Let us visit a school-house where a large congregation is gathered in and around the house. A dark man is preaching. Judging by the loudness of voice and furious gesticulations, and the groaning and fervent “Amens” of his hearers, he must be saying something very important. But hark! He declares that Jesus cursed. His text, as he read it and repeats it to prove his assertion, is: “I do _curse_ to-day and to-morrow,” etc.—Luke xiii, 32. Another time we find the same man giving the history of the ten commandments, saying that God gave Moses one set of commandments and Moses went down and read them to the people. They said they were too hard, so Moses broke the stones and went back and told the Lord that his commands were too hard, so God gave him some easier ones. Again, this minister is proving that Jesus was baptized by “mersion.” He says that when Jesus came up out of the water, he ran so fast to the wilderness that no one could keep up with him, but they tracked him by the water that dripped from his clothes. They tracked him in this way forty days before they found him. Some of the people near that school-house are anxious for better instruction, and have applied to the Association for a minister. Another school-house, two miles from one of the A. M. A., has been used for meetings held by a regularly licensed minister who does not know a letter. Some of his members say “his sermons beat the ’postle Paul,” and if noise and violent gestures count, probably they are right. There are many such preachers as those I have told you of, but where the true light is brought by the American Missionary Association and other missions, they are driven out, or are coming to the light to prepare for better work. * * * * * FOR THE CHILDREN. * * * * * SANTEE AGENCY, NEB., June, 1887. _To My Friends at the East:_ I want to write you a letter. First I want to tell you about my home and my people, how they are, and their ways. I suppose you know their old way of living, but let me tell you a part of it again. The general way is to dance, and give away ponies, and worship stones. They have “visions of the deer,” and think themselves sacred. They have foolish “visions of the bear,” and think themselves sacred. They do not go to war now. But when they used to go to war, they first tied up parcels of tobacco and took them around to the houses of the men they trusted in, and, opening the door of the house, they led out the brave man. Then the women appeared glad, and would dance and shout. So they did; and right away they would go off to war, and kill men, and bring home their scalps, or else the hands of the slain, tied to their horses.