So they went on softly
Through the chilly calms,
Sometimes hearing music
As of upper psalms.

'Fred,' said Tess, the Shepherd Spoke of little lambs.'

They were drawing nearer,
Nearer to a fold,

And the sheep were bleating,
And the night was cold,
And not yet were shining
Any hills of gold.

'Fred,' said little Tessie,

(As she spoke, she smiled), If the Gentle Shepherd Call a little child,

We shall hear Him better
Here, than on the wild.

Take the food I've carried, You shall feed the sheep, Then beside the fold, close,

You shall softly sleep, And while you are sleeping I my watch shall keep.'

So in both her small arms Took she little Fred; Softly on her bosom Pillowing his head'We shall seek the City In the morning red.'

When the fair white morning Broke with wintry glow, Two fair little children

Slept among the snow; But they wakened earlyWhere? The angels know.

H. W. H. W.

MISSIONARIES' HOMES.

NEW HEBRIDES.

FRIEND and supporter of the New Hebrides Mission, when speaking of some of the Missionaries, said:'I often wish that I could take a trip to see those Mission Stations, and stay for a day or two at each of the Missionaries' homes. To see them in their own houses, surrounded by their dark-coloured scholars would make us understand their circumstances so much better that we would take a far greater interest in their work, and sympathise more deeply with them in their privations and discouragements.'

Many of our readers, we doubt not, would heartily echo this wish of our friend, but how to accomplish it is the difficulty. Very few persons could afford either the time or the money needed for such an exploit; so meanwhile we must content ourselves with reading the accounts sent us by the Missionaries. Sometimes these are so vivid that we could almost imagine ourselves peeping into a Missionary's home or a Mission school and seeing and hearing what was going on there.

A journal written by Mrs Watt of Kwamera on Tanna, and lately sent home, has suggested these thoughts. It is much too long for printing in this Magazine, but we shall try to gather from it a few incidents which will show our readers how the Missionaries help each other in times of sickness and bereavement.

Mr Paton's station on Aniwa is thirty miles distant from Kwamera, and Mrs Paton had a very serious illness, which for many months made her unable to go about. When the ship Dayspring' called at Tanna in December, 1880, Mrs Watt went aboard and sailed to Aniwa to visit her sick friend. Finding Mrs Paton very poorly, and in great need of some one to nurse her and attend to her little ones, Mrs Watt allowed the 'Dayspring' to sail away, leaving her on Aniwa. There she spent Christmas and New-Year's Day,doing all that tender affection could devise to aid Mrs Paton's recovery, and taking a motherly care of her children.

About the 7th of January, Mr Watt came in a boat to take his wife home where she was much needed. Mrs Paton was still very feeble, and, in order to lighten her cares, Mr and Mrs Watt took two of the little boys, Frank and James, to Kwamera with them and kept them there till June. Writing from Kwamera Mrs Watt says, 'We started on 10th January and returned here. We got a lovely day, but so calm we had to pull nearly all the way, and thus we were nearly twelve hours on the sea. landed in the moonlight, and got such a welcome on account of the children, and also because Mr Watt had left on a rough day, and the natives feared that he and his boat's crew would be drowned.

We

About six weeks after our return here we got a letter by a canoe from Aniwa, telling of Walter Watt Paton's very sudden death on 21st January, only ten days after we had left with Frank and James. What a shock

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Paton and her four children stayed with Mrs Watt at Kwamera. Mrs Watt says:

'We got on nicely, and when the "Dayspring "returned three weeks after she found us all happy. We were sitting talking one evening after tea, and the children and native girls and boys were out on the moonlight, having a game of 'tig,' when we were startled by shouts of boat, boat, and sure enough it was a boat, for in a few minutes the four Missionaries (Messrs M'Donald, Robertson, Paton, and Watt) were on shore, and then there was a hurry of kindling the kitchen fire for tea. They had left the vessel at Port Resolution and pulled along; in this way we had them all night, and till after dinner next day.

'Since then (June 9th), we have been quite alone, rather a change here, having had Frank and James with us for five months.'

We regret to learn that on account of his health Mr Paton has since been obliged to leave Aniwa, and go to the colonies. Perhaps a period of rest may recruit his own and his wife's health, and enable them to resume their valuable services in the Mission field. The work to be done is so great and the Missionaries are so few that when any one of them is laid aside the others have more to do than they are able for.

Their constant cry is, Come over and help us.'

May the Lord incline the hearts of some youths among us to respond to the urgent cry, saying, 'Here am I, send me.'

M. T. S.

only about an hour and a half ill. His father made his coffin, and the next day he and Robert (his eldest son) and the natives laid him beside his sister Lina, who died some years ago.

Jesus alone knows what the parents suffered, they were so fond of their little Walter, who was at the interesting age of two and a half years.'

The Mission Synod or Annual meeting was held at Aneityum last May, and while their husbands were attending it, Mrs

THREE Prizes are offered for the largest number of correct answers to the Questions during 1882. The Competition is limited to those under 14 years of age. The answers to be sent to the Rev. JOHN KAY, 7 Argyll Place, Edinburgh, by the 25th of each month.

4 When did a heathen king contribute to the house of God in order that the Lord's people might pray for him?

5 When did the prayer of a servant of God save a whole nation from destruction?

6 Of whom is it said that his prayer had power with God?