e size,
but I took my seat within the chancel rail and began my ministration. I
gave out the hymns, and the tattered hymn-books were turned over. I soon
learned that this was a mere form, few of those present being able to
read. They knew the hymns by heart and sang them with a will. I had
prepared my sermon very carefully, being anxious really to interest
these poor shepherdless sheep. They appeared to listen very thankfully,
and I continued these services until nearly the time of my departure
from the island. I had not brought any written sermons with me, nor had
I that important aid in sermonizing, a concordance. A young daughter of
Colonel Fabens, a good Bible scholar, used to find my texts for me. I
remember that, after my first preaching, a young woman called upon me
and quoted some words from my sermon, very much in the sense of the old
anecdote about "that blessed word Mesopotamia."

When Good Friday and Easter came my colored people besought me to hold
extra services, in order that their young folks might understand that
these sacred days were of as much significance to them as to the
Catholics, by whom they were surrounded. I naturally complied with their
request, and arranged to have the poor little place decorated with palms
and flowers for the Easter service. I have always remembered with
pleasure one feature of my Easter sermon. In this I tried to describe
Dante's beautiful vision of a great cross in the heavens, formed of
clusters of stars, the name of Christ being inscribed on each cluster.
The thought that the mighty poet of the fourteenth century should have
had something to impart to these illiterate negroes was very dear to me.

As soon as the report of my preaching became noised abroad, the aged
elder, whose place I had taken, bestirred himself and managed to put in
an appearance at the little church. He mounted the stairs of the
mahogany pulpit, and seemed to keep guard over the congregation, while I
continued to speak from the chancel. I invited him to give out the
hymns, which he did, mentioning also the page on which they would be
found. He afterwards told me that his wife, who could read, had taught
him those hymns. "I never could do nothing with books," he said.

We found but little English spoken at the capital except among the
colored people. I always recall with amusement a bit of conversation
which I had with one of the merchants who was fond of speaking our
language. He had sent his err