The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-28

Greek. The bread is black and under
baked, and the butter is churned from
sleeps milk and never gets 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 They
consisted of green tea with sleeps milk,
black bread, and the pure honey of
Hymettus. The honey Of Hymettus is not
50 delightful as it sounds l suppose it
has degenerated, but, at any rate, it is
awful. The bees had evidently browsed
among the strong-scented asphodels, with
which the mountain is covered, and the
result was not appetizing.
The Maid of Athens with whom I was
most familiar was Bettina, our maid-of-
all-work. Her dress consisted OF the re-
mains Of her scanty country skirt and the
discarded German Jersey bodice which
had formerly belonged to her portly mis-
tress Bettina was tail and lanky, and
as wild as a goat. She pulled the ample
fronts of her bodice tightly round net
skinny chest until she made them meet
again down the back. Her figure was toe
purely Greek TO admit Of stays pre-.
sented her with an abandoned blue sa tin
pair, but to my CONSERVATION she APP
peared to wait at table with them worn
outside her jersey. Her hair was black
and she still wore it country fashion. In
all pro liability her besetting sin Qaziness)
had prevented her unraveling the plaits
of her early days. Poor Bettina2 Her in
tentiOns were honest, but her tout ensemble
was disturbing; her trodden-down slip
pers made a clitter-clatter as she induced
them to go with her across the stony
courtyard which divided the kitchen
from the house. She split a 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 had his home there for many years.
Bettina certainly did not cry over split
mutton; she threw up her lanky arms
and laughed like spirited hyena. Ky
ria (mistress) is all have ever induced
her TO say but this she repeated loud and
often when 1 encouraged her to bring me
some water, thing she never thought
necessary in ones bedroom.
MY first morning in Athens l spent in
searching for bath. l did find one at
last shaped like a gertleman's silk hat.
1 think it had been an ice pail; it was i'm
possible to sit down in it. / thought it
was very funny, but Bettina renewed her
tragic laugh and shouted kyria.' Kyria
said she did not know how / was going to
get hot water enough to fill it. Would
like to see the kitchen stove, they had no
boiler. When ] saw it ! was amazed.
There was this peace-looking woman
keeping boarding house, aud her only
means Of cooking was revelation. The
stove, as it was called, was large, solid
brick square, about six feet by six feet,
with an outer crust of white tiles, and on
the top here and there a small hole, as if
a brick had been removed. These small
holes were filed with hot ashes from a
large bucket which stood near the stove.
l learned to think of her more in pity
than IN anger when anything was more
than usually undercooked.
by far the prettiest Greek maiden
ever saw was one dressed as a bride for
her funeral | was looking up the steep,
uneven street from Galata to Pera, in
COnstantinople, and as l looked up a pro
cession was coming down and going to
cross the old bridge OF boats over the
Bosphorus to Phanar, which holds all
that is most sacred TO the Greek in Con
stantinoplC. There was troop of little
aCOlytes chanting mournfully as they
STUN bled 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. | was amazed
The corpse was quite uncovered, and it
was a lovely young girl, with clearly
chiseled features and blue black hair.
She was dressed in 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 grewsomely
dramatic"