by some to be a wild and dangerous proceeding.  I soon found groups collected together, listening patiently and quietly to one of their number reading the New Testament.  Instead of disturbing their minds, it soothed and delighted them.  I have witnessed a poor lunatic, a Frenchman, during an interval of returning reason, reading the New Testament in his bed-room, with tears running down his cheeks; also a Russian priest, a lunatic, collected a number together, while he read to them the Word of God.

On one occasion I witnessed a most interesting scene.  On entering the institution, I found a young woman dying; her eyes were closed, and she was apparently breathing her last breath.  I ordered one of the servants of the institution to read very loud to her that verse, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Dr. K——­ observed, “Sir, she is almost dead, and it is useless.”  On my urging its being done, lo! to the astonishment of all present, she opened her eyes and smiled.  I said:  “Is it sweet, my dear?” She nodded assent.  “Shall it be read to you again?” A smile and nod of the head followed.  She evidently possessed her reason at that moment, and who can trace, or limit, the operation of the Holy Spirit, on the reading of God’s own Word even in her circumstances?

When I received a letter from your mother I always wrote it out in French, and presented it in that language to the Empress; and when she had read it, it was very encouraging to see with what alacrity she ordered one of her secretaries to translate it into Russian, and then deliver it to me to be conveyed to the asylum, and entered into the journal there, for immediate adoption.  I remember on one occasion, taking a list of rules, at least fourteen in number, and the same day were confirmed by the Empress.  These rules introduced the following important arrangements; viz., the treating the inmates, as far as possible as sane persons, both in conversation and manners toward them; to allow them as much liberty as possible; to engage them daily to take exercise in the open air; to allow them to wear their own clothes and no uniform prison-dress; also to break up the inhuman system of permitting the promiscuous idle curiosity of the public, so that no one was allowed to see them without permission; a room, on entering the asylum, was prepared for one at a time, on certain days, to see their relations.  The old cruel system drew forth many angry expressions from the poor lunatics:  “Are we, then, wild beasts, to be gazed at?”

The Empress made a present to the institution of a piano-forte; it had also a hand-organ, which pleased the poor inmates exceedingly.  On one occasion the Empress, on entering the asylum, observed that the inmates appeared unusually dull, when she called them near, and played on the hand-organ