She has 3s. per week from the parish and the parish doctor; and with what kind friends give her occasionally, she manages pretty well.

"This case, which is one of long standing, and that of poor old Mr. L―, who still lingers on, show the necessity of keeping on the Nurse's list some, at least, of the long-standing cases, for what would any of these do without the daily care and attention now bestowed? Of the last one (Mr. L-), Nurse says he is getting more and more feeble, and his thoughts on different subjects are often very confused; but just speak to him of Jesus, and he brightens up in a minute; it is beautiful to see the alteration in his countenance, and when anything is done for him he seems to give vent to his feelings of thankfulness in a kind of half audible thanksgiving prayer. These are all Christian people, and take every attention and help as coming from the Lord Himself."

OUR BIBLE-NURSE IN A COUNTRY VILLAGE.

FROM a Country Nurse we have received the following details :"DEAR MADAM,

"I thought perhaps you would like to hear a little about my new village work. The place is rather straggling; the number of houses I have visited are sixty-four. My new employer seemed to fear that I should not be kindly received. by the people, but I am thankful to say I have not been spoken to unkindly by anyone.

"Most of the people live on the ground floor; the houses are none of them higher than one story. Many of the women work in the fields in summer time; some weeding and others picking peas. The waggons go off loaded every evening to the London markets. There are a great many 'pea pickers' down from London and a rough lot they are. They encamp in a field lent them for that purpose, and they have pitched small tents all over it; it puts one in mind of a gipsey encampment. Some of the houses I visit have very low thatched roofs, one would wonder how they could have existed in them for 20, 30,

and some 40 years; and as a rule the people are tolerably healthy; most of the elders suffer more or less with rheumatism, but I think there are not many deaths. The houses are mostly scrupulously clean and their clothes though poor are beautifully white. They cannot afford to buy much clothing, for the highest wage given here is 17s. per week and some only get 14s. It is true, rent is not high, the highest 3s. per week, including a large piece of garden, and many of the villagers keep a pig and some fowls. They would come badly off for meat, if they did not, for the price of that is very high and there are not any shops here.

"I have been here now nearly five weeks, have twenty-three Bible subscribers, and have sold three Bibles (paid for on delivery), with six Prayer-books.

"They seem glad to get the books in so easy a way, and they listen very readily to the reading of the Scriptures, but I am afraid there is only one at present who really comprehends that the Book is a Divine revelation to man. Several cannot read at all, but those listen very attentively, saying frequently, 'Yes, yes, I've heard that before, it all comes back as you read it to our minds.' The people complain that the rector does not visit them, but since I came, I don't think they have much reason for that complaint. He visits in some part of the village every day I think now. I had never been introduced to him, but had to call upon him one morning for an old man who needed a little help, and so I had to introduce myself. Almost his first words were (after I had told him my business), 'You are a Dissenter I think, not a Churchwoman?' I replied I am, but I belong to the Church of Christ.' Yes, yes! but that's not what I mean. You do not belong to the Church of England, and therefore I can have nothing to do with you at all. You must look to those who brought you here for everything.'

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"I said I was very sorry because I had hoped to work in harmony with the rector. Oh yes, he hoped we should be courteous to each other, but I didn't belong to the Church.' So our interview ended, but as I was going out at the door he said, 'If any time you have any cases of distress or need any help, if you let me know I will attend to it, and if at any

time

you wish to consult me yourself I shall only be too glad to do anything I can for you.'

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I thought as I came away that the speeches were somewhat contradictory. Since then the gentleman has himself told me that he has no objection to my being a Dissenter, providing I am not bitter against the Church, which of course I could not be. His preaching is very simple and his doctrine is sound. Now when I meet him he is most cordial. I thought possibly he would object to my taking the Sacrament in the church, so I asked him on Friday last, and he said, 'No! certainly not; I must not think he was against Dissenters, for he has some very dear friends who are so-called.'

"The people say it is something wonderful how he visits them since I have been in the village. So maybe my coming has done some good in that way.

"I have not many patients yet for whom I have much to do, although I have twenty-eight on my list. Some I supply with lotion for weak eyes, others oil for their rheumatics;' to most I have to carry homœopathic medicines, so that the name I have with some of the people is the 'Doctor Lady.'

"Now, if anyone has headache or toothache they come to me hoping to be cured. One little fellow came this morning, just as I finished my breakfast, with the top of his thumb nearly severed, he had been chopping wood with a bill-hook. Three weeks ago his eldest brother took the tops of two of his fingers off with a razor, so they seem rather unfortunate with edge tools. I have had one confinement case on hand three weeks, baby is a month old, and the mother not able to be up yet; she has had pleurisy and inflammation of lungs, brought on through cold and hard work previously. Her husband is a man who does not like work, I'm sorry to say; they have now three children.

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I had almost forgotten to to tell you that we have a nice Mothers' Meeting, held by a lady who stays here for three and sometimes four months; we had ten mothers present, and shall soon, I expect, have more.

"I am, dear Madam, yours obediently,

"E. R."

THE MONTH OF ACCIDENTS.

It is impossible to prepare the HOME portion of the Magazine without notice of the sorrowful casualties which seem to have overtaken one another-on railway and river and in the bowels of the earth. More than a thousand sudden deaths have touched the hearts of rich and poor in town and country.

The great calamity on the Thames has not personally affected any one of our Bible-women or Nurses, except in deep sympathy with the actual mourners. The poor mothers of many of our meetings have seemed "awestruck," and all know some one who has lost wife, or husband, or children.

A Pioneer visiting Cowcross district says:-I saw poor Mr. Viviash, who has lost his wife (one of our mothers) and his little girl in the "Princess Alice." He is so crushed he hardly knows what he is about. Another of our Mothers'

Class here, an aged woman, was saved. First she clung to a rope, but, strength failing, let it go. She was picked up by a boat. Another husband, Mr. Hurst, goes down every day to Woolwich with the hope of recovering the bodies of his wife and three children. The wife we have every reason to think was a true Christian, and tried to win others. One child, a girl of 13, was saved by clinging to a rope, and picked up.

We visited another home in which the mother was lost, one of Miss Law's Bible-class (the lady also lost). Their children are left here; the youngest 9 years old, who is doing her best to help the two younger. She identified her poor mother, who was a widow.

The Bible-women all testify to the solemnity and subdued feeling of the people on their districts, except in one instance where an individual spoke hard things of God; and at present there seems a greater willingness to listen to the Word than

ever.

One of the Pioneers has mentioned the following interesting fact:

A woman who had not attended a place of worship for a long time, was induced to go to a Mission-hall one Sunday evening about three months since. The text taken was, "Let us run

with patience the race that is set before us," &c. After the service, the preacher, who made a practice of speaking to as many individuals as possible, spoke to this woman, asking her if she had begun to run this race?

She said, No, she had not, but was determined to begin that night.

The last time he spoke to her was a month ago, when he asked her if she was still running "the race." Her answer was, "Yes, bless the Lord! and I believe my race is nearly ended, for I think my Lord will soon come for me." She went in the "Princess Alice," and was among the drowned.

How thankful we feel at this time of the year, when so many of our workers are away for their holidays, that so many of us have been taken out and brought home in safety for another term of our beloved work. May many more now listen to our message, "BE YE THEREFORE ALSO READY."

A WORD OF CHEER FROM CONSTANTINOPLE. WE are encouraged to continue the presentation of these Domestic annals of the poor in our back streets by hearing that they interest often a far-off reader, who sees in this and that number of the periodical the continued influence of THE BOOK as its words are borne in upon the heart by the power of the Holy Ghost. Dr. Alexander Thomson, of Constantinople,

lately gives us this word of cheer:

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"I am led to address this note to you in consequence of the receipt, by last post, of the July number of the MISSING LINK MAGAZINE.' Many thanks for it, with its varied and interesting contents, and also for the promise of the volume for 1877 and previous numbers of this year.

"The great impression I receive in reading this magazine always is, that while other publications defend the truth by argument, &c., we find in the reports of your Bible-women and Superintendents the RESULTS of the Bible, when speaking for itself and when employed as a remedy to meet the sin and misery of our neglected brothers and sisters; it is thus empha