The Red Rugs of Tarsus: A Woman's Record of the Armenian Massacre of 1909Gibbons, Helen Davenport
History
The Red Rugs of Tarsus: A Woman's Record of the Armenian Massacre of 1909
Gibbons, Helen Davenport
Adana (Turkey) -- History; Armenian massacres, 1909 -- Turkey -- Adana
Scrappie is beside me as I write, in the reed basket we bought from the
Fellahin. I am propped just high enough on the pillows to keep my eye on
her. I watch her all the time to see if she is really breathing. I have
heard of wives making husbands get up in the night to see if baby was
breathing, and scoffed at the folly of it. But I'm going to confess to
you that I've had two panics. Each time I assured Herbert that this
happens only with first babies, but that doesn't seem to mollify him.
There never was such a fellow for sleeping as Herbert. However, wouldn't
it be awful if the baby's covers got up over her head? You understand
how I feel, don't you?
_Miette_, "bread-crumb," is the name Jeanne Imer gave Christine in
prospect. It also means a little scrap of anything: so Herbert and I
translated it into Scrappie. The name had the advantage of being
non-committal on sex. So Scrappie she is to us. Perhaps you will give
her another pet name in Paris. But we rather like ours--I never heard of
another kiddie having it.
The birth of your grandchild was not a whit less dramatic than the
events preceding. There was a "situation" right up to the last. I wrote
you about the plan to gather foreigners in two defended consulates if
there was a new massacre at Mersina. The massacre didn't come off. We
shouldn't have gone anyway. Miss Talbot was as game as we were to stay
on with the Dodds. The improvised hospitals in Adana called for all
available medical men. The ship surgeons, with their pharmacists, all
went to Adana. The Mersina mission doctor was working among our Tarsus
wounded. I was altogether doctorless. At daybreak of Scrappie's
birthday, Mr. Dodds swept the horizon of the sea with his telescope. We
were expecting every day relief ships, with Red Cross units, from
Beirut. A speck developed into a steamer. Without waiting to ascertain
more, Mr. Dodds threw himself into his rowboat. Two husky servants of
the mission were at the oars.
It was lucky Mr. Dodds did not hesitate longer. But he is not that sort.
It was a ship from Beirut, and there was an American surgeon aboard.
Doctor Dorman walked into my room just in time.
Everybody in the Mission feels that the placid little baby, with her
great blue eyes, is the symbol of hope. Scrappie knows nothing of what
the wicked world is doing and how all around her are dying and
suffering. She is unadulterated joy. Miss Talbot tried her best, but
there were no drawn blinds and pale wan mother. Folks came in to offer
congratulations, and make a fuss. I was glad they did. The refugees in
the compound celebrated by gathering on a roof below and singing. Some
were sorry for us, because it was not a boy, but, after all, if Madama
wanted a girl--how queer of Americans to be glad to have daughters!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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