SITT ABLA.

More than twenty years ago in the little Druze village of Aitath, in
Lebanon, about seven miles from Beirût, lived a family of Druze Sheikhs
of the tribe of Telhûk. This tribe was divided into the great Sheikhs
and the little Sheikhs, and among the latter was the Sheikh Khottar. The
proximity of this village to Beirût, its elevated position, cool air,
and fine fountain of water, made it a favorite summer retreat for the
missionaries from the withering heats of the plain. Sheikh Khottar and
his wife the Sitt, having both died, their orphan son Selim and daughter
Abla, called the Sitt (or lady) Abla, were placed under the care of
other members of the family of Telhûk. The missionaries opened a school
for boys and Selim attended it. Dr. and Mrs. Van Dyck were living in
Aitath at the time, and the young Druze maiden Abla, who was betrothed
to a Druze Sheikh, became greatly attached to Mrs. Van Dyck, and came
almost constantly to visit her. The light of a better faith and the
truth of a pure gospel gradually dawned upon her mind, until her love
for Mrs. Van Dyck grew into love for the Saviour of sinners. The Sheikh
to whom she was betrothed was greatly enraged at her course in visiting
a Christian lady, and meeting her one day when returning to her home,
attacked her in the most brutal manner, and gave her a severe beating.
She fled and took refuge in the house of Mrs. Van Dyck, who had taught
her to read and given her a Bible. A short time after, several of her
cousins seized her and scourged her most cruelly, and a violent
persecution was excited against her and her brother Selim. She was in
daily and hourly expectation of being killed by her male relatives, as
it had never been heard of in the Druze nation that a young girl should
dare to become a Christian, and Mr. Whiting, missionary in Abeih, sent
over a courageous Protestant youth named Saleh, who took the Sitt Abla
by night over the rough mountain road to Abeih in safety. But even here