MURDER OF ANOTHER MIS

SIONARY.

Prussian

The small band of missionary labourers in the Punjaub, has sustained another severe loss. The Rev. Isidor Loewenthal has been murdered by one of his own servants. Born in Poland of Jewish parents, about the year 1828, he was obliged to flee from his native land in consequence of being implicated in some political movement while attending college. He landed in New York, a friendless lad of nineteen years of age, and began the life of a pedlar. While pursuing this mode of life, he met with a Presbyterian minister, who proposed to him to enter one of the American colleges. After finishing his studies for the ministry, he offered his services to the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. About the same time an offer of a professorship was made to him, but he preferred the more laborious and self-denying work of the foreign missionary.

He sailed for India in 1855, hoping to have the happiness of seeing his parents on his way; but he was denied this pleasure by the laws of Prussia, and by the bigotry of his parents, who refused to see him in consequence of his having become a Christian.

Mr Loewenthal went to Peshawur in 1857, to begin preparation for the great work of his life, the translation of the New Testament into Pushtoo, the language of the Afghans.

It appears that he was accustomed to rise in the night and walk in his garden when unable to sleep. Late on the night previous to his death, he wrote in his diary that he had got a curious headache. About three o'clock on the following morning, the report of a gun was heard; but as this is not an unfrequent occurrence, it excited no feelings of uneasiness or alarm.

Mr Loewenthal's groom, however, went out, met the chowkedar (private watchman), and asked why he had fired. In reply, the man said his gun had gone off accidentally; but the servant, on proceeding towards the house, found his master lying on the ground, bleeding.

The chowkedar immediately fled from Peshawur, but was caught eight miles from the city.

When examined, he affirmed that he mistook his master for a thief, and shot him accordingly. This appears very strange, for it was a bright moonlight night, and he was so near that the powder blackened the face of his victim. He has been tried, and acquitted of the crime of murder, but sentenced to two years' imprisonment for causing death."

M

Y young readers, did you ever think of having to die? You may be young and strong, beloved of your friends, and revelling in the enjoyments with which this beautiful world of ours is filled; you may be free from care, and full of bright hopes of a long and happy life; but were you to be told that all this would speedily come to an end, that the colour would fade from your cheeks, and the strength leave your bones, that you would soon be laid on a sick-bed, and have wearisome days and sleepless nights, that you would have to bid farewell to your dear friends, and look for the last time on your loved acquaintances, and at last find yourselves face to face with the king of terrors-would you be afraid?

If you will listen to me for a little, I will tell you of one who had to come through all this, and yet was not afraid.

In a little village a few miles from Paisley lived Elizabeth LShe was the daughter of respectable parents, and had received a good education; she was naturally clever, and of a quiet and reserved disposition. In the village where she lived was a Sabbath school, at which she was a regular attender; she was in the superintendent's class, and for four years never

was absent a single night. Her teacher was well pleased with her, as she always could say her lessons correctly, and conducted herself in a becoming manner; so much so, that when, last autumn, a class of little girls became vacant, she, at his request, became their teacher, and performed her duties in a way that soon gained for her their love, and endeared her in their memory.

She was just bursting into a fine young woman, but, alas! consumption-that most insidious disease-had marked her for its prey. Her strength gradually left her, and about the middle of June last, when the woods near her home were decked in all their summer's beauty, when the little birds sang

merrily among the branches, and when all nature wore its brightest garb, she was laid down on the bed from which she never was to rise.

The disease now made rapid progress, and a few days after this, one Sabbath-the last she spent on earth-when she saw her sorrowing parents and weeping sisters standing around her, she told them "not to grieve for her, for she was not afraid to die."

On the following Wednesday evening her teacher visited her; she was oppressed with weakness; as he was about to leave he said to her, "Elizabeth, I am afraid I will not see you here again, but you

There are two very important points to which Mr Young referred. "The first is the amount collected in schools for missionary purposes. It has been already pointed out that this year the amount reported is considerably in excess of last year's return; but I think that such contributions represent a value which the future only can disclose. To speak of missionary enterprise to children, to interest them in it, to teach them to give even the smallest sum for its support, this is nothing less than preparing the soil, and sowing the seed of a future and glorious harvest, which others may reap with gratitude and joy, when our places are vacant, and our voices are heard no more on earth. The sums collected for our Schemes are already considerable, no one can speak of them without respect; but I believe that liberality of this kind is yet in its infancy, and I could imagine many hereafter accounting for the superior resources of the Church of their times, by saying, 'We learned to give in the Sabbath school; we got the habit there -it grew with our growth.' "The other point on which I wish to touch, is the deep debt of gratitude which the Church owes to her Sabbath school teachers-twelve thousand every Sabbath engaged in this work of faith

Assembly will say something to encourage them, or strengthen their hands. The Assembly has within itself the great power of recognizing the services of those who, silently and unobtrusively, but most surely, are laying deep the foundations of her future strength and usefulness; and I trust it will go forth to-day that our Church does justice to the inestimable value of the services rendered by her Sabbath school teachers, and regards this great Christian agency with mingled admiration and gratitude."

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

In looking around upon society, it is impossible to help being struck with the existence of numerous institutions admirably calculated to promote the mental, moral, and spiritual welfare of humanity. Among these there is not one that has a stronger claim on the Christian philanthropist than Sunday schools. Education conducted on the principles and in the spirit of the Bible, is essential to the peace and prosperity of a nation; and Sunday schools comprehend these heavenly principles, and embody their spirit. Their grand text-book is the sacred volume; and their only efficient teachers are sincere Christians. The seedling planted in weakness by the hand of Robert Raikes, in the

city of Gloucester, and watered by his tears, has struck its roots deep into our soil, raised its top to heaven, and spread its branches from Europe to Asia, Africa, America, and the Islands of the Sea.

The Sunday School Union was formed in Surrey chapel school-rooms, on 13th July 1803. And what has the

Union done? It has done so much that the half cannot be told. It may suffice to say that now it has a glorious band of four hundred thousand teachers, and three millions of scholars "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thine own name be all the glory!" Abridged from

the Christian World.