such a severe cold on her chest that she has never recovered her voice.

"After much prayer for wisdom to act aright, I persuaded her not to return to her husband until he promised faithfully to amend his wicked ways, suggesting that as there was still some fatherly love left in the man, he would probably feel the necessity of providing for the wants of his children, and would miss his good wife, whom he had so cruelly ill-used.

"She followed my advice, and took a situation as monthly nurse, going once a-day to see the children and tidy up the This course of treatment entirely

At the

place unbeknown to him.' sobered the man, and made him ashamed of himself. end of a fortnight he asked his wife to return, but would give no decided promise of amendment.

"I counselled her gently to decline until he would faithfully pledge himself to maintain her and their family with a fair proportion of his wages. At last he promised; and they have lived comfortably together ever since. He has never since indulged his drinking propensities.

"I am thankful to inform you that Mr. J—— still perseveres in abstinence, and has marvellously improved in manners and appearance; he is not yet a decided Christian, but we have great hopes of him.

"We have instituted a monthly prayer-meeting amongst our 'mothers,' and feel sure the result is a blessed one.

"Believe me, yours most sincerely,

SOME time since a Bible-woman was the instrument of rescuing a young girl from ruin; she had gone astray, and fallen not only into immorality, but dishonesty, for which she was sent to prison, and as the time of her discharge drew near, the Biblewoman called upon her family, who were respectable people, but had refused to have anything more to do with her. Neither her parents nor brothers and sisters could be prevailed upon to receive her home again, whereupon Mrs. L went to the Secretary of one of the Rescue Homes. He said this case was

not eligible, but after much importunity, owing to the extreme urgency of the need, agreed to receive her, and the Bible-woman went to the prison and took her from thence. She gave satisfaction at the Home, and Mrs. L then advertised for a situation for her, acquainting the lady with the facts. She has now been in her family for twelve months, and one of her sisters also as lady's-maid, for her friends now acknowledge, that had others left her as they did, she must have returned to her former sinful course, there being no alternative. Thus the Bible-woman proved her deliverer, and was blessed in her deed.

HELP TO HELP THEMSELVES.

Nurse H came this morning to express her thankfulness for the relief sent last week through Miss M- for two very deserving cases. The first is Mr. L--- 9 a weaver, a young man, with wife and five children. Nurse discovered the family from an accident that had happened to one of them, a boy six years old, whose head and face had been severely crushed between two cart wheels in the street. The poor little fellow was taken off to the London Hospital, and for three weeks they did not know whether he would live or die; during all which time the father was much with him, sitting up at night, and also in the day; consequently his work stopped; at other times he earns about 14s. per week, upon which he contrived to keep his family, but this accident threw him back sadly.

The poor boy was sent out of the hospital not cured, and the Bible-woman soon told me about him. Says Nurse, "there was a large and painful lump on the cheek and jaw which I feared might turn to cancer or abscess, but by the use of warm carbolic lotion and soap, and constant attention, it in time dispersed. He required so much nourishment, and could get so very little, that when I used to take him in a basin of cereal food he would eat it ravenously, and scrape the basin so clean. The 5s. sent last week has indeed been what they called it, "a rale God send.'" Nurse says, "I never saw such gratitude, there was a suit of man's clothes, besides other things for the

woman and children. When the man put on the coat the tears stood in his eyes, and he said he did not know how to thank the ladies who had sent them."

I said to the wife, "He does not want a shirt, he always looks so clean and nice."

"Oh!" she answered, "he has but that one, and he went without it this morning, while I washed and ironed it," so the two old ones that were in the parcel were given to him.

Their place is always so clean that you would hardly suppose how poor they are. The clothes were "just what they wanted,” and the money was laid out in meat, coals, vegetables, and bread, and has helped them wonderfully. The poor woman is going to begin subscribing for a Bible at once; and promises to attend a Mothers' Meeting.

The other call was a Mrs. B; a confinement; very destitute. They have seven children. Her husband is a casual dock labourer. It was the third day when I first saw her. She was then sitting up, and all she had was a piece of bread and a little tea made from the leaves sent from the Boys' Refuge (they can have the cold tea that is left if they send for it), but this had been standing too long and was quite sour. Of course I did not let her drink it, but went for some more, also some eggs and a chop, for I saw she was almost starving, and when the Pioneer came and saw the case she sent for more nourishment for her. If it had not been for this timely help I believe she must have died. I spoke to the missionary about her and he kindly gave the children some clothes and boots. The 5s. sent from the Mission was laid out in meat, vegetables, coals, bread, and butter, and the poor woman seems a different creature. They are all so thankful. There was some clothing also for the man, especially two brown holland gaberdines, which he said were just the things for him in his work, and he never can be grateful enough.

ALWAYS IN THE DARK.

A NURSE REPORT.

Mrs. C. This is a singular case of paralysis on the nerves and brain. She has been for two years ill, ever since the

birth of her last child, and was formerly attended by Nurse W. I have had her on my list for about eight months. One of her peculiarities is that she must always be in the dark. Although she has not lost her sight, she screws up her eyes so that no glimpse of light can penetrate, and her room is so darkened that even this does not seem necessary. She says the least light causes her such agonizing pain that she cannot endure it. The doctors think that a great deal of it is imagination, but as we watch her constantly it does not seem so to us. I am obliged to let some light in when I attend to her and make her bed, &c., but then her eyes are carefully bandaged up in her own particular way to prevent the least gleam of light. She is a Christian woman and wonderfully patient, but so helpless-it seems as though all the motive-power is gone-she cannot move her limbs when she wishes, but often involuntarily moves them so that she finds her hands in different positions. Her husband is in consumption and sinking. He is in another room, as the doctor said he must have light. She does not like the idea of going to any hospital, unless she could have a dark room to herself. She can only take very smooth liquid food; a little meat pounded very fine and moistened with a little beef tea is her principal food. Her mind seems very well stored with Scripture, and she says that text after text comes to her recollection as she lies there, but she dares not try to think, as the pain comes on so dreadfully when she does. There are five children. A boy of ten has a little place; a girl of eleven cleans about at home and keeps the rooms tidy, one is with the grandmother, and the baby is out at nurse. It is an afflicted family, and no one seems to know what to do for the mother.

SICKNESS AND WANT.

"MY DEAR MRS. R

"I have seen Nurse S- this morning, as the Pioneer, in her Report, said she needed some clothing for some very destitute cases, which I find quite true. She mentions one poor woman especially, who has been long ill with diseased spine

from a fall. Nurse has visited her for five months. Her case is now hopeless, as congestion of the brain has come on, and she thinks her to be sinking fast. They are very poor, her husband only a dock labourer; they have eight children, none of them strong; one in the hospital with low fever; an old mother paralyzed upstairs, and perfectly helpless. Nurse has attended her for twelve months, going in every day to wash and dress her. She is also partly dependent on the poor man. He says it is such a heavy burden upon him he hardly knows how to bear it. One child earns a little, but this is all the help he has. This poor woman is waiting most submissively the will of the Lord. She knows she cannot get better, and is trusting alone in Jesus for her salvation; but says, sometimes with tears, that she would like to take all her children with her. She is most grateful for all the kindness shown her. They are not in Mrs. C's parish, and so get no relief, though Nurse says the children come to their schools.

"Another, also out of our district, a Mrs. T-, brought to death's door by debility, &c. I found her lying on the floor in a downstairs room; no bedstead. Her husband has been in the infirmary nearly a year. There are two little boys, but they seem destitute of almost everything. She would go into the infirmary were it not for these children. She has been such a hard working woman, and formerly much more respectable in position.

"Another sad case is that of a Mr. H—, who has been for two years unable to work, and is now confined to his bed. His wife has been dead three years. There are four children; two little girls have been got into Mrs. Barnardo's schools, the eldest boy goes to work and earns seven shillings per week, out of which they have three shillings to pay for rent, this is all they have to subsist upon. He frequently says he should have starved if it had not been for what Nurse brought him.

"She was so gratified yesterday when she went in to see him, to find another man, almost as poor as himself, had brought him a chop, saying he needed it much more than he did himself. This shows how kind the poor often are one to