The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-08-07
A LETTER FROM MARY IRVING,

The following interesting letter, from a young
lady, who is we'll and favorably known to the
readers of the Era, under the non, de plume of
Mary Irving, was addressed to her FELLOWSHIP.
dents, the Alumni of Grand River Institute,
Ohio. She is now Missionary in Asia Minor,
and her first impressions of those remote and
semi barbarous regions will be read with inter
est:
FocAT, AprI 20, 1856.
DEAR FRIENDS AND FELLow.STUDESTs OF
OTHER DAYS: Though many thousands of miles
farther from you than when l last year joined
by letter your pleasant circle, 1 am yet with
you in spirit. The ocean that rolls between
one of the links that bound me to the latter !;
certainly, not the pleasant links of school.day
association.
1 was very glad to hear few of the particu-
lars of your gathering last year. And as the
friend who kindly furnished me with these, ex-
my journey to this distant point, shall give
them most cheerfully.
But why have left a country in which 80
much work is found for every head and hand
you perhaps may ask. Were there co others
ready to take up the thousands of oars which
keep in motion the ship of civilization in our
own dear land or were there thousands who
stood ready to give up home and country for
the sake of helping to civilize and Christian
ize these benighted Eastern nations, the call
"Come over and help us F" might have fallen
laca L lac
to know that one who once mingled with us in
school scenes has long been ON missionary
ground and to hear that another purposes, if
life and health be spared to him, to devote both
to carry forward the Saviour's last command,
$50 ye into all the world, and preach the Cos
pei to every creature
1t was pleasant band of fellow missionaries
in which / found myself, on the morning of
December 18th, 1855, on the deck of the neat
and well-manned barque "Sultsna." fearful
eyes were there's for many relatives and friends
had gathered about them, to take last look
at very dear faces. Here a sister was folding
her arms-for the last time, perhaps-around
the younger, only sister, over whom she had
watched from infancy. There, a mother, with
heart almost breaking, was sobbing farewell to
darling son, the flower Of her family flock.
But there were no sad countenances among
those whose hour had come to 60 from such
loving friends. If tears came to their eyes for
q moment, in sympathy, they were soon dried.
After most appropriate hymn and prayer, our
communication with the shore was cut oft; and
soon, under full sail, watching the waving
handkerchiefs of our friends as they rapidly
receded in the distance, we were waited out Of
Boston harbor.
Our voyage across the Atlantic had little to
relieve its monotony of rough weather and con-
sequent sea-sickness. Its principal incident
was violent hurricane, off the Azores, which,
for hours, placed us in imminent peril. At one
moment the ship seemed sinking, under seven
ty tons of water, which two successive waves
had heaped upon her decks. But the hand of
Providence was under as well as over rs and
it bore US safely through the perils of that ever
to-be-remembered night.
Our first glimpse of the Eastern Continent