Page:Domestic Life in Palestine.pdf/388

Rh representing Moses holding the tables of the Law, nailed against the smoke-blackened wall, and ostrich eggs and ornamented lamps suspended from the ceiling. I asked the woman what the eggs were for. She said, "They will keep darkness and sorrow far from us;" but she did not know whence the picture came, or what it was for, and seemed surprised when I told her that it represented "Neby Mûssa," the prophet Moses.

A few days afterward, when Saleh Bek Abdul Hady called, he saw a set of chessmen on our table. He eagerly inquired if we could play, adding, "I have not had a game at chess since the time of Ibrahîm Pasha. I used to play with his officers at 'Akka." When he found that I understood the game he exclaimed, "El-hâmdou lillah! [praised be God!] I will come every day to play with you!" I said, "Excuse me, that would be too often; I have not time to play every day." However, we spent an afternoon at chess about once a fortnight, and I found that I had a skillful and careful antagonist. He was the only Arab in Hâifa who could play chess.

His children, especially the boys, frequently came to our house, and were soon quite at home there. They and their young cousins from Arrabeh, who sometimes came on a visit to Hâifa, were very intelligent and inquiring, and picked up, almost unconsciously, a great deal of information from our illustrated books.

The three little girls came sometimes, but were always accompanied by an old female servant—or duenna—to prevent them from being seen by strangers. These visits were only made when it was known that my brother was out of town. The women came once to see me, by special permission, but the doors of the Consulate were guarded by their own servants all the while they were there. I went to see them as often as I could, and was always heartily welcomed. Except on fête-days, they were generally dressed in jackets and trowsers made of Manchester prints or muslins.