Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-09-21
CHAPTER II.

Melissa knew very little with refer
ence to Siyas except that 1t was some-
where in Armenia. She wasn't even
quite sure as to the whereabouts of
Armenia Hitherto, Armenia had been
but a vague place on maps. She
thought, when she permitted herself to
think at all about geographical distinc
tons, that it was somewhere in Asia
Minor. There was nothing about its
appearance to indicate that 1t had any
special claims to attention. But Mr..
Hagopian, as he went around the little
village of L'Orignal, clad in glossy
broadcloth, and fez like a chimney
pot, organized enthusiastic audiences
for the Mechanics Institute. He made
the inhabitants of L'OrIginsl see that
their ignorance on the subject of Turk
ish oppression was q lasting disgrace,
an indelible stigma. When Mr.. Hago-
plan could not get an audience to listen
to him, which was frequently the case.
he talked to Millette's goat until that
aggressive animal butted him out of
the yard. But the goat died soon
after. 1t "took sick" in some myster-
ious way which none could fathom
Melissa sometimes envied the goat for
its freedom from this wor d's cares
She watched 1t thrown into the Ottawa
and float away over the Long Sault
Falls with pensIve interest. 1t had, at
any rate, escaped from Mr.. Hagopisn; /;
but Melissa had given him half
promise to go to Sivas to Labor in the
vineyard. She WAS not aware, as a
matter of fact. whether there we're any
vineyards in SIvas, but didn't like to
ask Mr.. Hagopian. He had represented
to her that the American Mission Board
would be only too glad to enrol so dis
tinguIshed a recruit in the fields of
missionary enterprise. "Oh, it is very
easy" ne said, his small brown eyes
twinkling with satisfaction. "Oh, it
is very easy. When you at CONSTANT
nople are, you make to take yourself
round the Black Sea to Samsoun. Then
you on the horse get Che didn't say
whether one stopped there all the
time) for five, SIX, seven days. Oh, a
bagatelle. 1t is the loveliest forest in
world. Then you make to come out OF
the forest, on the tops of the noun,
tains. Not of the mountains so small as
the Canadian mountains, but big, high,
what you call bully mountains. Down
into the plain, through the wheatields.
duu 1ulO DlNhS N'cNCA hOi
makes to keep himself peacOcks of a
beauty exceeding to look at.
eyes, Mr.. Hagopian," interrupted
Melissa, "but l don't want to go all
the way to Sivas merely to look at pea
fowl. There are plenty here, Of both
sexes"
Mr.. Hagopian coughed. He had
come to talk about something else. He
A., I.a fax lFf1A Il
and unbuttoned his long frock coat,
aud blinked like cat in the sunlight.
"You will go there as the pilgrim who
will shield the poor man from the
MuIk. You will make TO yourself the
beautiful Armenian tongue, and preach
os the day Of the Lord to the down,
! trodden, to the oppressed, But you
will be robbed unless you have some
one to guard you"
/ 81 am accustomed to being robbed,
said Melissa indifferently. "What does
I it matter whether Christians or heath
, ems do it?"
"Ah, yes said Mr. Hsgopian. 'it ii
/ all the wickedness oHthose 6ackshish
/ hunting Turks. You must have some
one to take of you much care. Yor
are 80 precious. Such cosoum-suct
J lamb"
| Melissa wa1ed impatient. Don
you know Canadian girls we'll enough
/ Mr.. HagopIaD, to be aware that, how
ever sheepish, they can take care o
' IL enselves?"
He bowed with Oriental grace
"Ah-h, but beautiful Mees," he said
'sit's not for the flower to make to b,
in the wayside. Oh, no; it is for th'
nasty, evil-sinelly weed that makes th'
aroma unpleasant, and no one minds
It is for the weeds to make smells
But, oh, it is for thu nightingale tt
make song-the flower in the garden t
bloom-tbe song to come to one, two
three persons: You are the flower, bu
you not make yourself one garden; anC
all the weeds come round tc smell anc
be flowers, All, 40 Yen want t
make edge round you"
'Oriental metaphor is little con
fusing, Mr.. Hagopian. don't quit,
folloW yG"
"You g4nt to make edge round yol
cedar rails; and then the weeds onl.
overlook and say to himself we can
n,S in the garden get; we are smell,
weeds; that is the rose
"Oh, 1 see. You think 1 want look
ing afterP"
Yes beautiful Mees. Someone t,
look after you-to make to love you
To make comfort to your liver"
Melissa turned the conversation
Her liver did not require comforting
In fact, it worked admirably. "By tn
way, Mr.. Hagopian, 1 expect Mr.. Mil
er here presently. Let us get throug
our business before he comes"
Mr.. Hagopian frowned. He did Low
Jack. 1t was we'll for Jack that b
wasn't Millette's goat Oh, If he onl..
lived in Armenia, even in the society Q