our privileges and to walk worthy of
our high calling.

My precious teacher, I know you will rejoice and thank God with me
for His great goodness to me in bringing me to the feet of Jesus.
Oh, how precious He is to my poor soul! He is Heaven. How He
blesses me every moment! His boundless love to _me_ who am most
unworthy of the least of His mercies. If ever any one had reason to
boast of the loving kindness of the Lord, it surely must be myself.
In His great mercy I have had the privilege of openly confessing my
faith in Him, and publicly professing my determination to be the
Lord's at the last communion in the Church here in May. I put it
off till then hoping to do it in Beirut in the Church dear Mr.
Whiting had preached in for so many years, and among the girls I
had taught, and all the young friends there, but as that was not
allowed me, I joined the Church here."

Her devoted friend and loving assistant teacher Luciyah, was deeply
affected by what she learned from Rufka of her new spiritual life, and
she too turned her thoughts to divine things, and soon after the arrival
of Miss Everett and Miss Carruth in 1868, to take charge of the
Seminary, she came out openly on the Lord's side, and in the midst of a
fire of domestic persecution, publicly professed her faith in Jesus as
her only Saviour.

Miss Carruth, after staying just long enough in the Seminary to win the
hearts of teachers and pupils, was obliged to return to her native land,
where she is still an efficient laborer in the New England Woman's
Boards of Missions.

The year following the departure of Rufka to Egypt was a critical time
in the history of the Seminary. Lulu continued in charge of the domestic
department, and Mr. Araman managed the business of the school, while
Mrs. Salt (a sister of Melita and Salome) aided in several of the
classes. But the institution owed its great success during that year, if
not its very existence, to the untiring energy and efficient services of
Mrs. Dr. Bliss and Miss Emilia Thomson, daughter of the Rev. Dr.
Thomson. They each gave several hours every day to instruction in the
English language, the Scriptures and music, and the high standard of
excellence already attained in the Seminary was maintained if not
surpassed.

Their perfect familiarity with the Arabic language gave them a great
advantage in the management and instruction of the pupils,