Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-03-27

stone pavement sound asleep. Stu
dents and teachers respect their slum-
Der, cats withoutnumber hobnoh with
them, sellers of bread and water pass
quietlythrought the studying thousands
and the sleeping throngs. No dog is
allowed to enter, for a dog like Chris
tian is ''unclean."
Small children are taught only the
Koran and to write extracts from it
on tin states. The teacher holds a
palm-branch in his hand with which
he frequently administers Justice or
injustice. The children sway their
bodies back and forth. Why? To.
keep awake. As long as they are thus
moving the teacher knows they are
not asleep. That would be an odd
method Of teaching in a Missouri pri-
mary OF kindergarten, but here 1t
scarcely seems strange.
To older students the Arabic gram
mar is first taught and then chiefly
the Koran, afterwsrd law and then
literature and philosophy. The course
3 from three to six years and a diplo-
ma marks its completion.
In a conspicuous portion Of the
eastern portico is the prayer-niche as
in all mosques. This is a semi-oval
indentation in the wall where the
faithful pray with their faces toward
the holy place In Mecca. We saw
great crowds Of students Frustrating
themselves here. These Mohammedan
folk are more religious than the
Christians.
Work begins at El-Azhar with the
sunrise and the lectures are practical
ly all In the forenoon. There are no
foot ball games or other amusements
apparently and it is surprising to find
such a healthy, happy-looking lot OF
young people under these conditions
The student is always under the uni
versity authority. He cannot be
punished by the Cairo authorities nor
is he liable to military duty. Equality
is Characteristic of this universities
it should be Of all schools. The SON OF
the Pasha, in robes Of silk, sits by the
side of the peasant youth with his sin
gle scanty cotton garment. A singu-
lar tradition connected with this re-
nowned institution of learning is
though tits largely open to the sky, nc
bird, not even the inquisitiye sparrow.
has ever entered its sacred portals
They fly above but never enter it.
!, We passed a most interesting hal
? day within the walls OF the University
lEl-Azhar, from an educational stand
, point the most important in all the
r Mohammedan world. We were par
ticularly well treated by our younI
[ Arabic guide, and, unlike Orientals ii
I general not a cent Of bakshis would h
take.
: SMALLER SCHOOLS AT PUBLIC FoUN
TAlNs.
Nearly every public fountain In Calr
e Is a school. 1t is amusing 10 watch
e schoolmaster In the open space at tn
fountain teaching a lot OF half-growl
~ Arabs, with the aid Of sundry admonI
lions and blows. Here, too, the Kt
ran is the textbook, the boys swa
their bodies and yet find time for mil
chief as do western school boys. Thes
l. smaller schools are maintained b
the private enterprise OF the schoo
T. master himself who is paid by eac
pupil from five 70 ten cent a weel
The mere reading OIL recitation
verses from the Koran is regarded as
meritorious act and the great obiet
n Of these schools is not TO teach gran
n mar or arithmetic, but TO teach u
7. Koran by heart. After learning u
ed alphabet and the pronunciation
r. words the pupil is taught the ninet
u nine beautiful names Of Allah,
is knowledge of which is necessary I
Is him to repeat the n~inety-nine praye
m Of the Mohammedan rosary. The b
I'd for there do not seem to be al
ut girls in these public fountain schoC
lyl-is then made to write out the Fat
W. or the first chapter OF the Kora
on which he reads often enough to Il
OF press it perfectly upon his memol
sWaying his body meanwhile 10 al
in fro, thereby keeping awake and as
N. believes rendering his memory me
in plant. After learning the fiji
,os chapter he next proceeds to learn {
he last, the last but one and the otht
sr- in the same inverted order until
ID reaches the second, the reason bel
rit that the chapters gradually dimini
a in length from the second to the la
Of AMERICAN MISSION SCHOOLS IN IT
eir EAST.
IL "No agency" said Judge John
re- Long, the popular and accomplish
40 American consulgeneral at Cairo,
doing a much for the redemption
this country from heathenism and
norance as the American Presbyteri
mission schools. Indeed / believe n
are doing more than all other agenc
'or combined Uninfiuenced by politi'
a. motive the mission has done tenfG
"a more for the caus Of education a
M the spread Of the English langua
and the gospel in Egypt than
'ys Great Britain with all its boast
army Of occupation" These Pr
byterian Mission Schools, upward o
ne hundred In number, are distrlbut
ut throughout the country, and Accord
ID 10 the editor Of the Egyptian Gaze
lry ARE yearly eleyating thousands
70 youths TO a better condition, teachi
them in particular the value Of ORD
and system" No one who sees {
lot noble work these schools are doing a
res how thousands Of Egyptians Of be
OF sexes owe their well-beiDg 10 the |
rm selfish devotion OF the men and won
ide teachers Of the American Presbyte
iey an Mission will ever cast a slur up
Is. the work Of foreign missions. MOI
ng this the testimony Of preachers or
us thuslastic ~churchmen, but Of practil
Of business men, oeicial Representative
sor politicians and even on-Christians
ool The greatest and largest institute
IT'S OF learning in Egypt is the UniTeB
to Of El-Azhar, but the best work
Dol humanity Is being done by the Anne