inside, though I fear Hindoo boys will not be willing to go at first. Our Christian boys of the first-class in the morning Sunday School form the nucleus of the afternoon class in the bazaar, and some heathen boys who attend the day school, and one or two others, have come regularly. We have only had three meetings hitherto, but the number of heathen boys has increased each time; last week six or seven were present, as also a man who sat a little aside. We have a bench outside on which several of our brethren sit, and as we sing several hymns and offer a short prayer at the beginning and close of the meeting, which is not a long one, and as it is conducted openly, though on our own land, we have had quite a little company of eager and wellbehaved onlookers each week. This undertaking is of too recent origin amongst us to justify me in saying more at present, but we have been encouraged by the attendance of the heathen boys hitherto. We examine them every Sunday in the last week's lesson, and at the close we question them on the subject of the day. At the recent Decennial Conference the Rev. B H. Badley, of Lucknow, read a paper on the subject of Sunday Schools among the heathen, and reported that in the Mission with which he is identified they have a native Christian community of more than 6,000 and a Sunday School army of 15,000, of whom more than two-thirds are nonchristians.

ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN A SITE FOR BOOK ROOM IN POOREE.

When in Pooree at the Chandan játrá last May Mr. Miller and I made an application for land to build a Book Room in the Pooree wide road. The site we chose was not approved of by the Municipality, but they stated that they had no objection to grant us a site elsewhere. We then requested them to kindly offer us one, and our friend Mr. Williamson, Deputy Magistrate and Vice Chairman of the Municipality, selected another site. The matter came up at the meeting of Commissioners, but was deferred so that all the members might have an opportunity of seeing it. We shall be glad to obtain the ground selected, as it is close to the trees which have been used for years as a shelter from the fierce rays of the sun when preaching in Pooree. Some of the committee are doubtless averse to our having the ground, and the delay certainly gives the impression that Christ is not welcome on the Jagannath highway. Mr. Williamson does not appear sanguine as to the issue. He is a true brother, a Baptist withal, and has exerted himself not a little in the attempt to obtain the site. He has lately commenced a little Oriya service in his house on Sunday for our Christians in Pooree, and has also sold two rupees of Christian books besides distributing some as occasion offered.

BIBLE WOMEN.

Our Bible women work well, and the class for our Christian women is still continued. The heathen women ask questions which evince great ignorance, and our Bible women say that they have to simplify everything to the utmost. One of the villages they visit has a large number of children in it, and no school. I thought it might be well for our female helpers to hold a class there for them, but their mothers are not willing. However, the children gather round our women whenever they enter the village, and, as there are so many of them, I have encouraged the Bible women to go there once a week and to try to interest the children as far as possible by telling them about Him who still loves little ones.

HEATHEN VISITORS.

We have recently had a visit from three men who live near the Black Pagoda, Kanarac. The father heard our preachers there in February last, and showed great kindness to them. Some few weeks later he called on me, and we had a long conversation with him. Last Saturday week he and his two grown-up sons called again. The father is ignorant, but his two sons can read, and are fairly intelligent. There is also a younger son at home who is said to have read a number of our books, and is considerably in advance of his brothers as regards knowledge. The father and two sons stayed at the house of our senior deacon, attended both services on the Lord's day, and were present also at the Sunday School. They incautiously ventured to our little class in the bazaar, and possibly might have experienced a little rough usage but for judicious action. They have several of our books, and are evidently interested. It is only fair, however, that I should say that they first visited Jagannath, and on their return from the great shrine called on us. however, an anomaly with which we are not unfamiliar-scarcely an anomaly to us, indeed.

This is,

LETTERS FROM BERHAMPORE.

MISSION FARM.

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The crops at our Mission farm have been largely destroyed by the frequently recurring floods. After transplantation, also, a late flood occurred which did much damage. Considerable land lies uncultivated all around, and there is no time to do anything to remedy matters now. Thank God the general prospects of harvest in Orissa are, I believe, favourable; and we understand that less favoured parts of the country have been refreshed with the indispensable rain.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TREAT.

We had a good gathering eight or ten days ago on the occasion of the children's treat, to which, for the first time, the children from our farms were invited. The girls in the Orphanage paid part of the expense for the latter. It was a pleasant

afternoon and evening, and we had 'pully-hawly,' blind man's buff, and some good native games, besides singing and music. There were 115 children present besides the orphan girls-so that fully 150 were there in all, though some were very small. I thank God to see so many children, and trust they may all experience the tender love and watchful care of the Good Shepherd.

Letters from Berhampore.

SEVERAL letters have been received from the Rev. T. Bailey, of Berhampore, for which we have hitherto been unable to find space. He writes:

Last Sunday I was at Padri Polli, and as Niladri accompanied me we had a specially good time there. The village chapel was well filled at the morning service, when Niladri preached a useful and eloquent sermon, after which a church meeting was held, and one candidate, a young man, received for baptism, who was baptized forthwith in the tank hard by, and in the afternoon at the communion service was received into the church. Another of the young men is applying to be admitted into the college to study for the ministry. He is the son of one of the most respectable of the villagers, and will, I think, prove suitable and promising. The crops continue to look remarkably well, and the afternoon's text which declared that "He did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness," elicited a sympathetic and hearty response.

On returning in the evening through the Berhampore bazaar I was amused by an incident that occurred. A large crowd were assembled in the main street, surrounding a shabby arrangement of bamboos and ribbons with several little idols inside, which was being carried in procession on men's shoulders. On my approach and perceiving the situation the people, near the idols, set up a hearty laugh, which for several reasons gave me especial pleasure. It informed me that as a missionary, I was not unpopular; that whatever we had said to the disadvantage of their system, had been said in such a way as not to forfeit their good will; it also gave a curious insight into what must be their feelings in observing these popular idolatrous rites, and is only another evidence that religious faith in them is at a very low ebb indeed.

A CHRISTIAN IN A HEATHEN VILLAGE.

During our absence Khogai Behara had arrived from Pilepadda and came to visit me on Monday. For many years he was an enquirer and was baptized by Mr. Taylor in 1867, and is one of the very few cases in connection with our Mission in which the convert has selected to remain in his own village and home. He is now 72 years of age, and I had not seen him for many years, and when I told him that in his special case and after this long interval I should be glad of some explicit statement as to his spiritual condition and experience, he promptly declared that the love of Christ was the one constraining influence and joy of his life, that he daily prays for help and grace, and though as a Christian he is isolated, he is happy, which latter expression he repeated twice, and I perceived that several times during the conversation, he spoke not only with deep feeling, but also with hardly restrained tears. There is one respect in which I find that he has not completely identified

himself with us. He is careful to partake of the Lord's supper whenever he has the opportunity, but he has never yet eaten with Christians. His doing so would be the signal for his castemates and kindred to disown him, and his case illustrates at once the intolerance and tyranny of the system. As an act of worship his partaking of the Lord's supper is allowed, but expulsion would instantly follow his taking an ordinary meal with us. He informs me that no idolatrous customs are observed in his household, that his son offers prayers to Christ in which the whole family join, and that though himself not a fluent speaker he embraces opportunities of conversation wherever he goes. He is reputed also to be a man of substance, and from his position as well as his character exercises considerable influence in his neighbourhood. It would be hazardous in his case to say that he does not in this way exercise as large an influence in favour of Christianity as though he were fully identified with us. He is now anxious to attend the forthcoming Conference at Cuttack, and I am encouraging him to do so. Captain Taylor with his negro servant Jack are to join Daniel and his family, Niladri, Balunki, and others are also arranging to go, so that our contingent from Berhampore promises this year to be an unusually large one. May the services prove helpful and inspiring and fit us the better for future toil.

us.

TWO INTERESTING CONVERTS.

Writing under date of October 23rd, Mr. Bailey remarks:

I am just on the eve of leaving for Conference, but must write briefly to inform you that last Sunday we baptized two young men from Tamana, a village partly Khond and partly Oriya, lying at the foot of the neighbouring range of hills. One is the son of the village accountant, and the other is his nephew, and both have been known as enquirers for several years. The elder, Kotta Mullick, received his first impressions through attending a school established in his village many years ago by the late Rev. W. Bailey; and the younger, Sarthi Mullick, attended for a time the school here under Mr. Wood. They have both received a fair education, and give an intelligent account of themselves. They are both unmarried, and it is to their credit, that as they were contemplating the step they have now taken, they have deferred entering into negotiations on the subject. They elect to remain in their own village, and propose to do what they can for the good of.their neighbours, some of whom are more or less favourably disposed towards Christianity. Captain Taylor happened to be in from Gopalpore, and shared our joy; and a considerable gathering of Hindoos, some of whom recognized the converts, also witnessed the ceremony. May the Lord keep them faithful and make them abundantly useful. They are both farmers, and the elder has land of his own. A few Hindoos also attended the afternoon service; indeed, the presence of Hindoos at our ordinary Sunday services has become such a feature that we have found it expedient to set apart seats specially for their accommodation.

I must mention yet another circumstance which has been very cheering. The magistrate from Baligudda in the Khond hills called upon me last week. He is a quaker and a godly man, and before leaving the station sent me a cheque for fifty rupees for the Orissa Mission of these parts."

Notes from Rome.

BY REV. N. H. SHAW.

RESPECTING the school treat and Christmas tree in Rome, Mr. Shaw, our missionary, writes:

The usual busy, merry, anxions time has been and gone. We had our school treat and Christmas tree as usual The chapel was beautifully decorated with evergreens, which we owed to the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Rylands, of Manchester, who also sent us a quantity of toys, &c., for the tree.

At five o'clock the children of the school, with their parents, such as could come, and the members of the church, beamed joyfully over hot coffee and other good things. Then at seven o'clock the doors were opened to the public. The children sang and recited, useful speeches were delivered, and at the end, the gas being

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lowered, the tree was lit up by many wax tapers, and the whole tree, with its lights, its artificial snow, and its loads of fruit in the shape of toys, mirrors, &c., looked like a scene in fairy-land.

The toys were distributed among those for whom they had been prepared, together with some useful article of clothing to each scholar, according to his or her merit, and the evening closed amid mutual congratulations.

Our school has been better attended this winter. We often have more than thirty scholars present, but a number of them are poor children who are in want of almost everything, and whose parents seem to care little for them. Some of them will inevitably drift away from us after a time, but we hope to lay up in their memories some things which will never leave them, but be an influence for good for the whole of their lives.

A PICTURE OF HEAVEN.

One may get an insight into the prevailing ideas of Italians respecting religion from the cartoons one sometimes sees exhibited in windows and in the streets. The other day, apropos of the anniversary of Victor Emmanuel's death, there was exhibited in Rome a cartoon entitled, a party of card-players in heaven. It was a picture of a drawing-room with a table in the centre, at which sat Victor Emmanuel, Garibaldi, Cavour, and Mazzini, each with cards in his hands and intent on the game. The cards bore the dates of certain battles and great events. On one side of the room stood a certain Italian diplomatist, smoking a cigar and watching the game; and on the other side, close by the chair of Garibaldi, stood Pope Pius the Ninth, one hand pressed gently on his stomach, which apparently was not that of a hungry man, and the other was raising a goblet of red wine to his lips. The Pope was made to look perfectly contented with his company and surroundings. Cherubs mustered overhead around the star of Italy, whose rays poured out on the company a flood of light, and underneath the picture was written, "Thus guided by the same star, they all by different ways arrive at the same happy place

One is glad to recognize in all this a certain truth, but I am afraid there is more of that common notion which serves always as a plaster for the conscience of the careless and indifferent, that no matter what we are or what we do, all will come right at last.

THE NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE.

Rome is full of Italians from various parts of the peninsula and the colonies. It was found impossible to bring or to entertain at one time all who wished to come and do honour to the tomb of the late king. So the demonstration has been divided into three. The first contingent of pilgrims came on the 4th and 5th of the month, and an Wednesday the 9th, the anniversary of the late king's death, marched in procession through the principal streets to the Pantheon, with their banners and bands of music The Italians dearly love a show, and they also know how to make one too. They say that more than thirty thousand persons walked in the procession. There were eight hundred banners of all manner of designs, some of them very rich and costly; and as many as thirty distinct bands of music, the performers being dressed in fantastic uniforms. The crowns deposited at the tomb in the Pantheon numbered two hundred. Some of these were of flowers, natural and artificial, and others of metal, amongst them being some of considerable value. The whole thing has been pronounced splendid, magnificent, touching!

Would that these people had a little more of subjective life! They excel all others in demonstrations, but they cannot easily understand things unconnected with pomp and show, and the kingdom "that cometh not with observation."

AN English exchange reports concerning one who was asked to double his gift for Missions that he replied, "I cannot; it is altogether out of the question." The difficulty did not arise from lack of means, but from the man's negligence in the past. He had given nothing. Under a new sense of what had been his duty, and what might have been his privilege, it was a sorrowful confession which he made, that he could not double his gift. A friend suggests that the way to double nothing is to put down two ciphers, with a two before them; thus, 200 dollars.-American Missionary Herald.

MISSION SERVICES have been held at Burton, Overseal, Swadlincote, Walsall (Stafford Street, and Vicarage Walk), Derby (Watson Street), Long Whatton, Castle Donington, Sawley, Weston-on-Trent, Derby (St. Mary's Gate), Kirkby, and East Kirkby. To enter into particulars regarding each place would occupy too much space. It may, however, be stated, that the Treasurer of the Society occupied the chair at Burton, and that for the first time Foreign Mission services were held in the new chapel. On the Lord's-day sermons were preached by the Secretary and Mr. Pike, the meeting on Monday evening being addressed by the same, also by Dr. Underwood. Notwithstanding the building of the new chapel, it is hoped that the amount for the Mission will fall very little, if any, short of the previous year-so much for earnest, persistent, and systematic effort. In conducting services at the above places the Secretary and Mr. Pike have received valuable help from pastors of the respective churches, from neighbouring ministers, and other friends. In some cases the amounts raised has been in advance of previous years. But in view of the present needs of the Mission, and the urgent calls for further extension, may we urge our friends to do their utmost to aid the good cause. For ease in working and for satisfactory returns we would say organize! organize! Where there is suitable human machinery, accompanied by divine power, there will be corresponding results.

THE BITTER CRY OF THE HEATHEN-Is the church at all awake to its obligations to the heathen world? Is the fact realized that the whole amount given by Christian England to the support of Foreign Missions is only equal to what is spent in drink in two days and a half? Is it realized that there are as many ministers of the Gospel at work in London alone as there are missionaries for the whole Heathen and Mohammedan world; and that if London were supplied with ministers in the same proportion to its population as the non-Christian countries of the globe are, the number allotted to it would only be about eleven? We are justly pained and startled by the Bitter Cry of Outcast London; but, after all, what is that to the Bitter Cry of a thousand millions of people without a Saviour?—The Church Missionary Intelligencer.

TESTIMONY TO MISSIONS.-Sir Richard Temple has often borne honourable testimony to the work of Foreign Missions. In his address as chairman of the Soiree held by the Baptist Missionary Society at Cannon Street Hotel, he said,

You may be confident, when I appeal for your pecuniary support, that the results are fully commensurate with the expenditure. As an old Finance Minister of India, I ought to know, if anybody does, when the money's worth is got by any operation, and myself having also administered provinces which contain, from first to last, 105,000,000 of British subjects-that is, nearly half British India-I say that, of all the departments I have ever administered, I never saw one more efficient than the missionary department, and of all the hundreds of thousands of officers I had under my command-European officers and gentlemen-I have never seen a better body of men than the Protestant missionaries, and I say also that of all the departments I have administered, I have never known one in which a more complete result was got than in the great department-the grand department-which is represented by the Protestant missionaries.