THE SEMINARY.
MAE YOHANAN.--STANDARD OF SCHOLARSHIP.--ENGLISH BOOKS READ IN
SYRIAC.--EXPENSE.--FEELINGS OF PARENTS.--DOMESTIC DEPARTMENT.--DAILY
REPORTS.--PICTURE OF A WEEK DAY AND SABBATH.--"IF YOU LOVE ME, LEAN
HARD."--ESLI'S JOURNAL.--LETTER FROM PUPILS TO MOUNT HOLYOKE
SEMINARY.--FROM THE SAME TO MRS. C. T. MILLS.
When Mar Yohanan returned to Persia after his visit to the United
States, in 1843, Prince Malik Kassim Meerza, who could speak a little
English, asked him, "What are the wonders of America?" He replied, "The
blind they do see, the deaf they do hear, and the women they do read;
they be not beasts." Having visited Mount Holyoke Seminary, he often
said, "Of all colleges in America, Mount Holy Oke be the best; and when
I see such a school here, I die;" meaning that then he would be ready
to die. When he brought her first boarding scholars to Miss Fiske, he
said, "Now you begin Mount Holy Oke in Persia."
As she sought to reproduce one of our female seminaries, as far as was
possible in such different circumstances, it seems fitting to enter
somewhat into the minutiae of its arrangements.
Resemblance to similar institutions at home is not as yet to be sought
in the standard of scholarship, though that is rapidly advancing. In an
unevangelized community, the people move on a lower level. Not only
social condition, but morality and education, feel the want of the
elevating influence of the gospel. A seminary that commences operations
by teaching the alphabet must advance far, and climb high, before its
graduates will stand on a level with those whose pupils were familiar
with elementary algebra when they entered; yet its course of study may
be the best to secure the usefulness of its members in their own
community. If ragged village girls, untutored and uncombed, studying
aloud in school hours, and at recess leaping over the benches like wild
goats, now study diligently and in silence, move gently, and are
respectful to their teachers and kind to each other, a thorough
foundation has been laid; and if, in addition to that, the literary
attainments of the lower classes to-day exceed those of the pupils who
first left the school, the superstructure rises at once beautifully and
securely.
Leaving out the Bible,--which has been already spoken of,--to the
original reading, writing, singing, and composition; have been added by
degrees, grammar, geography, arithmetic, and theology; with oral
instruction in physiology, chemistry, natural philosophy, and astronomy.
But we should neither understand the attainments of the pupils, nor the
source of their marked ability as writers, did we not notice that, as a
reward for good conduct during the day, their teacher was accustomed to
translate orally to them, at its close, at first simple stories, and
then such volumes as Paradise Lost, The Course of Time, and Edwards's
History of Redemption. To these were added such practical works as
Pike's Persuasives to Early Piety, Pastor's Sketches, and Christ a
Friend; and the pupils understood books a great deal better in the free
translations thus given, than in the more exact renderings issued from
the press. Baxter's Saints' Rest, poured thus hot and glowing into a
Syriac mould, was more effective, at least for the time, than the same
after it had cooled and been laboriously filed into fidelity to the
original.
The Seminary was unlike similar schools at home in the matter of
expense. In 1853, the cost for each pupil was only about eighteen
dollars for the year, including rent, board, fuel, lights, and clothing
in part; and as this was paid by the American Board, education to the
people was without money and without price. We have already alluded to
the efforts of the teachers to train up the people to assume this
expense themselves.
Let us now trace the progress made in getting the pupils away from the
evil influences of their Persian homes. In 1843, besides her six
boarding pupils, Miss Fiske had a few day scholars; next year she had
still fewer; and the year after that, they were dropped entirely. Many
wished to send their daughters in this way; but she was decided in her
refusal to receive them, because thus only could the highest good of
the pupils be secured. At first, so great was her dread of home
influences, that she sought to retain them even in vacation; but she
soon saw that their health and usefulness, their sympathy with the
people, and the confidence of the people in them, required them to
spend a part of the year at home. This also gave their teachers a good
opportunity to become acquainted with their friends and neighbors, and
a door was opened for many delightful meetings with women, in which the
pupils rendered much assistance. It also secured the influence of the
parents in favor of what was for the good of their daughters, and made
them interested in the school. During Miss Fiske's entire residence in
Persia, fathers rarely disregarded her wishes concerning their
daughters in her school.
The only time that the teachers were ever reviled by a Nestorian father
was in the case of a village priest. He came one day to the Seminary to
see his daughter, and because she did not appear at once,--she was
engaged at the moment,--he cursed and swore, in a great passion, and
when she did come, carried her home. No notice was taken of it, and no
effort made to get her back; but three years after, the first
indications of his interest in religion were deep contrition for his
conduct on that occasion, and a letter full of grief for such treatment
of those who had come so far to tell him and his of Jesus. He at once
sent his daughter back, and three weeks after she too came to the
Saviour, and even begged, as a favor, to have the care of the rooms of
the teachers her father had reviled. Since then, the priest has written
no less than three letters, as he says, to be sure that so great
wickedness was really pardoned, it seemed to him so unpardonable.
The circumstances of the Seminary required a domestic department. It
was difficult, in Persia, to have girls only ten years old take charge
of household affairs; yet a beginning was made; but how much labor of
love and patience of hope it involved cannot be told to those who have
not tried it. At first, their one hour of work each day was more of a
hinderance than a help; but gradually, through watchfulness and much
effort, they were brought to do the whole without the least
interference with their regular duties in school. They were thus
trained to wait upon themselves, and so one deeply rooted evil of
Oriental life was corrected. This practice also relieved the school of
the bad influence of domestics, while it prepared the pupils for lives
of contented usefulness among a people so poor as the Nestorians.
Besides, in this way they acquired habits of regularity and punctuality
such as they never saw in their own homes.
But while these Western habits were inculcated, such of their own
customs as were harmless were left untouched. They were carefully
taught to do things in their own way, so as naturally and easily to
fall into their proper place at home.
At first, in their daily reports, Miss Fiske dared not ask any question
the answer to which she could not ascertain for herself. The earliest
she ventured to put was, whether they had combed their hair that day.
The pupils all stood up, and those who had attended to this duty were
asked to sit down. The faithful ones were delighted to comply. The
others, mortified and ashamed, remained standing; but if one of them
tried to sit down, a glance of the eye detected her. This simple method
laid a foundation for truthfulness and self-respect; and from this the
teacher gradually advanced to other questions, as their moral sense
became able to bear them, till, when they could answer five
satisfactorily, such as, "Have you all your knitting needles?" "Were
you at prayers?" "Were you late?"--things that could be ascertained at
once,--they thought themselves wonderfully good, little dreaming how
much the teacher did not dare to ask, lest she should lead them into
temptation. After the first revival, she could ask about things that
took place out of her sight; and now this exercise is conducted in the
same way as in our best schools at home. There is very little
communication now between them in the school room. In 1852, there were
only five failures on this point for four months, and those by new
scholars. Dr. Perkins wrote, that year, "The exact system in this
school, and the order, studiousness, good conduct, and rapid
improvement of the pupils, in both this and the other Seminary, are
probably unsurpassed in any schools in America."
In reply to a request for the picture of a day in the Seminary, Miss
Fiske writes, in 1862,--
"You ask for a day of my life in Persia. Come, then, to my home in
1854. You shall be waked by the noise of a hand-bell at early dawn:
twenty minutes after, our girls are ready for their half hour of silent
devotion. The bell for this usually finds them waiting for it, and the
perfect quiet in the house is almost unbroken. At the close of it,
another bell summons us to the school room for family devotion, where,
besides reading the Scriptures and prayer, they unite in singing one of
our sweet hymns.[1] In a few minutes after this, another bell calls us
to breakfast, and, that finished, all attend to their morning work.
Tables are cleared, rooms put in order, and preparations made for
supper--the principal meal in Persia; then for an hour they study
silently in their rooms. At a quarter before nine o'clock I enter the
school room, while Miss Rice cares for things without. We open school
with prayer, in which we carry to the Master more of our little cares
and trials than in the early morning. My first lesson is in Daniel,
with the older pupils, while two other classes go out to recite in
another room. Yonan stays with me, for I want him to help and be helped
in these Bible lessons. The class enjoy it exceedingly, and the forty
minutes spent on it always seem too short. The other classes now come
in, and all study or recite another forty minutes. After that, a short
recess in the yard makes all fresh again. The older classes then study,
while one of the younger ones has a Bible lesson with me on the life of
Christ. Each time I go over it with them I find things which I wonder I
had not perceived before. It is delightful to hear them express their
own thoughts of our blessed Saviour. We trace his journeyings on maps
prepared by the pupils, and they study the Scripture geography of each
place. After this, one class recites ancient Syriac to Yonan, and
another, in physiology, goes out to Miss Rice, leaving me to spend
forty minutes with the older girls on compositions. At present the
topic is, "The Christ of the Old Testament;" and I am thankful that I
studied Edwards's History of Redemption under Miss Lyon. This done,
fifteen minutes remain for a kind of general exercise, when we talk
over many things; and then the noon recess of one and a half hours
allows the girls to lunch, see friends, and recreate, till fifteen
minutes before its close, when they have a prayer meeting by
themselves. [Footnote 1: At first, only one hymn was printed on a
separate sheet; then a little hymn book of five,--as many as Luther
commenced with at the Reformation. Now the hymn book contains about two
hundred hymns, and some of the pupils can repeat them all.]
"In the afternoon, Miss Rice takes charge of the school, and I have the
time out. At present the first hour is given to writing; soon astronomy
will take its place. Recitations in geography follow till recess, and
after that singing or spelling. The last hour, I go in and hear a
lesson in Hebrews. On this Epistle we have full notes prepared in
Syriac, and we study it carefully, in connection with the Old
Testament. Miss Rice also has a lesson in Judges, and then all come
together for the daily reports, more as a family than a school. There
is still an hour before supper for mutual calls, knitting, sewing, and
family duties. After supper and work are over, and they have had a
little time to themselves, come evening prayers. Then they have a short
study hour in their rooms, followed by the half hour for private
devotion, which closes the day.
"Of course, at another time, the studies might be somewhat different.
The hours that Miss Rice and I are out of school we spend in seeing
visitors, holding prayer meetings, going out among the women, and
sometimes devote a whole day to a distant village."
Having thus looked in on a day of study, let us, through the same
glass, take a view of the Lord's day. The letter is dated December,
1855.
MY DEAR FRIEND: I have learned here that He who fed five thousand with
the portion of five can feed the soul to the full with what I once
counted only crumbs. May I give you one of the Master's sermons? A few
Sabbaths ago, I went to Geog Tapa with Mr. Stoddard. It was afternoon,
and I was seated on a mat in the middle of the earthen floor of the
church. I had already attended Sabbath school and a prayer meeting with
my pupils, and, weary, I longed for rest. It seemed as if I could not
sit without support through the service. Then I remembered that after
that came my meeting with the women readers of the village; and O, how
desirable seemed rest! But God sent it in an unexpected way; for a
woman came and seated herself directly behind me, so that I could lean
on her, and invited me to do so. I declined; but she drew me back,
saying, "If you love me, lean hard." Very refreshing was that support.
And then came the Master's own voice, repeating the words, "If you love
_me_, lean hard;" and I leaned on him too, feeling that, through that
poor woman, he had preached me a better sermon than I could have heard
at home. I was rested long before the services were through; then I
spent an hour with the women, and after sunset rode six miles to my own
home. I wondered that I was not weary that night nor the next morning;
and I have rested ever since on those sweet words, "If you love me,
lean hard."
But I intended to tell you of our Sabbaths in school. Saturday is the
girls' day for washing and mending, and we are busy all day long. Just
before sunset, the bell calls us to the school room, and there we
inquire if the last stitch is taken, and the rooms are all in order. If
any thing is still undone, the half hour before supper sees it
finished. After leaving the table, every thing is arranged for the
morning, and then we have a quiet half hour in our rooms. After this,
half the pupils come to Miss Rice, and half to me. Each has a prayer
meeting, remembering the absent ones, also the Female Seminaries in
Constantinople, South Hadley (Mass.), and Oxford (Ohio). All retire
from these precious meetings to their "half hour," as they call it, and
before nine o'clock all is quiet, unless it be the voice of some one
still pleading with her God.
The first bell, Sabbath morning, is at half past five, when all rise
and dress for the day. Morning prayers are at half past six; then comes
breakfast, and, our few morning duties being done, the girls retire to
study their Sabbath school lessons, and sometimes ask to meet together
for prayer. At half past nine, we attend Syriac service in the chapel.
The Sabbath school follows that, numbering now about two hundred
pupils. About two thirds of our scholars are teachers in it, and it is
a good preparation for teaching in their homes. Those who do not teach
form a class. We then go home to lunch, flavored with pleasant
remembrances and familiar explanations of the morning service. The
afternoon service commences at two o'clock, and our Bible lessons an
hour before supper, though some are called earlier, to help us teach
the women who come in for instruction. At supper, all are allowed to
ask Bible questions, and before leaving the table we have evening
prayers. At seven o'clock, Miss Rice and I go to the English prayer
meeting, while the pupils meet in six or seven family meetings, as they
call them, the inmates of each room being by themselves, and the pious
among them taking turns in conducting them. If any wish to come to us
after this, we are glad to see them; and often this hour witnesses the
submission of souls to God.
Besides these there is a weekly prayer meeting on Tuesday evening, a
lecture on Friday afternoon, and on Wednesday, as well as Sabbath
evening, the school meets in two divisions for prayer.
The following journal, kept during the revival, in 1860, by Esli, an
assistant teacher, forms an appropriate continuation of this interior
picture of the Seminary:--
"_February 1st_. To-day, a part of the girls wrote compositions on
'anger,' and a part on 'the gospel.'
"_3d, Friday_. John was here to-day writing to Mount Holyoke Seminary,
and attended our noon prayer meeting. In the afternoon, Deacon Joseph
of Degala preached from the words "King of kings and Lord of lords." In
the evening, Mr. Coan sung with us, and we read the weekly report of
our conduct.
"_5th, Sabbath_. In the forenoon, Dr. Wright preached from Acts ii. 37.
He said that we must know what sin is; that we are sinners; and that we
cannot save ourselves. In the afternoon, Priest Eshoo preached from
Luke xv. 32. The evening prayer meetings were very pleasant.
"_9th_. A blessed morning. Some of the girls are thoughtful. This was
seen in the quiet at table and the silence in the kitchen. The work was
done both earlier and better than usual. During the study hour, the
voice of prayer sounded very sweetly in every room. When the girls
walked in the yard, it was very quiet, and so when they came in. Our
noon prayer meeting was very pleasant; Miss Rice said a few words on
the shortness of time. While Hanee prayed, some wept. When Miss Rice
dismissed us, no one moved; all were bowed on their desks, weeping. She
then gave opportunity for prayer, and while I prayed, all were in
tears. The girls have kept all the rules well to-day. This evening, the
communicants met with Miss Rice, and the rest with Martha. Miss Rice
read about Jonah in the ship, and said a few words; after that, Raheel
the teacher prayed. Then Hanee spoke a little of her own state, and
asked us to pray for Raheel of Ardishai, who is thoughtful. I spoke,
and asked them to pray for Hannah and Parangis, who are in my room.
"10th. The state of our school is the same. Mr. Cochran preached on the
faithfulness of the Jews under Nehemiah, when they rebuilt Jerusalem.
After meeting he told us that the members of the Male Seminary spent
yesterday as a day of fasting and prayer, and many rose confessing
their sins. One very wicked man, also from the village, asked them to
pray for him. After work was done in the kitchen this evening, a little
time remained, and the girls there asked to have a meeting. With
gladness of heart I knelt and mingled my tears with theirs, as though
I, too, were commencing the work. Afterwards Mr. Coan came and sung
with us, and we read the accounts of the week."
Esli, the writer of the above, is the daughter of Yohanan, a pious man
in Geog Tapa, who for a time was steward of the Seminary. She was one
of the first fruits of the revival of 1856, and graduated after Miss
Fiske's return to America. She has since been a most faithful assistant
of Miss Rice, and is very much beloved by the pious Nestorians. But the
following letter to Miss Fiske, from her own pen, dated April 1859,
will form her best introduction to the reader:--
"When I recall your love to me, my heart is full. I remember the times
when we knelt together before our Father in heaven, in godly anguish
for priceless souls. Especially do I remember when God first came near
to me, how you shared my sorrow by day and by night, and pointed me to
Him who bled for me. After you brought me to Christ, you showed me the
helps to a Christian life; that I must pray not only in my closet, but
also in my heart, when at work or studying, that God would keep me. O
that I had heeded your counsels more!
"This winter the Lord led me to see my cold state. For a time the
Saviour's face was hidden; then it seemed to be midnight; but I looked
above, and the darkness fled. I saw him standing with open arms, and
quickly I threw myself into those arms. Tears of joy fell from my eyes,
and by the grace of God I was enabled to go forward day by day. Secret
prayer has since been very pleasant to me.
"We have had pleasant seasons of prayer in our school this winter, and
we trust that some souls have been born again. I have the care of a
circle of girls in the kitchen. They work well, and keep it clean. I
think you know that such work is difficult, but if you were to come in
you would find every thing in order. Every Wednesday we scour all the
shelves and the doors.
"The girls have made the yard very pleasant; but one thing is wanting
there: we miss you at the cool of the day, walking in it to see if any
evil has grown up in your garden.
"I went to my village in vacation; the prayer meetings there were very
pleasant, and I enjoyed much, praying with the women alone. Our seasons
of family devotion also were delightful. In the morning we read the
Acts in course; and as each read a verse, my father asked its meaning.
When he went away to preach, I used to lead, and we then read the
portion for the day, in the book called 'Green Pastures for the Lord's
Flock.'
"In the school we have studied Ezra, in connection with Haggai and
Zechariah, and are now in Nehemiah. In the New Testament we are on
Paul's third journey, and have nearly finished Scripture geography and
theology."
The Seminary keeps up a Christian intercourse with the institution at
South Hadley, as the following letters will show; and the beautiful
melodeon in the sitting room is a tuneful testimony to the liberality
of Holyoke's daughters.
"Many salutations and much love from the school of Miss Fiske to you,
our dear sisters of the school at Mount Holyoke. We rejoice that there
is such a great institution full of holy words and the warm love of
Christ: we hear that many of you have an inheritance above, and are
daily looking forward to it. We want to tell you how glad we are that
the Holy Spirit has come among you, and that God has turned so many to
himself. Though we are great sinners, we rejoice exceedingly in the
success of the work of God in every place; and we beg you to pray that
the Holy Spirit may visit us also, and our people, and strike sharp
arrows into flinty hearts, that they may melt like wax before the fire.
Blessed be God, that though we had become the least of all nations, and
adopted many customs worse than the heathen, and our holy books were
carefully laid away and never used, yet he put love into the hearts of
his servants, that they should come to this dark land. We are greatly
obliged to you and to your people for so kindly sending us these
missionaries. They have greatly multiplied our books, and, as we trust,
brought many souls to Christ. Some of us, formerly, knew not who Christ
was, or whether a Redeemer had died for us; but now he has gathered us
together in this school of godly instruction; and some of us are
awaking to our sins, and to the great love God has shown in sending his
Son to die for us. We thank God very much that we know Jesus Christ,
the only Saviour.
"Again, we want to thank you for sending Miss Fiske to teach us the way
of life; we love her because she greatly loves us, and desires our
salvation. Every day she takes much trouble that we may be the
daughters of God. But her burdens are so great, that we fear she will
not remain long with us, unless some one comes to help her. And now we
have a petition to present: we hear that in many of you dwelleth the
spirit of our Master, Jesus Christ; and that you are ready to leave
home and friends, and go to distant lands, to gather the lost sheep of
Christ. Dear sisters, our petition is, that you will send us a
teacher.[1] We shall greatly rejoice if one comes, and will love her
very much. We ask this, not because we do not love Miss Fiske. No! no!
this is not in our hearts; but she is weak, and her work is more than
she can do alone. We shall expect one to come, and pray God to bring
her to us in safety. [Footnote 1: Miss Mary Susan Rice, already
mentioned in these pages, went out this same year (1847), from the
Seminary in South Hadley.]
"Please remember us in your closets and in your meetings, and ask your
friends to pray for us and for our people. Farewell, beloved sisters."
The following extracts are from a letter written by them, in 1848, to
Miss Susan L. Tolman, now Mrs. Cyrus T. Mills of the Sandwich Islands,
and formerly of Ceylon:--
"Much love from the members of the Female Seminary of Oroomiah to you,
our dear Miss Tolman. We are very glad to find one who loves us so
much, and prays for us. Our delight in your letter was greater than we
can express. Miss Fiske came in joyfully with it in her hand, and while
she read, it seemed as if you were present, inviting and drawing us to
Christ.
"Give our love to all in your favored school, and ask them to pray for
us. We love all those dear ladies, because they have been so kind to
us, and have been willing that Miss Fiske and Miss Rice should leave
them, and come here for our sakes. Though they were dear to you, we
think that now they have come to us, your joy in them is greater. We
hope to hear of many of you carrying the leaves of life to the dark
corners of the earth.
"Dear Miss Tolman, you said, 'You love Miss Fiske, you must also love
Miss Rice.' Did you think that we would not love her? We love them
both, not only for leaving their friends to come to us, but also
because they are full of the love of our dear Redeemer.
"We have heard that you are going to India. We are glad, and love you
more for it, because the love of Christ constrains you to this, and
thus in spirit you come very near to our dear teachers. We entreat
Almighty God to be with you, and bring you in safety to the place he
appoints for you, that you may be a light among a dark people. We hope
that when there you will not forget us, but write us about your work,
and about the daughters of India, whether they love you much or not.
Tell your friends not to sorrow for you, but to rejoice that they have
a friend ready to go and teach those who know not Christ. The Saviour
guide you in all your labors."
Those who aided Miss Lyon to carry out her large-hearted plans in New
England, little dreamed that offshoots from the vine they planted would
so soon be carried to the ends of the earth. Who does not admire that
grace which, in this missionary age, raised up such a type of piety to
be diffused over the globe? Doubtless it will undergo changes in
Persia, as it has done already; but the devout student of Providence
will watch its growth with interest, and its developments will not
disappoint his hopes.