The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-30
"Turfanda.
MARAsH, MARCH II, 1897.


Dear Mrs. Ash and Mrs Radford:-I re-
ceived your good letter this post and wished
to answer it at once, but on account of an !
equally mertorious and more imperative !
duty l deferred it. l adopted an orphan. !
These days we have ''orphans on the brain" |
and therefore all my correspondents have |
them in their letters. More than 25 came
in from Furnuz, mountain town twelve
long hours by caravan. The day here was
so cold and raw that we shivered In our
warmest winter clothes and with blazing
fires. The mountains in summer are so
cool that when there IS no sun we wear
jackets while there, and now the snow is
very deep on them. The children were
really almost dead when they got here, and
no wonder. Little Turfanda first fruits, it
means) cannot be four years old yet. She
seems dear little baby. Now | feel some
hesitancy in telling you how she came, but
Mrs. Lee told me that it was literally true,
that she especially noticed her condition
and gave out clothes for her. She had on
one cotton garment reaching half way to
her knees. Mrs. Lee says that she is posi-
tive in her own mind that she did not have
on shirt, but even allowing doubt there,
she hal nothing else rothing around her
even Her potr ilt'c ;;Mhs were pnrpie,
and Wien The m.A ,CUA 4It I.ou tue Other
little girl who was carrying her she dropped
exhausted on his shoulder. The others
were in the same condition regarding clothes
and nearly Dead As | said. Need l tell
about the warm food and room, and bath,
and clean clothes. No wonder the leader
of previous party said when he saw Mrs.
Lees room: I'VE have got to paradisew
This little girl braced up and said: What
a good placew when they got in sight of the
city, but who can tell what she thinks now?
She speaks only village Armenian. She is
with our nearest neighbor. The father of
the family was our dear friend and killed
in the massacre. They are lovely people.
The little girl, Turfanda, is very proud of
her new dress they say, and crowed with
delight when she saw a hen-the first ia
miliar object she has found, l dare say.
met so or more Of the orphan boys just
starting on their way to school for the first
time (z5 were, at least). They were from
5 to 10 years old, dressed in their new and
clean, though coarse, garments and looking
radiantly happy.
DO you wish to know what impresses me
most as being the great difference between
rhrsa a.,it n,,I Ihnr sn;1 4 Il, thn
worth that 1t attaches to the individual soul.
What does that word ''sou" mean to other
people? "Let them die, who cares?" is the
sentiment ingrained in every fibre of their
being. They don't seem to understand our
working to save their lives as we do, but
think we are doing 1t to lay up merit. L
wonder IL the churches at home stop to re-
aize the value of human being? 1t was
worth the death of God, and yet it is not
worth S25 year to church. Every church
ought to adopt an orphan, really believe.
Here they will be educated, taught trades,
and taught their duty to their God and to
their fellow-men. and who can tell what
history they may make in this country?
Yet there are from 2,7OO to 5000 more in
our field waiting the judgment OF the Chris
tian world. Shall they be spared? l neg
lected to say that Turfanda's entire family
were killed in the massacre. heard OF one
Of the orphans who hid In cave where
soldiers searched for any one in there.
1t makes hard problem for our schools.
We should be so glad TO have them tauoht
at home, but it is against the law to teach
or have school in a building not having a
written permission from the government.
OF course no permission is to be had under
any consideration. They enforce the law
very strictly and we should find ourselves
out of Turkey IL we tried to disregard it.
; So these children must 90 to the Third