Page:Domestic Life in Palestine.pdf/438

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SHAAYEA'S TIMIDITY.
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as near as he could to me all day, and at night slept in a nook between some bales of cotton, which were covered with tarpaulin, and stood opposite to the cabin-door. The captain kindly overlooked this breach of order, and allowed him to do as he liked.

I perceived that Shaayea's timidity and weakness increased every day, but his confidence in me, individually, was unbounded. "Where are you going after you land at Liverpool?" he inquired. "To my parents in London," I said. "Then I will also go to London—I will go with you," was his answer. I told him that this would not be possible, and advised him not to think of altering his arrangements, saying, "Before you left Aleppo, you no doubt made your plans carefully, and now you must persevere in carrying them out. You are weak and timid from want of proper food and rest, but you will soon be strong and happy again, when you are with your fellow-countrymen in Liverpool and Manchester." I had asked the captain and mates to use their influence with the sailors, to prevent them from startling Shaayea in any way, especially with the terrible word, "Jack." I also spoke to them on the subject, but although there was an exceedingly good feeling shown toward the poor fellow by all the men, this injunction was naturally regarded as a joke. However, I believe care was taken to avoid the word, though when sails were being taken in, or hoisted hastily, an occasional "Now, Jack," or "Out o'the way, Jack," escaped the most cautious and kind-hearted. Shaayea continued to express an overwhelming fear of the sailors, and told me how, whenever a Jew is alone among Christians, he is sure to be murdered, and he related instances which he said had occurred in Aleppo and Damascus. I tried in vain to inspire him with courage and hope. The captain, who invariably called him "Solomon," used often to greet him good-naturedly, but always in a very loud voice, and generally in broken English, with a word or two of French which he happened