On August 13, 1893, readers of the newspaper "Akropolis" read, among other things, the following in a note written by Vlasis Gavriilidis: "This is the title of a new work by the collaborator of 'Akropolis' Mr. Alexandros Papadiamantis, which we will begin publishing from tomorrow. [...] The 'Vardianos' is not a collage of desperate images; it is a story, based on choleric memories, but depicted through the delightful and straightforward pen of the author.
The philosophy of Mr. Papadiamantis is cheerful, and if in the 'Vardianos' a sad image is presented, immediately follows another pleasant, enjoyable, and joyful one. In its entirety, we are confident that this new tale will captivate its readers, and as each day does not lack discussions about cholera, the 'Vardianos' will serve as a cheerful counterbalance to the fear and sorrow generated by reading news about the dreadful disease.
What remains for the reader is the freshness of a comforting shadow of love, fighting against death and evil. A shadow from "... a solitary tree, an oak, displaced far from the strong companions of the grove, to shade with its shadow those in distress and isolation, undergoing purification at the lazaretto.
There, under that shadow, many reveries unfolded unnoticed, rising through the green branches and the sunless leaves of the solitary tree, and many longings were sent overseas to the charming little town with its white walls and blue windows and elegant balconies, where beautifully deep-haired heads often emerged, and where blue or black eyes sent secret love and sweet longings above the waves beyond the harbor." The shadow of a great tree, to which we all rush, orphaned and abandoned.
