hey not so?

I went to Church on Good Friday with the Copts. The scene was very
striking--the priest dressed like a beautiful Crusader in white robes
with crimson crosses. One thing has my hearty admiration. The few
children who are taken to Church are allowed to play! Oh my poor little
Protestant fellow Christians, can you conceive a religion so delightful
as that which permits Peep-bo behind the curtain of the sanctuary! I saw
little Butrus and Scendariah at it all church time--and the priest only
patted their little heads as he carried the sacrament out to the Hareem.
Fancy the parson kindly patting a noisy boy's head, instead of the beadle
whacking him! I am entirely reconciled to the Coptic rules.

May, 1865: Sir Alexander Duff Gordon

_To Sir Alexander Duff Gordon_.

NILE BOAT, _URANIA_,
_May_, 1865.

Happy as I was in the prospect of seeing you all and miserable as poor
Upper Egypt has become, I could not leave without a pang. Our Bairam was
not gay. There was horse riding for Sheykh Gibreel (the cousin of Abu'l
Haggag) and the scene was prettier than ever I saw. My old friend Yunis
the Shereef insisted on showing me that at eighty-five he could still
handle a horse and throw a Gereed 'for Sheykh Gibreel and the Lady' as he
said. Then arrived the Mufettish of Zenia with his gay attendants and
filled the little square in front of the Cadi's castellated house where
we were sitting. The young Sheykh of Salamieh rode beautifully and there
was some excellent Neboot play (sort of very severe quarterstaff peculiar
to the Fellaheen).

Next day was the great dinner given by Mohammed and Mustapha outside
Mohammed's house opposite Sheykh Gibreel's tomb--200 men ate at his gate.
I went to see it and was of course asked to eat. 'Can one like thee eat
the Melocheea of the Fellaheen?' So I joined a party of five round a
little wooden tray, tucked up my sleeve and ate--dipping the bread into
the Melocheea which is like very sloppy spinach but much nicer. Then
came the master and his servants to deal the pieces of meat out of a
great basket--sodden meat--and like Benjamin my piece was the largest, so
I tore off a bit and handed it to each of my companions, who said 'God
take thee safe and happy to thy place and thy children and bring thee
back to us in safety to eat the