The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-27
THE GREEK OFTODAY
ne DOES NOT WORK WHEN He CAN
GET CIGARETTES.

GET CIGARETTES.
The Oath About washing Out Disgrace and
Other Thlngs-The Influence Upon Arrhi-
tectural styles-The Modern Greek Wom-
an-How the RTen Dress.
The modern Greek says he is the
hneal descendant and heir Of the an
cient Greek, but he is not. He may be
divided into two classes-such exam
Piles OF him az look like the young Apol-
10 and such as do not. Those of the lat
ter class, which Is very far the larger,
look for the most part like the impeni-
tent thief. The dress Of the modern
Greek is d number of short white pet
t~icoats, not unlike those worn by q fairy
In the ballet, only in cases less clean.
To call him dirty. however, ms some
travellers have done, il most unjust "A
chimney sweep is dirty at the close Of
his days work, but with the modern
Greek dirt is less d custom than an i'm
memorial tradition.
The nrst 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 am
tiquary that at the disastrous close Of
the first Messenian war, in 735 B. G.,
the Messenians bound themselves by q
great cath that until they had washed
ont disgrace they would wash nothing.
That oath they have faithfully kept,
and now IL is unlikely ever to be either
terminated or broken.
The modern Greek does not work.
There are, 1t is true, workingmen. They
are needed for demonstrations Of the
unemployed, but they do not work. In
the same paradoxical spirit IL may be
said that the principal industry OF the
country lis idleness. But for the conven-
fence OF the gazetteer 1t is officially
given out that the nation is engaged in
commerce-mainly currants. Besides
this there il a brisk trade in justice in
many parts of the country, while the
inhabitants of some seaport towns de-
vote their energies to blacking ono an
others boots in the principal streets
Such are the industries OF modern
Greece. Ii is TO be observed. however,
that, although the modern Greek never
works. he has an unequaled natural
aptitude for looking as il he were Just
thinking it almost time 20 begin 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 Ia the post
OF duty. Even here the modern Greek
has been noticed more than once, but he
was almost invariably inst stepping Off
o moment to light a cigarette. When
he is about to light cigarette, he is al
ways smoking one, except when his
neighbor's tobacco gives ont. BE IL 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-
bly, the national devotion to the ciga-
rette to which we may. attribute the
characteristic architectural styles of
modern Greece. The common feature
in all these Is their rough, bold incom-
pleteness. To the experienced eye the
building looks as IL it were tumbling
down, but this is not the true explana-
tion. Plainly the house was half built
when the master builder stepped away
to get o light and forgot to return. In
agriculture the modern Greek does mot
excel.
It is thought BY sociBlogists that the
land was so ravaged by the end of the
Peloponnesian war (404 B. CO. that the
Greek became dispirited and has not
planted anything since. Certainly it
would be impossible 10 ravage the land
now. THUS cut OF from his traditional
military exploit, the modern Greek Ii
but an Indifferent soldier. But it il to
be remembered that it is now hardly
yer so years since he freed himself,
acting through the fleets of England,
France and Russia, from the brutal do
minion OF the Turks. Doubtless I'm
century or two he will have advanced
moro than one step ON the road to re-
juvenescent prosperity. The perpetual
invention of new labor saving machines
liz OF the happiest angury for his future
civilization. 1t should be said, more
over, that there is in the islands d town
with a large square and fine subtropic-
al plant in the middle. 1t contains pub
lie buildings partly finished and eight
or nine drinking shops, besides q statue
of q patriot in knickerbockers called
Muley-no doubt In affectionate recog-