Part 17 (1/2)

The later visits of Eli Jones to Palestine and their object have already been spoken of. With an accurate knowledge of the land and its customs, as well as of the needs of its people, he was especially adapted to taking a prominent part in directing the work of education there. He has always had a faculty for raising funds, and, having been especially successful in gathering money for building and necessary expenses, the time seemed to have come for opening a boy's training-home on Mount Lebanon. It had seemed best to organize a meeting of the Society of Friends at Brummana, so that he went in 1876 to a.s.sist in person the accomplishment of these two designs.

He sailed alone to Liverpool, and then with Alfred Lloyd Fox, who had accompanied him on his first visit, and Henry Newman, proceeded to Beirut, and thence to Brummana.

They rode on horseback up Lebanon, and not far from Brummana beheld a most touching sight. The children of the school stood at a bend in the road, each carrying a bouquet of flowers, which they held aloft as their aged benefactor approached, and all these _Syrian maidens_ together gave their greeting in English: ”Welcome, our dear friends!”

This simple, sincere manifestation of affection deeply impressed the venerable messenger of Christ and cheered his heart. It was like the loving welcome from his own children upon nearing his own home.

A winter of work was pa.s.sed pleasantly at the mission and among the natives. In company with Theophilus Waldmeier, the American and English messengers visited Rustin Pasha, the governor of Lebanon, who not only received them courteously and gave them much a.s.sistance, but has ever shown himself a good friend of the Friends' mission.

Eli Jones has had the good fortune to win the favor of those high in authority, and he has used well his opportunities to impress the dignitaries of those lands. On the way from Joppa to Jerusalem he was in the same hotel with the governor of Palestine. The latter, hearing that a missionary of the Society of Friends was in the house, wished to see him. They met and talked together as friends. The governor showed himself a man of wide culture and liberal views, believing in the elevation of woman as a potent means of civilization, his own daughters being students of science and literature. He had a clear conception of American civilization, and understood the position and history of Friends, showing much interest in their work at Ramallah.

As they parted he asked with much feeling that his aged American friend would pray for him and Palestine.

Again, in 1882, Eli Jones sailed for England on his way to the Holy Land, to be present at the opening of the girls' training-home and to obtain a legal transference of the mission to the Society of Friends.

Charles M. Jones of Winthrop, Me., was his valuable companion. They were met in Liverpool by Alfred Fox, who, though not able to attend them on this journey, went as far as Ma.r.s.eilles to see them well on their way. They landed in Joppa, and soon after their arrival were invited by the Episcopalian clergyman to come to his house to meet and address a little company. They found a large number a.s.sembled, and Eli Jones was told that he might address them in English, with the a.s.surance of being perfectly understood; so that here, in that ancient city where Peter was taught to regard as clean all cleansed by G.o.d, the walls of division were again taken down and a minister of the Quakers preached the gospel in the English language to an a.s.sembly of Episcopalians.

On landing at Beirut they visited the American school in that city, and were asked to address the scholars, which they did. After the exercises were over the lady in charge of the school, finding from their conversation that they were Friends, said with much surprise, ”I thought you were Presbyterians.” They were warmly welcomed at the Mount Lebanon Mission-school, and were occupied there and at the Ramallah mission until the spring of 1883.

On their return, Alfred Fox stood on the wharf at Ma.r.s.eilles to greet them. He did not leave them until their steamer sailed from Liverpool, and there waved them a long farewell. His death not long after removed from this world a grand Christian gentleman, the dearest friend of Eli Jones's later life.

The fourth journey of the latter to Palestine successfully accomplished, the faithful servant of G.o.d returned to the familiar scenes of his own home, not to seek the rest of one who puts the armor off, but to spend the last years which G.o.d's goodness had given him in declaring with the zeal of vigorous manhood the business of soldiers commissioned by the Prince of peace. Each year which puts its weight upon him lessens the probability of his re-seeing Lebanon and Jerusalem, but no spot except that which eighty years have made almost sacred to him as home has so many memories and attractions touching his heart. When he went from home bowed with age to undertake his last visit some one said, ”I fear thou wilt never come back to us.” He replied, ”Lebanon's top is as near heaven as my native China is.”

He has twice visited the missions in person, and each time found work for three or four months. He has always been greatly loved by those for whom the work is being done. Being asked once the reason for his success with these Arabs, he replied, ”Because I am of the people. I go down to their condition, but do not stay there; I endeavor to bring them up.” They are very strong in their affections, and dislikes as well, and they are exceedingly keen to see their real benefactors. Eli Jones experiences his greatest pleasure taking these children around him and teaching them in his characteristic way, while they love him as a good father. In the answers to his questions he was often surprised by the originality of the little pupils. One day as he was talking to a cla.s.s of girls he asked where the Jordan rises; immediately came the answer. Again, ”Where does it end?”--”In the Dead Sea.” ”And what becomes of the water, as the Dead Sea has no outlet?”

There was a long silence, when a little Arab girl replied, in a simple, beautiful metaphor, ”The sun drinks it up.” On one occasion he found the children sitting on the floor to be taught; he at once ordered seats for the room, though he was told they would not use them. He replied, ”We will see; if you get them from the floor upon good seats, you have raised them so much from their low condition.”

When he next went to the room he found them proudly sitting on their new seats. One little girl who could speak English came over by his side and said, ”We thank you for these seats.” When he was about to come back and to separate from them they stood round him with tears in their eyes to wave him a farewell.

The questions are often asked, ”Is the gain worth the cost? Does the improvement correspond to the outlay and effort?” There is but one answer. These Druse boys and girls are eager to be taught, not only to read and write, but to understand the story and teachings of Christ.

They go from the school entirely different persons, and they are wholly unwilling to go back to their unchristian manners of life. They are capable of becoming good scholars, and many of them are ready to teach others. The character of the natives around Mount Lebanon has completely changed, while those being trained are now in a condition to exert an elevating influence on those about them.

Mission-work, like all other work, must consent to be tested by its fruits. The work of Friends on Lebanon and at Ramallah will stand this test well.

In a letter to his friend S. F. T., Eli Jones writes to express his feeling of loneliness without his wonted companion, and the nature of the work being done in the Holy Land at the time of his third visit there in 1876:

BRUMMANA, 1st mo. 8, 1876.

While my fellow-travellers and Th. Waldmeier have gone to a distant village to attend to matters of business, I have been left to my own reflections, and I have in an unusual manner missed the sympathy and the words of cheer in times of trial that I was sure to receive from her who has been called up higher before me. Her words were as balm to my troubled breast, but now I plod on alone. My life would be too sad and weary to be borne did I not trust that an Eye of compa.s.sion beholds me here even as when in my native land surrounded by loved friends.

We left England on the 9th of 11th mo., and spent several days in France attending ten meetings in that country; then embarking at Ma.r.s.eilles for Alexandria, where we spent a few days meeting old acquaintances and attending to what seemed called for. Again we went on board s.h.i.+p, and next day came to Port Said at the mouth of the Suez Ca.n.a.l, the morning after we were in Joppa. Here we visited the inst.i.tution under the instruction of Jane Arnot, a woman of _great faith_ and of _much works_, who has a school of sixty girls. We found her occupying a new house erected on the very spot where our tent was pitched a few years ago, and where we had a meeting one First day afternoon with the people of Joppa.

We reached Beirut the 31st of 12th mo., and the next day came to Brummana, where we received a warm welcome. Hanne Ferach, my little Bethlehem girl, rushed forward and grasped the hand of her old friend with the cordiality of a loving daughter; also several of the citizens came to bid us welcome to their town. All this was unexpected, and, to speak honestly, it moved our hearts and was a delightful ending of a long journey.

We are much pleased with the work begun here. On First day our meeting frequently numbers over one hundred, the Bible meeting in the middle of the week over thirty.

In the room where I am setting a teachers' meeting is going forward preparatory to the labors to-morrow, which will be the first of the week. Sitting around the table are ten preachers and teachers; two of these are female. Their conversation is all Greek to me, but it is very interesting to see them arming for their work from such an armory.

The Sabbath-school numbers sixty, while there are six schools in operation through the week, reaching at least two hundred and thirty children; all these are emphatically Bible-schools.

CHAPTER XVIII.