Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-10-10
w. DuwALLACH.
!, American N,.,i.narie. IN syrl..

New Henry Jesmp, writing from Beirut
American Board, says that he Is almost over.
wheIned with the labor Of dispensing charity.
There yet no safety Che saYs) for Christian
in southern Lebanon, aud the Druses are vet to
be punished, 30 that the feturn Of the people to
their homes must be quite remote from the pres
ent time. They have nothing TO eat except what
they receive from charity, no clothing, and no
snelter. Should they return home tomorrow
they would 20 IN utter destitution. Think Of
900 people settling down at once In a country
desolAted by savage warfare. There are no houses
TO shelter them from the storms Of the coming
winter They have no beds, no eInfhing, not an
ounce of food, no cooking utensils, no imple-
meats Of husbandry, no cattle, sheep, nor goats,
mo mules, camels, horses, seed, wheat, barley nof
lentelsi nothing stored for winter, a. usual, and
nothing to look 10 but foreign charity; and then,
In addition TO this, who Is to for these thou
sands Of widows and orphans and families of
which there Is no male survivor, We are now
distri outing daily to nearly 10000 OF the most
needy refugees about Us 4 give my whole time
to the work, and Dr.. Thompson and Dr. Van
Wick are busy In the hospital department. We
have serne hired agents to assist In the work. and
two CT the u-tive Protestaats Butrus Bistany and
Amman, gives good share Of their time to
the needy q - :. .a. F" I'D.
Mr. Ford returned 70 Sidon on Thursday, the
23d inst, and will doubt have large busi-
Ress 10 do In looking after the suffering refugees
who are now being brought In thousands from
the vicinity OF Rasheiya and Hasbeyia. Merj
Anjun, that large and beautiful district west of
Basbeyia, where there was 50 many Protestants,
Is now desolauou Two village. only remain
unharmed, and the Protestants have all fed either
10 Sidon or 10 Beirut We also hear from Mr.
Gauhi, our native brother In Tripoli, that there
are no less 3 an 3 600 refugees from the vicinity
OF BAloec now gathered In the vicinity of Bsherry,
near the course Of the Lebanon and all I'm great
suffering Indeed it may be safely said that there
Is not spot between Palmyra on the northeast
and Tyre on the southwest through all that vast
region, recently containing so many Christians,
where a Christian can now live In safety, unless
it be In Damascus, under the very eyes Of Fuad
Pasha- A few hundred Christians still remain in
Mount Lebanon among the Druses, south Of the
every day they are making their escape in small
parties TO Beirut. The next great political move
IDent will no doubt be attack on the Druses by
the Turkish forces alone, or in connection with
the French troops The Iesuli of such attack
viii be either the surrender or disarming of the
Druses, or their heeing to the Hauran, which is
not probable, or else a severe confict, In which
latter case the Drusss will be driven out or des-
trOyed, and the remaining half Of Southern Leb-
anon be converted into ruin, leaving absolutely
nothing unscathed. -
We eli feel that Beirut and Its people have had
very narrow escape from the fate Of Hasbeiya,
DER el KOmr, and Damascus. On the 23d Of June
when the panic was az its hight in Beirut the
Pasha was In league with the Druses, who had
fixed day for the destruction Of Beirut and ST.
don, just as they fixed day for the places which
were actually destroyed Day after day, and night
after night, We were In the greatest anxiety, and
in the very agony Of suspense, expecting at night
never to see the morning light again, and spend
ing the days with fimlies In listening 10 sto-
ries Of atrocious butcheries which chilled our
blood We did actually plan converting our
mission press into fortress. hoping In case of a
massacre here, TO be able to hold out with few
guns until succor could reach us from the ships
in the haroori and many were the suggestions as
to how the more delicate ones among our number
could stand siege with a scanty supply Of food
and water. Some Of us actually went on board
the vessels In ne haroor, and others were ready TO
70; and this state Of alarm and suspense continued
ff nearly full month, until we felt our strength
giving out in this hot climate, but the Lord most
xaciousy protected us and we are living to praise
Him. Does II not Seem though this city had
been Preserved In the providence Of God to be a
city Of refuge to the thousands Of poor suerers IL
Beirut had been destroyed, whittier could these
thousands have fed! Who would have cared for
the thous4nd widows of DER el Komr the FIVE
thousand widows Of Damascus. and the tens of
thousands OF all ages and sexes and classes who
The Lord thai this city and sidon have not been
laid waste. - -