h cellar and garret and hovel,
comfortless and filthy as dog-kennels and pig-styes, and saw the sick
and suffering, the utterly vile and debauched, starving babes and
children with faces marred by crime, and the legion of harpies who were
among them as birds of prey, he went back to his home sick at heart, and
with a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness out of which he found it
almost impossible to rise.

We cannot stain our pages with a description of what he saw. It is so
vile and terrible, alas, so horrible, that few would credit it. The few
imperfect glimpses of life in that region which we have already given
are sad enough and painful enough, but they only hint at the real truth.

"What can be done?" asked Mr. Dinneford of the missionary, at their next
meeting, in a voice that revealed his utter despair of a remedy. "To me
it seems as if nothing but fire could purify this region."

"The causes that have produced this would soon create another as bad,"
was answered.

"What are the causes?"

"The primary cause," said Mr. Paulding, "is the effort of hell to
establish itself on the earth for the destruction of human souls; the
secondary cause lies in the indifference and supineness of the people.
'While the husband-men slept the enemy sowed tares.' Thus it was of
old, and thus it is to-day. The people are sleeping or indifferent, the
churches are sleeping or indifferent, while the enemy goes on sowing
tares for the harvest of death."

"Well may you say the harvest of death," returned Mr. Dinneford,
gloomily.

"And hell," added the missionary, with a stern emphasis. "Yes, sir, it
is the harvest of death and hell that is gathered here, and such a
full harvest! There is little joy in heaven over the sheaves that are
garnered in this accursed region. What hope is there in fire, or any
other purifying process, if the enemy be permitted to go on sowing his
evil seed at will?"

"How will you prevent it?" asked Mr. Dinneford.

"Not by standing afar off and leaving the enemy in undisputed
possession--not by sleeping while he sows and reaps and binds into
bundles for the fires, his harvests of human souls! We must be as alert
and wise and ready of hand as he; and God being our helper, we can drive
him from the field!"

"You have thought over this sad problem a great deal," said Mr.
Dinneford. "You have stood face to face with the enemy for years, and
know his strength and his resources. Have you any well-grounde