Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-04-06

which assail him as soon as he raises his
mosquito net to be succeeded by flies equal
| ly persistent. Mother has a long story Of
| fleas, but the thermometer marks only 20
| the sky is clouded so she is happier, bright
or, cooler she is rested Early repeated
| whistling Of small railroad permanent
creaking Of sacchiah under our windows /;
night hooting Of owls early croaking Of
crows regular "a" "a" like in father
Of the boy who watches the blind OK or COW
which turns the wheel, such is the writ
ten photograph Of a morning in Cairo, our
windows overlooking Il plantation Of bana-
mas a yard full Of empty bottles aud old
| boxes, next to yard full of laundry clothes,
while black storks circle and circle in the
sky.
Today Our Lady goes with Mrs. Consul
aud pays visit TO the Khedivieh or wife Of
the Khedive, whom she reports hand
| some, stout lady under thirty. As Her
| Royal Highness does not speak English, the
| visit is "A silent one but it would require "A
/ feminine pen to describe the dresses, the
surroundings, the ladies in waiting, the gold
en- coffee cups, etc, etc.
/ March 90 Yesterday received the nee
essary permits to visit the public schools,
the library, aud the celebrated university
| in which over 1000 students study TO be
come priests. 1t is the fountain-he Of
lslamism in Africa has 23O professors and
instructors. At S3O o'clock, with carriage
and guide, wend my way to the mosque
I'll Ashar, situated in the very heart Of the
old city. We reach it through the usual
overcrowded, small streets. Our feet are
put in slippers tied over our boots, that
they may not soil the holy ground Of the
mosque. We pass through an outside
4 shap .
their hair cut very short, all but tuft on
top Of the head one Of them has been cup
ped. They use small hand-mirrors, and
seem as anxious to look well AS any Chris
tian dog. On the right is hall with col
umns, and mats on the floor in it students
learn their lessons each one, sitting by
himself, balances his body forward and
/ backward in order 10 make memory more
plant All learn the Koran by heart--the
first chapter, then the last the last but one,
and so on, going backwards, as each chap
ter first excepted) is shorter than the pre-
viOus one.
We reach an immense court with dilapi-
dated walls filled with groups Of students
from twenty to forty years old, studying,
eating chatting, sleeping. Here are the
poorest students, from outside of Cairo.
Their food is coarse bread, with leeks, on
ions or cheese In a corner are small chests
and wardrobes containing the bedding Of
those who have any the court and mosque
are their dormitories Water in goatskns
is distributed gratuitously Boys, girls and
women, selling candy and provisions cir
culate sellers of Koran printed leaves are
many One young man mends his trousers
another his robe. On one side Of the court
series Of pillars form covered gallery
. lnr ltny ~ pr.l lin 4
school, with tin plates instead Of states on
which boys write the Koran Teachers and
pupils are squutted on the ground on mat,
and shcepsklns.
The mosque proper is an immense hall
with innumerable columns and a low ceiling
for its size. Here and there are classe,
with their professors, some seated on high
chairs, some squattlng on the floor. teach
er- reading and eXpOuuding the Koran, pu
pills with copy in hand listening, one OF
two taking notes. Everywhere student,
learning the Koran, half aloud it is "A gen
eral buzz, and how teachers manage 10 be
heard seems difficult. Some of the profes
sOrs are fluent, earnest men they speak
with "A rapidity and volublity unknown
among Us Christians, A. if they were re
peating a lesson rected great many times
Ny presence does not disturb them | an
hhrulN noticed. l have Oeen silently tOi
lowed by one Of the officials, to whom OF
leaving it Is customary to hand a liberia
contribution pay also the entry porter
for our slippers.
| could spend day in such place, will
It's types Of races and tribes coming from
every part Of Africa, from Arabia and Sy
ria. An artist would make his fortune by
transferring them to canvas with their fea
lures and colors, without their dirt ant
general appearance Of poverty. Most OF
the students have duh, unintellgent faces
When they can recite the whole Koran
they receive a diploma. Out of the 200,
students mentioned in guide-books, | saw
not over 800. They may come at different
times and for short terms only but it take
from five 10 six years for a complete cours,
Of theological and koran-law studies Tn,
mosque has number Of entrances or gates
all similar to the one have described. Tn,
whole is intensely interesting, but equally
sad These men will be the priests Of thei
people-blind leading blind ,