Year: 1877




l had heard of Eski Zaghra long be-
fore coming to Turkey, but knew moth
Ing of it except that it was a mission
station in Bulgaria. 1t looked like an
Old friend when we came near it on
that April afternoon, principally, | sup
pose, because we had expected to find
it there, and because it promised re-
lief from the rattling talega that had
brought us. 1t was indeed beautiful
sight,-its white mosques with their
rounded domes and graceful minarets,
and the red tiled roofs, mingled with
the tender green of the spring foliage.


There are no suburbs to a Turkish
town, and one leaves the open country
to find himself suddenly buried in mar
row winding streets and dirty alleys.
Our talegaii knew where GOspOdene
Bond lived and soon stopped before
large wooden gate, on opening which
we found ourselves within the mission
premises which presented quite an air
of home. We received a cordial wei
come from Mr.. and Mrs. Bond and the
two little girls, who forthwith adopted
us as uncles. AS | wish to devote
letter to the missionary work in Bull
garia | will say nothing of it here.


The time of our visit to Eski ZaghIa
was prasnik, or one of the numerous
yearly feasts, but the greatest of them
all being Easter. This gave us an op-
portunity of seeing some phases of the
people and their life that we otherwise
should not, but also prevented us from
seeing many things, as among the Bull
garian population all business was sus
pended and the shops closed. The
three or four days of the feast were
given up to visiting and carOusing.
Passing through the streets one saw
the women in holiday attire, sitting at
their open gates and dOorways, dis
playing alike their fine clothes, jewelry
and personal charms. They were not
reading or engaged at fancy work of
any kind, but simply folding their
hands, gOssipping, looking and being
looked at. About the coffee houses
and wine shops were crowds of men
engaged in the same occupation. just
outside of the city the poorer classes
we've amusing themselves with games
and rustic dances. The man with the
revolving swing was there giving untold
delight to the simple peasants; the
candy seller and pop corn man, the
knick- -knack merchant and the vender
of boiled potatoes we're calling out
their wares. The dancing was of a
kind peculiar to the country. A num-
ber of persons, usually all men, take
sway backwards and forwards with a
limping kind of a hop and a throwing
up of the hands and tossing of the
heads, keeping time to the wheezy wall
of bagpipe. This they will keep up
for hour after hour and call it enjoy
ment There was also a company of
|
which had never seen in this country
before. They were peasant girls fIOm
the mountain villages who were here as
servants to Turkish masters, and were
regarded by their people as outcast and
abandoned. 1t was sad to lock at the
poor creatures, thus trying to extort
| -, hAf hnli
was a stolid and brazen look to their
faces, and hardly one was lighted up
by gleam of intelligence. There was
nevertheless a trace of wOmanly refine
ment in the flowers with which they
had adorned their hair, though of the
cOmmonest and cOarsest kinds, and ar
ranged without a trace of skill or taste.


1t was Saturday afternoon when we
reached Eski Zaghra, and in the even
ing we attended the Easter service in
the orthodox (Bulgarian) church. II
was in the night rather than the even
ing, for services are held at midnight
every day of Easter week. The whole
scene of that eventful week in Christ's
life. his death and resurrection are repre-
sented in order, with chanting, reading
of Scripture and torch light professions
On this Saturday night after long ser
vice in the church, of chanting and in
tonation procession was formed that
surrounded the church outside, each one
bearing a candle, and returning they
we're admitted again by rapping on the
gate. Afterwards the body of Christ
was raised with great rejoicing. As
could not understand the language, the
service was lost upon me except the
outward ceremony, and the same was
doubtless true of almost every one
present, as the language used was an
cieut Slavic which no one understands
not even the priests themselves. The
ordinary salutatiOns on Easter week
when man meets his friend, instead o
.sgood morning !" "gOod evening !" are
''The Lord is risen !" and the answer
''He is risen indeed J"


Monday morning we improved the op
portunity of the praSnik to try and fine
out some of the customs of the people
and under guidance of Mr.. Bond Sc
ont to make some calls. We first wen
to the house of the principal priest o
the city. He has formerly been thu
chief enemy of the missionaries, ant