The babe is immediately rubbed all over with salt, then wrapped in swaddling clothes, so tight that it cannot move. (Luke ii., 12), "Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger." The shepherds would know by this that the infant was new born, and that it. was at the "khan" in a compartment for animals.

After seven days the child is unfastened, washed with fresh oil, rubbed again with salt, then bound up once more in the clothes. This continues until forty days have elapsed, when it is clothed anew in the ordinary garments of the Feflaheen.

The father makes a feast for his friends, who are expected to bring presents to the child. Every man according to his means deposits money for the benefit of the boy, and, in true eastern fashion, the father, who is also the collector, appropriates the sum total for his own use.

The custom of bringing gifts is an old one; we find it mentioned in (Matt. ii., 11), the wise men who came to see Jesus "presented unto Him gifts."

There is still another custom in vogue at the present day that we read of in the Gospel of St. Luke ii., 23, 24, the offering of a sacrifice. But this is generally included in the feast, and differs in kind. A lamb is brought by the relations and its flesh given to the poor.

A very different reception is accorded to a girl, her advent is announced, it is true, but in other words. No glad tidings are conveyed to the father. Instead, the words are "Blessed be the bride," that is a girl that will some day be a bride; thus the messenger breaks the news, so disappointing, gently, by referring to the time when she will be worth something. The father values his new daughter so lightly that he usually accompanies his reply, "God bless thee," with the offer of the girl—a compliment so far as giving the man ample time to earn the dowry. If he accepts, he says, " Iaceept." If on the other hand, he wants her no more than her parent, he declines by merely replying, " God bless thee Abou.—"

If the girl is accepted, a sacrifice is brought to ratify the betrothal and the waiting for the wedding begins.

Very little notice is usually taken of the entry into the family of a female member, as she brings no honour with her. In fact she is of no account until she approaches a marriageable age, and then she represents so much capital, and it is possible for her father to receive credit from the trader who supplies him with sugar, rice, and coffee, on that account. A man having three daughters can reckon himself worth from £60 to £120, according to their age and appearance. But in spite of this value they are not counted in the number of his children. If he is asked the number of his children and he has three sons and three daughters, he answers " three," reckoning only the sons, as daughters don’t count, they are not children to him.

On the birth of his first-born son he assumes a position of considerable importance, and a new name. He is no longer known by the appellation that has hitherto distinguished him, but by that of his son. In future he will be "Abou Abdallah" (if the latter is the name of the boy), i.e., the father of Abdallah".

Children are carried at the breast much longer than in England. Boys especially, up to three or four years of age, sharing even with the next born. The mother believes they will be stronger, and so feeds her son in this way until he can talk and walk, (Isaiah xi., 8), "The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp." (Psalm viii., 2), " Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings."

As the mother’s time is fully occupied with the work of her house and its surroundings, the little mite is laid in a corner; or slung in a piece of carpet on her back when she carries her basket of eggs to market; and swung in a little hammock on the branch of a tree when her labour is in the field. When it is able to use its legs, its energetic mother places them astride her shoulder and it is soon able to keep its elevated position without danger. (Isaiah xlix., 22), "And thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders."

A Muslem boy is not circumcised until he is several years old; the age varies from five to twelve. The son of a Christian is treated in a very different manner—lie is baptised. The Fellaheen who belong to the Greek Church, the Church of the country, are in many ways superior to the poor peasants in the Mohammedan villages, yet they are in most things like them. Up to a certain point they are similar, and if their Christianity is but an outward polish it has raised them to a higher position, and there is still hope for better things.

A peasant mother is very fond of her children, and though she may have little time to caress them she willingly deprives herself of many necessaries in order that she may promote their welfare. Native women make good nurses for European children where care and kindness only are required; indulgence too frequently spoils their charge, never cruelty or neglect.

Very little comfort seems to surround the upbringing of a young peasant though there is no lack of maternal affection. The mother will fondle her babe and call him by all kinds of endearing names, " My life", "My soul", "My lord", "Light of my eye," &c.

Early in life the little brown piece of humanity becomes acquainted with one of the scourges of the East - the flies. As he lies helpless they attach themselves to the most exposed parts of his little face, settling comfortably round his mouth and eyes. At first he screams, then perhaps his mother throws her veil over his face, and the pests depart, leaving him nearly suffocated for want of air. But she cannot long protect him, so he yells until he becomes accustomed to the clusters of flies that sit on his face. After a while little notice is taken of them, and many children may be seen playing amongst the dust of the village without the slightest intention of brushing the insects off.

A peasant is not brought up to the use of soap and water, the salting at his birth is supposed to keep him fresh, and clean for the rest of his life, and no boy in a village ever looks as if he had been washed. It is the want of cleanliness that breeds so many diseases, particularly of the eyes, and why so many become blind when quite young.

Children’s ailments receive but scant attention, nature is the healer except when the illness is prolonged, and a bad attack of fever compels the sufferer to remain indoors. A remedy is then necessary, and the patient is bled by scraping the skin with a razor. If no improvement is visible, branding with a hot iron is the next resource. For inflammation of the gums while teething a red hot needle is applied to the lower part of the tongue. Wounds are covered with a paste, composed of finely-powdered red earth mixed with water.

When these common remedies fail nothing more can be done, branding with a hot iron and the letting of blood are the only means known to the peasants for the alleviation of suffering, and the ultimate cure of a sick person. They consider in any case that the patient is in the hands of God, much more so when no act of their own can save him, and philosophically resign themselves, hoping, of course, that the hand of God will rest, but lightly in affliction, and eventually restore the patient to his wonted health and strength.

After a child has cut its first teeth it is permitted to crawl about the house, armed with a piece of bread, which is very likely the only toy it will ever see. Perhaps, when it is a little older, and able to run after the donkeys into the town or city, a miniature instrument of music, possibly a drum, will be given to it on a feast day.

Girls never have any dolls, they do not even know how to play. From childhood, they seem like little women, and as their clothes are identically the same as those of their mothers, differing only in size, the resemblance leaves nothing but stature wanting. The burdens of life fall quickly to their lot. As soon as they are able to run they are taught to carry the water jar and bring it full from the well. Before they are as old as an English school girl they know how to knead the dough, bake and cook, and are acquainted with all the cares of a peasant’s house; By the time they are twelve they are married,

The life of a woman is full of sadness; from its dawn, when all that is bright and gay should surround it, to the setting of the sun of its existence, few gleams of sunshine flit across the day of a woman’s life. She is one of the goods and chattels bought and paid for like the rest. Her life knows no love but that which she gives to others, to the children she bears, and perhaps sometimes to their father. No Sabbath illumines the week for her, one day is much like another; day after day, month after month, the time of which she takes no account, passes from one year into the next; it records the births of her children and the deaths of her relations, and perhaps the worst of all, the advent of another wife to her husband. Her sprightly step is less firm; the skin of her face begins to wrinkle, and the little red fades into the brown. The arms, that were once so round and strong, can no longer do their duty, and she wanders aimlessly through the village almost unnoticed, except by those who carelessly glance at her shrunken figure, and wonder how soon the "old one" will be going away.

If her sons have been left in the village, and not carried off by the war, her one joy remains. All her life she has denied herself for them, to make them strong and manly; they have given her nothing in return, but she is not disappointed. That she is the mother of so many boys is a blessing that creeps into her heart, and gives it a peaceful throb ere it ceases to beat for ever.

The position of a woman in a Muslim village ‘is melancholy in the extreme. Here in the land where the Saviour lived she is but a beast of burden, or one of the articles in her husband’s house. She is a "thing," not a member of a gentler sex. I remember once a man coming to see me in a village, thinking I was a doctor, for some medicine for his wife’s eyes. He had brought her with him, but left her outside the house where I was sitting, saying, in an apologetical tone, "the thing is without awaiting your pleasure." he would not offend the sensitive ears of a man by even calling her a woman. And wherever the name of Christ is scorned and dishonoured she is no better. But where Christianity has place is side by side with the man. If for no other reason, the women of England owe a debt of gratitude that ought to stir their hearts to do something for their poor heathen and helpless sisters, and more especially in this land of Christ’s birth.

He came to set them free, to raise them to a higher and nobler place in man’s estimation, and in trying to spread His kingdom they are helping their own sex.

The women of Palestine recognised His love and care when on earth - a woman was the first to love and cherish Him - a woman washed His feet with her tears - women beheld Him lifted towards heaven on the cross of shame - women followed to see where He was laid - and women were the first to seek Him after the resurrection.

All women are not able to witness for Him in His own land, but they can help to send others there instead.

A few beams of the light of Gospel love and mercy are being shed amongst the women of the Holy Land by the efforts of the Missionary Societies, and if this book can help, to increase the interest of others in the Christian work of their agents there,. it will not have been written in vain.

Boys have soon to make themselves useful, and when very young watch that the sheep and goats do not stray into the vineyards and the gardens. Now and then they go to the Khateeb, the Moslem priest or teacher, to learn the opening chapters of the Koran, and how to pray. Village children know no games, life is too serious. Before being considered capable of taking care of themselves, they receive other instruction than that given by the village Khateeb. The first lesson that a boy learns, after he can say "father" and "mother," is how to swear. Cursing is a fine art, and requires constant practice and a natural aptitude in the use of language to become proficient. It is therefore necessary to commence early, and a beginning is made with the wish that the devil may be in his father. After lisping the "Abook," as it is termed, the little rascal is patted on the head, and the elders who are present predict his future worth.

The next stage in his education is to tell a lie. When this is accomplished the first rung in the ladder of fame is reached, for "lying is the salt of man." The most prominent trait in the character of a peasant is the zeal he shows in prevarication. He never answers a question with a direct reply, but will evade the most trivial request for information. If a man is asked on the road from whence he comes, the answer will be "from behind," "min warra." Ask him what he wants when he is loafing round your premises, and he will say " Salaamtak", "your peace." One can almost forgive him at times he is so pleasant and polite. The habit of swearing, like lying, he thinks, is one to be cultivated, and care is taken to produce the most ridiculous forms of speech.

It is no uncommon occurrence for a man to beat his son and curse the boy’s father, his donkey’s grand. mother, and the religion of the camel or the devil. These are mere forms of expression and quite meaningless, but when he invokes the aid of "Allah " to cut short the life of his friend matters assume a more serious aspect, and words and phrases follow of too evil a nature to be placed on record. As a rule the Fellah means nothing beyond a desire to emphasise the statements he makes, or to show off his little pleasantries before an admiring crowd.

I once heard a woman, in a quarrel, tell a man he was a "piece of a dog." This was a gross insult, and much worse than saying he was the whole of it, but then she wished to hurt his feelings.

By the life of my beard," "By the life of God," " By my head," are every-day expressions. Among some of the Fellaheen a man is regarded with favour if he rounds off his sentences with "Ai Wallah," "Yes, by God." It is, therefore, easy to understand why there should be a third commandment, and why Christ so often spoke against the use of irreverent language. (Matt. v., 34), "Swear not at all ;" v. 36, "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head."

Women use the same language as the men, and rarely occupy, a secondary place in cursing. The conversation in the house, the road, or the field, is often lewd, and no restraint is ever placed on the tongue even in the presence of children, so that boys and girls begin with the knowledge that comes with the maturity of mind as well as body in England. Yet in many ways, though the language is plain, it is stripped of its coarseness by the absence of thought and intention of anything immoral.