Sunday, not long afterwards, we were having a little family dinner party, our own and my two brothers' families, and my elder brother's wife spoke of the famine. She is of English-Irish descent, and much of her life has been spent across the water. She has met many Russians, and she surprised us all by the intensity of her realization of the horrors of famine. Yet possibly it is not so strange. Early in the century her ancestors mortgaged their estates to fight the great Irish famine. "It is horrible!" cried she; "and we sit here, while they are dying, eating and drinking. We talk of somebody doing something! Why don't _we_ do something?" "That's right," said my younger brother, cheerfully turning on me. "Sissy, why don't _you_ do something?" "I will," I answered, meekly; "I will go down to the _Democrat_ office and ask Mr. Tillinghast to do something!" Then we all laughed; but presently we were discussing the best manner in which to effect our purpose. The _Democrat_ is the leading journal of our town, owned by Mr. D. N. Richardson, author of a delightful book of travels which ought to be on every round table, and his brother, J. J. Richardson, for many years the Iowa National Committeeman. Mr. Richardson and Mr. Tillinghast were the editors, Mr. Richardson being what one may call the consulting editor, and Mr. Tillinghast the active editor. Mr. Calkins, the new city editor, I had occasion to know later. I went to the _Democrat_. I stated our case. I can see the editor now, his slender figure turning quickly in his chair as he threw his arm over the back of it, his dark eyes kindling, and his black brows meeting in a little frown of concentrated thought; and I can hear his leisurely, distinct tones as he spoke: "I like the idea. I like it very much. But--you know there are difficulties. In the first place, we must discover whether the Russian government will accept our offering. We don't want to be lacking in courtesy any more than in generosity. In the second place, there are so many prejudices and so many falsehoods circulating about Russia that we want to select some channel of distribution which will be above suspicion." "George thinks that the Red Cross and Clara Barton would satisfy every one." "They would; and _she_ is in Washington, where she can consult the Russian legation." "And George says he will go with you any day this week to stir up Governor Boies to issue a proclamation and name a committee." Thus lightly we entered on a work that was to absorb most of our time, our energies, and our hearts for the next three months.