By Far Euphrates A Tale 1

By Far Euphrates A Tale 1

By Far Euphrates A Tale

 

Author: Deborah Alcock

 

PREFACE

Many a tale of blood and tears has come to us of late from far

Euphrates, and from the regions round about. It is not so much the aim

of the following pages to tell these over again as to show the light

that, even there, shines through the darkness. "I do set My bow in the

cloud" is true of the densest, most awful cloud of human misery. As in

the early ages of Christianity, "what little child, what tender woman"

was there

 

 

"Who did not clasp the cross with a light laugh,

Or wrap the burning robe round, thanking God"?

 

 

As in later times, of no less fervent faith, "men took each other's

hands and walked into the fire, and women sang a song of triumph while

the gravedigger was shovelling the earth over their living faces," so

now, in our own days, there still walks in the furnace, with His

faithful servants, "One like unto the Son of God."

 

Every instance of faith or heroism given in these pages is not only true

in itself, but typical of a hundred others. The tale is told, however

feebly and inadequately, to strengthen our own faith and quicken our own

love. It is told also to stir our own hearts to help and save the

remnant that is left. The past is past, and we cannot change it now; but

we CAN still save from death, or from fates worse than death, the

children of Christian parents, who are helpless and desolate orphans

because their parents _were_ Christians, and true to the Faith they

professed and the Name they loved.

 

D. ALCOCK.

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

PAGE

CHAPTER I

 

THE DARK RIVER 1

 

 

CHAPTER II

 

FATHER AND SON 9

 

 

CHAPTER III

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 17

 

 

CHAPTER IV

 

A NEW LIFE 26

 

 

CHAPTER V

 

BARON MUGGURDITCH THOMASSIAN 44

 

 

CHAPTER VI

 

ROSES AND BATH TOWELS 59

 

 

CHAPTER VII

 

GATHERING STORMS 66

 

 

CHAPTER VIII

 

A PROPOSAL 73

 

 

CHAPTER IX

 

PEACE AND STRIFE 91

 

 

CHAPTER X

 

AN ARMENIAN WEDDING 113

 

 

CHAPTER XI

 

AN ADVENTUROUS RIDE 125

 

 

CHAPTER XII

 

THE USE OF A REVOLVER 143

 

 

CHAPTER XIII

 

WHAT PASTOR STEPANIAN THOUGHT 155

 

 

CHAPTER XIV

 

A MODERN THERMOPYLÆ 173

 

 

CHAPTER XV

 

DARK HOURS 194

 

 

CHAPTER XVI

 

"THE DARK RIVER TURNS TO LIGHT" 214

 

 

CHAPTER XVII

 

A GREAT CRIME 229

 

 

CHAPTER XVIII

 

EVIL TIDINGS 241

 

 

CHAPTER XIX

 

A GREAT CRIME CONSUMMATED 256

 

 

CHAPTER XX

 

BY ABRAHAM'S POOL, AND ELSEWHERE 271

 

 

CHAPTER XXI

 

"GOD-SATISFIED AND EARTH-UNDONE" 287

 

 

CHAPTER XXII

 

GIVEN BACK FROM THE DEAD 301

 

 

CHAPTER XXIII

 

BETROTHAL 315

 

 

CHAPTER XXIV

 

UNDER THE FLAG OF ENGLAND 323

 

 

CHAPTER XXV

 

AT HOME 341

 

 

CHAPTER XXVI

 

A SERMON 351

 

 

APPENDIX 367

 

 

 

 

Chapter I

 

THE DARK RIVER

 

"A thousand streams of lovelier flow

Bathed his own native land."

 

 

The Eastern sun was near its setting. Everywhere beneath its beams

stretched out a vast, dreary campaign--pale yellowish brown--with low

rolling hills, bare of vegetation. There was scarcely anything upon

which the eye of man could rest with interest or satisfaction, except

one little clump of plane trees, beside which a party of travellers had

spread their tents. They had spent the day in repose, for they intended

to spend the night in travelling; since, although summer was past and

autumn had come, the heat was still great.

 

The tent in the centre of the little encampment was occupied by an

Englishman and his son, to whom all the rest were but guides, or

servants, or guards. The Syrians, the Arabs, and the Turkish zaptiehs

who filled these offices were resting from their labours, having tethered their horses under the trees.