They only knew a few words when I first went to Muscat.  For instance, they called all lights, such as lamps, candles, etc., fire.  Well, one night we were sitting on the verandah with the lamp, reading, and Suliman came and said "big fire!" We jumped up and said “where?” Looking all around we could not see a sign of fire.  Then he said, “big fire on table.”  We ran into the dining-room—­still no fire.  Suliman then pointed to the lamp and said again “big fire”; so we learned by that time he wanted the lamp for the table, as dinner was ready.

[Illustration:  LIBERATED SLAVES AT BAHREIN.]

Would you like to hear how a day was spent in this Muscat school when the boys were beginning to learn?  Now the boys are all big and have scattered; they are working as servants in different places and some are learning a trade.  But here is a description of the early days of their training:  “We are up before dawn almost, and yet the boys are up before us, and have taken in their mats (beds), and are splashing about in the big cement bath in the yard.  They do not use towels; the sun soon dries the skin, and then they dress with one article only, a wazeera, a piece of cloth.  After the bath they clean up the schoolroom, sweep the yard; then they eat bread and dates and drink water.  When the meal is finished all the boys wash their hands and put on their coats to come up-stairs.  See how nicely they march forward, two and two, just like the animals going into Noah’s Ark.  They halt in front of the harmonium ’single file’—­’face about’—­’toes to line!’ Now we are ready for prayers.  Look, boys and girls, how quietly these black boys stand; now we are going to sing:’  ’Jesus loves me, this I know.’  They love the singing, and all make as much noise as possible.  Singing finished, we read a short passage of Scripture, and tell very simply how Jesus loved them and died for them.  They are beginning to learn about God and who the Lord Jesus is.  One morning I held up the Bible and asked them, ‘What is this?’

“They answered, ‘God’s Book.’

“‘And what do we read about in God’s Book?’

“They all answered, ‘The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.’  I had been teaching them this Psalm, but I did not know how well they knew it; it was a nice answer, do not you think so?  After the scripture lesson we kneel and pray, all the boys repeating, ’O God, wash me from all my sins in the blood of my Saviour, and I shall be whiter than snow; give me Thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.’  Will you ask God to make the boys pray this prayer from their hearts?  You see they are only just beginning to learn about God.  Before they came to us they were quite heathen.  Prayer ended we all march into another room,—­you may come too, and begin lessons.  The big boys are learning sentences now; the little ones are still at A, B, C, 1, 2, 3.  At the end of two hours of spelling, reading and writing, a little simple drill