The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-02-25

uOLAOl W luC A4O4h9 Va ave SAeeASSs -
after due elaboration. they decided to
send two of their presidents (of whom
there are four named In rotation from
each Of the converts each year, to
Athens, to lay their fears before the
representative OF the secular head OF
the Greek church. In pursuance OF
this decision, armed with q loaf OF
black bread, a little paper OF salt ana
an ikon OF great beauty, newly paint
ed with loving monkish care, the two
black robed elders of the ancient re-
ligious republic left the protected
peace OF their cliffs and walls, sea-
grit, and ventured the troubled wat
ers of the Aegean to put their dif-
Equities before Prince Demidon. I'M
perial Russian minister to Greece. The
secular head and most powerful de-
fender Of the Greek church in the
world outside OF Mt. Athos is the en-
peror Of all the Russias, To him IN
person they could not go. The way
was cut off. Neither through Bulgaria
in arms nor by way Of the besieged
Bosphorus could these legates OF MI.
Athos come to their next friend and
protector. So they went as best they
could to his representative. dressed
In their ample, flowing robes. their
pot hats like outworn titles" turned
upside down, and their uncut hair and
patriarchial boards. And the Russian
minister received them, gave them
food and drink in his exquisite palace
in Athens in return for their bread
and salt. and treating them with great
respect, assured them their case would
be put before the emperor himself,
and that a contingent Of Russian ma
rines would be sent to guard the pinin-
sula il they had to come all the way
from Archangel to get there. He told
them not to fear. for the Bulgarians.
too. are OF tn. Greek church and
themselves have convent all Of their
own ON Mt. Athos; and II was scarcely
conceivable that even the least scrlipu-
lous of Bulgarian "komitadjis' or
bandits should lay hostile hands upon
the holy things of the church.
But what has bothered the monks OF
Mr. Athos has not been the BulGar-
ians. The monks in vague sort or
way know that their treasures of gold
en- images, brilliant studded altar uten-
sils, manuscripts centuries and cen
turtles old, are sufficient to tempt al
most any man. They fear, not per-
haps an organized attack, but a raid
against which their hired guard OF
fifty soldiers would be helpless. So
a second deputation has just been dis
patched to Athens. and some Of the
more precious of their sacred possess
sons-their bits Of the true cross,
their sanity mementoes Of the holy
founders of the various converts,
around which shrine after shrine has
been built through the ages-have been
placed in the security OF the steel
safe of the imperial Russian legation
at Athens.
Certainly one Of the most extraor-
binary and beautiful sights of the
whole world is convent crowned Mt.
Athos. The Chalcidic peninsula,
stretched south into the Aegean Sea
like three fingers of great hand, has
the mountain itself as the nail on the
eastermost finger. But the mountain
is merely sort of lofty marble white
and oaken green landmark, on the
garlanded sides Of which are hun
dreds OF shrlnes and huts Of individ-
ual anchorltcs. The whole peninsula
itself is the garden ground of TWEEN
ty converts, most OF them either at
the waters edge or perched high up
on cliffs or mounted on the terraced
hlllsides overlooking the water. Their
architecture, their extraordinary set
ting. stages scene for the passerby
on the deck of coasting steamer,
rarely to be equalled in the entire
world.
Northernmost, on the western slope
Of the peninsula Is the monastery OF
Konstamonites, possibly the Oldest
Of the converts and certainly one OF
the most picturesque. Its red roofs
and incredibly lofty gray walls, win
lowed like most of the convent walls,
only in their upper half, rise from
a ring Of expresses like fairy castle.
Here and there near the top OF ram
parts that seem those of fortress,
little bird cages of square bay win
dows stick out, upheld by proping
wooden beams. The monastery was
founded by Constants, son Of Constan-
tine the Great, early in the fifth CEN
fury, no one quite knows when. It
still has charter granted 1t by the
byzantine emperor Manuel Palaelogus,
to which the emperor's signature Is
scrawled in red letters, possibly red
ink, possibly the blood Of some anil
NAL.
Not far away towards the south is
one of the most interesting Of these
ascestic communities. the Russian
convent Of Panteleimon. 1t was
founded by st. Lazarus Knees OF
Serbia, but rebuilt comparatively re-
cently-by the Empress Catharine J.,
Of Russia. For a long time 1t was
kept only for Russians, but many OF
those set up little individual hermit
FAMOUS BANDIT OF