A Lebanese heroine, a con-temporary of Emir Bashir the Great. She was known for her horsemanship, her daring, and her skill in the arts of war. Here is her life story in a few lines, together with a collection of delightful anecdotes about this extraordinary human being!!...

I heard much about her in my childhood; our mother told us of her many times, and recounted to our ears curious tales that are scarcely to be believed. Alia was born in the town of Hasbaya in southern Lebanon in 1842, of pious parents: Sheikh Youssef Frances and Shahina Yamin. Her father was a notable and a great champion who learned horseman-ship with the sons of Emir Bashir the Great, and was famed for his courage, his boldness, and his generosity. His children grew up in his mold in courage, boldness, generosity, and love of the good. Nor was Alia in any way behind her brothers in horsemanship and daring. From her father she acquired the art of riding and of using sword and rifle with surpassing skill. She would ride her steed, wear the abaya and the headband, take her weapons with her on her journeys, and travel by night and by day, heedless of dangers and enemies. She grew up in a notable house that was a resort for strong and weak alike; they came to it from every

quarter, laying out their problems and complaining of the wrongs done them. How many an emir came for consultation, a chieftain to seek an opinion, a weak man for help. Yet a life of ease, plenty, and prestige bred in Alia nothing but a humble spirit. She loved the poor as she loved the rich, the weak as the strong, and lived with great and small alike.

Alia grew up and found the sons of her homeland split into factions and parties, for ignorance had overwhelmed them and corruption had seeped into their souls; there was misery and wretchedness, there was oppression and horror. Innocent souls fell victim to circumstances and conditions. As for Alia, pained by the state of her people and of the sons of her homeland, whom she loved as she loved life itself, she resolved to resist oppression and to stand against misery. She breathed into her people a breath of her own spirit, aflame with devotion, faith, and love, and revived in their souls confidence and belief in the good; and in the clear sky of her soul there flashed a gleam of hope for delivering her people from oppres-sion. For this she led companies of men and fought many battles, and in all of them she was a model of heroism, daring, and gallantry.

Alia was not known only for her warlike stands; like the members of her family, she was known for her courage and boldness. From the charming stories and tales still told to this day one may gather what boldness the members of the Frances family possessed, and what a high station they held among their contemporaries. It is related that Rida al-Solh held a meeting shortly before the

First World War at Tamra, a farm of his in the south, and invited to it the notables of that region. It so happened that war was declared a few months after that meeting. No sooner had the war broken out than Rida al-Solh's opponents exploited the situation and denounced him to Jamal Pasha, claiming that Rida al-Solh had held a political meeting at which he incited to revolt. At once Boutros Karama was charged with investigating the matter. He questioned the notables of that region, and all of them denied having attended the meeting — except Salim Frances, Alia's brother, who confessed and said: Rida al-Solh is a friend of the family, and I went to visit him. The file of the investigation was sent to Aley, and thereupon all the notables who had been questioned were summoned before the martial-law court — except Salim Frances, whose boldness proved his ally in that situation.

And here is another example showing what frankness and boldness Alia had in danger-ous situations.

On a flying visit, Jamal Pasha the Younger, Mohammad Ali Bey, and the Miralay Dia Bey passed by the house of Sheikh Youssef Frances, and Mohammad Ali Bey expressed a wish to make the acquaintance of Alia, the friend of his mother, of the Arqawiyya family. No sooner had Alia entered the reception hall than Ali Bey stepped forward and kissed her hand, and the Pasha followed suit. Then she began to entertain them with charming talk — for she was an accomplished conversationalist — and she said to Jamal Pasha, with boldness