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PUBLISHED I -r T /-vT T
TWICE A MONTH.} V ULi. 1.
ATLANTA, GA., MARCH 15, 1882.
No. 10.
AT POROS.
BY EUNICE W. FELTON.
As we stepped from the room to the bal
cony in front of the house, a vision of
beauty met our gaze. We looked across the
harbor to the shore of the main-land, where
rose the mountains of Damala, greenly,
bluely, pinkly, gravly, varying like an opal
as the sun lighted or the clouds darkened
them. At their base, green lemon groves
stretched for miles. On the island shore,
near enough for picturesqueness, far enough
to hide any shabbyness of detail, Poros,
with its red-tiled roofs and brilliant white
walls, was drawn in vivid contrast against
the intense blue of the sunny Greek sky.
JEgean Sea, and in war time the bay of Poros
has been successively filled, according to the
fortunesof war,with Russian, Greek, orTurk-
ish vessels. The governor of the naval ar
senal has one of the best paid posts in
Greeee.
We were called from ourenjoymentof the
view by the maid, who had come to offer us
“ gluko” and water. Gluko, translated,
simply means sweet, and the name is emi
nently true of Greek preserves, made as they
are from sugar boiled with various fruits—
citron, lemon, orange, rose-leaves, and the
gum-1 ike. mastic of Chios. An endless vari
ety of gluko is accounted indispensable in
any well-kept Greek household. All young
Greek girls are taught to make that, if noth-
The lady of the house, who had been ab
sent, now appeared, a tall, graceful woman
of some fifty years, dressed in the island
costume. The most striking peculiarity of
this costiftne is the head-dress, worn until
lately, by rich and poor alike, and differing
only in delicacy and costliness of material,
according to the wealth of the wearer. A
handkerchief, be it of lace, embroidered
muslin, or silk, or of some coarser material,
is thrown over the head and drawn closely
around the face, leaving only a border of
hair uncovered; the ends are crossed under
the chin and tied behind, the hair hanging
in long braids beneath. It is by no means
invariably becoming, and gives a certain
uniform roundness to the faces thus framed,
are worn now only by a few older ladies and
the poorer women, whose kerchiefs are
made usually of cotton cloth, which they
dye black themselves if they are in mourn
ing. The costume is not otherwise remark
able, the silken skirt being longand flowing,
and the waist worn rather open, showing
often a beautiful bust. The ladies have
small feet and hands, and when in full
dress their fingers are covered with jewels.
The poorer women and servants wear full,
short skirts of dark material, and loose
jackets; and their coming is generally her
alded by (l loud, scuffling noise from their
large sandals, which flop up and down as
they walk.
Mndam B. was most kind and cordial in
THE FIRST LESSON,
It was breathlessly still. No one was mov 1
ing; there was that absolute suspension of
activity which in warm climates marks the
hottest hours of the day. Streets are de
serted, and even,the most poorly paid ser
vant claims the right to repose. A few
drowsy, dreamy-looking sails were seen in
the bay, and nothing broke the quiet but
the ripple of the tiny waves on the beach in
front of the house.
Nearer at hand, and hardly a stone’s
throw from where we stood, were the arsenal
buildings. Poros has always been the chief
naval station of Greece; the dry dock and
the repair shops for the men-of-war are
here. Its perfectly protected harbor, the
only one in this region, is the refuge of all
sailors front the sudden caprices of the
ing else, for every Greek husband takes
a pride in offering to his guests a gluko and
a cup of Turkish coffee as an accompani
ment to the constant cigarette. This custom
isi of Turkish origin, and is passing into
disuse in the polite circles of Athens. Its
disappearance is to be regretted, for in a
warm climate this frequent slight refresh
ment, always followed by a glass of cool
water, is both agreeable and diverting.
Usually brought on the arrival of a visitor,
it serves as a kind of background for con
versation. No one is expected to take more
than a spoonful, helping himself from the
common dish with a spoon which is served
to him with his glass of water, and after
ward replaced according to etiquette in the
glgss, showing thpt both have been used,
as it were, in a circle. When the face is
young and smooth, the effect is pretty
enough, but the white, or in case of mourn
ing, the black folds against an old and worn
cheek give it an almost ghastly look. Until
quite recently, the kerchief has made an
important part of the trousseau of any Al
banian girl from these islands. Twelve
dozen would not have been accounted an
unusul number for a wealthy maiden to
possess, and to these were added the inher
ited ones. They were made up of all mate
rials, from the favorite gold-colored satin,
embroidered with gold thread or bright
silks, to the lighter embroidered muslin for
warmer weather. Probably for the better
claw, no kerchiefs of this kind have been
made in (he last twenty-five years, They
her reception, again offered us gluko, and
pressed us to pass a week with her, which
was the more hospitable since our arrival
was unexpected. It is true my companion
was her niece, and had the claim of kinship.
To the first compliments succeeded the ques
tion, almost an invariable one, if the new
guest be a lady and married—“Have you a
son?” If the reply is in the affirmative, there
follow many congratulations; if not, then
with a sigh, “The poor burned creature!”
It is estimated that the coal fields of the
United States could supply the whole world
with, coal for a hundred years; and yet
our annual production is little more than
half (be annual yield of (be British po*l
mines.