In  their  absence,  plunderers  stripped  the  cabin,  and  carried  off  a  por^
tion  of  its  material ;  but  on  the  return  of  our  troops  the  same  busy
hands  and  hearts  of  faith  were  again  at  work.  A  sutler  gave  them
the  old  canvas  cover  of  his  large  tent,  which  he  was  about  to  cut  up
to  shelter  his  horses  with,  and  lo,  it  preeis^JUted  the  roof  of  the  meet-
ing-house, —  not  an  inch  to  spare  I

^  Well,  there  it  stands,  to  his  glory  and  the  credit  of  their  persever-
ance. (It  took  about  one  hundred  logs  to  build  it)  You  should  have
seen  their  eyes  shine,  as,  here  in  my  tent  for  tracts,  they  were  one  day
giving  me  its  history,  and  you  should  have  been  with  us  last  evening.
The  little  pulpit  made  of  empty  box  boards,  two  chandeliers  suspended
from  the  ridge-pole  of  cross-sticks,  wreathed  with  ivy,  and  in  the  sock-
eted ends  four  adamant  candles,  each  burning  brilliantly.  Festoons
of  ivy  and  *  dead  men's  fingers '  (a  species  of  woodbine  called  by  this
name),  looped  gracefully  along  the  sides  of  the  room,  and  in  the  centre

12


178  THE  BOYS  OF  '61.  [Dec.
