Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-09-03

A Night In a IInFem. -
When 1 began to undress, the women
watched me with curiosity, and when l
put on my night gown they we're exceed
ingly astonished. 'Where are you GO
ingYP 'What are you going to dot" and
"Why is your dress White?" etc. They
made no change in their dress for Sleep.
ing, and there they were, in their bright
coiored clothes, ready for bed in minute.
But they stood round till said, 'GOOd
night" then all kissed me, wishing me
good dreams. Then 1 knelt down, and
presently without speaking 70 them again,
got into bed and turned my faca- to-
ward the wall, thinking over the strange
day had spent. l tried to compose my
self for sleep, though heard the women
whispering together, When my head
had rested for about five minutes ON the
soft red silk pillow, 1 felt hand strOking
nv forhead, and heard voice saying,
very gently, "Ya Habibi," i. O., 20 be-
loved" But did not answer directly,
as did not wish to be reused unneces-
sarily. | waited little while, and my
face was touched again. felt a kiss on
my forehead, and the voice said; "MiriamY
speak to US; speak, Miriam, darlinglS'
l couldnot resist any longer, so i turned
round and saw Helweh, Seleh Bek' PTet-.
tiest wife leaning over me- 1 SAID.
"What is it, sweetness2 What can / do
for you?' She answered, What did you
do Just now, when You knelt down and
covered your face with your handss i
sat up, and said, very solemnlyI Il spoke
to God, Helwehp What did you say tO
Him?' said Helweh. / replied, 4 wish
70 sleep; God never sleeps. Ihaye asked
asked Him to watch me, and that may
fall asleep remembering that He never
sleeps, aud wake up remembering HIS
presence. am very weak; God is all
powerful. l have asked Him to stengthS
en- me with His strength ,---.
By this time all the ladies were sitting
round me on my bed, and the slaves
came and stood near. 1 told them did
not know their language well enough to
explain to them all l thought and said
But as had learned the Lords prayer
by heart in Arabic, / repeated it to them,
sentence by sentence, slowly. When L
began thus, "Our Father who art in heay-
en- :" Helweh directly said, You told me
YOUR father was in London replied,
Il have two fathers HelWeh- one in
London, who does not know that / am
here, and cannot till write and tell him;
and a Heavenly Father, who is here now,
and sees and hears US. He is your Far
ther also. He teaches US good from evil,
if we listen TO Him and obey Him
For moment, there -5as perfect silence.
They all looked startled, and as If they
were in the presence of some unseen pow
er. Then Helweh said, What more do
you say?' continued the Lords prays
er, and wheu came to the words, tGive
us day by day our Bread" they said,
"Cannot you make your bread yourselfl"
! The passage, ''FOrgive US our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against
u.s." is particularly forcible in the Arabic
| language, and one of the elder women,
who was rather severe and relentless-loOk-
| ing, on hearing it, said, Are you obliged
to say that every daY7' as if she thought
sometimes it would be difficult to do 50.
They said, Are you MOsleml' / an
swered, L am not called Moslem. Bot
1 am your sister, made by the same God,
who is the one only God, the God of all,
my Father and your Father. They asked
me if knew the Koran, and were sur
lprised to hear that had read it They
handed rosary to me, saying, do you
nnow thatl" I repeated 4 few of the
most striking aud comprehensive attri>
DuteS very cArIulIy huO slOWly% 4n6u
they cried out ''Mach-Allahl the English
4 girl is a true belieyer;" and the Impress
ionable, sensitive looking Abyssinian
slave girls said, with one accord '.She is,
indeed, an angel" ssz1f,s /.
After talking with them for some time,
and answering as clearly as / could their
earnest, shreWd and ohild-like questions,
l said "GoOd night" once more. So they
kissed me, and smoothed my pillow. But
though 1 was fatigued bodily, my mind
was SO thoroughly aroused and interested
that could not Immediately sleep.
watched the women resting under bright
colored quilts, with their heads on low,
silken pillows. The lantern on 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 eried,
and its mother or slave rose 70 quiet 1t,
and It was fed without being taken from
its hammock. The mother stood upright
while the slave inclined the hammock to-
ward her for q few minutes, and then
there was silence again. The room was
very close and warm, and the faces OF
\ some of the sleepers were flashed. At
l. ~. Il