Miss Voorhees writes: “I have had nineteen boys in my care, until the Poncas left. Seven are now in bed with the measles. Some of them are very sick, but all are so patient and obedient that it makes the work of caring for them comparatively easy. The three Berthold boys are very interesting, and I think promising boys. Miss Calhoun, Mrs. Hall’s sister, is associated with me at present. Though our boys are too small to see any decided results just yet, one of them has expressed a desire to unite with the church.” Miss Webb says: “The amount there is to be done and overcome too often discourages and overwhelms us, and it seems to me in a letter like this, a few thoughts on points of progress and improvement may be helpful. There seems to me to have been progress in spiritual, mental and physical aspects. There is a hidden principle in our girls to which we can effectually appeal, which has been developing, and makes dealing with them by force and various contrived punishments less and less necessary. They are more open to reason, and are more influenced by kind talks, and a knowledge of our desires for them. There is not the clannishness among them, which made it so hard to discipline one, because all would rebel and side with the erring one. These are a few of the indications which show the heart is being educated, and the seed is taking root. There is also more gratitude manifest, more diligence in study, and more real live interest shown. We hear less frequently, and more reasonably, ‘give me this or that,’ which seemed to come so continually, and in such a way as to make us feel all they thought or cared about was what they could get out of us, and there is less fault-finding with what they receive. Looking at them in a physical aspect it would almost seem as if some of them had new bodies, so much have they improved by their regular life and habits.” * * * * * CHILDREN’S PAGE. * * * * * [Illustration] A LITTLE MERCHANT. BY MISS E. E. BACKUP. It could hardly be called a village; there were a few houses, a few stores, and a mammoth hotel. During “the season” all the life of the place seemed to centre about the hotel. The building covered considerable space, and two sides were inclosed with glass, which gave it quite an Oriental air. The hotel was known for miles around, and when the house was full a pleasurable excitement pervaded the little hamlet. It extended to the little pickaninnies who rolled and tumbled in the log cabins which dotted the landscape in every direction as far as the eye could reach. What a scramble there was to see the gentlemen and ladies as they walked or drove by, and a party on horseback was a sight sufficiently imposing to warrant extra efforts.