a weekly knock at their doors; and if they will but let us in, we will do our best to show that we appreciate their kindly welcome.

"HAND AND HEART," our Title, is very comprehensive; and we shall prefer to indicate our intentions by our performances. We certainly could not, in starting, well offer more than "HAND AND HEART" to any one; but we do that most heartily; and in return we hope to enlist the Hands and Hearts of all our readers. We will only say that we propose to discuss in our columns the leading practical questions of the day; and our plan embraces such topics as the following:

"The Week; its Events and Opinions :" "England at Work:" "In Parliament:" "Sanitary Questions:" "Building a House:" "Our Children's Education: "Fireside Tales:" "The Workman's Rest Day:" "The Temperance Movement:" "The Humanity Page:" "Men of the Time; or, Life Lessons from Leading Biographies:" "Historic Pictures:" "Out and About; or, Round the World:" "Household Economy:" "Evenings at Home:" etc.

"The Evidences of Christianity" will also be presented in a popular form, with

**

papers illustrating "Leading Points of Gospel Truth."

The Illustrations will be first-class, and include a series of Portraits of Men of the Time.

Our first number will be ready soon after this meets the eye of the reader; so that orders may at once be given at any bookseller's. We hope to report next month that a goodly number of Home resolves have been formed to give a hearty reception every week to "HAND AND HEART."

We shall be glad to send one hundred copies of the first number at half-price, viz.: 4s. 2d., to any "hearty friend" who will lend us "a helping hand" by introducing us to their neighbours. In most cases it would not be difficult to find purchasers for the hundred copies: so that there need be no loss. *

If only one out of every two hundred of our present readers will render us this kind service, one hundred thousand copies will be required; and this will go far to ensure the immediate success of "HAND AND HEART." Will the reader be the one?

We will only add, may "the good Hand of our God" be upon us in this and every other work; and give us, and our readers too, for the New Year,

"A Hand to labour, and a Heart to love."

can;

As soon as you can, come Home."

Working man, working man,
Hasten home as soon as you can ;

Oh, linger not, a tavern guest,
With reckless mates in haunts unblest.
Get back, get back, as soon as you can;
As soon as you can, get Home.
Where should a man and a father be,
But with his wife and his family?
She that doth love you is waiting there,
They who so helplessly need thy care.
Get home then, brother, as soon as you

can;

As soon as you can, get Home.

while the rest stood, and sobbed out my soul in the words, "Father, I have sinned."

From that day I cast in my lot with Mrs. Herbert. I served her as you know till she died, and a good friend she was to me. She said she had only waited at Seabourne till I came, and now she would go to another part of England altogether. So by midsummer we were off, and came to Devonshire, where I have made my home ever since.

I married my wife Susan from Mrs. Herbert's house, and a good wife she's been to me. We have had our trials and our crosses, but, blessed be God! we have held on to each other; and though we are both of us over the years of man we don't love each other the less.

It was Susan who told me to get the kind hand who has written down my story to take the trouble; for, as she says, "It may be well to let those that come after me see how the Lord has brought me by a way I knew not, and given me peace." And, as Susan says,"It may be that some wilful, discontented boys who read the story may take a lesson." I don't know about that. Lessons are not so easily learned; but this I can tell any such, that I would have given my right hand many a time only to have heard my father say, "Well, Roger, boy, welcome home!"

I can scarcely bear it now, though maybe I am very near the home above, and I may hear

his voice and dear mother's, who loved and trusted the same dear Saviour as I do, say, "Welcome home, indeed!"

And I say, too, that of all griefs and sorrows I have known, those I have brought upon myself have been the sorest. I have seen my little ones die, poor lambs! and we lost a girl younger than our Susan, just as she was growing one of the prettiest maidens eyes ever looked upon. Times, too, were bad when I had the rheumatic fever, and was laid up for months, and Susan and the children were poorly clothed and fed, just two weeks after we lost my dear mistress. But in all these troubles there was no pain like that I felt when struck dumb with remorse and the helplessness of grief, I stood by the old porch, and knew I could never hear my father say, "Roger, I forgive you."

I took my own way, and dust and ashes it proved to me. Since I have humbly tried to take God's way, burdens have grown lighter, and His smile is like sunshine behind the clouds.

He is a good and kind Master, and happy are the folk who serve Him in the days of their youth, and find Him in old age a staff and a stay, when strength faileth. Yes, happy are they who find Him their portion for ever. Blessed are those who have the Lord for their God!

NEW Friend! But not one intended to displace the old Friend! "Two

are better than one:" and "HOME WORDS" will, we trust, thrive

all the better for the companionship of "HAND AND HEART." For four years it has been our high privilege to find admission for "Home Words"

believe the welcome accorded to it has been unexampled. It has now attained a monthly circulation exceeding 200,000 copies, and we hope to reach 250,000 in 1876.

But monthly visits during the year are "few and far between." We want to see more of our readers; and we think we may hope, without undue presumption, that they are not indisposed to see more

a weekly knock at their doors; and if they will but let us in, we will do our best to show that we appreciate their kindly welcome.

"HAND AND HEART," our Title, is very comprehensive; and we shall prefer to indicate our intentions by our performances. We certainly could not, in starting, well offer more than "HAND AND HEART" to any one; but we do that most heartily; and in return we hope to enlist the Hands and Hearts of all our readers. We will only say that we propose to discuss in our columns the leading practical questions of the day; and our plan embraces such topics as the following:

"The Week; its Events and Opinions :" England at Work:" "In Parliament:" "Sanitary Questions:" "Building a House:' "Our Children's Education: "Fireside Tales:" "The Workman's Rest Day:" "The Temperance Movement:" "The Humanity Page:" "Men of the Time; or, Life Lessons from Leading Biographies:" "Historic Pictures:" "Out and About; or, Round the World:" "Household Economy:" "Evenings at Home:" etc.

"The Evidences of Christianity" will also be presented in a popular form, with

papers illustrating papers illustrating "Leading Points of Gospel Truth.”

The Illustrations will be first-class, and include a series of Portraits of Men of the Time.

Our first number will be ready soon after this meets the eye of the reader; so that orders may at once be given at any bookseller's. We hope to report next month that a goodly number of Home resolves have been formed to give a hearty reception every week to "HAND AND HEART."

We shall be glad to send one hundred copies of the first number at half-price, viz.: 4s. 2d., to any "hearty friend" who will lend us "a helping hand" by introducing us to their neighbours. In most cases it would not be difficult to find purchasers for the hundred copies so that there need be no loss.*

If only one out of every two hundred of our present readers will render us this kind service, one hundred thousand copies will be required; and this will go far to ensure the immediate success of "HAND AND HEART." Will the reader be the one?

We will only add, may "the good Hand of our God" be upon us in this and every other work; and give us, and our readers too, for the New Year,—

"A Hand to labour, and a Heart to love."

can;

As soon as you can, come Home."

Working man, working man,
Hasten home as soon as you can ;

Oh, linger not, a tavern guest,
With reckless mates in haunts unblest.
Get back, get back, as soon as you can;
As soon as you can, get Home.
Where should a man and a father be,
But with his wife and his family?
She that doth love you is waiting there,
They who so helplessly need thy care.
Get home then, brother, as soon as you
can;

As soon as you can, get Home.

Its

India is one of the brightest jewels of the British crown. It contains a population of more than one hundred and fifty millions, chiefly Hindoos and Mahommedans. extent of country covers as much space on the globe as the whole of Europe, Russia excepted. In extreme length it measures between eighteen hundred and nineteen hundred miles; in its extreme width about fifteen hundred miles. From it we acquire large stores of wealth, and in it many thousands of our countrymen find the means of attaining occupation and wealth.

It seems almost beyond even the marvellous, that this vast region, situate by the ordinary route at a distance exceeding half the globe's circumference, has to its uttermost borders been subjected to the uncontrolled dominion of British sway. We may well and wisely trace this gift of power to Divine Providence; and we can scarcely doubt that, in the purpose of God, India is ours in order

that the Gospel may be theirs. Already the work of evangelization in India has been greatly blessed. There are at least 200,000 native Christians; and what is more encouraging as a promise of future progress, there are manifest tokens that the Hindoos generally are losing confidence in their own superstitious and false faiths; thus preparing the way for the more direct influence of Christian truth.

We hope in our next volume to give some illustrated papers on India. Our present illustration gives a view of one of the chief cities-Madras-from the beach. The site of this city was the first ground secured by the British in India. They obtained permission in 1639 to erect a fort here. No worse position could have been chosen, as it is situate on a flat, sandy shore, where the surf runs with extreme violence; and is surrounded by salt water creeks or rivers, which prevent the introduction of a stream of fresh water into the town. The climate is very The population is estimated at between 700,000 and 800,000. It has some good streets and bazaars, but the houses are very irregular. There is a Bishop of Madras, and it is the seat of all the chief government offices for the presidency, of which it is the capital. THE EDITOR.

hot.

OR another thing, Baxter was one of the most patient martyrs for conscience' sake that England has ever seen.

Of course I do not mean that he was called upon to seal his faith with his blood, as our Protestant Reformers were. But there is a "dying daily," which, to some natures, is worse even than dying at the stake. If anything tries faith and patience, I believe it to be the constant dropping of such wearing

the last twenty-nine years of his life. He had robbed no one. He had murdered no one. He had injured no one. He held no heresy. He believed all the articles of the Christian faith. And yet no thief nor felon in the present day was ever so shamefully treated as this good man. To tell you how often he was summoned, fined, silenced, imprisoned, driven from one place to another, would be an endless task. To describe all the hideous perversions of justice to which he was subjected would be both painful and unprofitable.