vely round the white shell font. All holy
week and Easter Monday and Tuesday we had full service at seven
o'clock in the morning, papa preaching a short sermon from the
altar. It was delightfully cool at that hour, and began the day
so pleasantly. I always love Easter, when all our dear ones seem
to be gathered to us in Christ our Lord, whether those in Heaven
or those far away--all one family, and Christ's children through
God the Father's love and mercy. I have been very busy. The
school-children had all new clothes for Easter. We worked
diligently for three hours every morning. The jackets were made
of the Irish gingham I brought from home. This week is holiday,
and Julia and I have had a fine wash, and have clear-starched
the Bishop's sleeves and ruffles--such a business! My hand aches
to-day with lifting the heavy smoothing-iron, which is not iron,
but a large brass box, hollow and filled with hot charcoal. We
shall get more used to it in time. Mrs. Stahl used to do it. Now
she is gone it is quite impossible to let the Kling Dobie touch
papa's sleeves; they would soon be torn to ribbons. I gave the
school a treat on Easter Tuesday. They had two soup-tureens full
of syllabub, plum cake, and pine-apple puffs. My cook stared
when I said, "Make forty large pine-apple puffs." However, they
were for his own countrymen--he is Chinese. I thought at first
he understood English, for he always said "Yes" to my orders;
but it was his one word. After the school-children had finished
off with fruit and native cakes, they had, what they like best
of all, quantities of crackers, which filled the house with the
smell of gunpowder, and frightened baby Mildred out of her
sleep. Good-bye.

* * * * *

July, 1862.

MY PRECIOUS MAB,

Thank you for your note, written on the 4th of May, which I
received the other day. I always rejoice to think of you in the
springtime, because, like other young things, you enjoy the
opening buds, flowers, and sunshine after the long grave winter.
But winter is a good friend, although he has a grave face; we
should be all the better for a visit from him out here. My
garden is now as full of flowers as it will hold; Mrs. Little
brought me so many new ones from Singapore. I have a very gay
nosegay every morning, and sti