affection, in the Christian family, what is in a
peculiar sense, "a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and
streams from Lebanon!"

"Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a
fruitful field?" When "the reproach of the daughters of Syria," shall be
taken away, and when amid the zearas of the Nusairiyeh, the kholwehs of
the Druzes, the mosques of the Moslems and the tents of the Bedawin, may
be heard the voice of Christ, saying to the poor women of the Arab race,
weary and fainting under the burdens of life:

"Daughter be of good comfort,
Thy faith hath made thee whole,
Go in peace!"

THE CHILDREN'S CHAPTER.

PART I.

_Abeih, Mount Lebanon_, Sept., 1872.

My Dear Son Willie:--

It is now eight years since you left Syria, and you were then so young,
that you must have forgotten all about the country and the people. I
have often promised to tell you more about the Syrian boys and girls,
what they eat and wear, and how they study and play and sleep, and the
songs their mothers sing to them, and many other things. And now I will
try and fulfil my promise.

Here is a little boy at the door. His name is Asaad Mishrik, or "happy
sunrise," and his name is well given, for he comes every morning at
sunrise with a basket of fresh ripe figs, sweet and cold, and covered
with the sparkling dew. This morning when he came, your brother Harry
stood by the door looking at the figs with wistful eyes, and I gave him
a large one, which disappeared very suddenly. Asaad is a bright-eyed
boy, and helps his mother every day.

When he comes in, he says, Subah koom bil khire, "Your morning in
goodness." Then Assaf, the cook, answers him, "Yusaid Subahak," "May God
make happy your morning." If I come out when he is here, he runs up to
kiss my hand, as the Arab children are trained to be respectful to their
superiors. When a little Arab boy comes into a room full of older
people, he goes around and kisses the hand of each one and then places
it on his forehead. Asaad wears a red tarboosh or cap on his head, a
loose jacket, and trowsers which are like a blue bag gathered around the
waist, with two small holes for his feet to go through. They are drawn
up nearly to his knees, and his legs are bare, as he wears no stockings.
He wears red shoes pointed and turned up at the toes. When he comes in
at the door, he leaves his shoes outside, but keeps h