Kanawha Valley Star

An extraordinary scene was witnessed one day last month at Foundouklu, Constantinople, the trial of two girls who had abjured the Mohammedan for the Christian religion. Their father was a Greek, a native of the Island of Siphanto. He became a Mussulman while living in Egypt, married a Turkish woman in token of his new faith, by whom he had two daughters, Faimeh and Emineh, who were brought up after the strictest rules of Islam.

Some time after the whole family removed to Syra. There the father was re-converted to the Christian faith, and without the knowledge of the mother, had his daughters baptised under the names of Maria and Angelica. The family afterward removed to Smyrna, where the mother, learning of this betrayal, made complaint to the Bashaw, accusing her husband of having wilfully deceived her. He was, thereupon imprisoned by the local authority, and the two young girls took refuge in the house of the British Consul, where they remained until an order arrived that they should go to Constantinople, whither their parents were also remanded.

On the 10th of May they all appeared at the country house of Halil Bey, the Turkish Minister to Greece, where they partook of his hospitality, and also of an excellent breakfast. The Turkish mother, however, was the victim of such nervous agitation that she trembled constantly, and could eat nothing. The Turkish minister of religion, Sami Effendi, who had the mother in charge, questioned her where she was married. She replied that she first became acquainted with her husband in Egypt, and that then he was a Mussulman, and her answers were corroborated by her husband.

Then commenced the questioning of the girls. They said the woman that was present was their mother, but that henceforth they should not recognize her as such unless she embraced the Christian religion. They were asked what religion they desired to profess; they answered that they wished to follow only the religion of Christ. This declaration terminated the matter. The young girls left the house, accompanied by their father. The poor mother wept continually and fainted several times. Maria and Angelica are respectively eighteen and sixteen years old, are very pretty and attractive, and by all accounts were begging their father to buy them dresses "a la franque."