The American Missionary | Page 7

had hardly done justice, notwithstanding his remorse that his mother wasn't exactly as he had represented her. A single stick of wood was wasting in the fireplace. Four children, smaller than the mite, were as near it as possible without being on it, eagerly scraping a tin dish with a spoon. A fifth, who had recently made the acquaintance of this world and its woes, was vigorously proclaiming his unfavorable opinion of it from the bed. "I cannot take him up in this cold," the mother explained.
I left them to see what could be done. On my return the last spark of fire had died upon the hearth. It was zero without and within. Our family of teachers had made up a sum sufficient for the present needs, however, and the family were soon made comfortable. At our last visit that day the room was warm, the baby was up, and evidently had changed his mind. As we were endeavoring to sort out and fit some garments, the mite (ten years of age, but apparently about eight) came to me, and, looking up with great solemnity, said, "If you want any work done, I'll do it for you for nothin'." So you see there will be a man of business in that house as long as the mite lives.
We have our usual experience of pleasant classes in Storrs this year. The same families continuing with us, year after year, seem like our own. Our Junior Christian Endeavor Society, already quite large, received nine new members at the last business meeting, and is reaching out for more. Our industrial department is slowly working in the direction of a modest exhibit at the coming Atlanta Exposition, and doing considerable toward clothing the needy with plain garments.

ANDERSONVILLE, GA.
MISS M. E. WILCOX.
Thank you ever so much for the Hand Fund, I feel quite rich with it. These children are willing to work and the parents are glad to have them do so. They know very little about doing things properly, and the teaching which they have in industrial work may do them as much good as their books, but if you count that, then I am teaching from eight o'clock to five.
You may wish to ask if we feel isolated and lonely. No, we are too busy for that. The scholars begin to come on the grounds before we are through breakfast, and we don't have time to wish for other company. You ask how I find things. One can't find out everything in two months, but as far as I can judge it is as needy a field as we have heard about.
Of course the best work cannot be done in school until we can have another room, but now scholars come four or five miles, cross creeks on logs, or, when the water is too high, their folks bring them across the water and they walk the rest of the way.
So far, the parents find no fault with the governing at school. One girl had troubled me by laughing and playing, and I told her at noon if she couldn't study more she would better stay at home and work. Somebody told her mother what was said, and the stepfather came down and begged me to keep her, said that they couldn't read and write and needed to have her know how, that they would attend "stricter" to her, that she would behave better when they were through with her, etc. I consented to keep her and she confided to Jennie, when she came to school, that she had had four switches "wore out" on her that morning.
Everybody is very poor, of all races, and what is more discouraging they don't know how to improve their condition. This year the Christmas freeze spoiled almost all their vegetables, and they lost all their melon crop last year, and the cold two or three weeks ago froze what garden things were started; what they are to live on till crops grow is not visible. The children evidently think our washbasins and soap and towels a great luxury, for they scrub and rub at every opportunity.
We are putting out flowers and trees and planting grass in the yard to make it more comfortable looking, the grass, partly to prevent the water from washing off so much. The church lot is higher than that of the house and in a heavy rain the water pours down on our lot, but I think we can stop it in part at least. Our "home" is an "unmixed" blessing. I don't know how we could get on here without a pleasant resting place, and the people watch everything we do and everything we have.

THE INDIANS.

ITEMS FROM INDIAN MISSIONS.
SECRETARY C. J. RYDER.
At Santee Industrial School and Mission in Nebraska they