The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-07

| AIifnin & Co.. OF Boston, Mass
tales of Il Greek Island" furnish
American readers with some wonder-
fully human and vivid stories OF life
and character In modern Greece with
the bcautiful background of the cIas-
steal Island of Poros. That the author
is well qualified to write such book
Will be seen from the following ac-
count of her life:
My first memories arc OF Constan-
tinople. whore | was born" she says,
ana almost the fret thing ] remember
Is green old garden in San Stefano.
near Constantinople, and a kind gar
dener boy who used to lift me up to
smell the sweet basil standing i'll pots
on the ledge of a small reservoirs.
My parents came to England when
l was stu very young, and ] think
snail never forget the melancholy OF
that first arrival. Inconsistencies exists
everywhere, of course, but l think you
must be Southerner newly trans
planted to the North to descend to the
greatest depths OF It's misery
Looking back l cannot help plying
The child | was then. just fresh from
inc wonderful glamour and delight OF
the long summer days spent in
southern garden, standing u. the win
dow of II furnished house looking out
on TO street OF tall dark houses and
gray, slippery pavemcnts, with
foreign people hurrying along with
hcnt heads 10 avoid the wind and the
Wet OF course, ] gradually got re-
conclIed to much, especially after
making the acquaintance of Wales and
its lovely 'hills, but all the same
have always felt a stranger to the
North.
came to Greece as young girl,
and since my marriage have lived here
constantly n
love both, each In Its own way, but
think Poros is the dearer TO me. 1t
is one of the favored spots not only
IN Greece. but in Europe, and ] have
travelled in many. My life is very
quiet and uneventful ono, perhaps
more so In Poros than that of most
women nowadays, even of those who
I'VE In the country. There are prac-
ttcally no roads except the one to the
Monastery, SO that there is no motor
ihS, no driving even, possible. and not
much riding, except on mules or don
Keys We walk and We climb and we
sail-that is all-but who could com
plain when there are such ideal walks
and such perfect sea?
cannot say see very much of the
peasants in their homes-district visit
ing as practiccd in England is quite
listen to the men
when they come to our house TO con-
suit my husband or 10 be paid for
work done on our property which is on
the mainland. listen TO the women
when they arc packing oranges, or
picking raisins, or wedding, or gathei
ing lemons, and | hear much OF their
lives and their thoughts and sayings.
The first thing that made me think
of writing about them was the .ac
count of his sons death which an old
donk cy-man gave to my husband.
This was the origin of "Barba sta
thi." and the others, which were
grew out OF this first real
story. Most of my stories have been
written in Poros on the spot. and |
+ generally try to revisit or walk along |
every place want 10 describe and to |
be very careful about getting the |
epoch with all its products correct, as
| have SO often been amused with |
magazine stories where people pluck |
grapes in spring or where ounce trees |
are made TO blossom with the almond /
trees.
The people OF the island arc very
shrcwd and often interesting in their !
own local subjects, but OF course, very |
ignorant, at least the older genera ton
abou, anything in the "est of Europe. !
They know a little more about Amer
lea on account OF many of their men !
cmigratinS there. The pure classical
Greek type OF the Porioies is far more
often met on the island than in the
towns. or course, they have very lit /,
tie. If any, conception OF the beauty of
their island, and yet it is one OF the |
most beautiful in land of beautiful
islands: and only hape that American |
readers may care 10 read about il, |
even though IL be incompa rably less |
than | have cared to write about it.