would be one enemy less for our country. They hunt and persecute poor innocent people as if they were dogs or wild beasts, and then try to make them swallow their hateful religion." "You had better be careful how you speak of the Spaniards, or their religion." "Why, you would not repeat what I said, would you?" said Gretchen, with a terrified look. "No, I am not a Catholic, nor am I a spy. Tell me where the other men are." Gretchen explained how she had marked the doors in the three galleries where they lay, and then was passing on with her gruel, when Anka stopped her, to ask where the household linen was kept, for she had searched in vain for some in Avallo's room. "I have the charge of everything," said Gretchen, jingling her keys. "Then I hope, good mother, you will let me have some fresh covering. No one, whatever faith he held, ought to begrudge the poor sufferers a clean pillow." "Well, I suppose you must have what you want for the Count; but it is a great responsibility." "I am willing to take a full share," said Anka; resolving, as she returned to her post, that not only the Count, but his men, should have everything she could procure for them. She found a means of silencing Gretchen's objections to whatever liberties she chose to take with the palace property. Even when the horrified old woman found her tearing up a snowy linen sheet for bandages, she felt that there was no more sacrilege in this than in using the vestments and wine in the little church; and the Count was rich enough, if report spoke truly, to re-furnish the whole palace without any inconvenience. Avallo, at last, opened his eyes and looked round him, dreamily, wondering where he was and how he came there. Daylight was creeping in at the window, but the greatest light came from the hearth. He thought he must be at home again, waking up in his own chamber, after a miserable dream. But no, these acute pains were real enough, at least; and the tall slender figure, in a high crowned cap, standing near the fire, was not his sister Isadore, nor was such a head-dress worn by any of his Spanish servants. Then the dream must be true, and he was in Belgium; but that was not deaf old Gretchen, nor was the undefinable yet comfortable change in the apartment the work of her unwilling hands. The face of his new nurse was turned from him, bent over something she seemed to be carefully mixing, and Avallo lay speculating what sort of features were beneath that little tower of lace, when suddenly Anka looked round, and found her patient's gaze fixed upon her. She was beside him instantly, bringing the potion she had prepared. e." He obeyed like "Drink this," she said, "and do not speak or move. a child; and a strange sense of rest and pleasure stole over him, as he watched her quiet movements round his couch, and heard her cheerful voice. "I am going to leave you for a while," she said, "to see if I can find a surgeon. You must not move, and if that old woman comes in, do not try to answer her questions." Anka went first down to the front entrance, thinking that the man on guard would direct her where to go for help. The man feared she would not succeed, but gave what advice he could; and she set off through the strange town, resolved, if possible, to bring some one by persuasion, or if that failed, by bribery. Her search was long, and seemed likely to be fruitless, but at last, when she was going to give up in despair, she fell in with her yesterday's guide, who promised to send some one during the day. "Where have you been?" asked Gretchen, sharply, as Anka came along the gallery, tired, but relieved in mind. "Then you might have saved yourself the trouble; there is not one to be had." "But I have got one," shouted Anka. "Hum!" grunted the old woman. "Folks will do anything for gold; they'll even mend swords to cut their own throats.” The day passed much quicker to Anka than the night had seemed to do. She found most of the men badly, but not dangerously wounded; and glad enough were the poor fellows to get something wholesome to eat, instead of the wretched messes served to them under Gretchen's rule. HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Quarterly Record. THE Weekly Register says, that during the year 1868 from 2,000 to 2,200 persons have gone over from the Church of England to the Church of Rome. Among these are two peers, nineteen English clergymen, and seven or eight university graduates. The Rev. J.W. Barnes, vicar of Farringdon, in Berks, lately published a pamphlet, in which he states that more than 500 clergymen have gone over from the English Church to Popery since 1845. Archbishop Manning, in view of such "perversions," as they are called, says, the Church of Rome in England has simply to keep open door, for the Church of England is sending recruits to the general army nearly as fast as it can receive them. And all this is quite natural. It is the logical outcome of a false system, for there is no middle-ground between Ritualism and Rome. There is "no place of repentance when once the birthright of Protestantism is sold, short of the Vatican, though it may be sought carefully with tears. It is useless to speak of these changes as light in character, or unimportant in results. They are of great weight, and all the more to be deplored that they are seriously made. Let us, then, look at them from this point of view, accept them as characteristic of a great movement, which has its rise in a revived Church, but half-reformed at the Reformation; and let us seek to meet the evil at its source, if we would stop the progress of such desolating error. Nearly all those clergymen, priests, peers, and graduates are yet in England; they are proselytising wherever they can get access to the unsophisticated minds of the poor, and, in conjunction with the Ritualists, are pushing their way into every nook and corner of the land. The reports we are receiving from our missionaries teem with facts, which prove this. We can barely give a sample of them in our Quarterly Journal, but enough appears to awaken deep concern in the minds of our Churches, and to lead to renewed and increased effort to send the Gospel, pure and simple, as the only antidote for the poison which abounds. And it is encouraging to find that when our agency has a fair field, it is more than a match for that of the Ritualist. Take the county of Sussex as an example. In 1860 there were only a few missionaries, and the amount paid by the Association and Home Missionary Society did not exceed £200. Now there are eighteen paid agents, besides the voluntary workers, and the expenditure in the county last year by the two societies was £1,000. The Report of the Association for 1868 says, "During the last year they had employed more seed sowers than in any previous years, and they now presented more golden sheaves than they had ever presented before. During the year ending September 30th, there had been twelve lay evangelists employed more or less fully, and the result has been that 117 towns, villages, and hamlets had been under visitation, comprising a population of 64,350." Who can estimate the moral and material results of such a work as this? Is it surprising to hear that Ritualism and Romanism are not making progress where these labourers are so devotedly engaged in God's service? And is there not sufficient in this to encourage us to go forward, until we cover the land with evangelists, and carry the Gospel to every man's door? Let the following details, i then, speak for themselves, and move the hearts of God's people to help this Society. FULL-BLOWN RITUALISM. The rector here has just put into the hands of some few of the aged poor a book, published by Neal, of Sackville College, East Grinstead, in which the most distinctive doctrines of Rome are taught. For instance, 66 If you confess your sins to God you may hope to be forgiven, but if you confess to a priest you are sure to be forgiven!" Of course I have exposed the book, and pointed out to some few who had received it its errors, and I know that in some few cases the book has been rejected from what I have said of it. If it were not for the efforts of Nonconformists, the people around here would not only be left in the dark, but led blindfolded to Rome and to death. The language is not stronger than facts warrant. The cry of the foxhounds is more regarded by many of the clergy here than the command of Christ, or the cry of souls. "If the blind lead the blind," what are the consequences likely to be? THE PHARISEE CONVINCED AND CONVERTED. My visits have been owned of God to a man who has recently died. When I first went to see him, about three months ago, he was fearfully self-righteous. He talked incessantly about what he had been, and what he had done. I pointed out to him the utter unworthiness of our best deeds, and that, if saved at all, it would not be by our own righteousness, but by the righteousness of the Son of God. He listened to what I said, and asked me to come again. I acceded to this request, and visited him during a month's illness. Gradually his mind opened to the truth. He beheld himself an undone sinner in God's sight, and cast himself on the Saviour for everlasting life. He had his family into the room a few days before he died, that one of them might read a little book entitled "Jesus Saves." This seemed to give him great comfort. I believe that, relying on the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, he has gone to the sinless and sorrowless land. 66 AN ANXIOUS SOUL.. A short time since, I was requested to visit a poor woman in a place called, from the birds that frequent it, “ Owl Street." The spot is almost inaccessible in winter; and to reach it I had to go over a copse which was very steep, and, owing to the rain, exceedingly slippery. This was not accomplished without a fall, by which I was besmeared with mud. The cottage, or rather hovel, being reached, its appearance made my heart ache. It was a low miserable tenement, the walls and ceiling literally black with smoke. There was scarcely a stool or a chair, a mere apology for a fire in the grate, and the little children were running about with scarcely any clothing. The poor woman who was in great distress of mind, was suffering from an incurable heart disease. I talked to her about her state, and pointed her to the Lamb of God, by whom alone she could be saved. She told me that her mind had been impressed with the word of Jesus, "In my Father's house are many mansions." I could not help thinking of the contrast, between the mansions of bliss and that wretched hovel. Having spoken to her of Jesus' love, and that He is able and willing to save to the uttermost, I commended her to the Lord in prayer, which was interrupted by her sobs and tears. I think she is in a very hopeful state. volt harder Bus VI The attendance at the chapel has considerably improved since last autumn, while attendance on week evening services is also on the increase. The Sabbath-school also continues to be well attended, and there are pleasing signs of increased seriousness and attention to spiritual things on the part of the scholars. I wish I could say that the adult population of this town were thoroughly awakened to a sense of the claims of true religion, but a spirit of death, as to real godliness, seems to reign. The intense love of pleasure and fondness for display, with fleshly lusts of the most hateful character, oppose the Gospel, not only keeping the enslaved away from the means of grace, but fearfully hindering those who are professors of Divine truth, so that it is exceedingly difficult to find real helpers in works of Christian enterprise. The example of a large and powerful aristocracy resident in the neighbourhood, very few of whom have any sympathy with Christian work of any kind; the influence of Roman Catholicism, which is rather extensive in this town; and I may add, the staple trade of the town, which is that of making malt, and hence encouraging, to an unprecedented extent, the multiplication of beerhouses; all contribute to the general apathy manifested by the population with regard to religious duties. Surrey, Sussex, and Wilts. To give a complete estimate of the evangelistic work undertaken by these devoted men, is almost impossible. Their monthly schedules are designed, accurately, to exhibit the labours of each successive day during the month, and provision is made for their careful supervision; but it must be obvious that no amount of figures can give a full and comprehensive survey of the nature and extent of their varied operations. When it is considered that they are employed on an average seven hours a day in openair services, public meetings for preaching, household and cottage gatherings for reading and expounding the Scriptures, with prayer, visiting from house to house for religious conversation, visits to the sick, special visits to the dying, instructing the young, inducing attendance on public worship, distributing tracts, circulating the Scriptures, religious books, and periodicals, what arithmetic can calculate the value of such labours in the aggregate during one year? We glean a few extracts from their reports, showing both the need of their efforts and of the good derived from their ministry. At H- an aged man seemed under much concern about his soul, literally enquiring what he must do to be saved. I pointed to Christ, and what He had done-showing him how He had finished the work, wrought out righteousness, made an atonement for sin-and that all was for the sinner's acceptance. Christ, the doer; the sinner, the receiver— and this acceptance of Christ's work is by faith-believing in Him and resting on Him as a complete Saviour. I thus endeavoured to simplify the Gospel message; and, before I left, he said he understood it, and requested me to pray with him, After prayer he expressed himself much encouraged, and thanked me heartily for my visit. He has since died. E—. It is nearly eleven months since I entered upon my labours, in this very extensive, and to a certain extent, neglected part of the Master's vineyard. At the outset I secured the use of the Odd-fellows' Hall, a commodious place calculated to hold about 400 people. I commenced my labours by a series of meetings, continuing since to hold two weekly services on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. It was then impressed upon my mind that we ought to have a Sunday-school. consulted with my superintendent on the point, and he advised its formation. We began with 11 scholars and 6 teachers. The next Sabbath our numbers doubled. The following Sunday we increased to 39, and last Lord's-day we had 42 present. 66 66 66 66 I "Can Turn Went into a house where there was a family of six children, and father and mother. Our conversation run thus: "Well, friends, how are you to-day?" Nicely, thank you." 'Will you accept of a tract?” "Ees, ye can leave yan if yo like." you read it?" "Na, I can't." ing to the mother, I enquired, “Can you?" "Na, ah can't nather." "Can any of your children read it?" "T oldest lad can read a li'le bit, not much." 'Do you send them to any school?" "Na," said the father, "it tak's al't money yau meaks to get them summat to eat, they take a deal o' keeping up, does theas dogs." "Friend, you ought not to call your children dogs. Dogs have no souls, your children have. But don't you think they might go to the Sundayschool, where they would be taught to read, and it would cost you nothing?" O! they are not decent to ga nea spat, they have nout to put on." If you would wash and mend what they have on they are 66 |