Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-04-29
BROKEN BARRIERS.

l was wearied of life and / sighed
for that which might have been.
Twenty-six years had elapsed
since she babe me farewell on the
Golden Horn, and twenty. three
years since hateful friend sent me
a copy of the Levant Herald, which
announced the marriage ofthe Cav
aliere Urbo de Tortons to the Sig
norma Clorinda d'Abrantes.
/ hated women, Italians, and
Constantinoples.
! was driving to Victoria station
when my vehicles was stopped for .
minute in crossing Oxford street,
and from amid the buzz OF noise
and conversation / caught the
words: NO, not those Abrantes.
There are two families Of the same
name.'
The blood surged into my head,
and | became oblivious of all things
until we reached the station. The
only thoughts that would shape
themselves into words were: Two
Abrantes families Two Abrantes
families p
! landed at the Constantinople
custom house, and was pounced
upon by q gang of dragomen. hotel
fonts and other ruffians, who snarl-
ed at me in many languages. My
desperate attempts to recall o few
Osmanli curses gave me q bewilder-
ed appearance, and they made
strenuous exertions to secure so
juicy morsel.
'Hetel Imperial 7 shrieked tru-
culent fend. BEST in Costinople !!
Engslish king eat on him.
lie tell lie lie tell lie r yelled
another 'He tief. Prince de
Wales, and they rolled away from
me. drawing a host Of ruffianly
peacemakers after them.
| intrusted my luggage to rep
resentative of a well-known hostel
~. and strolled away to stretch my
legs and to look at the people.
Turkish welled up in my brain
as bountifulIy as flowers in q magic
hat, and by the time ! reached the
Viovoda steps / cursed several ruff
fans in choice Osmanli and in Ca
lata Romantic.
| mounted the steps and the road
to my hotel lay straight before me,
but | unconsciously swerved to the
left. and entered the labyrinth of
alleys and cypress groves which
separate Pera from Kassim Pasha.
'Yanguin var!' ('Fire Fire p
or literally, There is fire!l
| turned and dreamily watched
the approaching messenger from
the great fire tower. He passed
me with stately speed and held his
colored aloft like a poised javelin.
Where? where? where:' vas
the universal inquiry which show
cred from doors and windows. The
fire messenger was already out of
sight, and his monotonous yell was
borne back like an echo.
'|Yanguin Var! Kassim Pasha.
deh DER Delud. =
| vaguely remembered that DER
Delud was close to the green house,
where the Abrantes had lived, and
wondered IL the house had survived
the myriad conflagrations. Crowds
we're hurrying past me toward Pc
ra. and ! asked cautious native
the reason of this retrogade move
ment.
They are running to see the new
yapor pumps and the brass-headed
bumpers. he. replied, as he ar
ranged the folds of his brown ga.
berdinc with sshaking-off. the
dust expression.
sThe works Of Satan and his
Christian servants muttered n
dignified Turk.
Don't you like them ? | asked.
'Hav he exclaimed (; formerly
when a mans honse was burnt. he
was permitted to depart with what
ever he could carry away. whereas,
in these days, the old gangs OF
handpnmpers steal Of as yore. and
the brazen vapor-pumpers wash the
reasainder out of our hands with
floods of water such ~ haze not