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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.