The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-04-14
For the Central Presbyterian.
Letter from Egypt.
New HoTEL, CAIRO, March Is,

Will De pleased to hear OF Presbyterian
service in this far-off land Only think
of DR.. Hoge's preaching away off here in
the land of the Pharaohs Our little
party of three started rather early on
Sabbath morning to search out the Amer
lean Presbyterian chapel here, for we had
learned from friends that we could visit
there the Sunday School taughtin Arabic
to the natives, by the missionaries of the
United Presbyterian Church of North
America. How little like the Sabbath it
seemed when the vendors were crying
their wares in the streets, the orange
girls with loaded baskets of the golden
fruit were begging for purchasers, and
the donkey boys were persistent in their
efforts that we should all take Sunday
ride on their nimble little animals. We
were not long in finding the building.
which comprises also a boarding and day
school and on the first floor we found the
chapel. We entered at once, and what
a novel congregation greeted our eyesl
reaching there little too late for the
Bible classes we found them all sitting
quietly among their teachers, the young
and old, and babies too, the former lis
tenlng attentively to a sermon in Arabic,
preached by Mr.. Harvie of Detroit,
Michigan. The congregation was divided,
the men and boys seated on the right,
still wearing the characteristic "tez" on
their heads. The females, divided from
them by red silk drawn curtain, were
completely enveloped in their long white
or black robes, closely yelled, with moth
ing visible except their wild, restless black
eyes, This service of course was not
very ineligible to us, but we were great
ly interested in noticing their marked de-
corum and the solemity with which they
sung their Arabic hymns to such familiar
tunes as Laban, ETC., etc. AS soon as this
service was over, and we shook hands
with some of the natives the missionaries
all came up to us, greeted us cordially,
and several recognizing DR.. Hoge having
seen him at the Pan-Presbyterian Council
OF Edinburgh and elsewhere, requested
him to preach. Though totally unex-
pected, he readily acquiesced, for the min
listers had but Just returned the evening
previously from meeting of Presbytery
at Asyoot, and were happy to have DR.
Hoge take their place. The congregation
was not large, for the morning was unpro-
pitious Git rained hard three times on
Sunday; another erroneous idea of the
climate of Egypt corrected); and tourists
are often strangely neglectful of their
Sabbath privileges while travelling in
foreign lands But more deeply inter
ested assembly we never saw. 1t is use
less to tell you of DR.. Hoges impressive
manner in the pulpit, or how soon he gets
in sympathy with his hearers; and his
subject-matter the gentleness and com
passion and sympathy of Christ" was
most happily chosen, as tending to give
these noble workers for the Lord new
courage and hope, as we'll as to incite
them to imitation of their Master in His
divine tenderness and compassion for poor
frail humanity. The greater the deprav-
ity and frailty as he showed from several
aptly chosen Bible illustrations the more
his compassionate tenderness abounded
His text was that comforting passage
which our Saviour selected when he went
into the synagogue to read, and the book
of the prophet Isaiah was given him, as
recorded in Luke 4th chapter 18th verse,
"The Spirit Of the Lord is upon me, be-
cause he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel to the poor he hath sent me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliv-
erance to the captives, etc, etc. To all
his listeners it was discourse of singular
aptness and power, and sitting as we did
in the little choir led by the ladies of the
mission, we could but notice the undated
interest all through, and now and then
the involuntary tear.
This mission is doing a great and good
work here, and the laborers with whom
we conversed gave us much interesting
information about the Copts, on whom
their labors are chiefly expended, Git is.
so far, almost impossible to reach the OBJ
durate Mussulman). These mission sta
tons are established for considerable
distance up the Nile, as far as Asyoot, and
we shall, if possible, see some of them
when we make our journey thither by
rail. We find it too late now for the
dolce tog' niente life of the dreamy
" Dahabeah.' We are ENJOYING greatly
our stay here in Cairo, visiting some Of
the various Mosques, of which there are
about 400, the curious Bazaars, the Palace
of the Khedive, the Nilometer, etc. To.
morrow we expect to 90 to the Pyramids.
whose distinct outlines we can now dis
Germ, as we'll as the Isle of Rhoda. the
tomb Of the Cahphs, the cemetery of the
M0melulype old Cairo and diefort TToI;o