"But it was all published in the 'Letters' at the time," I said.

"Yes, but few of us were then old enough to read, and the old ones have forgotten all about it."

"Thank you," I replied; "that encourages me to renew the sad remembrance of the most frightful scene in a long and varied lifetime.

"While at Constantinople the Hon. George P. Marsh, U.S. Minister in Turkey, warned me not to attempt to travel in Palestine. The Crimean war was then coming on. The Arab population in Syria and Palestine were breaking out into lawless violence, and no Frank or European was safe. But we believed the reports exaggerated, and determined to take the risks. Coming by ship to Beyrut, we journeyed with tents and horses to Sidon and Tyre and Nazareth, and by this time had fearful evidence of the unsettled state of the country. At Beyrut the Rev. S. H. Calhoun, and at Sidon Dr. William. H. Thompson had joined our party, consisting of Mr. Groesbeck, of Cincinnati, Rev. George E. Hill, of Boston, Rev. Chester N. Righter, of New Jersey, and myself. At Nazareth we engaged an armed guard to escort us to Nablous, the ancient Shechem. Here we heard such fearful reports of the Bedouins burning villages, robbing and murdering the people, that we came to a halt, and were virtually shut up two or three days. The valiant guard declined to go forward. Our muleteers sent us word that they would go no farther. We applied to the Governor of Nablous for an escort, but he could do nothing for us. Our dragoman proved to be the greatest coward in the party. We were compelled to be patient and improve the time by studying the objects of sacred interest in and around this famous old town.

"Now, Jacob's Well was there. There is no spot in Palestine more definitely settled upon as the original Jacob's Well than this. The Bible account of its location is very clear; the great value placed upon wells in early times and the easy tradition that would preserve the name of so important a possession leave us in no doubt as to the locality. Our

us.

party was under the care of the dragoman. A lad and a poor fellow from the town hung on as camp-followers: running behind the party, who were all mounted. Not thinking of any danger in the immediate vicinity of Nablous, we left our pistols at our lodgings, and there was not a weapon among This was just as well, for we could not have made any effectual resistance when attacked, and would only have provoked the enemy to destroy us if we had fired on them. It was a pleasant half-hour's ride from the gate of the city to the well. On either side rose those mounts so famous in oldtime story-Ebal and Gerizim, the mountains of blessing and cursing. On Ebal once the altar of the Lord was reared, and on it all the words of the law were written. No iron tool was to be lifted in rearing the altar, whole large stones only. There are enough scattered around now to build a temple. On Gerizim the tribes to bless were standing, on Ebal the tribes to curse; and to this day Ebal is covered with rocks and Gerizim is tilled to its top.

"Here at the base of Mount Gerizim is Jacob's Well, the scene of one of the most beautiful and instructive passages in the life of our Lord. Looking down the narrow valley, we could mark the way by which he was travelling. At the well he would pause while his disciples went to the city which we have just left. The woman of Samaria comes while he is sitting on the well, which was stoned up a little way from the ground. And then follows that remarkable conversation which has come down to us through the ages and will be read to the end of time.

'When we arrived we found a heap of rubbish about the well, which was covered with a stone. This we removed and found that it concealed the opening through a wooden platform, and the mouth of the well was two or three feet on one side of this opening. Mr. Righter and I crept under the platform and proceeded with a cord and weight to measure the depth of the well. Just as the weight touched the bottom the cry was raised that Bedouins were coming. We tied a knot in the string to keep the measure,—which was seventyfive feet,—and came out. The party were all mounted and

anxious to be off, for a party of Arabs were riding toward us, in single file, with their long spears at rest and guns slung over their shoulders. The better part of valor was for us, unarmed and on horseback, to get away from the enemy as speedily as possible. Our dragoman proved indeed our leader in flight, for instead of keeping between us and the enemy and holding a parley with them if he could, he was off like a shot to the city, and left us to our fate. As my horse had been selected for his gentleness and easy gait, without regard to speed, the rest of the party soon left me behind. The savages halted, and one of their number came on to overtake me. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw him coming in full leap upon me with his spear balanced and ready to run it through my back. At this instant Mr. Righter, who had gone on ahead of me, looked around, and seeing the imminent danger to which I was exposed, wheeled about and dashed between me and the savage. The spear hit him in his side, went through his overcoat and underclothing, made a flesh-wound just below the ribs and glanced off. Had he been in the position that I was in it would have gone directly into his body and killed him without a doubt. Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Thompson rode back to us, and addressing the Arab in his own language, to his great astonishment, and calling him friend, they seemed to shake his purpose. He ordered us to stay where we were while he went off to his company. But we did not obey orders, and as soon as he was gone we went the other way with accelerated velocity, and did not look back till we were under the walls of the city. The two camp-followers fell into the hands of the enemy, were beaten and stripped of their scant clothing, which we, however, made up to them.

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Once more in our lodgings, I examined the wound of my friend Righter, cleansed it thoroughly with cold water, dressed it with sticking-plaster, and sought to keep him quiet after the excitement. His cot was next to mine, and the night following this eventful day I often put out my hand, which he would take in his and press it in token of the love that had prompted him to offer his life for his friend. And

greater love hath no man than this. Neither of us could sleep that night. If I dozed a moment, that big black savage, horse, spear, gun and all, would dash into the room, and sleep would fly from me as I did from him a few hours before. It was some time before my nerves resumed their normal condition. History has made some heroic friendships immortal. And we know that soldiers have sacrificed themselves for their commanders. But no story tells of purer and nobler self-sacrifice than this. One minute more and that cruel spear would have gone into my back and come out of my breast. He rode between it and me and received it in his side. That is in brief my experience with the Arabs, whose murderous spears and guns are now doing such fearful work with the flower of the British army in the Soudan.” But tell us of the fate of your party, and especially of the hero of Jacob's Well."

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Dr.

"Certainly, if you are interested in hearing more. Calhoun was then a missionary in Mount Lebanon. He afterwards came to this country, and at my house met a hundred ministers and other friends; he was dying then, and his soul lived with God while he was yet in the flesh. He had relatives to whom he went, and then he slept in the Lord. Mr. Thompson is the son of the missionary at Sidon, the distinguished author of the 'Land and the Book.' The son came to this city, and is now a great physician and the instructor of that wonderful Bible-class in Association Hall. Mr. Groesbeck died in this city. The Rev. Mr. Hill is an honored pastor in New England. Not long after he returned from that journey he sent for me to come to New Hampshire and make him the happy husband of a lovely bride. I went. His son is now an assistant in my office, and writes in the next room to mine. And Righter, whom you call 'the hero of Jacob's Well'-Mr. Hill and he came home with me; and the American Bible Society prevailed on him to go back to the Levant in its service. The Crimean war was now raging. He went to the Crimea; was kindly entertained by Lord Raglan, the English general in command; visited the wounded, ministered to the dying, pushed his way into

Assyria, and at Diarbekir, on the banks of the Tigris, after fighting bravely with fever, in the midst of tender, loving Christian friends, he breathed away his noble soul.

"The last two years of his life were filled with incident and adventure, and some other evening, if you like, I will tell you more of him and them." "Please let it be very soon."

SEEKING REST AND FINDING NONE.

THIS is just about what a great part of the world are doing, especially in summer time-seeking rest and finding none. It is but a small portion of the inhabitants of a great city who go from home to find rest and refreshment; and very few who go get what they go for. At some fashionable watering-places the same rounds of parties, dinners, suppers, kettle-drums, receptions, balls, and plays are kept up as in the winter in town. One would suppose that even the brain of fashion would enjoy a little rest. But if it seeks rest, it finds none. Its life is excitement, and without it the season is dull, horrid, intolerable.

The number of telegraph-wires at Saratoga is largely increasing. The great hotels must provide the means of keeping their guests in constant intercourse with the stock market of the world. The man of business cannot rest unless he knows how things are, and when he knows he has no rest at all. He cannot go where the telegraph will not talk to him, and the more it talks the more uneasy he is. He went away seeking rest, but finds none. It is one of the wonders of the world how women and men stand the wear and tear of fashionable and business life. The quiet scholar with his book, by the sea or in the mountain shade, seems to be getting rest; yet it is quite likely the man of business says, "I should think he would get tired of study, study, study, and would like to rest awhile."