Then she added, "When the Messiah was upon earth, He being a teacher, was invited home to the house of a rich Jew, who was very strict. Anyone could pass through these Eastern houses," she described, reclining at meals. A woman noted as being a sinner came in-stood behind this great teacher. As she stood she wept; her tears fell on His feet. She stooped down, and wiped them with her hair. You know our Rabbis are very particular about touching, or allowing the touch of a woman, therefore the master of the house could not think that He whom he had invited could be the good teacher or prophet he had been represented, or he would have known, &c., &c. This was Mrs. S's mode of teaching, it was well received, and though she is not allowed to read the Bible, she is often permitted to tell a New Testament story to her people. The meeting in another Jewish house (Mrs. S's spiritual child's) is good; thirty-three on the books, and one woman, who was specially embittered against converted Jews, is now herself a believer. PROGRESS AT HAVERSTOCK HILL. By the Lady Superintendent. "DEAR MRS. R, f "In giving you an account of our work, I would thankfully acknowledge that our labour has not been in vain. "A good number of women have been attending the Mothers' Meetings steadily from the commencement of our Mission, and it is among these, and in their families, that we see the most hopeful signs of the good it has done. Several of our mothers have become members of the Church. They are earnestly trying to lead their husbands to the Saviour, and to train up their children in the fear of the Lord. Four have become widows in the last two years, and in every instance their husbands gave good evidence that they died in Christ. One of these men had been a very hard character. He was a potman in one of the public-houses. His wife was our first convert, and she had much to endure from him; he was so bitterly opposed to religion. He used to put every possible hindrance in her way to prevent her going to church. He was also a very unkind father, and his children were quite afraid of him. He would stop them when they were singing their Sunday-school hymns, telling them roughly 'not to make that noise.' After a time, his wife's patience and her good management at home, softened him a little, and he even accompanied her to church occasionally. "About two years ago he broke a blood-vessel, and his health began to decline. He then found himself very thankful to be visited by the Bible-woman and other Christian friends. One day his little boy was singing, 'There is life in a look at the Crucified One.' He let the child sing it all through, and then said thoughtfully, 'That's a nice hymn; sing it again.' Some time before he died, he was brought to see his need of a Saviour. He expressed true penitence for his sins, and his entire faith in Christ as having taken them all away.' PRAYING MOTHERS. "It has been our custom, when we meet for the first time in the year, to put aside work altogether, and spend the time in prayer. Our Christian mothers can all pray acceptably, and they have always helped us; but this year, from various causes, they were all absent; and as I looked over the little gathering, I was afraid none of those present would have courage to pray before the others. But I was rebuked for my want of faith, for seven women engaged in prayer, one after the other. They were very simple and earnest in their petitions, and we were much rejoiced to hear these new voices, and to know that we had so many praying mothers. One poor woman had just come out of the hospital, where she had been some weeks under treatment for cancer in the breast, and had had it taken off. Her prayer was most touching. She has now a great struggle to support herself, having no husband; but she is quite cheerful and contented, trusting in the Lord." MOTHERS' WITNESS OF ANSWERS TO PRAYER. ONE poor woman related how for some months she could not obtain any tidings of her daughter, who had left her home. At last went to the Police Station and made known her sorrow to the Inspector, who having heard all, said, "Do you believe in prayer?" "Yes, that I do." "Well, then, my good woman, go home and pray, then go to bed, for I am sure you need rest, and I doubt not you will see your daughter in the morning. I will not post any notices about, or make it public." Very much surprised at this, she returned home and prayed, then went to bed and slept. In the morning heard a gentle knock at the door, and on opening it, there was her daughter. With grateful heart she went to tell and thank the Inspector. A second mother, whilst her eyes filled with tears, said this brought to her recollection how years since her eldest child showed no signs of walking till she reached the age of five. Many and fervent were the prayers offered by her on this behalf, when one day the child shuffled along the floor till she reached the wall, put her hands behind her, stood up, and called out, "Mother, I can walk." "O, how I wish you could." "See, mother, I can." Whereupon she walked across the room. Her mother, amazed, caught her up in her arms, went down to her brother to tell him. 66 Impossible," he cried, until he saw the child walking. Another mother mentioned a remarkable dream in which God spoke to her. She had had several children removed by death, and when the last one was taken it caused her excessive grief. She and the father continued weeping, when one night she dreamt that she saw about twelve little girls, as angels, carrying lamps burning brightly, among whom was her Harriet, also with lamp in hand, but not burning. On saying, "Why, Harriet, how is it your lamp is not burning?" the child replied, "It was burning brightly, mother, but your tears have put it out." On awaking, said to her husband, "I am sure this is to tell us we must not weep any more now. She brings a little girl to the meeting with her not yet four years old, who repeats beautifully a new hymn each week. It was quite touching to see the little thing stand with hands clasped, head bowed, and in a clear voice repeat without a mistake, "I heard the voice of Jesus say, Come unto me and rest; Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast," &c., to the end. It is quite an example for the rest of the mothers, who listen with bated breath. COW-CROSS. At a house in B- Court, after knocking at one of the room-doors, a young woman just opened it wide enough to tell me I had made a mistake in coming there. I left, after going up to other persons in the house. The next week I said to the Bible-woman, "We must try and get in to see that young woman to-day, for I could not help having her on my mind;' and I introduced myself by saying, "We called last week, but I thought it was near your dinner hour;" and, without waiting to be invited, we got inside, and I said, "You have not lived here long, for I have certainly been in this room before." She said the person that used to live in this room had moved lower down. I then asked if she would like to subscribe for a Bible, showing her one, and then she said, "Not now; my husband is out of work, and has been some time. I have had a very different home to what you see now, and am ashamed to let any one come in or know where I live. I have had to part with nearly all." I said to her, "You soon expect to have another child-do you not?" "Yes," she replied, very sadly. "Have you any one to attend to you?" "No," she said, "I have only just moved here, and I don't know what I shall do." I then said, "Shall I send you the nurse that attends your neighbour?" She appeared very grateful. Mrs. R--, the nurse, was sent for a day or so after, and the next week when I called, she, with her babe, was doing well, and thanked me for sending so kind a person to her. I said, "Shall we offer thanks to God for His goodness you in the hour of your extremity?" She thanked me. When I rose from prayer tears were rolling down her cheeks. She has five children, and is in the deepest poverty. In such a case the services of one of our Nurses must be a great boon; it is just one of those cases that would only be known by house to house visitation. I do hope to get her to our Mothers' Meeting. to "Ye have grown tender grass upon bare graves, A. H. ,་ THE WANDERER BROUGHT BACK. Nurse N's Case. MRS. B- suffering with cancer, had been ill several months; but I have only visited her since Christmas. When I first saw her she was able to sit up a little while in the day, but since that time has been much worse, and quite confined to bed. I think it is one of the most offensive cases I ever attended. The poor woman has a large family of children, all married but one; and living near, they come in and out, and look at her and talk to her, but never attempt to help her in any way, not even to wash her face. She seems to have been a woman who always waited upon, and worked for her children, and they don't seem to think she can ever want anything done for her. She had been converted when young among the Wesleyans; but married an ungodly man, and had been a backslider for many years; gradually going back and back into sin, till she says she became as bad as he was, and worse. Then this illness came-God's messenger we hope to bid this wandering sheep return. Her husband is a tailor, and an infidel in principle, quite one of Bradlaugh's disciples; at first he would not listen to anything like religion, but after awhile seemed rather ashamed of always arguing on the wrong side, as it appeared; but I thought it best rather to act Christianity than to argue with him, and it certainly did make a wonderful impression on him, for he used often to say he could not make it out, not one of his own children cared to touch their mother, while "you," he said, "come in twice a day to wash her and attend to her." Her clothes and sheets had to be changed as often as that; and the cleansing the disease required was very distressing to herself and others. She did not require any nourishment from the Mission, for a lady who lived near sent her delicacies every day from her table, and paid for a cab to take her to the hospital. The husband is a very singular man; he seems to have placed all his trust in his wife; he never knew what any other trust meant. She was a very clever machinist, and very hard working woman, and good waistcoat maker. He had only to tack |