194 FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE NORTH [Sept. 



to us by Doctor Hovey. We rolled them in our hands, 

 smelled of them repeatedly, tossed them into the air, 

 and then — ^gave most of them to the Eskimos. What a 

 curiosity they were and how much they were enjoyed! 

 What exclamations of surprise upon hearing that these 

 yellow balls were picked from trees! Trees high above 

 their heads! The creeping willow vine, possibly at- 

 taining the size of one-half inch in diameter, is the 

 largest "tree" among these people. 



It seemed strangely quiet after this slight touch with 

 the homeland. The curtain had lifted but for a mo- 

 ment; but in that moment we had seen much — ^green 

 fields and extensive forests, the horizon of a blue sea 

 dotted not with icebergs, but with the sails of passing 

 ships, great cities teeming with life, the familiar rooms 

 and faces of our homes, loved ones who were anxiously 

 awaiting our return. We folded up the letters and 

 planned for the day's work. 



