_LATER VISITS TO THE EAST._
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 assist 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 passed 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 assistance, 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 Marseilles 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 assembled, and Eli
Jones was told that he might address them in English, with the
assurance of being perfectly understood; so that here, in that ancient
city where Peter was taught to regard as clean all cleansed by God,
the walls of division were again taken down and a minister of the
Quakers preached the gospel in the English language to an assembly 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 Marseilles 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 God 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 God'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 class 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 compassion 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
Marseilles for Alexandria, where we spent a few days meeting old
acquaintances and attending to what seemed called for. Again we
went on board ship, and next day came to Port Said at the mouth
of the Suez Canal, the morning after we were in Joppa. Here we
visited the institution 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.