A Child of the Orient

BY THE SAME AUTHOR
A CHILD OF THE ORIENT
BY DEMETRA VAKA
LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY TORONTO: BELL AND COCKBURN. MCMXIV
Turnbull & Spears, Printers, Edinburgh
To TRUMBULL WHITE EDITOR AND FRIEND, WHOSE APPRECIATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT HELPED TO SMOOTH THE HARD ROAD OF A BEGINNER


A CHILD OF THE ORIENT
ON the morning of my fifth birthday, just as I awoke from sleep, my grand-uncle came into my room, and, standing over my bed, said with a seriousness little befitting my age:
“To-day, despoinis , you are five years old. I wish you many happy returns of the day.”
He drew up a chair, and sat down by my bed. Carefully unfolding a piece of paper, he brought forth a small Greek flag.