; STRAY LEAVES FROM A HOME MISSIONARY'S NOTE-BOOK. May 1.-In visiting the families in Land, called on Widow found her, as usual, busily engaged. She has maintained a family of five, and brought them up, and given them a fair Bible education, since her husband's death. She is a charwoman. The house in the most tidy and becoming order. She is a member of the Christian church, and plainly a woman of Scotch Christian principle, and a lover of Scotland's wonted sturdy independence. To-day, I found her eldest, an only son, a lad about twenty, lying in bed, suffering from a severe attack of pleurisy. I recommended that medical aid should be obtained. The grief and anxiety of the mother, though manifested after the Scotch fashion, knew no bounds. She had reason, for he was seriously ill; and he had been the light of her eyes for many a day, even all the days of her widowhood. The boy had been apprenticed to a carpenter; and his apprenticeship was all but finished when the stroke of affliction laid him low. All that he could earn, his mother testified he brought her, and she seems to have toiled earnestly to bring up him and his sisters. Two of them were servants now, and doing well, but as they were but setting out, they needed help, and could as yet afford none. The mother had successfully struggled to have for herself and them, and especially for her son, a humble Sabbath dress, and they had gone to the house of God in company. I shortly prayed and left. May 3.-Visited to-day the widow's son. The inflammation not yet arrested. Only weaker from the increased weakness of the body. Quiet and composure desirable. Spoke a few words of the consolations that are in Christ to the mother, who received them gladly. Observed a tendency to delirium in the lad, therefore shortened the visit-whispered a few words of prayer, and then withdrew. -'s son. The inflammation, May 7.-Called again to-day on Widow meantime, happily arrested. Yet unable to speak, without exciting a most distressing cough, which caused him to vomit clotted blood, mingled with phlegm. Whispered in his ear the glad tidings of peace, to which he was no stranger-uttered a few words of prayer, and left the house of affliction, not only with a heart made heavy, but we trust made better. May 14.-Was called to-day to see Widow -'s son. He had been very slowly convalescent, but yesterday had a most alarming relapse. Had called for me during the night. As soon as I was sent for, I went. Found him in the lowest conceivable state of weakness to be yet in life. The strength and vigour of the mother admirable-more than human. Spoke of Jesus Christthe way, the truth, the life-in affectionate whispers. Prayed shortly, and left his bedside, when his clammy hand let mine go. Spoke to the mother at the door, of her supply of money at such a time." Oh," said she, "I have no need of anything he can take nothing, and I can take nothing; and, though we have no money, our heavenly Father knows we need nothing." Then, with fervent gratitude, she thanked me, as she had ever done. I went to the Destitute Sick Society, and found the directors ready to help, and glad to know of such a case. 66 May 21.-Called to-day, and was most agreeably disappointed in finding the lad better, though still very weak. Spoke with him a good while, as he was able to bear it, for I felt that another relapse might be fatal, and I yearned to be sure that he was leaning on the Rock of Ages. "How do you feel,-do you think your soul would be safe if you were to die this day ?" For some time no answer, and I remained silent. At length, “Yes, I do feel safe,—so safe sometimes, that I think it would be safer to die than to live; I have such admiring, soul-filling views of Christ. It is not that I have less thought of the evil of my sin. I have always thought sin an evil, but never as I see my sin now. It is not that my pain and weakness here have done this,—it is not the sight of the law, and of death, and of the judgment-seat that hath STRAY LEAVES FROM A HOME MISSIONARY'S NOTE-BOOK. 251 done this, but it is the sight of God in Christ-Jesus Christ on the crossthere I see my sin; but, then, the love of Christ,-a Saviour so great, so good, I can trust Him," (a gleam on his pallid countenance,)" and the sight of this great Saviour makes me see the great evil of sin, of my sin; and that makes me the more cleave to Him." I prayed, gave thanks, came away joyfully, saying, "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" Here was practical theology, taught by the Holy Ghost. "Father, I thank thee," etc. May 25.-Called to-day, and found the widow and her son in an abyss of sorrow. He lay motionless, his eye standing in a glare of stupor. Her grief so deep that, for a time, she could only rock upon a chair and look. Her sadness was too big for utterance. I looked, I felt his body, his pulsation-he was better-whence_this? Ah, little do many know the sorrows of the poor! I urged her to tell me, At last her sorrow got vent in a flood of tears, and she spoke. Up to the preceding year, they tenanted a humble dwelling in what is called a ground area, literally a dark, damp cellar. She and her son had bewailed its inconvenience. They resolved to rent this larger, better house. It was twice their former rent. They calculated that he, the brave boy, would, by the end of the year, have passed his apprenticeship, and would then receive the wages of a man. It had not succeeded as they expected. He had often been off work with colds and other ailments; for early toil and privations and cares had made him prematurely feeble; and the day before, an agent of the parochial board had entered the dwelling-left a charge of a good many shillings for rates, increased by law expenses-and taken an inventory of the eight-day clock, which had adorned the best room from the day on which her husband and she, with united hearts, had been made one by marriage, telling her as he went away, that if the sum was not paid in three days, it would be sold by public roup to pay the sum and expenses. I asked, But did you not give an intimation to give in exemptions by a given day? She remembered that she got some printed paper; but as she never got one before, she thought it a mistake; and as she was in a hurry with her work at the time, it was cast away, and she fancied there would be no more of it. In addition, they wanted a pound or two of the rent due; it would have been ready, as they calculated, and regularly gathered, until the worthy lad was laid low; here was an accumulation of troubles-they were shut up-they were at their wit's end. And, sir," said he from the bed, "I only trembled all the night to sleep, lest I be deceiving myself, thinking I am in Christ, for surely He would not leave his own, the widow, and the fatherless, to this!" They had resolved to move to a humbler dwelling—had taken a cheaper house; but how could they move, for now they could not pay the few pounds wanting of the rent? My spirit was stirred. I called for pen and ink and paper. I wrote the facts as they told them-no one could doubt of their truthfulness-appealed for their exemption from poor-rates yet; for this was the first and most urgent evil from which they needed, and from which they were entitled to deliverance-showed that had it not been for their Christianity, they would have been taking paupers' allowance, and that it was much that they did not, and far too much to ask them to support the poor-finished the writing, signed it, sent the widow to the excellent medical attendant, who willingly signed it tootold her to go to her landlord, and get his name also, and to present it to the board, and let me know the answer. I longed for her report, and ere evening came she brought it. The joy of her countenance announced her success. She said, "But, sir, we thought this was for evil-the Lord meant it for good -we have got out of both our evils. When I gave them the paper, they looked at it, conversed together, and then the gentleman said, But you will have to pay sevenpence. Am I free now? Yes, said he. But when the landlord read it, he looked at me, then signed it as the doctor had done, and said, You are not able, I suppose, to pay the balance of your rent now? Indeed, no, sir; if my son had continued well, we would have been able. 66 I see, said he, you are decent folk; you can just flit on the term-day, and pay me when your son is better and you are able." They were filled with joy and gratitude. If there had been no agency at work to meet this case, the furniture of this poor but worthy family would have been distrained and sold; destitute of a home, they would, in all probability, have been driven to a low lodging-house -whisky swallowed by the mother to drown her grief-the sick son soon in his grave, and the daughters rising into womanhood. But we need not say more. What our humbler classes specially need, and what we desire that every one of them should have, is not so much money, or any system of public charity, as a friend-an intelligent Christian friend. How long shall it be that "all the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him," (Prov. xix. 7.) The district visitor has many trials, but he has many pure and precious enjoyments also; and if the more favoured members of our church would not stand aloof from the homes of the humble poor, and "hide their eyes from their own flesh," they would find many opportunities of conferring important benefits on their fellow-men; and in the delightful consciousness of doing good, they would experience the truth of the Saviour's words—" It is more blessed to give than to receive."-Free Church Home and Foreign Record. YORK RAGGED SCHOOL. THIS valuable institution has just suffered a loss by the death of Mr. George Walker, which it is to be feared will take some time in repairing. The deceased was engaged as master of the school at its opening in February, 1848, and from thence to the time of his death, continued to maintain that position for which he was in every way eminently qualified. Every difficulty which beset the position he occupied in the above institution was successfully met by him, whilst the more he was known, and the closer the observation of the manner in which he discharged his laborious duties, enabled every one to express their full approbation of his conduct. From the moment he entered upon the situation, it was apparent that no other thing on earth engaged his attention so much as the welfare of the children committed to his care, and the prosperity of the institution with which he was connected. Being a man of eminent piety, he sought by every means within his reach to establish in the hearts of the children a thirst after spiritual things. Passing the frivolity which has been too often introduced into our schools, his object was ever to instruct the children in the ways of righteousness, and display the beauty that lay in the paths of holiness; whilst so simple was the style in which he brought forth the truths of Holy Writ, that they at once became instructive, impressive, and easily understood. He was also in the constant habit of summoning all the children in the house, to assemble with his own family during the time of devotion, which, to some extent, has had its influence over every child permitted to enjoy this boon. To recount the varied Christian virtues which marked his walk and conversation would require more space than can be allotted; it may, however, be said of him that his piety was exemplary, his zeal constant, his diligence untiring, his patience almost without limit, and his equal for the capacity which he so recently filled we can scarcely hope to see again on earth. It was only a week prior to his death that he took to his bed, nothing serious being apprehended to within a few hours of his decease. Whilst confined to his room, his mind was actively engaged in the business of the school, but Infinite Wisdom ordained that he should not continue where ungodly intruders interrupt the sacred intercourse betwixt God and his children. The time of his departure drew near, and about one o'clock in the morning of the 1st October he gently fell asleep in Jesus. A PLEA FOR UNITY. The voice that allured us is hushed, In the silence of death it is still, The hopes that we cherished are crushed, And nought but fond memory's thrill, Of that which has been, but is silent and broken. 253 The interment took place on the Thursday following, many members of the Committee, teachers, and the scholars walking in procession, whilst vast numbers of friends testified their esteem of one so justly admired by their presence on that mournful occasion. A suitable hymn was sung by the children over his grave, during which many by tears evinced their attachment for the departed. Poetry. A PLEA FOR UNITY. The Ragged School-oh, joyful sound! To read His word, and learn to pray. The wand'ring outcast here can find The weak, neglected, and despised, Can drive them from this hallowed place; The rich and poor are side by side, To hear how Jesus lived and died. The daughter of a father's joy, May come-we say, "Forbid them not; No filthy court, where squalid crime, W. C. Oh! ye who feel the pride of wealth, In pity ponder, stay, and think, What thousands crowd destruction's brink! Oh! why the humble spot avoid, While crafty Popery has learned Then stand no more aloof, we pray, Then let your purse-strings drop awhile. But freely help our Ragged School. Plans and Progress. EMIGRATION. J. BURBIDGE. DURING the preceding year, the Committee of the Ragged School Union have added to their list of emigrants fifty additional names, varying in age from fourteen to twenty years. These young persons have been selected from their general good conduct, regularity of attendance at school, and consequent personal and mental improvement. They successfully passed their examination, and are now rewarded for their persevering diligence. These rewards have a fourfold benefit; they put the emigrant into a position of obtaining his living in honest independency-they relieve the mother-country of a portion of the surplus uncared-for population-they supply the colony with persons willing to work, and for whom they have an abundance of employment-and lastly, rewarding a few has the effect of stimulating large numbers of the same class |