In reply to certain inquiries contained in a note I addressed to Miss T. she writes:  “I arrived in Beirut, June 16, 1835.  Mr. and Mrs. Whiting in Jerusalem were desirous that I should take a small school that Mrs. Whiting had gathered, of Mohammedan girls.  She had in her family two girls from Beirut, Salome, (Mrs. Prof.  Wortabet,) and Hanne, (Mrs. Reichardt.) There were in school from 12 to 20 or more scholars, all Moslems.  Only one Christian girl could be persuaded to attend.  I think that the inducement they had to send their daughters was the instruction given in sewing and knitting, free of expense to them.  Mrs. Whiting taught the same scholars on the Sabbath.  The Scripture used in their instruction, both week days and on the Sabbath, was the Psalms.  After a year and a half I went to Beirut and assisted in the girl’s school, which was somewhat larger and more promising.  Miss Williams had become Mrs. Hebard, and Miss Badger from Malta was teaching at the time.  Mrs. Smith’s boarding scholar Raheel, was with Mrs. Hebard.  I suppose that female education in the family was commenced in Syria by Mr. Bird, who taught the girl that married Demetrius. (Miss T. probably meant to say Dr. Thomson, as Mariya, daughter of Yakob Agha, was first placed in his family by her father in 1834.) The girls taught in the different missionaries’ families were Raheel, Salome, Hanne, Khozma, Lulu, Kefa, and Susan Haddad.  Schools were taught in the mountains, and instruction given to the women, and meetings held with them as the ladies had strength and opportunity, at their different summer residences.  The day scholars were taught in Arabic, and the boarding scholars in Arabic and English.  I taught them Colburn’s Arithmetic.  I taught also written arithmetic, reading, etc., in the boys’ school.”

In 1841, war broke out between the Druzes and Maronites, and the nine schools of the Mission, including the Male Seminary of 31 pupils, the Girls’ School of 25 pupils, and the Druze High School in Deir el Kamr, were broken up.

In 1842, the schools were resumed.  In twelve schools were 279 pupils, of whom 52 were girls, and twelve young girls were living as boarders in mission families.

In 1843, there were thirteen schools with 438 pupils, and eleven young girls in mission families.

During the year 1844, 186 persons were publicly recognized as Protestants in Hasbeiya.  Fifteen women attended a daily afternoon prayer-meeting, and expressed great surprise and delight at the thought that religion was a thing in which women had a share!  A fiery persecution was commenced against the Protestants, who all fled to Abeih in Lebanon.  On their return they were attacked and stoned in the streets, and Deacon Fuaz was severely wounded.

In 1845, Lebanon was again desolated with civil war, the schools were suspended, and the instruction of 182 girls and 424 boys interrupted for a time.

CHAPTER VI.