who sleep in the open air with sheepskins wrapped around them.

Hospitality is based upon the ancient oriental laws. No stranger is ever turned from the door if he comes in peace. The poorest peasant will share blanket and bread without the asking, and no visitor leaves a cabin without being offered a bunch of grapes, a mug of milk, or at least a glass of water. Each family has at least one pair of oxen, forty or fifty sheep, besides cattle, goats, pigs, geese, and chickens. Fruit is plentiful. The southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains are clad with vines, and the grapes produce an excellent wine. Tobacco and cotton grow well and all the vegetables known to temperate zones.

The great majority of the people belong to the Orthodox Greek Church; not more than one-fifth are Moslems. Their patron saint is St John of Ryle, a monk, who lived in a hollow oak in the mountains. A monastery, built upon the site of his retreat, is an enormous building of medieval architecture, frequently visited by tourists, who are hospitably entertained by the monks. It received considerable notoriety lately because of a report that Miss Stone was concealed there, and a thorough search was made by the soldiers. This profanation of the holy place excited great indignation among the orthodox Greeks, who blamed the American missionaries and threatened reprisals.

Its picturesque walls have often sheltered brigands, and in olden times its secluded situation made it a convenient rendezvous for enterprising gentlemen when tempted by favorable opportunities or oppressed by necessity. In return for their hospitality the monks were liberally supplied with game from the mountains, and are supposed to have received liberal contributions from the booty of their guests.

Around the picturesque city of Philippopolis are many ancient ruins, which

should attract the interest of archæologists, but have thus far received very little attention. Perhaps that is because they are so far away. In Philippopolis there is quite a colony of Protestants, which last year erected the largest and finest Protestant church in the Balkan States. In Sofia there is another prosperous Protestant church. The principal school is at Samakov, where Miss Stone had been attending a teachers' convention before her capture.

The most influential woman in Bulgaria is Mrs Ivan Kassuroff, a former pupil of Miss Stone, who is notable as the first woman of social position in that country to enter mercantile business. Her character and abilities have not only carried her through a trying ordeal, but she has gained the respect and confidence of the entire community and has opened the field of commerce for women. When her husband, who was the proprietor of the principal bookstore in Sofia, died, he left her nothing but the good will of his business, and she was compelled to carry it on or become dependent upon others. Although no woman had ever undertaken such a task in Bulgaria, Madam Kassuroff assumed the responsibility. Now every one admires her and is proud of her success, and every hat is lifted when she passes along the street. She is a typical example of what American ideas, introduced by American missionaries, have done for the emancipation and advancement of women in the East. The government, as well as the public, has expressed its approval, and Madam Kassuroff is now the official printer and bookseller.

Sofia, the capital, is a city of 45,000 inhabitants, situated at the base of Mt Bitosch, a beautiful peak, 7,800 feet high. It covers a considerable area, and looks as if a building boom had been suddenly checked, which is true. Under the reign of Prince Alexander and Stefan Stambuloff, Bulgaria made

from Grand Rapids, agricultural implements and machinery from our factories, and Armour's canned goods; but what little commerce we have with the Balkan States is filtered through Austria.

In the market places you see the costumes of nearly every oriental race. The Bulgarian is distinguished by the kalpak, a head-dress of lamb's wool, and the Turk by his fez. The Turkish women wear veils, but the Bulgarian women follow the European customs.

woven by the women like wool from their flocks. They are fond of bright colors, and the garments of both men and women are elaborately embroidered. A Bulgarian girl arrayed for her wedding or for a holiday is as pretty and picturesque an object as you can find outside of China or Japan, and a Bulgarian dandy is a delight. The sober-minded gentlemen wear long coats of white wool with full skirts and frogs, turbans of lamb skin, and high boots.

There is a fine club in Sofia, more im