Page:Kvartalshilsen (Kvinnelige misjonsarbeidere). 1917 Vol. 10 nr. 4.pdf/8

 so much to look at and also made acquaintance with a 3½ year old girl who was going to Smyrna. The lady was a worldly lady and was courted by an Austrian officer, while she left the little one to the maid and did not want to take the little one on her lap, so scared was she for her dress. I was so sorry for the little one, and she was with us a lot from Bosanti. Along the way, we were invited at a residence by a German doctor to have dinner in his quarter. It was a small house, which had a splendid view of the plain. We had a pleasant and tasty dinner out on the porch. About 5 o'clock we reached the valley to a station from which the full lane is completed, and an Austrian consul was so kind as to allow us to join his wagon, which had been pre-ordered. We then drove approx. 1½ hours by train from Bosanti, a small town between Adana and Constantinople. It was an idyllic travel through the fertile valley and on both sides the high mountains, everywhere trees, and an exuberant, happy little river, which followed us all the way. I sat and enjoyed and delighted in the beautiful nature. Unfortunately, the train kept far away from the station, so no one could take my luggage. But along the way, I had made acquaintance with a few German families from Jaffa, who had to leave everything they owned there, when the city was in danger and had to be evacuated, and one of them was so kind to look after my little boy while I went to look for a German doctor that I knew, as he had often been our guest in Harunje. He was immediately ready to help me and invited me to live in his house until I could travel further. He is the same doctor that examined Fridtjof and the little girl at that last time, and he was pleasantly surprised to see the boy looking healthy again. He is in charge of a German lazaret. Two sisters are also employed there, and they were incredibly friendly and would care for my little boy who they thought were so sweet. We got a nice supper, a pleasant conversation and a clean bed and we were really rested. The doctor had telegraphed to Constantinople to get permission for me to use the military train the next day and got on. Nor did this Turkish officer trouble me when he looked at my passport, and I was so grateful that the Lord had so graciously helped me along the way and led everything so well.

The trip from Bosanti to "Haidar pascha" was relatively easy as I traveled first class because it was so full; but it was often difficult to get cocoa or tea for the boy; but there was always a way to get some boiled water at the station, and once I cooked coffee on the train. In Eskisdur I met a well-known German missionary sister who came to me, otherwise I could not go far with the little one. With the clothes I had several difficulties, but I always got it back, so when after 3 days we reached "Haidar pascha" I had everything in good condition. Fridtjof was sleeping on my hand suitcase along the way, which I had turned into a soft little bed with blankets and pillows, as we only had one room, and he slept so sweetly there. From "Haidar pascha" to Constantinople, there is only ½ hour of steamship, and there I checked in at an international hotel, whose superintendent I knew. We had a good time there, lived simple but solid. Since I couldn't get my papers in order as quickly as I hoped, I had to stay 2 weeks in Constantinople.

First, I was at the Norwegian Consul General, who was very accommodating and helped me in every way. Next day