Eli and Sibyl Jones, Their Life and Work

by Rufus M. Jones

"Oh! blest to teach where Jesus taught,

And walk with Him Gennesaret's strand!

But whereso'er His work is wrought,

Dear hearts, shall be your Holy Land."

Letters from Eli Jones and his companions will be given farther on to show the nature of their work, the places visited, and something of the good accomplished. Many of these letters are exceedingly interesting, and, being written on the spots which they describe, they throw new light on the scenes of the Bible-land. For the present I wish to follow out briefly the part these two Friends have taken in what may be called distinctive mission-work.

After being engaged for about a month attending meetings in and about London, mostly among the poor, and doing some work in Scotland, they began their journey, stopping with the Friends in the south of France, embarking from Marseilles for Greece, and thence going pretty directly to Beirut in Syria. They had as companions and helpers that earnest and sweet-spirited Christian, Alfred Lloyd Fox of Falmouth, England, and Ellen Clare Miller of Edinburgh, for whom, as she is still living, words of eulogy are happily not yet in place. They spent some months holding meetings, visiting schools, and doing much quiet work up and down nearly the whole length of Palestine. Sybil Jones being all the time in feeble health, they finally returned to England to spend the summer. Sybil went to Ireland, and Eli held meetings in different parts of England. Meantime, Alfred Fox and Ellen Clare Miller, who had become much interested in the work going on in Palestine, had raised a considerable sum of money to assist the mission-schools and general religious work in the Holy Land, and about seven hundred pounds were collected, some of which was sent to those needing it. As the summer went on, Eli and Sybil Jones each separately, began to feel that they had still further work in the East to do, and the way opened for them to return to the work which they had left unfinished. Ellen Clare Miller again attended them, also Richard Allen and Captain Joseph Pim. What money remained was put into their hands to be spent as they saw fit to promote education and spread the gospel in Syria.

While in the neighborhood of Jerusalem they visited Ramallah. There was a boys' school in this place, and here they were met by a young woman who asked that she might be helped to teach a girls' school. Eli Jones asked her if she could teach, to which she answered, yes. After consideration it was decided to take some of the money which had been entrusted to them to start this young woman—Miriam—in the work of educating the girls of the neighborhood. On returning to England at the end of their visit, and reporting what they had done at Ramallah, it was at once accepted by the English Friends, and the little school thus begun was adopted and liberally supported. Ramallah became the seat of the mission and school of the London Friends, and was carefully watched over, built up, and maintained until 1888, when it was decided to be best for American Friends to take it in exchange for their interest in the Brummana mission on Mount Lebanon. It will be called the Eli and Sybil Jones Mission, and the New England Friends are ready zealously to take up and carry on the good work which for eighteen years has received the support of English Friends.

During this same visit, while at Beirut in the year 1869, they met Theophilus Waldmeier, who was engaged in the British Syrian schools. He became much interested in the strangers, and desired to learn more of their religious principles. "Their addresses were so powerful and edifying," he writes, "that our hearts were touched, and I began to think that their religious principles must be of a superior nature. I went to the hotel where they lodged and made their acquaintance, and from that time I have believed that the Quaker principles are the right basis for a true spiritual Church. When these dear Friends left the country their blessed influence remained upon my heart, though they had not the slightest idea of it, nor had I any hope of seeing them again."

Two years later Theophilus Waldmeier met Stafford Allen, and accompanied him, his son, and Joseph Price to Baalbek, so that they became closely acquainted, and he was invited to come to Stafford Allen's house in London, which he did in 1872, and here he made the acquaintance of Hannah Stafford Allen, Robert and Christine Alsop, and others, and he became more and more familiar with the spiritual views of Friends, and later he joined himself to their Society.

He visited the different missions around Mount Lebanon, and he found that there was none at Brummana. It was told him that the inhabitants of Brummana were the greatest thieves and liars in the world. "They are Maronites, Greeks, and Druses, and the evil report of them has filled the country even unto Egypt. Every one is afraid of them. The American missionaries wanted to establish a mission among them, but they were expelled from the place in 1831, and the Bibles and Testaments which they distributed among the people were publicly burned." This showed that here was indeed the spot for a mission, but it would take courage and manly work to establish it. But the order seemed to come to Theophilus Waldmeier, "Go forward;" and on the 9th of the 4th month, 1873, he gave in his resignation to the committee of British Syrian schools, and it was not long before he was settled with his family at Brummana. But, unsupported, he felt he could do little, and he wrote an earnest letter to Hannah Allen for assistance; and this letter was sent to Eli Jones. Hannah Allen sent pecuniary aid to Theophilus Waldmeier for his family. Eli Jones received the letter a little before New England yearly meeting opened, and took it with him to that meeting, not knowing what it would be best to do. Charles F. Coffin attended this yearly meeting, and he made an earnest plea that New England Friends should identify themselves with some mission-work. The subject was taken up and a committee appointed, the names of Eli and Sybil Jones being among the number. Eli Jones at once urged that something be done to help Theophilus Waldmeier, and fifty dollars was raised to be sent to him. Eli Jones was requested to write and find how the religious views of Theophilus agreed with those of Friends, and the answer gave satisfaction to all. American Friends were now ready to take hold of the work on Mount Lebanon, and were anxious to join with English Friends in support of a mission there. Eli Jones wrote to Theophilus Waldmeier: "I am glad to be able to say that our Friends in New as well as in Old England seem much interested in thy work on Mount Lebanon. I think that thyself and dear wife and your helpers may be encouraged to give yourselves to the work of the Lord there, with full trust that your temporal wants will be supplied." After much correspondence it was arranged for English Friends to join those of New England yearly meeting in furnishing funds for the support of the new mission; committees, secretaries, and treasurers were appointed. T. Waldmeier was encouraged to go on with what he had begun, with the certainty that his wants would be supplied. He did so, and the work prospered. He has had much to endure, but he has persevered, and much of the success of Friends' work on Mount Lebanon is due to his faithfulness and courage. English Friends have from the first nobly done their part to support this post of service, and they have shown an untiring interest in it. Eli Jones has felt almost a father's love for this Mount Lebanon mission. He has worked for it, begged for it, and prayed for it. His original fifty dollars, collected from New England Friends, was the first contribution sent to it, at least by Friends, and from that time on he has not ceased to stretch out his hands and heart to help it. He would be the last to claim any honor for the success of either of the missions in Palestine; he is among those who have helped to plant and water, and God himself has given a good increase.