The sun., 1910-01-09

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born AThanians, and the Church has never
had reason to regret the change. They
are jealous, patriotic. hospitable. kindly.
and their homes are the centres Of the
religious culture OF their districts. They
know their people and indulge, or re-
strain them as they think best A feast
day in the mountains must have been
picturesque event. Early in the morn
ing the people poured down from the
mountains in a living cataract and up
through the valley in great focks, all
in their best. the men first. their women
following. As each batch came in sight
OF the church they yelled for the priest;
bang, bang. went fifty rifles at once;
swish -ish-ish few the bullets; pop, pop,
replied the priests old six shooter.
Before midday the meeting ground around
the church was pa cked with magnifi-
cent specimens Of humanity. Many
carried splendid silver mounted weapons.
and even though wearing revolvers
thrust great silver ramrods in their belts
for -swagger." Snow white head wraps
dazzled in the sun; crimson and gold
djemadans and jelels. the short black
ghurdi and the splendidly decorative
black brsiding OF the tight fitting chalk
shir (trousersl and the heavy silver watch
and pistol chains. set lavishly with the
false rubies and turquoise loved Of the
mountain men. set OF the lean, supple
figures to the greatest advantage.
The Catholic Church is making strenu-
ous effort to suppress some OF the native
customs. in particular the belief in the
Shtriga, the vampire woman that sucks
Nh.a - oh nd stok,s
grown folks so that they shrivel and
die. In many of the tribes all the talk
OF the Franciscans has had little effect.
so deep seated is the belief. But some
OF the. mountain people have a way Of
catching the Shtriga that at least con-
meets her with the Church. 1t is to keep
the bones Of the last pig you ate at car
nivsl and with these to make a cross
on the door Of the church upon Easter
Sunday. when it is full OF people. Then.
IL the Shtriga be within. she cannot come
out save on the shoulders Of the man
that. made the cross. She is seen. terri
fed. vainly trying to cross the threshold.
and can be caught.
The priests too are inveighinR against
infant betrothal by refusing to recognize
II under the age Of II and trying to be
sure that the girl consents. In this re-
form too they have made little progress
Marriage is arranged entirely by the
head OF the house. The children are
betrothed in infancy. A wife is always
bought. The infant comes into the world
irrevocably afianced and part Of the
purchase money is at once paid. She
can marry no other man, is sent to her
unknown husband when old enough,
and the balance OF the price is handed
over. The husband is bound to take
her, no matter what she is like. or fall
into blood with her family. The girl may
refuse to marry the man by swearing
before witnesses that she will remain
unmarried all her life. These women
often wear male dress and may carry
arms; in some parts Of the country shv
may inherit land and work it IL there
were no sons in the family. One Of these
Albanian virgins" that Miss Durham
met she describes as "a lean. wiry. active
women of AZ. clad in very ragged gar
ments. breeohes and coat. She had
dressed as a boy. she said, ever since
she was quite a child because she had
wanted to and her father had let her.
She treated me with the contempt she
turned her back on me and exchanged
cigarettes with the men, with whom
she was q hail fellow we'll met In a
land where every man wears a mustache
her little. hairless. wizened face looked
very odd above masculine garb. as did
also the fact that she was unarmed."
Miss Durham's experiences were not
those Of the ordinary woman globe trotter.
She climbed over the rough trails and
passes OF the worst part Of northern
Albania. visiting the remote Christian
tribes OF the Shalla. Shoshi. Berisha and
Nilkaj. She was ferried across the Drin
by one wild tribe in defiance OF their foes
waiting on the opposite bank; she was
smuggled into and out OF forbidden
vuthaj. and got within sight of that
Mecca OF Europe. Gusinje. Besides she
passed through two closed Moslem terri
tories. Ljuma and Luria, and was the
first unveiled woman to walk through
Djakova and the first to entcr LUNA
She saw the Christian tribesmen come
down from the mountains to Scutari TO
accept the constitution and open tho Jail
doors. and joined in the celebration. firing
of revolvers and rifles with the most
Of the natives y
Throughout Miss Durham's book the
reader gains the impression that while the
Abanians are now little moro than semi
civilized. yet they have many qualities OF
mind and character that are well worth
developing. They are ambitious for their
country. and when one recalls the position
that Albanian soldiers and statesmen
have held in Turkish politics. tho situa-
ton OF the country and tho vigor of its
untaught people. ons is inclined to agree
with Miss Durham that there may be
much in the Albanian's often quoted re-
mark. -Constantinople is the key to the
Near East and Albania is the key to Con-
stantinople.r
woman sunrage In Colorado.
Under the auspices OF the Collegiate
Equal Suffrage League OF New York
~ IN II