nd draw water. At times there was only enough fire in
the fire-place to give a faint glimmer, not enough to make the room
cheerful. Aunt Eliza is old and crippled, and it was only with much care
and patient waiting that in the goodness of God she was restored to
health. Some time passed after her recovery before I saw her. She came
to our house on a hot summer day to bring an offering of gratitude for
God's mercy in giving her back health and strength. She brought to us in
a corner of her handkerchief fifty-five cents which she had saved from
little gifts from children and grandchildren nearly as poor as herself.
She had at this time only meal enough in her house to make one "pone" of
bread. Gratefully she urged upon us her self-denying gift of
thanksgiving. Of course we accepted it, only to return it to her in the
name of the Master, who is the Great Gift Giver. Later in the season our
sister remembered us again. She had saved for us two chickens, but a
"_conjuror_" came along and said he would tell her fortune for them. He
succeeded in "_beating_" her out of her offering for the Lord, and in
return she received nothing. She came and told us all about it. This
good woman did not rest until she brought us one at a time the chickens
that she had promised. When the Association met with us a few days ago
she brought, as her part to help, a few eggs. There are other incidents
in her life which are interesting, but we cannot tell them all now. She
certainly is grateful and gives the "widow's mite" in giving all that
she has. She has been to our church and been blessed in meeting God in
the sanctuary. The first Sunday that she came she bowed and courtesied
to the people as she came in, much to their amusement.

* * * * *

A PIONEER MISSIONARY IN AFRICA.

[Illustration: REV. GEORGE THOMPSON.]

Rev. George Thompson was early enlisted as a missionary in the Mendi
Mission on the west coast of Africa. He had been a most ardent friend of
the slave, active in aiding their escape from the house of bondage, and
as a consequence had spent five years in the Missouri State Prison. He
went to Africa in 1848 under the commission of the American Missionary
Association, and proved himself to be remarkably useful. One of his most
far-reaching efforts was in the work as a peacemaker. A fierce and
unrelenting war had been raging among the tribes around the mission, and
this was brought to a close through the