Babu Kally K. Chondhury, who first asked Miss Evershed to open a Girls' School at Arndul, still keeps up his kind interest in it, and subscribes a rupee a month (i.e. about £1, Is. a year), as does also another Babu of the place, towards the expenses. Kally Babu's daughter is our head girl, and is very bright and intelligent, and also very fond of school and lessons. Her father asked me some months ago to allow the teachers to try having a Sunday-school for any of the girls who would be willing to attend ; this I was only too glad to do, and about 12 of them attend more or less regularly. I gave these the other day a little Bengali hymn-book for children, which has lately been republished, and asked them to learn some of the hymns, not as a lesson, but for their own pleasure, and I quite expect, next time I go down, to hear a great many repeated correctly. I have great hopes for Arndul that the Spirit of God is working in many hearts there, and was most thankful when our Home Committee sanctioned the salary of a Bible-woman to be employed there. After this was granted, however, it was some time before I could meet with a person suitable for the work. Rachel, whom I have now engaged, has been visiting the mothers of our children and others since the beginning of August, and has met with both acceptance and encouragement. One has said to her "I am so sinful, my sins can never be forgiven." Another asked for a Testament to take back to her village, as (though she can read), there are no schools there, and no one to teach the women. This one also asked for a book of prayers, as she did not know how to pray (this request has been made by others also). From one house visited by the Bible-woman three little girls attend the school, and their mothers express great gratitude for it, and say it was a good work for their village when it was opened, adding, "when we were children there were no schools for us to go to."

'The Dirzieparah school, under Miss Sarkies, and the Kashariparah, under Miss Beglar, have both been going on satisfactorily; the children, who have attended these or any other of our schools for any length of time, can repeat many texts from the Bible by heart, and also (which is of much more importance) can give intelligent answers as to the meaning, besides having a good knowledge of the chief incidents in the life of our Lord and of the early parts of Old Testament history; singing is also taught (in a very elementary manner, it is true), and it is no unusual thing to hear the familiar tunes, and the words too translated into Bengali, of "There is a happy land," "Art thou weary," Lord, Thy word abideth," etc., as well as infant-school exercises and other hymns and songs set to Bengali tunes, sung with tolerable correctness and more or less sweetness by the lips of Hindu children, many from among whom, we trust, will one day join with us in the new song to be sung by the redeemed around the Throne of God and of the Lamb.

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'Besides these our schools, there are two more, the children and teachers of which come under Christian influence. One, Carmini's school at Howrah, is still visited (as for so many years by one and another) by Miss Beglar and Fanny once a week, when instruction is given in Scripture and in needlework. We have hopes that eventually this may pass into our hands entirely, as Carmini herself is getting into years, and her husband, who used to help her, died two or three years ago.

The second is the Chorebagan, visited instead of the Brahmo school, in which we gave help once or twice in the week for two years or more, in order that we might also get permission to give Bible teaching, but which we have recently given up, as the Brahmo teacher, though ready enough to receive our help in secular subjects, used to put hindrances in the way as soon as the time came for the Bible lesson. The Chorebagan school is at present and has been

for some years managed and supported by a committee of Hindu Babus. Their subscribers falling off, and the number of pupils becoming fewer and fewer, and the two pundits in consequence not receiving their full salaries, they, with the sanction of their secretary, came and offered to give the school over to us on condition of their being kept on as teachers. Our Local Committee gave me permission to accept the charge, but, difficulties arising with regard to some members of their Committee, who did not wish to give it up at once, we agreed for a time to send a Christian native teacher twice a week to teach work, on condition that no obstacles were put in the way of her teaching the Bible also. The Secretary assures me that he fully expects to give it up to us entirely a few months hence. I have given it into Miss Humphreys' charge to visit this school once a week. Before we closed for the holidays, I went to examine the children in Scripture, and was very much pleased indeed with the progress they had made. They repeated several of the foundation-truth Bible texts, and, when questioned upon them, the elder girls answered very well, as also in Bible history as far as they had been taught in the short time since they have begun to learn from a Christian teacher,—viz., from the Creation to the offering up of the lamb in the stead of Isaac in the Old, and the first chapter of St. Luke in the New, Testament.

'We have a new school of our own, too, which does not, however, appear in the statistical returns for 1880-81, as, though it was opened on the 1st of August, we have undertaken the expenses and the charge of it from the 1st October. It was opened by a Brahmini widow, who has herself been taught by one and another of our Mission workers, and, although not baptized, is one of the many who know, and is certainly not a Hindu. She had been working as a Zenana teacher on her own account, but finding this rather precarious and hard work (having to walk from house to house), she collected little girls from her own neighbourhood, and opened a school in a verandah lent her for the purpose by a Babu, and then, knowing a C.M.S. catechist, she got him to ask his superintending missionary to go and see it, and he, after having done so, asked us to visit it with a view to taking it up. This eventually our Local Committee sanctioned our doing, and pending their decision I paid the expenses for one month from my Census Offering Fund. The one condition upon which the school is given to us by the Brahmini widow is that we employ her as one of the teachers, and we have appointed also a Christian widow, who is responsible for the Bible instruction and also for a part of the secular teaching. This is called the Hoogul Kooria school; and, though comparatively near to the central Dirzieparah and Kashariparah schools, we have abundant proof that the new one is needed, for during the two months of its existence, the roll number has risen from 40 to 60 (far more than the narrow slip of a verandah can accommodate by any means comfortably), and of these, with the exception of two who are a little more advanced, all are reading the first book, and a good many the alphabet only. This shows also that the children have not been allured away from any other school. Those, too, who are a little further on than the rest, have been taught in their own homes by the widow. The fees are to be 2 annas (that is, about 2 d.) a month. This sum, small as it may appear to English ears, is more than some are able (or think themselves able) to pay, and is a great advance upon the system of girls being paid to come to school, which even now in some up-country stations is done.

'Zenana-work is carried on by myself and our four assistant missionaries, with the help of our native teachers in Calcutta itself, and in the neighbouring villages of Howrah, Barahnagore, Bon-Hughli, Kidderpore and Belghurria.

We cannot rejoice the hearts of our friends by telling of any baptisms as

yet during this year, but neither they nor we have any cause to be disheartened at this, for the husbandman is called to exercise patience in waiting for the fruit of the earth, which is only to endure for time, and surely we must expect to have to exercise patience in a much higher degree when we are labouring not for time only, but for eternity. Miss Sarkies will, however, tell of one who we trust, before the year is out, will have grace and strength given her to confess the Saviour, whom she has learnt to know and love. Her faith is very much tried by opposition, and by difficulties of many kinds, but she herself says she must not wait much longer lest the light which has been kindled in her soul should smoulder away. She is, at the same time, very confident, though not in her own strength, that she will endure to the end; she constantly asks us to pray for her, and has great faith in prayer. We ask it for her of the Lord's remembrancers.

'There is a sad story to tell of one whom we have only seen but few times, a young widow in a family many of whose members have become Christians, having been led astray, and in consequence turned out of her home. Her mother was most anxious that she should be taken care of by Christians, and be instructed in Christianity in the hope that she herself might become one. Arrangements were made for her to be received and instructed, but alas ! having previously made the acquaintance of bad companions, she managed by false representations to rejoin them, and chose to remain among them rather than allow herself to be plucked as a brand from the burning. We have visited her mother since, and she is anxious that a younger daughter should receive both Christian and secular teaching. The child, however, being most self-willed, and her mother having no control whatever over her, refuses to be taught, and has hidden herself each time our teacher has gone to the house. She is to go, however, from time to time to read the Bible to the mother, who says, so sadly, "We are all subject to Satan; if we had been brought up as Christians this would not have been so." Another and elder daughter has pained one much by giving expression to the thought that their wicked Krishna is equal to our pure and holy Saviour.

'When one day visiting in a house we were told that the Hindu family next door were in great trouble on account of the death of a child. On my volunteering to go and see them they seemed so pleased that I at once went. I found the poor mother, who had a babe of two or three days old only, and the grandmother in deep sorrow for a boy of six or seven who had been accidentally drowned a few days before. Both gladly listened while I talked and tried to comfort them by telling them that One who loved the child had called him, and that he (as I felt quite justified in saying of one so young) was perfectly happy with God, and would have no suffering, no trouble for ever. I had with me a tract called "Grief for the Loss of a Son," and this so exactly described their own sorrow, that it just met their need, and they listened to it most eagerly. Since that day, whenever I can get so far (about four miles from us) they listen most gladly while I read a few verses and talk to them, and if any stranger happens to be present, the grandmother always explains at once "This is the Mem who came and told us, when the boy was drowned, that God loved him, and that now he is perfectly happy, and that if we believe in Jesus, God's Son, and have our hearts made clean and holy by Him, we too shall go to heaven and live there for ever." On finding that the child's father could read, I took him a Testament which he promised to read. I have only seen him that once though, as he is usually out at his work. May the death of the one prove to be the indirect means of leading this family to life through Him who is able and willing to save!

Three among my Zenana pupils are Mohammedans, one a newly married girl whose husband is very anxious for her to learn to read, etc., and the two others are not in one sense pupils, for they only from time to time listen to the Bible, more, I am afraid, to please me than from any better motive, as they often make excuses that they have no time, though ready enough to talk, and always glad to see and welcome me. These are Bengali-speaking people, or they would fall within the province of Miss S. Mulvany. Two others are Parsees, whose own language is Gujerati, but who learn in English from me; the remainder are all Hindus or Brahmos. M. E. HIGHTON.'

We have no regular report from Miss Edith Highton to present to our readers; the few following extracts enable us, however, to think of and happily follow her first year's devotion to Missionary work and its necessary preparatory studies, etc. She writes, March 22, 1881

'I am very busy with the language. I have a Pundit for an hour twice a day, and preparation for him keeps me pretty hard at work the rest of the day. . . . There is a school for infants held from 7 till 10 A.M. in the lower part of this house, and I sometimes go down for the sake of practising what I do know. I think I shall like the schools very much. I am so fond of children, and some of these have such sweet little faces. I have also been going with the Eurasian teachers to see some of their Zenanas and schools. . . . At one house they had prepared quite a feast for me, and presented me with a splendid bouquet of flowers.

"You will be glad to hear that a Sunday-school has been begun at Arndul, quite at their own request, and the first Sunday there were about a dozen children present.

... There is a great dearth of competent teachers and Bible-women; all the missions and missionaries say the same.'

In another letter

'Such a spirit of inquiry seems to be about everywhere; the question in all minds seems to be-" What is truth?" Will you pray that He who is Himself "the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” may lead them into all truth.”

Then in a letter, dated September 10

'I wish I could tell you that I was getting on faster with the language than I seem to be. I can understand, and, I think, read pretty well, but talking is most decidedly the difficulty.

'This month has been very hot and oppressive indeed, and there has been a great deal of sickness about, but I am thankful to say we have all been keeping well.

'I think this school work is a grand thing for India, and some of the children are sweet little things.'

MISS HUMPHREYS' REPORT.

'The Ist of this month, September 1881, completed a year since Mrs. Bland (Miss Agnes Highton) made over her work to me. It took us two days to visit all the pupils, as there were twelve houses and two schools. In some of the houses I was received with very grave faces. This did not discourage me, for I have learned to value more deeply the love of those who so cling to their old

teacher, that they cannot at once welcome the new, for long experience has taught me that the only really successful Zenana teachers are those who are prepared to become friends as well as teachers to their pupils. About three weeks after I took over charge, Emily (Mrs. Bland's assistant) left me to work with Miss Sarkies, and Mary, my former faithful helper, came back to me. I was rather afraid that this second change would frighten the women, and that several doors would be closed against us, for, as I before said, Zenana women are always averse to a change of teachers; but I am glad to be able to say that up to February everything went on satisfactorily. In that month Ram Ghose's wife gave up reading. She was by no means a bright pupil, and had, after several years' tuition, got as far as the second book in Bengali, but could not spell. The reason she gave for discontinuing her lessons was, that her husband was building a cowshed, and could not afford to pay her fee, Rs.2 per month.

'Again, two months ago, we lost the two youngest of our Zenana pupils, Shoshee and Kistobabini. They were nice, intelligent girls. The one had to discontinue her lessons on going to her father-in-law's house, and the other little girl, for over-staying the time allotted for her at her own father's, is at present being punished by her husband, an elderly man, who has a daughter as old as his wife, with the deprivation of her lessons. We tried our best to persuade the Babu to forgive her, for she looked so sad, but none of our persuasions would avail, as he said this was the only punishment she would feel. It is a great pity that this has taken place, for both these girls were getting on nicely both with their secular and religious instructions.

The

Among the women that are now reading I have five promising pupils, who are progressing favourably. Ranee, a girl of twelve, gives me great encouragement; she is exceedingly fond of reading, and is always borrowing books of her neighbours, and often marks out portions she thinks will interest me. other day, on my getting up to come away, she said-" Mem, wait a little, and read about the wonderful watch that is as big as a two anna piece." Her lesson book is "Bostobeechas," or Examination of Things, and she takes a great interest in it, and also in committing poetry to memory, for which she seems to have a natural talent. Another thing which pleases me in this child is the bright, intelligent way in which she receives her Scripture lessons, asking questions on any point she is not able to understand. One day she saidMem, do please repeat to me the Ten Commandments, because I have almost forgotten them." She always looks out for the monthly Zenana leaflet, and has tacked them all together, intending to have them bound at the end of the year.

"I have another Bow who reads under very unfavourable circumstances, and deserves to be commended. This woman has but two very small dilapidated rooms in a very dirty house; one of these she uses as a kitchen, and herself, husband, and four children live in the other. This woman manages to have her lessons fairly well prepared, although she has no servant to help in her household work; she often reads her day's lesson to us with her two younger children in her lap.

'Mary and I have paid several visits to our old pupils, some of whom are reading with us again at present.

'Besides attending my Zenanas about once a week, I visit, for the purpose of giving Scripture lessons, a school conducted by Brahmo widows. This school is more like a village school than our orderly mission ones. In looking round the room you see benches placed right round, and the girls, who dispose of themselves promiscuously, are seated, doing very much as they please; some