Come with Me to the Exhibition of the Makassed College for Girls

I took my way to the Makassed College for Girls with things in my mind I could not confine, wondering what I might see at this exhibition which the college holds every year.

I fell in with the stream of those entering the great courtyard, then made for the upper floor under the guidance of my gracious hostess, to view the exhibition that was the whole point of our visit. I had scarcely cleared the stairs when the magnificent mountains of Lebanon appeared on my left with their majestic slopes, and the beautiful blue sea on my right; and I stood transfixed, feasting my eyes on the marvels of beauty and invention that the students' brush had produced — so grand and so large were the canvases that many found it hard to tell the painting from the reality.

What? These belong to the boys' college of the Makassed foundation as well? God bless art — how able it is to play tricks on people's eyes!!

And while I stood astonished at what I had seen, a hand stretched out in greeting drew me toward an Eastern-style hall in the middle of the gallery, where I saw varieties of drawing and painting, likewise the work of the boys' college pupils, under the supervision of the Egyptian teacher Mr. Yahya al-Badawi.

I marveled at these splendid arts from the hands of young pupils — and then one of them, seeing my long pause and my absorption in savoring these scenes and this invention, said to me: "There is much more ahead of you!!" and pulled me away, back to the gallery leading to another hall — or rather to halls. I was advised to begin with one of them, and there I found myself before a collection of dresses made by the girl students; and I could not but exclaim: how fine that magic needle which fashions these charming garments! And how quickly I learned that they were of the design, and by the energy, of the Egyptian teacher Miss Samia Zaki. She is an artist, no doubt about it! After a tour — not a short one, I think — through the exhibition of artistic fashions, I found myself entering a hall of spacious reaches, crammed with every kind of European-style sweets, made in shapes to tempt eaters into gluttony.

My companion seemed to grasp what was passing through my head, and whispered in my ear that there was a surprise in store — supposing that the college administration had taken its precautions!! Could these cakes, too, be the work of the college's girl students?! I will not deny that this time I was fairly torn from the hall, to make for the hall of the college's own handiwork, under the supervision of Mrs. Edith Majdalani.

What art is this — what are these panels which we took for the invention of the greatest painters' brush, and behold, they are from the needle of the girl students of the girls' college! How deft those scissors whose two blades played at forming the little squares that composed tablecloths adorned with roses you would take for natural, but for the good teacher's explanation of them. High art and sound taste took bodily form in this hall, where I saw handiwork beyond count or reckoning, which testifies — if to anything — to the loftiest marks of high art and invention. And in the midst of my musings it dawned on me that the hall had nearly emptied of onlookers; I realized I was late, and hurried out to the north hall, where the drawings of the girls' college were placed. By God, I said, nothing of the exhibition shall escape me this year, even if I miss the rounds of sweets and the bottles of cola being handed out to the guests in the great courtyard.

I entered the drawing hall, which was under the supervision of Miss Huriyya Zaki — Egyptian too. God bless these Egyptian ladies — how great is their art in drawing the eyes of onlookers! I had hardly stepped across the hall when I was stopped by a terrible scene from the scenes of the Day of Reckoning: here is Paradise and here is the Fire, and here are those raised from their graves for a mighty day...

My heart pounded at the Day of Judgment; and but for the other artistic panels beside that great canvas, I should have stayed nailed to my place, awaiting my turn at the reckoning, to learn whether it is to Paradise I am bound, or — God forbid...

What can I say? The college's girl students excelled in the art of dyeing and printing cloth, in painting pictures, in making statues, in carving plaster, and in painting pebbles. Miss Huriyya is truly able in the teaching of these fine arts.

As long as I live I shall not forget the hospitality with which those in charge of the celebration surrounded us, nor shall I forget the taste of those dishes prepared by the students' hands... And no doubt the first credit for this success goes to the college's energetic directress, Miss Zahiyah Dughan, and her assistant, Miss Ihsan Mahmasani — may God multiply their like, to lead this rising generation toward the goals that our beloved homeland Lebanon has drawn for us!