My first letter was brought up to 24th. I forgot to tell you then of an interesting discussion with a clever and honest infidel, Mr. X---. Through ---- (who had told me about him), I had lent him "Natural Law," and (seeing him standing about looking, I thought, rather sad as we were all singing "Rock of Ages, cleft for me") I asked him his opinion of the book, and he said "on Mr. D.'s assumption of the existence of a Personal God, it is very clever, and with your views I would certainly circulate it." Of course, I could not argue with a man well armed at all points for attack (as these infidels generally are), though they are weak enough at defence, their explanations of life's mysteries being as unsatisfactory and vague as that of any ignorant Bible woman; and so when others joined us I gave way, and he said as a _crusher_--"I see you are a very sincere and conscientious lady, but you are very _fanatical_." I replied, as my parting shot, "Well, of course, I cannot do justice to my cause, but at any rate you have nothing to offer _me_; convince me and others, if you can, that we are wrong (and thank God we have a noble army on our side), what have you to give us in the place of our beliefs? Nothing! a mere negation." He answered--"What have you to give me?" "Oh," I replied, "a mere _nothing, only_ peace and power for holiness now and a glorious hope for the future, and so (shaking hands) good bye." I could scarcely speak to him for crying, for it was so painful to hear his words about our Blessed Saviour. After our discussion on prayer in the back cabin, a young man who was there and who was sitting near me while I was writing to you, began to talk it over. "Well," I said, "the best answer to those objections about prayer that I know, is to try it, and then I am sure no arguments will then shake your confidence that there is a God who heareth and answereth prayer." It is like our Lord's cure of the blind man. "How did He do it?" they ask, and ask in vain for any explanation which could be understood, but the man says "I don't know, but whereas I was blind, now I see," and the Pharisees beat themselves to pieces against that rock. You may imagine I went to my berth heartily tired after the excitement of this long day.