Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910Richards, Laura Elizabeth Howe
History
Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910
Richards, Laura Elizabeth Howe
Authors, American -- 19th century -- Biography; Feminists -- United States -- Biography; Howe, Julia Ward, 1819-1910
At Corfù a Turkish pacha came on board with his harem, to our lively
interest. The Journal gives every observable detail of the somewhat
squalid _ménage_, from the pacha's lilac trousers down to the dress of
his son and heir, a singularly dirty baby. She remarks that "An Irish
servant's child in Boston, got up for Sunday, looks far cleaner and
better."
The pacha looked indolent and good-natured, and sent coffee to her
before she disembarked at Syra. Here she was met by Mr. Evangelides, the
"Christy" of her childhood, the Greek boy befriended by her father. He
was now a prosperous man in middle life, full of affectionate
remembrance of the family at 16 Bond Street, and of gratitude to "dear
Mr. Ward." He welcomed her most cordially, and introduced her not only
to the beauties of Syra, but to its principal inhabitants, the governor
of the Cyclades, the archbishop, and Doctor Hahn, the scientist and
antiquary. She conversed with the archbishop in German.
"He deplored the absence of a state religion in America. I told him that
the progress of religion in our country seemed to establish the fact
that society attains the best religious culture through the greatest
religious liberty. He replied that the members should all be united
under one head. 'Yes,' said I, 'but the Head is invisible'; and he
repeated after me, 'Indeed, the Head is invisible.' I will here remark
that nothing could have been more refreshing to the New England mind
than this immediate introduction to the theological opinions of the
East."
A few hours later his Grace returned the visit, seeking in his turn, it
would appear, the refreshment of a new point of view.
"We resumed our conversation of the morning, and the celibacy of the
clerical hierarchy came next in order in our discussion. The father was
in something of a strait between the Christian dignification of marriage
and its ascetic depreciation. The arrival of other visitors forced us to
part, with this interesting point still unsettled."
Arrived in Athens, the travellers found the "veteran" (as the Doctor is
called throughout her book) in full tide of work. The apartment in the
pleasant hotel swarmed with dark-eyed patriots, with Cretan refugees,
with old men who had known "Xaos" in the brave days of old, with young
men eager to see and greet the old Philhellene. Among the latter came
Michael Anagnostopoulos, who was to become his secretary, and later his
son-in-law and his successor at the Perkins Institution for the Blind.
The ladies of Athens came too, full of hospitable feeling. There were
visits, deputations, committee meetings, all day long, and in the
evening parties and receptions.
Spite of all this, her first impression of Athens was melancholy. She
was oppressed and depressed at sight of the havoc wrought by Time and
war upon monuments that should have been sacred. Speaking of the
Parthenon, she exclaims:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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