Polynesian., 1863-01-31
No. 40.
Going 60 Bed I'm tine East.


etc. They made change in their dress for sleep
ing, and there they were, in their bright-colOred
clothes, ready for bed in minute. But they stood
round me till | said Good night they all kissed
me, wishing me good dreams. Then knelt down.
and presently, without speaking to them again,
got into bed, and turned my face towards the wall.
thinking over the strange day had spent. | tried
to compose myself for sleep, though | heard the
women whispering together. When my head had
rested for about five minutes on the soft red silk
pillow, felt hand stroking my forehead, and
heard voice saying. very gently, va Habibi =
i.e., Oh, beloved But l would not answer d.
reetly, as did not wish to be reused unnecessa-
rily. l waited little while, and my face was
touched again. | felt kiss ON my forehead, and
the voice said, Miriam speak to Us speak, Mir
lam, darlngn | could not resist any longer, SO /
turned round and saw Helweh. Saleh Bek's pret-
tiest wife, leaning over me. / said, What is it,
sweetness! What can l do for you . She an
swered, What did you do just now, when you
knelt down and covered your face with your
hands?' L sat up, and said very solemnly, L
spoke to God, Helweh What did you say to
Him1' said Helweh. replied, wish to sleep:
God never sleeps. | have asked Him to watch over
me, and that may fall asleep, remembering that
He never sleeps, and wake up remembering His
presence. L am very weak God is all-powerful.
| have asked Him to strengthen me with His
strength By this time all the ladies were sitting
round me on my bed, and the slaves came and stood
near. | told them | did not know their language
well enough to explain to them all / thought and
said. But as | had learnt the Lords Prayer by
heart in Arabic, repeated it to them, sentence by
sentence, slowly. When l began, thus Our
Father. who art in heaven Helweh directly said,
You told me your father was in London L re-
piled, / have two fathers, Helweh-one in Lon
don, who does not know that am here, and cannot
know till | write and tell him and Heavenly
Father, who is with me always, who is here now,
1 3D. H.
He teaches US to know good from evil, if listen
to Him and obey Him. For a moment there was
perfect silence. They all looked startled and if
they felt that they were in the presence of some
unseen power. Then Helweh said, What more
did you sayl' / continued the Lords Prayer, and
when came to the words, Give us day by day our
daily bread they said, Cannot you make your
bread yourself!' The passage, Forgive us our
trespasses, we forgive those who trespass against
US, is particularly fOrcbe in the Arabic language
and one Of the elder women, who rather severe
and relentless looking, hearing it, said, Are you
obliged to say that every day = as If she thought
sometimes it would be difficult to do so. They
sad Are you MOslemt' answered, [ am not
called MOslem. But | your sister, made by
the same Goo, who is the one only God, the God of
all, my Father and your Father They asked me
if knew the Koran, and were surprised to hear
that | had read it. They handed rosary to me,
saying, Do you know thatl' repeated few of
very carefully and slowly. Then they cried out,
Mashallah the English girl is true believer
and the impressionable, senstive-lOoking Abyssin-
ian slave girls said, with accord, She is indeed
an angel After talking with them for some time,
and answering as clearly as could, their earnest,
shrewd, and child-like questions, SAID Good
night once more. So they kissed me- and smoothed
my pillow. But though l was fatigued bodily, my
mind was so thoroughly reused and interested that
| could not Immediately sleep. l watched the
women resting under lright-colored quilts, with
their heads on low, silken pillows. The lantern
the stool in the middle of the room lighted up the
coins and jewels on their head-dresses. Now and
then one of the infants cried, and its mother or
slave rose to quiet it and it was fed without be-
ing taken from its hammock. The mother stood
upright while the slave inclined the hammock to-
wards her for few minutes and then there was
silence again. The room was very close and warm,
and the faces of some of the sleepers were flushed
At last slept also. When awoke in the morn
ing, found that all the beds had been cleared
away Helweh and Sit Sara stood by mine, as if
they had been watching for me to wake. A num-
ber of boys almost blocked up the doorway, where
the sunlight streaming in. Servants and
slaves were ehattering, and ping up the mattresses
in the recess. Little children quarreling
and the boys alone were silent. A black girl was
sitting on the floor. pounding freshly roasted
coffee berries in a marble mortar and their fra
grant aroma filled the room. | think the mortar
was mace out of an ancient capital it beauti-
| fully carved, like Roman work. Another girl was
making kind of porridge of bread, milk, sugar
and oil for the children. When Heweb saw that
was awake, she called out to the boys to clear the
doorway; and group of women, shrouded in white
sheets (who had been waiting in the outside),
| entered. They were neighbors, who had been pay
| ing visits of congratulatiOn to the young mother
| whom had seen on the previous night, and they
had been invited to come in to hear the English
girl speak to God My garments were examined
| with curiosity, and bad very much more assist
ance than required in making my toilette. When
| was dressed, Helweh said, Now, Miriam, darl-
| ing, will you speak to God, that the women, our
neighbors, may hear?' So knelt down, saying
God, the one true God, is the Creator and Father
of all and those who seek Him truly shall surely
find Him. Then, in few simple words, prayed
that de would keep us in continual remembrance
of Him. That we might feel His presence and
that He would write His law in our hearts, and
lead to seek earnestly to understand and to obey
| His will concerning That We might be in
spired to love Him more and more, with a trustful
and reverential love, and live in harmony with all
people. After pause, | said, will you say
| Amen to that prayer,' They hesitated, till Hell
web exclaimed, Amin, Aminl' and then the others
echoed it. Sara said, Speak yet again, my daugh-
| tiers eneak about the bread So repeated the
Lords Ssakr, explaining il (as understand it),
sentence BY sentence, at their request. They asked
me some very curious and suggestive questions, and
they prayed that | would stay with them always.
But while was taking coffee and hot bread and
cream, one of the boys brought me note from my
brother to tell that he would be ready to start
in half an hour, and that was to 90 to him in the
divan as soon as possible. So Sara brought me my
| cloak and habit, which had been nicely dried and
smoothed. With regret took leave Of my warm
hearted friends of the harem. They said, Go in
peace and Return to as again. o Miriam, be-
| loved. '-Erehdnge.