SOWING THE GOOD SEED.

301

tribute throughout Greece the knowledge they shall have acquired, by establishing schools in the most distant parts of the kingdom. This experiment has been in successful operation for some time, and there are now twelve or fifteen young girls, of good families, from remote sections of the country, between the ages of ten and fifteen, enjoying the benefit of a superior instruction, besides the moral and Chris. tian example which is at all times before them.

I was exceedingly interested while observing their evening

exercise.

Seated at a long table was this interesting group, with Mr. Hill presiding, each one having the New Testament in modern Greek; one would read a verse, which Mr. Hill would explain to them in their native language; the next would then read another verse, to be commented on in a similar manner. This exercise went round the table sev. eral times, when they all rose, while one of their number repeated one of the prayers of their own Greek church. By thus conceding an unimportant point in mere matter of form, the Protestant missionary not only avoids exciting the fears of the jealous Greek priesthood, but renders himself and his undertaking vastly popular with all classes of the community. As it is education which he is aiming at, he wisely forbears all attempts to force prematurely upon the minds of the youth committed to his care any peculiar sectarian doctrines; but merely sows the seed of Christianity in the well-prepared ground, leaving it to spring up and bear fruit when the present generation shall, in the course of nature, have supplanted the stubborn and indurated growth that at present occupies the soil.

The eldest of these family pupils are occupied during part of the day in assisting at the public schools, each of them taking a class according to their respective abilities.

The system adopted here is that of mutual instruction. There is one young girl about sixteen years old, who ap. VOL. II.-C c

pears to supply the place at school of Mrs. Hill, who is at present in America, on a visit to her friends, and soliciting aid for the greater extension of the important work she so ably assists in.

The young girl I allude to speaks English extremely well. We were all so forcibly impressed with her peculiar intelligence and great acquirements, that my husband proposed, as a mark of our approbation, to present her with some testimonial which might excite emulation in the younger portion of the class. He has promised to send her a copy of all the ancient Greek authors (a language with which she is thoroughly acquainted), with the name and the intention of the premium expressed upon the covers. There has been lately attached to the public schools a department of industry, where children of any poor parents, and many of them cripples, are taught plain and fine sewing, and other similar useful occupations.

This department is of more importance here than you would suppose, for I am told that it was impossible for European families to get fine sewing done in Athens until this branch of charity was established.

It is much to be desired that a re-enforcement of numbers might be added to the small society of private individuals who bear the greatest burden of the expenses of this valuable and highly philanthropic institution, which is contrib uting so much to the honour of our country wherever fame has proclaimed the benefits the American school is conferring on unfortunate Greece.

This, however, is not the only American school in Athens. The Reverend Mr. King has a smaller institution under his charge, supported by another society in America; and although the field he labours in is not so extensive as that of his Christian brother, yet he is quite as indefatigable in his exertions in the good cause, and is "never weary with welldoing." His friends at home can with safety cheer him

SOCIETY IN ATHENS.

303

on his rugged path by saying, "well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things," we" will make thee ruler over many things."

There is at present in Athens a very pleasant society, composed of the diplomatic corps and their families, the missionaries, and numerous European gentlemen who pos sess estates in various parts of Greece; besides these, there are at all times here numbers of intelligent travellers, who come purposely to visit the classic land of Greece, and to luxuriate on the reminiscences of early studies which each hill and valley throughout this land calls up at every turn.

The weather is now extremely warm and debilitating, and we have been waiting some days for a favourable change, in order to make an excursion in various parts of Attica. We propose setting out in a day or two, and on our return here I will write you again; in the mean while, au revoir.

LETTER XLIII.

Uncertainty of the Future.-Unpleasant Intelligence.-A hasty Retreat.Once more upon the Waters.-A tempestuous Night.-Health-springs of Greece.-Napoli.-Rock of Tyrinth.-The Masonic Arch again.-Cy. clopean Architecture.-Plain of Argos.-Mycena.-Tomb of Agamemnon.-Lament of Euripides.-Corinth.-Grapes of Corinth.-Falling among Banditti.-Departure from Greece.

WHEN I wrote you last from Athens, I little thought that my next would be dated from the Ionian Islands.

I have several times remarked to you that, in these East. ern countries, one can never make any calculations as to future movements which are not subject to change at a moment's notice; so it happened to us for the twentieth time at Athens.

After we had performed quarantine in the Piræus, we thought that we had become completely purified from the effects of our Turkish transgression, and that we might consider ourselves as having regained our caste, and obtained a footing of equality with the denizens of Western Europe; but we soon found to our cost that new regulations were impending, which would impose on us another quarantine at our leaving Greece, unless we decamped immediately. The government of the lonian Islands became alarmed at the too easy access of travellers from infected Turkey into Greece. They were debating in council the necessity of placing themselves in an attitude of defence; and when the news reached us at Athens, we embarked the next morning in order, if possible, to reach Zante before the new law should take effect, and by that means be able to take the steamer to Malta.

In this, however, we were disappointed, and turned away from our proposed route, as you will see in the course of my narrative.

When it was discovered that we must flee from Athens, our friend Mr. Hill procured for us a trusty guide, to accompany us as far as Patras. Signor Giovanni we dis. charged at Athens, where he immediately entered the ser vice of two English gentlemen, who sailed the same day for Egypt.

This fellow seems to be one of the exceptions to that trite but good old adage, which says "a rolling stone gathers no moss;" for, the more he rolls about, the more he gathers to. gether of this world's goods; and if all his future rovings prove as profitable to him as the time spent in our service, he may, ere long, retire from the field of action, and repose upon the moss he will have gathered.

Giovanni, with all his faults and foibles, was a good fellow au fond du cœur, but with a rather uncouth way of showing his good qualities; Monsieur François left us at Athens

ONCE MORE UPON THE WATERS.

305

also. Notwithstanding Giovanni's tempting offers, he did not succeed in seducing Selim to leave us, and return with him to Egypt; he is still with us, and it is yet possible that, now all bad examples are removed, we may be able to retain him; and, should he remain with us a year in Western Europe, and make a trip to America, he will, after learning to speak the western language perfectly, and also to read and write, be better fitted for a travelling dragoman than any one of his countrymen ever was before.

This trio being disposed of, let us return to Athens. We had now before us another caravan journey, but without all those comfortable appliances with which we were provided in the East. We had sent our tents home in a vessel from Smyrna, as we intended thereafter to travel almost entirely by water; and when we discharged our yacht at the Piræus, we gave away all our batterie de cuisine and other similar encumbrances.

We laid in a stock of cooked provisions, which, with our Moscow tea and Mocha coffee, gave us a good setting out for our new journey. After taking leave of our friends we started for the Piræus, accompanied by Mr. Hill. We there hired one of the little ten ton boats that ply about the Ægean Sea, and, embarking on board of her about dusk, dropped down to the mouth of the harbour to wait for the land-wind that should waft us across to the Morea.

The wind was not long in coming, and, when it did come, the old Greek skipper shook his head, and proposed that we should return to the mole and choose a more propitious night for putting to sea.

But we had no time to lose, and, if it had been otherwise, we were not to be cajoled by the commander of a ten ton ferry-boat. The gentlemen told him that, if he returned, they would immediately hire another boat.

He probably came to the conclusion that, if we thought so little of our lives as to risk them on the sea in an open boat