The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-15
A LETTER FROM ATHENS.
Interesting Facts Concerning HOspi-
tai Life and the Royal Family.

Below are given some excerpts from
private letter written by a Danish lady
who is in charge of a hospital at Athens
to her brother, now living in Indiana. AS
her point of view differs from that of the
newspaper correspondents, he has kindly
permitted their publication in the Journal.
The letter bears the date of July 8. She
says:
Behind the royal garden is a little hospi-
tai, called Princess Marie's Hospital. Sew
eral ladies have contributed to its erection;
the Queen gave 2ONGO drachmas. We have
h had as fh many as 49, enty1iive patients at
doctor, an English lady, and some Greek
nurses sent from Alexandria by rich
persons withdrew and the hospital was
turned over to seven Danish female nurses
to tell you how kindly we are treated, ev-
erything being done to make us feel salts
fed and to further our work. Queen Olga
over every morning and afternoon. Then
they don white silk aprons, with the red
cross attached. and help the patients, cut
their food, carry it to them,N bring them
wine and water and whatever may be
needed. There is young man who had
came near dying, and the Queen was over
come with grief at 1t. She sat at his bed
side hour after hour, herself eating at the
that he might also eat something. So far
he is not dead. and, what is still stranger.
preston is often used here about these big
men that they are sweet" That might
sound affected, but only to such as don't
know these big children-children in good
as in evil. There is such a wonderful sim
plieity about them.
Especially noticeable are the soldiers that
are called Euzons or Fustanellas They
are mountaineers, and from them is formed
the bodyguard of the. King. They. wear
mutton sleeves. wide white skirts, a yard
long, white stockings and red pointed
end of the foot. The skirt is very elab-
crate affair. 1t is made of pointed pieces
of white cloth-as many as ], 400 pieces, if
1t is to be very stylish. The whole costume,
which may come as high as 1900 drachmas,
Is further set off by a profusion of en-
broidery. brass buttons and the like. Their
wonderfully cool bravery in battle is adj
mitted and admired by everybody. One of
them waits at our table. He is an old man
King Otto. He is splendidly bedizened
with blue silk embroideries blue CATERS
and blue SILK tasSels dangling down his
calves. We get the same dinner as the
King. He arranges the menu every day,
and, besides. sends each of us ice cream,
neral water and such wine as he thinks
=, The King is a very int Interesting, talker.
had changed during his reign. Fifteen
years ago lady was arrested in open
street for driving her own horses with her
dalous The King interceded for her. and
nowadays nobody would ever dream of OBJ
1ect1nG to ladies driving. AS far as / can
judge, the life of the higher classes here
Is now quite cosmopolitan. The wives pay
great attention to dress, social duties etc
The children are educated by French or
English goVerneSseS. =
From my window have the most fas-
cinating~ view of the castle-which is on a
mountanZand the city down below Be
yond that rises Acropolis, and farther down
on the mountain the temple of Theseus
and the beautiful columns of Jupiter
olympus Behind it all, to the left, is the
water, with Piraeus. where the men-of-
war of the powers lie, sending up clouds
of smoke ever-present menace.
Between the castle and our hospital is
the garden, which was in a very neglected
condition when King George came here
but now is well kept. l had walk with
him there the other night He knows every
bush tree and shrub. so many of which
he has himself planted. Among the latter
are the palms-rare trees here-which form
two stately rows on each side OF a road.
and of which two are the only ones that
have ever borne ripe fruit in Europe. My
sister Thyra Cthe Duchess of Cumberland)
called this the Garden of Eden' he said
You may be assured that all the
aspersions upon the conduct of the crown
prince and Prince Nicholas in the war are
without foundation. All the men I have
spoken to who have seen them in the field
say they fought bravey. constantly eX-
posing their lives in spite of circumstances
from some of the officers. History will
some day reveal strange things about the
way the Greek military leaders We're be-
guiled and betrayed by people both here
and abroad, who, at present keep out of
the daylight.