THE FOUR ADOPTED DAUGHTERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 305, 14 May 1941, Page 2

THE FOUR ADOPTED DAUGHTERS

A fairy godmother and godfather ii> Los Angeles arc anxiously awaiting news of four adopted daughters thej r have never seen. The story starts during the last war, when American families were asked to become foster parents to Armenian children l who were orphaned during the Turkish massacr?. Mr and Mrs Stephen Shaljian, of Los Angeles, adopted, four girls. Since then, although they have never seen the children, they feel they know them from their letters, and photographs. The Shaijians paid for their education and were overjoyed when all the girls, married happily. But tragedy came with the outbreak of war. One girl's husband went into the French army and she was left penniless in Paris. Another daughter completely disappeared. A third is married to an American in Syria, while the fourth, Zartouhie, who was a nurse in a London hospital went with the B.E.F. to Flanders and did not return in the retreat from Dunkirk. No Avord has bean received of him until the other day, when the postman brought the Shaijians a mysterious looking letter. I't was from Zartouhie's husband, Avritteri in German prison camp. It had been written in July and apparently been mailed via Siberia. He was well, he said,, and. asked the Shaijians to let his Avife know. The Shaijians are hoping that soon there Avdll be a happy ending to this story of their four adopted daughters