"I don't know a single thing about Persia, but I can find out." And I am going to tell you just a few of the things she found out about Persia. She found that in July last the semi-centennial of the beginning of the missionary work among the Nestorians at Oroomia was celebrated. More than fifteen hundred Nestorians came to the jubilee on the college grounds.

"College grounds!" exclaimed Lucia's brother Tom as the two sat together working up the programme, for this brother and sister were accustomed to study and work together, "do you mean to say that they have a college over there?"

"Yes; there are schools of all grades in Persia," replied Lucia. "The first school was opened in a cellar with only seven small children; but now there are village schools, high schools, seminaries for boys and girls, a college and theological seminary."

"Are there many who attend these schools?" asked Tom.

"I do not know what you would call many; I should think it was a large number, all things considered, when they can count the day-school pupils by thousands and the boarding-school students by hundreds. But the population of Persia is between seven and eight million, and there are only seven Mission stations in the whole country. Five of these are under the management of the Presbyterian Board of America, and two are under the care of the English Church Missionary Society."

"It seems like putting little bits of wedges into a narrow crack in a big rock and thinking to split it by pounding with a hammer. The wedges go all to pieces and the rock stays just as it was."

"But, Tom, if your wedges are of iron, with power enough in the arm that strikes the blows, the rock is bound to yield."

"Yes; but sometimes people use up a lot of wedges and mallets too."

"Well, these missionaries who had given their lives as wedges to make an opening for the Gospel, were only too glad to be used in the service of Christ. That is what wedges are made for, I suppose, to be hammered and go to pieces at last."

"But what did they do at this jubilee? That is what I want to find out," said Tom.

"Just what we do in this country when we celebrate. They sold tickets which entitled the holders to the privilege of spending the night on the grounds, and also to their meals. The women were made comfortable in the college building, but many of the men had to sleep out of doors. A large booth had been built for the meeting, and men and women told the story of the last fifty years. They had 'papers' prepared. Some of them, on female education, were written by native women who had been educated in the schools. They told about the native churches, about the medical work of the Missions, and about the hospital; you know the only hospital in Persia was built by the missionaries. The history of the work of Miss Fidelia Fiske, and of Mrs. Grant and Miss Rice were given. There was one old woman who came a long distance, part of the way on foot, and that over a rough mountainous road, to attend the celebration; she was one of Miss Fiske's first girls. Seems to me she might have told a story worth hearing. The history of the Hamadan Mission is interesting. Miss Montgomery says, 'What hath God wrought? Come and see his work in Hamadan.' Nine years only since the first missionary was stationed there, and now a church of seventy-five members. A weekly prayer meeting and a woman's prayer meeting; a Sunday-school and several day schools. But this work is done under the most trying circumstances, without either church or school buildings. The schools are gathered in private houses, and in summer the preaching and other church services are held in the yard of Miss Montgomery's house and in winter in the house. It just seemed to me when I read about the work in Hamadan that I wanted to be rich. I should think some wealthy man would want to build a church there."

"It seems as though there is such a wide crack there a big wedge would go in and do good work."

"There is another thing which is encouraging," said Lucia, "and that is the fact that the people have the Bible in their own language; that is a big wedge, because you see if they once get the Bible into their homes the work will go on faster. The women too are being educated. There was a strong prejudice against the education of women, but that is wearing away and of course the influence of educated Christian mothers will be a great help. Now, Tom, I am going to give you the station at Hamadan for your topic at the meeting, and I shall give Ella the fire worshipers, and Dick will tell us about the Mussulmans. Then I must find somebody who will give an account of the work at Oroomiah. O, dear! there is so much about Persia that the hour will not begin to hold it all."

"Well, you may leave something to piece out my hour with. I don't believe I can ever find enough to fill up."

"What is your topic?" asked Lucia.

"Mexico; and I don't know a thing about it."

Lucia expressed her sympathy by laughing at him, and saying, "Just wait until you study it up!"