Page 294 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

8 NEGLECTED ARABIA

A bell rang and the classes changed. As the grade children passed by
some would stop a moment and examine our clothes or give us a sur­
reptitious hug or pat. Classes change every twenty or twenty-five minutes
and I couldn't tell you how many different little hands held me that day.
By and by even the Kindergartners left us. The children all sat down f
in their seats and we dolls had a little rest. This period was the Bible
lesson and first they recited Bible verses. “God is Love.” “He careth for ; ■
you.” “It is a good thing to give thanks . . .” “Thou shalt not steal."
“Lying lips . . .” “Be ye kind . . .” “A soft answer . . “God so
loved . . .” “Thou shalt call His name Jesus . . ” “Suffer little ?■
children . . .” and so on. Then each child said a verse alone, even the
Kindergartners, the Hospital Orphan, the Cute Little Girl, the Dirty
i
Little Girl, all except the Little Pickaninny Baby, and he began to cry, 1
but quickly stopped when 1 was put into his hands to play with.
After the Bible verses came the stories. So many wanted to tell a story
but there was not time for all. They know so many stories from both the ‘
Old and the New Testaments. They like the pictures of them, too, on
the rolls on the walls.
After this lesson all the little children went home and the bigger ones
had Grammar and Spelling. Then there was the noon hour when the room
was very quiet; not a sound inside except the flies buzzing about. What
a lot of flies there are in Arabia! There are so many windows in the
school l suppose it would cost a fortune to screen it, but I do dislike the
flies buzzing around and alighting all over me, and how they sit on the
children’s faces!
I was glad when school began again in the afternoon and my little
friends came back to me. At four o’clock they all left again and wc
were alone until morning. I was rather tired and glad to rest, but I did
feel happy. Here 1 was not making just one little girl happy but a wholefe
roomful of them. How glad I was then I had been left behind atj
Christmas time. I
The days come and go. The school is a very busy place as you might 1
well know with six classes in two rooms. I know it keeps Mrs. Daniet
and Moallimat (Teacher) Sarah busy giving each of the live classesJ
(Kindergartners excluded) all their subjects. Reading, writing, arith- [
metic, geography, hygiene, grammar, English, music, poetry, sewing. Bible r
and a number of other'things. The Kindergartners sit in with the Bible,
music and poetry classes and you would be surprised at how much sonic
of those little tots know. I am getting to Ik* quite proud of my class.
()f course, many of the grade children play with me, too, and nearly
every day in music class some grade child will pick me up and take me
with her to her seat. For maybe we will sing, “I had a little doll,” or
“Sleep, Dolly, Dear,” and then my little friend will have me ready for
the motions of those songs. But I really think they just like me near them
and the music lesson is a good chance.
I can’t begin to tell you about all the different little girls. There was
little Amina, whom I will never see again, for she died just lately from
whooping-cough. And there is M , with the very poor eyes. She isft