(Taken from "The Cyber Hymnal"at www.hymntime.com)
In 1891, when Harutune S. Jenanyan, took his wife and little daughter on a perilous and dangerous missionary journey from Tarsus, Asia Minor, the city of St. Paul, to Sivas in Armenia, they travelled on horse-back through robber-infested country for fourteen days. Two of the leading robber chiefs on that territory were Chollo, whose “name cast terror on every side” since he had successfully evaded pursuing Government forces for many months, and Kara Agha, a famous Koorish chief, whose name caused even the fearsome Chollo to tremble. Harutune took his small party directly into the heart of Kara Agha’s country, telling those he met enroute that he was going to be Agha’s guest in his own village. When they reached the brigand’s head-quarters, the missionary asked that they be received as guests for the night. The surprised robber chief gave them accommodations, entertaining Harutune in his own spacious tent while his wife, Helene, and their little daughter, Grace were cared for in another tent by the women of the village. The next morning, before taking their leave, the missionary asked for permission to read a portion of the Holy Scripture, and then offered a prayer. Seeing that the chief was somewhat affected, he then said, “Do you wish to have the little child sing for you?” The chief replied, “Oh yes; can she?” Then little Grace, only three-and-a-half years old, came forward and stood before the tall old man and sang two songs she had recently learned in the Sunday School in Tarsus, singing them in the native tongue, “Jesus loves me, this I know” and “I want to be an angel”. The chief was so deeply touched, that he sent his own son, Bekkeer Agha, mounted on a handsome Arabian steed, to lead the small missionary party through the rest of his territory.
