Doves look
so happy flying about. Mamma, too, liked to see birds on the trees
and houses wild, not kept in cages.

'I guess you are just about getting your breakfast. Here it is
about 4 P.M. With you it should be 8 A.M. Saturday; I wish I could
see you. My love to you, my dear sons. May you always, both now and
when grown, be boys and men that know and love Jesus! I pray for
you. Your loving father,

'JAMES GILMOUR.'

In August 1884 a third son was given to Mr. and Mrs. Gilmour, whom they
named Alexander. In 1887 spinal trouble developed, and in December of
that year he died. 'Though often ill,' wrote his father when announcing
the death to the uncle after whom he had been named, 'his life was a
happy one. It is now happier than ever. Thanks be to God that there is,
and that we know that there is, a bright and happy life beyond. Let us
make that the great meeting-place for ourselves and our children and
friends. May it stand before us as a joy! As ever and anon one and
another goes there, may we feel that we have more and more interest
there! Let us live looking to the joy set before us!' This baby-brother
is the Alick referred to in the following letter:--

'Ta Cheng Tz[)u], Mongolia: February 11, 1888.

'My dear Sons,--I am well, and thankful for it. I got here two days
ago. I had such a cold time of it on the road! I never felt the
cold so much before.

'People here are very busy. This is the last day of the Chinese
year.

'To-morrow is the first day of the Chinese year. Everybody is
buying all sorts of food, because the shops do not open for some
days after the new year. They are very busy, too, scraping off the
old papers at the sides of their doors and pasting up new papers.
They (the papers) are red, and look fine at first with the great
black Chinese characters written on them. But the sun after a while
takes the colour out of them.

'They are busy, too, pasting up the new gods in their houses. They
(the gods) are sheets of paper with pictures of gods on them. Every
house has a god of the kitchen. They send him to heaven, as they
think, by burning him. They burnt the old one last Saturday. They
are putting up the new one now. They think that when he is burnt he
goes to heaven and reports to a god what he ha