Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-12
Silent Euangels In the Wilderness
(From Minneapolis Tribune.,

S4iilASdpOilS fcl5I
On.a dreary, hot plant the south
of Trebfzond and Erzegam a Turkish
army officer shielded with a rounded
white object the-match with which
he lighted a cigaret. He held out
the object to the German officer at his
side. The latter waved 1t back. He
did not care to smoke-just then.
The Turk then tossed it where he had
found it in the sand by the wayside,
and the two went their way;
The rounded white object was the
skull Of a 9hild-thes skull, mayhap.
of a little girl who had lisped many
Christians love and worship. -
intended as a recital Of a known in
cident but to point the cold-blooded
brutality of the Turk butcher since
1914 and the blame that may be laid
at the door of the .Teutpn in placing
responsibility for the frightful halo-
canst that has Redeemed, and sadden-
sd Asiatic Turkey. wye have It from
the mouths Of Gernlap,, missionaries
that German overloFds Of the Moslem
Gus hands Of the Turks but did not do
so.> -. H. - ~
Far and wide over the plains ana
on the deserts, bleaching in the sun,
lie today the osseous frames Of many
|Armenians and Syrians,, who, strong
and well a year or two before, had
found 10y IN the keeping OF their
troth with the Prince of Peace, the
Saviour of the world, the perfect Ex-
|emplar Of kindness and brotherhood.
Some are hard by the roadwhys, some
in parched lravines, some In recesses
OF the hills, some in the still streets
Of ruined hamlets, some on tho banks
Of streams where the waters at flood
tide had cast them. Some lie alone,
somei in tragic little sroups-all bear
ing mute witness that there are things
on earth more precious, o to be
cherished, than life.
Each Of. these relics of the waste
an inert whitecap in ashillOwing reach
of land-stands for human beins
who had lived his faith and died for
it,. Each, is evidence Of an heroic
Christian fortitnde, of a conscience
that dared the worst Of pagan
lbestialitx of a. martyrdom that had itt
primal type on the neighboring hill Of
fCalvary 4, 900 years ago. zach IL
proof i~ncontestable that the Teachings
out Of Nazareth stand triumphant
against. the shocks of war the rage
of men and the conspiracy insult
exile, torture, ravishment. starvation
It IL for them who doubt the efa.
caey Of Christian faifla and practice e
think of these mute relics lying el0.
quent I'M Syria. Mesopotamia, Paies'
tine and Persia, y IS for the faint
hearted follower ofythe Christ Wher.
ever he may he, to Wonder tho superb
|heroism Of these martyrs apd to draw
new hope and inspitstion nom them
man beings 60 to ttheir earthly dopm
as these mffeted Armenian and
syrian Christians. wentIo theirs, the.
cpmes clear that fhesScreed 81 .a
Nietzsche reaches not beyond sths
minds ,of men to the true goal--tht
hearts OF Q This wholesalGmar'
tyrdom. suffered under the open skies
not far from tho sradleFof the Chris;
!tian's faith Is a sublime REPUTATION o
the philosophy OF the superman. Q
the dogma that fores e the true GEO
of the gross ethics that the . 9 taNtt
the mighty7against tlia fraai By iikl
token 4. tetsif,es 70 the trenseendan,
power OF the gospel sof love, "a thu
grace that works III tbe souls OF .msl
land women. exaltingt thsra from naeFs