and power plant, along with new additions, to the new situation. George had charge of the removal, and the new arrangement and resetting of the machines in the large new shop; and continued for several months in the superintendency, when owing to constant unpleasant friction between the new directors and the old management he resigned, December 1, 1904, only to become sales manager of Strong, Carlisle & Hammond Company, Cleveland. Here his knowledge of steam, gas and electrical engineering came into good serv ice, and his work soon became specialized into selling and superintending the installation of all their power plants. In the course of this work he sold a gas engine to the Smith Gas Power Company of Lexington, Ohio, and made the acquaintance of Harry Smith, the inventor of his gas producer. He was a university graduate, specializing on chemistry. George saw that his producer had distinctive merits, and so reported to his company, who instructed him to make a more critical examination and report. He did so, and his company arranged for its exclusive sale in northern Ohio. Several producers were, soon after, sold, which brought George in closer contact with Smith and his new company. The latter began to feel greatly the need of a sales manager, and one to take care of the business end of the work. Favorable overtures were made to George, which he accepted, on condition that after one years' service he should, if mutually agreeable, become a member of the firm. Accordingly, on January 1, 1906, he began with the Smith Gas Power Company, and his itinerating career, though a good one, ended; "The rolling stone" settled, and began to "gather moss." Ten years have elapsed; George still retains this connection. The Smith Gas Power Company is now, in 1916, doing an immensely increased business; and has lately been reorganized under the changed name of the Smith Engineering Company, with a capital stock of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and will remove this coming winter to Dayton, Ohio, into new and greatly enlarged shops, where a good, successful future seems to be awaiting this enterprising business firm.

George's progress in study and business has been quite equal to the progress of the firm, in fact it must lead it. There seems to be nothing in the range of steam, or gas, or electricity, that he does not clearly understand, and can readily lead others to his clear apprehension of the subject. In this respect he was once highly complimented by our Milwaukee city engineer.

He is the respected spokesman of the Smith Gas Engineering Company. His steady activity in church and Bible school has been already noted, and his persistent good nature is made subservient to every good movement.

George's home is now in Lexington, Ohio, but will soon be in Dayton, Ohio; it is mine too, when I choose to use it, the same as all my children's homes; but I am less frequently at George's home than any of the others. Unfortunately I have no grandchildren there. Certainly more unfortunate it is for George than for myself, as no one among us enjoys the presence and company of children better than he does. And the feeling is reciprocated, all the children enjoy Uncle George. If he should hold out his hands, and with his assuring smile say, "Come," even a strange baby will most likely leave his mother's arms and go to him. But if no childish chat is heard in his house, or playthings litter their well-kept rooms, still they are seldom lonesome. Mrs. Trout entertains very nicely. Her skilful playing on her good piano is always interesting; and George, in his evenings at home, particularly if "company" is present, contributes his quota of song. He is a baritone of no mean ability, with a fairly good repertoire, and sings very expressively in sympathy with his subject. All this, coupled with good conversational ability, makes an interesting social evening. The same talents come in most serviceably in the work and worship of the church, where he, when at home from his business tours, leads the singing, with Mrs. Trout at the organ, and often a solo by George as part of the program. Added to all this, at times, in the absence of the Bible school superintendent, he fills the place; or, in the absence of the pastor, he is called upon for the more serious work of conducting the meeting and doing

the preaching. It is a great pleasure to see progress of this kind backed up by square dealing, and the unsullied reputation springing from a good life. If, as England's immortal bard has said, "The evil men do lives after them," though he does not affirm it, yet the same is true of the good; so we look for a prolonged effective life for George that will not be forgotten at the end of its term. But it would be all much more to our pleasure, could we be assured that such a life would have its natural successors as well as its influence.

MRS. NELLIE AMELIA TROUT DAVIS.

In my own family story, referring to Nellie's courtship by Irvin W. Davis and her marriage, there comes in also her distinctive bent toward the study and practice of art. This was so manifest as to warrant me in the expenditure of the needed funds for an extended course in the Art Institute of Chicago, where she made progress in both drawing and color. Her second effort in oil received honorable mention. The eye strain resulting from this work demanded an extended relief from study and the use of the pencil and brush. This was cupid's opportunity, and he made good use of it. She surrendered, on condition that she might afterwards resume the study and continue her art practice. Of course, Irvin consented; as it depended mostly upon herself, he was quite safe in doing it; and he really was proud of her progress, and anxious that she should have the leisure and the means to proceed. But the greater and more pressing considerations of a new home, and the needs of three lively babies in the course of six years, shelved the art pursuit for more favorable periods, which seem to be still in the future. However, her efforts in this line have neither been lost nor laid aside. They can be found in the atmosphere of her home, in the aptitude of her children in sketching and drawing, particularly Margaret, the second daughter, who seems to have inherited all of her mother's natural bent plus her directive help, having at the age of eleven just been awarded a scholarship in the Milwaukee Art Institute. This is the first prize baby of former mention, who will undoubtedly hold her first place in drawing and art design,

and possibly other lines as well, as she is a most cheerful, diligent student.

Nature study is another line of interest to which Nellie has devoted attention. While art study and practice has been reluctantly left in the background, nature study came to the front, not for her own consideration, but that of her children, whose attention, from their earliest showing of interested observation, has been directed to this end. As the immensity of this universal subject is too great for ordinary minds even to think about, let alone study, so she devoted her attention and that of her children to the birds, with some little passing attention to the flowers and seeds. One of the large, finely wooded parks of the city is only three blocks distant from her home, and as many of the migrants in their northern journey make a resting place of the park, she determined to make it her main place of observation. Accordingly, at the beginning, and through the migration periods, she and the children were down into the park by sunrise, when the city was still measurably quiet, and the song birds in their liveliest ecstatic grand concert. I am referring to this as Nellie and her children appreciated it, not as I regard it, for the best wild. bird singing I hear in these degenerate bird days seems like weak attempts at bird music, compared to the great overwhelming chorus that began with the early dawn in the Canadian spring time of sixty years ago. The continued harmonious melody pervaded the woods and seemed as steady as the rippling of the water in the rapid running stream. It began with the first light of the morning, in the long bright days of late May and early leafy June, and the sunrise period seemed to be the zenith of its melody, which slowly diminished as the day wore on. One sentimental songster reserved his half melancholy lay for the quiet evening twilight, when from the highest tree top he poured forth his strong, but pensive and prolonged notes, that might be heard for half a mile. This was long before the days of the plume hunter for ladies' hats; and the advent of the English sparrows-"The rats of the air" the great disturbers of the equilibrium of American

bird life. Pardon this digression, which forcibly springs up from memory's depths and seeks expression.

On account of ill health last winter, 1914 and 1915, she sojourned with me in southern Texas, having with us also her youngest child "Billy" to share and contribute to our interest. There she renewed the acquaintance of her former bird friends in their southern winter quarters, and also gained an introduction to many of the settled denizens of that particular region. The vegetation was also a matter demanding attention, as the rocky hills and rich valleys furnished such a variety, from the cactus and mesquite of the desert, and flowers of the tropics, along with luxuriant growths of more northern trees and crops, all forming a matter of continued interest. The pleasant drives we had about San Marcos, San Antonio and Austin, will not soon be forgotten.

Besides the art and nature study there is another characteristic in Nellie's make-up that deserves respectful notice; that is her economic ability. I should hardly say disposition. Though disposition and ability should necessarily accord, there is undoubtedly a disposition to save money, but not for money's sake, but for the necessities and needs as well as the comforts and pleasures, that money could buy; and economic ability comes in, in making a limited number of dollars supply the largest possible limits of real service. She has all the food values in figures, knows what growing children should have, as well as the best for old folks; and gets it all down into terms of dollars and cents, so that it may match the income whether small or great.

There is another kindly peculiarity that deserves a reference, which is, that Nellie is the custodian of all the confidences of her friends. She has a sympathetic ear to their troubles, and a kindly advisory tongue to help them out. On this account she is generally pretty well loaded up; greater often than she cares to carry. Being the wife of the chairman of the church board, and the daughter of the senior elder, helps her to a great deal of this, which though hard on Nellie is helpful to the church and community; whose respect and love to her is so readily accorded.