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CHAPTER VIII.

THE END.

T is the close of the last year of the school's existence in the city of Constantinople.

The wheels of Time have sped more swiftly round with every succeeding year of the cycle which is now numbered with the past; each laden with its absorbing work, its rich joys, and increasing cares.

Meanwhile, several changes have taken place in the history of the school; and among them, the exchange of the "old house on the hillside," four years agone, for another and smaller one on an adjoining street, still higher up the hill, and nearer Dr. Goodell's home. That was a "flitting" long to be remembered; and a cleansing process, perhaps, seldom surpassed since the days of Noah. Such floods of water as poured from floor to floor of the fated dwelling! Such heaps of dirt carried away! Such hand-to-hand fights with our old enemies, the "B. flats, and F. sharps!" Through the rapacity of our old Armenian landlord, and the "yawashooteun”—slowness-of our new one, we were driven into a narrow space of time to remove all our goods and chattels, comprising the chapel and day-school furniture, with our own. And not a missionary could be spared from pressing work to aid us in the crisis. But our pupils came to the rescue, disdaining any outside help

from hired women, of which, in the early days, they would have been but too glad. So, on Monday morning, bright and early, the "Philistines" were upon the indolent Turkish family who still lingered in the new premises; and our raid upon the upper rooms speedily routed them from those below. Up and down, hither and thither, flitted the swift-footed maidens, bringing order out of confusion, and leaving purity and sunshine in their wake.

As soon as a room was in readiness, they ran back and forth, bringing the smaller articles to the new house, while the larger pieces of furniture were born on the backs of hamals, or porters; and Sarah and I were here, and there, and everywhere, directing the whole like the generals of an army. Saturday morning came, and the last vestige of our effects, even to the well-curb, was removed from the old place. A great fire-proof magazine at the foot of the garden, with a door opening upon the street, was appropriated for chapel use, and the day-schools were removed to another house.

Our girls had acquitted themselves so nobly that, as a treat, we sent them all at mid-day to the public bath, under the escort of a faithful woman, with Hovsep, our man-of-all-work, to protect them in going and coming. They returned, toward evening, with rosy, shining faces, and, as I was coming down the broad staircase at the end of the hall, merrily greeted me as their queen, with profound obeisance, followed by a kiss on either cheek, according to their fashion, saying, as if in apology, “We are sweet!" Eva afterward came to tell me that they behaved with great propriety, and commanded the respect of the bath - women, who asked many questions about them. She said, also, that there was a great change apparent in their clothing, every one being provided with tidy under-garments.

Soon after this episode, came the Annual Meeting of the Mission, and, being very weary, we petitioned the "Station" for permission to take our vacation a month or two earlier than usual. Then our house was filled with guests, and we sometimes had a great company to luncheon, when the meeting occurred at Hasskeuy; and, counting the children, we numbered seventy in attendance. Our faithful cook was invaluable at such times, saying, with his most deferential salaam, when I told him what a number were to be provided for, "Your friends are welcome if they were a thousand!" And Eva greatly lessened our care and labor, often urging me to go and enjoy the society of my friends, with the assurance that she would try to see that everything was right for the table and guest-rooms, in my place.

But after those weeks of constant excitement and fatigue were over, and school had again commenced, in the heat of mid-summer, there followed another and more painful episode in a nervous prostration and distressing illness, when those dear pupils tenderly assisted in caring for their teacher during the wearisome days and sleepless nights that were "appointed. unto me." * * And then, a year or more was spent in

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the home land; where the vain endeavor to find rest, ended in another prostration, and life trembled in the balance for many days. But a glad return and a joyous welcome followed, like the "clear shining after the rain.” * * And now the end has come. The dear sister who bore the "heat and burden of the day" alone, in my absence, is to return to our mother, who needs a daughter's ministry in the time of old age, when "there is none to guide her among all the sons whom she has brought forth, neither is there any to take her by the hand of all she has brought up." The school

is to be removed from the Capital to Marsovan, in Asia Minor, to be reopened, after a suspension of one year, with a new teacher from America, and I, henceforth, of my own voluntary choice, as most conducive to health, am to devote my strength to general work among the Armenian women, wherever the Master may appoint.

A REVIEW OF RESULTS.

In preparing the "Seventeenth Annual Report" of the school, for the yearly meeting of the Mission, I have gleaned some statistics, showing results, from the record kept of each pupil, since its establishment in October, 1845. The entire number of pupils enrolled is 128. Of these 83 were received from Constantinople and its suburbs, and 45 from missionstations in the interior of the country:-From Smyrna, 5; Broosa, 2; Rodosto, 2; Nicomedia, 13; Bardezag, 3; Adabazar, 2; Bilijuk, 1; Trebizond, 6; Marsovan, 3; Tocat, 2; Erzroom, 1; Diarbekir, 3; and Athens, 1. Thirtyseven have completed the four years' course of study, and sixty have remained under instruction less than two years. Of the entire number, one-half became members of the visible Church of Christ during their connection with the school; eighteen have married preachers, and twelve are unmarried teachers. Three of those who were under instruction for a longer or shorter time are soon to be married to preachers, one of whom will be settled in Stamboul, one in Marash, of ancient Cilicia, and one in Cesarea, of Cappadocia.

Of those who have lately left the school, and are actively engaged as co-laborers in Christian work, we hear very encouraging accounts. One has an interesting and prosperous school of forty-five girls in Diarbekir, Mesopotamia. The Word

of God is the principal text-book, and many of her pupils teach their mothers at home. In some instances the family altar has been erected through their instrumentality. The teacher 'makes it a rule to visit the mothers. They receive her kindly, and several are quite persuaded of the truth. We hear from Mr. and Mrs. Walker that she is also active as a Christian laborer among other women of that ancient city on the shores of the Tigris, often conducting, with great propriety, their weekly meetings, at which as many as fifty are usually present. She also meets with the mothers once a month, and reads to them from Abbott's "Mother at Home" in the Armenian language.

The wife of the Protestant pastor in that city is one of the recent graduates of this school. Her influence is said to be always in the right direction, but it lacks force. She is naturally diffident and retiring, but very amiable, and greatly beloved by the people.

Another of our late graduates is the wife of the pastor at Harpoot, Armenia, a woman of more than ordinary ability. She has lately completed the translation of Todd's Question Book on Genesis, besides other important work for her people. One of the last year's graduates, but sixteen years of age, is very useful in Marsovan of Pontus. She was, perhaps, the first to go directly from the school as a missionary teacher, to what seemed a foreign field; and we made the occasion of her leaving, with Mr. and Mrs. Leonard, one of special interest and solemn consecration. She had not seen her parents for a year, but having obtained their reluctant consent, she cheerfully relinquished that pleasure, and only asked that her necessary expenses should be defrayed, while imparting to others what she had so