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week. I was recommending them to use rice and coarse oatmeal made into porridge, but they seemed to think bread and potatoes better, and sometimes a little fish.

"Yours always sincerely,

"J.W."

BIBLE-WORK IN BERMONDSEY,

A GOOD Bible-woman in Bermondsey had been receiving pence for a Bible, and had gone week by week to obtain them, thus finding herself able to speak a word to the subscriber at the door. There came a week, however, in which the penny was handed by a stranger; the next week it was the same, when the Bible-woman ventured to ask,

"Is Mrs. Bill ?"

"Yes, she is."

"Can you let me see her?"

The answer was, "Well, you can, but she is not dying, or so ill that she needs you to read to her."

"Well, I hope she is not dying; but the Book your sister is paying for, and the Book I carry, is for the living as well as the dying."

So presently our good Bible-woman got up stairs, and read the 3rd chapter of St. John's Gospel; had prayer with her sick subscriber, who lived, as it proved, only a few weeks longer; but there was every reason to believe she was born again, and had become a new creature in Christ Jesus.

After her death there was fivepence to pay for the Bible, which her husband was willing to do; and said he was going to remove, and if it would not be too much trouble for the Biblewoman to call on him, he would like to have a large 7s. 6d. Reference Bible for himself, and he would pay threepence per week, which he is now doing. The sister, who said Mrs. Bwas not dying, and therefore did not need the visit, is a careless woman, but has now also begun to pay for Bibles for her children, for which Miss W- feels very thankful, as, while going weekly for the pence, she will be able to speak about Him who is mighty to save.

"Mrs. T-- bought a Bible for her husband. He didn't

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care much about it, but their son, a lad seventeen years of age, took to reading it. Then he went to public worship; then he would not let his parents have any peace unless they went too. So they went just to please their boy. They got more and more interested in what they heard. The son said he could find out in the big Bible what the minister read; he could also find the text. But then they had only the one book, and both -father and son wanted to read at the same time, so it was pro:posed to send to me immediately to take another 38. Bible (large *type), ),so that while Mrs B- was sewing in the winter evenings, the father and Charleys could read aloud to her. Charley says it will fill their minds with good things, and do away with all quarrelling."

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Another woman has been a Bible subscriber for a long time. She has paid for six 1s. 10d. Bibles, one for each child. She has rather poor health, and thinks she will not live long, and she would like to leave a Bible to each child; so as each cone was paid for and taken home, she wrote the name in it with its mother's love. wbpog

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met her with another baby.

She said, "Do you see my new baby? Bible, you know ;" and asked Miss W has been done.

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That means another to call again, which

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One of our Rotherhithe mothers has all her children grown up, and some of them married, but, as grandmother, she is so anxious that each of her grandchildren should have a Bible, she too is paying for one to each of them. For a long time she had come to the meeting, and did not seem to care much for the Bible herself, but for some time past there has been a great change in her. She is never absent unless illness is the cause; and I am sure she now loves the Word for herself, and hence her desire that her grandchildren should possess that which has brought life and light to her own soul. E. M.

REPORT OF BIBLE PIONEER.

"ONCE more I have to speak of change on the E.. W. District. Miss S has left, and Mrs. P-- commenced

work. I hope she will be permanent, as we seem never to get settled here. This is the fifth worker we have had on the district within three years. First Mrs. N-, who became a Bible-nurse; next Mrs. Y, who thought her health would be better in the country, and left, but has since died; then Mrs. (who was an excellent worker) was coveted by Mr. and taken from us. After her came Miss S

BCwho has been nearly six months at work, but seems to have no aptitude for being a Bible-woman, and is now to return to service: feels she is best suited for that. She told some of the mothers she was leaving because she was not fitted for the position, and one of them said, 'Well, I never thought you were.' We often find however ignorant the mothers are themselves, they have very quick discernment as to other people's qualifications, and can soon tell whether or not the workers are up to the mark. Miss S has shown a very nice Christian spirit at this time; although sorry to leave she feels it is quite right, and says she thinks the 'coming one' is the right person for the district. The Lady Supporter sent Miss S—— a very kind note last Thursday, and enclosed an order for 27.; said she hoped the Lord would use her among her fellow-servants, wherever her lot was cast, and surely good Christian servants are wanted as much as Biblewomen. Mrs. P—— has more experience, and a better knowledge of Scripture than Miss S, which is necessary when dealing individually with the people."

House-to-House Visitation.

ONE of our pioneers says:

"House-to-house visitation seems after all the best way of getting at the souls of the people. In our visits we hear of much distress, even among the industrious, owing to slack work. Dock labourers, tailors, and tailoresses, of whom there are so many, seem at a standstill. I was glad to find one young woman at work, with four finished waistcoats on her table. On telling her so, she answered, 'Ah, they are waiting for their buttons since Saturday, and the man won't give them to me. I've been three times for them, and have now sent my little girl, and I am in a fright for fear the School Board should

169 come after her; but I wanted to get this one finished, as I have nothing to give them to eat till these are paid for. Poor little things! I don't mind waiting, but 'tis hard to see them fast. Then there is the gentleman who calls for sixpence; he comes of a Monday, and how hard I have worked to have it ready. And if it isn't (for want of the buttons)-though he won't say much-I shall get a letter like a summons.'

"I then found that the sixpence was a weekly payment to the Charity Organization for a sewing-machine, to cost 37. 10s., for which she had paid 17. down after her husband's death from the sale of his tools; and since that many a shilling weekly, till work became so slack, and then the committee reduced it to sixpence, which she tries not to miss. Poor thing! she looked so hungry and weary, and has five children. I was glad to be able to help her with sixpence for that day at all events. After reading a few verses with her, she said, 'Yes, I can, and do, now as I sit at my work, thank God when I have it, and trust Him for more.' The Bible-woman says she must have been hard pushed to-day, for she seldom complains.

"We next got from a servant-girl the promise of a subscription. She said, 'You see I am only a servant, and I live with Jews, and the lodgers are Jews, so I can't let you in, but I will be very glad to have a Bible for myself if you will call again.' The next seven houses belonged to Jews, none of whom would open their doors."

OUR JEWISH BIBLE-WOMAN.

HOUNDSDITCH.

THERE is, I believe, a good work going on quietly, steadily, in Houndsditch. Mothers' Meetings keep up. I remember the time when we were wont to take 2s. 6d. and 3s. per week for clothing, now we take more than 10s., and the other day 17. 1s. 1d.

We have had one conversion this month of a bad woman once fond of the glass, and given to fighting. Mrs. Swent into a shop to talk to the shopman about selling on Sundays; this woman began to bully and abuse (anything of this kind is enough to make our good Mrs. Spray specially for

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the sinner). However we were both astonished to see this woman walk into our meeting after it was concluded. Mrs. S▬▬▬ asked her why she had come. She said, "The doctor said she had the dropsy and she wanted her soul saved: She heard there was a Mothers' Meeting there and she thought she would

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She is very ignorant, cannot read; never went to a place of worship; no influence for good in her surroundings. ... Her brother has told her that if she would go to a place of worship he will go with her..

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She now receives the Bible-woman's visits joyfully, who one day this month began talking to her about the commandments that we had broken, then about our sinful nature inherited from our first parents, gently and simply led her mind to the need of a Saviour, then pointed to Jesus Christ, illustrating by speaking [of debts and creditors, a friend coming to pay the debt and leaving enough to live on afterwards. Mrs. G+ grasped the truth. The Bible-woman quoted "He Himself bare our sins,!' &c. Waited a moment, and then asked the question, "Now, where are your sins ? they're gone, aren't they?" And she left the poor woman rejoicing in the hope they might be. I saw ther the other day still rejoicing, and evidently changed in life and character.

joo Mrs. Svisited a Jewess (a relative, the only one who has in any way acknowledged her since her conversion), " in confined mourning." Mrs. S inquired if a mutual friend had been to see her professionally, he being a Hebrew teacher.

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"No; he didn't come to women."r

Mrs. S―, "Have women no souls to be saved? What are the Jews doing now? Have not many of them thrown off the teaching of the Rabbis? Would that they would take the Bible for their only guide, for it is God's Word."

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Then without telling her of her intention, she thought she would take the part of teacher without the Book, for she would not now have been permitted to open it. She began by telling the story simply of the daughters of Zelophehad. They came to Moses to make a request. Moses brought it before the Lord, and they were to have the inheritance of their father.

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