d, they all rose up spontaneously and thanked the
Empress for her motherly kindness. I saw that the kind Empress was
deeply moved, and turning to me she said, "_Mon Cher_, this is one
of the happiest days of my life." The next day the number increased
at table, and so it continued increasing. After your dear mother's
return from Ireland, where she had been visiting, among other
institutions, the lunatic asylums, she wrote me a letter on the
great importance of supplying the lunatics with the Scriptures.
This letter deserved to be written in letters of gold; I sent it to
the Imperial family; it excited the most pleasing feelings and
marked approbation. The court physician, His Excellency Dr. Riehl,
a most enlightened and devoted philanthropist, came to me for a
copy of it. It removed all the difficulty there had been respecting
giving the Holy Scriptures to the inmates. I was therefore
permitted to furnish them with copies, in their various languages.
It may be useful to state the result of this measure, which was
considered by some to be a wild and dangerous proceeding. I soon
found groups collected together, listening patiently and quietly to
one of their number reading the New Testament. Instead of
disturbing their minds, it soothed and delighted them. I have
witnessed a poor lunatic, a Frenchman, during an interval of
returning reason, reading the New Testament in his bed-room, with
tears running down his cheeks; also a Russian priest, a lunatic,
collected a number together, while he read to them the Word of God.

On one occasion I witnessed a most interesting scene. On entering
the institution, I found a young woman dying; her eyes were closed,
and she was apparently breathing her last breath. I ordered one of
the servants of the institution to read very loud to her that
verse, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." Dr. K---- observed, "Sir, she is almost dead,
and it is useless." On my urging its being done, lo! to the
astonishment of all present, she opened her eyes and smiled. I
said: "Is it sweet, my dear?" She nodded assent. "Shall it be read
to you again?" A smile and nod of the head followed. She evidently
possessed her reason at that