Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-19
THE BOY WITH RED SHOES.
BY OLIVE THORNE.

And not only red, but pointed, and
turned up at the toes, and, worse yet, no
stockings, and, more than that, red cap,
and blue trousers, made like bag, with
| two holes for his legs to go through
which they do nearly up to the knees.
A droll-looking boy, isn't he? Perhaps
you would laugh if you saw him; but
do not think you would; for you would
see so many others dressed just like him
that you'd soon get used to it. And, be-
sides. there are other strange things to see
about this little boys home. There is
| the dress of his sister, for instance. It is
a dress of dark blue, with sort of cap
on the head, and piece of white muslin
for a veil, which she must be sure to pull
over her face if any man comes along.
And if the boy had not red shoes he
would be sure to have them yellow, or
made of wood, and called kobkobs. Then
he has curious manners. When he comes
into a house he is very careful to leave
his shoes at the door-he would be
thought very rude to wear them in; but
he is equally careful to keep his cap on
his head. That is Just the other way from
our way, you see.
His school is not any more like yours
than the other things about him. How
he would stare to see the seats, and desks,
and books, and other things in your
schooLroom! Why, his school is just
large, empty room, where forty or fifty
bOys-leaving their shoes in pile out
side of the door, you must remember-gO
in and squat down on the floor, each one
holding his book, or tin card with les
son on it, and proceed to study by sway
ing back and forth and screaming out
their lessons at the top of their voices.
When one goes up to recite, he has to
shout louder than the rest. 1t is enough
to make one crazy just to think of it,
away off here in America, with good
broad ocean between US.
The teacher of this cOmical school sits
on one side, with long stick, and if one
scholar stops studying he gently reminds
him-with the stick-that he is expected
to study in school. If one is naughty, he
does not get an "error,' or a check"
or any such little thing-by no means.
He is thrown on the floor, his ankles tied
together, and beaten on the soles of his
feet-which is no joke, can tell you.
When school is dismissed, the whole
crowd rushes out; and then comes grand
scramble for shoes. The first boy kicks
the pile over, and then follows a scene
similar to what you may have seen when
fifty American boys want the same thing
at the same moment. If our little red
shoe boy gets hurt, he cries out " Va
Imme (Which means, ooh! my moth
erg' For this is a Syrian boy, and this
school is a native Syrian school.
Everything about this boys home
would seem odd to you. Not the least,
the house he lives in. If it is in a small
village, it is probably made of large
mortar to hold them together, and look
ing as if a good shake would tumble the
whole thing down. For a root logs are
laid across, and covered with earth foot
deep. Comical roof, did you say? Well
that is not the worst Of tit is often built
against side-hill, and the CATTLE and
sheep, and dOnkeys walk right
on to it, and run about, and have regular
fights, bringing down dirt and stones or
the people. To be sure, it does not
trouble the natives much, for they don't
mind little dirt-nor a good deal, l am
afraid
Inside the house is not much more like
yours. To begin with, it is hardly high
enough to stand up in. If man wants
to stand up, he can go out DOORS" the
people say At one end of the large room
The floor is a little higher than the rest
with trough around it. The family live
on this higher part, and the cattle, horses,
sheep, and calves in the lower part, and
the trough is their dinner-table The
family mansion-or, rather, ends lux
uriously furnished with mats to sleep on,
tray to eat from, and few wooden plates
and spoons Of chairs they have no need,
for there is the floor to sit on; tables
would be too high; and as for bedsteads,
they probably never heard of such things.
When the family dine, tray is placed
on a mat on the floor, and all sit around
it. The dinner-either camel stew, pot
tage, olives, and rice, or cooked figs-is
put on the tray, and every one proceeds to
help himself from it. If the family were
aristocratic, they might have chickens,
boiled to bits, or grand mysterious dish
made by pounding meat to a paste,
seasoning it with nuts and onions, and
baking in cakes.
For lamp to light this attractive house
is provided saucer of olive oil, with
piece of wick hanging over the edge.
The oven used by this family to bake
their bread is simply hole in the ground,
lined with plaster. 1t is heated by max
ing a fire in it. When burned to bright
Goals, and the oven is hot, the woman sits
down by it, with fat stone on which she
beats out her dough till it is thin-like
griddle-cake-and as large as a dining.
plate, or larger. This thin cake she sticks
on the smooth side of her oven. 1t cooks
quickly and curls up, but before it falls
she snatches it off and puts another one
on.
But have not told you all about the
shoes yet. Shoes are regarded as very I'M
cIean-as, indeed, they often are, especially
boys shoes. But the people dislike TO
speak of them, and it is considered very
impolite to mention them. If one is
obliged to speak of them, he will make
an apology for abiding to such a vile
subject. The reason they are always left
at the door is that everybody sits on the
floor, and houses are spread with clean
mats for that purpose. The shoes are not
like ours, laced up and hard to get off;
they merely slip on, and are so made as
to put of very easily. There is disad-
vantage about that, too, for when boys run
they easily kick off their shoes.
have not told you half the curious
things about these people Missionaries
who have lived in Syria have written
whole books about them; but this is all |
can tell to-day.-Christ5an Union.