The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1892-08-03
MISS NAJERBIE Alta
A SYRIAN STUDENT VISITS
cLOvERP0RT AND
LECTURES.
SHE EXPLAINS MISSIONARY
WORK IN FOREIGN LANDS
AND TALKS INTEREST
INGLY ABOUT HER
NATIVE C0UN-
TRY.
Is Interviewed By The News.

MISS NaJeeDle Alta, oil Zahleh. Mount
Lebanon, Syria, was the guest, from
Thursday last until yesterday, Of Mrs.
Sallie Miller.
Miss Alta is native Syrian, and is an
intelligent, good looking brunette, aged
about 20 years. She is travelling in the
interest Of foreign missionary work and
is under the auspices of the Presbyterian
Missionary Board. She lectured in the
Elm-street Methodist church Sunday
night to q large and interested audience.
Her lecture was replete with eloquence,
touching appeals, and information of
which the average American citizen is in
profound ignorance, intelligent and en-
lightened though we profess to be, and
every individual who sat within the
sound of her attractive voice and listened
to the appeals Of her simple, child-like
eloquence retired to his home with far
better opinion of foreign missions than
he had ever entertained before.
A representative of the News called on
Miss Alta at the residence OF Mrs. Miller
Monday afternoon and was received
with pleasant smile and gentle grasp
OF pretty little brown hand. In answer
to the question as to how long she had
been in this country, Miss Alta, in her
charming broken English, said:
~ have been in your beautiful country
two years. have been taking private
medical lessons in New York City, as
well as perfecting my English educa-
ton"
How long will you yet remain in this
country?
at will take me two years yet to ac-
quire the education and knowledge that
desire before | return 10 my native
country"
What is the object of your future life,
and why are you so DESTROYS of obtaining
this English and American knowledge2
at is my desire to become doctor SO
that may administer to the bodily af-
flictions Of my sisters in my native land.
We have nothing but male physicians
in Syria and men only are doctorcd. A
woman is not considered to have a soul
and when they get sick they are permit.
ted to suffer upon the bed of affliction
and die without medical attention. ]
wish TO be able to administer to them
incidentally, and " hel they have become
relieved or cured through my agency
they will probably have such an attach.
ment and love for me that may be en-
abled to instill into their minds the spir-
it and faith OF the Christian religion"
Yours is Mohammedan country?
eyes, the national religion is that OF
Mohammed."
Have you religious liberty there as we
have here?
"Since the invasion by Napoleon,
Christians have not been executed for
opinions sake, but it is disgrace to be
a Christian. You are isolated and apart
from your former associations the mo-
ment you profess Christianity. Fathers
and husbands are forsaken by their fam
lilies, mothers must leave husbands and
little ones, and children are driven from
the parental roof and the care and pro-
lection of father and mother"
Are the members of your family all
Christians?
81 have an uncle who is Catholic
Bishop and three more uncles who are
priests. My father died martyr-he
was stoned to death for the sake Of
Christianity"
Here the expression Of the ladychanged
from smiles and pleasantly to that of
distress and sadness and the reporter
FASTENED to change the conversation.
What kind of an impression has this
country made upon you Miss Alta?
With pleased expression that evinced
that her words came from the heart,
Miss Alta replied: "Oh, l think it is so
grand !! Just think OF the large
cities, the great buildings, the broad
and beautiful streets, the railways, the
boats, and last, but not least, the liber-
ties, the happiness, and the education
and advancement of the American
people
How does it compare with your
country?
"Our houses are low, yours are up into
the sky; our streets are narrow alley,
ways, yours are broad thoroughfares
we have no railroads or steamboats,
you use electric lights, we use oil lamps;
and our country is so oppressed that
there is no chance or encouragement
for the people to make any advancement
If man should make an important
discovery or consummate some valuable
invention, he might spend say as much
as $25, 900 in perfecting il, and then he
would have to present it to the Sultan.
The Sultan would accept it and gener-
ously make the inventor present of
say S. 900, 80 the inventor would be out
his fortune and his invention besides.
Would you not rather make this coun-
try your future home than to return TO
your native landp
"Were it not for my work would, but
il seems TO be my duty to do something
for the benefit OF my benighted people,
Would it not be possible for some
good-looking, gallant young American to
persuade you TO remain in this country ?
A blush diffused the face OF the pretty
brunette as she laughingly replied:
"Were such a thing going TO happen, it
seems that / have been here long