Laura was deeply distressed; but after a while she asked, "Where is Orin's think' now?" meaning his soul. Dr. Howe told her that it had gone to God, in heaven. She inquired much about whether God could see her. Dr. Howe tried to explain to her that God did see her, and all people; and that He thinks about them, and loves them. She was all eagerness to hear more, but it is very difficult to explain to her the difference between body and spirit. Here is one of her first letters to her mother :

"My dear, my mother,-I want to see you very much. I send much love to you. I send ten kisses to my sister Mary. My one pair of stockings are done. Can Mary walk with her feet? Do stockings fit her? I want you to come to Boston with my sister, and stay a few days, and see me exercising the callisthenics. Oliver (a fellow pupil) can talk with his fingers very faster about words. Miss Davis is married. Mrs. Davis. She has gone to live with her husband at Dudley. Good-bye."

Two years afterwards she wrote to Dr. Howe, who was in England:

"My dear Dr. Howe, I want to see you very much. I hope that you will come to Boston in May. When you come home, I shall be very happy to have you teach me in the psalms-book, about God and many new things. I read in the Harvey boy's book every Sunday. Why do not you write a letter to me often? Do you always pray to God to bless me? I think of you often. I send a great deal of love to you and Mrs. Howe. I always miss you so much. All the girls, and I and Surena, had a very pleasant sleighing* seven miles to an hotel. We had nice

* Sleighing is riding on a sledge.

That is very

drink of lemon and sugar, and minced pie and sponge cake. I have not seen you for ten months. long. Are you in a hurry to see me and S. again? I would like to live with you and your wife, in a new house, because I love you best. All folks are very well and happy. I want you to answer my last letter to you about God, and heaven, and souls, and many questions. "LAURA BRIDGEMAN."

CALIFORNIA.

Now that the railway is open from New York to California, you may like to hear something of that country, as great numbers of English workmen are hoping to find employment there. The discovery of gold was made there before it was seen in Australia, and much the same lawless, wild rabble assembled at the diggings. Robberies and murders were so frequent, that at length some of the more respectable people took matters into their own hands, and hung and shot those that they knew deserved it, without any trial at all. This was called Lynch law. Now there is a regular government there, and it is as quiet and orderly as other American towns.

Great numbers of Chinese have gone there-those industrious, ant-like John Chinamen, as they are called. They will do any sort of work for small wages, and are the chief washermen of the place, but as they spit upon the clothes to damp them, and iron them with saucepans, it seems wonderful that they should meet with employment. They live together in one of the dirtiest parts of St. Francisco, and the smell is fearful from their dirt and

dread of fresh air. They have a temple in which they worship, in which is an image of their principal god, the great Thunderer, who is represented as a fat, flabby doll, dressed out in paper clothes of various colours. A Chinaman was sent to jail for thieving; he managed to send his blankets with a note to a friend, containing these words:"To-mollow I go jail four You cratchum blanket. I come back you pay me dollar."

year.

Lately some have set up as doctors; many foolish white people have consulted them, though they are totally ignorant of medicine. It is said they live upon all sorts of refuse, such as silk-worms fried in castor-oil, puppies, and rats-a very unnecessary proceeding, as the markets of St. Francisco are extremely well supplied. What we call eating-houses are common, where you may have any dish you please for sixpence a plate.

Fires are frequent, and the fire-brigade for extinguishing them consists of a number of young men, who volunteer without the smallest payment, having their names enrolled in different companies. Notice is given of a fire by a bell striking the number of times that belong to the street where it occurs; when it is over, any member who did not attend is fined. These companies give public balls, and sometimes ladies are members. One fast young lady glories in running with No. 5 engine.

Earthquakes are very common, and often produce a sensation like sea-sickness.

One curious sight is the big Tree Grove, about 200 miles from the city. One tree, called the Father of the Forest, was 450 feet high, that is 90 feet higher than St. Paul's in London. This tree has since been blown

down; but there is still the Queen, 335 feet high. The bark had been stripped off one of these enormous trees, and put up in the Crystal Palace here, but it was burnt in the fire there in the tropical part. It reached nearly to the top of the transept, and the part that was stripped did not seem to have been more than a third of the whole tree. The stump of another being made even with the ground, and covered over, makes a good ball

room.

There is a strange tree called poison oak in St. Francisco; some people are made ill if they go near it, and almost all turn sick if they touch it; an irritating rash comes out on the skin.

Succotash is a common dish there; it is made of green corn, with French beans stewed in milk, with flour, butter, and salt. It does not sound very tempting, but Americans can hardly dine without it.

English coal at California has hitherto gone round by Cape Horn, and has cost £8 the ton, that is 8s. the hundred weight. With such prices we should be obliged to do with few fires, and very small ones. Now if coal can come across from New York by railway it will be much cheaper.

There is a greater variety of nations there than elsewhere. Germans are generally bakers; Dutch people are grocers; and Jews, as everywhere, buy and sell old clothes. A dollar there is hardly worth more than a 1s. here. Blacksmiths get from 16s. to 18s. a day; stonecutters, £1; but then they have to pay £100 a year for a wooden house.

California has 300 miles of coast, and the difference

of temperature at St. Francisco is only 9 degrees. Ice is never seen; but it is never too warm for blankets. Sheep give more wool; bees more honey; silk-worms double their produce where lightning is unknown, and where no rain ever falls in their feeding time; apple and pear trees bear enormous quantities of fruit. Hittel says that a large proportion of those who have left California have returned, declaring they could not accommodate themselves to the dull, slow ways of more antiquated States. The first settlers used to say, that men who wore "biled shirts" (that is, white ones) never would succeed; but now there are dinner-parties and balls, such as might be given in the old country, and work for those who do not mind to what they turn their hands.

THE SOLDIER'S REPRIEVE.

"I THOUGHT, Mr. Allan, when I gave my Bennie to his country, that not a father in all this broad land made so precious a gift-no, not one. The dear boy only slept a minute, just one little minute, at his post; I know that was all, for Bennie never dozed over a duty. How prompt and reliable he was! I know he only fell asleep one little second ;—he was so young, and not strong, that boy of mine! Why, he was as tall as I, and only eighteen! and now they shoot him because he was found asleep when doing sentinel duty! Twenty-four hours, the telegram said-only twenty-four hours. Where is Bennie now?"