to some soldier, the friend had offered him a dozen new books for the old one, and he had, of course, accepted so good an offer, and now had twelve instead of one to give away.’  We called at the appointed hour.  The general had gone out on some important matter, but (even amid his pressing duties) had left the prayer-books with a member of his staff, with instructions concerning them.  He had written on the fly-leaf of each, ‘Presented by R.E.  Lee,’ and we are sure that those of the gallant men to whom they were given who survive the war will now cherish them as precious legacies, and hand them down as heirlooms in their families.”

These incidents unmistakably indicate that General Lee concealed, under the natural reserve of his character, an earnest religious belief and trust in God and our Saviour.  Nor was this a new sentiment with him.  After his death a well-worn pocket Bible was found in his chamber, in which was written, “R.E.  Lee, Lieutenant-Colonel, U.S.  Army.”  It was plain, from this, that, even during the days of his earlier manhood, in Mexico and on the Western prairies, he had read his Bible, and striven to conform his life to its teachings.

With the retirement of the great soldier, however, from the cares of command which necessarily interfered in a large degree with pious exercises and meditations, the religious phase of his character became more clearly defined, assuming far more prominent and striking proportions.  The sufferings of the Southern people doubtless had a powerful effect upon him, and, feeling the powerlessness of man, he must have turned to God for comfort.  But this inquiry is too profound for the present writer.  He shrinks from the attempt to sound the depths of this truly great soul, with the view of discovering the influences which moulded it into an almost ideal perfection.  General Lee was, fortunately for the world, surrounded in his latter days by good and intelligent men, fully competent to present a complete exposition of his views and feelings—­and to these the arduous undertaking is left.  Our easier task is to place upon record such incidents as we have gathered, bearing upon the religious phase of the illustrious soldier’s character.

His earnest piety cannot be better displayed than in the anxiety which he felt for the conversion of his students, Conversing with the Rev. Dr. Kirkpatrick, of the Presbyterian Church, on the subject of the religious welfare of those intrusted to his charge, “he was so overcome by emotion,” says Dr. Kirkpatrick, “that he could not utter the words which were on his tongue.”  His utterance was choked, but recovering himself, with his eyes overflowing with tears, his lips quivering with emotion, and both hands raised, he exclaimed:  “Oh! doctor, if I could only know that all the young men in the college were good Christians, I should have nothing more to desire.”

When another minister, the Rev. Mr. Jones, delivered an earnest address at the “Concert of Prayer for Colleges,” urging that all Christians should pray for the aid of the Holy Spirit in changing the hearts of the students, General Lee, after the meeting, approached the minister and said with great warmth:  “I wish, sir, to thank you for your address.  It was just what we needed.  Our great want is a revival, which shall bring these young men to Christ.”