Fred tried hard to suppress his vexation. "I know it was an accident," he said pleasantly, after a brief struggle with himself.

Lucy left the room, and Fred sat down again to his composition. After a moment he looked up. "No great harm has been done after all," he said. "Two or three alterations are much needed, and, if I write it over again, I can make them."

"So much for a cool head, and not getting vexed," said Giles, laughing. "Our rules work well."

At night Fred tore his coat while climbing over a fence.

"That's too bad," said he.

"It can't be helped," said Giles; "it can be mended."

"The way to help it is what troubles me," said Fred. "I don't like to ask mother, she has so much to do."

Giles proposed that Fred should get over this difficulty by asking Lucy to do it for him, as her mother had taught her to mend very neatly. Fred was at first not disposed to adopt this measure. He knew that Lucy disliked mending very much, and was afraid she would be cross if asked to do it; but he at last decided to run the risk of that. They found Lucy busily employed with a piece of embroidery, and quite absorbed with her work. Fred looked significantly at Giles when he saw how his sister was occupied; but he concluded he had gone too far to retreat, and must make a bold push.

"I wish to ask a favour of you, Lucy," said Fred; "but I fear I have come at a wrong time."

"What do you want?" said Lucy. "I'm almost afraid to tell you. It's too bad to ask you to leave that bewitch ing work to do what you dislike."

66

You are a great while getting to what is wanted," said Lucy, laughing. "Come, out with it."

Fred, thus encouraged, held up his arm and displayed the rent.

"Well, take it off, and I will do my best," said Lucy, cheerfully.

"You are a dear, good sister," said Fred. "When I saw what you were about, I thought that you would not be willing to do it.'

"My uncommon amiability quite puzzles you, does it?" said Lucy, laughing. "I shall have to let you into a secret. To tell you the truth, I have been thinking all day what I could do for you in return for your not getting vexed with me for blotting your composition. So now you have the cause of my willingness."

"So much for our rules!" exclaimed Giles, triumphantly. "They work to a

charm."

"What rules?" inquired Lucy. "We must tell Lucy all about it," said Giles.

They did tell her all about it, and the result was, that she agreed to join them in trying the rules.

Will you join them, too, my young reader?

LITTLE THINGS.

DID a holy life consist of one or two noble deeds-some signal specimens of doing, or enduring, or suffering-we might account for the failure, and reckon it small dishonour to turn back in such a conflict. But a holy life is made up of à multitude of small things. It is the little

things of the hour, and not the great things of the age, that fill up a life like that of Paul and John, like that of Rutherford, or Brainerd, or Martyn. Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons; little deeds, not miracles, nor battles, nor one great heroic act or mighty martyrdom; make up the true Christian life. The

of

little constant sunbeam, not the lightning; the waters of Siloah, "that go softly" in their meek mission of refreshment, not “the waters of the river great and many" rushing down in torrentnoise and force; are the true symbols of a holy life. The avoidance of little evils, little sins, little inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little follies, little indiscretions and imprudences, little foibles, little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little acts of indolence or indecision or slovenliness or cowardice, little equivocations or aberrations from high integrity, little touches of shabbiness and meanness, little bits of covetousness and penuriousness, little exhibitions worldliness and gaiety, little indifferences to the feelings or wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper, or crossness, or selfishness, or vanity-the avoidance of such little things as these goes far to make up at least the negative beauty of a holy life. And then, attention to the little duties of the day and hour in public transactions, or private dealings, or family arrangements; to little words, and looks, and tones; little benevolences, or forbearances, or tendernesses; little self-denials, and self-restraints, and self-forgetfulnesses; little plans of quiet kindness and thoughtful consideration for others; to punctuality and method, and true aim in the ordering of each day -these are the active developments of a holy life, the rich and divine mosaics of which it is composed. What makes yon green hill so beautiful? Not the outstanding peak or stately elm, but the bright sward which clothes its slopes, composed of innumerable blades of slen

der grass. It is of small things that a great life is made up; and he who will acknowledge no life as great save that which is built up of great things, will find little in Bible characters to admire or copy.

DUTY.

THE idler in the vineyard is worse than nothing; he hinders better men ; he wears the Lord's livery, but will not do the Lord's work. What are you doing for Christ? What footprints are you leaving on the sands of time? What stirring thoughts are you uttering in the ear of your generation? What noble works show themselves forth in you? Some people speak of their inability as if they were proud of it-as if it were a wonderful sign of their Christian humility. Talk about weakness, when Omnipotence is enlisted on our side! God never asks us to do anything fo:" him without giving us the ability to per form it. The fact is, that strength is given to the willing mind; and Christ says to each of us, as he did to the man in the gospel, "Stretch forth thine hand." The hand was given us to work, no less than the brain to think; and religion lifts our service above the drudgery of the slave, into the sphere of noble doing for God. Work, as the ground of salvation, is a pernicious and fatal delusion; but work, as the forthputting of powers liberated by the Divine Spirit, and consecrated to the service of God, is man's sublimest mission, his noblest earthly heraldry, and a blessed preparation for heaven.-Gill.

IN ORISSA.

WE have much pleasure in giving our readers this month an interesting account, by the Rev. W. Bailey, of the recent Con

in Orissa. The mission is one that deserves the most cordial support, and we are glad of the opportunity of commend ing it to our readers :→→→

"I have been requested," says Mr. Bailey, "by my brethren to furnish you with a brief account of the proceedings of the Orissa Mission Conference, held in Cuttack in the month of November last. Cuttack is the capital of the province, and as there is a large Christian community in the town, and as several of our out-stations are only a few miles distant, the attendance at our Conferences there is much greater than could be secured in any other part of the province.

"In this land of exile and darkness missionaries have but little time or opportunity for relaxation, and while the cause of Christ derives much advantage every way from these annual convocations, there can be no question that they have a beneficial influence upon the missionaries themselves; our spirits are revived, our energy and strength renewed; and as we return to our respective spheres we feel better prepared to toil on in the work of the Lord.

"The first sermon, in Oriya, was preached by Jugoo Roul, from O Lord, revive thy work,' and was in every way worthy of the time and the preacher. When Jugoo Roul's father became a Christian, several years ago, his wife refused to accompany him, and in consequence he was compelled to appeal to the law. When the case came on for trial, Jugoo Roul, instructed by his then heathen mother and her relatives, denied his father's identity, and declared in open court that he knew nothing whatever of the man who had come there to claim him as his son. Jugoo Roul is not only an efficient preacher, but renders important help in the Mission College and also in the revision of the Scriptures.

"In the afternoon, the second Oriyan sermon was preached by the Rev. J. O. Goadby, and in the evening the English sermon was preached by the Rev. W. Hill, to a very large congregation, from Deuteronomy vii. 22,-the gradual, yet certain, progress of the kingdom of Christ in heathen lands. The preacher referred to the very 'little things' or apparently very trivial means by which God accomplishes His purposes in the world, and gave as an illustration a very

interesting anecdote of Talab ood deeu, a converted Mussulman in her Majesty's 11th M. U. I., at Berhampore Ganjam. Talab ood deeu was baptized by Dr. Kincaid, in Burmah. When the 11th M. U. I. was sent to Thy et Moo, Talab ood deeu was compelled to leave his youthful wife in India. On his return to India, after an absence of three or four years, he was most anxious to obtain his wife; but she sent him word that unless he would for ever give up Christianity, and openly avow his faith in Mahomedanism, she would never consent to live with him. After some months he obtained leave from the commanding officer, and commenced his journey to Ellou, where his wife was staying with her parents. The father, who is a man of wealth and influence, would not allow his son-in-law to approach the house, and affirmed that he would make any sacrifice rather than relinquish his daughter. An appeal was made to the law, first to the lower and then to the higher courts, and every assistance that could be obtained was secured. Money was freely spent, and the missionaries at Mussulapalaus spared no pains in connection with the case; but all efforts failed, and the judge in open court advised Talab ood deeu to give up his wife and return to his regiment. The poor man was greatly depressed, and knew not what to do. He felt that he could not give up his wife and his child, and yet he could see no human means by which they could be secured. While in this anxious state of mind, contrary to all expectation, the father sent a messenger to state that if Talab ood deeu would come to his house at a certain hour on the following day, he would give him his wife and child, and all that she possessed. Delighted as he was to secure those most dear to him on earth, he said to his wife, 'Unless you willingly accompany me, I will not take you away.' When they had left the father's house, he was most anxious to learn from his wife the reason for the unexpected change that had taken place, and she said, 'One day your little daughter, after hearing her playfellows speak of their fathers, came to me, and

said, "Mother, have not I a father? If I have, could not I see him like other children?" and she said this inquiry of the little child so touched her heart, that she was most anxious from that moment to accompany her husband. Thus, by the simple question of this little child, more was accomplished than could have been by the help of missionaries and solicitors, or magistrates and judges.

"On the following Sabbath, the public services were continued, and in the afternoon at the 'Lord's table' there was a large gathering, and perhaps as great a variety of race as could be seen on such an occasion in any other part of the world. It was, indeed, a cheering sight to see so many castes and races now composing one family and drinking of the same cup. From such a scene we realize more than we can elsewhere the unity of the Church of Christ.

"During the Conference week a missionary meeting was held. The chairman was Baboo Sadamanlla, the senior native deacon of the Church. The speakers were all natives, and the arrangements for the meeting were made by themselves. We are glad to see the lay element brought forward. One of the lay brethren, Baboo Das Rout, the teacher of the English school, acquitted himself remarkably well. One of the speakers was from the American Mission at Balasore; he is a native of this neighbourhood, but he had not seen Cuttack for several years; and as he expatiated on the altered circumstances of the Christian community in Cuttack, he became so excited, and seemed to have so much to say, that he would, if he had not been checked by the chairman, have continued his speech till midnight. No collection was made, but we hope this important item will not be forgotten next year.

on

"The Conference commenced Monday, the 14th of November, and was continued during the whole of the week. Very interesting communications were read by the secretary from the secretaries of the Religious Tract Society, the Vernacular Education Society, the Translation Society, and the American Tract Society. The mission in Orissa is much

indebted to the Bible and Tract Societies, both in England and America.

"A manuscript copy of a new hymnbook, in Oriya, was presented to the Conference by Ghonno Shyam, and it is an interesting fact that by far the greater part of these hymns are the productions of Oriya Christian poets. The Rev. J. Buckley reported the progress he had made in the revision of the Old Testament, and the Rev. J. Stubbins reported that he hoped soon to complete the new edition of the Pilgrim's Progress. Owing to the lack of funds, the Conference, we deeply regret to say, was unable to order the printing of any more tracts for the present.

"The Rev. J. Stubbins, however, was requested to prepare a tract on the worship of God, which will contain prayers suitable for different occasions. Heathen worship consists of vain and endless repetitions, and many persons who are inquiring after the truth are not unfrequently most anxious to be taught how to pray. Not a few instances have come under our own notice. Amongst such persons a tract of this kind will be eagerly received, and will, we are sure, be productive of incalculable good.

"There was an unusually large gathering of native preachers, assistant preachers, and colporteurs, on the day their appointments were made. When Gunga Dhor, whose eye is now dim with years, was asked the question, 'Where would he like to be stationed for the year ?' he quaintly replied, My mind says, Go here and go there, but my body says, Rest on your bed and sleep.'

66 At the close of this interesting service Thomas Barrick read a most elaborate paper on the duty of Christians to contribute to the cause of Christ. He received, as he richly deserved, the warmest thanks of the Conference. The paper, in a condensed form, will be printed for circulation amongst the native Christians. After the thanks of the Conference had been given to Thomas, Gunga Dhor took off his woollen jacket-a garment which he much needed at this season of the year-and laid it on the table before the chairman, saying, 'Money I have none, but this I give as a contribution to the

cause of Christ; let it be sold and its value given to the poor.' The chairman, much affected with the disinterestedness of the poor old man, begged him to take back the gift, as he knew he could not, without serious inconvenience, dispense with it. When the meeting broke up, we reminded Gunga of the time when he was the only native Christian in Cuttack, and the dear old man became so excited, as he spoke of the wondrous things God had wrought, that we could scarcely restrain him.

"One very valued native brother has been called away during the year. He died at Berhampore, He was an excellent preacher, and his life was a living exemplification of the doctrines he taught.

"A favourable report was given by the examiners and tutors of the students in the Mission College.

"The reports from some of the stations were of a pleasing character. At Riplee there had been several additions from the heathen, and two or three of the converts had given unmistakeable evidence of their sincerity, in the sacrifices they had made, and in the persecutions they had en

GENERAL.

dured. The Rev. A. Miller, of Balasore, gave a very interesting account of the Northern Orissa Mission. At all the stations there had been evident signs of progress. At Millnapore, a new chapel had been erected, and on the day of its dedication services were conducted in Oriya, Bengalee, and Santal. The Rev. O. R. Bachelor, M.D., had established a goodly number of schools in the Santal country, and there were openings for

more.

"The Rev. W. Hill, of Berhampore Ganjam, owing to the embarrassed state of the finances of the mission, is retiring for a season. The Conference very warmly commended him to the Churches in England. It was to all the brethren a source of the deepest regret, that not less than two brethren have been com pelled to quit the field in consequence of the inability of the committee to sustain them. When the fields are white over to the harvest, it is sad indeed to remove the reapers. Instead of decreasing our staff of missionaries, they ought to be increased tenfold."

It seems likely that the history of the present Parliamentary session throughout will be of small interest or importance. This month, like the last, has been undistinguished by a single feature of political value; and we look back to it in vain to find even a single measure to which we can think it worth while to direct the attention of our readers. It is said that Parliament will be dissolved at the beginning of July. Till then, both the Government and the House seem determined to do nothing beyond carrying on the ordinary business of the country.

American affairs continue to excite deep interest. The speech of Mr. Lincoln, on his entrance on his second Presidency, was singularly appropriate, and distinguished by the most Christian and patriotic feeling. Sherman's progress continues all but unopposed, and it is expected that Lee must soon retire from Richmond. One thing we regretnamely, that the constitutional amendment, to which we referred last month, has not as yet received the requisite ratification from two

thirds of the States. Only eighteen have as yet voted for it, while twenty-five are neces sary; and three of those whose vote was counted on by the friends of the measure New Jersey, Delaware, and Kentucky, have thrown it out. The ultimate adoption of the amendment is certain, but it may now be two or three years before the requisite number States join in the ratification.

The case of Bishop Colenso is at last decided. The committee of Privy Council, by whom the judgment was given, did not enter at all into the merits of the case: what they decided was that the Bishop of Capetown, by whom Dr. Colenso was deposed, had no eccle siastical jurisdiction whatever, and that his act of deposition was therefore null and void. Of course there is nothing now to prevent Bishop Colenso from returning as soon as he pleases to Natal, where he will no doubt train up, by his nurture and admonition, a race of very intelligent unbelievers.

The case of Dr. Colenso is another illustration of the unfortunate position of ecclesiastical affairs. Every month, almost every day,