Ferida's Departure
Thus it happened that Emin, hardly arisen from his bed of suffering, was
again contemplating a mission to the interior of that continent out of
which Stanley had but just conducted him with so much effort. But one
thing troubled him--his anxiety for his child. Ferida had been kept far
away from him during his illness and when she was brought back to him
her joy was unbounded.
"Oh papa," she exclaimed, "now you are never going away from me again.
We shall always be together." Such appeals were hard for the father to
bear after he had come to the decision to send her back to Europe. But
the thousand anxieties which he had felt for the little helpless being
in the wilderness were a lesson he could not for an instant forget. Now
that they were at the coast, there was an opportunity to send her to her
relatives in Germany without fear of danger. It would be wicked to take
her with him again into a strange land.
So there came a tearful leave-taking. How hard it was for the child to
obey the will of her father, although her old and trusty Arab nurse was
going with her. It seemed to the little one that her heart was breaking
and that she was going alone into a far-distant strange country. It was
a bitter task for Emin also to separate from his child. He stood upon
the shore and watched the steamer until all that he could see was a
little cloud of smoke on the horizon. Then he turned away and sighed
heavily. He had a presentiment that he might never see her again.
Poor little Ferida! What a sad journey for her. The Arab attendant, who
had been in Emin's house so many long years and had been considered true
and devoted to the child, followed her own selfish designs. She schemed
to appropriate her money and for this purpose presented in Cairo the
papers, which proved her to be Emin's daughter, for the purpose of
securing the eight years' arrears of pay due Emin. Fortunately her trick
was prevented by the German ambassador, but he could not prevent the
vile woman from tattooing the helpless little creature's body, naturally
a painful operation. These troubles passed, however. Ferida was placed
in a railway carriage, this time under careful oversight. She passed
through countries which seemed strange to her, especially when she found
that all the people were white.
At last came a day when a gracious lady folded the poor fatherless child
in her arms, and, caressing her a thousand times, called her her dear
little daughter. It was Emin's sister, Fraulein Schnitzer, who took the
little one to Neisse and cared for her as a mother.