e all of those things, wash and mend them nicely, bring them back to
me, and I would pay her for her trouble. When he saw his clothes going
away, he was in great perplexity and distress as he was not at all sure
that they would be returned to him. The fact was, he had a good deal of
vanity about him in those days, and I made the discovery that he had
become very proud of the clothes we had given him in place of the
wretched ones in which he had been brought to us. So, the threatened
loss of all he had except what he wore, was to him a dire calamity, I
let him grieve for some hours, saying but little to him, resolved to put
a stop to his nonsense which was only making himself and others
miserable.

When the bundle of clean clothing returned, I added to it new pants,
shirts, moccasins, a bright handkerchief, and a hat; then, in the
kindest way possible, with loving words. I gave him the whole bundle.
Poor boy! he was bewildered and amazed. He could not speak his thanks;
but his glistening tear dimmed eyes told us that he was cured and
conquered. Never did the stern lesson have to be repeated.

But he was greatly perplexed. It was such different treatment from that
to which he had been accustomed. This combination of sternness and
kindness, was to him such a mystery, that he evidently could not stop
thinking and wondering about it. So, one day when he had nothing to do,
he went over to have a talk on the subject with one of the Indians who
was a sensible Christian man and a great friend of his.

"I cannot make out our missionary," said Sandy. "When he came after me
to the point where I had hid, he seemed very angry, and took up a big
stick as if to strike me. Indeed, he nearly frightened the life out of
me although he did not once hit me. Then, after ordering me back to the
house in such a hurry, he made me bring out all my clothes, and gave
them to a woman to carry away. Of course I never expected to see them
again: but I did--they came back clean and mended, and he had added a
lot more to them. I cannot understand it. The missionary at first
seemed as though he would thrash me, then he turned round and gave me
all these good things."

From the Christian Indian to whom Sandy had gone, we afterward learned
all about this interview. He said he let the lad tell him of his
perplexities, and then gave him a long faithful talk. Here is the
substance of his reply to Sandy.

"The missionary and his kind wife