Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-07-22
The POtter's Daughter.

a HIS sJOTy is gong Ine rOunQS OF Gne
newspapers here, and is said to point TO
some circumstances which have recently
occurred in Turkish town, IL not at
Constantinople itself. II certainly is
worth telling as curious picture of the
wild life of Turkish, Arabian, or Asia
Minor countries. There was in one of
the poorest quarters of Constantinople an
old Greek potter. Although he was
Giaour, and lived in u purely Moslem
neigh borhood, he was popular because his
honesty was proverbial He was wild
over. He had only one child-a daugh-
ter, who was marvelously beautiful Her
name was Helle. She was the housekeep
er, maid of all work, and cook of the
hovel in which her father and she lived.
She went to the MOslem houses to sell to
the Turkish women the earthenware her
father made. When she entered harem
twas festival to all the inmates her
presence was like a sunbeam entering a
dungeon. The women would scream !:
"Ahi here comes beautiful Helle, the
potter's daughter" Lovely as she was
nobody was jealous of her, for she did
| not seem to be at all proud of her beauty.
One day, the Sultar's fayorite So
tqok 1t into his head 20 lounge abou' sovn
i ne was on morse lack, and sev, .ral habi,n
al comPanlons> lRln of his pleasure were will
~ s;l- 'anrcourlers rau ahead of them
- .er' headed cane in hand, with
IN "a tney struck right and left, belabor
] Sne people In order 20 open passage
dren, and old people screamed as tbey
] took to their heels. Two or three cbildre1
lsll ana came near being trampled on by
the hOrses. Just at this moment HeIie
GAME out OF her fathers house. She went
dlght on, bearing on her head a trav
s snlcn contained the earthenware her
lasner ett nad made. One of the companions
Vi enS ouitan's son bent toward him. Wbis.
Peleu ana pointed to the lovely creature.
OHe OF the van cNuriers, who fwas about
W W strike her, was petriied by admiration
tne upliited stick fell not, but he gave her
sudden push, and the tray and its CON
tenGs Tell from her head and all the earth
enWare was broken into shapeless frag
ments just at this instant the horse of
the o9ltan's son stood in front of her; he
feined In the horse, looked at the tears
Wn1ch streamed from her eyes, smiled.
ano fode on Next day Helle had
disappeared from the neighborhood. The
poor oid potter ran about everywhere beg
glng some intelligence of his daughter.
lie was almost beside himself with grief
A woman who had Witnessed the scene
Just described told him what she had seeu.
lie understood all its import. He went in
'front.' OF the palace and stood there all day
long, day after day, waiting the hour when
the Sultan's son should again sally forth
10 lounge through the streets. The hour
came. The old potter ran to the horses
she ana asked the rider for his daughter.
No one heared the words exchanged
suddenly the Sultan sons drew his scimi.
Ter, and the head of the old potter rolled.
on the ground. As soon as the Sultan's
son had passed on some distance, the peo-
pie picked up the corpse and carried it to
the potter's house. As he had no
kindred, they placed it in his shop and
there lett it. Everybody went to see it.
There was great excitement in the neigh
borhood, and such throngs of people stood
IN 'front.' OF the house as TO block up the
street. The Sultan himself saw from a dis.
tance these great tbrongs and asked their
origin. He was told by the Grand Vizier.
He at once issued orders that trum-
peters should go through each quarter of
the city and make proclamation that he
himself should see justice done. and the
assassin of the poor potter punished. The
following day he rode down toward the
potter's house. His son was behind him
An unusual number Of jAnissaries sur
rounded them. There was larger crowd
than bad yet assembled IN front of the
potter's house. The Sultan ordered the
corpse 10 be brought out of the house and
placed in the centre of the neighboring
square. He bade his son dismount, stand
at the corpse's feet and gaze on it. The
sight was horrible, for, despite all the
pains taken, the corpse was in a putrid
state. The Sultan's son stood gazing on
the decaying mass. He was as pale as
death, and the smile he tried to force upon
his face did but made his anxiety the
more visible. This scene lasted for a
quarter ofan hour. There was not word
spoken. At the end of fifteen minutes
the Sultan drew his scimeter, and his
sons head rolled on the ground. The
Sultan said; "Bury them both together,
and let trumpeters announce throughout
all the town that justice hath been
wrought. Allah only is great l''-.Pdrts
Cor. Boston Saturday K0ening Gazette.