DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4593#0199
THE SHRINES OF ATTICA 177
enough that is new and more familiar and which the
great comedian would try in vain to understand.
Just what was the relation of the ancient shrine to
the ancient Agora? Did the old marketmen have
an " eye for business " when they sacrificed to the
gods? The modern church is close enough to the
modern market, but the pious merchant docs not
always content his soul with going to church; he
gets the church to come to him. One day I stepped
into a photographer's to sec about some work. There
behind the counter stood a priest; before him were
various symbols of his religion, and a saucer in which
incense was burning. Prayer-book in hand, he was
going through a portion of the liturgy. The pho-
tographer and his son were apparently paying no
attention to him or his prayers, but busied them-
selves in arranging pictures. Nor did the priest
appear to be greatly interested in his service. He
went through it as if it were a matter of business;
and so it was. The next day I asked the photog-
rapher what it all meant. " It means," said he,
" that my mother is a pious old woman, and she likes
to have the priest come round on the first day of the
month and pray that business may be good." He
smiled sceptically himself and confided to me that
he thought the best way to help his trade was to do
good work. I am glad to say that he lived up to
this practical precept.
The life of the street is most bright and jubilant
five or six weeks later, when the carnival begins.
People pour in from the surrounding country. There
is a great carnival procession, and you may find a
large ship borne aloft, as in the Panathenaic proccs-
enough that is new and more familiar and which the
great comedian would try in vain to understand.
Just what was the relation of the ancient shrine to
the ancient Agora? Did the old marketmen have
an " eye for business " when they sacrificed to the
gods? The modern church is close enough to the
modern market, but the pious merchant docs not
always content his soul with going to church; he
gets the church to come to him. One day I stepped
into a photographer's to sec about some work. There
behind the counter stood a priest; before him were
various symbols of his religion, and a saucer in which
incense was burning. Prayer-book in hand, he was
going through a portion of the liturgy. The pho-
tographer and his son were apparently paying no
attention to him or his prayers, but busied them-
selves in arranging pictures. Nor did the priest
appear to be greatly interested in his service. He
went through it as if it were a matter of business;
and so it was. The next day I asked the photog-
rapher what it all meant. " It means," said he,
" that my mother is a pious old woman, and she likes
to have the priest come round on the first day of the
month and pray that business may be good." He
smiled sceptically himself and confided to me that
he thought the best way to help his trade was to do
good work. I am glad to say that he lived up to
this practical precept.
The life of the street is most bright and jubilant
five or six weeks later, when the carnival begins.
People pour in from the surrounding country. There
is a great carnival procession, and you may find a
large ship borne aloft, as in the Panathenaic proccs-