instructions, and to carry them out.  The great lack appears to be a want of energy, enterprise, and daring, the being content with a little success instead of reaching out to all that is possible and promising.  However, they are wonderfully improved, and I hope the present Commissioner’s health will allow of his carrying them a long way farther in the direction of enthusiasm than they have reached before.

“Lieut.-Colonel Schoch (our original friend before referred to) was with us at all the Meetings.  He is very cordial, and in making the closing speech, described his oneness with The Army in every direction.

     “My correspondence with London is somewhat heavy.

“Thursday.—­Fair night’s sleep, but feeling rather tired, which must be expected.  We are away to Den Helder at 9.42 a.m., so must be stirring.  Den Helder is a naval port, the headquarters of the Dutch navy.  We were billetted with Rear-Admiral van den Bosch, who is in command of the port, fleet, dockyards, and many other things.  We were received at the station in a formal but hearty manner by the leading people of the town, in the large waiting-room (decorated for the occasion), by the minister of the State Church, who made a really eloquent address.  The great point of his speech was the work of the Holy Spirit—­God working through us to the benefit of mankind.  As he stood there talking in that circle of sixty or seventy of the leading inhabitants of the place, including naval officers of rank, professionals of various classes, and prominent people, I could not help feeling, as I often feel now, what a change has come over the people, not only with respect to The Army, but towards myself.

“I answered in a few words that I trust were useful and beneficial to all present.  The whole thing, from the moment of my being received at the door of my railway carriage, until I left next morning, had been prearranged through the instrumentality of one of our Local Officers, to his great credit, to the credit of his town, and to the satisfaction of his General.

“The mail brought me a request to take over a certain county council’s lodging-house for poor men, on which they are losing a large sum, also another to take over an inebriates’ home, which cost L40,000 and is an utter failure.  In such exploits people will not have The Salvation Army at the onset, otherwise they might save a good deal of expense, etc.

“Friday.—­Arriving at Amsterdam, the mail brought confirmation of my agreement of yesterday to postpone my South African visit to September, and to begin my Motor Tour at Dundee, and finish at the Crystal Palace.  In all these things the maxim is ever present to my mind, ‘Man proposes, but God disposes.’  Closed the night at the desk, which is becoming more and more a difficult task from the failure of my eyes.

     “Saturday.—­Good night’s sleep.  That is for me, anyway, a great
     improvement on recent nights.  So now for a good day’s work, of
     which there is plenty lying before me.