The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-10

have not only sanctioned but taken ac
tive part in the ceremonies.
The first of this series of anathema:
against Nenizelos was pronounced in
Athens. The spot set for the ceremony
was the immense military exercise field
of the garrisons of Athens. The govern.
ment formally forbade the ceremony the
day before, fearing disturbances, and il
was thought that the ceremony would be
abandoned. At day however, peas
ants from their African and Boeotian
farms began to flock into town, each
carrying a stone from his own soil tucked
away among the ACCORDION pleats OF the
white skirts that the Greek peasants
wear upon occasions of ceremony. Many
brought their wives and children, the
women all carrying their own stones and
frequently the children also.
By noon the streets of the capital wit
messed an unending procession of peas
ants and poorer folk bound in the direc-
ton of the kypselis quarter, where the
exercise field is located. On the Patissia
road, which leads to the field house
was in process of construction and piles
of stones were heaped in the yard to be
used in building. As the people passed,
those who had forgotten to bring stones
took each one from this pile. In a quar-
ter OF an hour but one was left. The
building contractor who had been trying
in vain TO protect his property shrugged
his shoulders, hoisted the remaining
rock onto his back and joined the march,
to pronounce an anathema OF his own
partly against Nenizelos but probably
partly also against those who had
stripped his yard.
Immediately following luncheon, the
Weather Athenians began TO appear in
carriages. On the seat of each smart
turnout was a small stone and each
coachman had one for himself hidden be.
tween his feet. Ladies of the best Greek
society clutched in white-gloved hands
vanity box--and a rock. The archbish-
OPP OF Athens in full canonicals drove in a
carriage which was followed by process
sion of other carriages bearing the mem
bers of the Holy Synod OF the Greek
church. As the prelates passed through
the crowd, the men uncovered and all
bowed their heads to receive the blessings
of the priests. In one carriage the ven
cradle bishops OF Corytsa and Larissa sat
together, gentle old men with whitening
boards, who raised their hands constant
ly in a sign. of the cross above the peo-
pie crowding against the wheels of the
vehicle.
Finally, the carriages could go no far
Their; the crowd was too dense. The
aged priests dismounted, the people push
ing back to make a path for them. As
each prelate stepped from his carriage,
the hand that had been distributing
blessings fumbled under the flowing
black gown and drew from its folds
stone to cast upon the pile being erected
% the anger of the Greeks against their
ormer favorite, Venizelos.
The pile of stones of which each man
lad cast one, pronouncing at the same
line the words: ''Katara kai anathema"
curses and ansthema) was already high !
II than a mans head when the arch |
bishop mounted it. Standing well above
he crowd, he pronounced the stigma OF /
he church; "Accursed be Elephtherios ,
1enizelos, who has imprisoned priests
nd plotted against the royal house and
he country!" He cast his stone on the
lie at his feet. At the same instant
1900 men, women and children raised
10Th hands, palms front. fingers wide
pread as if flinging something from them
nd cried with one voice: "Anathema!
In old, old woman, bent with years and
rock as big as her head, which she
arried on her shoulder, made her way at
lst to the edge of the pile and cast her
tone.
"We made Venizelos prime minister"
he cried in a shrill voice, "but he was
OF satisfied TO remain prime minister.
Ie wanted TO become king. Anathemal"
AS she turned to go, she came face to
ace with the archbishop. She fell ON
er knees before him. He made the sign
I the cross above her head and passed
n.