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Show QUEER HERMIT SECT 'V STRANGE COLONIES THAT LIVE IN 'OAVES OE SWITZERLAND. o Eat Only Trull and' Vegetables and Wear But Few Clothes Go to Bed nt Sundown "Back to Nature" Na-ture" Is Their Motto. Geneva, Switzerland. Tho straniw m colonies. -of hermltnwho have'tnkeii up their ,nbodo In tho neighborhood of, ljcnrno, itoncji nnjl Orscllnrt .nro lncrenslng'lri numbers. ' One group, which occupies tho wooded Jp)atcau'kknowflrW MontP Verlta, Is 125 strong, nnd counts in Its members six Gorman professors threo military officers, ono of whoir Is married to n countess who also bo longs to tho sect, two doctors and a priest: Tho majority aro well-to-do, and somo aro wealthy. As thoso pay well, for anything thoy buy and do not troublo about making converts,, tho Inhabitants nro on friendly ,torms with them. Thoy sleep In caves, nro vcgotnrl nns, and do not Wear ordinary clothing. cloth-ing. -A linen hood nnd n shroud of tlio snmo material aro tho only gn-monts gn-monts thoy wear. Tholr foot, logs, arms and neck nro uncovered, nnd-tho nnd-tho hair Is nover cut, though tho men trim tholr beards In n patriarchal way. Tho women allow their tresses to float In tho air. , Tho motto' ot all Is "Back to na ture." "Tho height or wisdom nnd phlloso phy," thoy sny, "Ib to understand no- 1 M ture; thnt alono brings, pcaco nnd. happiness." They rlso nt dnwn and go to "sloop with tho setting of- the sun; thoy oal only fruit and vegetables' nnd drink only water. In tho Bummor they hnvt dally sun bntbs, and In tho wlntei snow baths. Somo of them havo extraordinary theories, which thoy enrry out with great persevornnce. Ono beautiful woman of 30, who wns .formerly, a-well-known singer nt tho Berlin opt era, refuses to touch monoy, which sho says Is tho root -of all oyll. Hot theory often lands her In difficulties from hlch sho occasionally extricates hcrsolf by singing to hor debtors. Another mombors cats only 'vegetables 'vegeta-bles that ripen underground. A third confines himself strictly to rnv eggs and potatoes. A fourth spends $25 a wreli among tho'poor villagers nnd keeps th'o doctors doc-tors busy by bringing to thoirnotlca cases for which ho pays,. 'All the colony aro' In' tho best ol health nnd always appear perfectly happy, amlablo and polite. |
