suffered. His wife being "no scholar," he often read to her in the evening in the Bible and other books which were lent him, and one day told me, with tears in his eyes, he thought his wife was "changing." He had long prayed for her, for she used to "care for none of these things." About three months since he met with a worse accident than before. Some workshops were building on a piece of waste ground near his house, and he was standing near while some props were being removed. Suddenly the buildings gave way, and four men were crushed by the fall. One expired almost immediately. The others were taken to St. Bartholomew's with serious injury, and among them poor R, with both legs fractured. His sufferings now were very great, and for many days he had to lie in splints in one position, unable to move in the least degree. But the nurse said his patience and calmness helped on the cure.

Soon after he returned to his home I saw him, cheerful as usual, and dwelling on his mercies rather than his trials. I could not help asking him whether, when lying in such suffering for the third time in the hospital, he had never felt tempted to murmur or to doubt the Lord's love. "No, ma'am," he said, "no, since I gave all over to the Lord I have never doubted Him." And then he told me how, during the hour and a half which elapsed before he was brought out from under the fallen houses, he was enabled to cast himself upon God and to feel full confidence in Him. "Behold, we count them happy which endure."

In the next street, turning up a narrow passage and passing through two or three doors, I found my way to a top floor, where, in a room scrupulously clean and neat, lay, on a small bed, a young woman partly paralyzed from her birth, and now suffering from a painful illness. She was alone, and yet "not alone." In her, too, faith was enabled to triumph over bodily weakness, and it was really beautiful to listen to her expressions of trust and faith. Since her mother's death she has lived by herself, and a small weekly allowance left to her by an aunt has recently expired, so that now she has nothing to depend upon but the parish allowance and any small occasional gift of a

friend. But, as she said, her wants were few and her appetite small, and she knew the Lord would never suffer her to lack what was really needful. So, on her bed of pain, she praises Him continually. She spoke very thankfully of the comfort our Nurse had been to her. I thought if some who profess to doubt the reality of the Gospel, and who cast discredit upon its testimony, could only see for themselves what it can do for those who believe it in simple, trusting faith, who without it "have nothing," yet with it "possess all things," their unbelief would be changed into wonder, and their doubts vanish before such living testimony to the faithfulness of God's Word.

L. W.

THE ANSWER TO A BIBLE-WOMAN'S PRAYER. By her Lady Superintendent.

"DEAR MRS. R

"We have just had such a happy death in our district, one of the seals of the Bible-woman's work. Five or six years ago a poor man and his family lodged in the same house as that in which was her Mission-room. Our Mrs. M— tried every means to do them good, often going up in the evening and reading the Bible to them. He would always listen, though his supper might be waiting, yet the visitor was very often distressed because he would take the Sunday newspaper and spend his time reading that on God's-day. Through her persuasion he was induced to give it up, but still no further progress was made.

"Even at this time, though a very strong, powerful man, employed as a brewer's drayman, he had a fearful cough. After a while the Mission-room was changed, and the family also moved, but only to S place, close by. Year after year passed by, during which his health was gradually failing; but there was no other change, though he was always pleased to see and listen to Mrs. M, who never lost sight of him. His children became Bible-subscribers, and of little Florie (then about twelve or thirteen), we had great hopes she had really learned to love Jesus.

"At length one evening, a year ago, M-- said to me, 'I should be glad if you would call on poor D-, I do not think he can get out again, and he seems more indifferent. His wife, too, is very anxious about him; she says, if only he were ready she could part with him without grieving.' We agreed specially to plead together with the Lord for him, and did so at once. Oh! how quickly and how fully was our prayer answered! The next week I called, and found him sitting in an easy-chair, unable, from dropsy, to lie down even at night, his breathing fearfully oppressed. After a few words of inquiry about his. illness, when I began to speak on the all-important subject, he at once said, 'Mrs. M― was here yesterday, she read to me about the Prodigal Son.' He had evidently been so impressed that I at once hoped the Holy Spirit was at work in his heart, that the cry, 'I will arise,' had already been uttered. I said :"You felt it suited you?'

"Oh! yes, yes.'

"He could speak but little, so I again read parts of the passage, and others illustrating the free loving welcome, 'The best robe, &c.,' and after prayer left him. Mrs. M-afterwards told me how much he had been struck the previous day, exclaiming, 'Why, Mrs. M-, it's just like me, I have strayed, I am the Prodigal.' A few days after I called again, anxious to be sure he was resting on the right foundation, and found he had indeed received welcome from the Father. I read Isaiah liii., and thanksgiving was blended with my prayers for him.

"Contrary to all expectation he rallied, and was soon able to get out a little, and after a while even to his employer's, though I fancy he could have done little actual work, but I heard from my co-worker that the change in him was indeed an abiding one. On Friday week (the 13th), M-- told me he was again very ill indeed. I went on the Monday on my way to the Mothers' Meeting; he was sitting up at the window for the sake of the sunshine. He welcomed me warmly, spoke with quiet confidence of his full trust in Jesus, adding, 'But I am a great sinner still '-his simple way, I found, of expressing a sense of his own bitter unworthiness, while he had no doubt of his acceptance in Jesus.

He said, 'I am not ashamed now to welcome God's messengers; I remember I used to be. I used to get anywhere to hide myself, that I might not be spoken with. Now all has changed.' He was obliged to alter his position, and sometimes to get himself raised up on two large crutches. I had never seen him standing before, and perhaps he detected a look of surprise at his tall frame, so bent by illness, and his legs swollen and powerless, and he said, 'I was a strong man once,' and then went on to tell me how his Sundays had been just like other days, how he had gone to his usual employment without a thought beyond, and seemed deeply impressed with the Lord's mercy in not taking him away in those days of thoughtlessness. 'Now,' he said, 'I am so weak I can do nothing for myself, but I know who has taken away my strength, and it is all for the best. I believe that the moment the breath is out of my body I shall have done with all suffering or pain, and my spirit will be with Jesus till that great Judgment-day, and then—then all will still be well!' It appears that soon after this he was much worse, and M was with him a good deal, in and out all day, till a few minutes before 12 at night. In great suffering his peace and trust were still unshaken; on one occasion he repeated the line:-

'If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.'

M-- said, 'You feel that, I daresay.' With laboured breath he whispered 'Yes.' At another time he said, 'You know I was always fond of singing, but soon I am going where I shall sing with the angels, oh! so loudly.' His employer, who was most kind to him, came in to take leave of him, and ere he left said, "I hope I may follow Christ as fully as you do, and meet you in heaven.' On Sunday afternoon as soon as Mrs. Mcould leave her own family she went to him; he was still in his chair (though in the night in extreme weariness he had tried to lie down), suffering much, both from his limbs and oppression of breathing. At one time he said, 'Ah! yes, this is death,' but was still trustful as ever, longing for some one to sing hymns; those around him were too deeply affected to do so. Mrepeated from time to time texts and verses of hymns which pleased him; he would say, 'Ah! that is sweet; that is what I

wanted.' In the evening, his brothers and sisters having come in, M-left, and went to evening service. On her return home she was immediately summoned, he was dying and wanted to see her once more. She says, 'When I went in, he put out his hand to me; they were all weeping round him. I said, Oh! you need not weep; if he could speak he would say:

'Happy, if with my latest breath,

I may but gasp His name ;

Preach Him to all, and cry in death

Behold! behold the Lamb !'

"As they stood around, just after his spirit had fled (Mwho had left the room a moment to soothe poor Florie being instantly recalled), they said, Mrs. M, Oh! do thank God. with us that our brother has made such a happy end.' There, with his lifeless form in their midst, she led them in thanksgiving for him, in prayer for themselves, feeling the scene to be indeed a solemn one.

"On the afternoon of her first visit to them Mrs. D- - had said, Come in, Mrs. M-, you are always glad to see her, are you not, Dev.?' Little by little she used to come; I knew what she was coming for, and now she has won you at last. I have heard her praying for us, I have Mrs. M——, when I passed your door I have heard you, and have sat on the stair and listened many and many a time, and have said 'Oh! Dev. there is Mrs M-- praying for us, and we never pray for ourselves.' M- told me the sound of the racking cough overhead made her so anxious about him, hence the prayers now exchanged for praise. We know he is with Jesus, and could not desire to see his life of suffering prolonged. (In this case no temporal help has been received from our Mission, I believe none was needed, though the poor wife worked very hard, even in her husband's extreme illness.)

"Believe me, dear friend, yours affectionately,
"E. C. W."

"PRAISE GOD! I'VE FOUND THE RIGHT WAY."

"DEAR MADAM,

BY A BIBLE-WOMAN.

"This was the grateful expression of a son of Abraham,