The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-09


 in wild haste before him. TSe biting winds from the steppes folded it's cold wings around me and Kazbeks stellar crown of seven stars circled in shivering sublimity around it's ice-encased peak, shimmering even in the pale moonlight.
 I deem that local legend of this Great Bear will not be without interest. In cen .turies long gone the world was ruled by seven monks, who lived in hermitage at Kazbeks foot where God provided them with food and ministered to all their wants, even giving them q sunbeam whereupon to hang and dry their clothes Women were forbidden to approach the retreat of these lost recluses. but the curl osity of a young girl deied the divine mandate, and disguising herself as a ehamois hunter, she one dark night knocked at the door and pettioned hos pitality At their refusal she threatened to proclaim the monastic uncharitable- ness, but the old men refused to yield.
 No so however, with a younger mem Der of the fraternity, who plead for the stranger and whose prayer was answered by permitting the false hunter to spend the night in the hermitage, but at a ds- tance from the saints In his dreams the young celibate felt the presence of a woman and at the awakening of the saints next day the Lord had withdrawn all his gifts, even to the clothesine sun beam. Supplcation obtained pardon and offended Deity removed them to heaven, where as the seven stars they fevolve perpetually without rest around the sNn- init of ISazbek, the smallest star being the young intercessor, and at night you may notice it lowering over the ruins of the young girls home. which are still ex- tant.
 travelled all night, for there were no hospices wherein I might rest and in the morning as I was passing through veritable trench of snow and ice. the sun was invisible, its presence only being detected by pale patches of gold on the rugged tops of the palisade of ice and the heavens were as a winding sheet stretched from peak to peak.
 When I quit this almost intermlnable glacial ravine I found tho peasants tiling the ground with the same primitive plough that is used in Palestine, only of a heavier mold, and dwelling in huts of upholstered stone. so low as to be hard ly distinguishable from the naked rocks
 After another days travel I was in Tinis and domiciled in a hotel as com fortable as those of Moscow or Vienna.
 Tifis has q population of 100000 souls. or which P per cent are Georgians and 37 per cent Armenians. The boulevards are superb and the bazars most inviting Jewellers work in the open air and sword cutters offer magnificent Persian shields. l<horassan blades and niello-wrought poinards from Treblzond Even the gun stocks are inlald with nacre and mother of-pearl. Both silks and carpets may be bought here much more reasonably than in Damascus or Constantinople
 l was struck with the diversified styles of architecture as reflected in the churches of the different denominations. The Greek cupola displayed the gllded cross. the Armenian cathedral It's univer- sally square belfry; the octagonal splre of the Georgian churches was surmount- ed by the invarable reversed extin- guisher; the mDaret of the Tartar pierced the heavens with its needIe-lil<e proportions and the Catholic chapeis held aloft the Roman cross.
 The Armenians are the brightest of the motley population, a proyerb being locally current that one Armenian is a match for two Jews, but the Georgians are inc proudest and handsomest.
 Every Georgian considers and calls him. self q noble and they are proud of their blood. They never forget their nobility. and il is said that the positions salute each other gravely by the title of prince when they relieve one another in the sad dle.
 Caucasian girls dread celibacy and every InufSuHy those WHO are ueSifOuS for hils- bands visit the chapel of St. Davis with a hank of thread and q little stone. The thread is tied 10 the oratory and the stone Is affixed to the wall. In fact the chapel is said 10 have been built of stone thus brought to the saint.
 But what can l say of the Georgian women, whose beauty is proverbial the world over? Beauty is not the exception with them and with their blue eyes. blond hair and cameo foreheads they appear even in their rags as though apparelIed In royal raiments.
 Chardin says of them. "To see their passionate. tender, languorous eyes, one would say that they look only to ask love and to give hope. Nature has lavis1ed upon these women charms that are not to be seen elsewhere. I consider that it is impossible to look upon them without low ing them. More charming faces and finer h@ures than those of the Georgian wom- en cannot be painted. They are tall, easy iri their movements, not spoiled by too great plumpness and extremely slender waisted. However few clothes they may wear you never see any hips"
 So far as beauty of face is concerned. am prepared to in1orse Chardins estI- nation of the Georgian women, but as 10 figure l deem those of the women Of Montenegro the most diyinely fashioned that this world has to offer.
 As in all Oriental countries. the people