Page:Domestic Life in Palestine.pdf/215

208 The new Governor, Saleh Bek Abd-ul-Hady, an Arab, came now and then. He said that if there were an English college in the country, he would immediately send his boys to it. Many of our neighbors wished to send their little girls for a few hours every day to my care; but I could not undertake the charge; though, whenever I had time to spare, I encouraged children to come to the house—the only condition being that they should be clean and neat.

Moslem boys do not generally play with Christians, and even the Christian children are divided among themselves. Those belonging to the Greek Church have their street games apart from those who belong to the Latin Church, and they only unite to persecute the poor little Jews.

A gentle-looking little girl, of about six years of age, whose father was a much-respected European and mother an Arab, surprised me very much one day by saying, in Arabic, without any provocation, and with a gesture of scorn, to a Jewish workman, "Go, thou Jew, and be crucified!" The child, naturally good-natured and affectionate, shuddered when she partially understood how cruel and unjust her words had been. By my wish she begged pardon of the Jew; and then, by her own impulse, and to his great wonder, kissed his hands, while tears stood in her eyes.

It was with the hope of checking, as far as I could, this spirit of hatred, intolerance, and persecution, that I encouraged the little ones of Hâifa to meet together in my room. I prepared entertainments for them, played with them, told them stories about England, showed them pictures, avoiding reference to their various creeds. By making them happy together, I hoped that they would learn unconsciously to love one another.

I used sometimes to leave the children to amuse themselves alone, while I retreated to the end of the room, whence I could see and hear all that was going on, without