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
There were many things that puzzled him. We passed a village. "This is
all Mohammedan," he said. "There is a mosque below. We have built them a
school. It is a good school, but they will not go to it. They say they
do not care for education! They are strange people, these Albanians!" He
sighed and shook his head. He looked on the village school as the first
step on the path of sweetness and light. I had a vision of the Board
School child, the "penny dreadful," and the novelette with a paper
pattern of the last new sleeve included. I think he was double my age,
but he made me feel very old. We passed a school; the sun had come out
at last, and the playground was full of sturdy young Montenegrins. He
smiled at them with pleasure, and I was glad to think that he cannot
survive long enough to have his dream of enlightened Montenegro
shattered. He said good-bye to us not long after, and we saw the last of
him as he entered his modest little house on the mountain side.
The remainder of the drive did not take long. We were soon in Virbazar,
and once again a cause of local excitement. By the help of a man who
spoke a little German, we were made to understand that we could go for
nothing in the common boat to the steamer, but that for a florin we
could have a very good one all to ourselves. It would have been too
unkind to disappoint them, and we were such rare birds! We delighted
every one by accepting the offer of a private boat.
When the boat was ready, we did not feel quite so pleased. It was a
canoe with two bent-wood chairs arranged in it as a sort of throne at
one end, and looked remarkably topheavy. The crew, two tall youths and a
boy, were in great glee at having secured such a job, and conducted us
to our seats with much ceremony before a large crowd. Off we pushed, and
made a lordly, if somewhat wobbly progress down stream. All went well
till we were suddenly aroused by the steamers hooter. Then our crew were
seized with a wild and irresistible desire to make a rapid, showy finish
to the voyage. "Really," said my friend, "it requires all my faith in
Montenegrins to feel safe." The words were scarcely out of her mouth
when round swung the canoe in response to a violent stroke of the
paddle, and out she shot, chair and all, as if from a catapult. I hadn't
even time to grab at her. A vision of grey skirts, a splash, and she was
gone! "Well, never mind; she can swim," thought I, as the waters closed
over her. The next instant I had to hurl myself almost over the other
side, to right the boat, as the two men, completely scared, both leaned
out at once, and as nearly as possible capsized the whole thing. The boy
came to my side, the men perceived that the foreign lady was not going
to drown, and the panic passed over. Their idea of helping her in was
remarkable--they grasped large handfuls and tugged. I believe they
pulled her in by one leg. The misery and dismay on their faces when she
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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