ALPHABETICAL INDEX. A Fathers' Class in St. Giles, 8 A Bible-woman's Letter from Stepney, A Scarlet Fever Convalescent Home, Madame Loesche's Bible-woman, 395 Monthly Receipts, 30, 61, 93, 127, 158, My God shall supply all your needs Navvies, and Work Among Them, Nurse-work at Balham, 77 Nurse in the Flooded District, 16 Old Street District, 73 Our Council of Friends for 1883, 1 THE MISSING LINK MAGAZINE, FOR 1883; OR, Bible Work at Home and Abroad. OUR COUNCIL OF FRIENDS FOR 1883. President. The Right Hon. the EARL of SHAFTESBURY, K.G. Hon. Secretary and General Superintendent of the Bible-women and Bible-women Nurses. Mrs. H. SELFE LEONARD. THE BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR. BY A PIONeer. "Now that another mission year has closed over us, and we again feel called upon to render some account of the work on the various districts as it has come under our notice, we would at the outset seek to render thanks to the Giver of all good for the lovingkindness and tender mercy vouchsafed throughout the past year. The work has increased and prospered, and on all sides we have had manifest tokens of the presence and blessing of Him who of old said—' My Word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.' When we consider how many fresh agencies for the spread of the Bible have risen up of late years, and the increasing poverty on our districts occasioned by continued slackness of work among the poor, we are surprised that the workers have been able to keep up their Bible subscriptions as they have done. A greater amount of energy and perseverance are required in order to do so, as they have often to make several visits to the very poor before the penny is forthcoming; yet withal we never find a district fully supplied with Bibles; on the contrary, we not unfrequently meet with families who have not a Bible in the place; perhaps they have had one at some previous time, but through misfortune it has gone with many other things. In such cases they often express a desire to buy another; and it is astonishing with what readiness the pennies are paid, even though it often involves a measure of self-denial. "One poor woman at whose door we lately called when canvassing said, ́ Yes, I should like a Bible, for we have not got one, if you could call to-morrow, for I don't have a penny today." She looked so poor, and her room so destitute of comfort that we did not think she would ever be able to spare the pence. When we called the following day she was prepared with her penny, and week by week she has still paid it, and told the Bible-woman she wants her Bible as soon as she can get it. "Another young lad who has had no home training owing to his father being a confirmed drunkard, and his mother almost ceasing to care for anything, got into bad company, and along with other boys stole some money from a church. The others all managed to make their escape except the one abovementioned, who was sent to a reformatory. He returned home about six months ago, got into work, and seems quite a changed youth. He has paid for a large print Bible, so that his brothers and sisters may have one to read. When he found his mother was using his pence for other purposes instead of |