The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-28
PEASANT WINS A PRINCE.
now,NTIC STORY or A PRETTY Or
PHAN GIRL

Yet Conquer.
from the Philadelphia Press.
=, little ilat-roofed village close by
-. civ of Athens lives a girl whom fate
5overed most previously with beauty,
ir.saigence and nobility of character.
.s,,eb wealth and nobility of birth have
"a, denied. She is only a peasant girl,
the romantic story of her life reads
ma massage from the Arabian Myths
rs simple fact. however; it is probable
,b,t the royal family of Greece would be
usa pleased could they relegate it all to
tbtrealm of fiction.
1arissa is what the Greeks call a "psy-
,paaida" or "sou.-child"-a child by
oaotton. She is. also, as BELTS the her
4 o,s of such a romance, a veritable shep-
{ brdess. She is of good peasant stock.
bat was left an orphan very early in life,
ss1 upon the death of her parents was re-
csived as a servant by the family with
which she has since lived
II is custom among the Greek peasants
when the daughter of a household is sent
out to service, as is frequently the case
when there are two or more sisters, that if
i
Quoted. aud especially if she become friend
less or homeless, the family which she
enters ADOPT here as a "soul-child," send
her to school a few years, and finally dow
er and marry her at the age of % or 26.
The "s0ul-Child' in return takes an ac-
tive part in household duties, and assists
TO spin card, wind and weave the wool
Of
its members; and she it is who oftenest
leads the locks to pasture. After time.
if she is fortunate enough to become the
possessor of some embroidered garments.
a sab upon which to say prayers in
church. and a good supply of stockings
OF various colors, she is pretty sure to have
an offer of marriage, and TO establish her
self in a tiny house of her own
But there are soul-children and soul
children. 1t is not every one that has a
face like flower, a great mass of mid
night hued hair, lustrus eyes to match
and mouth like tiny crimson bow This
maiden has them, though, and thereby
hangs a tale.
"A woman to wear witchcrafts of color
and sim he beautiful" thought a stalWart
young man, who, with several attendants,
rocked idly, one day, a little more than a
year ago. in pleasure boat near the fish
ing grounds near TO this ancient Greek
hamlet as he watched the strong, vigor-
Il Gus movements of a young girl maneuver-
ing a boat at no great distance For above
all else, Larissa is a sailor; the love of the
4 sea is inbred in her; and as for fear, she
knows it not.
The man who first saw her thus, eighteen
months ago, managing her little craft with
the seamanship born of long practice, her
cheeks peachy with the rich life given by
the sharp breath of the sea, was no other
than that weil-beloved darling of the
Greek people, Prince George. himself an
admirable sailor. So capable is he in all
branches of his faVorte art tina upon his
visit TO this country with the young Gar
OF Russia few years ago, a certain gray
headed admiral of the Brooklyn navy
yard said of him: THAT young fellow
knows more about naval warfare than l
do"
Prince George is the idol of the masses.
Like most Europeans. he is a facie lin
gust speaking Danish, German, Russian,
French English, Spanish and Italian with
equal 1uency. But he is also an ADEPT in
the patois Of the people. In this he loves
TO address Them and such is his personal
magnetism and popularity that at the first
Come on boys-who's with me?" the
crowd of enthusiastic bystanders quickly
s~eHs into thousands obedient to his
slightest bidding
some time, abandoned the quest of a suita-
ole marriage for the young prince. as he
most resolutely proclaimed his intention
~ OF devoting himself to the people and the
FL navy leaving matrimony to the Duke of
sparta his elder brother Constantine the
ner TO the Grecian throne. So the court
and the ministry, well pleased, smiled con-
lentediy and Prince George went travelling
having been chosen az companion de voy-
NH age Dy MS cousin and intimate chum the
zarowitz of Russia, now the czar, whose
HE he saved from the hands of a Japa-
nese assassin in the far east
FL When he returned to his family he made
good his determination of commanding the
navy and such was his single-hearted de-
" Vollon to his duties that again the court
and ministry smiled Wth content. and
congratulated themselves upon possessing
model prince and younger son.
9nA water, however runs deep. and the
prince, after all, is only a human being.
lie IS, moreover something of a roman.
lclst, and somewhere deep in his heart
lay hidden the desire to be loved by some
woman Tor his own sake, big, strong,
handsome athlete that he is, and for the
me being TO forget that he is the son of
the throne.
whether IT was because the time and his
MOOD were prOpitious, whether it was the
ttect oil dinner or destiny will never be
SHOWN, but certain It is that the prince
IeD IN love with The beauty of this sea
Mdlaen, and for year and half behaved
nluch IKE other lovers. impatient at every
mio'iehl spent away from her, reckless of
We hours when with her, enraptured at
,rlIes' detected for causes equally trifins,
ana jealous with ordinary mannish jeai-
uusy OF every churl that crossed her path;
WINE the court. ineredulous, dismayed.
5shast' have looked on with Increasing
uoupl ana apprehension, and wondered
wnat Plan could be evolved to get rid OF
ner YET hesitating TO speak or act, for the
rL.nCe Is strong and violent. and has a
Po"etlul hold upon the people.
ana the peasant "soul-child?" Until a
snort time before the Cretan war the
uentlty of her lover was quite unknown
w her He loved her like other men: he
hHneW' perhaps, for the first time i'm his
tr What u meant to posses affection for
i''nSeh alone, and not for his title; and
Nv also learned what It was to suffer for
~ ioNes sake the eXpostulations of his
tt-'IlIN ana those high in the government
Ing severe ana bitter.
mere had been long stroils and talks
frgau nh.