"The beautiful doctrine of the golden rule seems almost new to them. It is true the religious element is very strong in them, but their manner of receiving it is very different from our ideas. Although they may be what they call converted, they need plain words of moral truth for every-day life. They have plenty of faith and thankfulness, but not Christ's law of love in their hearts to govern every action. "We stopped at a church and witnessed one of their religious excitements--women all rocking their bodies and singing weird choruses; then some one getting excited above the others, and throwing herself about, jumping and screaming. We stayed until they were out, and all down the aisles they sang and shouted--real fine, full voices, and the words more strange than all. All the women had that swaying motion so peculiar to them. "The boxes were handed over to me on the 19th of January. From that date to the 7th of May, I have given out twenty-six hundred and twenty garments, large and small. For the last ten days we have been very busy. During the last engagement on the battle-field, hundreds have come, more than can possibly find shelter here. I have witnessed some of the arrivals at the depôt. At the sound of the whistle, many anxious hearts and longing eyes are seeking their friends. Here mothers find their long-lost children. Husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, meet after long separation. One good old mother here found six of her children in one group. One poor mother, with seven children, was inquiring for her husband: the answer was, 'he is dead!' The small-pox left that record for this poor mother. "We saw one noble-looking man, not far from seven feet high, in mere rags and bare feet. Our No. 12's looked like baby-shoes beside them; but I heard of a pair of No. 19 at the Commissary, which they were very glad to exchange. The old man had had a hard master, and had been driven off 'without food enough to cover a pin.' But I never saw such a flash of joy as when I said, 'But, uncle, you have such a _good, kind_ master now, and such a beautiful home up in heaven.' 'Oh, missis, it's _that_, it's jest _that_, that's 'stained me all along.' They all seemed so grateful, and we had a happy day indeed." * * * * * "They learn surprisingly fast; they were very anxious to learn to reckon. I said I would repeat the multiplication table if they would try to remember it. I repeated the 2's once, and they said it after me in concert. I then questioned them, and though they had never heard it before, quite a number remembered the whole. "One little fellow in the school being asked if he knew his letters, said, promptly, 'Yes, ma'am.' "Well, what else do you know? "Drawing himself up to his full height, which might be about four feet, he replied, 'I know a heap.'" * * * * *