Eli and Sibyl Jones, Their Life and Work

by Rufus M. Jones

The later visits of Eli Jones to Palestine and their object have already been spoken of. With an accurate knowledge of the land and its customs, as well as of the needs of its people, he was especially adapted to taking a prominent part in directing the work of education there. He has always had a faculty for raising funds, and, having been especially successful in gathering money for building and necessary expenses, the time seemed to have come for opening a boy's training-home on Mount Lebanon. It had seemed best to organize a meeting of the Society of Friends at Brummana, so that he went in 1876 to assist in person the accomplishment of these two designs.

He sailed alone to Liverpool, and then with Alfred Lloyd Fox, who had accompanied him on his first visit, and Henry Newman, proceeded to Beirut, and thence to Brummana.

They rode on horseback up Lebanon, and not far from Brummana beheld a most touching sight. The children of the school stood at a bend in the road, each carrying a bouquet of flowers, which they held aloft as their aged benefactor approached, and all these Syrian maidens together gave their greeting in English: "Welcome, our dear friends!" This simple, sincere manifestation of affection deeply impressed the venerable messenger of Christ and cheered his heart. It was like the loving welcome from his own children upon nearing his own home.

A winter of work was passed pleasantly at the mission and among the natives. In company with Theophilus Waldmeier, the American and English messengers visited Rustin Pasha, the governor of Lebanon, who not only received them courteously and gave them much assistance, but has ever shown himself a good friend of the Friends' mission.

Eli Jones has had the good fortune to win the favor of those high in authority, and he has used well his opportunities to impress the dignitaries of those lands. On the way from Joppa to Jerusalem he was in the same hotel with the governor of Palestine. The latter, hearing that a missionary of the Society of Friends was in the house, wished to see him. They met and talked together as friends. The governor showed himself a man of wide culture and liberal views, believing in the elevation of woman as a potent means of civilization, his own daughters being students of science and literature. He had a clear conception of American civilization, and understood the position and history of Friends, showing much interest in their work at Ramallah. As they parted he asked with much feeling that his aged American friend would pray for him and Palestine.

Again, in 1882, Eli Jones sailed for England on his way to the Holy Land, to be present at the opening of the girls' training-home and to obtain a legal transference of the mission to the Society of Friends. Charles M. Jones of Winthrop, Me., was his valuable companion. They were met in Liverpool by Alfred Fox, who, though not able to attend them on this journey, went as far as Marseilles to see them well on their way. They landed in Joppa, and soon after their arrival were invited by the Episcopalian clergyman to come to his house to meet and address a little company. They found a large number assembled, and Eli Jones was told that he might address them in English, with the assurance of being perfectly understood; so that here, in that ancient city where Peter was taught to regard as clean all cleansed by God, the walls of division were again taken down and a minister of the Quakers preached the gospel in the English language to an assembly of Episcopalians.

On landing at Beirut they visited the American school in that city, and were asked to address the scholars, which they did. After the exercises were over the lady in charge of the school, finding from their conversation that they were Friends, said with much surprise, "I thought you were Presbyterians." They were warmly welcomed at the Mount Lebanon Mission-school, and were occupied there and at the Ramallah mission until the spring of 1883.

On their return, Alfred Fox stood on the wharf at Marseilles to greet them. He did not leave them until their steamer sailed from Liverpool, and there waved them a long farewell. His death not long after removed from this world a grand Christian gentleman, the dearest friend of Eli Jones's later life.

The fourth journey of the latter to Palestine successfully accomplished, the faithful servant of God returned to the familiar scenes of his own home, not to seek the rest of one who puts the armor off, but to spend the last years which God's goodness had given him in declaring with the zeal of vigorous manhood the business of soldiers commissioned by the Prince of peace. Each year which puts its weight upon him lessens the probability of his re-seeing Lebanon and Jerusalem, but no spot except that which eighty years have made almost sacred to him as home has so many memories and attractions touching his heart. When he went from home bowed with age to undertake his last visit some one said, "I fear thou wilt never come back to us." He replied, "Lebanon's top is as near heaven as my native China is."

He has twice visited the missions in person, and each time found work for three or four months. He has always been greatly loved by those for whom the work is being done. Being asked once the reason for his success with these Arabs, he replied, "Because I am of the people. I go down to their condition, but do not stay there; I endeavor to bring them up." They are very strong in their affections, and dislikes as well, and they are exceedingly keen to see their real benefactors. Eli Jones experiences his greatest pleasure taking these children around him and teaching them in his characteristic way, while they love him as a good father. In the answers to his questions he was often surprised by the originality of the little pupils. One day as he was talking to a class of girls he asked where the Jordan rises; immediately came the answer. Again, "Where does it end?"—"In the Dead Sea." "And what becomes of the water, as the Dead Sea has no outlet?" There was a long silence, when a little Arab girl replied, in a simple, beautiful metaphor, "The sun drinks it up." On one occasion he found the children sitting on the floor to be taught; he at once ordered seats for the room, though he was told they would not use them. He replied, "We will see; if you get them from the floor upon good seats, you have raised them so much from their low condition." When he next went to the room he found them proudly sitting on their new seats. One little girl who could speak English came over by his side and said, "We thank you for these seats." When he was about to come back and to separate from them they stood round him with tears in their eyes to wave him a farewell.