sight of his suffering, but then I do long for a look at his dear
face and for the sound of his voice. Five years of absence has of
course made so much change in my mind in this respect, that I do not
now find myself dreaming of home, constantly thinking of it; the
first freshness of my loss is not felt now. But I think I love them
all and you all better than ever; and I trust that I am looking
inward on the whole to the blessedness of our meeting hereafter.

'But this work has its peculiar dangers. A man may become so
familiarised with the habits of the heathen that insensibly his
conscience becomes less sensitive.

'There is a danger in living in the midst of utter lawlessness and
violence; and though the blessings and privileges far excel the
disadvantages, yet it is not in every way calculated to help one
forward, as I think I have in some ways found by experience.

'Well, this is all dull and dry. But our life is somewhat monotonous
on shore, varied only by the details of incidents occurring in
school, and witnessing to the growth of the minds of my flock. They
are a very intelligent set this year, and there are many hopeful ones
among them. We have worked them hard at English, and all can read a
little; and some eight or ten really read nicely, but then they do
not understand nearly all they read without an explanation, just like
an English boy beginning his knowledge of letters with Latin (or
French, a still spoken language).

'In about a month we shall (D.V.) start to take them back; but the
vessel will be absent but a short time, as I shall keep the Solomon
Islanders with me in the Banks Archipelago for the winter, and so