r, who thanked him for the good wife who had been trained in
one of the American Missionary Association schools, saying that he
had gotten more than he had anticipated--a good cook and housekeeper.
On, on we trudge through the heavy mud. Night has come, and we are
yet seven miles from Corpus, and the cold, "wet norther" that has
been drizzling upon us all day, as we had been fearing, has at last
broken upon us. Again Brother Thompson is on the lead, with lantern
in hand, through the slush, and he has walked more than half the way
through the day. The black-waxy is heavy for the wheels, and slippery
for the poor old freedman ponies that have no shoes. Pastor J. W.
Strong, who for four years has manfully held this extreme
southwestern outpost of Congregationalism, having learned of our
approach from a dashing country rider, comes along in the dark, one
mile out to meet us, in Oriental style. After our salaams, he gallops
back to town to make the final arrangement for our entertainment. It
is now 8.30 P. M., too late for the preaching; and, for once, the
preacher is glad that the storm has kept the people away from the
appointment. But the next night they make it up, and the preacher
tries to make it up, too. When Mr. Thompson brought me down, six
years ago, we came straight through by fording, belly-deep to the
horses, across the reef, three miles long, that forms the nexus
between the Nueces Bay and the Corpus Christi Bay. On either side was
deep water or miring sand. Once, since that, he has had to _tote_ his
passengers out on his back. The reef has been washed out in spots.
Lo! this time we go up around the head of the bay, ten miles farther.
Brother Thompson claims that he can endure such jaunts without wear
or much weariness, because he is so abstemious as not to drink tea or
coffee nor to eat meat. And everybody knows him to be a true, pure
and high-minded Christian minister who, though he has had but
little schooling, has been so taught of God in the Word, that after
these eleven years in the same parish, that at Helena, he is yet
confided in there as an able pulpit teacher. In old times, his people
were Presbyterians. Blood will tell; and doctrine, too.

[Illustration: VIEWS IN TEXAS]

* * * * *

WEEK OF PRAYER.

NASHVILLE, TENN.--The week of prayer was observed here this year as
usual, a meeting being held each day. Notwithstanding the bad
weather, the attendance was fair and