sickness by the way, without accident,
or the loss of an article of value. And I have never taken a guard
when travelling alone, for protection from robbers. Surely we may
safely trust Him who says: 'Believe in God, believe also in me.'"[1]

[1] _Missionary Herald_ for 1859, pp. 306-313.

The missionaries at Cesarea were much encouraged by the progress of
the work there. Mr. Leonard thus writes: "The church, though
constantly dismissing members to other churches, still maintains its
numbers by fresh accessions from without, and is at the same time
evidently advancing in consistent, intelligent Christian character.
Here are some noble exemplars of faith and piety, who search the
Scriptures daily, and adorn their doctrines by a godly life. I have
often wished I might introduce some of our American friends into our
teachers' meetings on a Sabbath afternoon, or to the Sabbath-school
at the intermission of public worship, where nearly the whole
congregation remains, exhibiting a zeal and aptness in the
discussion of religious truths scarcely surpassed in the most
favored churches in New England. The weekly woman's prayer-meeting
is sometimes left entirely in the hands of the native sisters, and
any one of half a dozen is always ready without embarrassment to
take the lead, discoursing very appropriately from her Turkish
Testament. This, I am told, is a rare thing in Turkey, where woman
has been so long held in ignorance and degradation."

The reader will remember the Patriarch Matteos, and his degradation
in 1849. After ten years passed in retirement, he was elected
Catholikos of all the Armenians, and removed to Echmiadzin. His
election to such a post at this time was significant, but the
probability of his being able then to hinder the reformation did not
create serious apprehension.

Mrs. Beebee died peacefully at Marash, on the 28th of October, 1858,
after protracted sufferings, and her husband returned some months
after to the United States with broken health, and was released from
his connection with the Board.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE ARMENIANS.

1860-1861.

The fleets and armies of Europe had retired, and the Turk felt in a
measure freed from a troublesome guardianship; which had, however,
greatly promoted both religion and reform in Turkey. The fact that
the war had materially weakened Russian influence at the Porte, may
have been among the reasons that induced England now to relax its
hold on the