The new South-news., 1908-12-05


drian. Because they speak = Latin
language Ike Roumanian. their neigh
bors call them Vlachs tWallachs).
They are slight. graceful people. and
In youth. before hardship and oppros-
sion have marked fhen. beautiful with
the rare spiritual beauty which haunt
ed Prerapaaelite painters. Their VII
lagos are placed high up on the re-
note passes and shoulders OF the hills.
The women live there in seclus.on all
tie year round. unseen by strangers,
but the men and boys stay with them
during the winter only. and In summer
leave their homes 70 wander through
the yalic-- With .ho'- geats, sleeping
fmong the rocks. Wien the snow
NETS and spring begins, they appear
guiding their lccks down the dry riv-
or beds to browse upon the under
brush, or resting In the shade Of the
plane trees while they begllle tie long
heat OF the day with warbling solilo-
quies upon rough pipes made Of stems
Of oleander Their dress is all of thin
white linen. white leggings and fusia-
rella, white shirt and fez: and when
group Of the tall figures Is seen out
lined against the blue sky upon some
cveFhaneing rock. these ghostly
clothes and their sensitive faces and
great lus'rous eyes make them look S,
like lost angels imprisoned in this
burnt-up land that there would be no
surprise in seeing them spread irredes-
cent wings and dart circling up into
the air Their ethereal aspect and
shy. melancholy habits give them, in
the eyes OF the Turks. an almost sa-
cred position; and for the same char
Gctcristics the Greeks treat them as
harmless imbeciles Both nations ac-
cordingly allow them the privileges of
obscurity. and employ them as car
riers to pass TO and fro across the de-
batable land of the border. near which
no Greek or Turk would dare to ven
ture.
Az the Metssra Monast1ries tbs
traveller says good-5y to his Greek
guards, and thence to Yanina he rides
in company WITH band OF them, their
white figures fitting around him as
the way winds into wilderness of
sunlit valleys and brown mountain
domes, their musical voice calling to
hidden friends. who answer from above
the hillside. The vlachs are great
lovers of antiphonal song. Their sig
nal-shouts have traditional forms
which distinguish family from family.
so that when the answering call is
heard to complete the phrase which
the signaler has begun. 1t is known
that a friend Is near Sometimes the
whole escort catch up the strain and
coctinue Il shrouFa part Of the long
ballad which is the epic OF their ances-
tors. The story Is always about love
and war. Each voice takes the part
of some character; the lover and his
lady. the wicked Turkish Bey. the cru
el klepht or Arnaut, the heroic Vlach
leader. Perhaps a distant goatherd
or passing luioseer joins In the qunv--
ering nasal chant, singing in rivalry
the exploits of his own relations.
Once at place where cool stream
swirled under the hollow Of chh
Vlach boy scrambled out of the water.
and. throking his sheepskin around
him, trottcd alongside for mile Or
two. chatting to an acquaintance. Dur
ing the midday halt. these two sang to
gether a long song, rising and falling
intorminahly IN the minor cadences
which sound so strange to Western
ears. II was the tragedy Of two
friends parted by death. Five years,
they sang five years we walked to-
gether. All winter long the same roof
covered us. All summer long we slept
under the same stars. Five years our
enemies beset us in vain'-the tenor
voice stopped, and the treble descend
ed In a wall Of hopeless sorrow-"but
now, now | walk alone
The route from Meteora to fanina
runs up the Greek river Alpheus to the
frontier on high pass. and thence In
to Turkish Epirus down deep gorges
cut BY the head-waters Of Acheron.
Through these defiles All. the leonine
tyrant of Yanina, once made military
road. and paved 1t with broad nag
stones, and built bridges for the pas
sage OF his cannon. Now the paving
is broken by earthquakes. and the can
non wheels, and the Turks oat OF pol
Icy have blown up the middle span OF
all his bridges. But the ruins OF the
great road remain to suggest the his.
tory OF this country; how. by miracles
cruelty and valor. All united Albania
and threw on the yoke OF the Sultan:
how. by his personal force. he rcianed
forty years ut Yanlna, allying himself
with Danton and Napoleon and Pitt;
how In his schools ne edacated the
Greeks, and thus. and by the blow he
dealt to Turkish influence. set afcot
the Gfreek war OF Independence; and
how. as his strength failed. The noot
Of Turkish power flowed again. and
he died cruelty. but still lives In the
memory Of Albania as the personifica'
ton OF its wild passion and furious val
or and tameless love OF war and lib
erty.