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.

In 1852 and 1853 the Female Seminary in Beirut reached a high degree of
prosperity, and the girls' schools in different parts of the land were
well attended. Miss Cheney arrived from America to supply Miss
Whittlesey's place.