The Press., 1894-11-22
Number 34.

sisters are hiding their talents in napkin because of timidity or sense of inability, instead of testing the Lords willingness to bless.
 "The promotion of purity department, after being laid aside for a time because a superintendent was not forthcoming, has been pushed with renewedssvigor the past year by it's earnest leader.
 "The strong, scientific instruction law enacted by the Connecticut legislature two years ago has been on trial only one school year. What is the verdict? Pos sibly by comparison Connecticut may show a better record the first year than any other state. R But we shall not be content until every school in the common wealth faithfully obeys the law, both as to books: andItmethod and extent of in- struction."
 Mrs. Forbes gracefully introduced Madame Layyah Barakat, late of Syria She appeared perfectly at ease on the platform, used the English language with great iuency, but with delightfully."- crisp accent. Among other things she said:
 "I want to carry your thoughts back to the thirty-fifth chapter of Isaiah. 'The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall re- l jOice and blossom as the rose' Who are these for whom the desert shall blossom? They are the women who wear the white ribbon. Go and cry your message. 1 come to you with an important message. | When I was @ girl in the mountains of
 Lebanon the prince of Wales came to vis- | it my country, and sent word ahead that he was coming. Now when distinguish
 ed visitor comes my people always pre- pare the way. So when this visitor was | coming the governor sent messengers
 bidding them never rest till they had
 faithfully delivered their message They
 went to the highest hills and housetops
 and waited till after sunset when farmers
 and laborers came home. Then they
 cried with all their voices, and gave the people the message that the prince of
 Wales was coming, and they must prepare
 the way. Every citizen must give three
 days work, the feeble and disabled must
 send substitutes, that the crooked places
 must be n ade straight and the narrow
 places made wide. Sisters, 1 stand in the
 name of the governor of the universe, to
 deliver my message to you. The prince
 of glory is coming and we must prepare
 the way.
 ''I have been asked so many times since
 coming here to tell of my girlhood that 1
 will give you little story of my life
 Your people think that the people of my
 country are heathens or Arabs, but we
 are not. Before America our land was
 the center of the world. The people of Syria now are mostly Mohammedans.
 They believe in an almighty God and the prophet Mohammed. Now the great
 principle of Mohammeds life was total
 abstinence. You cannot hire good Mo-
 hammedan to touch liquor. In the north ern mountains are the wOrshipers of Baal
 and the sun. But they practice total ab-
 stinence. In the southern part are the Druses, all total abstainers.
 Il ''We are not all heathen. You remem- Der after Pentecost the first church was
 established at Antioch. If the mountains
 of Lebanon could bring forth all the blood of the martyrs there would be a mighty ) host of christians. But he came unto his , own and his own received him not. Syria [ has been ruled and overruled by heather
 religions. Take the Bible and preaching out of your country for just five years
 and where would your religion be? These heather religions drove christianity from
 our land by the edge of the sword. We , had to wait for America to bring it to us . In my country blood is everything, more ) than education and wealth. 1 am thor.
 ough believer in good blood. Mine is the
 old Syrian Phenician blood.
 "We were more than heathen until the !, light shifted from this center of the world } ''In 1860 there was great massacre ir
 Syria. As my father was an influential man ours was the first home to be attack. , ed. He was shot, and died after a few days.
 , My mother sent me to day-school al !, one of the first American mission stations } but she said 1 must not learn anything about the new religion A Connecticut woman, living in Lebanon to-day, taught l sewing. She offered a prize for goot sewing and liked mine, so told me to come to her house for it. It was veil such as r my country women wear. 1 was afraid } to go to her house, but left my shoes ir } the street because they wear old, and sht } me new pair of shoes if I would go to } Sunday school. I promised to go onl, } one time. The teacher told me the old 3 old story, but it was new story to me. r ''I never thought they would teach m' anything like that. 1 went home and tolC
 my mother I would do whatever she wish 3 ed the whole week if I might go to tn, school on Sunday. But there was trouble 9 When my uncle heard of it he was excited s and locked me up for two or three days : But my uncle gave 8 large party, and n managed to run away to the missionary : house and begged them to keep me. The, 3 followed me; they were determined t should be married. 1 was only 12 year B old. They had the wedding all ready, tn : priest and the guests, but no bride. r was very sorry for them, but l could no e help it.
 a My brother came afterward, took m d hand and dragged me back, 22 years ago f Going for water with jar on my shoul :. der 1 would often stand under the win Il dows of the church and listen to the st o mon and cry. I thought if I only coul g go to a school would give my life to b
 able to read the Bible for myself. wen r IS miles on my feet alone to find Dr. Jes IT sup, and with the pennies of the childre 1T of the West Walnut street church in Phil 1T adelphia 1 was educated.
 II ''I stand before you now as under con