Servia and the Servians 1862 William Denton

100 SBRPIA A.ND THB BERrI.A.NS.
sion of the lawful owners.. In addition to these headdresses,
several of the women had necklaces and armlets
heavy with gold or silver coins. These treasured but
costly ornaments are worn by them on all occasions
which will, by any possibility, allow of their display.
At these dances I remarked that the dancers are not
accustomed to hold each other by the hand, but by
the girdle, which is sometimes a belt worn for that •
special purpose.
But however vigorous the dancers, and however
hilarious the crowd, I was not _allowed to forget that
I was standing in the cemetery.
Whilst looking at the crowd, my attention was
arrested by the piercing wail of a woman only a few
yards from the place where I was standing, and on
going to the spot, I found the gravedigger of the
cemetery busy in making the grave of an infant ;
whilst the poor mother, standing by, awaited the
bringing of the corpse. In a few moments the -funeral
procession, headed by two priests and a deacon, came
through the _cemetery to the grave. The priests had
evidently come with the body from the home of the
parents, . and the funeral service had no doubt commenced
there. The coffin was that of a child only
a few months old, and was coved at the top. Afte~
one or two short prayers-the whole not occupying
three minutes, but interrupted throughout by the cries
and sobs of the poor mother-the co;er of the coffin
was removed, in order that the relatives, in accordance
with a beautiful and touching custom. observed by the.
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