The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-03

men We're firing upon the Hurds, who
had already killed some two hundred
persons in the village, and who held
every road Of es APE. Il seemed only
question of time until the Christians
man woman ans child ", uld fall to an
inevitable fate.
After the agreement with the sheikhs
| mad been reached, word was sent to the
| Turds to cease firing, and then Doctor
| Packard himself. carrying his American
/ flag, advanced toward the besieged
"hurch. The cry went up among the
| Christians, 1T is the American hakim
sahibr' 1t was not easy for the Syri-
ans to trust the word of the Kurds, and
/ ,6y down their weapons. But Doctor
Packard shepherded them into the
nearby Presbyterian church taking
their weapons as they entered.
Then began one Of the most dramatic
marches in American history. That en-
tire company Of rescued Syrians, mis-
t. usting, with reason, the promise oI
The Kurds, and expecting TO be fired
upon at every turn, went forth at the
neels Of the American missionary ana
mis- flag, past the balled besegers and
across the plain to the city and the
American compound. It was the most
difficult prescription Doctor Packard
rad ever given. but the Christians !tae
him and took it, to the saving Of tier
lives.
What II Siege Means,
One recalls the siege Of Lucknow
and other historic horrors, for paral
| .el to the experience OF these Americans
in Urumia. For into that small com
pound crowded fifteen thousand deGtl-
tute persons. 1t isalmost beyond be
l'ef, as one goes about the premises
today. 1t was mid-winter GhouEn the
superstitious Moslems remarked that
God gave the Christians the mildest
Writer ever known, and few had 50
much as a rag Of bejdinE on which to
sleep Every nook and crR 7ny hs'l
refugees. ! measured one clN;9t which
had been n snug haven for or bcys
and it is two and q half by th 'eC and
4 half feet One little room, without
any conveniences, was maternity ward
a:J even twins were born tnere with
rsynr an inch Of clothes await q: them.
ia the main room of the gi~ls' schop
there was not even lying-dowI room
One layer would be on 'op Of tre desks
one on the seats, and another or the
floor. In the ch lrch, which holds com
fortably a congregation Of almost eight
h,f thirftt-
four hundred mountaineers, An in.
stant's contemplation Of tn scene Is
sick cning.
q: course there were m'ny deaths
the total reaching forty-ei- t in one
day The entire number Of deatl.4 dur.
ing che siege on the American preEt-
ises was four thousand. The dicposal
OF the corpses, as the other wastage
Of that unspeakable scene, was a prob
lem Of large dimensions, taviny Amer
can resourcefulness. Two thousand
persons were ill at one timC with the
various epidemics that ragged -typhL7,
typhoid, dysentery and measles. The
mortality which followed the dry bread
diet for little children was haa -l-break-
ing. Yet through it all moved those
serene, efficient American men auG
women, who were thus fulfilling, in un-
expected form, the mission Of service
tpon which they had come to this re
mote corner of the earth. Their work
cas- proved 20 be a religious contrbu-
ton Of first magnitude, in its inGuen?e
upon Christian and Moslem Ike.
That terrible siege was prolonged for
FIVE months-and followed by anothc'
fight from the city. What Sc ,med un.
.ndurable for a week had 10 be livel
with for more than twenty week, ami
SIX months passed before the last
groups of the terror-stricken people
would believe that the Russians had
come to stay and so take their de
parture to the scene Of their former
homes Practically all of them re.urnnl
to find their homes in ruins, and a ]
their possessions carried off by tho Nos
lens Families were broken bevond
repair; and there are many notices
" no weep less for their dead than TO-
the daughters who have gone into L
captivity which they deem worse than
death.
Naturally the experience has put a
new Interpretation upon Christianity,
II region where doctrinal and histori-
cal questions, and bitter sectarianism.
look precedence of unselfish ministry
to friend and foe alike. II IS one vivid
instance of how the war is changing
"ehgious conditions around the world.