The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-06-23
.BULGARIA'S W0MANH00D
C0MPELS ADMIRATION.
wholesome Out-of- Door Quality Gives
Young Women Peculiar
Charm.

of the strength of Bulgaria, whose
steady progress during the last forts
years OF troubled existence has com
PEELED the admiration of onlook-
ing nations Is owing to this nations
sturdy womanhood. is explained by
the National Geographic Society by
Hester Donaldson Jenkins an Ameri-
can educator in the Balkans, in q
monograph upon Bulgaria" and Its
Women" Contrasting the Bulgarian
girls with the other girls of the Bal
kans. Miss jenkins says:
/ Among the oriental girls with
whom lived in my nine years resi-
i dence in the Near East, none inter-
| ested me more than the Bulgarians.
They are perhaps the least oriental
| of the eight or more nationalities to
be found in the Constantinople Col
lege, OF which / was professor. They
are fairer and brighter in coloring
than the Armenians, Greeks or Per-
slams. rather taller and larger on an
1 average. and have far more energy
and less languor than the Turk -.
! The Bulgarian girl, the writer
| continues, distinguished themselves
! from the others by certain whole
some, out-of-door quality, a sanity
which marked them sharply from the
! fanciful, sentimental. and weaker
nerved girls of some of the other ma
/ tionaiities. Their greater sturdfness
| was sometimes expressed boisterously.
! and, Miss Jenkins found. the Buiga-
+ rian hoyden was much more common
than the Turkish hoyden. OF the
/ Bulgar girls physical loveliness, she
says:
Bulgarian girls incline to round
ness of contour and figure, many of
them having round, full face, ripe.
rosy mouths, and dimples. This eff
feet Ia heightened by the fashion of
! wearing the hair in braids wound
about the head. One sees plenty of
dark hair in Bulgaria, but one also
looks with pleasure on warm brown
tints. chestnut tresses. and occasion
| ally auburn heads. One of the most
beautiful girls ! every saw was Bull
garian. with a glorious mass Of cop
! per-coiored waves, clear pale skin.
handsomely set gray eyes, delicate
mouth. and small white teeth, and the
height and carriage of a princess
THE bright cheeks that so many
of the Bulgarians have are a pleasant
change from the dark or pale skins
of the Americans and Greeks. Their
eyes are generally less large and Ian
guorous than Oriental eyes, looking
you squarely in the face" with more
frankness and less seduction"
Miss Jenkins gives the following
meiodious samples of names of her
Bulgarian pupils; Naiezda, Nadelka,
Xarafnka. Blagoya. Vesselina, Coon
ka The last names all end in off
for the men and 'ova' for the women
meaning son of or daughter of. Thus
Magthalena Petrova is Magdalen
daughter of Peter; while Stoke Pet
rolf Is Stoke, son of Peter. However.
now lsat names are coming to remain
permanent in family.
Bulgarian girls are bright dressers
The village holiday brings out won
derful array of gaudy costumes,
straight and awkward in line, nu,
brilliant in color and decoration, the
writer tells. The women's big waists
are usually emphasized by huge silver
!. buckles. When. however, a girl II
, young and pretty. her abundant curly
hair, into which Is braided bright
threads or ribbons, with often a flower
in her hair, her bright color heighten-
ed by the gay emhroideries, and her
slender figure. which the straightness
of her dress cannot spoil. make her
an attractive vision. The pleasures
of the girls. Miss jenkins describes:
. "A girl in a Bulgarian village Is
not without her amusements. AS In
the Bible times, all the water for a
village must be drawn from one or
two wells or springs and these water
ing places or fountains are the scene
of much sociability Hither come all
the youths and maidens of the viii
lage TO ioiter, There is coquetting and
counting about the fountain and
home gatherings in the evenings,
Marriages spring from mutual attrac-
ton and choice. rather than the ar
rangement of families, as do the Ar
menian and Turkish alliances.
There are husking bees and quilt
ing bees where the young people meet
but the most popular form of social
entertainment is the sedanka,. Here
assemble the young men and women
of the village and adjoining farms
grouped about an open fire. singing
solos and choruses. The Bulgarian
folk dances are danced in row or
circle. the leader generally waving
a bright handkerchief and turning
and twisting about his line of follow
ers. like mild game of snap the
] whip 1t suggests health and abound
ing spirits and good fellowship, with
out the sensuaiity that so often marks
the oriental dance.
Occasionally the sedanka ends In
dramatic fashion. Some brawny
fellow who has been counting v1is
Darka assiduously will seize her in
his arms and carry her to his home
The next day this marriage by cap
ture' is given legal and religious sane
ton by the blessing of the Orthodox
priest. I once asked Zarafinka what
would happen II two men wanted tne
same girl. She replied simply: The
stronger would get her."
The Bulgarian girls are bright and
make eager use of educational adj
vantages. Miss jenkins says. The col
lege-trained Buigar maidens become
veritahie centers of progress in ths
towns and villages throughout theii
country, instilling the hunger fol
knowledge that, In turn is to lead