The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-02
I---T = ~ : v :
MRS. LAYYAH RARAKAT.

A Short Sketch of Her Eycntiul Life
= meetinE OF! the Missionary Society.
The seventh annual meeting OF the ,Wo
mems Foreign Missionary Society Of the Pres
bytery Of Washington, which includes thu
Presbyterian churches in this city, will DO hele
in this city at the First Presby terrain church
to-day and Tomorrow. The annual meeting
will commence at 2 o'clock this afternoon
This evening an address will be made BY
Mrs. Barakat, more familiarity known as the
Syrian woman Layyah. She Is in this country
at present ior the purpose OF telling the noble.
hearted ladies who are contributing 10 The
work " hat has been done In her iar-off land
and also what remains to be done, She Il
also studying at the Philadelphia Med:
ical College, and will return as mis-.
tionsry physician. Her husband is with her,
She will commence her address about T:30
O'Clock. Abont ono hundred delegates from
the various mission societies and banda OF
the Presbytefy are expected to be present al
the meeting, besides many visitors from Other
Presbyterles. A large attendance Is looked
Tor tonight. The following short sketch OF
Mrs. Barakat's lie will be Of interest: -.
She wa1 born among the Masonites in the
mountains OF Lebanon. When quite child
her family and tribe were driven from their
homes by the fearful massacre OF the Maron.
ties and Druses of 1850. Her father was
murdered, but her tribe received aid snd
comfort from the American, missionaries at
Beirut. After their return 10 their desolatsd
homes she became 0 scholar in the day and
6undayschool OF the American missionaries,
Rev. MI; BIRD and wife, where she became
, The prosecutions she endured from her
family were auch however. that after much
suffering she fled 10 Beirut and threw herself
upon tho Christian charity Of Dr.. Jessu. OF
the American mission Tiers. He wrote. to
Philadelphia to the -"Walnut 6treet Prfsbr-
terrain 'eabbatl-school," who agreed To adm.
cate Layyahr at-his semiuary-muoh to her
Gstonishment and gratitude. When ciphteet,
years Of age she returned as native Chris.
tian teacher To- her people and became the
instrument OF the conversion Il her brother
(among others) who is now missionary
worker In SYRIA She then studied Arabic,
and with her husband, nntive of Dam ascus.
weut to teach the Arabic population OF Egypt,
Her husband was scholar rand translator Of
the Scriptures into ;Arabic-also one edition
for the blind. *. s. y y n = 4 49, 4
. Alter Tour years labors there they wers
Obliged to fee for their lives, during the Re-
bellion, TO Malta. and from thence by the
way OF France and England to this country,
landing at Philadelphia In August, 1852.
The only clue she had 10 her Philadelphia
Of twelve years before was the
name "Dr. Dulles, Chestnut And after q
days fruitless search in a strange city, al.
most pobbed by the street eamiUs as "Gyr.
sies," abe was finally directed 10 Rev. Dr.
II town: but finally found Christian friends
Ind haven OF reat at his sons home. From
hat time, after learning soms English, aha
has been leoturing upon the subject OF ior.
,isn missions, exciting great lntefsst In the
work wherever she GOES. IL. ~