The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-06-28
A LErrER prom rERsIA.


will be read with much interest by
Miss Clarke's many friends:
On Feb. II, had a fall which laid
me on my back for two weeks.
While | was ill l had to have a ma
tive woman to wait on me and the
first. day, before l had time to get a
woman of any sense, had a"picnic."
When the woman first came she be-
gan beating her breast and saying,
40, l have eaten grief on account of
your accident. L have grown old in
thinking that harm has come to you
in a strange land, for you are far from
your father and mother and, though
God is both good and great, he has
not seen fit to give you husband!'
After she had done everything that L
required l began to think L would
Just as soon be alone for time and
remembering that there were services
in the chapel that morning, told the
woman she might go if she wished.
She expressed her unwillingness to
leave me, but finally decided to go,
saying that she would spend the time
praying for me. L presume that
sounds very pious to you, it would
have sounded so to me once, but it
doesn't now.
As the woman was putting on her
street things she said: "Khanum,
can't you let me have pair of stock
ings? | was SO very anxious to get to
you this morning that L didn't stop
put on stockings l answered in the
negative and, although she protested
that it was not nice to go to church
without stockings, L remained un-
moved.
When my dinner was sent up had
something sent for the women, also,
and as the supply of sugar was low, L
sent her into the next room to get
some more. Afterward when she
took occasion to tell me how well she
knows what is right and what is
wrong she said: "God don't want us
to steal. When L went in the other
room to get your sugar He didn't
want me TO put two Jumps in my
pocket.u l Tonnd no difficulty in ac-
cepting that statement, but L after
terward discovered that she had TAX
en-, not only two Jumps, but several
times two.
After dinner as 1 lay looking at an
illustrated paper she came and sat
down by the bed and said: "Khan-
um, YOU can entertain yourself by
reading, but L can't read and L am
lonely, talk to me.n L felt like re-
spending that L was not hired to be
her companion, but instead | propos-
ed that she talk to me, as l felt too
weak to talk Persian. From that mo-
hnr,1a a
way | could keep her quiet was to
"play possum". My noon appetite
did not reach to piece of pie which
came up with my dinner, so thinking
might eat it later, told the woman
to lay it aside. Some time during
the afternoon she asked, "Khanum,
what kind of stuff is that?" L eX-
planned as best | could, whereupon
She remarked, 81 guess I'll taste it,"
She did so, and /, thinking would
he as generous as Daniel Webster was
when man borrowed his tooth
brush, told her she was quite well
come TO it all. But the browning
point came just before she left in the
evening when / saw her bare feet
thrust into my bed slippers and knew
that she had been wearing them all
day.
There has recently been an Ameri-
can gentleman in Teheran,-a Mr..
Howard of n. Y. | don't know
whsther he is travelling simply for his
own pleasure or whether he is a
newspaper man bent on finding out
something about the Armenian
troubles He carries y phonograph
with MIN and says he makes great
deal of money with it, but whether
he does it entirely for the sake of the
money or partly, at least, for blind,
/ don't know.
He has taken a sharp way OF get
ting into Turkey, coming around by
Russia and Persia. 1t is utterly i'm
possible to get into Armenia from the
west now. When every other excuse
failed the Turks announced that there
was cholera in the country and quar-
antined every port.
So far Mr.. Howard had not formed
a very favorable opinion of the Ar
menian character. In Baku, Russia,
he met an Armenian who claimed to
know all about the Armenian troubles.
MIR. III. said to him, "See here, my
friend, if you will tell me what you
know about these things, j will write
it up for the papers i'll such way
that it may benefit your nation"
"What will you give me?' asked the
man. Mr.. ii. gave him-permission
IT, retire.
| think about the Arnienians very
much the same as he does, but am sor-
nv for the poor wTetches just the same.
Their vices are those of a subject race,
One of our missionaries who Is rather
fond of the Armenians said to MIR. H.,
"You are so prejudiced against the
Armenians you will not be able to
give a clear Judgment in the matter"
He replied TO her, 81 couldn't posi-
bIy be more prejudiced against any
race than / am against the turks"
| hone he will get through Turkey all
right. but he has undertaken dam
gerous thing, and an American trav-
eler mysteriously disappeared in Tur-
key not long ago.
Mr.. H. was disguised with Persia.
He said, "When l was in TITLES, Rus
STA. wrote to my brother that L had
reached the jumping off place. L
have since written to him that Persia
is the place where you land after you
jump"
Mr.. H. exhibited the photograph
to the Shah, and his Majesty talked
into it in both Persian and French.
l am quite well with the exception
of a sore throat. l have heard from
father since l wrote before.
l had a number of amusing things
to tell you but L can remember only
one now. The other day in class one
of the boys asked the meaning of'the
last word in the south paragraph on
the tenth page.
| hope you are all as well as usual.
Yours Sincerely,