The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1875-11-24

houses is never paved, and IN this court tnere
was everything diSagreeable. But on one
side the house had been cut away in the
lower story and room about ten feet square
added 10 the court. In this place was all
oven-that is, :, dirt ovel-in which the
baking is done after the fire is swep; out; and
two women were busily employed in attend
ing to it. They looked about as we'll as one
could expect in such place-that IS 10 say,
their clothes looked sticky and their hands
felt So but they came lunning forward aud
kissed US both on each cheek. While they
talked to Miss j., I looked around me. l
knew that they were not baking for them
selves alone Bread is always ''Sent OUT to
be baked, as private families cannot afford
to keep their own ovens; and quite possibly
this bread was intended for the market. The
bread itself is of a kind not known IN any
other part of the world 1t is the native flour
made into Il batter little thicker than for
cake with US, and beaten until it looks almost
like it would froth. 1t is then sent to the
bakery. These women had spread dingy
sheet on the ground in front Of the oven,
sifted -four thickly over j: and :hen poured
the batter over it in small cakes, where it
stands little while "to rise. ;" There was
ga swarm" af flies, Of course, besides half
dozen sooty-looking children of various
ages. Just at my feet was baby of seven
or eight months, lying in the dirt when we
went in. While the women were talking it
had rolled over in the bread, terribly dishgu-
ring some of the cakes with both hands and
feet. The mother caught it by one hand and
swung it off little further, but without
| seeming to think there was any harm done.
| Just then she turned to take out what was in
| the oven. The door was not very large, and
| the bread was taken out with a crooked stick,
with which each cake was dragged to the
door and tumbed down on all the rubbish
which was below, to go rolling as far as it
pleased on that horrid ground. When all
| were out, she took up the cakes so sadly
marred by the baby's feet, mended the rents,
smoothed out the dints and put them in to
| bake.
The other woman was begging Miss john
ston to take another girl, and had grown so
eloquent in her pleadngs that the people up
stairs found there were visitors below, and
! forthwith every window on the court was
crowded with dingy faces, and some Of them
commenced crying down, Whereupon we
took our leave.
When Miss J. took the blind girl eight
months ago, DR.. Lansing said she was more
| q beast than a human being in appearance.
| Now she likes her bath and clean clothes,
clean bed and her food taken at the table,
| and she reads very well, almost as rapidly as
those who see. 1t seemed plain to me today
that Boarding Schools were the only hope,
almost, for the women of Egypt. It is vain
! to expect much from girls who live IN the
same room with donkeys, COWS and pigeons,
wear such clothes and eat such food as we
saw in the last house we visited to-day. But
| Boarding Schools, even with expenses re-
duced as low as they can be, are Still! eXpen-
/ sive, and cannot, therefore, be conducted on
any but q very small scale. So we both came
home feeling sad and little dlsheartened.
With men and boys it is different. Ihey
| are bright, intelligent, quick-witted and hand
| some, while their mothers and sisters look
| as if they belonged to another race. We
came up, however, looked at the girls who
have been here year, and took heart again.
| Our walk had been long one; it was quite
warm in the sun and we felt weary. But
dinner 1einvjgorated US, we came up, and
Miss Johnston set the girls to work. The
| afternoon is principally spent in teaching
| them to sew, make their clothes, &C., and
acquiring English penmanship. l studied
nv evening lesson in Arabic, staid in the
school room until four o'clock, aud then
commenced my writing. At five, my teacher
cxnne and read until half-past Six. We then
had Arabic prayers, and went over to DR..
Lansing'S to tea at seven. Its now half-past
nine, and begin to feel little weary.
You see every moment is filled up, and
Sabbath is as busy day as auy other: So
our lives seem to pass very rapidly. Older
Missionaries often speak of the way The
years 90 round, and canuot realize that l
had been here six mouths. When have the
language and can work with the others, time
will seem to pass more rapidly still. May |
do good in the coming years! ThenI am sure
I will never regret the long, busy days, let
them be many or few. would like to be with
you at your next meeting, but of course that
is vain wish. Give my best love to --
and. all, who know or care for me, so far
away from you ALL Many thanks for the
assurance that am not forgotten. Write to
me whenever you can.
Yours truly,
NJ. E. GALLOWAY.