drew his chair
up to the window, and read:

"_Dear Friend Anna_:

"It is three months now since I left home for this mission, and not
having heard anything yet from you, I thought a few lines from me might
help you get started in the letter-writing direction. I am enjoying my
mission very much, which perhaps you cannot understand, but it is true,
nevertheless. I came to this place yesterday and have already delivered
some tracts. Most of the people are against us, specially is this the
case with preachers. They get after us roughly. My companion isn't as
old as I am, and goodness knows, I'm young and green enough; but we're
both studying hard, and the Lord is with us, which, after all, is our
chief concern.

"I hope you are getting along at school. Do you remember the fun we had
last vacation? I heard that our friend Sue is about to be married, but I
suppose you know all about that.

"But I must tell you about something that happened to us before coming
here. It was in a place not far from Chicago, and my companion and I
were tracting as usual. I took one side of the street and he took the
other. Well, along about noon when it was time we should quit, my
companion didn't make his appearance. I waited a long time, then crossed
the street to look for him. The weather was warm and people were mostly
out of doors in the shade. I heard what sounded like a big discussion on
a porch behind some vines. I went up, and sure enough, there was my
companion and another young fellow having it out in great shape. The
young man sat in his shirt sleeves on a table, and the way he was giving
it to that poor friend of mine was a caution. I learned that the young
fellow was studying for the ministry, and because of that, he considered
himself just the person to give it good and hard to a 'Mormon'
missionary.

"Well, the fellow sat there on the table, his legs swinging as if he
didn't care a--rap. There was a Bible and some other books on the table,
but they had got beyond the use of books. The young fellow ridiculed the
Prophet, poked fun at his revelations, and said the 'Mormons' were a bad
lot altogether. Said they deserved to be driven from decent society into
the desert as they had been. He kept it up like that, and then he said
something odd. 'I wouldn't have your religion at any price,' he said.
'Get out with you.'

"My companion sat there, not saying a word. I saw the tears come into
his eyes. He wiped them away hurriedly.