The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-11-16
LIFE IN MODERN PALESTINE
DAuIrEH Ell CARMEL, HAIFA, Oct. 4

thor aspirations. such ~ they are. and to ar
rive Mt n true estimate OF the national charae-
ter. II Ia noedful To remove oneself from any
centre OF so-calod civilization. however crude.
and to live among Thorn rs have boon doing
for tho last threo months and u half. not as a
stranger. but as u villager owning property.
identified with their local interests. and with a
will 70 afford them such practical counsel and
aid as may lie In ons's power. People wonder
what can find to do In a remote Druse village
in tho back parts Of Carmel: but in practice tho
days aro not long enough to deal with the
varied interests that crowd into them.
Scarcely n day passes that visitors do not arrive
from some OF the surrounding villngcs-sheiks
Of high or low degree. Us tho case may bc, gener-
their VISITS. which I know from experience
means a financial proposition OF some sort in
ombarrassGd in their peeuntary circumstances.
money !undars OF tiafa that they eagerly turn
toward ahyoho VINO they think possesses bow
Tho return visits which these invita-.
tions involve. arc often highly character.
istic, in their attendant circumstances and
thom and besides. they give one an oppor-
tunity Of beeoming infinitely acquainted with
the motives by which Oriental human nature
il ac,Galed. There Is. for Instance, a village
about four miles from hero so boaati luly stu
nlsd among T. olive groves. as seen IRON dis
,a ,i, ,'ai 9ad ,omS INTENDED ,, rayias IT. a
como 10 make my acquaintance, Tho mystery
was explained ono day by an old woman whose
he rs a water carrier. on asking how she had
boG9mo SO doe ute she said thai she was a
been wayiad and murdered somc months pre-
Sicusly by some nf tho young nsn of the village
hah been rnayailing. aud since then the Two
villages had no, been ON visi,iGg terms;
As non" Of the inhabitants of Dahliuh would
accompany NE. j found nv own way one day,
70 III. VILLAGE to try and discover Tho rights Of
LaAs 10y II tnl gon'loinanliko man. whom sup
posed to bo III, sholk, but who turned out, TO
the murder. Soon the sheik and number Of
neatly matted guest chamter, We exchanged
compliments and discussed the TOPICS Of tho
@ ss all nn Sns the h, N S ns
this year has been 30 low tina, tho unhappy
,49eaiinn,ry are dr,yrn 10 their wiis' Snd and
necessary cash. ln this emergency l nm an.
Psaed to in every yirss;on for assisianee and
ea.ton would not terminate without the usual
ludIns to the delica,e subject OF tho mnr-
der and tho objections | enter,ninod to
habit Of murdering their .nGislbors. They ad:
With ory ba T hds. dsS S'sn o sad
been inn ,l, way mrilGatod trough he had un-
leased on payment Of heavy sum US bacN-
h II E soss hat r shS sy o as to %ho
position o! tho victim. who had been attacked
deatIbed Oh the otht q hand nc my Sos I' ha nd
hucceeI5d in nr9ving an abb, Tho real cul-
tured back TO the villngc
Under these circumstances l refused any
village Would come 10 Dahloh tender th"ir
humble humble, APOLOGIES. oyer money ,ndem-
according to Arab custom Is a solemn
snce of tho no,abIes OF neighborng VILLAGES:
but 1t yet remained TO DO seen whether the in
as the nan a Who said d he had benz mngty ac
cUsed. declared that he had alree dy suffered SO
% DO mach Sa in hn n b h w M
widow. In spite OF her desttution WAS still
for when she said no money Gould connensate.
IL npsO h hons Of hf,nGn them both
70 ali the, population Of 10Th Villages. Mean,
time the loan stands IN allegiance;
pa"eSmaEsr Il nh he e' Vsss
where iouds are bitter and prevalent not ners-
shsiks IN the same locality, There are almost
always two. and sometimes three. 81 these iii
and who each have their purtisa :. SO that tho
opposing factions Keep, themselves entirely
had occasion TO- Gan on the same day on two
rival shoiks. In that case onn escorts mo until
then ''e lakes laave Of n me- me- and stand
siiii until tho other comes IN 10 taks mo in
cnaTSe. lhese shc!ks am sorry 10 say
often combine with tho money lenders AGAINST
IN interests OF their own follow vii 0gers.
the fhsk and says - Yon and your OF, village
ii YOU viii rersuads your village TO Gorrow
from ns At 40 Per GeG, Iwi,i give yGu so much
LAYERS go That | can come down upon them
facien Of my debt for hall IS value your profit
sEail be 20 much ;,i and You shnll retain such
wiehi an, unboundsi influence over toir own
iacLlon this would be an easy operation were
& Wiz sAe y snsk -n2 rs Whsss two
money lenders take 10 fighting over n village
are not an unmiXed OWL.
he has pracI say the iartanes Of tie villagers Villagers
In his hands, and he must be watched TO
!ustly. The only man in n position to watch
him - the person upon whom he depends for
II this individual happens . be content with n
moderate ratio OF interest and 10 have no ute.
that be may hay, it N his power to do great
G Ns # +, good The Sa:Srs are quite aston,
want your village only want your good will. l
d"s d. 70 heir YOU opt Of your financial scrape
rate Of lnteros, i you viii furnish NO with the
necessary security" Any one saying this finds
rate q interest; the Government officials, who
who. z course. md tneir interest iios rather
WI ~ nc NJ Gas, % 'u'in WIKI tHc UNHAPPY
villagers These iHttcr. accustomed 10 be
plund"rei ail around. naturally do not know
whom TO trust and are apt to look with sus-
picion on n new proposal. however favorable
and disnterested ii may seem. rhs obs acIes
therefore Ia the working out OF improved con
ditions ny any single man. even in the OF
one village. seem almost nsuperabe, and can
only be overcome by much personal intercourse
with the villagers themselves.
The prnses are, sensitive to kindness, and
grateful for II. and rs there are generally some
slck in the village and uuack doctorng pro-
Nidad one tIcads cautiously. Is better than
none. we do good deal Of empirical
practice. and our efforts have met with such
success that we are obtaining somewhat
alarming reputation. OF course we come
across difficult cases as. for instance. the
shieks daughter. She IL rather q nice look
ing girl OF II. with erick In her neck and an
asthmatio affection. On asking how long she
had been i'll. we were informed that her mothe
on the OCCASION OF her birth, was SO angry at
finding The nLill n lrl q nd Ii q IA hoy I'M