"Her distress was so great that for some time I could not induce her to listen to me, but eventually secured her attention, and then I told her the old, old story of Jesus' love for His enemies, for those who rejected Him, &c., and encouraged her to bring her burden of sin and sorrow to Him, &c. The next. morning the faithful Bible-woman called to see her. Her first. words were: 'I've found the Saviour, I am certain I have. This morning I was so miserable that after my husband had gone to work I began to pray, and my misery was lifted right off, and now my heart is light as a feather.' Directly Mrs. R― had left she went to a neighbour, who had been her companion in evil, and told her the same. The woman was deeply affected, came to our meeting, and now the two are rejoicing together. Her husband was told the same story, and although he at first ridiculed it, he has been obliged to admit that a great. change has taken place in his wife, and he now accompanies her to a place of worship on Sunday."

R

A FRESH CANVASS WITH AN OLD BIBLE-WOMAN. Notes by the Bible Pioneer.

CANVASSED in E— Street with Mrs. * * *, and was pleased to find she had profited by the help I had given to her; she had got thirty fresh subscribers from the time I had been with her before. She has now a good many in E-Street that are paying; so after all, we find, with perseverance, we get subscribers, even where the people are very poor; and I feel sure when we get them to pay their weekly penny, it teaches them a lesson many need to learn, viz., that they can manage it if they try. When they tell us they don't like to begin with anything they cannot keep up, I ask them how they know they cannot, when they have not tried? and the testimony of many afterwards, is, that instead of feeling the poorer for it, it has taught them how to get many other things that otherwise they would never have had.

We want more Bible reading, and Bible teaching, in these days of error and declension, when people are prepared to accept anything but the Word of God for their guide, and

among the poor who attend our Mothers' classes and have the weekly Bible teaching, there is far less tendency to error, than among the better educated. On the district of B Fields, there is a High Church with its various agencies at work, and a Mission-woman going about distributing bountiful gifts; and yet they cannot get the people to attend their meetings; they say there is no good in going, they want the Bible lesson, and that is what they do not get there: and while we have often over fifty in attendance they have not more than five or six. I believe much is owing to the influence of our good Bible-woman regularly visiting in their homes.

But to return to my canvassing with Mrs. ***; we took up D Street, close to Holborn, where we found many very poor, some living in quite underground cellars, with a very scanty supply of both light and air; damp, dark places, where you would think it impossible for anyone to exist, and yet in these cellars there are those who have no other means of living, than by taking in lodgers; some have three or four, all eating and sleeping in one dark, dingy apartment.. One of these was sure when we asked her, that she would not begin for a Bible, but afterwards changed her mind and commenced; she is to have one for each of her daughters. We got five subscribers among them. Mrs. *** thought this was good for such a place; she has now over seventy paying, so I told her I should not need to be with her again for a long time. She is a nice quiet woman, and I think values co-operation and sympathy.

THE DUTIES OF OVERSIGHT.

"DEAR MRS. M-,

By a Pioneer.

"In thinking over what you said to us at our last monthly meeting, I feel it would be a very serious thing indeed to know that anyone with whom we work is unworthy of the name she bears, and not to make it known; and while it would be wrong for us to be severe or uncharitable, it would be no less wrong to be unfaithful. I believe there is cause for great

thankfulness that the Lord has watched over our Bible work, and for these many years has set round it a defence, so that, with few exceptions, it may justly be said that we have been 'kept by the power of God.' Oh that we all may realise more and more the necessity of watchfulness and prayer for ourselves, that we may be kept 'steadfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.'

"In connection with each of the three women I have to work with, I can conscientiously say they are good workers, active, cleanly, quiet, earnest women, who are convinced in their own minds that the Lord has called them to the work, and are therefore doing it as in His sight. Mrs. S has said to me several times she would not remain in the work a single day if she did not feel it the right place for her, and I know she has had encouragement and is a comfort to many; a friend to the ignorant and those that are out of the way.

"She has, at present, on the district a poor dissipated woman she persuaded to begin for a Bible, in order that when she went for the penny she might try to persuade her to leave off drinking. When speaking about this the woman said, 'You don't know the temptation it is to me, for you know nothing of the craving I have for it; when once I taste it I have such a desire for more that I would do anything to get it.' About a fortnight ago she came out of her room, and taking Mrs. S by the hand, said, 'Don't speak to me now, I have been taking too much; all I have to say to you is don't forsake me.' Her brother, aged 35, had just died through drink, and that led her to begin it again, and now she is ashamed to see Mrs. S but can't bear the thought of her forsaking her. Soon after this district was opened, the Bible-woman went round and invited the people to the Mothers' Meeting, and, concerning one room, it was said to her, 'You may save yourself the trouble, you won't do any good there.' However, this did not prevent her from calling, and asking the woman to the Meeting, but she refused. At length she said, "I cannot come, for the neighbours would laugh at me.' After inviting her for three years she was at length persuaded to come, and we believe she is now a truly converted woman,

and, although so poor, she thought of giving up a day's work she has on the day of the Mothers' Meeting, but we advised her rather to come to our other Mission Room at E-Wharf, and keep on with her work; this she does and attends regularly, also goes to a place of worship on Sundays. Of her we feel it may now be said, 'Clothed and in her right mind, she is sitting at the feet of Jesus.' We often feel we would like to see more fruit of our labour, but have to watch the rescued ones for some time before we venture to say anything about them. Paul's criterion is the best to judge them by-'If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things have passed away, and all things have become new.'"

VISITS IN NOTTING DALE.

HAVING recently moved our district we shall have, I think, a better sphere of work; not that it is any more "respectable," as we have now mostly dust-sorters, brickmakers, and laundresses.

We started rather early last Monday for a long morning's work amongst these. We began in a street where no one visited but Mr. C's missionary; most of the women were going off to their washing or were at home ironing and cleaning, while some others were gossiping their time away at the open doors. We secured a few Bible subscribers, and had pleasant conversation with many of the women; two especially I may mention.

The first was a poor, delicate woman, who appeared to be in the last stage of consumption. We invited her to the Mothers' Meeting; but she said she had an invalid child, which prevented her from going out. She invited us in to have a little talk with her about Jesus, and to see the child; it is a little girl of nine years old; its head, face, and body is quite the size of an ordinary girl of its age, but the hands and arms, legs and feet, have not grown at all since she was twelve months old; and she of course cannot stand nor speak. She has no teeth, and swallows all liquids like a fish. The poor mother has had six children, but has lost four, and God has only left her this poor little girl and

a little boy, younger, who is in a deep consumption. It was a comfort to be able to tell her from God's own Word that whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and that these afflictions may be really made the means of blessing to her own soul.

THE TIMELY VISIT.

The next house we went to, the door was opened by a very clean-looking young married woman. As soon as she knew our errand she asked us into a tidy little parlour, and left us to call her mother. In a few moments an aged woman came in ;

her first question was

"Who sent you to me?"

I told her that no one had sent us to her, but that God might have directed our steps to her.

She said, "Yes, that I am sure of; for I have been asking God for the last four months to send me some Christian visitors that I might speak to them more fully about my soul." She then told me that she had been awakened nearly two years ago at Mr. Moody's meetings, but no one had spoken to her personally about her condition before God; and as she could not read for herself, and her daughter always refuses to do so, she feels that she is growing quite cold in faith for want of more teaching in such a kind and loving way as would make her feel the love of Jesus had not forsaken her. By her wish I read to her, several passages in John's

from her own large family Bible, Gospel; and afterwards we prayed together. We left her full of gratitude, and assurance that God was the hearer and answerer of prayer. We only had six to the meeting, but five of them were fresh ones; and as it is like a new meeting, I do not feel at all discouraged.

THE THOUGHTS OF LITTLE CHILDREN.

One of the Pioneers says: "I am often much interested in the remarks of the dear children who come to the meetings with their mothers; many of them repeating a text they have learnt ready for us, which, in most cases, the mothers teach them at home. In Whitsun week there were more children than usual, as many were at home from school. One boy re