rable, only jest tolerable," while often they say, "I'm
powerful puny, or nigh about plum sick." And then with an air of
extreme resignation, for they seem to enjoy poor health, they add,
"We're all powerful puny humans."

We had supper on the night of which I write in one of these little
cabins--the young missionary of the American Missionary Association
and myself. The conditions were very primitive, the fare coarse, but
the welcome hearty, the hospitality bountiful. Then we had a
prayer-meeting in the "church house," and between fifty and sixty
people were present. The men dressed in homespun and blue jeans, the
women all with full-bordered cape bonnets and home-knit woolen mitts.
It is a great lack of "form" to go with the hands uncovered, but the
feet are often so; and I will venture to say that the missionary and
myself were the only persons in the "church house" whose mouths were
not filled with tobacco, a custom very much in evidence all through
the meeting.

I talked to them of our work among the Indians, and after the meeting
one man came to me and shook my hand right royally, as he said,
"I've never seen you before, mum, and I reckon I never shall see you
again; but we've been mightily holped up by what you've been saying,
and I reckon we ought to be doing something for them poor humans." In
his poverty, in his need, his heart went out to those who seemed to
him to be in greater destitution.

As we went to our buggy at the close of the meeting, the people
gathered around to say goodbye, and many were the kindly words and
the God-speeds. Many, too, were the evidences of hospitality, and one
insisted that we should go home with him and spend the night. He
said: "It's a mighty long ride to the school, and you'll be a mighty
sight more comfortable to come back and sleep with us." We had called
at his house in the afternoon. There were twelve people--father,
mother and ten children--in a windowless, one-roomed cabin, in which
were three beds ranged side by side. Just what sleeping
accommodations they were going to give us I do not know.

Where were we? Who are these people? Right in the heart of the
Midland Mountains, among our native-born American Highlanders, people
who have had as great a part in forming American history as any like
number of men in our country to-day, people who gave to this nation
Abraham Lincoln, who also produced Jesse James--they are capable of
either--who for a hundred and fifty year