El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-23
Zeyner's Sweetheart
(By Mehmet Sadi.)
.HE VILLAGE was asleep. The
rocky slopes were dimly visible

"HE VILLAGE was asleep. The
rocky slopes were dimly visible
in the gray distance. The SUI
! had not yet risen. It was a beautiful
morning in May, cool and fresh. The
green grain fields dotted with a wealth
of poppieS were waving in the morning
\ breeze, and the eastern horizon began
to simmer with the rosy colors of ap-
preaching dawn.
In front of a boIted and barred sta
/ bic, on the white dusty road leading
through the village, two oxen, standing
near a rough, heavy wagon with i'm
mense wheels, greeted the coming day
| with their deep voices, while the roost-
| ers of the neighborhood responded with
their growing. shepherds dog was
sleeping soundly, resting its shaggy
head on its strong paws.
Zeyneb opened her eyes and looked
about drowsily. The ceiling above her
head was almost covered with flies.
Through the window, in which some
broken panes had been replaced by
coarse paper the gray light of dawn
fell upon her face. On shelf stood
two glasses with a few plates still con-
tanning the remnants of a meal. Every
thing seemed asleep.
At last she stood up and went out
into the yard. A cow. some goats. and
sheep huddled against the wall greeted
her. believing and bleating softly.
zeynep picked up two wooden jars
and went towards the spring for wa
ter. She filled her jars and slowly
climbed up the rocky path. Then ex-
hausted with the early effort she
stretched herself out under an inn
mense sycamore tree at the top. She
was thinking; the past with its hours
of sadness and joy filed past her eyes.
She was 20 years old and her whole
life seemed to her only one long day.
She had been told very early in her
childhood that her mother had died
when she was born and deeply had she
always felt the lack of mothers love.
A stepmother had brought her up, but
she too had for more than two years
been sleeping in the little village ceme
terry, where not single tree shaded
the plain graves.
She now lived in this cottage. which
was more like a grave than human
dwelling, with its floor of stamped
clay and rough ceiling, lived there with
her two brothers and her father, now
bent with age.
She went On towards the house. The
jars were heavy and she had to rest
once more near the cemetery. a flock
of sheep and lambs driven by a little
girl walked by. SeyneD asked the child
All ours there, too, Hadidja2"
Hadidja smiled and nodded her head,
and Zeyneb gave herself up to her
dreams once more. She thought how
good it would be if she could once be-
come a little shepherdess as she had
been eight years ago, and to have
nothing at all to think about
All, Hassaul Where was he now?
Walking perhaps in the hot sands of
the desert. his poor eyes tired staring
and searching the horizon in the hope
of discovering a messenger bringing
news from the village.
1t was in the cemetery she used 10
meet Nassau. With naked feet, torn
fez, tattered shirt holding in his hand
his staff and carrying in the pouch at
tached to his belt hard crust of bread |
he used to drive his sheep past the |
cemetery, that they might meet from |
time to time. He was her cousin and |
they had been engaged from their |
childhood. The years passeu and when |
Nassau departed to serve in the army |