little, would be a perfectly sufficient servant for
a man alone; he can cook, wash, clean the rooms, make the beds, do all
the table service, knife and plate cleaning, all fairly well, and I
believe now he would get along even without Omar's orders. Mabrook is
slower, but he has the same merit our poor Hassan had, {336} he never
forgets what he has been once told to do, and he is clean in his work,
though hopelessly dirty as to his clothes. He cannot get used to them,
and takes a roll in the dust, or leans against a dirty wall, oblivious of
his clean-washed blue shirt. Achmet is quicker and more careless, but
they both are good boys and very fond of Omar. 'Uncle Omar' is the form
of address, though he scolds them pretty severely if they misbehave; and
I observe that the high jinks take place chiefly when only I am in the
way, and Omar gone to market or to the mosque. The little rogues have
found out that their laughing does not 'affect my nerves,' and I am often
treated to a share in the joke. How I wish Rainie could see the
children: they would amuse her. Yussuf's girl, 'Meer en Nezzil,' is a
charming child, and very clever; her emphatic way of explaining
everything to me, and her gestures, would delight you. Her cousin and
future husband, age five (she is six), broke the doll which I had given
her, and her description of it was most dramatic, ending with a wheedling
glance at the cupboard and 'of course there are no more dolls there; oh
no, no more.' She is a fine little creature, far more Arab than fellaha;
quite a _Shaitan_, her father says. She came in full of making cakes for
Bairam, and offered her services; 'Oh my aunt, if thou wantest anything I
can work,' said she, tucking up her sleeves.

March 6, 1867: Mrs. Austin

_To Mrs. Austin_.

LUXOR,
_March_ 6, 1867.

DEAREST MUTTER,

The warm weather has set in, and I am already as much the better for it
as usual. I had a slight attack, not nearly so bad as that at Soden, but
it lingered and I kept my bed as a measure of precaution. Dear Yussuf
was with me the evening I was attacked, and sat up all night to give me
my medicine every hour. At the prayer of dawn, an hour and a half before
sunrise, I heard his supplications for my life and health, and for you
and all my family; and I thought of