attendants. I may add, I find it a good plan, in praying; to pray as though I were one of themselves, in fact to pray with them rather than for them, as of course they can join better, and I think this report shows the Hearer of prayer has not forgotten His promise: Ask and it shall be given you.'

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"Yours, dear Mrs. R.,

"Most truly,

"C. M. Y."

SEED-SOWING IN FALSTAFF YARD.

(Jottings by the Bible-woman.)

“R▬▬ P▬▬▬. I sent you an account of this girl some time since. She was living as nurse-girl, and her mistress would not allow her to go to Sunday-school, but sent her to walk with the children. Now she always managed to walk where there was street preaching, for she had given her heart to the Lord, so she contrived to hear the Word. She has now learned envelope folding, so is able to attend her school, and also my Tuesday class. Her gentleness of manner gives her a great influence, over the other girls, and she prays with them, and they all seem to love her. She likes also to steal in when I am alone. such times it is very touching to hear her earnest prayers for: her mother and brothers. Two other girls have declared themselves on the Lord's side. The Lord's name be praised for these young disciples.

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"Mr. W. The Lord blessed His own word to this man's. soul. Mr. W was a great pigeon-fancier; he had the finest pigeons in K-Street. Sunday was a high day for this work. He was also a politician in his way, so others knowing nothing would sit and smoke while he read and explained politics to them. At last there came an end to all this Sunday trading; his health failed, his worldly companions melted away, and then he said to his wife, 'You might ask the Bible-woman to come in ;. may be she will say something to comfort me.' He trembled very much when I went. He said, 'The wicked shall be cast into hell. I read John iii.

"He told me when a boy how he laughed at his teacher

because he prayed for him. He said, ‘Little did I think this time of sorrow was coming upon me.'

"He became at last as teachable as a little child. The visitor of the Benevolent Society was very helpful to him.

"John iii. he asked for many times; so he did Psalm lxxiii., Isaiah liii., John ix., and Matthew xxvii. A little while before he died I read part of John xiv., and he repeated, 'Mansion for me. Yes, me; poor wicked me. The rich blood has washed me.'

"John N. Consumption; a most difficult case. His aunt begged of him to see me. On my first visit he only said good morning. His aunt asked how he liked my visit. He said, 'There are two things in her favour; she don't stop long, and she don't ask questions. I hate people to poke about your circumstances.'

"Well, will you see her again?'

"Yes,' he replied, "if she thinks it worth her while to come.'

"Knowing this, I went on feeding him with morsels from God's Word for weeks. His friends found him reading the Bible when they went in unawares, but he always put it down and closed his eyes for fear they should speak to him about it. However, he had to yield. The Holy Spirit convinced him of sin and judgment to come; also led him to the dear Saviour, and made him anxious to hear the Word read. At last he prayed himself, didn't mind other people hearing him. His end was perfect peace. His wife was a Romanist, but she never objected to my visits."

JOTTINGS FROM STEPNEY DISTRICT.

A PIONEER, in low spirits, after having parted with a good Bible-woman, promoted to a position with better pay, speaks of 80 subscribers left, and the need of a successor who will stir up in every house the desire of the people to read the wonderful message from Himself which God has sent so plentifully into their homes; with zeal also to enter into the hundreds of houses

in Stepney district which are yet unentered for Bible work. She says:

"There is a large field of work for a new woman. It will be amidst much poverty, arising frequently from want of work, sometimes through sickness, and most often of all from drink."

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I am very thankful that God has cared for Stepney, and has given us the great honour of carrying His own precious Word to the poor and wretched. On this district we have 99 subscribers on our books, scattered over twenty streets. Two of these streets have 200 houses in each, with four rooms, and many of them a family in each room. The men, many of them are dock labourers, many dustmen, many hawkers of things in the streets; the women, many of them shirt and trousers makers and factory hands-sad, hard lives many of them live, especially this last year. There is so much overcrowding in the rooms that it has induced sickness and, through that, much suffering. The want of work has been and is still very great.

We have about 80 mothers on our books, the weekly attendance about 30. Many of them cannot read, but they really love to hear it, and ask to have it read to them at home. Thanks to the School Board the children are obliged to learn, and many do read the Word to their mothers at home; the spiritual results are seen, not so many as we want, owing very much to their constant striving for the bread that perisheth. The many cares of their sad lives choke the Word-but it is seen in the patient endurance of their trials, and when sickness lays them low. It is surprising how much of the Scriptures they retain, showing the Word does not return void.

We are passing through a very sad time just now; many families amongst our subscribers, as well as in our Mothers' Meeting, are suffering sadly from typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and smallpox. One mother lost four children in three months, another lost two, another had five down at once.

We are very thankful for our good Nurse, as well as the Bible-woman; she is a great comfort to the poor people. Three of

our number have gone to heaven this last year, and two of them we are afraid never went to any place of worship but the Missionroom, but, thank God, the Word became the power of God to their salvation, and their end was peace; and there are many more we believe not far from the Kingdom. Four mothers and one father, that came out on the Lord's side the year before, stand fast, and show by their altered lives how great is the difference.

CANNING TOWN.

Things are a little more hopeful here; the Mothers' Meeting is better attended, and the poor women's faces look more cheerful. They had sad times this winter, but I hope work will be better now. You would have been pleased to hear one of the mother's testimony on the good the Mission had been to her. She said she had often looked at the first Mission-room we had, and where she got her first good from God's Word, and what a power for good it has been to her and her family through her influence. Her husband was led to read God's Word and go to God's house, and became a changed man, and for years has been trying to tell others the old story of a Saviour's love. She has six children now, and all born since their mother knew the value of God's Word, and she feels how it has helped her in bringing them up. She has often brought others to the Mothers' Meeting, and got many to the house of God, as well as to read His Word. Her happy face has done me good many a time when I have looked at it, and has made me thank God that He ever sent His blessed Word to be read in a Mission-room; and thank God we have a few more that can tell the good they have got there.

KING EDWARD STREET DISTRICT.

DEAR MRS. R—,

You asked me for some report of the work going on in King Edward-street District. There is much of ever recurring interest to those of us who are constantly in and out amongst the people. The men work principally at the Docks as casual

labourers, or in the fish and vegetable markets, as porters; their earnings are but small, so that when (as at the present time) trade is very bad there is a great amount of distress, and we often feel overwhelmed by the sin and the misery, the drink and the dirt.

But we are thankful that there is a readiness to hear the Word, and we can point to those who now bravely and patiently realize the truth, "The Lord is the strength of my life." The Bible-woman the other day visited Mrs. a woman who has passed through much trouble, and had at one time been in a very good position in life. Her husband, a Frenchman, was killed in the Franco-Prussian war, now she is living in a little back room supporting herself and child by slipper-binding, when she can get it to do. Miss T- went in the other day, late in the afternoon, found she had had no fire that day and scarcely any food, and no means of getting any. Yet there was not a murmur, and her faith in God is beautiful.

We can also give thanks for some who are safe at home with God. Visiting with the Bible-woman about four years ago, we came upon an old couple; the poor man had recently lost his eyesight, and his soul too was dark indeed. The wife suffered from a painful disease. They had never been in the habit of attending a place of worship, but were induced to do so, and she came to the Mothers' Meeting.

From the time of our first visit there seemed to be a longing desire for blessing, and into both of their hearts the true light shined. They joined Mr. Tyler's church and went on living most consistently, the man had been taught to read in Moon's type. About a month ago the wife became very ill, and we soon saw that her end was near. It was most cheering to hear her say, "Ah! it's nothing to what Christ suffered for me," and in that spirit she entered into her rest. Our new Bible-woman, who you will remember came to us about nine months ago, am thankful to say is an earnest worker and is seeking by any means to teach her neighbours. About a couple of months ago she told me she should like to begin a Bible Class if I had no objection. Of course I was only too glad to fall in with her idea, and so now every Tuesday evening she holds her meeting..

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