nderneath, that they keep poultry and pigs there. Every year they
move to a new place, and build new houses, clear a new piece of ground,
by burning the weeds, dig it up, and sow rice. Thus they wander about,
and they number their years by the number of houses they have lived in.

Of all the Eastern nations, they sing and play the most sweetly, and when
they become Christians, they sing hymns, very sweetly indeed.

There is one Christian village among the mountains, called Mata, which
means love; and every morning the people meet together in the Zayat, or
travellers' house, to sing and pray. Before they were Christians, the
Karens were in constant fear of the Nats; (not _insects_, but evil
spirits), and sometimes in order to please their Nats, they were so cruel
as to beat a pig to death. The Christian Karens have left off such
barbarous practices, and have become kind and compassionate. When the
missionaries told them that they ought to love one another, some of them
went secretly the next day to wait upon a poor leper, and upon a woman
covered with sores. Another day, without being asked, they collected some
money and brought it to the missionaries, saying, they wished to set free
a poor Burman who had been imprisoned for Christ's sake. It is cheering
to the missionaries to see them turning from their sins.[11]

AVA.

This city was once the capital of Burmah, and then it was called the
"golden city." But now the king lives in another city, and the glory of
Ava has passed away.

MAULMAIN.

This city, though in Burmah, may be called a British city, because the
British built it; for they have conquered great part of Burmah. There are
missionaries there. One there is, named Judson, who has turned more than
a hundred Burmese to the Lord. But he has known great troubles. His wife
and his little girl shared in these troubles.

I will now relate the history of the short life of little Maria Judson.

THE MISSIONARY'S BABE.

The missionary's babe, little Maria, was born in a cottage by the side of
a river, and very near the walls of the great city of Ava, where the king
dwelt.

It was a wooden cottage, thatched with straw, and screened by a verandah
from the burning sun. It was not like an English cottage, for it was
built on high posts, that the cool air might play beneath. It contained
three small rooms all on one floor. The country around was lovely; for
the green banks of the river were adorned with various color