The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-08-14
A DFWZe'S Opinion Om Female
Education.

Tl'Hl IL JtSSuPS 55lIdu hohnc Liz.
IN July ! wrote him a note, asking
him, az me of the leading men among
the Druzes, his opinion as to the impOr-
lance of female education in Syria, and
he sent me the following efflorescent
cpistle:
"Kolat el Hush, July, 1872 I
or 8th of Jenedy Akhar, 1889, of the Hegeira, 5
"TO my hOnOred sir, to whom ever
overflow the tides OF grace and favor.
81 would inform you that in the most
prOpitiOus of seasons and most lovely of
the glorious ages the full moons of your
hOnOred writings sparkled over the flow
cry glades, and the sweet waters of your
courteous language murmured through
the recesses of our heart, giving life to
the dead by the delicacy of their hidden
wisdom, and by all the kind inquiries
you have c~ondescended to lay before us
as to what are our views in regard to the
prOpriety and necessity of teaching WO-
men and girls that knowledge aud those
arts which are appropriate to them.
My hOn0red sir, | would answer in
the way OF apology, that I am not of the
knights of this arena, and my great in
capacity to handle such a subject must
be apparent to your cXccllency and to
all who know me. But your kind inter
est in me and my child has led you 20
1mpute to me Il degree of knowledge in
these matters which | do not really pos
seSs, II l can only understand it by re-
calling the lines of the poet
1.-THE favOrinS eye of loving friends
Our fault c%Onceals, our name defends
and | would implorG of Him most exalt-
ed never to deprive me of yOur exalted
regard.
I'm obedience, then, to your request,
| Will venture to express my views in as
far as | know anything about the sub
ject: 1t is not only proper, but neces-
sary that girls should be taught those
sciences and arts which are appropriate
to them, We all know that it is the lac
and custom that girls marry men and
have thrown upon them the duty of
training children. Now, children are
brought up in the lap of the mother, and
not OF the father and, if the mother has
been educated, her children grow up
acute OF perception, intelligent and pure,
and this for the reason that the son as
sOGiates with the mother far more than
with his father for the first ten years of
his life. 1t his mother is enlightened,
educated and Intelligent, her son will be
the same. But, on the contrary, if the
women are uninStructed in science and
proper knowledge and useful arts, and
know not the vaIHe of learning to wo-
man, their children will be like them.
And, ,sl.ppOsing that woman remains I'M
married, still less c;ln she afford to re-
main in ignorance, for she must depend
for support upon her needle, or her pen,
or some one of the useful trades and
arts, and Il proper education in these will
make her independent for life. | might
say more, but this is the extent of my
knowledge ; and those who are possessed
of wisdom and knowledge on these
themes can supply my deficiencies and
convince all directors and OppOsers.
"Allow me to inform you that, mas
much as LOtifeh has now gone home for
the vacation, she will need to know
when the new term begins and come
down to Beirut in proper company.
However that may be, she is your child,
and our chief anxiety is to know assur-
eddy that you Nc in usual health and
prosperity. Please make my highestre
CARDS to their e~xcellencies, the most
hOnored, the teachers of the seminary,
and to all your family. Ny uncle, Ali
Beg, the Kahn Makam, offers to you the
due salutatiOns of reverence and honor
and hearty longing to behold the light
of your c~Ountenance. This is all | need
to write, with the hearty offer to do any
thing you command i'll this region, fol
your commands are my highest honor,
| 7lt"" The petitioner to God for you,
liz. -.'..... "HASSAN HAMADY.n