American National Red Cross; Red Cross and Red Crescent
For our financial secretary and myself there could be neither rest nor
respite while we remained at a disbursing post so well known as ours.
Indeed there never had been. From the time of our arrival in February to
our embarkation in August there were but two days not strictly devoted
to business, the fourth of July and the fifth of August--the last a
farewell to our friends. For both of these occasions we were indebted to
the hospitality of treasurer and Mrs. W.W. Peet, and although held in
the open air, on the crowning point of Proti, one of the Princes'
Islands, with the Marmora, Bosporus and Golden Horn in full view, the
spires and minarets of Constantinople and Scutari telling us of a land
we knew little of, with peoples and customs strange and incomprehensible
to us, still there was no lack of the emblem that makes every American
at home, and its wavy folds of red, white and blue shaded the tables and
flecked the tasteful viands around which sat the renowned leaders of the
American missionary element of Asia Minor.
Henry O. Dwight, D.D., the accomplished gentleman and diplomatic head,
who was the first to suggest an appeal to the Red Cross, and I am glad
to feel he has never repented him of his decision. One fact in regard to
Dr. Dwight may be of interest to some hundreds of thousands of our
people: On first meeting him I was not quite sure of the title by which
to address him, if reverend or doctor, and took the courage to ask him.
He turned a glance full of amused meaning upon me as he replied: "That
is of little consequence; the title I prize most is _Captain_ Dwight."
"Of what?" I asked. "Company D, Twentieth Ohio Volunteers, in our late
war." The recognition which followed can well be imagined by the
comrades for whose interest I have named the incident.
Rev. Joseph K. Greene, D.D., and his amiable wife, to whom so much is
due towards the well being of the missionary work of Constantinople. I
regret that I am not able to reproduce the eloquent and patriotic
remarks of Dr. Greene on both these occasions, so true to our country,
our government and our laws. Rev. George P. Knapp, formerly of Bitlis,
whose courage no one questions. Mrs. Lee of Marash, and Mrs. Dr. George
Washburn of Robert College, the worthy and efficient daughters of Rev.
Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, the veteran missionary and founder of Robert College,
living in Lexington, Mass. A half-score of teachers, whose grand lives
will one day grace the pages of religious history. And last, though by
no means least, our host, the man of few words and much work, who bears
the burden of monetary relief for the woes and wants of Asia Minor, W.W.
Peet, Esq.
It was a great satisfaction that most of our field agents were able to
be present at the last of these beautiful occasions and personally
render an account of their stewardship to those who had watched their
course with such interest. The pleasure of these two days of recreation
will ever remain a golden light in our memories.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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