Through the lands of the Serb,

PIROT I87 primitive, as befits the oldest form of the Christian faith in Europe. The service was just over; some women in front were kissing a holy picture before leaving. Round the gate was a little group of the poor and afflicted, all either blind or horribly maimed, who were waiting for their usual dole. As the congregation began to file out of church, two bakers with loaves and rolls hurried up and set their trays opposite the gate. As they left, folk bought pieces of bread and distributed them in the wooden bowls which the suppliants held out. It was pitiful to see the anxious quivering fingers of the blind feeling the crusts before transferring them to the bag each one wore for the purpose, and the eager eyes of those who could see, as they watched expectant. I had no idea of the price of bread, so I laid down the smallest coin I had, and received such a huge loaf in exchange that I knew that I was behaving with the vulgar parade of a Carnegie or a Vanderbilt. I dealt round the bread rather shamefacedly, for I felt unpleasantly as though I were feeding animals at the Zoo, and escaped hastily from a storm of blessings, with a new idea about the power of twopence to relieve misery. I walked through the town. The remains of a mediaeval castle at the foot of a hill struck me as a suitable subject for a drawing, and I crossed the road to find a point of view. As I did so I ran my eye over the castle and became aware suddenly that there was a sentry in front of it, and that behind it rose innocentlooking grass slopes that mean mischief. It was the fortress, with which I had promised to have nothing to do, and I retired hastily, filled with sympathy for
/ 404
Pages

Actions

file_download Download Options Download this page PDF - Page 187 Image - Page 187 Plain Text - Page 187

About this Item

Title
Through the lands of the Serb,
Author
Durham, Mary E.
Canvas
Page 187
Publication
London,: E. Arnold,
1904.
Subject terms
Montenegro -- Description and travel
Serbia -- Description and travel.

Technical Details

Link to this Item
https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afg3925.0001.001
Link to this scan
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bosnia/afg3925.0001.001/225

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are likely in the public domain. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected] . If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected] .

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/bosnia:afg3925.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation
"Through the lands of the Serb,." In the digital collection Travels in Southeastern Europe. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afg3925.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 28, 2025.
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.