those of the
latter class, which is very far the larger
look for the most part like the impeni
tent thief. The dress of the modern
Greek is a number of short white petit
coats, 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 the modern
Greek dirt is less custom than an I'M
memorial tradition.
The first cases of him seen bv the
traveler-supposing him to approach
the country from that side-are in Mes
senia. This fact has suggested TO an
antiquary that at the disastrous close
of the first Messenian war. in 135 Is. C.,
the MesSenians. bound themselves by a
great oath that, until they had washed
ont disgrace they would wash nothing.
That oath they have faithfully kept.
and now it is unlikely ever to be ter
minated or broken.
The modern Greek does not work.
There are, it is true. workingmen: they
are needed for the demonstrations of
the unemployed. In the same para
doxical spirit it may be said that the
principal industry of the country
Is idleness. But for the con
venience of the gazetteer it
is officially given out that the nation is
engaged in commerce-mainly cur
rants. Besides this, there is a brisk
trade in justice in many parts OF the
country, while the inha bitants of some
seaport towns devote their energies to
backing one another's boots in the
principal streets. Such are the indus
tries of modern Greece. 1t is to be OBJ
served, 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 to work.
Although inactive. he is enterprising.
The race is very widely spread: indeed,
the 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 cigar
cite. When he is about to light a
cigarette he is always smoking one. eX-
cept when his neighbours tobacco gives
out. He is not always drinking fact
which may be ascribed more to the
character of his native wines than to
his native sobrietv-though he can sell
dom spare the time to leave the wine
shop, but fills in the interval trying to
induce his neighbor to buy him wine
to drink. 1t is probably the national
devotion to the cigarette to which we
may attribute the characteristic archi-
tectural styles of modern Greece. The
common feature in all these is their
rough, bold incompleteness. To the
experienced eve the building looks as
If it were tumbling down: but this is
not the true explanation. Plainly, the
house was half built. when the master
builder stepped away to get a light
and forgot to return. In agriculture
the modern Greek does not excel.
1t is thought by sociologists that the
land was so ravaged by the end of the
Peloponnesian war (4O4 Il. G. 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 ira
ditinnal military exploit. the modern
Greek Is but an Indifferent soldier.
But it is to be remembered that il is
now hardly over fifty years since he
freed himself (acting through the fleets
of England, France and RUSSIA from
the brutal dominion of the Turks.
Doubtless in a century or two he viii
have advanced more than one step on
tire road TO rejuvenescent prosperity.
The perpetual invention of new abOr-
saving machineS is of the happiest au-
curry for his future civilization II
should be said. moreover. that there is
in the islands town with a LARGE
square and fne subtropicaI plant in
iugs. partly finished. and eight or nine
shops, besides q statue of a
patriot in knickerbockers. called Nuley
no doubt in affectionate recognition
OF his ;enacity of purpose. The square
Is called the Place OF the Glory of the
Resuryent Hellas. but it is very many
times too large for t.
The modern Greek woman differs in
several important points from the
modern Greek man. She sometimes
works. and not seldom. IN early youth.
looks like an habitual criminal II
must NOS be thought. however. a some
have done. that she goes 80 far a. ever
TO tell the Truth. When she goes
Journey she carries with her every
thing she has in the world. n this re-
spect approximatiuC 20 the custom 81
her sisters among less civilized peoples
She carries her goods IN a broken box
with parti-colored leather tOp. trel-
Used with yellow tin>el. In the rare
eases when the lock = not broken she
further secures it WITH piece of
broken string.
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