mother unmindful of her duties; and then the undisciplined family give trouble in their turn. Sometimes, however, the child is more amenable to sound advice than the parent: "Jack C, the boy mentioned formerly, whose mother was summoned because he would not go to school, and who had to be hunted up before he could be found to let Nurse attend to his foot, was at home to-day. The father spends all he earns in drinking, and beats his wife. We had talked seriously to the boy, trying to show him what his bad conduct had led to; he then said he would alter, and let Nurse do what was needed. He has kept his word; his foot is so much improved it is not like the same thing; and his mother said he was like another boy. To-day he had a Bible that Nurse promised him, and the mother is paying for another. "From this we went to another sadly neglected boy about ten years old, so dirty, and in such a wretched home, scarcely anything in it; but the mother, so disgraceful in appearance, and so stupidly tipsy, that you could have cried to leave a child to her care; but we had a long and serious talk with the child, which we thought more hopeful than talking to the mother, for she only laughed. The boy at first looked awkward, but after a while began to look grave and acknowledged that to try and do right would be best, and like the boy mentioned above promised to wash, and will, I hope, join a Band of Hope. I am sure the poor boy needs to begin early with such a dreadful influence about him." In the same district we hear of one of those little mothers who might well have a chapter to themselves. "Mrs. F—, aged and paralyzed, has just lost a daughter, who leaves a young family. The eldest child, a girl about twelve, does all she can for her, as well as seeing to the little ones, cooking the father's dinner, &c. The speech of the old woman was affected, SO that we scarcely understood her, but the girl did, and was willing to do what she was desired. She seemed pleased when we told her that Jesus took knowledge of all she did, though no one might be there to see it, and that He knew if she bore with the little ones when they were tiresome. I think the poor child was quite cheered with our visit." Often the child is the softening influence in the house. Two of our mothers have each a dear little boy ill. They have been in the hospital, but were both sent home for a few weeks to try what a change may do. "One of them, named Arthur, is only four and a half years old. Last week the moon shone into his face; he said, 'Ah, moon! I know why you are there; God sent you to see whether I say my prayers.' He is fair, with a pretty little angel face. Last week his mother came to the meeting, the next day the new baby came. To-day when we went Mrs. Slooked happy again. She has been very rebellious since her last baby died, and tried to forget about good things. We trust she may begin anew." It is in Again, let us take a glimpse into the home of one of those whom we are often disposed to regard as a nuisance. one of the dirtiest and poorest districts : "In most of the houses which are let out to families in single rooms the staircases are never cleaned, and therefore are worse to walk on than the streets which get the rain from heaven. Up one such staircase, and into a little back room, where we came upon, as it were, two men and a woman. The men hurried away as we entered; these were brothers to Mrs. A. We saw on the bed a large banjo, and were told that by means of it the brothers earn a living. One of them is a widower, and his little girl lives with Mrs. A-, who is poor, and old, and ill, and a widow. She goes out washing, but is hardly fit, having an ulcerated leg, which we bandaged for her, much to her delight. We spoke to her of the tenderness of the Lord Jesus, and of His pity for such as she, and she listened tearfully. We gave some texts for the wall, and I do hope they may be used in blessing to this poor one." We might go on with these incidents, and tell how the wife sometimes goes to meet and walk home with the husband to save him from temptation; but these may show how needful is the work of helping the women to make their homes happy. And if we cannot ourselves bridge the gulf and go and see them, at least let us pray for those who are thus employed, and help them so far as we can. "GOD'S MESSENGER." THE old couple, the Roses, in whom some of our friends took a warm interest last year, are still living. Our Biblewoman and pioneer visit them frequently, and we still pay the small rent charged by their kind landlady. When the six months for which it was promised had expired, the old man himself remembered the exact date, referring, no doubt, to the worn account-book, and reminded them of it, fearing lest he should trespass on the kindness shown. His gratitude for the help given was truly sincere. "Oh, my friends, my friends!" he says, "I don't know how to thank and reward you, but Jesus does-don't he?" The old lady prays every night for her unseen benefactor, saying, "I do ask Jesus that he'll pay her rint in heaven." Surely these simple prayers for the Mission will be answered, for "He will not despise the offering of the poor." "Vainly we offer each ample oblation, Vainly with gold would His favour secure, Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor." The Bible-woman who visits these old people writes as follows about the disposal of a few coal tickets:— "Dear Madam,-Thank you much for the coal tickets. I took the first to the Roses; the old woman was out, so I gave it to the husband, with some other things. As I put them. on the table the old man said, 'Oh, ain't I rich! plum-pudding. for dinner. I do like plum-pudding, but I didn't think I should have any money for meat or coals to cook it with. Thank Jesus for it! When Mary comes back I shall say, "Look what Jesus has sent; God's messenger brought it. Won't she be pleased? "I took the second to Mrs. H—, who is in the most extreme poverty. It is a very sad case; they have been much better off, the husband having formerly been in business for himself, and as their businesss was only in the next road to ours I know it is true; but through failure and drink he has lost everything. They are now living in two rooms; in the back one there is a table and two broken chairs, and in the front simply a bedstead, with a paillasse, two pillows, one sheet, and a blanket. On asking where her five children slept, she replied, 'we all sleep on that bedstead.' It made me shudder to think of it. I do not know what they will do when the new baby is born; our Nurse has promised to go to her then. Added to all this the husband is suffering from an internal complaint, and is unable to work. He was in the infirmary for some time, and is now an out-patient at King's College Hospital. The wife is such a nice, gentle, clean woman; I feel so sorry for her." BIBLE-WOMAN'S LETTER. "DEAR MRS. L "In answer to your desire to know something of our work, I thought I should like to send you an account of what I have been doing at the Stepney Meeting for the last five years. At times it has been most disheartening, and made me feel very sad, but at other times I have come home rejoicing at the progress made. "A few months ago I met with nothing but discouragements every day for about a fortnight, and I prayed the dear Lord to give me a token of His love. That day I was canvassing until nearly four o'clock, and had not got even one subscriber, and it seemed as if I were about to lose heart altogether, when looking up I saw a man standing at one of the doors in Trafalgar Square, so I went up to him and showed him my half-crown Bible. He said he would have one some day, and told me to call again, for he would like to read it, but I persuaded him to take the Bible into his hands and look for himself; after asking me a great many questions he took it into the house for someone else to see, and coming back asked me if I would seli it for any less. I told him that it was not in my power, and pointed to the back of the book, when he said, 'Well, two shillings and sixpence is all the money I have got, but I will risk it, for I have long wanted one.' It seemed to give me new strength, and I left him, singing all the way as I went off as fast as I could to the depôt to get another Bible, which I sold the next morning, so I thought surely 'weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' Since then I have sold several Bibles in the streets. "It has been my happy privilege to teach several people in the district to read. I taught them at my house at first, and afterwards at their own homes. One poor woman lived opposite to a grocer in Heath Street, and on the Sunday morning she said to her husband, Jack, what is that above the door?' He, not being able to read, could not tell her, so she told me about it on the following Tuesday, and I taught her to spell grocer, and when she had done it in her own way, G-R-O-C-E-R, she exclaimed, 'I'll tell my Jack when he comes home that I can read now!' "Four others have been brought to join the Lord's table, Mrs. J and Mrs. S-, about fifty years of age, and two young women about thirty, and they still continue to progress in the Christian life; the younger ones have a great deal to contend with in their homes, as their husbands are both drunkards, one a policeman, the other a cooper, and for a week we three agreed to have special prayer in our own homes every morning at halfpast nine. to "For four and a half years I have had a most interesting Bible-class in my room every Tuesday evening from seven till nine. It is for boys and girls from the district, and generally I have between forty and fifty members, varying in age from twelve to nineteen. From one family four girls come, from another two girls and a boy, and so on. One boy's mother has often said to me, 'What a great blessing it is Arthur comes your class! Before he came he was so unruly, but now he is the best of the family.' Arthur is errand boy to a Doctor, and many a time he has run as fast as he was able with the medicine and brought the basket to my class and stayed for half an hour. Mary, one of the girls, has stayed at her work during her tea hour and come to my house without anything to eat; since then that dear girl has, as well as three others, joined the Lord's table, and there are one or two more desirous of doing so. All the members of my class now attend some |
