,,silver ,,chimes ,,in ,,syria ,illustration3 ,,henry ,a4 ,,nelson ,,memorial ,tripoli ,boys' ,school ,,silver ,,chimes ,,in ,,syria ,,glimpses ,,of ,a ,,missionary',s ,,experiences ,,by ,w4 ,s4 ,,nelson1 ,d4,d41 ,,author ,,of ,,habeeb ,,the ,,beloved ,illustration3 ,logo ,,philadelphia ,,the ,,westminster ,,press #aiad ,,copyright1 #aiad ,,by ,f4 ,m4 ,,braselmann ,,dedication ,,july #ag1 #ahhh4 ,,cincinnati1 ,,ohio4 ,this book is affectionately inscribed to her who has been the companion of my life for twenty-five years2 my helper in all my work2 my cheer and comfort in all circumstances2 the maker of my home2 the source of all that is silvery in the chimes that ring to-day4 ,,homs1 ,,syria1 ,,july #ag1 #aiac4 ,,preface ,when a tourist is seated on the deck of a steamer1 waiting to leave the country in which he has enjoyed an outing1 his eyes do not seek the low-lying shore of the sea1 for the memories he would retain hereafter4 ,he lifts his eyes to the overhanging mountains4 ,nor is it the whole massive range that holds his vision4 ,he looks instinctively to the scattered1 lofty summits which stand aloof as it were from the monotony of the lower range4 ,especially as the sun sinks below the western horizon do his eyes dwell lovingly on those highest peaks which are colored with the light of the setting sun4 ,my purpose in sending out this collection of sketches is somewhat the same4 ,i have not attempted a continuous narrative1 with all the monotony of repeated acts1 but have sought to make vivid to the reader some of the more conspicuous features of missionary life1 in the hope of deepening sympathy with the workers and increasing zeal in the work4 ,that is my excuse for the free use of the personal pronoun1 not to make prominent the person1 but to emphasize the reality4 ,may the volume be enjoyed by our fellow workers in ,america1 and blessed by ,him whom we all serve4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,arrival ,,in ,,syria #c ,,ii4 ,,language ,,study #ad ,,iii4 ,,travel ,,and ,,communication #ai ,,iv4 ,,evangelistic ,,trips #cd ,v4 ,,aleppo #ec ,,vi4 ,,new ,,stations ,,and ,,buildings #fe ,,vii4 ,,camping ,,life #ge ,,viii4 ,,persecution #hg ,,ix4 ,,emigration #id ,x4 ,,syrian ,,enterprises #ajd ,,xi4 ,,interruptions #aaa ,,xii4 ,,our ,,supporters #abg ,,xiii4 ,,personal ,,friends #acf ,,xiv4 ,,tripoli ,,boys' ,,school #aej ,,xv4 ,,moving #afd ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,muezzin ,,or ,,the ,,bell #afi ,,illustrations ,,page ,henry ,a4 ,nelson ,memorial--,tripoli ,boys' ,school ,frontispiece ,latakia ,boys' ,school ,facing ,page #cd ,tartoose--,crusaders' ,church #cd ,aleppo ,minaret #ec ,hadeth ,summer ,home #ge ,abu ,maroon1 the ,hadeth ,carpenter #ge ,homs--,boys' ,school #ajd ,tripoli ,boys' ,school--,first ,home #aej ,tripoli ,boys' ,school--,second ,home #aej ,homs #afd ,heathen ,temple and ,mount ,hermon #afd ,hamidiyeh ,mosque--,tripoli #afi ,old ,city ,gate--,tripoli #afi ,,silver ,,chimes ,,in ,,syria ,,chapter ,i ,,arrival ,,in ,,syria ,every individual makes a new personal discovery1 as with the passage of years1 he realizes the difference between the long look forward over a given period1 and the look backward over the same period1 when it is completed4 ,to the new arrival on the field the veteran of twenty-five years' experience appears to have spent a very long time in the service2 but as he looks back over his own life1 at the end of a similar period1 he wonders that he ever entertained such an opinion4 ,looking back to the year #ahhh1 the events of that time do not seem at all remote1 and it is hard to realize that to anyone that year can appear a very long way in the past4 ,on the last day of ,october1 in the early morning1 a steamer of the ,austrian-,lloyd ,line cast anchor in front of ,beirut4 ,that was long before the building of the harbor1 and all vessels tossed in the open roadstead1 at the mercy of wind and wave1 only slightly sheltered by the long headland of ,ras ,beirut1 where the tall lighthouse rears its slender shaft1 and where the ,syrian ,protestant ,college stands1 as a more important symbol of light-giving4 ,the anchor was scarcely dropped before the little boats from the shore crowded about the ladders and the boatmen came swarming over the sides of the vessel1 to take possession of the passengers and carry them ashore4 ,it is always a perplexing but interesting scene to the newcomer4 ,the curious costumes of many colors give an appearance of gayety to the crowd2 the shouting of the guttural ,arabic makes one think of ,babel2 the wild gesticulating of the excited people suggests the possibility of a riot2 the seizing of baggage and pulling of passengers by eager boatmen make one think that the day of personal liberty and private property is passed4 ,as a rule1 however1 it is all good-natured1 and the noise is more bantering than quarreling4 ,in fact1 one soon becomes accustomed to the turmoil as an indication of lack of orderly proceeding in the ,orient4 ,among the first figures to appear on deck that ,october morning was one quieter but no less eager than the ,arab boatmen4 ,he quickly made his way to the room of the new missionaries1 just arriving from ,america1 prepared to take them ashore1 and even to escort them at once to his own home in ,sidon4 ,it was a most welcome1 homelike experience to the tired travelers1 and the cheery voice and cordial welcome of ,mr4 ,w4 ,k4 ,eddy will never be forgotten4 ,there were many things in the journey1 thus ended1 that had made it trying4 ,the young couple had crossed the ,atlantic entirely among strangers and the ocean had not been kind to them4 ,seasickness is never a happy experience1 and when it becomes a continuous performance1 in connection with a wedding journey1 it seems most inappropriate4 ,pleasant visits with family friends and relatives in ,scotland effaced the memories of the ,atlantic4 ,visiting new scenes and beautiful places in ,switzerland gave much pleasure by the way1 but in an unfortunate day the germs of malaria had been absorbed and southern ,italy was reached with fever and weakness that made sightseeing a burden4 ,who can forget his first glimpse of the real ,orient1 at ,port ,said8 ,the noise and the dirt2 the squalor and the glaring sun2 the rush of the crowd and the utter lonesomeness of the stranger1 make a contrast and mixture that are not easily matched in life's ordinary experiences4 ,four days were to pass before a steamer went to ,beirut4 ,it was not a pleasant prospect for travelers homesick and weak from fever to have to tarry for four days in a dismal hotel1 with nothing attractive in the way of companionship or occupation4 ,besides this1 our trunks had not been sent forward as promised1 and we were obliged to depend upon the limited hand baggage with which we had crossed the ,continent4 ,it is easy to imagine the sensations with which the young bride looked forward to making her first appearance among strangers1 with a face pale from fever and an outfit so unexpectedly limited4 ,the hearty welcome of ,mr4 ,eddy on the deck of that ,austrian steamer in ,beirut harbor was a needed tonic1 and his skill and experience readily passed us through the intricacies of the customhouse and brought us to the hospitable home of his father4 ,of the friends who conspired to make those first days bright1 many have been called away to the other shore1 though others are still our associates in the service of ,syria4 ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,w4 ,w4 ,eddy1 with whom we spent our first ten days in ,syria1 left us many years ago4 ,dr4 ,samuel ,jessup was always thoughtful1 bringing bright flowers from his garden to continue the impression of his bright face and cheery words1 when he called upon the strangers4 ,he and ,mrs4 ,jessup1 whose home was one of the brightest spots of those early years1 have also gone on before to their well-earned reward4 ,mr4 ,march1 coming down from the mountains on his way to ,tripoli1 was especially ready in his plans for the comfort of his new associates in ,tripoli ,station4 ,but it is not necessary to mention each one4 ,the beauty of missionary life is the unity of fellowship and the completeness with which every newcomer is received into the intimacy and love of the circle1 which is only less close and intimate than that of the family itself4 ,after ten days spent in ,beirut in trying to get rid of the malaria and in acquiring some knowledge of the ,arabic alphabet1 we went on to ,tripoli1 our future home4 ,it was a cold1 windy ,saturday afternoon4 ,we were taken out to the steamer in a small boat1 which tossed on the restless waves in a way which we supposed to be normal4 ,the steamer was small and crowded with a miscellaneous company1 most of whom were not happy1 to say the least4 ,fortunately it is only a four hours' ride1 for the wind increased in violence as we proceeded1 and when the anchor was dropped at sundown off ,tripoli1 it seemed doubtful whether any boats could come out to meet us4 ,in due time1 however1 a boat pulled alongside1 and there was ,mr4 ,march1 who had come out over that rough sea to welcome us to our new home1 though he did not think we would venture to start from ,beirut in such a storm4 ,the steamer was rolling so badly that the ladder could not be lowered at all1 and we crept out on it as it lay horizontally along the ship's side1 and then1 when the tip was lowest1 simply dropped into the arms of the boatmen below4 ,then began the laborious pull for the shore4 ,we were two hours reaching land1 our clothes soaked1 our spirits at zero1 but most happy to reach the warm1 cozy haven of the ,march home in the ,mina of ,tripoli4 ,it was the beginning of a most beautiful fellowship with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,march and their children1 whose sweet introduction of themselves won our hearts at once and who1 though now grown to maturity1 still call us by the old1 affectionate titles of uncle and aunt4 ,thus1 for the second time in our short missionary experience1 we were made to feel the comfort and peace of being taken into the warmth and love of a ,christian home1 no longer as strangers1 but as brethren4 ,we wished to take possession of our own home as soon as possible4 ,our household goods were in the customhouse1 and another first experience was before us4 ,everything had to be examined and its purpose explained to the satisfaction of the ,turkish inspector4 ,to him it seemed a wholly unnecessary amount of furniture for one person1 for of course he could not recognize that the wife's existence made any difference4 ,a box of class photographs was examined in detail1 and great surprise manifested that one person should have so many friends4 ,a small vase for flowers in the shape of a kettle resting on five legs puzzled the examiner1 until he picked up the perforated piece of a soap dish1 and decided that he had found the appropriate adaptation of the two pieces4 ,it did not seem necessary to explain1 so long as he was satisfied1 and no harm was done4 ,we had many things to learn besides the language4 ,our home belonged to a man whose name was translated to us as ,mr4 ,victory-of-,god ,brass4 ,in an arch under the parlor windows he had hung a donkey's skull and some beads1 to keep off the evil eye of jealousy from his fine house4 ,it was a pleasant house1 well located near the city gate which had been known in former days as ,donkey ,gate1 only a few minutes' walk from the girls' school and just at the end of the tram line connecting the city with the harbor1 two miles distant4 ,in planning for our new home we had indulged in the luxury of two pairs of simple lace curtains for our parlor windows4 ,when we entered the house1 our amazement can hardly be exaggerated at the discovery that the parlor had not two but eight windows1 each calling for curtains twelve feet long4 ,our lace curtains were relegated to service elsewhere4 ,mr4 ,eddy had kindly arranged to come up from ,sidon to help us in this first settling of our new home1 and his help and companionship were invaluable4 ,he went with me to the shops to purchase such things as were needed1 and the shopkeepers recognized at once his fluent ,arabic and his companion's ignorance of the language4 ,more than one shopkeeper called him aside and asked him to bring the stranger to them for his purchases1 promising him a handsome commission for his services4 ,the house was soon made habitable and just three weeks after our first landing in ,syria we slept under our own roof1 with our own possessions about us1 and were ready to begin our own independent home life in the land of our adoption4 ,we had made our beginning1 and a bright1 happy beginning it was1 notwithstanding the difficulties and drawbacks inevitable in such conditions4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,language ,,study ,whatever differences there may be in experiences in missionary life1 all missionaries are faced with a most troublesome experience in learning a new language4 ,it is more or less natural for everyone to magnify what concerns himself4 ,our children are always a little better than our neighbors'4 ,our cook makes better bread than anyone else4 ,and mother's pies--well1 that calls for no argument4 ,it is much the same way among missionaries4 ,it is probable that there are just about as many hardest languages in the world as there are distinct mission fields4 ,but1 then1 there must be one that is really the hardest1 and we in ,syria think we come pretty well up on the list1 even though we do not claim absolute preminence4 ,the ,arabic1 though rich and beautiful1 is certainly a difficult language1 and ,i am sure the ,syria ,mission would give a unanimous vote on the resolution that it is the toughest linguistic proposition we have ever attacked4 ,it was one of the terse and suggestive remarks of ,dr4 ,henry ,jessup that at the end of the first year the new missionary thought he knew the ,arabic2 at the end of the second year he thought he knew nothing2 and at the end of the third year he wondered how he got hold of it4 ,the isolation of a new missionary is at times appalling4 ,no matter how kind and helpful the older missionaries may be1 they are strangers1 after all1 with whom one must get acquainted4 ,the houses are strange1 and not adapted to make one feel at home readily4 ,servants with their very imperfect knowledge of ,english must be directed mainly by signs4 ,everything seems unbearably dirty2 the sun is unaccountably hot1 even in winter2 the food is strange and does not appeal to a ,westerner's appetite4 ,but1 worst of all1 among the babel of noises1 there is not a familiar sound1 and with the best intentions of friendliness1 one cannot reveal the intention1 except by the perpetual1 inane grin4 ,we began the study of the language1 as everyone does1 almost at the wharf4 ,even before recovering from the effects of the voyage1 the ,arabic primer1 with its alphabet1 was brought to the bedside4 ,at one of the earliest lessons in ,tripoli1 the old1 gray-bearded teacher wished to impress a new word1 ,milh4 ,he repeated the difficult combination1 and then inquired in some way whether we knew what the word meant4 ,the look of blank ignorance on our faces gave him the answer1 and he rose and stepped with dignity1 in his flowing robes1 to the door4 ,opening this1 he called in a loud voice across the open court to the cook1 ,peter1 bring me some salt4 ,then with a little of this household necessity in his palm1 he came back to his stupid pupils1 and1 pointing at the salt1 said emphatically1 ,milh4 ,that word was permanently fixed in our vocabulary4 ,in less than two months after our arrival in ,syria1 and forty days after taking possession of our own home1 came ,new ,year's ,day4 ,with the self-confidence of youth and ignorance1 we decided to keep open house on our own account4 ,in the forenoon we had our language teacher with us to steer us through the intricacies of oriental etiquette1 and to tell us what to say1 in the varying circumstances1 and all went well4 ,after dinner1 however1 we excused him1 as we did not expect many more calls1 and waited our fate4 ,after a time1 when the parlor was well filled with a mixed company of men and women1 among whom was the old teacher who had taught us the word for salt1 ,i used the wrong pronominal termination1 probably the masculine where ,i should have used the feminine4 ,the old gentleman rose from his place with great impressiveness and started round the entire circle1 pointing his finger at each person1 and pronouncing distinctly to every man1 tak and to every woman1 tik4 ,it created a laugh1 of course1 but it is needless to say that whatever mistakes ,i have made in ,arabic since1 it has never been because ,i did not know the difference between the masculine and feminine form of the second person pronominal affix4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,travel ,,and ,,communication ,in preparing for the active service of a missionary1 it was necessary to have a horse and a touring outfit4 ,our servant was told that we wanted to buy a horse1 and if he heard of any good chance1 to let us know4 ,in a few days a man came to the house with a large gray mare for me to try4 ,i rode on her a little and examined her so far as ,i was capable of doing1 and was greatly pleased with her4 ,i knew enough1 however1 of oriental methods1 to show no particular zeal over the matter1 and left the owner without any indication of my pleasure4 ,in my own mind1 ,i decided that ,i should like to own that mare1 and that ,i would be willing to pay as much as twenty pounds for her1 though ,i hoped to secure a horse for half that amount4 ,as ,i came in ,i told the servant to make inquiry about the price of the mare4 ,he returned soon1 saying the owner would sacrifice his own interests so far as to let me have her for seventy-five pounds4 ,i did not buy that mare1 but waited several months until ,i found a sturdy gray horse1 which ,i bought for less than ten pounds4 ,he served me well for five years1 when ,i sold him for little less than the original cost4 ,tripoli field was rejoicing and congratulating itself in those days over the macadamized road recently opened between ,tripoli at the coast and ,homs and ,hamath in the interior4 ,it was sixty-five miles to ,homs and thirty-five more to ,hamath4 ,a cumbersome diligence made the trip to ,homs in eleven hours1 going one day and returning the next1 and a lighter vehicle made the round trip between ,homs and ,hamath every day4 ,this was a great advance in rapid transit and a great convenience in all lines of work4 ,in all ,syria there was not a mile of railroad1 and in northern ,syria there was no carriage road besides the one line just mentioned4 ,all traveling had to be done on horseback or afoot4 ,horses1 donkeys1 mules and camels were the universal means of travel and transportation4 ,every day caravans of camels came into ,tripoli by the hundred1 bringing grain1 olive oil and ,syrian butter from the interior4 ,they returned loaded with sugar1 rice1 kerosene oil1 and ,english yarn and cloth4 ,the first railroad was built in the early nineties from ,jaffa to ,jerusalem4 ,later came the line from ,beirut to ,damascus2 then the line from ,haifa through ,galilee to ,damascus1 the line from ,damascus to the south1 and the line from ,damascus to ,medina4 ,then came the branch line1 from the ,beirut-,damascus line1 to ,homs1 ,hamath and ,aleppo1 and finally the ,tripoli ,homs line and the ,german ,bagdad line1 passing through ,aleppo from east to west4 ,with many other lines and extensions under consideration1 it is evident that railroad communication is fairly started in ,syria and that this part of the ,east has begun to feel the influence of steam4 ,during our first year in ,tripoli1 before ,i was at all familiar with the various places1 ,i overheard a conversation between two of our associates about a recent trip to ,beirut by land4 ,the remark was made1 ,i suppose you took a carriage from ,junieh to ,beirut4 ,this is about one fourth of the distance and was considered a great gain in the facilities of transportation4 ,the answer came1 with even greater evidence of satisfaction1 ,no1 ,i rode in a carriage from ,jebail4 ,this meant a doubling of the advantage1 as ,jebail is halfway between ,tripoli and ,beirut4 ,that was in #ahhi and it was not until #aiab that this carriage road was completed1 so that one could make the whole distance on wheels4 ,the tramway connecting ,tripoli ,city and the ,mina1 or harbor1 was the only tramway in ,syria and was an object of great pride4 ,it had a single track about two miles long1 with a switch in the middle for the passing of cars from the opposite ends4 ,a car started from each terminus about once in twenty minutes and made the trip in about the same length of time1 the fare being four cents and the motor power horses or mules4 ,the cars were originally imported from ,birmingham1 of the double-decker type4 ,they are still in daily service1 receiving a fresh coat of paint and necessary repairs every year4 ,this line continues to run1 though with somewhat more frequent service and with a reduced fare of two cents1 since public carriages now run on a road alongside the tram4 ,carriage roads now extend in several directions from ,tripoli1 and there are many public carriages to hire2 even an automobile is occasionally seen and several bicycles have made their appearance4 ,the postal system is a curiosity to those who are accustomed to free delivery several times a day4 ,it would be supposed that the ,turkish post would carry all letters for people in ,turkey1 since ,turkey is a member of the ,international ,postal ,union4 ,at all the seaports1 however1 one finds foreign post offices1 which do a large business in receiving and forwarding mail by all the steamers4 ,to points in the interior they cannot deliver mail4 ,in ,tripoli we had the ,french1 and later the ,austrian service4 ,in #ahij cholera appeared in ,tripoli and all steamers stopped calling at the port1 to avoid quarantine4 ,we were confined to the use of the ,turkish mail4 ,two messengers brought the mail by land from ,beirut each week4 ,it was ,tripoli which was infected with cholera1 and yet the incoming mail was stopped outside the city and drenched with carbolic acid1 while the outgoing mail was not touched4 ,the mail distributor in ,tripoli could not read any language1 not even ,arabic1 and so he used to bring the bag directly to our house and empty it on the floor1 in order to get my help in assorting the letters for him4 ,we were glad to have the first pick of the mail1 as it assured our receiving all our own mail1 and that promptly4 ,at the last conference of the ,international ,postal ,union there was a general reduction of postage and an increase in the unit of weight4 ,turkey has given her adherence to this international arrangement1 but maintains her old internal rates so that we have the present absurd condition1 that a piaster stamp will carry twenty grams to any place abroad1 while it will carry only fifteen grams from one town to its next neighbor4 ,additional weight abroad requires three quarters of a piaster for each additional twenty grams1 while for internal use every additional fifteen grams requires a full piaster4 ,thus a letter weighing sixty grams will go from an interior town like ,homs to ,san ,francisco for two piasters and a half1 while the same letter1 if sent from ,homs to ,tripoli1 would cost four piasters4 ,it might be supposed that there would be good caravan roads1 at least1 in a country where all produce must be carried on quadrupeds1 and all travelers must ride or walk4 ,the reverse was true1 and though the past twenty-five years have witnessed great improvement in this respect1 there is still much to be desired in most localities4 ,many of the roads cannot be described as anything but trails through the rocky ground4 ,the chief consideration in locating a road seems to be to have it run through ground which is fit for nothing else1 for it would be a pity to waste arable ground1 and so a road must go around1 no matter what the distance4 ,whatever stones are gathered from the fields are thrown into the highway1 making it rougher than ever4 ,in some parts of the mountains1 the road will lie along the top of a solid stone dike1 ten to fifteen feet wide1 from which the traveler looks down to a depth of eight or ten feet upon the fields and mulberry patches on each side4 ,it has been said that a road1 in ,syria1 is that part of the country to be avoided in traveling1 so far as possible4 ,this inference is easy to understand when you notice that all the trodden paths are in the fields at either side1 and that people travel in the rough roads1 only when there is no escape4 ,while the grain is growing the farmers will do their best1 by building up stone walls1 to keep the animals out of their fields1 but just as soon as the harvest is gathered these obstructions go down and the current of traffic resumes the easier course until the winter rains make the mud a worse enemy than the rough stones4 ,in other places it is often an interesting study to try to decide whether the water flows in the road1 or whether people travel in the watercourses4 ,it is something like the insolvable question as to which came first1 the hen or the egg4 ,the fact remains that1 as a rule1 in wet weather and rough country1 the traveler will find his horse splashing through a stream of water flowing down the road4 ,the explanation is simple4 ,there is nowhere any system of drainage1 and every man's purpose is to turn the streams of rain water away from his own land4 ,useful land cannot be wasted for watercourses any more than for roads1 and hence the waste lands are devoted to the double purpose1 with the resulting confusion as to which is the intruder4 ,the obscurity of the roads leads to many more or less unpleasant experiences4 ,there are roads so steep and difficult that it is no unusual experience to see a muleteer take hold of his mule's tail as he goes down the mountain path1 and by a judicious holding back1 help the animal to steady himself under a heavy1 awkward load4 ,on the other hand1 when he is going up the mountain1 the tired muleteer will take hold of the same convenient handle to get a little help for himself in the ascent4 ,one summer night1 ,mrs4 ,nelson and ,i were belated on the higher slopes of ,mount ,lebanon4 ,the trail was little more than a path for goats1 and was quite unfamiliar to us4 ,in the dark night1 we lost the way more than once1 and we were becoming quite exhausted in repeated efforts to regain the path1 when1 at last1 we seemed to have strayed completely1 and ,i could not locate the road at all4 ,we had to take a little rest1 and wait for the moon to rise4 ,we sat upon the mountain side1 under the shade of fragrant cedars1 tired1 hungry and thirsty4 ,the surroundings were charming and the dim outlines of forest and mountain beautiful4 ,the night air was refreshing1 after an exceptionally hot day2 but when one has lost his way1 he is not in a condition to appreciate fully the beauties of nature or the charms of his surroundings4 ,as we sat there1 gaining some rest1 ,i began to study the outline of the hills1 and concluded that the road must lie in a certain curve of the mountains not far away4 ,on investigating ,i found my impression correct1 and we resumed our journey1 reaching our destination just as the moon appeared over the highest ridge of the mountains4 ,on another occasion it was the intelligence of my horse rather than my own which saved me considerable inconvenience4 ,i was belated upon the mountain and overtaken by sunset1 some eight miles from my destination4 ,confident in my horse as well as in myself1 ,i pushed on as rapidly as possible over the rough path4 ,to add to my difficulty1 a thick mountain fog settled about me until it was impossible to see the path ten feet ahead4 ,in descending a steep slope1 leading my horse1 ,i missed the trail and found myself in the vineyards4 ,i knew that the village was close at hand and anticipated no difficulty in working down to the road4 ,at any rate1 it seemed likely that we should arouse the night watchman in the vineyard and it would be his duty to turn us out of the vineyard1 exactly what we wished for4 ,we stumbled along1 over grapevines and stones1 but came no nearer to the road1 nor did we disturb the sleeping watchman4 ,after what seemed like endless wandering1 though the distance was not far nor the time long1 ,i came up against a stone wall and could see a path beyond4 ,getting over this wall was simple1 but which way to turn in the road was not clear4 ,i tried the turn to the right1 tentatively1 not fully convinced myself4 ,my horse yielded reluctantly and walked very slowly indeed over the rough stones4 ,after a few minutes my own doubts increased and ,i determined to test the horse4 ,dropping the reins loosely on his neck1 ,i gave him no sign of guidance at all4 ,as soon as he felt the relaxing of pressure on the bits1 his head rose1 his ears stood erect and he seemed to cast an inquiring glance out of the corner of his eye4 ,when convinced that he was free to choose for himself1 he immediately swung around and started at a rapid walk in the opposite direction4 ,in a very few minutes ,i could see the village lights struggling through the mists1 and was soon at my own door4 ,this same horse gave me another illustration of his intelligence4 ,i was riding along the carriage road1 on the seashore1 intending to turn up to one of the mountain villages4 ,there were two roads to this village1 and when we came to the first my horse tried to turn up1 but was easily held back and started briskly along1 as if fully understanding my purpose4 ,when we came to the second road we found that it had been plowed under and that grain several inches high was growing where the path had been4 ,i knew that the road had been moved a short distance so as to pass a khan recently erected4 ,the horse had not yet gone over this altered road and so was puzzled4 ,i left him to his own guidance4 ,when he came to the point where the road had divided1 he stopped and looked at the grain1 and then went slowly on1 looking constantly at the field1 until1 after about twenty or thirty feet1 he decided to make a plunge1 and struck directly through the growing grain to where the old road had been at the other edge of the field4 ,the introduction of railroads and carriages throughout the country facilitates travel and business a great deal1 but it takes away much of the interest and diversion of getting about from place to place4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,evangelistic ,,trips ,it was a practice with us for many years to arrange a special evangelistic medical trip in the spring of the year4 ,sometimes ,mrs4 ,nelson and ,i would join ,dr4 ,harris in a journey of two or three weeks1 and sometimes the doctor and ,i would go alone4 ,one of the most memorable of these journeys was in the spring of #ahic1 in the month of ,may4 ,we had our tent and camp outfit and the large chests of medical supplies carried on mules and were accompanied by our cook1 with his portable kitchen packed away under him1 and the ,syrian assistant of the doctor1 so that we made quite a party altogether4 ,we started along the shore north from ,tripoli1 making our first camp about ten miles out of the city4 ,the next day's journey brought us to ,tartoose on the shore opposite the island of ,arvad4 ,ezek4 #bg3h4 ,this island lies only a short distance from the shore1 but ,i have never yet been able to reach it because of the violent west wind on each occasion of a visit to ,tartoose4 ,the island is wholly covered by the town1 which is occupied by sturdy sailors and fishermen4 ,there are many interesting relics of ancient times in ,tartoose1 though it is possible that many of the coins offered to the credulous public may have been produced recently in the place itself4 ,illustration3 ,,latakia ,,boys' ,,school ,illustration3 ,,tartoose ,crusaders' ,church ,at the edge of the town stands a fine ,gothic church1 whose substantial walls and graceful arches are a pleasure to the eye4 ,the empty windows make one feel lonesome as he approaches the building1 and the bare interior speaks of a decadent ,christianity that adds to the sadness4 ,but1 worst of all1 is the minaret crudely built on the corner of the roof1 for this is another of the many ,christian churches in ,turkey which have been transformed into mosques4 ,at another of our camping places we found1 near at hand1 an old ,roman amphitheater1 where it was not difficult to imagine a concourse of pleasure seekers seated on the stone benches watching some exhibition of strength or skill in the arena below4 ,wherever one goes in ,syria1 he is reminded of an ancient glory and power1 in close and vivid contrast to a present state of decay and weakness4 ,our first ,sabbath1 on this journey1 found us at ,latakia1 where we spent the day with our neighbors and fellow workers of the ,reformed ,presbyterian mission4 ,this mission was started especially to reach the ,nusairiyeh people of north ,syria4 ,because of the persistent interference of the ,turkish ,government1 their work has been greatly hampered and their efforts largely restricted to the training of boys and girls in the boarding institutions in the city1 and ministration to the sick in the hospital4 ,it was a great pleasure to have this break in our journey and the pleasant intercourse with those engaged in the same kind of service as our own1 and to have the privilege of speaking to the young people in their schools4 ,on ,monday we went a short distance from the city1 pitching our tent near a village of considerable size on the plain some miles back from the sea4 ,as ,i sat in the moonlight at the door of the tent1 a man wearing the white turban of a ,moslem scholar approached me4 ,he seated himself near me after a pleasant greeting and we fell into agreeable conversation4 ,after some time1 this man took the opportunity1 when no one was near enough to overhear him1 to ask most earnestly that we should send them a teacher for their children4 ,i was surprised at the request from such a source and turned the conversation so as to make sure that he understood who we were and what kind of schools we conducted4 ,he showed that he understood the matter fully1 and that he really desired a ,protestant ,christian teacher for his town4 ,i then asked him directly1 ,are you not a ,moslem8 ,looking about again1 to make sure no one should hear him1 he said1 ,yes1 ,i am a ,moslem now1 with an emphasis on the last word which revealed the facts in the case4 ,he was of a ,nusairiyeh family but had yielded to the persistent pressure of the government so far as to accept the form of adherence to ,islam1 though in his heart he hated the system and its followers most cordially4 ,a long day's ride brought us through the wild and tortuous valley of the ,nahr-ul-,kandil1 up the slope of ,mount ,cassius to the town of ,kessab1 some four thousand feet above the sea1 where the ,latakia missionaries have their summer homes4 ,it was a most beautiful though rugged ride1 and would have been thoroughly enjoyable in good weather4 ,the wild flowers were in full bloom1 and every turn in the road brought into view a new combination of varied and bright colors1 where the little blossoms clustered amid the green foliage1 among the gray rocks4 ,the great drawback to our enjoyment lay in the fact that for a large part of the distance we rode in a heavy and most unexpected rainfall4 ,we were not prepared for such an experience in the month of ,may1 and so reached our destination soaked and cold4 ,we had been directed to take possession of one of the cottages belonging to the missionaries in ,latakia1 and it was certainly a most welcome haven4 ,we were able to light a fire in the kitchen stove and spread out our wet garments to dry1 while we warmed ourselves in the grateful heat4 ,it was a disappointment the next day that the top of ,cassius was enveloped in heavy cloud1 forbidding an ascent4 ,this mountain is about five thousand feet in height1 rising directly from the sea1 and so is a conspicuous object from every direction and gives an extensive view from its summit4 ,we could tarry but one day1 and descended to the old site of ,seleucia1 at the mouth of the ,orontes1 and saw some remnants of the old harbor from which ,paul set sail more than once4 ,the ,orontes is quite wide and deep near its mouth and we crossed it on just such a wire ferry as ,i had seen many years before on the ,connecticut ,river in ,massachusetts4 ,the gardens of ,swadia were most refreshing with their green verdure1 cool shade and rich fruit1 after a long day's ride in the heat1 and again we had the pleasure of missionary fellowship1 for our friends of the ,reformed ,presbyterian mission have a station here also4 ,another easy stage brought us to old ,antioch1 so closely associated with the beginning of ,christian history4 ,it is not an attractive city in outward appearance and has suffered much at different times from earthquake4 ,from ,antioch we followed the ,orontes ,valley up to ,hamath1 where we were once more among our own organized stations4 ,such journeys give us an acquaintance with the country and the people1 which is of the most vital importance in planning for the proper expansion of the work4 ,once1 on a pleasant summer evening1 we were encamped near a ,nusairiyeh village4 ,among those gathered about us were an elderly peasant and his son1 a well-built1 sturdy youth of seventeen or eighteen years4 ,as he sat before us this young man appeared to be in perfect health and vigor1 but when he rose to walk1 his awkward gait revealed his misfortune1 for both feet were so badly deformed that he walked on his ankles and not on the soles of his feet4 ,the doctor was asked whether this defect could be remedied4 ,after a careful examination the lad was told that the operation would be painful1 and that some time would be required1 but that if he would come to the hospital1 prepared to stay as long as should be necessary1 he would be able to come away1 walking erect1 like other people4 ,the faces brightened at once1 and we shared in their pleasure at the prospect of this deliverance4 ,the next morning1 however1 we were told that the family had talked over the matter and decided not to have the operation performed4 ,we assured them there should be no expense1 but they said it was not the matter of expense4 ,then we told them of similar cases which had been successfully treated1 but they assured us they had no doubt of the doctor's skill4 ,we encouraged the young man to bear the pain for the sake of increased enjoyment in life afterwards1 but he said he was not afraid of the pain4 ,what then was the trouble8 ,at last we learned the truth4 ,so long as the lad could show two such clubbed feet1 he would be excused from military service2 but if they were made straight he would be called to the army2 and he would rather go through life a cripple than to give several years of his vigor to service in the ,turkish army4 ,and he is no exception4 ,we were approaching a large town of bigoted people1 wondering how we should secure an opening for our message4 ,i was riding slightly in front of the doctor1 occupied with plans for securing access to the people4 ,suddenly ,i heard the doctor's voice behind me saying1 ,boy1 do you want your eye straightened8 ,on looking back ,i saw a lad of about fifteen years1 with a decidedly crossed eye1 beside the doctor's horse4 ,he promptly accepted the offer1 and we hastened to dismount and tie our horses4 ,a table in the little roadside caf was quickly cleared1 while the doctor got out his case of instruments from his saddlebags4 ,the boy was placed on the table and in an incredibly short time the cords were severed so that the eyeball took its proper position1 and we were thoroughly advertised4 ,by the time our camp equipage came up1 we had been provided with an excellent place to camp1 and had nothing to complain of in the reception of the people4 ,a memorable experience was in the neighborhood of a large village whose gardens are said to be watered by three hundred springs4 ,whatever the correct number may be1 there is no question about the abundance of water and the luxuriance of the gardens4 ,we had three tents1 one for medical clinics and one apiece for our two households1 and settled down for a fortnight's work4 ,every day we had crowds about the tent for medical attention and for religious services4 ,the evenings gave abundant opportunity for work among those who gathered about us after their day's work was done4 ,they were glad to join in the hymns of praise1 and listened earnestly to the spoken message and read word4 ,one evening1 the boys who gathered about the tent told me that the superintendent of their school was in town and had begun an examination1 to be finished the next day4 ,i decided to go to the school the next morning to make the acquaintance of the superintendent and to see what the school was doing4 ,when ,i arose the following day1 ,i found many of the boys about the tent1 and asked them why they were not at school for the examination4 ,oh1 they said1 there is no examination to-day4 ,early this morning1 the superintendent1 the teachers and the headman of the village took their horses1 a large bottle of spirits and a young kid1 and went up to the top of the mountain to a famous spring to spend the day in a drinking spree4 ,one of the pleasantest evenings ,i remember in my regular routine touring was spent in this same village4 ,we had brought our party to a garden1 owned by one of our friends who was always glad to have us make it our headquarters4 ,we had eaten our supper and were seated on the ground1 under a high1 branching tree into which was trained a huge grapevine4 ,behind us was a little hut1 in which the caretaker slept in stormy weather4 ,at one side was a rude booth where the owner slept during the summer4 ,an oil lantern gave some light4 ,one by one quite a group of neighbors and friends assembled and1 after some general conversation1 we sang some hymns4 ,then ,i opened the ,bible for a little reading1 with simple exposition4 ,as ,i read and talked to them1 the row of dark faces was turned toward me with an intentness and eagerness to hear that made me hope they might not see me or hear my words1 but hear those words of life spoken so many years ago in ,palestine1 and see that ,face from which alone shines the true light4 ,we are not always left to do as we please on these trips1 for the paternal ,turkish ,government sometimes takes an unnecessary interest in our plans and shows an excessive concern for our safety4 ,we had crossed a rugged section of the mountains and come down to a walled town1 which is a government center4 ,here we camped near the town and were promptly favored with a call from officials1 sent by the governor to find out who we were4 ,we paid a formal call on his ,excellency and were allowed to remain quietly as long as we desired4 ,when we broke camp a polite message came from the governor1 asking where we were going and offering a guard and escort4 ,we returned a grateful acknowledgment of his courtesy1 but assured him that we were familiar with the roads and would not trouble him to send an escort4 ,it was only after some difficulty that we succeeded in getting away alone4 ,we learned afterwards that we were followed1 and that1 in accordance with instructions from headquarters1 word was sent from place to place to keep watch of us4 ,at one large town we had large crowds about our camp and large audiences for evening services for several days1 when suddenly there was a change and no one came near us4 ,apparently the sick were all healed and all interest in singing and conversation had ceased4 ,it developed that word had been sent to the nearest government center1 and orders had come back at once1 not to interfere with our comfort but to notify the people to have nothing to do with us4 ,at one of these places1 which were all occupied by ,nusairiyeh and ,ismaeliyeh people1 ,mrs4 ,nelson was talking with some of the women about religion4 ,they said1 ,do ,christian women have any religion8 ,when assured that we believe religion to be for everyone1 whether male or female1 rich or poor1 wise or ignorant1 they replied3 ,it is not so with us4 ,a woman with us can have no share in religion4 ,if one of us should accidentally overhear the men talking about religious beliefs1 so that she unintentionally learned some religious doctrine1 she ought to acknowledge it and be put to death4 ,and it is right to be so1 for a woman must know nothing of religion4 ,on another occasion1 quite a party of us stopped to spend the night in one of these towns4 ,while ,i was busy with arrangements for the night other members of the party went to look about the little castle at the edge of the town4 ,our presence was reported to the acting governor4 ,unfortunately he was a man of surly disposition and anxious to magnify his office4 ,he demanded our ,turkish passports1 which he had a technical right to do4 ,unfortunately some of the party had failed to provide themselves with these documents as they were seldom called for4 ,it gave our little governor a chance and he used it1 insisting that he must send us to ,hamath1 practically under guard1 but nominally under military protection4 ,we were intending to go to ,hamath1 but not directly1 and so it was finally agreed that the horseman go with us to ,mahardeh where we were to lodge1 and accompany us the following day to ,hamath4 ,when we started out the next morning1 it was ludicrous to see the haughty airs of this soldier who was sent with us4 ,he acted as if he really believed these foreigners were committed to his absolute control and carried his head very high4 ,before going many miles we had succeeded1 by pleasant conversation1 in limbering him up considerably1 and by noon1 when we stopped for luncheon1 he displayed his power in our behalf by ordering the villagers to serve us in every way possible4 ,by evening1 when we entered ,mahardeh1 he was quite cringing in his servility1 for now he realized that he was alone and we were among friends1 so it was worth while to be genial and submissive4 ,when ,i informed him that ,i was not going with the party the next day1 he claimed to be greatly terrified and begged me most humbly not to subject him to such peril4 ,for1 said he1 the number of foreigners is mentioned in the governor's letter1 and if ,i do not produce the full number1 ,i shall be held responsible4 ,i said1 ,be that as it may1 ,i must stay here over ,sunday and on ,monday morning ,i will follow and report myself to his ,excellency if necessary4 ,he went away1 apparently in much uncertainty4 ,i knew1 however1 that the matter was a mere formality and would bring no risk either to him or to me2 and so it proved1 for the governor took no interest in the matter at all4 ,on a warm summer evening1 ,dr4 ,harris and ,i rode up to the sheik's house in a village ,i have never visited before or since4 ,as strangers we were welcomed to the public room4 ,it was soon discovered that a doctor was present1 and immediately all who were diseased came about us4 ,it was a marvel to see men lie down before this stranger with perfect confidence and allow him to cut about their eyes or put drops in them4 ,it does happen1 alas1 too often1 that this credulity costs them dear1 for many an eye has been ruined by conscienceless quacks who trade on the simplicity of the people4 ,it is a pleasure1 however1 to see them place themselves in the hands of the skillful and honest missionary physician1 who will help them1 if possible1 or tell them truthfully if there is no remedy4 ,at sunset a large dish of wheat1 boiled with some meat1 was brought out1 and cakes of barley bread placed about it4 ,all who were present were bidden to partake1 and we did the best we could to satisfy our hunger4 ,after a social evening we spread our beds and made ready for sleep1 if possible4 ,as ,i lay on my bed1 ,i could hear those who sat about discussing us4 ,they told of the doctor's famous skill and what he had done there before them4 ,i was glad to find that ,i held the humble position of doctor's assistant in their estimation4 ,but ,i could not help wondering then and since about that village4 ,so far as ,i know that is the only missionary visit ever made there4 ,is it enough8 ,illustration3 ,,aleppo ,,minaret ,,chapter ,v ,,aleppo ,in #ahic a plan was developed in the mission to extend our sphere of labor so as to include the city of ,aleppo1 which had been occupied many years before by the mission and then left because of the exigencies of the work and lack of forces4 ,it was a four days' journey from our nearest outstation1 and hence not easy to care for2 but as ,tripoli ,station was the nearest part of the mission1 ,aleppo was placed under our direction4 ,aleppo is one of the largest cities in ,syria1 and a most important commercial center4 ,it is nearly the most northern point for the use of the ,arabic language1 as ,turkish becomes the general medium of communication one day's journey farther north4 ,being so near the ,turkish district1 there are many ,turkish-speaking people in ,aleppo1 but the city as a whole is essentially an ,arabic-speaking place4 ,the ,american ,board had a ,turkish congregation connected with their mission and maintained church and school work in ,aleppo for the ,turkish-speaking strangers resident in the city4 ,there was the most cordial welcome from these missionaries to our proposal to organize work for the ,arabic-speaking population4 ,before making my first visit of supervision to ,aleppo it was arranged by correspondence that ,mr4 ,sanders of ,aintab1 the missionary in charge of that district1 should meet me and spend several days in conference as to the arrangement of details of our interlocking work4 ,it had been proposed most kindly that we should hold our ,arabic services in the premises of the ,turkish congregation4 ,in many ways that first journey to ,aleppo was a unique experience4 ,it was a venture into a region of country wholly new to me1 and involved planning for a new department of service4 ,there were two ways to reach ,aleppo1 one wholly by land1 involving a somewhat dangerous ride from ,hamath for four days2 the other by sea to ,alexandretta1 and thence by horseback over a carriage road to ,aleppo4 ,it was decided to take this latter course1 though all subsequent visits were made the other way4 ,after gaining all the information ,i could before leaving home1 ,i took the steamer to ,alexandretta1 where ,i landed on ,monday morning4 ,at once ,i began my search for a riding animal1 and at length secured a horse guaranteed to be swift and of easy gait1 whose owner promised to see me in ,aleppo by the evening of the third day4 ,delayed by those who wished to accompany us1 it was past noon before we set out on the road4 ,it was not long before ,i discovered that the ease had been left out in the structure of my horse1 and that any speed he may have had once was well-nigh worn out4 ,it was clear that ,i should have to work my passage1 but my courage held out4 ,we pressed up the mountain slope and crossed the ridge in good time1 having many beautiful views back over the dark blue ,mediterranean4 ,mount ,cassius lifted its rocky head five thousand feet1 directly out of the sea1 to the south1 showing where the ,orontes empties into the sea at old ,seleucia4 ,after passing the summit of the range we dropped down rapidly to the ,antioch plain1 having the lake of ,antioch in full view before us4 ,by sunset we had reached the place intended as our first halt1 thirty-seven kilometers from the shore4 ,i found no place of entertainment but a bare inn where ,i could set up my camp bed and sleep4 ,there was no food to be had for love or money and so ,i had to depend on the scant supplies ,i had brought with me in my saddlebags4 ,the second day's ride was much longer than the first1 as we kept to the saddle for twelve hours1 notwithstanding the entreaty of my companions to break the journey earlier4 ,i reminded them of the pledge to reach ,aleppo on the third day1 and so kept on until dusk4 ,we had left the carriage road for a more direct trail and stopped for the night in a small1 desolate village4 ,there was no decent shelter to be found and so ,i gladly set up my bed on the threshing floor1 and slept under the starry sky4 ,i inquired for milk1 eggs1 bread1 cheese1 anything in the way of food1 offering ample pay for anything edible4 ,after much persuasion the people were induced to burrow in the straw pile on the threshing floor from which they produced a watermelon4 ,this was refreshing at least1 and helped to wash down my bread1 which was getting rather dry1 as ,i did not like to use much water in this swampy region4 ,long before dawn we were again on the road and pushed steadily ahead over ridge after ridge1 until1 in the middle of the afternoon1 the city of ,aleppo broke on our sight1 a most refreshing vision4 ,in one of the valleys near ,aleppo the traveler cannot fail to notice many heaps of small stones1 evidently placed there to mark certain spots4 ,the place is called the valley of the slain1 and each pile indicates where some victim has fallen4 ,the appearance of ,aleppo as one approaches it from the west is not unpleasing1 for it is the first well-built town seen after leaving the coast4 ,the houses are built of white limestone and the gardens about the city lend a touch of green1 most refreshing after the barren country left behind4 ,at first sight the designation of ,aleppo as ,halch-es-,shahba--,aleppo the ,gray--seems most appropriate4 ,it is a pity to detract from the more poetic explanation of the title4 ,old tradition says that ,abraham had his encampment at the site of ,aleppo for a long time1 and was recognized throughout the region for his wealth and generosity4 ,he had set apart for the use of the poor the milk from a certain gray cow in his herd1 and hence some one was always on the watch at evening4 ,as soon as the gray cow came forward1 this watchman would shout at the top of his voice1 ,haleb es ,shahba1 which means1 ,he has milked the gray cow4 ,hence the city1 which later grew up at this spot1 was called ,haleb-es-,shahba1 or ,aleppo4 ,i shall never forget a conversation connected with that journey4 ,my comrades were all ,moslems1 and as we jogged on1 hour after hour1 during those three days1 there were opportunities for conversation on many topics4 ,one day ,i asked one of them who was a religious teacher1 what his doctrine had to say as to the fate of non-,moslem infants who died in infancy4 ,i was surprised to find how closely his view parallels our own ,christian view of infant salvation4 ,he answered at once that they are all saved through the intercession of ,mohammed4 ,on reaching the city ,i sought a hotel1 in order to remove the soil of travel before hunting up our friends in this strange city4 ,i was in the midst of making myself presentable when a loud knock at my door was followed immediately by its opening1 and a rough ,turkish police officer made his appearance4 ,without a word or suggestion of apology1 he began a series of questions as to my name1 residence and occupation4 ,i let him exhaust his list of questions and then asked1 as quietly as possible1 whether he would like to look over my ,turkish passport1 which was required of all in those days4 ,he seemed to be so completely taken aback at my evident lack of awe for himself1 and surprised to meet a person who was prepared in accordance with the law1 that he could scarcely stammer out in reply1 ,why1 have you a passport8 ,certainly1 ,i replied4 ,here it is1 with all the information you need4 ,he sat down most meekly and copied off the items he needed and took his departure in a really polite manner4 ,as this was my first visit to ,aleppo1 everything seemed strange to me1 except in so far as all oriental cities have a measure of resemblance4 ,as ,i was met also by ,mr4 ,sanders1 a missionary in charge of established work1 ,i found it natural to expect to be dependent on him for everything4 ,it came thus as a surprise to have him turn to me1 in the street1 to act as interpreter4 ,he spoke ,turkish1 but my ,arabic was far more necessary and serviceable in general intercourse4 ,these experiences impressed it upon me most vividly that ,aleppo is thoroughly an ,arabic-speaking city1 and that the work should be in organic connection with the evangelical work in other parts of ,syria4 ,the ,turkish congregation is a natural member of the ,cilicia ,union and should affiliate with the churches of the north1 but the ,arabic evangelical work belongs with the organizations under the care of our mission in ,syria4 ,for four years this arrangement was continued and we maintained ,arabic services with a ,syrian preacher and a day school with a ,syrian teacher4 ,each year two missionary visits were made1 the missionaries in ,tripoli alternating in this duty4 ,it was difficult to carry on the work at such long range4 ,in #ahig a heavy cut in our appropriations made it necessary to consider every possible method of retrenchment4 ,at the same time the ,english ,presbyterians were opening a station in ,aleppo for work among the ,jews1 and it seemed best1 all things considered1 to ask our ,english friends to relieve us of this responsibility1 and assume the care of the work for the ,gentiles as well as for the ,jews through the medium of ,arabic1 in ,aleppo4 ,thus our official connection with the work in ,aleppo ceased1 but it has never passed from our minds that some day an ,arabic-speaking evangelical church in ,aleppo should become a member of our ,syrian ,presbyterian organization4 ,now that the railroad has brought ,aleppo within six hours' ride from ,hamath1 the problem has assumed a new form and we may hope for a renewal of friendly affiliation4 ,such a city as ,aleppo1 with about two hundred and fifty thousand people and increasing commercial importance1 demands much of the missionary organizations4 ,the famous ,constantinople ,bagdad railway of the ,germans passes through ,aleppo4 ,a branch line connects with the ,mediterranean at ,alexandretta4 ,the ,french system from ,beirut ends in ,aleppo1 giving direct connection with ,damascus1 ,beirut and ,tripoli4 ,the work of the ,american ,board1 being at present in ,turkish1 reaches only a small part of the population4 ,the ,english mission places its emphasis on work for the ,jews and has ample scope in that part of the population4 ,there remains the vast bulk of the whole population1 with ,arabic as their language1 looking naturally to the ,american mission in ,syria for help and guidance4 ,the large ,moslem population and the numerous nominal ,christians deserve the attention of a resident ,american missionary to organize aggressive and effective work4 ,shall we wait longer before pressing on in this direction8 ,aleppo has been chosen by the ,international ,committee of the ,y4,m4,c4,a4 as a place where a building should be erected and a permanent secretary established4 ,should we fall behind the ,y4,m4,c4,a48 ,whenever the ,american ,presbyterian ,church says the word and furnishes the men and the money1 ,i am sure the ,syrian mission will be ready to send one of its members forward to this new frontier4 ,god forbid that another quarter century should pass before this is fulfilled4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,new ,,stations ,,and ,,buildings ,it has been my privilege to watch from the beginning the growth and development of three prosperous churches in the territory of ,tripoli ,presbytery4 ,each one has been marked by peculiarities that render it especially interesting4 ,in the early years of my acquaintance with the church in ,homs1 ,i heard frequently of evangelistic visits on the part of the young men of the church to various villages in the plain east of the city--especially to one large village about two miles southeast of us4 ,the people of this village are of the ,syrian or ,jacobite church1 and have no little familiarity with the ,bible and a really religious disposition4 ,our young men from ,homs used to go out in small bands of two or more1 with their gospels and hymn books in their pockets4 ,if they met a friendly reception1 they would go into some house1 where those who were interested would gather together and a simple service or friendly discussion would be held4 ,if no one asked them to come in1 they would seek a place in the public square where people were gathered together1 and sing a hymn or read a passage to open the way for discussion4 ,in such cases there was danger of an exhibition of hostility on the part of those who were unfriendly to the evangelical doctrine4 ,it happened more than once that these faithful messengers were driven out of town1 pursued with stones as well as reviling4 ,such treatment1 however1 could not suppress the truth1 and a strong church has grown up from the seed thus sown amid hostile persecution4 ,there was a most interesting old priest in this town of ,feiruzeh who received the truth into his heart1 but never had the courage to leave the old church1 though he was known to be at heart an evangelical believer4 ,he sought books on the evangelical doctrine and studied them earnestly1 and sometimes attended the ,protestant service1 being present at least once on a sacramental occasion4 ,he openly taught his people the folly of auricular confession and priestly absolution1 saying to them3 ,if you wish to come to me and tell me of your sins1 so that ,i may help you and pray with you to ,god for forgiveness1 ,i am at your service2 but ,i am a sinner like you and we all have access to one ,saviour4 ,i cannot forgive your sins1 but will gladly pray for you and with you4 ,there had been some inquiry about the truth on the part of a few people in the village of ,el ,yazidiyeh4 ,in my first visit to the place we pitched a tent on the threshing floor outside the village4 ,much curiosity in our coming was shown1 and some opportunity given to strengthen the purpose of those who were inclined to the truth4 ,at length a teacher was stationed there and a simple school opened4 ,one or two of the people had joined the church in a neighboring village1 but the sacrament had never been administered in the town itself4 ,several were ready to make a public profession of their faith in ,christ1 and it seemed that the time had come to begin the full life of the little church1 by administering the sacrament on the spot4 ,plans were arranged for an evening service in the schoolroom1 and a good company was gathered in the rudely furnished1 dark little room4 ,there was much disturbance outside when it was known what was in progress4 ,one zealous defender of the truth sprang from his seat and rushed out in a most militant manner to disperse the noisy crowd without4 ,while the little service was in progress1 it was not always easy to keep the attention of all1 on account of the noisy beating of tin cans near by2 and some pebbles were thrown in at the windows4 ,the service was completed1 however1 and this was the beginning of what has proved to be one of our most vigorous churches4 ,there is now a simple church building1 which is always well filled at regular services1 and new members are ready to come forward at almost every communion service4 ,the village of ,hakoor is memorable1 not so much because of hostile opposition to the work as because of the apparently feeble instrument used of ,god for the establishment of the church4 ,a blind man1 of keen and inquiring mind1 lived in this village and made a precarious living by keeping a little shop4 ,he was respected by his neighbors for his integrity of character1 and trusted by the church authorities for his fidelity to church duties4 ,he began to hear something of the new evangelical doctrine and though ready to investigate1 was strong in his opposition and slow to yield to the new faith4 ,when once thoroughly convinced1 however1 his very honesty of nature made him accept the truth and declare himself for the ,protestant view4 ,the bishop sent for him1 in order to recall him from his error4 ,he told the bishop that he was convinced that the teaching and practice of the ,greek ,church were not in harmony with the gospel1 and that he had decided to follow the teaching of ,god rather than that of men1 but that he was ready to hear anything the bishop had to say to convince him that he was mistaken4 ,the bishop began to read him a controversial tract recently prepared against the ,protestant doctrine4 ,our blind friend interrupted him1 saying3 ,i have heard all that and can give you an outline of the whole argument4 ,it does not convince me and so1 if you have nothing stronger1 it will do no good4 ,the bishop then reviled him1 comparing his course to that of ,judas toward ,christ1 and so cast him off4 ,the blind man went home1 glad to suffer abuse for the truth4 ,he gathered around him a group of neighbors who studied the gospel under his guidance1 and a little church has grown up in that village1 to which he ministered regularly for a year1 when no other preacher could be found4 ,the little band has been full of zeal and has raised the money to build a little chapel in which they worship and in which their children are taught4 ,by means which are insufficient in the sight of men1 in spite of opposition from those who are hostile to the truth1 ,god's word continues to bear fruit and the gospel light continues to spread throughout the world4 ,the missionary is met1 in his periodic visitation of the outstations1 with every conceivable request and complaint4 ,i am often asked to mend a clock or a watch4 ,i have been appealed to to adjust a coffee mill which did not work right4 ,matrimonial and family difficulties must often be arranged4 ,i have told the people that there is one complaint ,i am always glad to hear1 and that is to the effect that the place of worship is too small for the regular attendants4 ,when ,i first went to the village of ,minyara1 the services were held in a small room about twenty by twenty-five feet4 ,there was room to spare1 though not a great deal4 ,in a few years it became necessary to plan for enlargement4 ,this was accomplished by securing a piece of land adjacent to the building1 taking out the end wall and extending the room so as to increase its capacity about two thirds4 ,the growth of the congregation was so rapid and steady that this enlargement was not completed before the room was again inadequate4 ,an appeal was made to a generous friend in ,st4 ,louis1 and five hundred dollars were sent for the ,minyara chapel4 ,a further piece of land was secured1 and plans made for an entirely new and larger building4 ,the outline is rectangular1 and the flat roof is supported by three rows of arches1 resting on six pillars4 ,this building has been ample for the accommodation of this growing church for many years1 though it is often well filled and would be far from sufficient1 were not half the members in ,america4 ,in the city of ,homs the old church had a flat dirt roof supported by two heavy arches1 which made the room seem dark and contracted4 ,the regular congregations taxed the capacity of the building1 and the roof timbers were showing signs of weakness which would necessitate an early renewal4 ,the pastor of the church began to work earnestly for a reconstruction of the roof1 with an enlargement of the audience room4 ,there was a little vacant space at one end of the building which if it were inclosed would increase the capacity about forty per cent4 ,at the same time the heavy arches could be removed and a galvanized iron roof placed over the enlarged building4 ,but this would cost a considerable sum1 and how was that to be raised8 ,the people thought they could not raise more than two hundred dollars4 ,the same friend in ,st4 ,louis1 who had provided for the ,minyara chapel1 sent another five hundred dollars1 and we made this proposition to the church3 ,after the church spends two hundred and fifty dollars1 the mission will put in five hundred1 but if any more is needed the church must provide it4 ,they went to work with a will4 ,when the dirt from the old roof was to be carried out they organized a regular church bee4 ,all the men of the church came together1 the pastor1 the doctor1 the teacher1 the merchant1 each one taking one of the rough baskets in which they carry dirt1 and all together got the whole pile removed at a considerable saving to the building fund4 ,before the work was finished the church had raised and expended quite as much money as they had received from outside4 ,this enlarged place of worship has again become too small1 and its further enlargement is a pressing problem4 ,illustration3 ,,hadeth ,,summer ,,home ,illustration3 ,,abu ,,maroon1 ,,the ,,hadeth ,,carpenter ,,chapter ,,vii ,,camping ,,life ,at the close of a tour one spring1 ,mrs4 ,nelson and ,i were compelled to reach home on a fixed date1 because of the expected arrival of guests4 ,the weather had been unpropitious and the rains heavy for the season of the year4 ,at one point we had been shut in for several days by a snowstorm1 and all the rivers were unusually high4 ,we had a broad plain to cross1 intersected by three rivers which must be forded4 ,the rain had been persistent1 but ceased on the day we were obliged to start for home4 ,we reached the first river after about an hour's ride1 and crossed it successfully1 the water coming near to the girths of the saddles4 ,the second river was reached and crossed without serious difficulty1 but from there onward the entire plain seemed to be under water1 and our horses splashed along through water and mud without interruption4 ,toward sundown we neared the last stream1 and congratulated ourselves that just beyond it we should find the carriage road and a dry place for the night4 ,our road lay through a wretched little ,nusairiyeh village1 just before reaching the river1 and as we passed the houses we were hailed by many voices assuring us that the river could not be forded with safety4 ,i did not believe this at first1 thinking it merely a ruse to compel us to spend the night in their village4 ,such an event would be more or less profitable to the people who would provide our necessities for a consideration1 even if there was no thought of robbery1 which was quite possible also4 ,we waited for our muleteers1 as they were familiar with the stream and would be able to decide whether we could cross or not4 ,their verdict agreed with the statement of the villagers and so we were obliged to negotiate for a lodging place4 ,after some parley we were allowed to stop in the sheik's public room4 ,there was not a dry spot about the town1 but by riding up close to the door1 we were able to dismount on a large log1 and then jump across a mud puddle to the doorsill1 and so enter the room assigned to us4 ,it would be hard to make anyone who has not seen such houses realize what this room was like4 ,it was about twenty feet square1 with one door and no window4 ,the lack of this latter was partly supplied by the fact that the wall of the house had tumbled in at one corner1 leaving a ragged hole through which light and air entered freely4 ,the floor was of dirt and at two levels4 ,one half1 which was used to accommodate people1 was reached by a high step and was comparatively dry4 ,in the middle of this higher floor was a smoldering wood fire1 from which the smoke had colored the roof timbers a shiny black4 ,the lower half of the floor was on a level with the ground outside or even a little lower1 and was decidedly muddy4 ,this section was for the accommodation of horses and cattle4 ,when our party was all inside1 so that we could take a census1 we found that the occupants of the room for the night were to be1 besides myself and my wife1 the three muleteers1 a cook and a ,syrian maid accompanying us to the city4 ,we were in the higher part of the room4 ,in the other part were two horses1 four mules1 a goat and a calf4 ,these were the visible animals1 and anyone who has traveled under similar conditions will appreciate what is meant when ,i say there were myriads of other creatures which made themselves known through other senses than sight4 ,the sheik was seated by the fire1 warming himself1 and gave us a scant welcome4 ,we took such a supper as we were able to provide in the circumstances1 and prepared to be as comfortable as possible for the night4 ,one of the men had been suffering from malaria and so ,i prepared for him1 and others in the party1 a dose of quinine1 after the fatigue and exposure of the day4 ,the sheik immediately asked what it was1 and desired a dose for himself and the other men present4 ,it was the same principle as that which makes bargain sales attractive4 ,something is going cheap or gratis1 and so ,i must have it1 whether ,i need it or not4 ,doses were given out to all who wished for it1 for a few grains of quinine seldom go amiss in this country4 ,conversation was not very lively1 about that smoky fire1 as we were tired and there were not many topics of common interest4 ,at length our cook thought he would facilitate matters a little4 ,he had lived with foreigners long enough to know the advantage of appealing to the gallantry of men toward the ladies1 so he said in his most ingratiating tone to the sheik1 ,the lady is tired and would like to go to sleep4 ,well1 let her do so1 there is no objection4 ,with a scarcely restrained chuckle1 the cook subsided for a time and then tried again1 saying this time1 ,the ,effendi 7gentleman7 is tired and would be much obliged if you would leave so that he may sleep4 ,this was a different proposition and seemed to meet something of a response4 ,shortly1 one of those present got up and went over into the corner of the room where he spread out his cloak and proceeded to his ,moslem devotions4 ,when he was through1 another followed him with equal deliberation1 and we began to doubt whether we should sleep before morning4 ,at length the last one withdrew and we were left to ourselves1 including the attendants and animals mentioned before4 ,we spread our camp bedsteads in the driest part of the room and made ready to sleep4 ,it was not long1 however1 before the rain began to fall1 and very soon the roof began to leak over our heads4 ,we spread rubber coats over ourselves and raised our umbrellas over our heads and tried to see the humor of the situation4 ,at early dawn we were up and packed our goods for a new start4 ,the river had fallen sufficiently in the night to permit our crossing1 though with some difficulty4 ,on the farther bank we found a party of people waiting until the stream should subside sufficiently to allow them to cross with their small donkeys4 ,every summer it is necessary to make a change from the heat of the plain to the more bracing air of the mountains4 ,this is not a vacation1 for the missionary's work goes on with little variation1 wherever he may be1 but it involves a change of base and the setting up of a simple household in different surroundings4 ,in those earlier years the mountain life was exceedingly simple and the means of transportation most crude4 ,the village of ,hadeth is accessible from ,tripoli and in a beautiful situation1 directly opposite the famous grove of ,cedars of ,lebanon4 ,it lies on a ridge in the mountains at an elevation of some forty-five hundred feet above the sea4 ,more than one season have we spent in the house of old ,abu ,maroon1 the village carpenter4 ,the house consisted of four large rooms1 opening on a long1 arched porch which extended the full length of the house4 ,the floors were of dirt and the walls roughly plastered with mud4 ,we rented three of these rooms1 the owners occupying the fourth4 ,the partitions between the rooms were made of brushwood1 plastered on both sides with mud4 ,these partitions extended only about three fourths of the way to the roof1 leaving ample space above for ventilation and conversation4 ,the uncovered twigs and small branches at the top of these partitions made an attractive1 artistic feature1 very pleasing to many of our visitors4 ,one of the regular household duties in those mountain houses was the renewing of the mud on the floors4 ,every week or two it was necessary to remove everything from the rooms1 spread a fresh coat of watery mud over the floor1 and polish it off with a smooth1 round stone kept for the purpose4 ,we could then anticipate reasonable freedom from fleas for another period4 ,the only way to reach a summer resort was on horseback1 over very rough bridle paths4 ,all furniture had to be transported by mules in like manner2 folding chairs and tables1 camping utensils and necessary bedding had to be made into suitable bundles2 indispensable supplies had to be provided and mules secured to carry all to the mountains4 ,it was a long1 hard day's ride and the party was sure to be pretty tired the first night of arrival1 but the renewed vigor in the fresh mountain air gave new strength for the resumption of life on the hotter plain in the fall and it was well worth all the trouble it cost4 ,when it is possible to secure a week or two for real rest1 there is no more delightful way to accomplish the purpose than to make a camp in the cedar grove4 ,this clump of trees lies in a basin in the higher mountains1 about six thousand feet above sea level4 ,on the east and north1 and somewhat on the south1 the mountains rise about this great amphitheater to about four thousand feet more1 being the highest mountains anywhere in ,syria4 ,large patches of snow lie perpetually on these highest mountains1 but the slopes are bare1 having no trees nor shrubs beyond clumps of thorns and scanty grass where the melting snows afford some moisture4 ,flocks of goats range over these barren slopes1 gaining a scanty subsistence4 ,in the days of ,solomon and ,hiram of ,tyre these mountains were probably covered with cedar forests4 ,nowadays only small sections are so covered1 though on many of the bare heights the people still dig up the old stumps of great cedar trees1 which they sell for fuel in the cities4 ,on the entire mountain range there is left no single grove of really ancient cedars1 except the one of which ,i have spoken1 known among the people as the ,cedars of the ,lord or simply as ,the ,cedars4 ,it is impossible to speak with certainty of the age of these great trees1 but from what we know of their slow growth and the size of many of the trunks1 it is safe to place their age in the thousands of years4 ,there are more than four hundred trees in the grove and their reputed sanctity has protected them from destruction4 ,some forty years ago one of the governors of ,mount ,lebanon had a wall built inclosing the grove and a guardian appointed4 ,this affords protection from goats1 and now a number of small trees are growing up to perpetuate the grove in generations to come4 ,if proper steps were taken for reforesting the whole of ,lebanon1 there would be a great improvement in many ways1 and the agricultural wealth of the country would be greatly increased4 ,to establish a camp among these grand old trees is a most delightful way to spend a short vacation4 ,the silence of the nights under the spreading branches2 the fragrance of the foliage2 the soothing sigh of the breeze among the tree tops2 the beautiful and ever-changing colors on the higher mountain slopes2 the beautiful outlook to the west over the narrow valley out to the distant ,mediterranean2 all these influences tend to quiet the tired nerves1 refresh the exhausted brain and draw the discouraged heart back to quiet and rest in the hand of the ,master4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,persecution ,late one afternoon as ,i was sitting in my study1 the doorbell rang and a young man from ,hamath entered1 showing every token of great excitement and fatigue4 ,he had just arrived on the diligence from ,homs4 ,as soon as he was sufficiently composed to give me a clear story1 he told me that the preacher in ,hamath had been suddenly arrested by the local authorities1 and after somewhat rough treatment1 had been sent under guard to ,damascus1 a journey of five days on horseback1 as it was before the era of railroads4 ,so far as ,i could learn from my informant1 the case was one of flagrant persecution1 with no culpable occasion behind it4 ,the first thing to be done was to quiet the excitement of our friend1 who had brought the word himself rather than trust a written message4 ,giving him a chance to rest1 ,i made hasty arrangements for a night ride to ,beirut4 ,the moon would rise about ten o'clock and ,i arranged for two riding horses to be ready for us before midnight4 ,we set out together through the olive orchards under the witchery of the moonlight4 ,it would have been a pleasant experience under other circumstances4 ,the road follows the general line of the seashore1 at times close to the breaking waves1 and again rising on a rocky bluff at whose base the blue sea keeps up an incessant murmur4 ,in the silent night the play of advancing and retreating waves gives a constantly varied effect of light and sound4 ,before noon we reached ,beirut and consulted with various missionary friends and the consuls of ,america1 ,england and ,germany1 who take an interest in matters affecting the ,protestants in ,turkey4 ,it was decided that our ,hamath friend should go at once to ,damascus1 while ,i awaited word from him whether my presence was needed4 ,the following day a telegram agreed upon between us brought the brief message1 ,better come4 ,the old ,french diligence in those days made the trip across ,mount ,lebanon to ,damascus in something over thirteen hours1 a rather fatiguing day4 ,on the evening of my arrival we had a conference of the immediate circle of friends1 and the arrested man himself was among us4 ,this was a thoroughly characteristic incident1 under ,turkish administration1 and so merits a word of explanation4 ,during the journey from ,hamath to ,damascus1 friendly relations had been established between the prisoner and his escort1 so that the latter were willing to accommodate their prisoner in any reasonable measure4 ,it was agreed upon that they should not announce their arrival nor report to their superiors for a few days until the prisoner secured a little rest and made arrangements for his defense4 ,hence ,i was informed by our friend himself that he would not arrive in ,damascus officially for several days4 ,it is needless to go into all the details of this event but the animating cause of the incident has its humorous as well as its enlightening side4 ,some time before1 our friend had wished to compliment the man who was at the time governor of ,hamath4 ,being of a literary turn he wrote a flattering poem to present on a suitable occasion4 ,indiscreetly he worked into his poem serious reflections on another man who was the governor's enemy and who held a similar post at a distance4 ,the governor was so pleased that the poem was printed for distribution and a copy reached the hands of the other man1 who was naturally not pleased with it4 ,in the subsequent shifting of appointments this very man became governor of ,hamath1 and found a way to vent his spite at the poet4 ,when looked at from a safe perspective1 most of the so-called persecution in ,syria has a predominant touch of humor in it4 ,the most convenient and suitable place for ,tripoli missionary families to spend their summers is in the village of ,hadeth close to the summer seat of the ,maronite patriarch4 ,the whole valley is considered sacred1 and hence strongly guarded against the pollution of any heretical evangelical influences4 ,for a number of years the ecclesiastics tried1 in every way they could devise1 to make us trouble and to prevent our securing houses in the town1 or finding any comfort when we did so4 ,during one summer they were especially aggressive and seemed determined to be rid of us4 ,the priests warned everyone against serving us in any way1 and against selling us anything to eat4 ,for a few days our servant had to go to a neighboring town to buy supplies4 ,the woman who had been doing our washing sent word she could not come4 ,a special conclave assembled and summoned our landlord1 threatening all sorts of vengeance if he did not turn us out4 ,they said that a mob would destroy his house over our heads4 ,the poor old man came to me in great fear1 knowing the unscrupulousness of his opponents1 and thinking they might get up some false accusation against him in the government and cast him into prison or subject him to needless loss or expense4 ,i assured him they would not dare touch us or attack his property and that the whole plan was to frighten us into leaving town1 if possible4 ,i told him that we were to leave on a certain day in ,october4 ,when the hostile party learned this1 they drew up a pledge that the ,americans were to be expelled from town on the day ,i had indicated1 under a forfeit of fifty pounds from the landlord to the local church4 ,he was also required to go to the church and apologize publicly to the people1 kiss the floor of the church in front of the picture of the ,virgin1 and pay a pound into the treasury4 ,he was then accepted as in good and regular standing1 and all waited for the appointed day4 ,unfortunately ,i did not know of this until it was too late to change our plans4 ,on the day appointed we left town with our household goods and as we rode away we heard the church bells ringing out a peal of rejoicing to celebrate the cleansing of the town4 ,times have changed now1 and the same priest who led in the opposition then will call upon us and crack jokes about the times gone by4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,emigration ,the period of my life in ,syria has witnessed the rapid development of emigration4 ,in former days there was very little travel among the people1 the marriage of a girl to a man in a neighboring village being a notable and rather rare occurrence4 ,it was no unusual thing for a person to spend his whole life without ever going so much as ten miles from his birthplace4 ,i was entertained for supper one night at the home of a wealthy ,moslem in ,homs4 ,the old father of our host was present and ,i entered into conversation with him as to the experiences of his long life4 ,he told me that he had taken four wives1 as permitted by ,moslem law4 ,he had twenty sons who had all grown up and married in ,homs4 ,he said that his grandsons numbered about a hundred1 all of whom he knew by face1 though he might not be able to fit the right name to each1 at first sight4 ,knowing him to be quite wealthy1 ,i asked whether he had traveled much4 ,my first question was whether he had been to the seashore1 some sixty-five miles away at ,tripoli4 ,he had never seen the sea4 ,have you been to ,damascus8 ,this would appeal more to a devout ,moslem1 since the sea is always associated more or less with the unholy foreigners of ,christian faith1 while ,damascus is an ancient seat of ,moslem power and glory4 ,no1 ,i have never seen ,damascus1 was his answer4 ,well1 surely you have been to ,hamath8 ,this is only thirty miles distant4 ,no1 he said1 ,i never went to ,hamath4 ,have you passed your whole life right here in ,homs8 ,once1 he said1 ,i made a journey out among the ,arabs of the desert1 to buy sheep4 ,that was the extent of traveling by an intelligent1 well-to-do ,moslem of the old school4 ,some thirty or forty years ago a change began among the people and a few enterprising men sought more favorable opportunities for making a living in foreign lands4 ,many of them were successful and encouraged others to follow them1 until now the most profitable business of the steamships calling at ,syrian ports is the carrying of emigrants back and forth4 ,the weekly exit is numbered by the hundreds1 and large numbers also return from time to time4 ,few of those who return to ,syria remain for any length of time1 for1 having once tasted the liberty and experienced the opportunities of life in western lands1 they are no longer content to fall back into the old1 slow1 unprofitable methods of the ,orient4 ,a notable change has also come over the character of the emigration in another respect4 ,at first it was only the more enterprising1 vigorous young men who went abroad to seek their fortunes4 ,now whole families go together4 ,women and girls emigrate as freely as men4 ,at first it was only ,christians who sought to improve their condition in ,christian lands2 now ,moslems and ,nusairiyeh go as freely as do the ,christians4 ,at first this emigration was a blind flight from poverty and oppressive conditions at home1 with little understanding of the places to which the emigrants were going4 ,they placed themselves literally in the hands of the steamship agents in ,marseilles4 ,taking passage from ,syria to ,marseilles1 they were shipped on from there in bunches1 according to the advantage of the agent into whose hands they fell4 ,they might be sent to ,argentine1 while the friends to whom they were going were in ,massachusetts4 ,they might be sent to ,sierra ,leone or to ,capetown1 but it was all ,america in their minds4 ,the simple idea of geography in those days seemed to divide the world into two parts1 ,syria and ,america4 ,the common people know far better now1 for they discuss intelligently the conditions of life and business in the various parts of the world4 ,syrians are to be found in every one of the ,united ,states1 from ,maine to ,florida1 and from the ,atlantic to the ,pacific4 ,they are in ,alaska1 the ,sandwich ,islands and the ,philippines4 ,they are in every country of ,central and ,south ,america1 in the ,west ,indies and in all parts of ,africa4 ,in many places they have bought property and made permanent business arrangements4 ,in the early years there were many indications of their lack of experience in money matters and general business methods4 ,one man in ,brazil had accumulated quite a sum of money and wished to return home4 ,he did not understand the simplicity of taking a draft on ,london from the bank1 and was averse to parting with good gold for a mere slip of paper4 ,he changed all his money into ,english sovereigns and put the whole nine hundred into a belt1 which he secured around his body under his clothes4 ,he did not dare remove his treasure day or night during the weeks of journey1 enduring the weight and pressure until he reached home4 ,he was then taken sick and nearly lost his life from kidney trouble induced by this folly4 ,another young man in ,mexico started home by way of ,new ,york4 ,he knew that ,english and ,french gold are current in ,syria1 and was sure that ,american gold was every bit as good4 ,so he exchanged his money for ,american gold coin4 ,it came to my attention through a man who came to me with a twenty-dollar gold piece1 and asked what it was worth4 ,when ,i told him its real value1 he showed such surprise as to arouse my curiosity4 ,it appeared that this coin1 with one like it1 had been given as betrothal token for his daughter4 ,subsequently the engagement was broken by the young man and so1 in accordance with oriental custom1 the token was forfeited4 ,the father1 wishing to realize on the coin1 took it to a local goldsmith who pretended to examine it carefully and then offered three dollars for it4 ,the father was disappointed at this appraisal and indignant that his daughter should have been rated so low4 ,the reaction1 when he found the coin to be worth nearly seven times as much as he had been informed1 was almost too much for him4 ,one matter connected incidentally with the emigration has been the call for assistance in handling money for those abroad4 ,in the earlier years there were no adequate banking facilities outside of ,beirut and so the people began to send back money to their families through the hands of friends who were merchants living in the various seaport towns4 ,in several cases unscrupulous men took advantage of the general ignorance in money matters to secure abnormal profits to themselves1 and in more than one instance1 through fraudulent bankruptcy1 cheated the people out of hundreds of pounds4 ,those who were in any way connected with the ,american missionaries began sending their money to us1 and at last we were obliged to conduct quite an extensive banking business4 ,in some years drafts for several thousand pounds would come to me in sums ranging from two or three pounds to several hundred at a time4 ,these were to be paid out to various relatives or to be held on deposit until the owners' return4 ,on one occasion ,i opened a registered letter from ,brazil and found in it a draft on ,london for ten pounds4 ,on reading the letter ,i found it to be written by a man ,i did not know1 in behalf of another stranger1 and that the money was to be paid to an entire stranger in a village ,i had never seen4 ,it was enough for the sender to know that his money was in the hands of an ,american missionary4 ,on one occasion a returned emigrant came to my associate with a kerchief full of silver and gold coins4 ,he asked the privilege of depositing this with the mission until he needed it4 ,as it was evidently a considerable sum1 he was advised to put it in the bank so as to secure some interest1 but he preferred to feel sure that his money was safe1 even though it earned nothing4 ,neither did he see any necessity of waiting until the money should be counted and a regular entry made of it in the books4 ,it was enough that the missionary had charge of it4 ,this open account remained with us a number of years and sometimes amounted to two thousand dollars4 ,a man sent me from ,venezuela a draft for a hundred pounds1 charging me to let no one know of it1 but to hold the money until he should come4 ,after a long interval ,i learned that his wife was thinking of going to join him1 since no word had been received4 ,i succeeded in dissuading her1 as ,i knew he was planning to come home and they might miss each other in mid-ocean4 ,the return was delayed1 and before he arrived his funds in my hands amounted to six or seven hundred pounds4 ,the volume of emigration is growing every year and is taking away the strength of the land1 but better banking facilities have relieved us of the financial cares formerly carried4 ,the director of the ,ottoman ,bank in ,tripoli estimates the annual amount of money passing through this one port in drafts from ,syrians abroad as not less than seven hundred thousand pounds sterling4 ,,chapter ,x ,,syrian ,,enterprises ,the final aim of mission work is the development of a self-supporting1 self-propagating ,christian community1 and hence the happiest experience of a missionary's life is connected with the first independent undertakings of the people whom he serves4 ,in this connection there are two interesting incidents connected with the life of the evangelical church in ,homs4 ,there are men still living who remember when the gates in the old city walls were closed every night at sunset1 and a belated traveler had to make himself as safe and comfortable as he could on the outside until sunrise the next morning4 ,when this old custom passed into disuse1 the city gradually outgrew the old limits and new sections began to appear outside the old walls4 ,when ,i first visited ,homs1 there was already a large settlement on the north side of the old city1 known as the ,hamidiyeh in honor of the reigning sovereign ,abd-ul-,hamid4 ,in this section of the city were a number of evangelicals and it was most desirable that there should be regular services in that section4 ,much difficulty was found in renting suitable quarters1 and a change was necessary every year or two4 ,at length one of the most prosperous men in the church decided that a permanent chapel must be secured4 ,the people in that part of the city were poor and could not raise money to buy property4 ,he decided to set aside a certain sum1 and let it accumulate in his own business until he should have sufficient for the purpose4 ,he did so1 and after some years was able to purchase and remodel a house in the ,hamidiyeh4 ,that little chapel has been in constant use now for many years for public service on the ,sabbath and school during the week1 and is all the result of the generous thought of this one man4 ,illustration3 ,,homs ,boys' ,school ,early in the present century a zealous young man became the acting pastor of the ,homs church4 ,he was constantly seeking for means to strengthen the position of the evangelical church in the community and was soon convinced of the importance of improving the schools1 so as to make them more effective and more attractive4 ,he urged the church forward in support of his plans1 and raised the standard of work in the schools4 ,he himself was an indefatigable worker and inspired others with the spirit of service4 ,he gained the confidence of the man referred to above and secured his help financially when needed4 ,at length it seemed to this pastor that all their efforts would be in vain unless he could establish a boarding school for boys4 ,it was not possible for the mission to help in these plans at that time1 and our earnest friend decided to push ahead alone4 ,a bequest was made to the evangelical church in ,homs by one of her members who died in ,egypt4 ,this was a nucleus1 and others were induced to contribute larger and smaller sums4 ,a beginning was made in temporary quarters in the city itself1 while a fine site was purchased outside for the permanent building4 ,the school was popular from the start1 and1 considering the cramped and unsuitable quarters in which it was conducted1 did admirable work4 ,syrians in ,egypt and ,america responded well to the appeal to their patriotism4 ,a plain but commodious building was erected on the new site and the school was moved to its new home4 ,the school has about four or five acres of land1 lying higher than any other plot near the city4 ,this tract is inclosed by a simple wall4 ,within is the two-story stone school building1 with accommodation for something over a hundred boarders1 and a schoolroom which might accommodate nearly twice that number4 ,the kitchen and dining room are in a simpler building adjacent4 ,thus has been provided a convenient1 healthful home for the school1 with ample playground and suitable surroundings4 ,a ,christian community which shows the strength and ability to organize and conduct such enterprises as these has certainly a degree of vitality which gives us every confidence in its growth and advance in the future4 ,one of the greatest misfortunes1 as it appears to me1 in the situation of the subject races in ,turkey1 is their inability to appreciate the value and meaning of the word loyalty4 ,i have failed to find an ,arabic word in common use which conveys the fullness of what we mean by that word loyalty1 and it seems to be because the people have had no occasion to express the idea4 ,it is an inestimable loss to a people to live in such conditions1 for there is an inevitable reaction upon character and a blighting effect on all the relations of life4 ,this condition of things has grown rapidly in recent years1 and most evidently during the reverses of the ,balkan war4 ,it is an everyday experience1 in passing along the street1 to hear people exclaiming against the oppression and injustice of ,turkish rule1 with the expression1 ,anything would be better than the present condition4 ,nor are such expressions any more frequent from ,christians than from ,moslems4 ,a member of one of the leading ,mohammedan families was recently quoted to me as saying3 ,we want an end of this business4 ,we want the ,english to come and take charge of us4 ,one day as a merchant was taking a bag of small coins from his safe to make a payment1 he was warned not to accumulate any large amount of these small coins1 as they would depreciate in value1 if anything serious should happen to the ,turkish ,government4 ,with a look of disgust1 he said1 ,i would gladly lose them all and the silver coins1 too1 to be wholly rid of ,turkey1 once for all4 ,on another occasion a simple carriage driver expressed his views in rough style1 by saying1 ,sir1 the ,devil himself would be an improvement on the present state of things4 ,then more seriously1 he said1 ,we know we are not fitted for self-government1 and what we want most of all is ,england1 or if that is impossible1 then ,france4 ,on a railroad train there was one other passenger in the compartment with me4 ,while stopping at a station1 something occurred to excite my companion to violent abuse of the government4 ,when he paused ,i said to him1 ,sir1 how is it that you speak so1 although you wear the fez8 ,he turned to me and spoke most earnestly1 but with no trace of excitement1 saying1 ,yes1 ,i am a ,turk1 and ,i am a ,mohammedan1 and nevertheless1 ,i have no words strong enough to express my contempt for the ,turkish ,government4 ,all these things are exceedingly sad1 for it is an immeasurable loss to a people if they cannot love and respect those whom they must obey4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,interruptions ,our life in ,syria has been1 on the whole1 quiet1 but it has not been without its shadows4 ,there is no life without its sorrows and unexpected experiences4 ,the comparative isolation of missionary life brings into very close fellowship those who are cut off from the closer relationship to friends in the homeland4 ,one ,sunday afternoon in the fall of #aijf1 ,i was standing in the back of our chapel1 awaiting the closing exercises of the ,sunday school4 ,the telegraph messenger appeared at the door and handed me a telegram1 for which ,i signed without serious thought4 ,when ,i opened the paper and read the wholly unexpected message1 all strength seemed to leave me1 and ,i hastened to a seat1 lest ,i fall to the floor4 ,the message told of the sudden death of my brother-in-law1 ,rev4 ,w4 ,k4 ,eddy of ,sidon1 while away from home on a tour4 ,we had considered him one of the most vigorous men in the mission1 for whom years of active service might be expected1 and now in a moment he had been called away1 leaving his family and his work to others4 ,it took time to realize the situation but some things had to be done at once4 ,i called my servant and sent him to secure an animal1 as ,i had to start at once for ,sidon4 ,arrangements had to be made for my absence1 and the sad news had to be broken to the ,tripoli circle of friends4 ,by five o'clock ,i was ready to start1 and ,i shall never forget that night's ride4 ,the first twenty miles were covered in the early evening hours1 on horseback over a rough1 stony road1 while the question kept ringing through my mind1 ,why should this be8 ,about ten o'clock ,i reached the carriage road where ,i could take a more comfortable and speedy conveyance4 ,all through the dark night1 as ,i jolted over the road1 trying to get a little rest in preparation for the hard day before me1 ,i could not turn my mind from the many problems connected with this sad experience4 ,who would take up the work thus suddenly dropped8 ,what plan would be made for the family of growing children8 ,the night was dark1 but the dawn was approaching4 ,the way seemed dark1 but the ,father's love had brought us to this point and he would not leave us to walk alone4 ,in the early dawn1 ,i reached ,beirut and found the missionary friends there ready to start for ,sidon1 and so we all went on together1 reaching the darkened home about noon4 ,the large assembly hall was filled in the afternoon for the funeral services1 and a great crowd of all classes of people marched out to the cemetery1 where the mortal remains of our loved brother and fellow worker were laid away4 ,those are precious spots where we do the last service on earth for those we have loved1 but they are doubly precious on the mission field where the distance from the great body of family friends and relatives is so deeply felt4 ,but these occasions strengthen the ties that bind us to the hearts and lives of those among whom we live and whom we serve4 ,we had scarcely adjusted ourselves to this sorrow when another of the hard experiences of life came upon us4 ,the season had been one of exceptionally heavy work and continuous strain1 which showed in a decided break in health4 ,the doctors said work must be dropped at once and the winter be spent in ,egypt1 if a more serious break were to be avoided4 ,it was not exactly a pleasure excursion on which we started during the ,christmas holidays4 ,there was no time to write ahead and make inquiries or arrangements1 so we set out to a strange land among strangers1 in search of health4 ,finding no place which seemed suitable in lower ,egypt1 we decided to go up the river to ,assiyut1 and wrote a letter to ,dr4 ,alexander1 president of the ,united ,presbyterian ,college at that place4 ,we had no personal acquaintance and no claim upon him1 but he was a missionary1 and that was enough4 ,it was a long ride and ,egyptian railroads are nothing if not dusty4 ,our spirits had not begun to rise yet1 and we felt rather tired and wholly disreputable in appearance1 when we left the train at ,assiyut1 ready to ask our way to the ,greek hotel4 ,but before we had a chance to do anything1 we saw a bright1 cheery face1 bearing an evident welcome1 and a hearty voice assuring us that the owner was ,dr4 ,alexander and that he had come to take us in charge4 ,it was the first encouraging incident1 and lifted a weight from us at once4 ,as we walked along he told us they had held a conference over our case1 and1 having decided that we could not be comfortable in the hotel1 had placed at our disposal a rest room provided in the hospital for members of their own mission or other foreigners who needed rest and medical attention4 ,a more perfect provision for our need could not have been devised4 ,we enjoyed the companionship of the corps of foreign nurses1 sharing their table and home life4 ,we had the constant companionship as well as the professional services of the four medical missionaries4 ,is it a wonder that ,i began to gain at once8 ,after nine weeks we returned to our work1 made over and with a new lease of life1 a new sense of the solidarity of ,christian fellowship1 and a new realization of the heavenly ,father's tender care4 ,such experiences as that winter at ,assiyut show how entirely denominational differences are forgotten on the mission field4 ,in social intercourse1 in the prayer circle1 in discussion of mission problems1 in the church service1 in the pulpit1 there was never anything to remind us that we were only ,presbyterians while our kind hosts were ,united ,presbyterians4 ,it was a delightful opportunity for the cultivation of fellowship1 and for the observation of other forms and methods of mission work1 under conditions very different from ours in ,syria4 ,the work in ,egypt is relieved from many of the problems so insistent in ,turkey4 ,there is no hostile government1 always suspicious of every move made by a foreigner4 ,there is no such inefficiency in the government as makes the lives of ,turkish subjects always insecure and travel dangerous4 ,but1 on the other hand1 the climatic conditions in ,egypt are far more trying than in ,syria1 as the heat is extremely enervating for most of the year4 ,these climatic conditions undoubtedly account to some extent for the less virile1 independent character of the people4 ,but whatever the differences in climate1 whatever the differences in the character of the people1 whatever the differences in governmental relations1 we came back from ,egypt more than ever impressed with the fact that the conflict is one1 the object aimed at is one1 and the body of workers is one1 under the direction of our one ,lord and ,master4 ,in #aiaa there came another break in the routine life of the field1 but with no such sorrow in it as in the former incidents4 ,the second ,conference for ,workers in ,moslem ,lands met in ,lucknow in ,january #aiaa and our mission chose me as its delegate to that conference4 ,the journey through the ,suez ,canal and down the ,red ,sea and across the ,arabian ,sea to ,bombay was one of the experiences of life never to be forgotten4 ,there were enough of us going on the same journey to form a little group of sympathetic companions and we had many an opportunity at table and on deck to talk over the matters connected with our life work4 ,the contrasts in the streets of ,bombay are similar to those seen in all the changing ,orient1 but with characteristic differences calculated to catch the eye of one accustomed to the nearer ,east4 ,nowhere in ,turkey do you find such broad1 magnificent1 paved thoroughfares as those in ,bombay1 and yet1 beside the track of the electric trolley1 you see a crude cart jogging along behind the humpbacked bullock4 ,on the pavements you see elaborately dressed ladies from ,europe1 or from the wealthy ,parsee families1 with their ,paris gowns and modern hats1 and almost at their elbows the dark-skinned members of the sweeper caste1 clad in a simple loin cloth4 ,you step out of the finely appointed barber shop in your modern hotel1 with its polite1 ,english-speaking attendant1 to see by the roadside a group of swarthy ,indians1 crouching on the ground1 as one of their number shaves the crowns of their heads4 ,the tourist in ,galilee in the spring of the year is impressed by the variety and brilliancy of color all about him in the wild flowers of the fields4 ,as we walked the streets of ,bombay1 the same impression was made upon us by the brightness and variety in the headdress of the men4 ,if there is any color known to the dyers' art not found among the turbans of ,bombay it is merely because no samples have as yet been sent there4 ,every shape as well as every shade is found1 and it would almost seem as if the excessive attention paid to the head covering had exhausted the energy of the people1 leaving no desire or ability to devise any covering for the rest of the body4 ,a stranger may wonder also at first why everyone seems to have forgotten to wash his face4 ,those curious blotches of varicolored clay on the forehead are not accidental nor an indication of carelessness to one's personal appearance4 ,on the contrary1 they indicate fidelity to religious duty and reveal to the initiated the special temple most recently visited by the devout worshiper4 ,for a transient visitor1 this variety and intricacy are puzzling1 but to the initiated everything has its meaning and the varieties of headdress tell the tale of religious affiliation and caste gradation4 ,comfortable train service carried us quickly to the north1 giving us glimpses of ,delhi1 the ancient ,mogul capital1 with its reminders of the mutiny2 and ,agra with its matchless architectural gem1 the ,taj ,mahal4 ,we reached ,agra at the close of the day1 and after locating ourselves at the hotel1 set out on foot to have our first glimpse of the ,taj by moonlight4 ,no matter what one may have read of this wonderful building1 no matter what pictures or models one may have seen1 ,i have yet to meet a person who has not been most deeply impressed by the first vision of the reality4 ,the approach through the dark foliage of the quiet garden gives a chance for the impressive grandeur of the marble structure to fix itself in the visitor's mind4 ,by the time he enters the spacious archway1 he has begun to appreciate the perfection of the curves1 the nobility of the dimensions1 the purity of the white marble and the graceful dignity of the whole combination4 ,the beautifully inlaid black lettering from the ,koran follows the curves of the lofty arch overhead1 adding a sense of sacredness to the entrance4 ,and yet1 when one is inside1 he almost forgets the impressions received without4 ,in place of stateliness and grandeur1 we find here a beauty of finish and exactness of detail which surpass all the more massive qualities of the exterior4 ,the central tomb is surrounded by a marble screen carved with a delicacy that makes one forget the marble and think he sees before him the most perfect and delicate lace veil4 ,the pillars and panels of the screen1 the inner walls of the building1 as well as the sides of the tomb itself1 are decorated with the most beautifully inlaid work of vines and wreaths of flowers represented in their natural colors1 in the most delicate shades of precious stone4 ,one wonders to find such exquisite work anywhere and the wonder increases when one realizes that this is not the product of modern skill and patience1 but that it has stood here1 from the days of the ,mogul ,empire1 when we consider that ,india was a land of barbarians4 ,and more than this is to follow1 for this wonderful mausoleum was erected at fabulous cost by a ,moslem ruler1 in memory of his wife4 ,we were not in ,india merely as sightseers4 ,after a night ride on the train we reached ,lahore in the early morning and at the station received the hearty welcome of ,j4 ,c4 ,r4 ,ewing1 ,d4,d41 president of ,forman ,christian ,college4 ,again in northern ,india we had the loving handclasp of a fellow missionary and the cordial welcome to a missionary home4 ,the short visit there could give us but a faint impression of what that college is doing for the ,punjab and what a position and influence the missionaries have among the people of every class1 whether ,indian or ,british4 ,never did ,i have such a vivid impression of the awful experiences of the mutiny1 or the wonderful changes wrought by ,british rule in ,india1 as when ,i stood on some of the memorable spots at ,cawnpore and ,lucknow1 and reviewed the record of treachery and loyalty1 cowardice and bravery1 cruelty and gallantry1 which were developed in the awful experiences of the ,mutiny4 ,to-day1 no matter what may be the restlessness and uncertainty of the situation1 ,india is a united country1 and not a medley of hostile principalities and warring kingdoms4 ,railroads cover the land in every direction with an efficient service4 ,perfect carriage roads make the land a paradise for motor cars and bicycles4 ,military encampments near all the large cities assure security of life and property4 ,schools and colleges are extending knowledge in every direction4 ,wealth is taking place of poverty1 knowledge of ignorance1 light of darkness1 and religion is coming into its own as a real force in human life and no longer as merely a badge of faction or clan4 ,the gathering at ,lucknow was notable4 ,delegates of many nationalities gathered in that hall4 ,workers in many lands and in widely differing conditions1 we came together for a common purpose4 ,members of many ,christian denominations1 we united in the worship of one ,master4 ,differences were forgotten in a deeper union4 ,whatever allegiance we owed to earthly sovereigns1 we met as children of the heavenly ,king4 ,whatever may have been the language of our ordinary service1 here we had but one language--that of loving fellowship4 ,we were members of separate bands of commissioners1 coming together at the feet of our ,leader to ask for fuller instructions in the pursuit of his work4 ,the keynote of the ,lucknow ,conference was to win the ,moslem world by love1 the love of ,christ incarnate in his messenger4 ,it is one of the most hopeful signs in the advancement of the kingdom that the attractive power of love is more prominent than the overwhelming power of argument4 ,it is a great help to the right placing of this emphasis that workers in many lands1 of many nations1 of many denominations1 are drawing nearer together and working more in harmony4 ,i returned from ,india1 rejoicing in all ,i had seen of ,god's power and blessing in that land1 but with a deeper conviction that the work in ,india1 in ,china1 in ,africa1 in ,syria is all one work1 under one ,master4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,our ,,supporters ,one of the brightest things in the missionary's happy lot is the beautiful relation existing between those on the field and those whom they represent in the homeland4 ,many years ago we were calling1 one evening1 upon our landlord in ,tripoli4 ,the eldest son had recently returned from ,america1 and in the course of conversation the father asked from what part of the ,united ,states we came1 in order to see whether his son had been in the same vicinity4 ,the son at once replied3 ,i know the name of the place1 but ,i do not know in what state it is4 ,they come from ,private ,funds4 ,we could not think at first what he meant1 but then discovered that he had found a missionary report among some old magazines thrown out from the house4 ,in this he had seen our names in a list of missionaries1 giving the name of the society by which each was supported4 ,seeing ,private ,funds opposite our names1 he thought it must be the name of the town from which we came1 though1 as he said1 he did not know in what state it was located4 ,a little knowledge is truly a dangerous thing4 ,the relation indicated by those words1 which has subsisted for twenty-five years1 has been most happy4 ,when ,i was a senior in the seminary and had already made my application to the ,foreign ,board1 ,i received a letter from ,mr4 ,george ,d4 ,dayton of ,minnesota4 ,he was the son of an elder in my father's old church in ,geneva1 only a few years older than ,i1 but already a prosperous business man whose generosity in the ,lord's work was becoming well known4 ,he urged upon me the need and opportunity in the home mission field of the growing northwest4 ,i answered him1 explaining as fully as ,i could1 the reasons that had led me to decide that my life should be devoted to another field1 realizing that my answer would be a disappointment to him and might cause some weakening of the ties of friendship already strong between us4 ,the next that ,i heard of the subject was that ,mr4 ,dayton had written to the ,foreign ,board1 assuming our support as the personal representatives of his family in the foreign field4 ,thus1 instead of weakening our friendship1 my choice was the beginning of a closer and warmer relation than ever4 ,it has always been recognized as a family matter1 and ,i shall never forget the comfort and strength that came to us in one of the early years through a letter from ,mr4 ,dayton4 ,it was written on ,sunday afternoon1 and contained words to this effect3 ,to-day was the time appointed for the annual offering for foreign missions in our church4 ,before going to church ,i gathered the family together and talked to the children about you as our representatives in ,syria4 ,then we united in prayer at the family altar for ,god's blessing on you4 ,at church ,i placed in the collection my check for the amount ,i have pledged to the ,board for your support4 ,through letters and visits in the home when on furlough1 this delightful relation has grown more and more precious as the years have passed1 and it has been a pleasure to acknowledge that we come from ,private ,funds1 which1 we are sure1 is situated in the ,state of ,felicity1 in the ,united ,states of ,brotherly ,love4 ,it has been said that a missionary furlough is an excellent thing if it is not needed too urgently4 ,we have had two most thoroughly enjoyable furloughs in the homeland1 during our missionary life4 ,each visit to ,america has tended to refresh and invigorate us most admirably for a new period of service and we have added many to the circle of friends who encourage us in our work and keep vigorous the connecting link with the workers at home4 ,the periods of our absence from ,america have had a curious coincidence with the change in methods of locomotion in ,america4 ,when we first came to ,syria in #ahhh1 the horse car was still supreme in ,american cities4 ,experimental lines of electric trolleys were being tried in certain places1 but ,i had never seen an electric car4 ,when we returned to ,america in #ahig1 we found the trolley in all the cities1 and ,i remember being disturbed1 the first ,sunday in ,philadelphia1 by a strange whirring sound during the morning service4 ,i could think of no explanation except the weird creaking of the great water wheels in ,hamath1 but there were no such waterworks in ,philadelphia4 ,i soon became familiar with the hum of the trolley4 ,during that first furlough1 there was much written in the magazines about automobiles1 and people were wondering whether the auto would really be practicable1 but ,i did not see a machine4 ,our first sight of an auto was in ,cairo1 in ,egypt4 ,we reached ,america on our second furlough in #aijh1 and the first day on shore gave us our first ride in an auto1 which we found rapidly taking a recognized place in ,american everyday life4 ,again the magazines had much to say about the aroplane1 but we did not see one while in ,america4 ,my first sight of a human flyer was at ,allahabad1 in ,india4 ,it looks now as if a ride in an aroplane might not be a strange experience in our third furlough4 ,the meeting of earnest ,christian workers all over the land1 in conventions and missionary meetings1 is a real refreshment physically and spiritually4 ,so long as the missionary's health is good1 he finds it a joy to speak for the cause and mingle with the workers at home4 ,i traveled a good many miles to meet appointments on each furlough4 ,i spoke on many platforms1 and the cordial welcome extended and the close attention paid to the message were an ample reward for whatever there was of fatigue in the service4 ,many times ,i felt humiliated by what seemed to me the extreme and unmerited deference paid to us1 simply because we were foreign missionaries4 ,so far as ,syria is concerned1 the missionary of to-day asks for no sympathy on the score of physical privations4 ,we are in close touch with ,european and ,american civilization4 ,we can obtain whatever is necessary for physical wellbeing and comfort4 ,the climate is not excessively enervating and we can have good homes4 ,there are many things that are trying in the life of a missionary1 but no more so than in the lives of many workers in the homeland4 ,the isolation from friends and relatives is often one of the most trying features of missionary life4 ,when sickness or death enter the family circle far away1 it is not easy to think of the miles of restless ocean that lie between us and them4 ,the whole unchristian1 unsympathetic atmosphere makes life hard at times1 but the compensations are so many that it makes one ashamed to be held up as a model of self-sacrifice4 ,the missionary feels1 as the earnest worker at home feels1 and as ,paul felt years ago1 when he said1 ,the love of ,christ constraineth us4 ,the first home-going was peculiarly happy1 for in neither of the two family circles had there been any break4 ,the only changes had come by marriage and birth4 ,the circles were expanding1 and there was no place vacated during the period of our absence4 ,the second going was very different in this respect4 ,many who had been vigorous were feeble4 ,many who had bidden us a bright farewell were not present to welcome us on our return4 ,children had become men and women4 ,there were wrinkles on the faces and gray hair on the heads of those whom we had expected to find still as young as we were4 ,but1 somehow1 it began to dawn on us that we ourselves were no longer counted among the young folks in the church4 ,the general recollection of those two furloughs is one of bright smiles and cheery welcomes1 helpful handclasps and a joyous fellowship4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,personal ,,friends ,it was one of the most delightful phases of our experience in charge of the boys' school to find how closely the ties of love to the boys bound them to our hearts1 and to realize that with many of them it was no mere oriental compliment when they called us their father and mother4 ,there are many of those lads1 now growing to manhood1 in whose successes we take a parental pride1 and for whose growth in all that is good and true we pray1 with parental earnestness4 ,among the many preachers and teachers in all the churches and schools1 we count many as most truly our brethren and fellow workers for the ,master4 ,there are very many ,syrians in all parts of ,america1 as well as in this land1 of whom we think in terms of truest brotherhood4 ,it is with no sense of disparagement to the multitude that ,i have selected three of the elders in our churches for special mention4 ,it has seemed to me1 as ,i look back over their lives1 that there are some specially suggestive elements in the way the ,lord has led them and blessed them1 which are worthy of special note4 ,at the same time these experiences have brought all three into specially close relations with myself personally4 ,i shall mention them in the order of the commencement of my acquaintance with them4 ,in #ahhe1 before ,i entered the mission1 ,i was for a few months in ,syria1 merely as a visitor4 ,it happened that the ,college in ,beirut was short-handed that year1 and in need of an additional teacher4 ,dr4 ,bliss asked me to help them out and so ,i became for two months a member of the teaching force in the preparatory department4 ,during this time ,i made the acquaintance of a lad in the senior class of that department1 named ,towfik ,sallum4 ,he was a quiet1 studious lad1 who made no trouble and was always busy with his books or seeking to increase his ,english vocabulary4 ,in the brief time of my remaining in the college1 my acquaintance was slight and the memory of this boy would have passed from my mind1 had there been no subsequent association4 ,when ,i became a member of the ,tripoli ,station and made the acquaintance of the various workers in the field1 ,i found that this lad was the brother of the preacher in ,hamath4 ,their father had been the first preacher in that church1 and upon his death the eldest son had succeeded to his father's position in the church1 as well as to the parental responsibility for the care and training of his younger brothers4 ,towfik spent some years in the service of the mission as teacher1 in intervals of his college course4 ,in #ahib he was graduated with honor1 and in #ahif took his degree in medicine also4 ,he settled at once in ,hamath1 where he was well known personally1 and where his family associations made a valuable professional asset4 ,the conditions of life in ancient ,hamath are exceedingly primitive and only a small portion of the population have any intelligent appreciation of the value of modern medicine4 ,perseverance and tact won their way and a valuable practice was built up4 ,with increasing years and widening acquaintance1 the doctor became generally known1 universally trusted1 and highly respected in government circles as well as among the people4 ,in case the governor wished a reliable report on any case of attack or murder1 he was sure to send ,dr4 ,sallum to investigate4 ,he was to be trusted to tell the truth4 ,when the new constitution was promulgated in #aijh1 it was provided that all religious sects were to be entitled to representation in the local administrative courts in rotation1 irrespective of the size of those bodies4 ,formerly only the largest of the ,christian sects had been allowed representation4 ,this provision gave the ,protestants a right to civil equality and they put forward ,dr4 ,sallum as their representative4 ,he was accepted1 and served most creditably for the term of two years4 ,it was then the turn of the ,catholic sect to have a representative1 and the heads of the various bodies were summoned by the governor to arrange for the choice of the new member4 ,the governor explained the situation and said that as the ,protestants had held the office for two years1 it was now the right of the ,catholics to choose a representative to succeed the ,protestant member4 ,then1 turning to the ,catholic priest1 he said1 ,if you have a candidate who is more capable than ,dr4 ,sallum or who is his equal1 we shall be glad to welcome him1 but if not1 ,i should advise you to ask him to continue in office1 acting now as representative of the ,catholics4 ,the priest replied most cordially that his sect would be delighted to be represented by ,dr4 ,sallum1 if he would consent4 ,in this way the doctor has become practically a permanent member of the governor's council1 acting alternately for the ,protestants and the ,catholics4 ,at the same time the proud member of the large ,greek ,orthodox sect has to give place every two years to the member chosen by the ,jacobite church4 ,in #ahib ,i was in ,homs for the administration of the sacraments4 ,among those who came in on ,saturday evening was ,mr4 ,rafool ,nasser1 a young man who had not been long identified with the ,protestant church4 ,he told me that he wished to have his little girl baptized the next day4 ,he had been married for several years and this was the first child1 so the occasion was one of more than usual joy4 ,the next morning1 before the service began1 ,i saw ,mr4 ,nasser come in and take a seat quite at the back of the church1 contrary to his usual custom4 ,he seemed depressed and ,i wondered what had occurred4 ,when the time came for baptisms he made no move to come forward and so ,i proceeded with the children who were presented4 ,at the close of the service ,i inquired into the matter1 and learned that ,mr4 ,nasser had informed his wife the evening before that the little girl was to be baptized the next day4 ,his wife then informed him that she had already had the child baptized secretly by the priest4 ,this explained the depression ,i had noticed in the father's face4 ,two years later the parents stood together while ,i baptized the second child1 and all the others have been presented without question for the rite of baptism4 ,this was the beginning of my acquaintance with ,mr4 ,nasser1 with whom ,i have been somewhat intimate in recent years4 ,he was a man of prominent family in ,homs and has been highly prospered in business1 having become one of the most substantial men of the city4 ,most of the successful men of ,homs owe their prosperity to business conducted in ,egypt4 ,they spend the winters in ,egypt1 advancing money to the peasants on their cotton crops and also furnishing them certain classes of imported goods on credit4 ,it has been a profitable business1 even to those who have not been led away by the temptation of avarice to impose on the simplicity of the ,egyptian peasant4 ,on one occasion ,i was talking to ,mr4 ,nasser about the high standards of morality obligatory on the true ,christian merchant4 ,he then told me the following incident in the simplest manner4 ,as a young man he started with his cousin on a very small capital4 ,they invested their cash capital in stock for their little store1 purchasing so far as they could on credit4 ,mr4 ,nasser returned to ,homs1 leaving his cousin in charge of the business in ,egypt4 ,scarcely had he reached home when word came of the complete destruction of their store and all its contents by fire4 ,it was a heavy blow for the young men1 and the first impulse was to go through bankruptcy1 settle up as well as they could and give up the enterprise4 ,friends and creditors came to their help and volunteered to scale down their claims and furnish new capital for the two men to start again4 ,they were prospered from the beginning4 ,after some years ,mr4 ,rafool ,nasser decided that he was unwilling to have the friends who were so kind to him suffer from the old loss4 ,he wrote to his cousin1 saying that he had no wish to control his partner's action1 but asking him to pay off his share of those old losses carried by their friends after the fire1 and charge the amount against his personal account4 ,the cousin wrote back1 ,whatever you do1 ,i shall do also4 ,in the light of this incident1 will anyone say that commercial honor is confined to the ,west8 ,there was a long period of hesitation1 after ,mr4 ,nasser was convinced intellectually of the truth of the evangelical faith1 before he joined the ,church4 ,he has explained this to me in the following way3 ,he knew that if he gave in his adherence to the ,protestant doctrine1 his conscience would require him to give far more of his possessions than he had been accustomed to do in the ,greek church4 ,it took a long time to bring his will to yield4 ,in fact1 his head was reached before his purse was opened4 ,he gave up the conflict at last and then said1 in closing the account of his experience1 ,i've gotten way beyond that now1 for ,i have learned the joy of giving4 ,he is not a millionaire1 but the ,lord has blessed him with considerable property1 and he recognizes his position as that of steward4 ,he has been the leading spirit in the enterprises of the ,homs church1 spoken of in another place4 ,about the end of the year #ahie1 ,i was sitting one evening in my study when the bell rang1 and one of my neighbors1 ,mr4 ,yusuf ,faris1 entered4 ,he laid on my desk a bundle of ,turkish silver dollars1 amounting to some thirty dollars ,american money4 ,he said he had been looking over his accounts for the year and found this balance in his tithe account1 and so he wished me to use it for him in a way that he indicated1 in the furtherance of the ,lord's business4 ,this was a little matter1 but it was a true index to the man4 ,a few years previous to this he had moved to the city from a neighboring village4 ,among his motives for this move was to avoid being forced into a political position he felt to be inconsistent with his new position as a ,protestant ,christian4 ,he decided to open a dry-goods store in the city1 but was unwilling to conduct business in the ordinary way of the country4 ,he rented a very small shop and brought his stock of goods from ,beirut4 ,he decided upon a fair profit1 and set his price on the goods4 ,people were not accustomed to this method and so were slow to buy from the new shop4 ,when they found him unvarying in his prices1 they went away to buy elsewhere1 getting1 perhaps1 an inferior article at a slightly lower price4 ,mr4 ,faris had his full share of determination and was not to be turned back from the course upon which he had decided4 ,he had an unfailingly pleasant manner with everyone1 and showed no resentment at those who bought elsewhere4 ,for months the sales in this little shop were not enough to pay the rent1 but there was no change of policy4 ,gradually people began to compare more carefully and discovered that in no case were they able to buy the same quality of goods elsewhere for less than ,mr4 ,faris' first price4 ,they began to realize that it was a distinct saving of time and temper to avoid the long haggling over prices to which they had been accustomed4 ,by degrees they began to buy from ,mr4 ,faris1 and it was not long before some of the country shopkeepers would come to him with a list of goods and ask to have them put up without even asking the prices4 ,business grew1 a larger shop was necessary1 two shops1 three shops1 until at present his goods fill three large storerooms1 while a fourth is necessary for his office and bookkeeping4 ,two months seldom pass1 and often less than a month1 between trips to ,beirut for fresh goods1 and he and his three grown sons are kept busy handling the undertaking4 ,in every good enterprise1 in ,tripoli1 or in presbytery1 ,mr4 ,yusuf ,faris is a leader1 with clear advice and generous subscriptions4 ,when the home mission work of the presbytery was organized1 he was one of the leaders1 and has continued to be the main support of the work4 ,when the plans for the ,tripoli ,boys' ,school were under consideration and there was some danger that lack of money and other considerations might necessitate the removal of the school from ,tripoli1 ,mr4 ,faris and his sons came forward with a generous offer of financial help1 during a period of years aggregating nearly eighteen hundred dollars4 ,this made him the third largest individual donor and we were glad to place his picture among those on the wall of the school reception room4 ,in all the intercourse of these years1 while watching the growth and development of character in this man1 there has grown in my own heart a strength of personal attachment such as ,i have seldom felt for any other in ,america or in ,syria4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,tripoli ,,boys' ,,school ,the one enterprise which stands out most conspicuously in our life in ,syria and which has absorbed more of our thought and activity than any other1 is the boarding school for boys in ,tripoli4 ,in the earlier years of our work in ,tripoli field1 ,i found an important item to be the selection of promising candidates from the pupils in the village schools for further education in one of the mission boarding schools4 ,we were anxious to encourage the higher education of boys1 for in this respect as in many others1 north ,syria is more backward than other parts of the country4 ,means of communication were poor and it was not an easy thing for people to send their children to a distance of four or five days' travel4 ,we used every means at our disposal to persuade reluctant parents1 offering free tuition and sometimes traveling expenses and help with clothing4 ,by all these means we could gather1 from the whole territory1 a dozen1 or fifteen1 or1 at most1 twenty boys1 whose parents were willing to send them to school4 ,illustration3 ,,tripoli ,,boys' ,,school ,first ,home ,illustration3 ,,tripoli ,,boys' ,,school ,second ,home ,but emigration to ,america gradually opened the eyes of the people to the commercial advantages of education4 ,ignorant parents who had gone abroad began to send back money1 with urgent instructions to put their boys in the ,american schools4 ,we found the number of applicants increasing and a new willingness to pay1 in part at least1 for the education4 ,instead of a dozen1 we had sixty or more to provide for and the tide was rising4 ,conditions were the same elsewhere and it was not easy for the other schools to receive this larger number from our district4 ,why1 then1 should our boys go so far from home8 ,the eagerness of some of these lads to gain an education went to our hearts1 and the hardest thing we had to do was to refuse an earnest pleader for whom we had no place left4 ,one day in ,homs a young man came to me1 pleading for a place in ,sidon4 ,he was making his own living as an artisan1 and had only a simple education4 ,i wished to test his pluck and pointed out all the difficulties in the way of one in his circumstances4 ,he had thought it all out and said he could work at his trade in the summer vacations and earn enough for his clothing4 ,but it was a five days' journey to ,sidon1 and the cost of the journey must be provided for in some way4 ,there was not a moment's hesitation as he said1 ,i'll walk4 ,and he did walk1 showing a manly contempt for obstacles in the way of gaining an education4 ,this growing demand for an education such as our ,american schools give1 with the increasing ability of many to pay the cost1 seemed a clear call for action4 ,our mission had been criticized for putting too much energy and money into education1 so it seemed a chance at the same time to take a step in advance in the line of self-support4 ,i did not wish to go before the mission with my proposition until ,i had it well supported4 ,for this reason ,i wrote to ,mr4 ,george ,d4 ,dayton who has supported us through all our missionary life1 and laid the matter before him1 making two distinct requests4 ,if such a school were to be a success1 it must have its own permanent premises1 especially adapted to its use1 and ,i asked whether he would help us to secure this for the school4 ,it did not seem wise to wait however for the accomplishment of this purpose to open the school4 ,i was confident1 myself1 that the school could be made self-supporting if the premises were provided1 but ,i wished a guarantee to lay before the mission1 and so asked ,mr4 ,dayton to underwrite the enterprise to the extent of three hundred dollars a year1 in case of a deficit4 ,he responded promptly1 acceding to both requests4 ,i was ready then to go before the mission4 ,our proposition called for two things from the ,board1 the addition of a missionary to our ,tripoli station and provision of rent for premises in which to open the school temporarily4 ,both requests were granted and we were authorized to go ahead1 even before receiving our additional missionary4 ,ten years after opening the school1 owing to removals and delay for language study1 the whole work of the station1 with the addition of the school1 still rests on the shoulders of two men1 who live in hope of having their new associate1 promised ten years ago4 ,it has been like the pursuit of a mirage or the fatuous end of the rainbow4 ,more than once we have given a sigh of satisfaction and said1 ,well1 next year1 or at latest1 the year after1 we shall be able to settle down to normal lines and really do our work right4 ,an emergency has always arisen somewhere1 our pleasant dreams have faded away1 and we have settled down again to try to carry the extra load2 but each time this is done1 the weight seems to press more heavily and a sense of discouragement steals into the tired heart4 ,we were ready to begin school in #aijc and had laid in some supplies for the coming year1 when cholera appeared in the land1 interfering with all lines of travel and communication4 ,it was decided to postpone the opening until the next year and special plans for temporary work were made for the various teachers4 ,in ,october #aijd the ,tripoli ,boys' ,school opened its doors1 and there was every indication of hearty support4 ,we had planned to begin on a very small scale with only twenty boarders4 ,we had rented a house in which the boys were to sleep and study1 the kitchen and dining room being in the basement4 ,before the day of opening we had thirty-two insistent applicants and wanted very much to receive them all4 ,rooms were rented across the street for study and recitation purposes1 releasing for a dormitory the large room before assigned to study4 ,this1 with extra crowding of the beds1 made room1 and the whole number were admitted4 ,the beds were very crude1 being merely boards laid across rude iron supports4 ,everything was as simple as possible4 ,we were all inexperienced in school administration and had about as much to learn as did the boys1 but that first year was a year of real delight4 ,the school was small and the family feeling was encouraged in every way4 ,every ,sunday evening the boys came to our home for a social sing1 and we learned that the neighbors looked forward to the enjoyment of the volume of boyish voices that rang out on the evening air4 ,in the middle of the year it was possible to transfer the school to much more commodious quarters1 where all school and household functions could be under one roof4 ,the most satisfactory feature1 perhaps1 was the financial outcome4 ,when the books were closed1 at the end of the year1 there was no deficit to be provided for1 and so our highest anticipations seemed to be justified4 ,this has continued to be the normal record of the school1 the current income providing for the current expense1 excepting the item of rent4 ,the second year we were able to start in with ,american desks1 and iron beds in the dormitories1 and had an enrollment of sixty pupils4 ,a detailed history of the school would make this chapter too long1 but its growth and success have meant a great deal to us in our missionary life4 ,in #aiji1 when we returned from our second furlough1 we had a sufficient building fund to justify definite plans for the permanent home of the school4 ,it was not easy to decide on the best location4 ,every place suggested had advantages and disadvantages4 ,we could not visit any locality in the most casual way without very largely increasing the value of land in the vicinity4 ,we looked at land near the sea1 in the gardens1 on each side of the city1 but gradually all minds turned to an olive orchard on the brow of the hill just north of the city4 ,it might not be possible to purchase it1 but we all agreed that it was the place we wanted1 if it could be obtained4 ,inquiry revealed the fact that this piece of property belonged to a family of brothers and sisters who held it as joint heritage from their father4 ,one of the brothers got the whole into his possession1 excepting the share of one sister1 whose claim was something less than one-twelfth4 ,her husband was an avaricious fellow who thought he could hold us up for whatever he might demand4 ,we purchased the remainder of the property1 but could do nothing toward building until our partner's share should be set off and a legal division made4 ,we proposed every possible division but nothing was acceptable4 ,we tried the courts and found it almost as hopeless as ,dickens' picture of chancery4 ,finally an amicable adjudication and division out of court was arranged by common friends4 ,we went to the hill with professional measurers and proceeded to lay off our partner's portion4 ,when he was convinced that we would prefer to give him at the north end1 he promptly announced that he would take the south part1 which was after all much to our advantage4 ,then the boundary was laid out very exactly1 giving him his full share4 ,after the peg had been carefully set1 his son petulantly moved it a foot or more farther on our side1 evidently intending to irritate us into a refusal of the division4 ,we consented1 however1 the division wall was erected1 the legal papers drawn up and our property was secured4 ,the next step was to obtain a building permit from the government4 ,every official is suspicious of every other1 and each is watching for a chance to enter a complaint against the other4 ,from one office we went to another1 with favorable reports from the city engineer1 but nothing was accomplished4 ,there seemed to be no valid objection anywhere1 and we were assured that the permit would be sent back as soon as our petition reached ,constantinople4 ,after long waiting1 instead of the permit there came back another series of inquiries on points already fully explained4 ,preliminary work on cisterns1 foundations and preparation of stone was in full progress1 but the winter passed and no permit was received4 ,at last a new governor came to ,tripoli who for some reason took a personal interest in bringing the matter to a conclusion4 ,he sent vigorous letters and telegrams to ,constantinople and in due time the permit was issued1 and at the end of ,may #aiab1 work was begun on the building proper4 ,every means was used to push work forward as fast as possible1 through the summer and fall1 so as to have the roof on before the rains came4 ,the walls were completed1 the roof timbers in place1 but where were the tiles8 ,these had been ordered long in advance1 and were known to be on the way4 ,just at this unfortunate moment war between ,turkey and ,greece was declared and it appeared that our tiles were coming in a ,greek steamer1 which could not now approach a ,turkish port4 ,the fall rains came down on our roofless building and it was not until ,january that the tiles were received4 ,when they arrived1 there was great rejoicing4 ,the workmen all left their tools to help unload the wagons4 ,the schoolboys went up on the hill and1 forming lines from the ground to the roof of the building1 passed up the tiles from hand to hand with shouts and songs of joy4 ,no damage had been done the building1 since the rains tended to set the stone walls and cement flooring more perfectly1 but the plastering and carpenter work for the interior were delayed1 and the precious rain water for the cisterns was lost4 ,after the roof was finished1 work progressed rapidly and the utility and beauty of the building developed every day more and more clearly4 ,when ,easter vacation came everything was ready1 and in the absence of the boys1 the school furniture was moved up to the new building so that all was in good order when vacation was over4 ,the new term opened in the new home4 ,on ,may #ba1 #aiac1 the day was given over to the dedication of the new building1 and a happier day than that has not come in the history of the school4 ,in the forenoon1 there were races and athletic sports1 with a football game on the playground behind the building4 ,in the afternoon1 hosts of friends and neighbors inspected the building and grounds1 and at four o'clock the ,assembly ,hall was crowded with the pupils and their friends4 ,on the platform sat the governor and president of the municipality1 with the missionaries and teachers4 ,the boys sang heartily their songs of welcome and a special dedication hymn written for the occasion from the text1 ,except ,jehovah build the house1 they labor in vain that build it4 ,their voices rang out especially as their handkerchiefs waved in their own school song in honor of ,t4 ,b4 ,s4 ,this building is rich in significance1 for it is a memorial throughout4 ,the main fund was raised in honor of my father1 and so the building is to be known as the ,henry ,a4 ,nelson ,memorial4 ,smaller sums were given as special memorials to relatives of the givers1 and the bell in the tower was given by parents of a young man1 their only son1 who was called to the heavenly home just before his twenty-first birthday4 ,those parents have the comfort of feeling that their son's voice is still calling in the tones of that bell to the lads of ,syria1 and so still serving the ,master4 ,our rejoicing in the new building was great1 but not complete4 ,with all our efforts it was not possible to finish the top story of the building1 and the friends of the school will have plenty of opportunity to help us improve and increase our facilities in the service of the youth of north ,syria4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,moving ,in #aiaj the ,syria mission decided upon an advance4 ,the constitution had been declared in ,turkey and everyone hoped that a new era had really begun for the people of the empire4 ,whatever might be the political results1 there were clear signs of industrial improvement4 ,the ,german railroad was being pushed toward ,bagdad4 ,work was progressing rapidly on the line from ,tripoli to ,homs4 ,there could be but little doubt that the importance of ,homs as a commercial center would be greatly enhanced in the near future4 ,the strong evangelical community had been urgent for years that a missionary family live in ,homs4 ,this was finally decided upon and the choice of the mission fell on us4 ,there are very few houses for rent in ,homs1 and hence it seemed necessary to plan for a missionary residence as soon as possible4 ,an appropriation was made from the ,kennedy bequest for this purpose1 and a piece of land was acquired from the management of the ,syrian ,evangelical ,boarding ,school4 ,illustration3 ,,homs ,illustration3 ,,heathen ,,temple ,,and ,,mount ,,hermon ,moving in ,syria is a different proposition from what it is in ,america4 ,there are no professional packers4 ,the missionary must do his own packing1 if he would avoid excessive breakage4 ,he must keep an eye on the porters as they put his goods in the wagons4 ,he must oversee the freight men as they stow away the goods in the cars4 ,at the ,homs end of the line every piece had to be carried to its destination on the back of a donkey or a mule4 ,it was no easy matter to balance some of the large boxes on the insecure saddles1 but it was all accomplished with time and patience1 with very little injury4 ,we secured a little house in the city for six months1 which could be occupied while the new house was in process of erection4 ,it was a curious little place but the owner was very proud of it4 ,there was a minaret directly across the narrow street1 so we had the call to prayer almost over our heads five times a day4 ,the section of the city was known as the ,grass ,market1 because it was occupied largely by greengrocers4 ,we were awakened early every morning by the merchants calling their wares and all day long could hear cries like this3 ,oh1 plums1 ,o generous one1 a penny a pound3 health and strength come from ,god1 ,oh1 plums1 ,oh1 plums4 ,the woodwork and windows of this little house were so poorly constructed that it was impossible to keep anything clean4 ,the strong wind1 which gathered up straw and dirt1 seemed to discharge its load all day long in the various rooms of that little house4 ,in ,october the new mission house was ready for occupancy and we gladly made the transfer to this permanent home4 ,the city of ,homs is perfectly flat and quite compact4 ,the streets are narrow and crooked1 the houses low1 usually but one story high4 ,the better houses are built of black volcanic stone and the poorer houses of sun-dried brick4 ,as a rule the street wall is a dead blank surface1 with merely a doorway admitting to the inclosed courtyard4 ,all this gives the city a dull1 depressing appearance4 ,the old city was surrounded by a wall and a deep moat1 and at the south side1 on a high hill1 was the ancient castle faced with black stone4 ,this castle has been a complete ruin for over seventy years and the city has outgrown its walls and spread across the moat4 ,the ,evangelical ,school and the ,american mission house lie to the south of the castle hill1 on a rise of ground among the vineyards4 ,many houses are being built near us1 but we are still the vanguard to the south4 ,directly opposite to us on the north side of the city is the great mosque of ,sayid ,khalid1 said to have cost sixteen thousand pounds4 ,it is a beautiful building1 but recently completed4 ,between us and it lies the old city1 with its seventy thousand plain people4 ,at present a vast majority of the population look to the north rather than to the south1 but it is our strong hope that the more vital strength represented by ,christian education and ,christian homes will win the victory over this great city and the surrounding country1 so that all shall be won for ,christ4 ,illustration3 ,,hamidiyeh ,,mosque ,tripoli ,illustration3 ,,old ,,city ,,gate ,tripoli ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,muezzin ,,or ,,the ,,bell ,as the close of this little record comes near1 there appears before me a contrast or a conflict4 ,shall ,syria continue1 as in the past1 dominated by the minaret and all it signifies1 or shall the church bell be heard more clearly and more truly than it has been in the past8 ,many years ago1 in the city of ,homs1 the large and influential ,orthodox ,greek community wished to put up a bell in their church4 ,this was found to be wholly impossible because of the unyielding bigotry and hostility of the ,moslem community and the government4 ,finally the bishop consented to hang up a slab of hard1 thoroughly seasoned wood1 and this was struck with a mallet at the time of worship1 to call the people together4 ,after quite a long interval1 when the controversy was largely forgotten1 this wooden slab was quietly exchanged for one of steel1 and a clearer sound was obtained4 ,this created a little disturbance1 but was quickly accepted as an accomplished fact1 for it is a common saying in ,turkey3 ,whatever is done is permitted4 ,whatever is requested is forbidden4 ,after another long interval a large bell was sent from ,russia for this ,homs ,church of the ,forty ,martyrs4 ,in view of the relations of ,turkey to ,russia1 no open opposition could be shown1 and the bell was brought with great demonstrations of joy and put in its place where it rings to call the people to worship4 ,following the lead of this strongest of the ,christian communities1 all the others have brought bells since1 and they are in regular use4 ,but the near city of ,hamath waited some years longer before hearing its first regular church bell4 ,many years ago an old sheik in ,tripoli was calling on me4 ,he was intelligent and friendly and ,i felt that ,i could speak with him somewhat freely4 ,when ,i said to him that the voice of the muezzin in the neighboring mosque was not so clear as it might be1 he told me the following incident in his father's life3 ,the ,french consul in ,tripoli lived near a mosque4 ,the muezzin had a musical voice1 and the consul enjoyed hearing the call to prayer in the summer evenings4 ,for some reason this man was removed and another put in his place1 whose voice was harsh and unpleasant4 ,a few days later the consul arrayed himself in official style1 and with the attendance of his cavasses in full regalia1 he went to call on the old sheik1 the father of my informant4 ,it was not a feast day nor time for official calls1 so his coming in this manner created some astonishment and a little uneasiness4 ,after the ordinary salutations had been exchanged1 the consul addressed the sheik in formal manner1 to this effect3 ,i have come to-day1 officially to convey to you my own personal thanks and that of the government ,i represent for the great favor you have done me4 ,the sheik was even more astonished at this opening1 and protested that nothing worthy of such recognition had been done4 ,yes1 said the consul1 you may not have been aware of the great kindness done1 but it is no less worthy of note4 ,in the mosque near my house there was a muezzin who gave the daily call to prayer in a voice that went to the heart of the hearer1 and it would not have been strange if he had won my allegiance to ,islam4 ,now1 however1 he has been removed and a man with a harsh1 repellant voice put in his place1 so there is no longer any danger that the representative of a ,christian nation should deny his faith and follow ,islam4 ,for this reason1 ,i convey to you officially and personally my most profound thanks4 ,no sooner had the caller taken his leave than orders were sent to have the sweet-voiced muezzin restored to his former position in the vicinity of the consulate4 ,the keen consul had gained what he wanted and what a direct request might not have accomplished4 ,no offense was given and all were pleased4 ,after he had told me this story1 ,i said1 ,sheik ,ali1 there are two things which ,i grudge to you ,mohammedans2 one is the custom of summoning people to divine worship by the call of the human voice rather than by a metallic bell2 and the other is the exclusive use among yourselves of the salutation1 ',peace be to you4' ,when one ,moslem meets another1 he salutes him1 ,peace be to you1 and the other responds1 ,and on you be the peace of ,god4 ,a ,moslem will never intentionally give this salutation to a ,christian4 ,i continued1 ,that salutation belongs to the ,christians more than to you1 for it was the farewell message from our ,master to his disciples1 when he said1 ',peace ,i leave with you2 my peace ,i give unto you4' ,which is it to be in ,syria8 ,shall the separation continue1 and one large part of the population heed the call to prayer by the human voice from the minaret1 while another part worship the same ,god in the churches in answer to the summons of a bell8 ,this unfortunate state of affairs will never cease until the heart of the ,christian ,church is so full of the love of ,christ and his perfect peace that the ,moslem population shall hear through them a louder cry than the voice of the muezzin1 calling them to worship the one living ,god1 and to know him through the perfect life of his only ,son1 our ,lord4 ,come unto me1 all ye that labor and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest4