The Washington herald., 1915-01-31

you know that it is the Fruit of
the Tree?"
81 bought this fruit" said the
stranger, three months ago-for
drink of water and a crust of
bread. The man who gave it to
me-because l kept the life in him
was an Armenian. Armenia 4!
that wonderful country, the first of
all countries, where the ark of the
Flood remains to this day, buried
in the glaciers of Mount Ararat.
"This man, l say, fleeing with
others from the Kurds who had
come upon them, went up into
desolate places among the noun
tains-places beyond the common
knowledge of men. And, fleeing
from imminent pursuit, they came
to slope high among the noun
tain peaks, green with a grass like
knife blades, that cut and slashed
most pitilessly at any one who went
into it. The Kurds were close be-
hind, and there was nothing for it
but to plunge in, and the worst of
it was that the paths they made
through it at the price of their
blood served for the Kurds to fol-
low.
Every one of the fugitives was
killed save this Armenian and an
other. He heard the screams and
cries of his friends, and the swish
of the grass about those who were
pursuing then-it was tall grass
rising overhead. And then a shout
ing and answers, and when present
ly he paused, everything was still.
He pushed out again, not under
cut and bleeding, until he
came out on steep slope of rocks
below precipice, and then he saw
the grass was all on fire, and the
smoke of it rose like a veil be-
tween him and his enemies"
The stranger paused.
Yes remarked Mr.. Hinch-
cliff. Yes"
There he was. all torn and
bloody from the knife blades of the
grass, the rocks blazing under the
afternoon sun-the sky molten
orass-and the smoke of the fire
driving toward him. He dared not
,tav there. Death he did not mind,
put torture!
Far away beyond the smoke he
heard shouts and cries-women
So he went clambering
1p a gorge in the rocks-every-
where were bushes with dry
branches that stuck out like thorns
among the leaves-until he clam
oered over the brow of a ridge !
hat hid him.
And then he met his compan-
on, a shepherd, who had also es-
:aped. And, counting cold and
anime and thirst as nothing
against the Kurds, they went on
nto the heights, and among the
now and ice. They wandered
hree whole days.
THE third dav came the vision.
suppose hungry men often do see
but then there is this
ruit."
He lifted the wrapped globe in
lis hand.
and l have heard it, too, from
other mountaineers who have
;nown something of the legend"
lc continued. "It was in the even
ng time, when the stars were in
reasing, that they came down
lope of polished rock into a huge,
lark valley, all set about with
trange, contorted trees, and in
hese trees hung little globes like
,lOwworm spheres, strange, round,
'ellOw lights.
Suddenly this valley was lit far
way, many miles away, far down
/, with a golden flame marching
lowly athwart it, that made the
tunted trees against it black as
light, and turned the slopes all
bout them and their figures to the
.keness of fiery gold. +
And at the vision they, knowing
he legends of the mountains, in
tantly knew that it was Eden they
aw, or the sentinel of Eden, and
hey fell upon their faces like men ,
truck dead.
when they dared look again,
he valley was dark for a space,
nd then the light came again-re-
Irning a burning amber.
"At that the shepherd sprang to
is feet, and with a shout began to
I'm down toward the light; but
ne other man was too fearful to