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work through illness, I get the sermons and addresses almost entire in her letters.

"Thus you see, although it has pleased God to lay aside my dear superintendent, Mrs. Cohen, so long in ill-health, He has sent me help in various ways; and I am sure her illness has caused many, many prayers to be offered, for she is greatly beloved.

"The other morning I met a woman who has lived in the district more than twenty years, and up to about three years ago it appeared to me that she was too good to be changed, for it did not matter what was said, she always replied, 'Oh, yes; I am not so ignorant as not to know that!' But God in His own time showed what she never had known-that was herself as in His sight; and then it was a very different thing with her, and He took her through some very deep waters, but He made them to purge her sins unto Himself, and then to call her to be a peculiar person, zealous of good works. She, I think, without exception, is one of the most earnest Christians I know, and her prayers at our prayer-meetings are most helpful and stirring.

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"On meeting her a few days since, I inquired how she thought the Lord's work was prospering. She said, 'Well, I had such a feast at the early service on Sunday morning that I did not know how to contain it. I was obliged to go to my married children and tell them about it, and I went to offer to mind their children. I told them that I was pleased to see them so steady and respectable, but that was not all. I wanted to see them bringing their children up differently to the way in which I had brought them, and I had come on purpose to take care of the little ones that they might not have any excuse.'

"I lately saw one of her sons, and asked him if he would go, and he said, 'Not if he knew it.' After telling him a little about the services I left him, and afterwards found he went the very same night. I firmly believe this devoted mother will soon reap in joy what she is now sowing in tears,' and that, as we so often pray, they will be an unbroken family in heaven.

"At our Mothers' Meeting a woman was lamenting that she

could not go because no babies were admitted; when she answered, 'You go, I will mind the baby.' Indeed, we have agreed to mind several of the babies one evening, if that will enable the mothers to go.

"In talking one evening this week to a poor woman, and hearing a sad tale of trouble,-her husband, it seems, lost his reason for months, inflammation on the brain, through drink. After all, she suddenly brightened up, and said, 'I must not complain, for I hope the Lord is doing great things at the present time for me; my husband went to Bow-road Hall every night last week, and he has been every night this, and he has left off swearing; besides that, he reads his Bible night and morning.'

"I also heard of three conversions on Friday of relations of people in my district, quite apart from Moody and Sankey, which makes it all the more apparent that the Lord Himself is really working, and, I believe, means to pour out His Spirit still more abundantly.

"I cannot say that there is anything like the Day of Pentecost in my district at present, but I am looking for a much larger blessing than we have had yet. I feel that each one really changed stands for a great many more; because they cannot, any of them, stand still when they find Jesus for themselves.

"I do not think you will suppose the Bible work has been neglected when I tell you that I have had over fifty subscribers this year. I have lived to see a large three-shilling Bible entirely worn out by constant use. It was one of the first I sold, and the man has just bought another. The mother has just subscribed for one for her married son; another has just given each of her children one; and another, who has eleven, has commenced; she has given two of them, and is now going on for the third. One of our Bible-class is, as you know, now chosen as our second Bible-woman.

"We have had a missionary from China staying with us as curate, and he is going back to China very soon, where he' hopes to be able to build a Mission-house. He is trying to get 2007. The Bible-class heard of it, and said they should like to

give some portion of the money they lay by on Sunday for missionary purposes. I conveyed their wish to him, and he very kindly said he would come and tell them a little about the work in China, and a very happy evening we all spent. They gave him a guinea from the little fund, and also added something more, which made its amount 17. 10s. 2d. During the last two years they have sent 17. 18. to Miss Arnot at Jaffa; 17. 18. to our Church Building Fund; 17. 10s. for China; 21. odd to Miss Cole at Kilburn; 17. for the expenses of their own little school; and I have no doubt this year they will like to send a little to the London Bible and Domestic Mission.

"Trusting you will be able to understand this rambling account, and kindly look over all mistakes,

"I beg to remain, yours obediently,

"E. H."

"TWO OF MY DRUNKARDS."

"A WOMAN lately knocked at my door," says a Bible-woman, "whom I had known in a former district, and I saw her changed indeed, for she had been one of my drunkards.

"I had often talked to her and tried to mend her, but seemed to make no impression till the day I was going to leave the neighbourhood, when I went to bid her good-bye, and I did not know of any result of the visit at that time.

"Well,' I said, as I welcomed her, 'you are changed indeed. Why, I should scarcely have known you had we met in the street. How did you manage to find me out?

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"I wanted to see you so much,' said she, and I had a message for you; so I said I would find you if I knocked at every door in M- I wanted to tell you that I've never forgotten

the day you left us, nor what you said to me.'

"Well, what did I say?'

"I felt very sorry you were going to leave us and that I'd never minded you, and I was very low that day and showed you how bad my leg was.'

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Oh, yes! I remember. It was all over scars and sores, and I said, "It is, indeed, a bad leg, but after all your leg is

nothing to your soul. That is all over scars and wounds;* it is black with them, and it gets worse and worse every day; and how often I've told you that Christ alone could wash and heal it, and now I'm going away, and perhaps nobody will care for your poor soul any more, and, for the sake of drink, you'll lose it for ever."

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"Then I left her, but it had pleased God just to use that word. She couldn't forget it, and she said to me, 'When I went to bed at night, I always saw my soul black and scarred with its sins, and at last I thought I would give it to Jesus, and I said, "Oh, Christ! if you'll take it and wash it, I'll be thankful, and I'll never take no more than my three pints of porter a day;"-but still in my dreams I saw my soul black and scarred as ever, and at last I said, "Oh, Lord! take my soul, and wash it white as snow," and I've left off all my pints of porter now, for I thought I heard Christ say, "I will, be thou clean." I've never touched a drop since then, and now if you came to my place you wouldn't know it. Why, I've got a carpet and a chest of drawers, and, ye see, I'm tidy.'

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And, indeed, I hardly knew again the poor creature that would 'dolly-shop' every rag off her back but an outer skirt for drink, but, better than all, the chief thing she had come to tell me of was the happy death of her neighbour, another of my drunkards, whom she had attended and comforted in her last illness, and who died rejoicing in Jesus-also a saved soul, "she bade me be sure to come and find you out and tell how she died.' To God be all the praise !"

BRITISH SYRIAN SCHOOLS.

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WE have much pleasure in making room for quotations from an Occasional Paper issued by the above Society, which will interest many of our readers who might not otherwise see it. In the September of last year their Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Henry Smith, was enabled to carry out her long-cherished wish to visit the schools founded by her sister, the late Mrs. Bowen Thompson, and undertook thoroughly to inspect the working of

* See Isaiah i, 6.

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the Society's operations, and to remain in Syria until she had visited every station.

The late public rumours, so widely circulated, of the forcible suppression and closing of all the Christian schools throughout the Lebanon (now happily refuted) having led to many anxious inquiries and fears as to the continuance and progress of the work, the Committee have decided upon circulating among their numerous friends some extracts from the interesting accounts they have lately received from Mrs. Smith, which will speak for themselves. They would particularly point to the important letter of H. M. Consul at Damascus to Mrs. Mentor Mott, which appeared in the Times, and which so satisfactorily disproves, as far as the Turkish Government is concerned, "any rumours as to the closing of missionary schools."*

They would also note the remarkable instances given of the breaking down of Mohammedan bigotry and exclusiveness, and the intense longing of all classes in the East for instruction and light. On every side doors are opening for the entrance of the truth. Ancient and seemingly impassable barriers are yielding to the influence of the Gospel; and could the Committee but advance and occupy the numerous positions offered for their acceptance, soon, very soon, under God's blessing, would the glorious promise be fulfilled, and Lebanon become a fruitful field!

EXTRACTS FROM MRS. HENRY SMITH'S LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY.

"Beyrout, Oct. 5, 1874. "Here I am, resting after this long voyage, rather tired, but so full of the sense of God's goodness, that I must write and

The letter indicated is as follows:- "Damascus, Dec. 9, 1874.- My dear Mrs. Mott,-Essad Pasha has returned from his tour to Tripoli and Homs, where he put everything in order, and made unquiet spirits comprehend that they have no friend in him. His Highness has been much annoyed by the false reports spread regarding his having issued orders for the suppression of Protestant schools. His sympathies are entirely with the Protestants, who are always taught to respect the Turkish Government, and not to look for foreign support.-W. KIRBY GREEN."

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