Saada.

CHAPTER VII.

DR. DE FOREST’S WORK IN BEIRUT.

In 1847, Dr. and Mrs. De Forest commenced their work of female education, receiving two young women into their family.  In 13 Mission schools there were 163 girls and 462 boys.  During the year 1847, six schools were in operation in connection with the Beirut Station.  One in the Mesaitebe with 32 pupils, of whom 10 were girls.  This school was promising and 15 of the pupils could read in the Bible.  Another was in the Ashrafiyeh, with 50 pupils, of whom 12 were girls.  Nineteen in this school could read in the Bible.  Another was on the Mission premises with seventy pupils.  Another school, south of the Mission premises, had 60 pupils, of whom 15 were girls.  In addition to these was the Female School with thirty girls, taught by Raheel.

In 1848, on the organization of the first Evangelical Church, nineteen members were received, of whom four were women.  Dr. De Forest had seven native girls in his family, and there were fifty-five girls in other schools.

In 1849, Mrs. Thomson and Mrs. De Forest visited Hasbeiya to labor among the women, by whom they were received with great cordiality.  The girls’ school of that time was regularly maintained and well attended.  Dr. De Forest had thirteen native girls boarders in his family in Beirut, and Mr. Whiting had five.

In the Annual Report of the Beirut Station for 1850, it is stated that “a more prayerful spirit prevails among the brethren and sisters.  One pleasing evidence of this is the recent establishment of a weekly female prayer-meeting, which is attended by all the female members of the Church.  Yet it is somewhat remarkable that in our little Church there is so small a proportion of females.  Unhappily, only one of our native brethren is blessed with a pious wife.  Some of them are surrounded with relatives and friends whose influence is such as to hinder rather than help them in their Christian course, and in the religious training of their children.”

This difficulty still exists in all parts of the Protestant community, not only in Syria, but throughout the Turkish Empire, and probably throughout the missionary world.  The young men of the Protestant Churches at the present time endeavor to avoid this source of trial and embarrassment by marrying only within the Protestant community, and the rapid growth of female education in these days gives promise that the time is near when the mothers in Syria will be in no respect behind the fathers in either virtue or intelligence.  The Beirut Church now numbers 107 members, of whom 57 are men and 50 are women.

In 1851, Miss Anna L. Whittlesey arrived in Beirut as an assistant to Dr. and Mrs. De Forest, and died in a year less one day after her arrival, beloved and lamented by all.  In July of that year five of the women in Hasbeiya united with the Church.