The missionary began to tell them about the climate, the tropical luxuriance of fruit and flowers, and of the great cotton fields. By that time questions began to pour in thick and fast, and in less than five minutes she had an eager audience listening to every word. She went on to tell of the condition of the colored people at the close of the war; ignorant, utterly destitute, with no more knowledge than a baby of how to shift for themselves; of the hard struggle it had been and still was for many of them to live; of the miserable pittance they generally received for their labor; of their home life, their peculiarities, and other things of interest. About that time the irate woman, unable longer to endure the discomfort of the weather outside, came quietly in, looking rather disgusted at the prospect of being obliged, after all, to hear something about "the niggers." The recital of some special incidents of peculiar trial and hardship which had come under the missionary's own observation brought tears of sympathy to many eyes; but best of all was the sudden conversion of our wrathful woman, who exclaimed: "I declare that's too bad! What makes them stand it? Why don't they all come North, where they could have a fair chance?" As she was told "the reason why," she grew full of sympathy and interest, and was even more eager than the others in suggestions and inquiries. But when they were told of what had already been done by the American Missionary Association and others toward establishing and maintaining schools and churches among them, of the devoted missionaries and teachers that had carried already so much of comfort and help into their sad lives, of the steady upward progress they were making in knowledge and intelligence, in the acquirement of homes and ability to care for themselves, all seemed to appreciate as never before the importance of the work that is being done in the South. The distant whistle of the train surprised them all, and as they crowded about the missionary to take her hand and bid her God speed in her blessed work, one woman said: "I used to give pennies to the work of the A. M. A., but they shall be dollars now." MRS. A. W. C. * * * * * CHILDREN'S PAGE. * * * * * THE LITTLE BLACK GIRL'S SACRIFICE. BY MRS. M. E. SANGSTER Little Ida had been invited to attend a party made by white children at the school house. To her mother's mind the question of her going turned on her having a scarlet sash to wear. By the kindness of a child in the family where Ida and her mother, who figures in our story as "Aunt Chloe," had their home, the want was finally met. Now for the story of the scarlet sash, after it became Ida's property. She wore it to the party, where she laughed and sang, and played games, and looked like a poppy among the roses. She behaved very politely, too, like a well-trained child whose mother had lived in the "fust families."