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The pupils in Suadia are niaking fine progress.Three finishedthe course of studies appointed, andentered the Latakia .school last October. Ourthanks are due to onr friend and fellow worker,Mrs. M. A. Yates, her zeal and interest in thisstation having furnished the funds necessary tocarry on the work as at present established. Mayher prayers for the Orontes Valley be answeredby the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon tbehearts of the pupils and people.The sacrament ofthe Lord's supper has been dispensedat Eldany, Suadia and Latakia during theyear. Seven have been received into the church.Mr. Easson has had a heavy burden to carry alone,buf, notwithstanding the numberless duties, caresand anxieties which fall to the lot of the missionaryoutside of ministerial labor, he has been able topreach every Sabbath, either in Latakia or in oneof the outside stations.Through the efforts of Mrs. Easson, and tbewife of of our licentiate, a woman's prayer meetinghas been <strong>org</strong>anized and carried on, and considerableinterest has been manifested.The teachers have all been faiihful in iheirwork, and the pupils have for the most part beenquiet and diligent.Four infant children of native members havedied during the year. But vve have great reasonfor gratitude to the Giver of all good, thatneither teachers nor pupils of the boarding schoolhave suffered any severe illness, and that theraissionaries have enjoyed uninterrupted goodhealth.The people, who have for many years been mostfriendly, have been even more cordial than everbefore. The Muslems also are not as cold as tbeylfeiiit< uf Mixsioiiarij Tntelliyei 91have been in the past. Numbers of the womenhave visited the girls' school, a thing unprecedented,and the ladies ofthe inission with the teachers Thus a synopsis of our year's work is presentedwere invited to visit their girls' school. Aud for to you. Our prayers, words and deeds are writtenin the Book of God's remeinbrance. It is ourthe last few weeks, we have had two daughters ofa Muslem Effendi in our day school.trembling hope, that when the Book is opened itWe make grateful acknowledgment of favor will be found that many made their first startreceived from the British Tract Society. They heavenward in this year. Having been few ingive us a yearly grant of books for distribution in number, we bave not been able to do as much as athe stations of Latakia, Suadia and tbe mountains, full corps would have done. But the general workto the amount of nine pounds sterling.of the inission has not decreased. We have beenWe were favored last Spring with a visit from waiting anxiously and prayerfuUy thongh perhapsDr. I. J. Bliss, agent of the American Bible So­impatiently for the coming of help. Ouv Heaven­ciety, Constantinople. He deserves our thanksfor his many kindnesses to us. Through his effortsthe Bihle Society pays half the wages ofthe agentin our book store. He has secured a grant ofbibles for the use of the Ansaireyeh children inour schools, and he has been untiring in his effortson the school question.A weekly correspondence has been carried onbetween Mr. Easson and the American Consul iuBeirut in regard to the schools. And we feelthat tbe energy and zeal of Consul Erhard Bissengerhas had a great deal to do wiih the settlementof this much vexed question, and we thinkthat the thanks of the church are due to him. Wehave sent you before the substance of the agreementreached between our Legation and the Ministerof Public Instruction at Constantinople. Butour Consul at Beirut is not pleased with theTurkish School Laws as at present <strong>org</strong>anized, asa compliance therewith is not possible at present,in many parts ofthe Empire. .He has written th'eLegation, asking thai the law and the article withwhich we are required to comply, be modified, andhe writes to Mr. Easson—"Pending a reply fromtbe Legation, I think I am fully justified in suggestingto you the propriety of awaiting tbe resultof our negotiations before taking any furthersteps towards the re-opening of your schools.A few weeks, and even months of delay in accomplishingthe object of our most ardent desires,may be inconvenient, and may even involve materialloss, but tbe subject is of too vital importanceto admit of the acceptance of any arrangementthat will not insure to us for all time to come,absolute immunity from any further interferencefrom the Turkish authorities. To obtain tbis, wemay have to submit to temporary sacrifices, but1 feel confident of ultimate success, aud thereforecounsel patience and perseverance."We were very much disappointed that Synod'scommission failed to visit us.ly Father has answered us in part as we have beforementioned. Miss Edgar arrived safely Nov.4tb, 1886. She has since been diligently study-

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