In April, 1836, she wrote, “My mind is much upon a female boarding school; and if I can get the promise of ten girls, we shall, God willing, remove the press from our house, and commence one in the fall.”

In May she commenced a new term of her day school with twenty-six scholars.  She says, “The wife of a persecuted Druze is very anxious to learn to read, and she comes to our house every day to get instruction from Raheel.”  She also says, “We feel the want of books exceedingly.  The little girl whom I took more than a year since, and who advances steadily in intelligence and knowledge, has no book but the Bible to read, not one.”  Then again, “Should our press get into successful operation, I despair in doing anything in the way of infant schools, because the Arabic language cannot be simplified, at least under existing prejudices.  If every hymn and little story must be dressed up in the august habiliments of the Koran, what child of three and six years old will be wiser and better for them!  How complete is the dominion of the Great Adversary over this people!  All the links of the chain must be separated, one by one.  And what a long, I had almost said, tedious process!  But I forget that to each one will be assigned a few only of these links.  We are doing a little, perhaps, in this work; if faithful, we shall rest in heaven, and others will come and take our places and our work.”

On the eleventh of June, Mrs. Smith’s health had become so impaired from the dampness of the floor and walls of her school building, that her physician advised a sea voyage for her.  After suffering shipwreck on the coast of Asia Minor, and enduring great hardships, she reached Smyrna, where she died on the 30th of September, in the triumphs of the Gospel.  Her Memoir is a book worthy of being read by every Christian woman engaged in the Master’s service.

In a letter written from Smyrna, July 28, she says, “I had set my heart much upon taking Raheel with me.  Parents, however, in Syria, have an especial aversion to parting with their children for foreign countries.  One of my last acts therefore was to make a formal committal of her into the hands of my kind friend Miss Williams.  I had become so strongly attached to the little girl, and felt myself so much rewarded for all my efforts with her, that the circumstances of this separation were perhaps more trying than any associated with our departure.”

Mrs. Smith had from the first a desire to take a little Arab girl to be brought up in her family, and at length selected Raheel, one of the most promising scholars in her school, when about eight years of age, and with the consent of her parents adopted her.  In her care, attentions and affections, she took almost the rank of a daughter.  She was trained to habits of industry, truth and studiousness, and although Mrs. S. had been but nine months in the country when she adopted her, she commenced praying with her in Arabic from the very first.