Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-07-01
THE LITTLE FLOWER,
A Story Of a Turkish Fu.;,;x

expioits' good or evil, OF brigands In general.
tne tone oil sucn narratives is rather favorable
1 " ne iamiess tnan otherwise, and it is easy to
understand why this should be. The ranIs of
OutiaWry, when power is in the hands of the
'ioient or the corrupt, are recruited from those
very classes which in better times becone the
wsrmest friends of society. There is no reason
Tny tne Mokan OF whom we are about to speak
snouid not under more favorable circumstance
nave become an ornament to his name and his
country ~ ME-
Ihe Mok ans are wandering shepherds from
aransyiVanla, who come down to the plains of
Bulgaria and Wallachia, on permission. 70 mas.
ture their hocks and herds. They are not neees-
ssny 81 one trioe, or race, and are joined by
many Tree spirits from the surrounding nnset.
tied countries, who see in that yagabond Kind
VI iue a means OF escaping the tyranny to which
All stationary citizens are liable Michael the
Mokan, as ne was generally called after he be-
came Famous, was native of Bulgaria. and
was porn Ia the envirOns of Sophia Some ty-
n1rnlcal Pasha, when he was very youny en-
oeavored to seize and make a servant of him.
ouI ne escaped, and, after wandering as q beg.
gar tnIouYh Seryia, crossed the Danube AMI
proceeding still nOrthward, met a company of
MoKans on their way, with herds of cattle to
rne o"el plains OF Wallachia. He q. once en-
hs'eo himself among them, and having beep
used to the care of cattle, was soon regarded "a
valuable acquisition. In process of time he
became chief herdsman, and sperousIv con-
unuea MS annual voyage in search of pasture.
SOnetimes as Tar as the levels of Dobritza.
ne nad reached the age of nearly 80, without
having suffered further vicissitudes in his new
state than are commonly incidest to IL whom
one autumn, he was returning to his elected
country with many companions and vast herds
by engaging In the pedlary trade across the
austrian frontier, in addition to the ordinary
duties, ne had acquired considerable wealth.
and, although attired in leather garments COW
cred with sheepskin cloak, the wool of which
looked rather dirty, any one who had seen him
reclining beneath a temporary tent made of
couple OF blankets, supported by two upriobts
ana cross stick, little apart from the rest,
near the banks OF the Dimbouritza in its lower
course, would have at once guessed him 10 he .
man Of respectability. 1t was near the even.
tide The sun was setting over the vast plain.
covered partially with forest beyond the river
Inc land around, as far as the eve could reach
was dotted by small groups of men driving in
the cattle that had strayed towards kind of
held enclosed on two sides by the w;ndin.
stream, and on the other by the stragaI;nSS
camps. Tents, if such they could be Called
were scattered here and there Piles of luo.
gage formed pillows for weary men, who had
suPped and were smoking their pipes. Fires.
fed by half-dried shrubs hastily collected
smouidered rather than blazed at intervals
sendlng up columns. as it were, to support the
canopy that was gathering overhead
Ihe Mokan looked with pride at certain vast
DuiIs tnat hustled unwieldly by, some raising
up their horns as if to avoid doing damage
otne:s going heads down, and goring right and
lett In their hurry to avoid the goad-the kind
ly and the egotistical of the herd He knew
that those splendid animals bore his mark: and
from such association with Turks, could not
repress the selt-congratulatory exclamation of
Moshallahi; The words were SCARCELY ont
OF his mouth, when a sharp cry of pain or fear
came across the river. He turned somewhat
nstiessly In that direction and beheld, upon
slip OF level land on the opposite side, a num-
Der Of forms moving rapidly. Thew were
horsemen galloping but the sound which had
attracted his attention must have come from a
nearer point than that at which they had ar.
rived when he first saw them. lad, who had
drawn nign TO give an account Of the bulls,
now directed his attention to something that
was struggling in the water jast in front 1t
was swimmer vainly endeayorng to make
head against the current. The light was down,
but Michael, who had good eyes. exclaimed
:" TIs child hunted by some robbers, or per-
haps an escaped serf, | have been hunted
too, before now" So away went the sheen
SKIN cloak, and out plunged Michael into the
stream-hand over kand-now rising 10 look
about illuminating obliquely to the place
where the current would probably carry the
weak swimmer .'
Before long he saw face glance upwards
not lar from his; but then went down and then
the arm only was cast into the air He caught
tne wrist OF the swimming child, and raised
It's head above the water " Uoly VIRGIN -,
he mnttered, it's girl - Though confused
with her plunge, the girl had not lost her con-
sciousness and assented, If she heard what he
SAID, with wild smile. Michael was swim
ming powerfully back, when something struck
tne water sharply close by, making a sound
like pebble in a window pane again and
again the sound was repeated. "As live
SAID Michael, to himself, - heard that before
q IL
bank, shall be rddieI to a certainty. Girl,
are you afraid to diyet'
The girl whispered that she was not So
just several shots we're fired at once, they
both went under the water, to rise many yards
down the stream. As it was now nearly dark
this was quite sufficient; but to make matters
sure, they diyed once more, and at length camo
up under the shadow Of Wallachian willow
that drOoped from the bank. Michael caught
one of the long, strong branches, and soon got
ashore.
Now" said he, sitting down and not heed
ing the shouts that were passing to and fro
across the lines, between the pursuing party
and the Mokan herdsmen, who in great alarm
were asking what this attack meant " Now
tell me, child, the story of thy misfortunes
Hast thou done anything wrong? will pro-
tect thee all the same"
His heart was erdowing with the recollection
Of his own escape, and he made as if he WOULD
embrace the child but the gesture with which
she repeled him and moved little further of
on the grass-whist in sign of friendship, she
still left her hand upon his arm-showed that
he was mistaken as to her age.
My name is Floriora, (the little Flower,D
she replied. My fathers name is Lagir
Ny mother is dead. / am the slave of the
Lord Bibian). He sold me to the Pasha, and l
have run away. Is this wrongt'
Ii was not necessary in that country to re-
late any further incidents. Michael under
stood the story at once; il is one of the
singular parts Of his character and one OF
the incidents Of his life which made him a
hero among the people, that Immediately
without any fatal delays, he determined to
abandon the property he had spent arduous
years IN amassing, in order to save this young
glri-"ho already owed her life to him-from
misery and shame. lie knew that n he re-
turned with her to the camp, all his compap.
ions however much their feelings might prompt
otherwise, would insist that the fugitive he ,s.