Mentone, Cairo and Corfu . ople are ardently patriotic; they are ac-tively, and one may say almost dangerously, interestedin everything that pertains to the political condition oftheir country. This interest is quickened by theiracute intellects. I have never seen faces more sharplyintelligent than those of the Greek men of to-day. Ispeak of men who have had some advantages in theway of education. But as all are intensely eager toobtain these advantages, and as schools are now numer-ous, education to a certain extent is widely men are, as a general rule, handsome. But theyare not
Mentone, Cairo and Corfu . ople are ardently patriotic; they are ac-tively, and one may say almost dangerously, interestedin everything that pertains to the political condition oftheir country. This interest is quickened by theiracute intellects. I have never seen faces more sharplyintelligent than those of the Greek men of to-day. Ispeak of men who have had some advantages in theway of education. But as all are intensely eager toobtain these advantages, and as schools are now numer-ous, education to a certain extent is widely men are, as a general rule, handsome. But theyare not in the least after the model of the Greek god,as he exists in art and fiction. This model has an idealheight and strength, massive shoulders, a statuesquehead with closely curling hair, and an unruffled actual Greek possesses a meagre frame, thin face,with high cheek-bones, a dry, dark complexion, straighthair, small eyes, and as for repose, he has never heardof it; he is overwhelmingly, never-endingly KING GEORGE OP GREECE 321 With this enumeration my statement that he is hand-some may not appear to accord. Nevertheless, he is agood-looking fellow ; his spare form is often tall, thequickly turning eyes are wonderfully brilliant, the darkface is lighted by the gleam of white teeth, the gait isvery graceful, the step light. The Albanian costume,which was adopted after the revolution as the nationaldress for the whole country, is amazing. We have allseen it in paintings and photographs, where it is merelypicturesque. But when you meet it in the streets everyday, when you see the wearer of it engaged in cookinghis dinner, in cleaning fish, in driving a cart, in carry-ing a hod, or hanging out clothes on a line, then it be-comes perfectly fantastic. The climax of my own im-pressions about it was reached, I think, a little later, atAthens, when I beheld the guards walking their beatsbefore the Kings palace, and before the simple houseof the Crown Prince opposit
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidmentonecairo, bookyear1896
