Through the Land of the SerbDurham, M. E. (Mary Edith)
History
Through the Land of the Serb
Durham, M. E. (Mary Edith)
Montenegro -- Description and travel; Serbia -- Description and travel
Evening was drawing in when we reached the lower monastery, and service
had just come to an end in the little church. The Archimandrite,
followed by his small congregation, came out as we approached. We were
sleepy, dirty, and hungry, and the prospect of another interview in
Servian before getting food or rest was almost too much for us. To our
dismay, we were again conducted to the Archimandrites sitting-room. Our
relief was great when we heard the words, "Vous parlez français,
mesdemoiselles?" and we were introduced to a tall man in the long black
robes and high cap of the Orthodox ecclesiasts. Singularly beautiful,
his long brown hair flowing on his shoulders, he stood there more like a
magnificent Leonardo da Vinci than a living human being. He spoke gently
and kindly in the oddest broken French, expressing himself in little
rudimentary sentences, begging us to be seated and telling us we were
very welcome; "for we are Christians," he said simply, "and is not
hospitality one of the first of the Christian virtues? I, too, am a
guest here to-night. But you who have come so far to see us, it is the
least we can do for you. From England," he repeated, "alone, all the way
from England to see Montenegro, quelle voyage! véritablement des héros!
In Montenegro you are as safe, vous savez, as in your own homes, but the
journey--all across Europe, that is another thing!" The Archimandrite,
he explained, regretted that our room was so long in being prepared for
us. "It is because we have had a pilgrimage here lately and have had to
accommodate very many people. Therefore there was no place suitably
furnished for you, but they are putting down the carpets, and it will
soon be finished." We were horrified, and begged they would not take so
much trouble; but he would not hear of it. "Oh, it is a great pleasure
to us all to know that in England there is such a good opinion of
Montenegro that two ladies will come all alone into our country and
trust us; that the English should wish to know us!" I felt like an
impostor; it was embarrassing to be given hospitality as the bearer of
good-tidings from Great Britain, but to our innocent-minded entertainer
the idea seemed quite simple and sufficient. He had nothing but good to
say of everyone. For the two small boys who came in with the usual cold
water and coffee, he was filled with admiration--their build, their
muscular limbs, their honest, open faces. "Montenegrin faces," he said,
"ah! but they are beautiful my faithful Montenegrins! It is my life," he
went on, "to help these poor people. I have a church, a little, little
church, away among the rocks. It is there that I live. If I had known,
mesdemoiselles, before, that you were travelling this way, it would have
given me great pleasure to show it to you. But I did not know until
yesterday"; and he added, with a smile at our astonishment, "Oh yes, in
this country, vous savez, one hears of all strangers."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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