Page 177 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

School Work in Basrah
Miss C. B. Kkli.ien
I T was a proud and a glad day lor all those interested in the better­
ment of womanhood in Arabia when, a few months ago, tun Moslem
girls graduated from our Basrah School. The school had passed
its first decade of existence and service, and three .Armenian pupils had
taken diplomas in the two previous years, but this graduation was an
occasion of deeper significance and called for more fervent thanksgiving
to God who opened the door for the establishment of educational work
for girls in the uuprogre.ssivo past and who alone is keeping it open in
spile of a new Government School with its I wo-fold appeal to a growing
national consciousness and to religious zeal. It means something m a
country like this when two girls, one of them now twenty years old, arc
permitted to complete an eight year course of study in an avowedly
Christian school, and we like to think it means that God has larger
opportunities in store for us even if the rival school still claims a
number of our former most hopeful and best loved pupils.
Such an occasion had, of course, to he celebrated by public exercises,
which, for lack of room in our school building, were held in the “Iraij
Palace Cinema,” a name that conjures up a picture which the reality
is far from fulfilling. At any rate, it had a stage brightened l»\ main
electric lights, and plenty of seats which were gradually tilled bv old- !
young grandmothers, who probably never expected to see a feminine
descendant aspiring to such a high plane of learning; by interested
mothers, many of them unable to read or write themselves and vet, like
mothers everywhere, living largely in the joys and the opportunities oi
their children; by round-eyed baby sisters and brothers, and last hut nut
least by a distracting group of servants and slaves, whose one idea of j
enjoyment seemed to be to make as much noise as possible in a given
length of time. And behind the scenes, the “leading ladies” were just t
as excited, just as conscious of the grandeur of their new dresses, just
as eager to “make good” as youth is always on such occasions. Ami
they sang and recited and played their little Arabic play called “The 9
Garden of Flowers,” to an enthusiastic and sympathetic audience. QUc
mother afterwards said, “All my life 1 shall remember how mv child
looked as the Queen of the Flowers,” and as our minds go back t<> that
picture, a prayer goes up to God that He will not allow the rough touch
of Moslem customs and institutions to snatch away the freshness an,j
bloom of those young lives that are capable of reaching the heights uj
aspiration and of service.
Yes, it was a proud, glad day. hut a sad one. too. for us whose aim
is to lead these pupils of ours to Jesus Glirist, that l»esi Friend oi
womanhood. Our girls have learned many lessons that <|uicken the
mind, broaden the horizon and create higher ideals, but apparently they
have not so learned of our Savior as to desire Him above all else. They
have studied about Him daily, have read His own words and the record
of His earthly life in the gospel story, but they have not found Him in
the power of His resurrection. Many misunderstandings as to whit

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