Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

The Children's CDr. John Peoples ' War Experiencesby Mrs. Kenneth Sanderson"In Konya we had to wait two days for a train toConstantinople. Mr. French Carithers, under guard,caught up with us on Sabbath day and that evening ourtrain left for Constantinople. We were in a third classcoach, but had three classes in the one car. First class wasunder the seats, for babies and small children. Secondclass was on the seats for grown-ups, and third class was inthe aisle which was reserved for boys and young men.Monday, whose train should we pass but the EnverPasha's! He looked quite lonely in his private car."We were detained in the Hydar Pasha which is thelast station on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus fromTuesday nighttill Wednesday morning. In the afternoonwe crossed by boat to the European side and were met byfriends who kept us during our stay in Constantinople."While there the price of food almost doubled. Forten days the buyer tried to find one pound of rice for me touse on our journey, but could find none. Exactly six weeksfrom the day we landed in Stamboul we were permitted toleave."While I was busy with money and papers during myexamination in the station baby Sam wandered off toinvestigate things. I supposed he was with Mr. Fowle whowanted to carry him to the train shed. When I reached ourcar on the train I did not find Sam and found that Mr.Fowle had forgotten all about him somewhere in thestation. A search was immediately started and before longSam was located intently studying the wheels of the train'sengine."From Constantinople they went right through thearea where fighting was taking place. Their cars werecattle cars with all the openings boarded up so they couldnot see out to know how much damage had been done inthe country or what military preparations were beingmade. No rest rooms or diners for these travelers. "Theday before we reached the Bulgarian frontier," Mrs.Peoples continues, "I spent most of the day sitting on suitcases in the corridor of the car. How good it was when wepassed the Bulgarian frontier when I finally got a place tosit down and rest my back and head."At the station in Budapest, Mr. Carithers missedthe train. He had gotten off to try to get a little hot waterto make cocoa for the children. He said he did not countthat ten minutes stop meant ten minutes stop! He had justcome from a country where ten minutes meant anythingmore than that number."They passed through Austria and finally reachedSwitzerland, Saturday, July 28. "It was so restful andrefreshing to breathe free air. Such a weight was liftedfrom us," sighed Evadne.10The missionary part of the company remained togive thanks to God for His goodness and to spend theSabbath quietly. "For supper we had meat, potatoes,bread, cheese and milk. What a meal!" They had not hadany cheese or milk since they left Mersine.Mrs. Peoples had hoped to remain in Switzerlanduntil the end of the War but the high cost of living anddoubts as to when the War would end finally led her todecide to return to the U.S. So on August 21, 1917, theyboarded a train in Switzerland and set off for France, butone trouble seemed to follow on the heels of the first.They had to spend twenty-four hours in quarantine andthen travel through southern France, a journey whichtook parts of five days, instead of going directly acrossFrance which took two days. At last they reached Bordeau,on Saturday, August 25, and boarded their ship. Theship was delayed in sailing until the following Tuesday.While going down the river, their ship stuck on a sand barand was held up until high tide floated them free.At last they breathed a sigh of relief for they were offacross the Atlantic for America. Since it was war timethey had to travel in convoy and be constantly on the alertfor enemy submarines. But still their troubles were notover, for the night before the ship reached New York theyran into a hurricane. Mrs. Peoples summed up theirjourney, "We had a hard journey but we have beenprotected by the way and each step seemed to open upbefore us as we journeyed along. God has cared for us andhas been such a strength and help. He is ready to fulfill Hispart. I must not be afraid but trust in Him. Three monthsand six days have passed since we started from our homein Mersine and landed in New York."Days dragged on for Mrs. Peoples in the homeland.For two years she received no word from her husband. InNovember 1918, Dr. Peoples wrote to her, "I have notheard a word from you or about you and the children forover two years. There is now a possibility of getting a fewlines off on an English boat. We are still survivingalthough the night has been long and black. Some monthsago I tried to communicate with you, but have had noresult. I am very busy caring for English prisoners. Dr.Stewart is here, having been freed from detention and Iam hoping he may leave by an English boat tomorrow.Thank the Lord the fighting is over, at least for a time.May it never be repeated. There is much sickness.Lovingly, John."Mrs. Peoples could scarcely contain her joy whenshe received the foregoing letter on January 17, 1919.(To be continued)COVENANTER WITNESS