in harmony with the government officials, to encourage them to
raise cattle, to cultivate what land is available, and to raise those
hardy crops which will come to maturity in such a cold northern region.

This was the place; and those were the Indians whose boys the devoted
teacher wished me to encourage to sing. The request was made during the
celebration of a feast which I was giving them. I had taken out from
civilisation such things as flour, tea, sugar, currants, candies; and at
four a.m. the Indian women had come to the place appointed and had
cooked the cakes etcetera, and made all other needed preparations.

At about ten the people assembled on the bank of the river in front of
the church. Everybody came. All were welcome. It was not asked
whether they were Christian or pagan. We greeted them all cordially,
and treated them alike.

Of the happy incidents of the feast, the glad hours of loving converse,
and the religious services held after, we have no room here to write.
Suffice it to say, that at about four p.m. the children's hour came, and
with them we had a very interesting time. I was delighted with their
answers to my many questions, especially with their knowledge of the
blessed Book. The girls sang very sweetly, but not much music came from
the boys, and so I began at once to act on the request of the teacher.

Knowing, as I have stated, the boys' love for pocket-knives, I went to
one of my boxes, and taking out six very good ones, I stood up before
the crowd and said:

"Boys, listen to me. I am going to give these six knives to the six
boys who will sing the best. And look! While five of them are good two
bladed knives, one of them is a splendid four bladed one! Now, I am
going to give this best one, to the boy who will sing the best of all!"

Great indeed was the excitement among the Indian lads. Nearly every boy
in the audience rushed to the front and the trial began. Indians in
their wild state have no music worth preserving, and so in all of our
missions, our hymns and songs are translated, and the tunes of
civilisation are used. The teacher seated herself at the little organ,
and the testing began. They sang such hymns as "Rock of Ages", "Come,
thou Fount of every blessing", "Just as I am", "Jesus my all, to heaven
is gone," and many others.

The inferior singers were weeded out very rapidly, and sent back to
their seats. When the number was reduced to about ten, the work o