rvice on July 8, 1900, will forget
the strange impressions that translated sermon preached by Dr. Talmage
made upon everyone. Sentence by sentence the brilliant interpreter
repeated the Doctor's words in the Swedish language, while the
congregation in eager silence studied Dr. Talmage's face while listening
to the translation of his ideas.

"Whether I did them any good or not they did me good," said the Doctor
after the service.

While in Stockholm we dined with Mr. Wyndham, Secretary of the American
Legation, and were shown through the private rooms of the royal palace,
of which my daughter took snapshots with surreptitious skill. The Queen
was a great invalid and scarcely ever saw anyone, but while driving to
her summer palace we caught a glimpse of her being lifted from her
little horse, on which she had been riding, seated in a sort of armchair
saddle. With a groom to lead the horse Her Majesty took the air every
day in this way. She was a very frail little woman.

From Stockholm we started by steamer for St. Petersburg, but the crowd
was so great that we found our staterooms impossible, and we disembarked
at Alba, the first capital in Finland. We were curious to see the new
capital, Helsingfors, and stopped over a day or two there. From
Helsingfors we went by rail to the Russian capital.

Dr. Talmage had been in Russia years before, on the occasion of his
presentation of a shipload of flour from the American people to the
famine sufferers. At that time he had been presented to Emperor
Alexander III., as well as the Dowager Empress. It was his intention to
pay his respects again to the new Emperor, whose father he had known, so
that we looked forward to our stay in St. Petersburg as eventful. The
Crown Prince of Denmark had urged the Doctor to see his brother-in-law,
the Czar, while in St. Petersburg, and we learned later that he had
written a letter to the Court concerning our coming to St. Petersburg.

On July 23, 1900, we received the following note from Dr. Pierce, the
American Charge d'Affaires in St. Petersburg:--

"July 23, 1900.
"Embassy of the United States, St. Petersburg.

"Dear Dr. Talmage--

"I take much pleasure in informing you that you and Mrs. Talmage and
your daughters will be received by Their Majesties the Emperor and
Empress on Wednesday next, at 21/2 p.m.

"Yours very sincerely,
"HERBERT H.D. PIERCE.

"P.S.--I will let you know the details later.