THE BIBLE AND THE NOVELS.

"MY DEAR MRS. R,

"One night coming out of the Agricultural Hall the week that Dr. M'Kay gave the addresses there, I met with a woman who looked as if she wished to speak, so I turned and said, 'Did you like Dr. M'Kay's address?' She said, 'That I did; my heart is so full that I do not know how to contain myself. I see it all so clearly; I have been every night this week, and the four subjects have been to me so easy to understand, and the one has fitted into the other, so that I do see it all so plainly.' Mr. Moody had been the means of her awakening, and she had been two or three times to the inquiry-room, and, I believe, found peace; but it was the clearness with which Dr. M'Kay had connected his subjects that made her rejoice in her new-found knowledge. She said, 'I saw his book selling at the door, GRACE AND TRUTH. I had not a shilling to spare this week; but I will try and save one, for I am sure it would do me good, I am so anxious to learn all I can.'

“I said, ‘If you give me your name and address I will bring one to you.'

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According to promise, I took one to her, and found her most anxious to read and search the Word of God; but she did not know how to set about it. She had a Bible, but not one with References, so I said, 'I must lend you a Reference Bible.'

"She answered, 'That is what Mr. Moody told us; but how am I to get it? and if I do get it, how will I find them out?' I then said I belonged to a 'Bible Mission,' and that she could get a Reference Bible by paying a little weekly, and that I would bring her some types to choose the print for herself, and also teach her how to find the References. She was much pleased, and she is now paying for a large 6s. 6d. one, as she says it will serve her all her life to read at home. I have seen her from time to time, and helped her; but when I had read the little book, 'Practical Thoughts on Bible Study,' by Mrs. Brightwen, which you lately gave to the Pioneers, I said, "This is just what Mrs. S wants along with her Bible,' so I sent for her one evening and we spent a little time over it with the

Bible. As we went on, she said, 'This is what I want to know, how is it possible that anyone could tell that I and the like of me should want a book so simple? This shows me just what I want to know. Mr. Moody desired us to read on till we did understand, praying for the Holy Spirit to teach us. And so I have been reading chapter after chapter, and still I did not see the meaning or connexion the one had with the other.' I then lent her the little helpful book, feeling thankful I had it in my power to give her anything that would cause her to understand the Word of God, which she now loves, and is willing to be taught in it, like a little child, and we know anyone having that temper will be led into all truth.'

"By seeing Mrs. S from time to time I have ascertained her history, which is rather a painful one. She was married young, but her husband died, and left her with one child. She married again, but the union was a very unhappy one. They went out to Africa, where her husband had some appointment, but he was cruel to the child and unkind to his wife, made the child go out to work before she was able, because of the cost of keeping her at home. The mother was taken ill, had to go to an hospital, remained there for some time, and when she came out she found no home remaining. Her child sent to service, the home sold up, and nothing left for her. She began needlework, and soon obtained plenty, and got a nice little home again, and something to spare. Her husband had gone off to the diamond fields, and she has seen no more of him.

"She remained in Africa for some time, but her health was not good, and she returned to England again about two years ago. Her daughter is still in Africa; for, getting on well, she thought she would not like England, as she left it so young. She writes to her mother every month, and the mother writes to her. The mother's last letter was full of what the Lord had done for her soul, and entreated her child to give her heart to the Saviour.

"She said, 'My dear girl will wonder when she reads my last letter, for she never had a letter like it from me. The one before I said, "There is a Mr. Moody and a Mr. Sankey coming to London, and people are making such a fuss; but I

am sure I shall not trouble myself about them; I do not care for such people." Ah, little did I think their coming to London would bring me such blessing. I do feel sorry that I wrote like that to my child, but by my last she will know what God has done for me.'

“Mrs. S― is at present a costume maker in a warehouse. She goes in at eight in the morning, and returns between seven and eight in the evening; and for all the long hours she only 'earns about 9s. per week. The time was when she made 18s. and 19s. per week, but now the work is so badly paid for. She says the last costume that has come has thirteen dozen of buttons, and to sew on all these she, or any one else that does it, receives 1s. Surely, if those that wear such costumes knew how little the poor needlewomen that make them receive for their toil day by day, they might ask themselves, Is it right?

"I may add that Mrs. S was most anxious to know what church she should attend when the meetings at the Hall closed. I said, 'Try two or three churches, and wherever you hear the Bible best explained, go.' So she tried, and fixed on the one where she understood best, and has spoken to the minister about becoming a Church member. The two years she had been in England since her return, she had only been once in a place of worship, and that once a friend made her go against her will, as also to hear Mr. Moody. Morning, evening, and Saturday afternoons, and all her Sabbaths, were spent in reading novels; and so great was her love of reading, that she got through five or six novels in a week; but now she meditates instead upon God's truth."

"DEAR MADAM,

THESE GOLDEN DAYS.
Notes from Pioneer Reports.

“May, 1875.

"These golden days of Revival are passing away rapidly, but the remembrance of them will fill our hearts with gratitude while memory remains, and we often say and sing

* What will the harvest be ?'

199 We have seen some of all classes brought to the feet of Jesus during the past month; the Lord has permitted me to take His own message to thirteen precious souls who are now rejoicing in Him, and trying to bring others to Him. I could spend all my time in visiting anxious ones, but our Bible work must not be neglected. One dear woman was fifty years of age, and I was the first that had ever spoken personally to her about her soul; she is very happy, and prays much for her husband, who is, alas! a hardened man.

"Our mothers have been often hindered from going to the services through their children's illness, but many of the fathers are going and getting great good, and we find the Holy Spirit is at work in their hearts and leading them to consider their ways. I think we are only at the beginning of a great work of God, and our lowest classes will be reached by themselves, as when one in a family gets converted and that good seed springs up to the glory of God, it is sure to spread. One of our women sold a good Bible to a man and his wife last summer who had never read it before; we saw little result from its reading at first, but God was working by His own Word, and the seed was falling into good ground; when they heard the good news from Mr. Moody they received it joyfully; and are now amongst his best helpers in the Enquiry-room, and as time goes on many such cases will come to light. My word shall not return unto me void,' is God's own promise. It is too early yet to say much about results, but the record is cn High, and if we work, and watch, and pray, we shall be able to say with the Psalmist, O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever. It is He who alone doeth great wonders; His mercy endureth for ever." " M. S."

MOTHERS' MEETINGS AT WHITSUNTIDE. "DEAR MADAM,

"Many, very many, during the past month, have been the tales of sorrow and suffering, of which we have heard from our Mothers, occasioned by the drink during these Whitsun

tide holidays, which seems the more painful at a time when we are called upon to commemorate the outpouring of the Spirit, and especially in this year, when we intensely desired to see that Holy Spirit poured out amongst ourselves.

"To mention one instance only, in the district of Hoxton No. 2. Mrs. has a family of children, some of them quite little, whom she endeavours to help keep respectably by taking in dressmaking. At times, when her husband comes in, he will throw all he can lay hands upon into the fire; but a short time since she was seriously ill confined to her bed, and he then kept steady and waited upon her, sitting up at night with her, but soon after her recovery, returned again to his evil ways, and now, for some weeks past, has scarcely been sober, and, of course, doing no work. One morning last week he made her get up at 3 o'clock, but would not suffer her to do anything with the children, whilst he, with knife in hand, swore and blasphemed till noon, when he went out, and the Bible-woman went in just afterwards to comfort her. She is in terror of her life. I could multiply instances on every district, where we can do so little to help the poor women who seem utterly crushed and despairing.

CANAL-ROAD DISTRICT.

"We have here a great deal of sickness just now, measles among the children. The new Bible-woman, Mrs. M—, is scarcely at home yet amongst the Mothers. She seems a nice gentle creature, and gets on very well with Bible subscribers, having secured ten during this, her first month, on a previously well worked district. It was very encouraging last week, when visiting with her, to hear one of the Mothers tell her own story, saying she had never been to a Mothers' Meeting until she came to ours about three years since, when invited to do so at the time of Bible canvassing; that previously to that time she never thought of Jesus or her soul, or anything but eating, drinking, working, and sleeping, and now, although she has ten children, all at home, seven under 12, she is seldom absent from the Meeting; feels it very much when compelled to stay away, and mostly attends the Mothers' weekly prayer-meeting;