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ences—as the wind moves the standing corn-were once at school. They often look back, with feelings of deep and lively interest, to their school-boy days. In after life, you will remember the school with pleasure, or regret, according as you are diligent or indolent, teachable or haughty, amiable or unlovely, careless or attentive, at school. You are now laying up in store, materials either for sincere pleasure, or unavailing regret and sorrow. If your present opportunities are neglected, your feelings will be painful in the extreme. Besides the mere pleasure or pain which such recollections will afford, you will be both disposed and able to prosecute further improvement, if you wisely improve your school-boy days.

Perhaps some of the readers of these Letters may only have the privilege of attending a Sabbath-school. Well, my young friends, I hope that you will not be discouraged on that account. It is not so much on the number of opportunities which you have, as on the manner in which you improve them, that your progress depends. Many who have had no greater advantages than you, have, by untiring industry, patient perseverance, and earnest prayer to God, risen to high stations in society, and become extensively useful. Blessed nurseries are Sunday-schools; the first elements of knowledge have by many been acquired in them. A strong thirst for information has often been awakened in them, which the largest draughts of knowledge could alone quench. Many minds have thus received an impulse, which has constrained them to run a noble career. Genius of no mean order has been awakened in the Sunday-school. It may, and will, be so again. I hope more than one of the readers of these Letters, will make great progress in knowledge. Why not thou, my young brother! Thou mayest rise-yes, thou mayest greatly excel. Diligently improve all opportunities. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never forget anything you have learned. Be adding something every day to your little store of knowledge. Have a humble opinion of your present attainments, and be determined to advance. What others have done, by the blessing of God, you may

do. You may burst the barriers which now confine your energies. It will not be by idle attempts; it will not be by fitful starts. It will require patience, earnestness, hope, diligence, faith. Others have surmounted greater difficulties. The caterpillar does not burst open its grave until its wings are formed. It is prepared to rise before it throws off its grave-clothes. What is wanted is inward self-culture-the development of your own powers. Your greatest difficulties may become your best teachers and helpers. Your struggles will strengthen you. Dr. Vaughan very truly says, that, "In the early life of the men of genius, we see less the fruit of circumstances than the power which is not to be controlled by circumstances. The charm of their story commonly is, that they should have done so much for themselves, amidst an outward allotment which did so little for them." He further says, that two things are necessary that persons may excel-"That there should be power, and that the power should be somewhat severely tried." These sentences occur in Dr. Vaughan's very able Essay on John Foster and Robert Hall; an Essay that I would recommend all young men to study. I shall not soon forget the influence which the first reading of the above quotation, and other parts of the Essay, had on my own mind. My young friend, do not be frightened by difficulties. If Uncle Joseph could grasp the hand of my young, earnest, humble, and aspiring reader of these Letters, who pants for personal improvement, he would kindly and earnestly say, "Be hopeful, my young brother! Have faith in thyself: but above all, have faith in God. Thou wilt burst thy shell bye and bye: thy wings are forming: thy mind is silently developing its powers. Perhaps thy present circumstances are the most favourable in which thou couldst be placed, for the full and harmonious development of thy various powers. I would say with Paul, "Be not slothful, but a follower of those, who through faith and patience inherit the promises." You are in God's school. His Providence is teaching and leading you. Be hopeful. Remember, and be cheered by, Tennyson's fine lines::

"Lives of all great men remind us,

We may make our lives sublime,
And departing, leave behind us,
Foot-prints on the sands of time-
Foot-prints that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwreck'd brother,
Seeing, may take heart again."

I must once more bid you adieu until next month, when I may have something to say to you Farewell.

"On Hymns." Uncle Joseph.

LETTER FROM THE REV. JOSEPH TOWNEND TO THE TEACHERS AND SCHOLARS IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOLS OF THE WESLEYAN METHODIST ASSOCIATION.

COLLINGWOOD, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA,
January 16th, 1852.

MY DEAR FRIENDS,-What wonderful benefits we can derive from reading, writing, and postal arrangements. By such means, although I am so far from those of you who reside in England, I can address you. I, with my dear wife and niece arrived here in safety after a tedious voyage of five months. I shall never forget leaving my native land, with its Sabbaths, Bibles, Ministry, Chapels, and Schools. During our voyage I was troubled with seasickness, more or less, for three months; yet, by the blessing of God, I could preach while the sea was rolling over, when I could not stand without holding fast to the ropes or timbers of our vessel. We had very good congregations, and frequently the brave tars were seen to drop tears, under the preaching of the everlasting Gospel.

Sometimes we had very foul weather, for in winter we had to round the stormy Cape of Good Hope. It was very rough as we crossed Mozambique Channel. Get down your maps and look for that place; it is just at the entrance of the Indian Ocean. See what a body of water rolls between the African coast, and the Island of Madagascar, and think how you would like to cross the mouth of that

channel in rough winter weather. One very stormy day as we were about this place, about ten o'clock in the forenoon, as I was standing upon the poop-deck-for the water was almost constantly washing over the main-decks—the vessel was lurching and rolling tremendously, and I was holding fast to the ropes, then came a dense wave which struck our ship, carried away our weather bulwarks, and rattled over our main-top royal sail. The report was as loud as if fifty guns had been fired at once. The water rushed down the hatch-ways, and floated the boxes in the cabins. Thank God; although all persons on board were frightened, and some bruised and wounded, yet not killed or drowned.

We have been here now near three months; it is now summer, and heat and dust abound. We have some very good and kind friends here who are members of our church: but, as nearly all the men are working in the gold mines, 100 miles away, our congregations are very small, and the Sunday-school is given up until our friends return from the diggings.

Only imagine you see a large mountain and a valley, and a thousand tents spread along the valley and side of the mountain, and above ten thousand men wearing their beards, and blue and red shirts, digging, throwing up, and washing the earth, and then you will have some idea of the Ballaratt and Mount Alexander "gold diggins." Some of these diggers, to my personal knowledge, were a few years ago, in the Association schools in Manchester, Rochdale, Liverpool, Bury, Carlisle and other places.

We have had many troubles to pass through since we left home; but I am thankful that we came; and I believe God is, and will continue to make us a blessing. On Thursday evening, January 8th, 1852, I was overtaken whilst crossing the common, between Melbourne and Collingwood, by two young men, who, each holding a loaded pistol to my head, robbed me of eleven sovereigns, which was to buy furniture for my house. The thieves also took my watch, and some silver. At my request they gave me back my purse, which was given me by a young man in

Manchester, and a pair of spectacles, which my dear friend, the Rev. J. Peters went with me to purchase just before we left England. Now those two thieves are in the jail in this city, and will very likely be transported for fourteen years, or for life. O my young friends, believe me, idleness, intoxicating liquor, and bad company have led hundreds to the gallows, and thousands to transportation. O if you wish to be happy and useful, keep from the drink which intoxicates, from idleness, and from bad company. My dear children, you have done well in raising money to send a missionary here. The English government has sent hordes of drunkards, thieves, and other abandoned characters to this country. What is one Association Missionary in this great country? O my children, I hope that another will soon be sent who shall reside at Geelong, Adelaide, or Sydney; and may God bless you.

Before I conclude I must tell you I was trained in a Sunday-school; and I am proud to know that now part of my salary is raised by Sunday-school scholars. In conclusion, my young friends, help me to praise our common Father that he did not allow the robbers to hurt me; and also, pray for me, that I may be made a great blessing in this distant country.

I am, my dear friends,
Yours very affectionately,
JOSEPH TOWNEND.

AWFUL EFFECTS OF STRONG DRINK.

I KNEW a young man who went to college, and studied very successfully. Being of a bright and animated disposition he was often invited to pleasure parties, and although he went to them he never could be prevailed upon to take a glass of wine. He was engaged to be married to a young lady of the first rank, and all seemed to go well and promise future happiness; but intemperance had to do its work. While at a party, the young lady was told about the abstemious conduct of her intended partner. She was told that

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