Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-08-05
II1S OF GREECE.
.,ees WHO LIVED IN 2 IN TIE CLIFFS.

wholly Upon Charity For
 '''a '.ss aud Remained Always
 e''''a ', cages -The Monastery
 ....t curious scenes on the
 l's 's3isr lagis is to be found at
 fion'i10 10 miles by rail above
 e@s a!as to town lies on q plain
 gae nv tbe extraordinary
 .,'sss .sora, rising precipitously
 aeltVt'' st and commanding the
 pe's@ i;"o ot travellers. h places
 lnS 'S- ike a wall to a height
 'ls'' They are rough, free
 'ss' and disfgured by innn-
 Iaais 1s, I aud caves all over their
 ave. and remains of monk
 X lsss ss'i in them that give the 1''''s, ,Islsora the strange, almost "st
 a',s sanesranee that has made bp0p' roral monasteries at
 pT Tbe largest is St. Stephen g.
 .ss aIs ether monasteries, this is ll' '9' drawbridge thrown across
 .basul. This is one of the
 ls Z ,be nonasteries of Meteora
 ,,sst chamber especially tit-
 ss,;s;tors-that IS to say, there
 ,en beds ill it, and it is only
 Ay surmise that the wadded ] ,ad single sheet that go to |'..no,euos is most hospitable. \, visitors excellent monastic
 snner of many weird courses '@,slf very good company. As 's,s are two churches in this
 inc smaller of the two pos
 so,e very fair ikons set i'll |Ercaged frames, and one very ('s, dated 385.
 .'ge church consists of . nave, [ with the body of the church s dome, which is decorated
 nsual half length figure of ga,e are seen some of the in- aud mother of pearl stools |uR which at one time were the ef fha Meteora monks.
 |sma8aselipts of any value have |zapd to Athens. 4 long build Hght of the bridge contains Ed lie monks, which open into |npyed corridor. In time of war sDBasteries are used as places of bsjesst curious feature of these |mgs of Mete0ra are the holes Ie which literally pepper the # cliffs in places.
 ,l, cases these retreats of the .a St. Anthony are merely ata distance they look, some of ia big birdeages hung up |ha face of the cliff. AS dwell E ae all exceedingly primitive. IbesaIian hermit did not ask < life. 4 rocky floor to lie on. Eai6ngs to keep him from fall Ed his hole, q shaky ladder |Ahh he might now and then ..eBealih and a basket and string aEn for supplies were all he haddition to his crucifix and slsiOus necessities.
 serial caves were occupied ill Hsnth century. Thousands of .Rdging from the remains of sas must at one time or another EsHt lefuge i'll these cliffs. Few aa now be entered, for the |aYe for the most part fallen lasly the way q hermit proceed Mehoose a hole that took his Epiothis he ran a ladder. Then, |Fles into the rock before the Y built out a little platform. 'NOied ill and surrounded with Aade of sticks or dried grass. as platform to another these Bran up their ladders until the as Of the rock was alive with slHlts of St. Anthony.
 'As time honored fashion of re- keluses, the cliff dwelling her N Anthony depended wholly Y for their sustenance. Far up 'allg caves they spent their days @nprayer and contemplation. easfY or thirsty, they let down aSFts to the ground, and when 1s illled they pulled them up S'out people of Kalibaki be- @' lllese hermits were a special ] 'gol them and kept them we'll 'SlIh bread and water. Every men, women and children wen tramping to the cliffs to ssAels that were let down by the \ aOl above. And so the hermits { Q liye their quiet, lazy lives <. 'a slngle worldly care. New E.