#15 in a series on the life of William Borden, the millionaire missionary who died en route to China's Gansu Province, adapted from his biography (BordenofYale.com, January 1, 2024).
By early March, 1913, Borden had moved from the YMCA to a Syrian home in the Shubra quarter, glad to be entirely among Arabic-speaking people, as he had already begun adopting some of the Arabic dress-code.
Of the kindness of the Hassoon family and the comfort of his surroundings he wrote to his mother:
March 1, 1913
While we do use a good deal of English, I hear Arabic spoken all around me, and am given lessons by various members of the family, at meals and any other time I wish. The flat is on the third floor of a house near the station, right by the tracks, but I do not mind that. I have a room facing north looking over other, lower houses, so that I get quite a view. My room is rather small for what I have in it, but as I have the use of the dining-room and library as well, for study and writing, it does not much matter.
The family consist of Mr. and Mrs. Hassoon, his sister, who goes by the name of Sitt (Miss) Paulina, and a niece, Sitt Negla. They are all very nice and most solicitous in trying to stuff me at every meal, claiming that I do not like the food unless I eat a great deal! It is really very good, and if I do not eat more it is simply because I have had enough. I have forgotten to mention the two little kiddies, Hilda and Vera. Vera, the younger, has great big brown eyes, and is really very cute. . . .
You ask if I am getting proper food, and I can honestly say that I am. Some of the dishes are strange, and one or two not much to my liking, but in the main they are excellent. Some things which at home are luxuries are in common use here, artichokes for instance, which we often have, cooked in the most delicious manner. Then we have a good deal of rice, which you know I like.
Having stayed in many local homes in foreign cultures, I can relate to Borden’s observations as a relative “novice” living overseas. But don’t forget that Borden had within his reach many millions of dollars, if he so desired.
He did not use that privilege, however, preferring to live a simple life with a local family, so that he might master Arabic more quickly and continue on to the foreign field of Gansu, China that he so longed for.