Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-19

the sea. But she said once rider seemed
to insure one forever. and she was as
comfortable as in a rocking chair. She
intends to introduce the riding into the
sunny cline which is now her home. The
southern ATTITUDES are not productive OF
such strenuous sport as horseback riding,
and even the king rides but little now,
and in the circumscribed area between
the city and mountains which skirt the
horizon.
Il glory in my visits home for more
reasons than that i can ride as far anu
long as | wish. I have lived i'm foreign
parts nearly all of my married life and
the better American | find myself But
l realize how much we owed the older
civilization and how we have exchanged
the debt by showing the ancient world
how to enjoy life i'm the modern sense.
Athens Is now large city even in our
sense. since 1t has almost IJ0,ND inhabi-
tants. Street cars cross the city in every
direction. and the service is excellent.
just as good as in our most progressive
western cities. The railroad station il a
model, and markets. municipal lighting
establishments. shops-or baZaars We
term them--and emporiums for every
household necessity are we'll planned and
admira bly, conducted. In a word. the
modern Greek has learned much from his
friends across the sea. and American
methods of transacting business give an
alertnesS which has been hitherto lacking
in the ease and languor of the south.
We get many emigrants from this classic
land in America. and many return To tel
of the novel ways in which they live In
the new world.
THE streets are well laid out, for
Athens today is essentially modern and.
like Italy, only the ruins are ancient
The most interesting existing buildings
can only claim to be medieval
"A mayor governs the city. and he has a
council of eighteen members, and they
all make brave appearance on high feast
days. Quite a large diplomatic corps adds
to the gayety of the city, and though
there is court there is less of the for
mality than one finds In older monarchies.
The King of the Hellenes is kin to all Europe.
gaze upon the potentates VINO occupy the
most powerful thrones. There is some
festivity In preparation for kingly Nisl-
tors q good part of the year. and at Corfu.
where the king and queen spend "A good
part of the year, royal visitors are as
frequent as in Paris. The round OF
gayety is about the same as i'm Wash
ington, London or Paris. only in Athens
the fashionable world is composed of
fewer members than in any of those
capitals. Dinners, balls and levees are
the ordinary channels of hospitality, and
many meet on the drive and chat from
carriages.
:; x
The American Archaeological Society
has many members who reside part OF
the year in Athens, and many learned
savants are domiciled there for months
at time. Some American students may
be found in the National University OF
Greece, which is in Athens. and all these
elements combine to make exile less
dreary for a true-blue American. | love
to hear my own tongue, and rejoice that
many i'm Athens speak il fuently. The
students there, as everywhere. are q
merry body, and keep the city lively.
There are over 1900 native students and
about 800 foreigners. The National Ii
brary is a solace for all repinings. 1t is
not only a glorious building faced with
Pentelic marble and beautiful beyond
mere description, but ii contains one OK
the most interesting collections of books.
ancient manuscripts and engravings In
the world. There is fine reading room
also and abundant opportunity afforded
to learn late news from home in the
newspaper collections.
1.-The churches are another feature or
Athens which may occupy many idle
hours. There are many of them and OF
many kinds of religious belief. St. Nico-
demus. which Is the largest and finest OF
Byzantine churches and which dates
from the eleventh century, is favorite
spot OF mine. Its blending of light and
color in marble, gold and stained glass
makes it as wonderful as San Marco in
Venice.