Page 117 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

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10 NEGLECTED ARABIA

school in the morning and at noon, at recess, o» any other time
they have a chance, you see boys, sometimes in groups or some­
times by ones or twos marching back and forth on the verandas,
studying or reading out loud in their characteristic way, paying
m»l llu* slightest heed to what is going on about them. I have
never seen a bunch (if boys of their age more alert, more eager
to learn, and so full of life as well. Of course, they have their
pranks, in the classroom as well as out, and often they carry them
very much into an extreme, loo, but they would not be hoys it
they were never up to such things. But to assure yourself
that ir is not all foolishness on their part all you have to do is
to look at the record of our four graduates of this spring: they
have almost a complete High School education in two languages.
It docs not seem to be any frills of ‘‘niceties” either that at­
tracts the boys to school. Yes—we have sports, some gymnastics,
football, an occasional half-holiday, etc., just a few days ago we had
a field day—the boys and teachers together enjoyed one whole day
of sport and play away from school and school work; at Christmas
time the boys gave an evening entertainment, a few short speeches,
a couple of short farces,—stories dramatized by one of the boys,
in fact, the whole program was made up and arranged by the boys
themselves. But it isn’t these things that play the big part in mak­
ing the boys interested in their school work; it seems to be just
plain solid school work which attracts them. They almost be­
grudge the day when vacation starts again. The first day of our
Easter vacation several of the boys asked me, ‘‘Why do we have
vacation anyway, We’d much rather have school. There’s noth-
ing for us to do but loaf around the streets.”
One thing that impresses me very much, a thing I have noticed
even in the short time I have been here, and that is the farntretch-
ing and lasting influence on all the boys who have ever been in
our school, of the training which they receive there. Training then
in Christian principles does not go lost upon them, no matter what
work they may lake up after they leave school. The seed of the
Cospel message truly finds lodgement in the hearts of many of these
boys and perhaps may even find root, although it seldom ripens out
into the fruits of open confession. It amuses me sometimes, as I walk­
through the streets with Mr. Van Ess, that lie is almost continually
saluting or greeting someone of those we meet, and then he turn?, to me
and says, “That was one of my old hoys” or “he used to he in our
school.” It impresses me with the fact that in a school like ours we do
come in contact with a very large number of boys as the years go hy
and it brings home the fact of the great responsibility upon us in our
position of training and moulding young lives. May we never weaken
hut ever in His strength press on.