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ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
172
they had their meals and their lessons ; all was clean and
airy and in apple-pie order.
Afterwards there was a big gymnastic display and various
competitive games on the big playground in front of the
buildings. It was a pretty sight to see all those brightly
dressed little figures formed up in lines on the plain. Every
thing was done with precision ; evidently their bodily health
and development were well looked after, while their mental
growth was attended to in a good day-school.
In the evening there was a big dinner at the American club,
which is composed of most of the officials of the various
local divisions of the Near East Relief. Besides the American
members of both sexes the Armenian officials who had been
at the opening of the canal were present as guests. There
were numerous speeches, the first being an admirable one by
Mr. Beach, who gave a short account of the work and aims of
the N.E.R. When it came to my turn to say a few words
I spoke of the two memorable days we had just experienced.
First, we had seen how the land which had thirsted for
thousands of years had been given water ; then how thousands
of thirsting and responsive little souls, thousands of happy
eyed children, were receiving loving and wise care. These
things were symbolic of what mankind needed now to heal
the terrible wounds of war : work to improve the material
conditions of life, and love to awaken faith and confidence.
On the foliowing morning (Tuesday, June 2 3rd) we went
over a third section of the Near East Relief: the Polygon
Community, with 3,500 boys and 1,500 girls. Here we saw
the little gardens which the boys had made ready in advance
to receive the water on the great day when the canal should
be opened. Each boy had his own little plot, and they had
worked with a will at planting and sowing them. But that
the water would ever come through this parched desert was
almost more than they could believe.
When the day came the boys all stood ready with their
tin boxes, waiting to spread the water over the soil if it really
came.
And sure enough it had come !—rippling down the little
runnels they had dug for it. Then more—and still more !
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