The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-06

who devote their time to the harems.
going from one house to another.
teaching the women OF the harem 20
read and. Of course. giving them the
Bible and other Christian literature.
The women do not desire emancipa-
ton from the harem. alife which would
be worse than death to an American
woman. but they are interested In the
education which gives them strong
or hold upon their husbands. For that
reason the harem work is quite pros
porous.
Very few converts to Christianity
come from the body of Islam. The
American mission ministers have bap-
tized about 100 Mosiems in the past
few years. but the progress 10 very
slow. Mohammedanism II the only
Eastern religion which has not yielded
to the efforts of evangelical Christian
missionaries to any marked extent.
Among he Copts. and other religious
bodies, the church work of the Amer
lean Mission has succeeded wonder
fully. There are sixty organized Pres
byterian congregations and 244
preaching stations. There are 10000
native members of Presbyterian
churches, and forty-six native ordained
ministers. The native Presbyterians
contributed $4,000 last year to the
support of the mission work. The
church work has been much more sue
cessfu1 in Upper Egypt than in the
Delta. Many wealthy men In Upper
Egypt have allied themselves with the
cissions. and there Ii one native Pres
byterian millionaire who makes liberal
donations each year to both church and
educational work. Within a few years
the Presbyterian Church in Egypt VIII
be entirely self-supporting.
The medical work of the mission is
the cause of bringing many people
into touch 9th the educational and
religious departments. Five hospitals
are maintained in various parts OF the
country, trained physicians and nurses
are in charge. visits are made to the
homes and villages. and free clinics are
held for the treatment of the milder
diseases. The national curse of Egypt
Is opthalmia. and the American, hos
pitfalls make speciality OF treating
sore eyes. The Moslem women are
SO much In fear Of the evil eye fhat
or brush the hies. for fear the chill
dren Will become SO beautiful that
they will attract the EVIL Eye. There
fore half the people in the street have
but one eye each, and the totally
blind are legion.
The women physicians and nurses
are taking the gospel Of sanitation
into the naremS, where hihH piiysi~
clan might not enter, and where every
Illness has been treated only accord
ing to the dictates OF some ancient SUI
perstition. And all the time these
medical missionaries are urging the
people TO wash the chiidren's faces.
ana warning themsof the dangers Of
dirt. It seems hopeless task to at
tempt to divorce these people from
saualor and NTH. but the effort is be-
ing bravely made by these devoted
Americans.
young boys from the American
schools are preferred IN employment
by business men, and young girls from
the American schools are eagerly
sought for wives. Men from the Amer
team college find ready employment
with the government or in professional
capacities. Egypt recognizes the good
done by the American mission in Its
treatment Of the alumni of the Ameri-
can schools. Americans. Of whatever
faith, or religious belief. cannot fail TO
be proud Of the truly American acc
compfishments OF this mission.
(Copyright, 1909, by Frederic ]. Has
KIM