ritten to me? there
is a little difference between what is sent to a Committee and what is
for the private eye of a friend."

"Yes ma'am, I would like it," Eleanor said; but she did not say so at
all eagerly; and Mrs. Caxton looked at her once or twice before she
changed the subject and spoke of something else. She held to her offer,
however; and when the green cloth and the lamp were again in readiness,
she brought out the letters. Eleanor took some work and bent her head
over it.

"This is one of the latest dates," Mrs. Caxton said as she opened the
paper; "written after he had been there a good many months and had got
fairly acquainted with the language and with the people. It seems to me
he has been very quick about it."

"Yes, I think so," Eleanor answered; "but that is his way."

Mrs. Caxton read.

"My dear friend,

"In spite of the world of ocean rolling between us, I yet have a
strange and sweet feeling of taking your hand, when I set myself to
write to you. Spirit and matter seem at odds; and far away as I am,
with the vegetation and the air of the tropics around me, as soon as I
begin upon this sheet of paper I seem to stand in Plassy again. The
dear old hills rear their wild outlines before me; the green wealth of
vegetation is at my feet, but cool and fresh as nothing looks to me
under the northerly wind which is blowing now; and your image is so
distinct, that I almost can grasp your hand, and almost hear you speak;
_see_ you speak, I do. Blessed be the Lord for imagination, as well as
for memory! Without it, how slowly we should mount to the conception of
heavenly things and the understanding of himself; and the distance
between friends would be a sundering of them indeed. But I must not
waste time or paper in telling you what you know already.

"By which you will conclude that I am busy. I am as busy as I can
possibly be. That is as I wish it. It is what I am here for. I would
not have a moment unused. On Sunday I have four or five services, of
different sorts. Week days I have an English school, a writing school,
one before and the other after mid-day; and later still, a school for
regular native instruction. Every moment of time that is free, or would
be, is needed for visiting the sick, whose demands upon us are
constant. But this gives great opportunity to preach the gospel and win
the hearts of the people.

"Some account of a little preaching and teaching journey in which I
took part som