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tions are favorable for people of small means.

In the evenings, the big cafe of the principal hotel at Belgrade is filled with smokers and merry-makers. The chief amusement of a large portion of the city's inhabitants consists of drinking beer, talking politics and smoking. This is the usual evening program and often lasts into the morning hours. On Sundays and holidays the women, also, join the crowds in the cafes. Strange to say, and much at variance with our cus.oms, Sunday morning is their market day, and the display of fish, meats and vegetables is large and interesting. On one side of the principal square are the Servian butchers, hucksters and dealers, while on the other side are shown the products from Hungary, which, by the way, are much better, and because of the duty, their prices are, of course, much higher; therefore the poorer classes deal at the Servian side.

A bride in her native dress is some

times seen on Sunday mornings at the market-place, and is a most interesting sight. Her head is covered with a peculiar turban, from which hang clusters of coins, while long strings of coins are suspended from a necklace and a girdle, and these hang over her shoulders and hips. They are her dowry, and the rest of her costume -which is usually of bright colorsis of little importance. She began saving these coins in her childhood. Instead of putting them into a bank, she strung them together to wear as ornaments on festive occasions, that they might prove an attraction to the eligible young men of the neighborhood. The custom of the community allows her to control her dowry after marriage, and should her choice fall on a not very prosperous man, it is exchanged for a piece of land, cattle or household goods, or, one by one the coins are taken from the strings to meet emergencies. As a rule, however, the peasants of Servia are well

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to-do, and as long as peace is preserved, they can live comfortably and save money. Often these strings of coins are handed down from mother to daughter as cherished heirlooms. There is no need of alms houses in this prosperous little country, for there are no paupers. All children between the ages of seven and fourteen must attend the public schools, which are

lent and numerous. The Servian language is a mixture of Russian and Greek, and is somewhat similar to that of the Bulgarians.

The Greek is the bridge between the East and the West-externally he may be of the West, but his Oriental nature is readily shown by the standpoint from which he regards life. He is content to take things as they come. "It is in the hands of God," his favorite expression, is equivalent to "It is the will of Allah." We often hear the phrase: "He is as handsome as a Greek god," but this is not brought to mind by the squatty figures

of the peasants one sees through the country to-day. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of the native of Greece is his curiosity, which knows no limit: he must know the nationality of the stranger, whence he comes, whither he is going, the size of his family, his income, etc. This, of course, seems gross impertinence, but it is not intended as such; in fact, they believe they are showing their friendliness by the amount of interest they take in your affairs.

The Greek custom of eating out of a common dish may seem distinctive, but it is only another Oriental habit, which he no doubt learned from the Turk. This practice, of course, is discontinued by those of the higher classes, but it is still the custom among the peasants. The status of the women of Greece is another and possibly the most salient Oriental characteristic, for the Greek woman is regarded of slight importance compared with the man. When a boy is

Prince Alexander of Servia, from one of his most recent photographs.

born, the father announces the fact by discharging firearms, and the neighbors express their congratulations by a return discharge, but the arrival of a girl brings forth no such celebration. Once reading and writing were considered undesirable attainments for women, and even now many believe education unnecessary, if not harmful, for girls, for the wife of the peasant is the drudge in the house and field, and they can be seen carrying a heavy burden, while the man walks along beside them, empty-handed. The wives.

of the townsmen lead secluded, uneventful lives, taking little or no part in the activities which their husbands engage in. The Greeks are the most democratic people in the world: they have no titles of nobility. While the Greek loves money, he cares nothing for rank; also he has no respect for education, and though most profoundly ignorant, will argue on any subject, and remain unconvinced by any show of learning.

Their picturesque native costume is a cross between that of a ballet dancer and a Highland chieftain. The kilts are white cotton, plaited and worn over white woolen tights, with black garters below the knee. The jacket is beautifully embroidered in gold or silver braid and is sleeveless and open in front. The shirt sleeves are full and flowing, and the front of the white cotton shirt is plaited, with a white, stiff, embroidered collar. This costume is no longer worn in the cities, but the peasant still clings to the "petticoat." The modern Greek peasant has notions of his own regarding cleanliness in his house. It is plainly evident that he takes little enjoyment in bathing. The most primitive Greek home is that of the shepherd-"the mandra," a goatskin tent. The home of the average tiller of the soil is a one-storied cabin about thirty-five feet long, sometimes floored-often notone end of it is occupied by the domestic animals, while the other end may or may not be screened off for the owner's family. Sometimes, but not always, there is a fireplace, for the baking, which is the only important culinary operation, is done outside in a clay oven; in fact, the house is very rudely furnished and is used only in case of a storm and at night, when the rolls of bedding, which by day are. heaped up in one corner, are spread out on the floor, and there the entire family seek repose as best they can.

The home life of the Greek peasant is far from attractive, for his home is simply a shelter, and not a place of enjoyment. He likes to eat and drink amid noisy crowds. This is also true

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AMONG THE PLAIN PEOPLE OF THE BALKAN ALLIES

of those who live in the cities. Even the tradesman and small merchant do little entertaining in their own homes. Their hospitality consists of inviting their friends to dinner at a cafe, but they never lose track of their relatives, and family pride, together with national pride, is their leading characteristic.

The Greek people are exceedingly pious, and belong to the Greek Church. The archbishops and bishops are paid by the State, but the lower clergy are exclusively supported by the fees paid for baptisms, marriages, burials, etc. Small churches are numerous, for it is considered a great honor to build a church and a very great sacrilege to destroy one; so, as these fees are not sufficient to support the clergymen, many of them are farmers or even shop-keepers.

An odd relic of paganism still exists at Athens. There is one column standing of an ancient temple of Aesculapius. When a friend or a child is sick, the people sometimes take a hair from his head, or a thread from one of his garments, and attach the two ends with wax to this pillar; they firmly believe that the invalid will derive benefit from this extraordinary operation.

The Greek marriage ceremony is attended with much pomp, and sometimes the celebration lasts for a week. The most important part of the ceremony consists of the "crowning" of the bride and bridegroom with wreaths of orange blossoms, and be

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cause of this custom, a wedding is A Bulgarian belle in her finest national popularly called "the crowning."

Christenings are much more solemn affairs in Greece than they are in this country. The sign of the Cross is placed on the child's forehead, back and breast, and on the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet; then the entire body is immersed in warm oil, which has been blessed. The office of god-father is a very binding one and not a name only, as in this country, for should the child lose his parents, the godfather is legally bound to support the family. He is consid

attire.

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Sultan of Turkey.

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tice of carrying off the flower of the Christian youth every five years serve in the corps of Janissaries in Constantinople was a terrible grievance to the people. The Bulgarians were forbidden to build new churches, the noblest of the ancient churches were forcibly transformed into mosques, taxes became exorbitant, and forced labor was introduced, with torture and imprisonment as the alternative. Brigandage flourished, and the villagers were ground down under manifold hardships. Records for these five centuries are scarce, because the native language was prohibited by the Turks, and the clergy were required by the Mohammedans matter of policy to chant the liturgy in the Greek language. This long

as a

period of misgovernment and repression ended in a great tragedy: the massacre of over fifty thousand Bulgarian men, women and children at the instigation of the Turkish authorities. The pretext for this fearful onslaught was a conspiracy and a local insurrection near Philippopolis in May, 1876. But the fiercest massacre was perpetrated in the town of Batak, a long distance from the troubled district. The Christian population of 7,000 men was entirely disarmed, Ahmed Agha, the Turkish lord, giving his oath that "not a hair of their head should be touched." Then the defenseless multitude was furiously set upon by the Turks under the command of Ahmed Agha. Great numbers took refuge in the church. The roof was torn off by the Turkish soldiers, who flung burning pieces of wood and rags dipped in petroleum down upon the helpless Christians. In other parts of Bulgaria similar outrages occurred by secret consent of the Turkish Government. The Turks had taken nication with Europe. care to isolate Bulgaria from commu

Emancipation from the Turks came with the Russian invasion of 1877 and the Treaty of San Stefano. But what was hailed at first as liberation proved policy of Russia in demanding "auto be an exchange of masters, for the tonomy" for Bulgaria was to reduce that State to the sad condition of Finland and Poland. The young nation, to use a phrase of Prince Bismarck, had not yet "learned to ride." A Rushad thus been "put in the saddle," but sian prince was sent into the country to assume control pending the calling King. For the astute policy of Russia of a Parliament and the choice of a

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