hese changes my faith was strengthened.
After a short time, I asked Mr. Whiting to let me join the Church.
He asked me if I saw any change in myself, and I said, "One thing I
know, that I used to dislike Christian people, and now they are my
best friends." After a short time I was permitted to join the
Church. Then I left off teaching the day school, and was asked to
teach in a Boarding school with Miss Cheney, in the same Seminary
where I was brought up. We taught in that school only six months.
Miss Cheney married, and I was engaged to be married. While I was
engaged, I went to Mr. Bird's school for girls in Deir el Kamr, and
taught there for more than a year. I was married by Mr. Bird in his
own house to M. Yusef Barakat, and then we went to Hasbeiya. I
stayed there seven months and then went to Beirut, and thence to
Damascus with my husband, because he had to teach there. I had
nothing to do there but to look after my house, my little boy, and
my husband.

After some time, the massacre broke out in Damascus, (July 9,
1860,) so we came back as refugees to Beirut. Soon after my husband
was taken ill and then died. In that same year 1860, dear Mrs.
Bowen Thompson came to Beirut. She felt for the widows and orphans,
being herself a widow. She asked me if I would come and teach a
school for the widows and orphans, which I accepted thankfully. We
opened the school with five children and seven women, and the work,
by God's help has prospered, so that now, instead of one school,
there are twenty-two schools. Until now I continue teaching in the
Institution, and had I known that nearly all my life would be spent
in teaching, I should have tried to gain more when I was a child. I
can forget father and mother, but can never forget those who taught
me, especially about religion. Although some of them are dead, yet
still they live by their Christian example, which they have left
behind. My whole life will be full of gratitude to those dear
Christian friends, and I pray that God himself may reward them a
hundred fold.

Yours respectfully,

Sada Barakat.

In the year 1851 the Missionary Sewing Society of the Beirut Female
Seminary heard of the interesting state of things in Aintab, and that
the women