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CHAPTER XVIII

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

THE closing chapter of this volume, from the pen of the Rev. Mr. Smith, is devoted to general remarks upon some traits of the missionary character and habits of the subject of this Memoir.

Mrs. Smith entered upon her work with a high sense of its importance and responsibilities. Love to her Saviour, a lively faith in eternal things, and consequently a high estimate of the value of the soul, were her inducements to undertake it. These emotions were the mainspring of her untiring diligence in her work; and sometimes operated so powerfully upon her mind, as, of themselves, almost to overcome her delicate frame.

Entering thus upon her sphere of labor, she devoted herself to missionary work as her leading business. Every thing was made secondary, and as far as possible, auxiliary to it. This principle pervaded and regulated all her domestic arrangements. To be a mere housekeeper and mistress of a missionary's family, and thus to spend her time in ordinary domestic occupations, she felt would be degrading to her calling. Her table she always furnished abundantly for those who composed her family. Suitable and becoming apparel she ever provided for herself and others. And no house need be kept in better order, or in more perfect neatness than hers. It was a model for imitation. But she was ever devising ways in which these objects might be accomplished with the least expense of her time. This she effected by observing system, and doing as much as possible

by the hands of others. In her house, it may be said with truth, there was a place for every thing and every thing was kept in its place; there was a time for every thing, and every thing was done in its time. Articles for the table which required her time, and were not necessary to health, were dispensed with, and their place supplied by such as her domestics could prepare; though, owing to their ignorance, these were necessarily of the very plainest kind. Time was too precious for her to spend it in labors, the object of which was merely to gratify the appetite. In her estimation, the matter of food was a thing of minor importance, and she liked to have it occupy as little time and as little prominence as possible, in her domestic arrangements. For this object the regular meals of her family were reduced to two breakfast, at seven in the morning, and dinner, at five in the evening. Thus the whole day was left unbroken for labor, and much time was saved.

This subject deserved mention, both to show how she found time to accomplish what she did, and because missionary ladies so frequently complain, that domestic occupations interfere with, and to a great extent hinder, the benevolent labors they would be glad to accomplish. Some have been almost ready to lay it down as a principle, that the wives of missionaries must expect to do little, if any thing, more than take care of their own families. The adoption of such an expectation by ladies entering upon the missionary ife, Mrs. Smith exceedingly deprecated. Her own labors were a practical demonstration, that a much higher standard of usefulness is within reach.

It should be remarked, however, that her industry was of no ordinary kind. It can be said of her, with hardly any qualification, that during her missionary life, she never lost an hour. Her daily labors were begun early. It always seemed to give her great pleasure to throw off sleep, and rise from her bed. The last winter she arose regularly at half past four. The duties of the closet demanded her first attention and in these she usually spent an hour, or an hour

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and a half. It was this that made her love early rising She found great relish in communion with God, when alone with him in the stillness of morning, before any one was moving in the house. Her devotions performed, she began the labors of the day. In these her energy was great. Nothing was shrunk from which ought to be done; and what was begun, was never left unfinished. Her despatch was extraordinary. One could hardly tell when she accomplished all that she did. Whilst another would be talking, and thinking of labor to be done, she would have it finished.

Yet

The labors she carried forward were many. She had no children of her own, and was consequently relieved from many domestic duties, which would otherwise have occupied much of her time, and diminished her labors as a missionary. her family was not small. It consisted the last winter, most of the time, of four friends connected with the mission, two boarding scholars, and three servants; making, with herself and her husband, eleven individuals, without reckoning occasional guests. These were all to be cared for, and still she spent three hours daily, for five days each week, in teaching school. She carried forward a system of visiting among the native females, for religious purposes. Every other day she studied and recited a lesson in a large native Arabic grammar, and on the alternate days translated a portion of a smaller one into English. She took lessons daily in Italian, and translated the weekly Sunday school lessons from the Union Questions into Arabic. She regularly attended a weekly conference meeting, and two female prayer meetings; and kept up an extensive correspondence. Some arrivals would bring fifteen or twenty letters to be answered. And in addition to all, numerous native visitors made large encroachments upon her time.

Her perseverance in what she considered duty, was invincible. She was not glad of an excuse for neglecting it, with apparent consistency. Were it the duty of the hour to at tend a meeting, all arrangements were made to give place to it; and she was rarely absent from her post. In her school

whatever were her domestic labors, whatever company demanded her attentions it might almost be said, whatever was her health - she was punctual at the hour. She might have suspended the school every ecclesiastical festival; the customs of the country favored it; the contrary was in fact almost regarded as heretical; and had she served as a hireling, she would have done it. But she saw that such frequent interruptions injured the school; and with the exception of a few great festivals, when the scholars would not come, it was always open.

She could never persuade herself to allow plans of personal gratification and relaxation to interfere with her labors. She made several excursions, of deep interest to her cultivated mind and rich imagination; one of which led her to the very summit of Lebanon, and the ruins of Baalbek, and another to Jerusalem through the length and breadth of Palestine; but none of these were made at the sacrifice of this principle. Much as she desired to visit the Holy City, such a gratification was no argument to her, nor would she allow herself to listen to the persuasions of her friends, so long as her school would be stopped thereby. She had been in feeble health during the winter, and the journey promised to recruit her; but she could not make a doubtful experiment for her health, at the expense of interrupting her school. At length a beloved Christian sister, not then connected with the mission, but now a valued member of it, came forward and offered to take her place, so that none of her important labors would be suspended. Then she saw her way clear, and set her face toward Jerusalem with a cheerful heart.

Though so closely bound to her duties, she did not go to them as a slave. Her affections were the strong power within, that accelerated her movements. She succeeded remarkably in interesting her feelings in whatever duty required her to undertake. She did it with her whole heart. Her labor was her delight; and she never was happier than when she was the most busy. This was exhibited in her

cheerful, animated countenance during the day, and the satisfaction she manifested often in finding she had no more strength remaining, when the hour arrived for her to seek restoration of it in sleep.

These general observations upon Mrs. Smith's views and character, have been deemed important, as introductory to a more detailed view of her labors.

On entering her station, she devoted herself exclusively to the natives. She might have found much to do for the benefit of the European population of Beyroot. Among the English and Americans alone, there were children enough to form a school; whose parents were grieved to see them growing up without proper instruction, and were anxious to have them taught by some missionary friend. Surprise, indeed, was sometimes expressed, that she neglected them to devote her time to the Arabs. She did not, however, neglect them. She felt and prayed for them, and for all the inhabitants of Beyroot, and did what she could incidentally for their good. But it was to the natives she had devoted herself. To them she felt herself a debtor, and she would allow no other engagements to interfere with their claims, and divert her energies from them.

Such views rendered a knowledge of the Arabic language necessary. Nor would a mere passing acquaintance with it suffice; such as is picked up by most Franks in the country, enabling her to express herself intelligibly on ordinary topics. Her object required that she should be able to converse freely and acceptably on religious subjects, and to lead in prayer, to the edification of natives. To this end a thorough acquaintance with the principles of the language, and a ready command of an extensive vocabulary of words, were necessary. Such a knowledge of that most difficult language, she deliberately set herself to acquire, and unremittingly and successfully did she pursue her aim.

The alphabet she learned while on her voyage from Malta to Alexandria; but before reaching Beyroot, she had acquired no appreciable knowledge of the language. With

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