they are by no means so
extensive as the winding paths in the fir woods behind Nain, the
oldest station. And as I can bear witness, the present generation of
missionaries have at each station fairly done their duty in adding to
the roads along which their successors in the service shall take their
social strolls or their lonely prayerful walks in communion with the
best of friends.

What an illustration of the spiritual service in such a land! The
pioneer finds all in the roughest phase of nature. With infinite
trouble and pains he prepares the way of the Lord, making the rough
places plain; here he takes away the rocks and stones which bar the
way, there he builds up, so making His paths straight. And where the
good-work has been begun, other missionaries follow on the same lines;
and so by grace it shall go forward, until the glory of the Lord shall
be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

One of the Hopedale paths leads "to the heathen," and what more
interesting spot could we visit than those three mounds, which are all
that remain of the former winter dwellings of the original heathen
population. One by one, and sometimes several at once, when the Spirit
of the Lord was powerfully bringing home to their hearts the Gospel
preached by the early missionaries, the inmates of these abodes moved
from their pagan surroundings and began to make themselves Christian
homes around the mission-houses.

On our way to the long uninhabited ruins of this older group of
abodes, we will pass through the Christian village, which has thus
sprung up at Hopedale as at all the other stations. It consists of
irregular groups of little log houses, planted with little attempt at
symmetry. Their Eskimo owners have no idea of a street. Perhaps some
day the conception may occur to them as they read in their Bibles of
"the street which was called straight." Nor do they need any words in
their language for "rent," "rates," or, "taxes." Here in the south and
at the station most influenced by civilization, the majority of the
little houses are built of logs and even roofed with wood. Some are
covered with turf. The dwellings of our people in the north are much
more primitive. Each house has its low porch, a very necessary
addition in this land of "winter's frost and snowing."

Between the houses and in their porches lie many dogs. One of these
wolf-like creatures follows us over the rocks to the burial-ground,
and then runs off to fi