ugust, 1864, when, on my departure for the U.S.A.
the school was taken up by the late Mrs. Bowen Thompson, whose Society
has maintained it until this day.

In 1863, the number of paying boarders in the Seminary had increased to
twenty, and in 1866 the pupils numbered eighty, and the income from
native paying pupils was about fifteen hundred dollars in gold!

The Annual Examination was held in the latter part of June, in the
Mission Chapel, and continued three days, thronged by a multitude of
interested spectators. The Turkish official Arabic Journal of Beirut,
the "Hadikat el Akhbar," published a lengthy report of the Examination,
pronouncing it the most satisfactory examination of girls that ever took
place in Syria. An English clergyman who was present refused to believe
that they were Syrian girls, insisting that they must be English. The
girls recited in Bible History, giving all the important dates from Adam
to Christ, with an account of the rites, sacrifices and prophecies which
refer to Christ, giving also the names of all the patriarchs, judges,
kings and prophets in their order. Twenty-two different classes were
examined, and many of the girls read original compositions.

On the Sabbath, July 1st, two of the assistant teachers, Asin Haddad and
Sara Sarkis were received to the communion of the Beirut Church. They
traced their religious awakening to the dying testimony of Sara Bistany,
which is described in a subsequent chapter. Several of the younger
pupils were much interested in the subject of religion at the time, and
one little girl about seven years old said to her teacher, "I gave the
Lord my heart, and He took it." Asin died in Latakiah in 1869,
triumphing in Christ. The women of the neighborhood came to the house of
her brother to hear her joyous expressions of trust in Jesus, and her
assurance that she should soon be with Him in glory. She was the second
daughter of that young bride of fifteen years of age, who learned to
read in 1825, in the school taught by her own husband, Tannus el
Haddad.

In 1867, the health of Rufka having become seriously impaired, she
removed to Egypt, where after a period of rest, she opened on her own
account a school for girls in Cairo, which she maintained with her
wonted energy, until her marriage with the Rev. Mr. Muir, a Scotch
clergyman, whom she accompanied to Melbourne, Australia, in 1869. Since
the death of her husband she has returned to her favorite employment o