Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-05-12
M a II : ); !: 5 II :; II II II II II y Il u u " u " II II II II Il 4
: In Classic Lands Of the Blue Mediterranean. !
* - rvo,n 4
* d . H. NN'DN y
II II II II u II II II y " iss i II i II II II Il Il AL
BY J. H. ENGLE.

1otp Wo uto AZ tuo hut ook Va oOh Wv
Lebanon mountains In view, oul
hearts quickened by the delightful
trip over the blue Mediterranean ant
our visits to classic lands Of Its bor
ders.
My arsenal Of explosives is ran
sacked. My "Ohs" and "Ahs" arr
gone-caps, lower case and all. My
vocabulary Of adjectives is exhausted
The constant wonder and the unend
ing surprises have got the better oI
me. l try to assume. to suitable
degree, the blase, but my enthusiasm
does get the upper hand. All I have
left as my stock in trade is q few su'
perlatives. But this voyage is toe
much for the most "traveled parson'
on shipboard. Heaven and earth,
God and man, have seemed to con-
spire to make the cruise Of this sea an
unending delight.
Did l tell you in former letter
about Malta, with its meagre, rocky
acreage, much Of whose little soil was
brought by ship from Sicily and Italy
in the days of the islands greatest
gloryP For this was once the home
Of the Knights Of St. John, Hospital.
ers, driven successively from Pales-
tine and the Isle OF Rhodes and whose
marvellous achievements are q con-
slant source o! wonder. England,
seeing the strategic value Of the
island for the control Of the Mediter.
rean, seized it century ago and
maintains strong garrison. St..
Johns Cathedral has few competitors
in the world. St. Paul's Bay, the
scene Of Paul's shipwreck, was Of spe-
cial interest to our party. The. island
in the mouth of the bay explains the
phrase "where two seas met" The
display Of armor, used by the Knights
Of Malta (St. John) in holding at bay
the Mohammedan hosts and thus rem
dering Europe Christian instead Of
Moslem, is a most interesting collec-
tion and is said to be surpassed by
only one similar collection in the
world-that In the British museum.
My visit to Athens was revela-
tion. had not begun to conceive Of
the beauty Of the modern city. Nor
had l ever approximated vision Of
the city's ancient splendor. On every
hand Nre masterpieces Of sculptured
art, the product Of Phidias and his
school. The faded glory Of the Acrop-
oils lie pathetic. My reading had In
no sufficient measure impressed me
with the extent Of the ruins. My
blood boiled at sight Of the vandalism,
and brilliant mosaics ruined
arms, heads and drapery Of the worlds
best statuary ruthlessly broken. con-
scienCeless relic.mongers Of modern
days adding to this heartless destruc-
tion. Think Of throwing q hot shell
into the powder stored in the Parthe-
non, that marvel OF architectural
beauty! Aud Of the matchleSs bronze
figures melted into coin! And to crown
all, burning thousands Of pieces Of the
worlds best sculpture-for lime!
How natural that this should have
been done by the unspeakable Turk
whose bloody hand casts & shadow
over the entire Orient! By the Bay
OF Salamis sat upon the Acropolis
over the temple Of Elysius, viewing
on one hand the scene Of Xerxes' hu-
initiation, and on the other the beau
tiiul and fertile plaias of SalamiS
upon which the Greeks believed the
art Of agriculture was begun. Like
silver ribbon upon q field Of bronze
and green, the old road from Athens
to Tbebes and Corinth, led away to
the rugged mountains beyond. We
retraced our way over this road upon
which the sncient Pan-Athens pro-
cesSicn used to 60 to participate in
the 4 ysian Mysteries. The orchards
Of olives; the wheat fields; the gardens
irrigated from shallow wells with the
aid Of horses, donkeys and bullocks;
the goats herd with his antique cos
tune; the: house and stable combined
under one rooi--all these and num-
berless additional touches Of dOnes-
tic life, preserving, | am assured. the
charaoseristics Of classic days, rem
asrsd my eight mile drive to the
sountry at sAlsmiS bay, 9 most inter
sting Ons. One dAyAt the best hotel
b Atklns serted % reveal 70 usx-