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preaching to a congregation of educated folk in town. Yet you would look round in silence and in regret when you look for the last time upon the scenes amid which you passed some considerable part of your life; even though you felt that the new place of your labours and your lot were ever so much better. And, though you know it is well that your children should grow up into men and women, still you will sometimes be sorry that their happy childhood must pass so swiftly and so completely away; that it must be so entirely lost to that which is to come after it; that even in the healthy maturity of body and of mind, there is so little that recalls to you the merry little boy or girl you used to know. Yes, we may have got on to something that is unquestionably better, but still we miss the dear old time and way. It is as with the emigrant who has risen to wealth and position in the new world across the sea, but who often thinks with fond regret of the hills of his native land, and who, through all these years, has never forgotten the cottage where he drew his first breath, and the little churchyard where his father and mother are sleeping. Yes, you little man with the very curly hair, standing at that sofa turning over the leaves of a large Bible with pictures, stay as you are as long as you can.-Fraser's Magazine.

ARCHITECTURAL METAPHORS.-It is a universal usage of language that the building in which any Society meets may be put for the society itself, and vice versa, that the building may be called after the society. The word house means sometimes the building in which a family lives, sometimes the family that lives in such a building. A college is sometimes a building in which learning is cultivated, sometimes the society that cultivate learning in such a building. The same remark applies to all similar words, such as club, bank, hospital, city. Among others it applies to the word Church, which in like manner may be used to describe either a building or a society. No one can speak long in impassioned or rhetorical style about any society whatever without introducing metaphors drawn from architecture. The Christian writers fell immediately into this practice, and in doing so followed the example of Christ, who said, "On this rock I will build my church." In this style of language, then, as a

church is a building, so each member of it is a stone, and the prosperity of the church is expressed by the orderly arrangement and secure cementing of the stones. This, then, was the name which Christians adopted. Let everything be done unto edifying—building.

WE DO NOT ALWAYS GET WHAT WE AIM AT. There are some things which can only be gained by renouncing them. To use a familiar illustration: it is easy to breathe evenly so long as you do not think about it, but as soon as you try it becomes impossible. Many of the moral virtues are of this kind. Simplicity of character cannot be produced by thinking of it; rather the more you think of it the further you travel into the opposite extreme of self-consciousness. The grace of humility is not to be won by constantly comparing yourself with others and cataloguing your deficiences: this method is more likely to issue in hypocritical self-conceit. So with pleasure. We destroy it by making it our chief object its essential nature is corrupted when it is made into a business; the highest perfection of it is not among the prizes of exertion, the rewards of industry or ingenuity, but a bounty of nature, a grace of God.

A COMMON MISTAKE.-It is a common mistake of Christians to represent their faith as alone valuable, and as containing all that man can want or desire. It is only one of many revelations, and is very insufficient, by itself, for man's happiness. Some of the men in whom the Christian spirit has been the strongest have been among the most miserable of the race; some nations have imbibed it deeply, and have not been led by it to happiness, but have only been consoled by it in degradation. Happiness wants besides some physical conditions, animal health and energy; it wants also much prudence, knowledge of physical facts and resource.

A WARNING TO THE CLERGY.-Woe to the priest who murmurs falsehoods above the coffin! who lets a soul pass to the judgment of God under an untruth extorted by the dread of the living! Are we, the Christian priesthood, to be the mere gravediggers of the human race, or have we entered into some compact to soothe and flatter its remains with our prayers and adieus.

-Lacordaire.

Books.-Henry Ward Beecher, in a New York journal, tells us how he earned his first ten dollars, and that he spent it for a copy of Burke's works. The incident comes home to many who remember with what delight they used to look at their little library, and how carefully every penny was saved that they might add to its scanty store. The following contains a hint to parents :Give us a house furnished with books rather than furniture, if you can, but books at any rate. To spend several days in a friend's house, and hunger for something to read, while you are treading on costly carpets, and sitting down on luxurious chairs, and sleeping upon down, is as if one were bribing your body for the sake of cheating your mind. Books are the windows through which the soul looks out. A house without books is like a room without windows. A book is good company; it is full of conversation without loquacity. It talks to you, not through the ear, but another way.

A NEGRO'S IDEA OF LIBERALITY.— Bishop Thompson (Methodist), in recently giving a sketch of his experience among some of the Southern conferences, referred to a sermon which he had heard from a coloured preacher, upon the text, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." In the course of his remarks the preacher said, "Ise known many a church to die cause it didn't give enough, but I neber knowed a church to die cause it give too much. Dey don't die dat way. Brederen, has any of you knowed a church that died cause it give too much? If ye do, jest let me know, and I'll make a pilgrimage to that church, and I'll climb by the soft light of the moon to its moss-covered roof, and I'll stand thar and lift my hands to hebben, and say, 'Blessed are de dead that die in de Lord.""

BLINDNESS NOT ALWAYS A CALAMITY. -When Dr. Guyse became suddenly blind he continued to preach, and even better than before his blindness.

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remain in England when his regiment was ordered to India, his curt reply was, "Sail or sell. Wellington."-When Sir C. Napier announced that he had taken Scinde, he did it in one word, "Peccavi” -I have sinned.

A NEW TRICK OF TRADE.-An Ohio paper contains an advertisement announcing that Ministers of the Gospel will be supplied with goods at cost price, if they will mention the fact to their congregations!

DIFFERENCES OF OPINION will never be reconciled by argument; but any sect will shrink from confessing that its theories will not let it work under Christ's great banner of love to the brethren.

SOME PEOPLE think the poor are made only to practise their virtues upon, particularly humility; like the Cardinals at Rome when they wash beggars' feet. The rich and the poor are equal before God, but their conditions can never be the same till both are in heaven.

I KNEW a man who blamed statesmen and censured clergy, and who had splendid ideas of what he could do in their places, whilst his own house was in disorder, and some of his children could have given him valuable information about prisons and workhouses!

GOD wastes nothing. If He makes a genius, He has something for him to do besides breaking stones; but He may keep him doing that till he does it better than any one else. When Shakespeare got his living by holding horses he did it so well, and was in such demand, that others hired themselves under him that they might call themselves, "Will Shakespeare's Lads."

LET not the gentleman lecture the peasant; but let the man in you, whatever you are, speak to the man in him, whatever he is.

A LITTLE COUNSEL is often worth more than a large coin.

GOD IS ANGRY WITH THE WICKED just as a loving father is angry with his naughty children. He loves them none the less for his anger. He is angry partly because He loves them. Like an angry yet loving Father, too, He is placable, and ready to forgive.

Missionary Observer.

"PERILS IN THE SEA!"

WE have been favoured with the following extracts from a letter of Mrs. Miller's to her children, in which she describes the fearful storm that they encountered soon after leaving England. Our readers will thankfully acknowledge the delivering power and goodness of God in behalf of our esteemed sister.

The Ceylon.

My dear Children,-This is the first moment I have felt well enough, or the steamer steady enough, for me to write a line. Two days ago I scarcely expected ever to write to you again, for we have been in great danger, and narrowly escaped a watery grave; but God, in His infinite mercy, spared our lives, and kept me, in a wonderful manner, almost all the time free from fear. Even when it was reported that the engine fires were out, and that there was no hope for us, I did not despair, for I felt that my darling children, and many good people, were praying for me, and I believed that those prayers would be heard and answered-and so it proved. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." How often I thought of that prayer-meeting at Mr. Robson's and was comforted. I must, however, try and give you some account of our disasters. The pilot left us when we reached the Needles, and very soon after the sea became very boisterous, and the great steamer was dashed about like a tiny boat upon the waves. The noise of the crew, and the shouting of the officers on deck, made it impossible for any one to sleep that night; and by morning nearly all the passengers were too sick to leave their cabins, though a good many of the gentlemen were in the saloon all night. On Tuesday the wind increased to a perfect hurricane, and immense waves dashed right over the ship, breaking the skylights in the saloon, and sending the water into every cabin, and continued getting worse and worse until half-past four o'clock on Wednesday morning, when a tremendous sea broke over the ship, which carried away

three boats and a great part of our bulwarks, also the figure-head, broke down the bridge, which was of thick iron, crushed the cook room of thick cast iron Irivetted into a mass which looked like brown paper, carried away the post office, several sheep, and the poultry pens, all into the sea; and an immense chest of machinery went half way out, but was caught against something; the poor captain was thrown flat on his back with the water rushing over him, helpless until a quarter-master lifted him up. One of the officers was thrown overboard, and, marvellous to relate, another wave brought him on again; and all this time the water was pouring into the ship. The skylights of the engine-room were broken in, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the fires were kept in. At last a lady came to me, and begged me to go outside, for she feared there was no hope for us, as the fires were out. This, however, proved to be a mistake. The confusion at this time was indescribable; some were calling upon God to save them; others screaming, "Are we sinking ?" "Are we going down ?" mothers rushing into the saloon with their children in their arms, looking wild with terror. Never in my life did I witness anything half so terrible; it seemed to be a minute or two before the vessel righted herself again. All say that one more wave must have sunk the ship. It is supposed that from thirty to one hundred tons of water came into the ship. Every thing in the cabins was swimming up and down, and one poor fellow was washed out of his cabin into another on the other side of the vessel. The poor servants were employed night and day lading the water out of the cabins. You may imagine what a state of discomfort we were in. I shall never forget the Bay of Biscay while I live; and nothing would ever induce me to go` on it again in the month of January; we did not lose the swell until sometime after we were out of the Bay. Ceylon" is a terrible roller, much worse than the dear old "Shannon." To-day the decks are covered with ladies' and gentlemen's clothing of every descrip

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tion-portmanteaus sopping wet. Some of the young gentlemen whose cabins were near the engine-room had not an article of clothing to put on. It was quite pitiable to see them spreading out their clothes, which they had to wring out of water; but I think all bear it with a good grace seeing their lives are spared. It is painful to hear how lightly they can now speak of the danger. I heard one laughingly say he thought grim death was about to seize him. Strange to say we were on the very spot where the "London" went down when the storm was at its height, and doubtless all thought of it. We have to-day sighted the coast of Portugal, and are going at a great rate with steam and sail. I am thankful to say I have got over the sickness, but am now, Saturday morning, writing this in my berth, not feeling very well, and there is so much noise and talking outside that writing is very difficult; still I know you will be only too pleased to hear from me, and will not forget to thank God for his great mercy to me. I have the fullest confidence in believing that I shall reach dear papa in safety.

CONFERENCE AT CUTTACK.

Cuttack, Dec. 4, 1867.

We have been permitted, by the abounding goodness of our Father in heaven, again to meet in Conference, and once more I sit down to describe, for the information of your readers, as I have often done before, some of the principal matters that engaged our time and attention. It had been previously decided to have our meeting this year at Berhampore; but in the actual circumstances in which we were placed it was found desirable to hold it at Cuttack; and so it was held here Nov. 11th and three following days. I am sorry to say that the number of brethren present was smaller than at any Conference I have attended, except the first, in 1844, when the same number of brethren met (four only) as united in our recent deliberations. On that occasion one brother was absent through illness; and at our meeting last month Mr. Taylor was unable to be present from the same cause, but I am thankful to say that, though his illness has been very severe, he is now happily convalescent, and I hope it may

be the will of God to spare him to labour for many years in the good cause.

Many sad and sorrowful recollections were awakened by our recent meeting. We could not forget how soon after we met last year, and how unexpectedly too, we were called to bid adieu for a time to our beloved friends Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, and were thus deprived of experienced helpers at a time when even additional help was urgently necessary. Still more sorrowful emotions were called forth as we remembered the death of our beloved niece, Mrs. Thos. Bailey. How many bright hopes and fondly cherished expectations have been buried in her grave! It is a deeply mysterious_and affecting dispensation, but as the Lord has done it we are sure it must be right; yet even this thought, consoling and supporting as it is, does not blind us to the magnitude of the loss which the Mission has sustained in her removal from us. She was a gem of no common order of excellence. In mind and heart she was endowed with all the qualifications that could be desired in a missionary's wife, and so lovely was her spirit, that I can rarely think of her departure without recalling the touching lines of Pollok"Our sighs were numerous, and profuse our tears, For she we lost was lovely, and we loved Her much."

But instead of permitting my pen to write all that my heart feels on this sorrowful theme, I will give the minute passed by the Conference in relation to it, and which was passed by the brethren standing up :

"This minute records our deep and sorrowful emotions on account of the death of our beloved sister, Mary Derry Bailey. Less than a year ago we affectionately welcomed her amongst us as a fellowworker in the kingdom of God; and now we sorrow, but not as those who have no hope, that she is taken away. We glorify God for the grace bestowed on her. Called by that grace in early life to know Christ, she desired from an early period to serve her Saviour on this heathen shore, but till her way was opened she was actively engaged to the extent of her ability in doing good at home. After delays and disappointments which were very painful to bear, but which served to illustrate the gentleness and firmness of her christian character, her way was made plain, and the desire of her heart gratified. We all anticipated much advantage to the Mission from her matured knowledge, disciplined mind, winning and lovely spirit, cheerful

and earnest piety, and ardent missionary devotedness. She entered on the study of Oriya while in England, prosecuted it on the voyage, and made satisfactory progress after landing in this country. She secured the affectionate confidence of the native christians and school children, and was cherishing pleasing prospects of happiness and usefulness when it pleased the Lord to call her from the service of earth to the higher service of the church in heaven.

We are constrained in this minute to express unitedly, as we have already done personally, our deep and tender sympathy with our beloved brother, Thomas Bailey, in his overwhelming sorrow. We also tender our sincere christian sympathy to her beloved parents in their deep sorrow on account of the death of an only child, and express our hope that they may receive much heavenly consolation. We further record our estimate of the great loss sustained by the Mission in her departure, especially when by other events our strength has been greatly reduced; and we express our desire in this day of darkness and adversity to look to the Lord for help and comfort."

A copy of this minute has been sent to Mr. and Mrs. Derry.

In connection with this I may add that we felt it necessary to solicit the early and serious attention of the Committee to the present reduced state and gloomy prospects of the Mission, and recorded our conviction of the great importance of earnest, believing prayer at this solemn crisis. We felt it to be a most painful fact, that in proportion as our responsibilities had increased, our missionary strength had been reduced. We are not ignorant of the difficulties of the Committee, nor disposed to speak lightly of them. They can only do what the zeal and liberality of the friends of the Mission enable them to do. It is quite true that they should be in the front of the battle, that they should be liberal souls devising liberal things and adhering to them, that they should be like Cæsar, who never said to his soldiers "Ite" (go), but always went before them and said, Venite" (come). This is their work; but when it is done, it depends on the activity and zeal of others in seconding their efforts, whether wisely conceived plans are successful or the reverse. We want more money and more men. The money could be easily raised if the friends of the Mission were united in the determination to do it, but

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the men must be God-given. To Him, therefore, let us all look in this day of trial.

It will gratify your readers to know that we had a very interesting meeting with the native preachers. A hymn on the increase of Christ's kingdom was sung with much spirit, and prayer was offered by Sebo Patra and Damudar. Much genial and kindly feeling was shown on both sides. A report was given of the noble effort our Cuttack native christians have made in establishing an Auxiliary Missionary Society. They have chosen Shem to be their preacher, and have supported him from 1st October. They have selected as their station, Nudeali, in the Dhenkanal Rajuary, and while fully aware of the labour, expense, and responsibility that this step involves, they feel that they have laid their hands to the plough, and hope by the grace of God not to look back. This movement has given us the most lively satisfaction. It marks progress of a most encouraging kind, and it was entirely their own spontaneous effort. It originated in the sermon preached last year before the Conference by Shem; and if your readers will refer to the report then given they will see that it was on the obligations resting upon Hindoo christians to seek the salvation of their own countrymen, and was founded on Romans ix. 3. I confidently believe that this important effort will receive the blessing of God, and cannot but hope that it will stimulate our native friends at other places to imitate if they cannot equal what their brethren at Cuttack are doing.

Much time was usefully spent in attending to our Bible and Tract work. In regard to the special effort to circulate the word of God in Orissa, it was reported that two agents had been chosen and were now employed in this important work, one in the Cuttack, and the other in the Piplee district. It was decided to print a second edition of "Selections from the Scriptures." It is nearly twenty years since this useful work was printed, and only a few copies remain. Several valuable suggestions were made, by which, it is trusted, the usefulness of the forthcoming edition will be promoted. Our tract operations engaged much of our time, but not more than their importance merited. I cannot now report in detail what was decided

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