The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-07-10
to do SO, as against those whom they
consider their natural enemies. -New
York Tribune.
HERMlTs OF GREECE,
Strange Religious Recluses Who Lived
in Holes in the Thessalian Gifts.

'7'A""Se hcuSlOuS feciNaeS Who Live
In Holes in the Thessalian Cliffs.
One OF the most curious scenes o.
the Thessalian frontier-the centre O
the war between Greece and Turke,
lis to be found at Kalibaki. SOM
forty miles by rail above Trikha!a
The town lies on plain, which j.
backed by the extraordinary rocks O
Neteora, rising precipitously to
great height and commanding tho
marked attention Of travellers. Ii
places the cliffs ascend like a wall tc
a height Of two thousand feet. The,
are rough, free from verdure and dis.
figured by innumerable holes and
caves all over their face.
1t is these caves and the remains
OF monkish dwellings, in them that
give the rocks Of Meteora the strange.
almost prehistoric, appearance that
has made them famous.
There are several inconsistencies at
halibah. The largestis St. Stephens.
Unlike the other monasteries, this is
reached by means of drawbridge
thrown across yawning chasm. This
IS one Of the largest of the monasteries
OF Meteora, and has a guest chamber
especially fitted UP for visitors-that
IS to say, there are three iron beds in
1t, and it is only courteous to surmise
thatthe walded coverlet and single
sheet, that go to make up a Greek bed,
once were new.
Not the least curious feature of
these unlqne rocks of Meteora are the
holes and caves which literally pepper
the face of the cliffs in places.
IN many cases these retreats of the
hermits Of st. Anthony are merely
cages. At distance they look, some
OF them, like big bird cages hung up
against the face of the cliff. As dwell
lngs they are all exceedingly print
tive.
The Thessalian hermit did not ask
much of life. A rocky floor to lie on,
bars or ratings to keep him from fall
ing out of his hole, shaky ladder
down which he might now and then
descend to earth, and basket and
string to let down ffori;; supplies were
all he needed in addition to his cruc:ii---
fix and other religious necessities.
These aerial caves were occupied in
the fourteenth century. Thousands
OF hermits, Judging from the remains
OF habitations, must, at one time or
another, have sought refuge in these
cliffs. Few Of them can now be en-
tered, for the ladders have for the most
part fallen away.
Seemingly, the way a hermit pro-
ceeded was to choose hole that took
his fancy; up to this he ran ladder;
then driving poles into the rock before
the cave, he built out little plat
form; this he rooted in and surrounded
with wall made of sticks or dried
grass. From one platform to another
these anchorites ran up their ladders
until the whole face of the rock was
alive with these hermits of St. An
thony.
After the time-honored fashion Of
'eligious recluses, the cliff-dwelling
PERMITS Of St. Anthony depended
wholly on charity for their sustenance.
Far up in their airy caves they spent
heir days and nights in prayer and |
contemplation. When hungry or
thirsty they let down their, baskets to
he ground, and when these were filled
hey pulled them up again.
The devout people Of Kalibaki be-
ieved that these hermits were q
pecial charge upon them, and kept
hem we'll supplied with bread and
water. Every morning men, women
nd children could be seen tramping
o cliffs to fill the baskets that were
ct down by strings from above. And
o the hermits were able to live their
uiet lives withouta single worldly
are.