A CHILD OF THE ORIENT _BY THE SAME AUTHOR_ SOME PAGES FROM THE LIVES OF TURKISH WOMEN IN THE SHADOW OF ISLAM ETC. A CHILD OF THE ORIENT BY DEMETRA VAKA LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY TORONTO: BELL AND COCKBURN. MCMXIV _Turnbull & Spears, Printers, Edinburgh_ To TRUMBULL WHITE EDITOR AND FRIEND, WHOSE APPRECIATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT HELPED TO SMOOTH THE HARD ROAD OF A BEGINNER CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. THE TOKEN 3 II. ECHOES OF 1821 8 III. OTHER FACES, OTHER PHASES 15 IV. DJIMLAH 24 V. WE AND THEY 30 VI. AUNT KALLIROË 36 VII. IN THE HOLLOW OF ALLAH’S HAND 46 VIII. YILDERIM 60 IX. I AM REMINDED OF MY SONS AGAIN 73 X. THE GARDEN GODDESS 85 XI. MISDEEDS 110 XII. HOW I WAS SOLD TO ST GEORGE 118 XIII. THE MASTER OF THE FOREST 133 XIV. ALI BABA, MY CAÏQUE-TCHI 157 XV. MY LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN 166 XVI. CHAKENDÉ, THE SCORNED 193 XVII. A GREAT LADY OF STAMBOUL 212 XVIII. THE INVENTIVENESS OF SEMMEYA HANOUM 221 XIX. THE CHIVALRY OF ARIF BEY 233 XX. IN THE WAKE OF COLUMBUS 251 XXI. IN REAL AMERICA 266 XXII. BACK TO TURKEY 282 A CHILD OF THE ORIENT CHAPTER I THE TOKEN On the morning of my fifth birthday, just as I awoke from sleep, my grand-uncle came into my room, and, standing over my bed, said with a seriousness little befitting my age: “To-day, _despoinis_, you are five years old. I wish you many happy returns of the day.” He drew up a chair, and sat down by my bed. Carefully unfolding a piece of paper, he brought forth a small Greek flag. “Do you know what this is?” I nodded. “Do you know what it stands for?” Before I could think of an adequate reply, he leaned toward me and said earnestly, his fiery black eyes holding mine: “It stands for the highest civilization the world has ever known. It stands for Greece, who has taught the world. Take it and make your prayers by it.” I accepted it, and caressed it. Its silky texture pleased my touch. Its heavenly blue colour fascinated my eyes, while the white cross, emblem of my religion as well as of my country, filled my childish heart with a noble thrill. My grand-uncle bent over nearer to me.