Middletown transcript., 1896-12-19

sNF7 SifFHsaSs| cliffs at the hea'
GiDIfaNttfkgN~ of smiling val
-dis---h ley. The sigh
of the hamlet was rayine running VI
the mountain.side into rocky pass. a
though the great valley opening beyont
had been whitfield to a narrow poin
that it might penetrate the hills. Grea
precipices yawned on either side land COW
ering cliffs which seemed to have grown
gray with age, even as the snow on the
higher peaks of the mountains seemed
the hoary locks of those ancients, which
there had for centuries watched ovef
the old world. Near by Mount Ararat
where rested the ark after the flood. 1t
was here Noah titled his vineyards and
the human race begun anew after the
floods subsided, for Armenia is one of
the Oldest lands and its people trace
their lineage direct to that Biblical
emigrant ship which colonized it when
the world was young. From many a
quaint, fat-roofed dwelling arose
Christmas carols to which soft-voiced
echoes sang responsive choruses among
the cliffs, and at least one church bell
tried bravely, singly and alone, to sup
ply an imitation of Christmas chimes.
1t was a peaceful picture, upon which
the stars twinkled, approvingly as they
bespangled the slopes with frost-dia-
moRds and coated countless sparkles
from the pallid snow. The armenians
are devout people, and make much of
the Christmas festival. This little
hamlet was in many respects not un-
like Bethlehem, and near it were many
who guarded their flocks by
night, as did those of Judea when the
angles sang of peace on earth good
will to men.
At the home of Abanazar, the head
man of the village, there we're quite
decorations of holly and
other evergreens, songs of praise and
stores which for generations had hand
ed down cherished traditions and
legends Of Armenia. There were the
aged grandfather and grandmother,
Abanazer and his good wife, three lit
tie girls ranging from six to twelve
years old, and Zillah, the 1e-year old
with her affianced lover
Akthar, the stalwart young herdsman.
She was beautiful maiden, with reg
ular features, large eyes aglow with
love, the small but symmetrical form
of so many woman of
her race. In her picturesque costume
she was marvelously handsome, and
her tones were as musical as the tin
kle Of silvery bells or the low notes
of Akthar's flute, to which she some
times sang soft accompaniment. The
pleasant scene in this home was du-
plicated in many others that starlit
Christmas eve.
Suddenly the scene changed. The
church bell rang in sharp, short strokes,
a spirited alarm, confusion succeeded
calm, and there were excited exclama-
tions and hurrying in hot haste as a
rider dashed madly down the one CEN
trail street, shouting: ''Save yourselves,
Christians, the Kurds are comingi"
But there was no time. Close upon
his tracks came hundreds of swathy
turbaned and fierce, with
loud Mohammedan maledictions shout
ed in deep-voiced hate, and eyes which
cleaned like life Goals from beneath
brows. In a moment pande-
nonium seemed to have broken loose,
he guns spoke sharply, scimetars
dashed in silver and turned crimson,
Ind soon the flames from Burning
cast their lurid glare over an
earthly hell wherein fends held high
carnival in shedding innocent blood.
Abanazar and his family, with others
,ained the church which stood on the
'dge of precipice, and there made a
,rave stand, but it was useless.
Breaches were made in the walls. the |
'lace carried by s orm, and hundreds |
lain before the altar dedicated to peace |
md decorated with Christmas symbols |
n readiness for the morrow. The |
loor literally ran in blood, and Zillah
n speechless anguish beheld the men
# her family and her lover cut down,
md women subjected to tortures which
hilled her to the soul. With other
women and girls she fought herolcally,
'ut finally found herself breathless and
isarmed in the embrace of Rustem,
he huge leader of the Kurds, who had
ften in days of peace paid her atten-
ions as of tenrepelled.
Suddenly she drew the steel bodkin
rom her hair, plunged 1t with uner-
ing aim and the strength born of des-
eration into the giants heart, and as
le sank to the floor she bounded to the
ide of the church, seized lighted taper.
pened trap door in the floor, hurled-
he light into supply of powder stored
here, and springing through a side
loor, leaped from a precipice as scores
f other women had done within the
lorrible half hour preceding. There
vas flash, a thunderous roar, and the
old church seemed to be heaved high
n air, while in the lurid light of the
explosion dead bodies of men and wo-
men could be seen among the flying |
and with them scores of
i've Kurds struggling as they arose,
and blacked, toward the sky, |
The fragments, human and otherwise.
,ame down again and darkness sue