Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-02-26
Greeting a Missinary.

Xix. S1lARiAEo ~. lNODlNoON dttN
the following incident to discussion
of Arabian Profanity in Scribner's
for March:
Perhaps it is only the part Of candor
for me to state why have 50 much
feeling in this connection. l was be
trayed on one occasion into most
shameful indiscretion. We started for
the usual tourst-trip through the
Holy Land, four Christian women,
three ministers of the Gospel, one Sun
day school teacher, and a theological
student all of us, of course, perfect
patterns Of propriety in our poor way.
We were hardly out of the beautiful
orchards of Jatfa, on our way to Up
per Bethoron, the first day of ten. life,
before Mohammed shouted Yullah to
the beast that bore us, the Cry strain
cd at the very top of his voice, to urge
them forward.
Now we had been trying, modestly
and by sundry little ingenuities of our
own, 10 exhilarate the horses spirits,
having vague notion that they might
be Arab-lan-it seem they were. But
we had long since become convinced
that they they did not understand the
English language at all. The "chir-
rup," the ''click," even the "get-up'
of ordinary courtesy to the high-bred
animals of our own land, made no
more impression than boarding-school
French makes in Paris. But the mo
ment Achmed shouted Yullah, and
black Abdullah, the cook, repeated it,
and our brilliant servant-boy, Hassan,
re-echoed it, (and at the same mo.
ment deity SHE'D persuasive stone at
the leader0 all the cavalcade pricked
up their ears, and started into a pro-
found enthusiasm for az much as two
minutes then, of course, it all
had be done over again. But there
was present gain and hopeful comfort
in understanding we had discovered
what was the thing to do in depress-
ing exigencies.
So for thirty days we all rode on,
and vociferated Yullah whenever
things got dull. AS we neared Bey
root-oh, how wearied, man and beast,
and Mohammed's steed lying dead
down Just beyond Sidon I'VE caught
a far glimpse of the author of this new
volume, DR.. Jessup himself, coming
forth on horseback to meet us. If
ever mortals were glad to see a dear
friend, VIC were glad to see him then.
We could not consent to be tame
under such welcome. Two or three
of us knew him at distance. Up
went hat, and hand, and handkerchief
to greet him as he cantered on. Then
we put forth every effort to come in
in style. Oh, if these jaded beasts
would only comprehend the position
We whipped them and spurred-one
happy man had spur-alas ! we
shouted N1llah, like so many agitated
Indians. We all shouted Yullah, all
the horse arabic we knew, till the
Syrian air quivered. Then we swung
our green sun-umbrellas like faded
banners, and screamed louder and
louder. All this in honor of the mis-
sionary!
But it became evident he was not
pleased. For he stopped short he
put up both his hands ; he waved
them deprecatingly something was
wrong. Yet all which that excellent
man said then was, 80 friends, please
stop saying Yullah I" And wed did.
But we never recall our mastery
approach to Beyroot that hot noon
without an ignominious sense of pro-
fame failure. DR.. Jessrp has told us
since, with hushed voice, that he
never, before or since, saw such
platoon of whooping, swearing troop
ers entering the town, as we we're
And so it may be understood we made
that dragoman learn a lesson, when he
had taught us to 20 disappearing up.
cohScidusly, men and women, all the
way through Palestine!