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it has the approbation of our Heavenly Fatherue season" we shall reap if we faint not.

been employed for weeks in attending to the compl of the hundreds of colored people in the vicinity of ll of whom are referred to us. We are expected t wants, or send them certified to the Freedmen's Bu gent of the National Freedmen's Relief Association. been exceedingly onerous, and has taken the place o y other duty. If it were not for the prospect that it few weeks, courage and strength would fail. ppy to be able again to acknowledge liberal contribut and clothing from various parts of the church.

J. M. ARMOUR,

Supt. Ref. Pres, Wash. Missio

, Washington, D. C.

ITORIAL

CORRESPONDENCE-LETTER VIII.

s the capital of the Canton of the same name, and als Confederacy, which now consists of twenty-two Cant , that is, from A. D. 1307, there were but five. Int orest Cantons, under the lead of Wm. Tell, rose agai crian governors, and became free. Their number has til in 1814, Geneva and Neufchatel, and the "Vala ined the Confederacy, it attained its present magnitu ation is now about two and a half millions of industrid the whole, thrifty people. Berne is much the largest , the most aristocratic and influential Canton. At rritory extended almost from the northern to the sou ary, embracing, too, the best part of the country for purposes. The city decidedly took the side of the F as early as 1527. For a year, the controversy raged w exampled fierceness. The next year, 1528, a public d was held in the city-Zuingle, principal champion

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it and east, around which flows the river Aar, almost one feet below its surface. The main streets run from west to are ancient streets, retaining all the peculiarities of three indred years ago. The leading street has a number of of odd devices, from which waters flow in great abund are carried off by a channel occupyiug the centre of the 'he pavements are covered by arches on both sides; the rge three story buildings, reaching over them, so that the nay walk nearly a mile, sheltered from heat or rain. The e heraldic emblem of Berne, and is seen in wood, or stone, , in all places, while on the east bank of the Aar, at the xtremity of the town is the "Bears' Den," in which the mal is confined and tended.

a large town of nearly 30,000 inhabitants. Its "West End" very fashionable display of buildings, public and private. e city, dwellings and stores, is well built, except the easta, and the part lying in the narrow strip between the the perpendicular wall of the cliff on which the main city e the edifices are very old, and appear to be of the filthy

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Serne, I visited Lucerne. The route is by railway, steamliligence (a stage-coach.) The scenery throughout is sury in Switzerland itself. Here, for the first time, I came ar prospect of the great mountains which distinguish the Oberland"-mountains from 8,000 to 13,000 feet in eir snow clad summits ever lifting their beautiful forms. e heavens. There was every appearance of comfort people, all of whom were industriously engaged in their cupations. In every village there are manufactories of just as is our own New England. All was quiet-no no loud and boisterous talking, no misbehavior toward ers constantly pouring through their country. On our iled through the lakes of Thun and Brienz-beautiful vater, bounded by lofty mountains, and adorned by ocllages, or old ruins of church or mansion. The town of n occupies the northern side-part of it-of the neck of en the lakes, and is a delightful place, largely resorted to by many of whom remain there for weeks. The magnificent "-one of the most celebrated of the Swiss mountains-is with its subordinate the "Silverhorn"—and its glacier endidly in the light of the sun. It appears through the

y getting farther off from it At times the road k, having been cut through the perpendicular face the most dangerous places there are battlements ide of the road. This is a specimen of one of the rland, and the only one I saw; but it is far inferior nts of the great and impressive to a number of others east of it. The descent was as beautiful as the ascen 1 sublime; but I should have said that for much o were in sight of the high, dark "Faulhorn," wit slender water falls, and of the snow clad "Sustenho w entered a Popish Canton-Unterwalden, one o Cantons, and even yet very primitive in its customs I saw a woman threshing with a flail. The ride from f the Brunig was exceedingly beautiful to Alpacht e lake of Lucerne, where we took the boat for the me name. Comfortable looking towns lie on the roa ungern, lies on the side of the mountain in a vall hile in length and a quarter in breadth, is most delight and evidently prospers through the industry of its in no are engaged in some kind of manufacturing. A we had a view of the three tops of the snow clad "We We had then a succession of lesser villages, some of t of traditional interest, and all of them fair to the my only diligence ride. I enjoyed it much. The sc and pleasantly diversified, my companions mostly s and we made just the progress that had been promi boat was a pleasant change. It carried us rapidly ity of historic scenery, as well as natural scenery of est. The lake of Lucerne is the grandest in its surrou ll the Swiss lakes. It is sometimes called the "lak Cantons,"-Unterwalden, Schwytz, Uri and Lucern e five which first achieved their liberty by their brave opposition to their foreign tyrants, and so became of the present Confederacy.

w found ourselves surrounded by the mountain ranges at give character to this lake. On the left Mons Pilat

which slid down in 1806. It fell 3,000 feet, and overwhelmvillages, with 500 people. Lucerne is still Popish, both city ton. An attempt was made by more than one of "the t" of the days of Switzerland's Reformation, to introduce rd of God into Lucerne. The first of these in order and in as Oswald Myconius, a native of Lucerne, a scholar and subsequently professor of languages at Basle. He was an nvert, yet remained and taught here until 1522, when he elled by a decree of the municipality, "and in the moment is poor man, in company with the helpless sufferers deupon him for support, bade adieu to the sublime natural r of his birth-place, the gospel itself departed from Lucerne, e Rome reigns unto this day."*

iew of Lucerne as you go down the bay-the town is at its very striking It is mostly built upon the rising ground north-east, its old walls and towers of the 14th century ading. As you approach nearer, you see that the river divides it into two parts, the old town on the east much the On entering, it is at once seen to be an old town. It has its s and its narrow streets, its old insignia, all marking its 7. I did not remain here long, but soon took my departure › with the hope of being in Glasgow by the 21st of SepThe railway to Berne passes through a fertile and highly d district. On the route is the village of Sempach, where the Austrians were defeated with fearful slaughter by the It was in this battle that Arnold von Winkelried gathered of the enemies' spears as he could reach, and pointing his own body, and calling upon his countrymen to rememvife and child, lost his life that he might make way for ades into the ranks of their enemies.

Berne I went to Neufchatel, supposing that I had "regisy traveling bag for Paris. They give no "checks" across n; but baggage may be registered for any place on the on connecting lines; a very convenient method of disf it, as there is no additional expense. This was the only on which I ever thought of availing myself of the arrangenduced at this time by the fact that there were two changes aving Switzerland. In the sequel, I found it an unfortunate

to avoid trouble.

eway to Neufchatel, there is little of interest. It is a rich

and there are pleasant lakes From Neufchatel however.

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with the evangelical Christians. To me, it is a cou g interest. If I had had time, it would have been e gotten access to the class of inhabitants I wis M. Merle is, of course, universally known, and v mission can be had anywhere. To have satisfied er, would have required at least a month, and add sights, I would have needed another month. e reached Pontarlier, where the custom-house offi he baggage, I discovered to my surprise and sorr veling bag was not with us. I wrote at once a not e first attempt I had ever made to write a real Fre ng the "chef de bureau de baggage" at Berne to forw as possible to Paris, expecting that I would get it Tuesday or Wednesday, which would leave time enou sh my ulterior designs. It was Saturday, and I stopp at Dole, a considerable town in France-about 10, - I spent a very long Sabbath there. My Bible v age at Berne, and I had nothing to read. After so I determined to see how the Sabbath was observed e hotel is just beside the cathedral, and turning the c myself in the market-a kind of curb-stone market ery walls and windows of the cathedral. There we cauliflowers, and potatoes, and some knit-work a posed chiefly by women, and all very quiet. I observ es of the cathedral, and although it was the time f vices, very few attended-a very small proportion I then passed through the main street, and four stores open, and work going on, such as shoemaki ry; some stores were closed-one in twenty or thir establishments, such as manufactories in the outskirt There were some walking in the streets, but not man I saw no lounging boys and young men on the co è streets, no noisy gatherings in any drinking-hous : the utmost decorum everywhere. The fact is, a gre he inhabitants, were, evidently, at some employmen in the evening I do not know-I did not go out. Du

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