ng.
Thou wert the fair jewel of Syrian maidens,
Far purer and fairer than pearls of the ocean.
Where now is thy knowledge of language and science?
This sad separation has left to us nothing.
Ah, wo to the heart of fond father and mother,
No sleep,--naught but anguish and watching in sorrow
Thou art clad in white robes in the gardens of glory.
We are clad in the black robe of sorrow and mourning
Oh grave, yield thy honors to our pure lovely maiden,
Who now to thy gloomy abode is descending!
Our Sarah departed, with no word of farewell,
Will she ever return with a fond word of greeting?
Oh deep sleep of death, that knows no awaking!
Oh absence that knows no thought of returning!
If she never comes back to us here in our sorrow,
We shall go to her soon. 'Twill be but to-morrow

CHAPTER XIII.

MODERN SYRIAN VIEWS WITH REGARD TO FEMALE EDUCATION.

In the year 1847, a Literary Society was formed in Beirut, through the
influence of Drs. Thomson, Eli Smith, Van Dyck, De Forest and Mr.
Whiting, which continued in operation for about six years, and numbered
among its members the leading men of all the various native communities.
Important papers were read on various scientific and social subjects.
The missionaries had been laboring for years to create an enlightened
public sentiment on the subject of female education, contending against
social prejudices, profound ignorance, ecclesiastical tyranny and
selfish opposition, and at length the fruit of their labors began to
appear. In the following articles may be seen something of the views of
the better class of Syrians. The first was read before the Beirut
Literary Society, Dec. 14, 1849, by Mr. Butrus Bistany, who, as stated
above, married Raheel, and is now the head of a flourishing Academy in
Beirut, and editor of three Arabic journals. I have translated only the
salient points of this long and able paper:--

We have already spoken of woman in barbarous lands. The Syrian women,
although better off in some respects than the women of barbarous
nations, are still in the deepest need of education and elevation,
since they stand in a position midway between the barbarous and the
civilized. How few of the hundreds of thousands of women in Syria know
how to read! How few are the schools ever established here for teaching
women! Any one who denies the degradation and ignorance