Woman and Her Saviour in Persia: By a Returned MissionaryLaurie, Thomas
History
Woman and Her Saviour in Persia: By a Returned Missionary
Laurie, Thomas
Church of the East -- Missions; Missions -- Iran; Women missionaries
THE FIELD OF CLOVES.--THE LOST SOUL.--THE SAVED SOUL.--HANNAH.
It was very important that the pupils should be able to express their
own thoughts, readily and correctly, with the pen, and unwearied effort
was devoted to this end; but for a long time they seemed incapable of
clothing an idea in words. The simplest sentence was copied over and
over without the change of a single word; and even when it was
expressed for them in other language, they only repeated over that
variation of the first. Three years were spent in trying to teach them
to write their own thoughts, with very little success; but in 1846, the
Spirit of God secured the result that man had sought in vain. After
that, both their ideas and their language were very beautiful. Nothing
pleased them better than to be allowed to write; and it was matter of
grateful remark that those compositions which were penned during a
revival were always the best.
This was especially true in the awakening of 1850, which was noted for
the prevalence of a spirit of meditation and holy communion with God.
The pupils at that time came forth from private intercourse with their
Saviour, to pen some of the sweetest writings in the Syriac language.
One day that winter, both the teachers wished to attend an examination
at Seir, and asked them if they would be diligent during their absence.
"O, yes," was the reply, "if you will only let us write composition."
The following was found on the slate of Nazloo, when they returned:--
"THE CLOVER FIELD.
"We walk out in the country, and the road leads us by a lovely field of
clover. We see it in all its modest beauty. There are the green leaves,
so regular in their form and outline; the beautiful flowers, so
wonderful in their structure; and the sweet fragrance, that regales our
senses as we pass. All these are there, but we see not whence they
come. No showers descend to make it grow; the earth is parched on all
sides. Do you inquire for the source of all this loveliness? A tiny
rill of water flows gently underneath. No eye sees it. You cannot hear
its quiet advance, for it does not murmur as it wears itself out in its
work of love. Noiseless it hies to each little rootlet. It conveys
nourishment to every leaf; not one is overlooked or forgotten. That
unseen rill causes these fair blossoms to spring forth. It distils
these odors for the enjoyment of all that pass this way. What that
streamlet is to the field, prayer is to the Christian. We see it not;
it is all hid from human eye; but O, the rich fruit that it yields
every day in the soul thus made partaker of the life of Christ! That
also makes the wilderness to rejoice and blossom as the rose."
At the annual examination in 1850, Sanum read her composition, a
translation of which is here inserted:--
"THE LOST SOUL.
"I have dreamed a dream, dear friends--may I relate it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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