Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-18

Was Soon ofn ASIDE.
defed his anger and refused Passelt was afraid
to punish us, my father wealthy, and
through his friendship with the British Consr!
at Harpout, Mr.. Stevens, had obtained protection
Of the Vail, or High Governor, of the Harpout
province. But now the British Consul was gone.
The Vail afraid of no one And Passelt
Pacha could, I knew, DO as he pleased. Instinc.
lively knew too, that his visit to our house that
Easter morning, with his escort of armed sob
ders, meant that he had come again to ask
for me.
chung to my mother and lausanne, with my
two younger sisters holding onto my skirt while
we listened at the head of the stairs to my father
and the governor talking. Passelt was longer
asking for me-he was demanding. l heard
him say: "Soon the orders from the Sultan will
arrive; you Christian dogs are to be sent away
not man, woman or child who denies Mohammed
will be permitted to remain. When that time
comes there is none to save you but me- Give
me the girl Aurora and will take all her family
under my protection until the crisis is past.
Refuse and You know what you expect!'
My father could not speak aloud. He was
choked with fear and horror. Ny mother
screamed. knew what that threat of the Pacha
meant-a massacre! [ begged mother to let me
rush downstairs and give myself to the governor
would do anything to save her and my father
and my little brothers and sisters Then my
father found his voice, and we heard him saying
to the Pacha:
Goods will shall be done-and He would
never will that my child should shame Him to
save us. We will trust in HIM.
My mother held me closer, "Your father has
spoken-for you and us. You shall not sacrifice
YOURSELF
Passelt Pacha went away in anger, his escort
marching stiffy behind Scarcely had he dis
appeared when there great commotion in
the streets Crowds began to assemble at the
corners. Men to our house to tell us the
news that had just been brought by horscman
who had ridden in wild haste from the city Of
Harpout, thirty miles away.
They are massacrcing at Van men, women
and children are being hacked to pieces, and the
KUrds are carrying of the girls!''
Van is the greatest city in Armenia. II was
once the capital Of the Vannic Kingdom of Onccn
Semiramis It was the home Of Xerxcs, and, we
are taught, built by the King Aram in the
midst Of what was the first land uncovered after
the Delugc-thc Holy Place where the ark Of
Noah rested and where he sacrificed to God as
the Bible tells. 1t is very dear to Armcnians,
and was the centre Of church and national
life 1t lies two hundred miles away from our
city, Tchcmcsh- GcdZak, and was the home Of
more than 10000 of people. The Vail of
Van, Djevdct Bcy, is the principal Turkish ruler
in Armcnia-and the most cruel. a massacre at
Van meant that it soon would spread over all
Armenia.
They brought the horscman from Harpout to
our house. My father tried TO question him, but
all he could say was:
Ermcnleri hep kcsdilcr-hcp gdi bildi! ~
The Arinenians all kilcd-al gone. all deadi'
He moancd it over and over In Harpout tho
news had come by the telegraph, and the horse
man had ridden at once to tell us Of his native
city.
begged my father and mother to let me run
at once to the palace Of Passclt Pacha and tell
him would do whatever he wished if he would
save my family when the orders came from the
Sultan To our town. But mother held me close,
while father would only say, Goods will be
done, and that would not be it
looked at lausanne. whom had angcrcd by
nv pretty ribbons. She vas crying. looked
at little hrucia and Sarah my younger sisters
They were crying, too My father very
pale and his hands tremblcd when he put them