more than a £1,000. If all the churches would do the same, the Fund would be £10,000 instead of £5,000. This may not be possible; but it will be possible for every church to use its best efforts to raise its quota, or such portion of its quota as may be within its power to raise. In every case an average of twopence a week from each member of the church from January to June inclusive will yield the full amount required.

The Executive Committee have cheerfully given their attention to the discharge of their pleasant and agreeable duty; and with a hope that refuses to die they look for the co-operaof ministers, occasional preachers, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and influential laymen to make this movement a brilliant and distinguished success. It is respectfully but earnestly recommended:

1. That collections be made for the Fund in all our chapels and preaching places, at least as early as the opening of the new year, 1871.

2. That subscriptions be obtained by a thorough and vigorous canvass of each congregation.

3. That collectors be appointed who will be willing, where it is necessary, to seek and receive contributions of twopence a week until next June.

4. That liberal New Year's Thankofferings for the Fund be kindly solicited by ministers from the pulpit and by collectors.

5. That the Penny Subscription from the Sunday schools be asked for as a New Year's Gift, and collected on the first or second Sabbath of January.

6. That if the visit of a deputation be necessary or desirable, a request for such visit be communicated to the Secretary without delay.

The immediate and careful attention of the churches is requested to these recommendations. That which stands fifth will be understood when it is remembered that at Leicester it was unanimously resolved "that the Sunday scholars of the denomination be invited to subscribe one penny each to the Centenary Fund." The Executive Committee suggest to the superintendents of our Sunday schools that they may perhaps most easily give effect to this resolution by asking from every scholar the subscription of at least one penny, as a New Year's Gift, for this Fund; and the Committee advise that

on the first or second Sabbath in January next the subscription be collected. It is hoped that every means will be taken to explain and commend the proposal so as to secure, on the part of the teachers, prompt and willing co-operation; and on the part of the scholars a cheerful and general response. Where there are branch schools, it will be well to interest them also in this movement.

The appropriateness of the suggestion of the penny subscription from the Sunday schools of the Connexion cannot for a moment be doubted. The boys and girls of 1870 have even greater reason to rejoice than the men and women. Sunday schools were unknown a hundred years ago. They were founded in 1781 and afterwards by the same influences which led to the formation of this denomination in 1770. It is a great privilege to our children and young people to see this Centenary Year. It is not likely that any one of them will see another. But if they live to riper years, and become at length old and grey-headed, it will be a great pleasure to them as they look back to remember that their young hearts shared in the joy of this double jubilee; that their pence were numbered in the £5,000 of the Centenary Fund; that their hands did something, however little, to rear this memorial in grateful remembrance of the goodness of God upon the denomination for a hundred years.

The carrying out of all the recommendations of the Committee is earnestly urged upon the churches. There is no better way of celebrating the memory of the fathers than by seeking to be filled with their zealous spirit, and by emulating their noble and unselfish deeds. There is no better memorial possible in honour of the past than undertaking in the present Christian work from which the fathers have been called away, and seeking to facilitate that work for all time to come. This is exactly the intention and purpose of the Centenary Fund. The maintenance of the preaching of the Gospel among large and neglected populations, the rendering of help in rearing or enlarging houses of prayer when churches are gathered;—this is precisely what is to be done with the £5,000. What more appropriate object could be selected upon which to

ley of face and character they present. The good city missionary who now visits them says:—

"I have had, as usual, all classes under my visitation; some in middling positions down to costermongers and tramps, most of whom were ill with relapsing fever-as it seems a fever born of famine, insufficient clothing, and immorality. On this account, probably, I have had a great many who could not read, and who were remarkably ignorant of the first rudiments of Scriptural knowledge. The answers they have given to the simplest questions would scarcely be believed by those who are ignorant of our work. I have had those of all creeds, and no creeds, under visitation, Jews, Mormonites, Romanists, and Infidels, with many, too, of the coloured races. I expect that the difference between my work and that of most of my brethren consists mainly in this, that whilst many of those under my visitation would close their doors in the missionary's face at their own homes, when here, with all the will, they are unable to do this, so that I come face to face with them all. No wonder, therefore, that I meet with many a rude rebuff, and that other devices are had recourse to to prevent my visiting them or speaking to them. Three poor Romanist women pulled their sheets over their faces, and tucked the sheets round them as the nurses do round the dead, and feigned that they were dead that I might pass them by. Some others swear, call me a hypocrite, a heretic, and a proselytiser. But most of them avoid me who wish to do so, by simply closing their eyes, some of whom I sometimes speak to of its being high time to awake out of sleep."

He also says:

"I hold stated meetings in the week in the convalescent wards, and always throughout the year two on Sundays, sometimes three. I deem these to be amongst the most profitable parts of my work. Here the patients, though they may avoid me on their beds in the wards, are all present, and it is but rarely that I have the slightest opposition. Now and then, but very rarely, a bigoted Romanist will say, 'I am not of your religion,' and will walk away to the other end of the ward, and perhaps infect another by his example. But as a rule they all stay, and sometimes come back and sit down with the rest. Here it is, whilst the heart is softened by affliction, I strive to drop in the good seed; and many a Romanist has thanked me for the good word that I hope the Spirit has prompted and blessed.

"One Sunday morning I found the nen rather restless, and at the close one

of them bluntly informed me of the cause: 'Master, we have been waiting for our beer.' To which another retorted, Don't mind him, Sir; he cares more about his body than he does about his soul.' The nurse, I found, had been rather late in drawing them their beer that morning, which they should have had before the meeting commenced. These interruptions, however, have been but rare."

Let us away once more-this time to a Boys' Refuge. Here is an old coach factory transformed into a Home for Destitute Boys. Above a hundred of them are going to have dinner. Look round you. All these paper

flowers, garlands, and mottoes are the work of these boys, who, a short time ago, were wandering about London without a home, a bed, a crust, or a friend. To-day they dine on roast beef and plum pudding. During the interval between dinner and tea they will sing, read, sleep, romp, and talk; after tea and cake, they will crack nuts, eat apples, tell stories, have games, and then after prayer they will file up stairs into a large room containing above a hundred beds, and so go to sleep. A merry Christinas to you, my lads, and many of them.

Move on, good reader, once more. We have much to see. We are in Golden Lane. It is a long, dirty, crowded, infamous place-one of the very worst in all London. It swarms with lodging houses and public houses. Here are scores of thieves, drunkards, costermongers, tramps, swearers, and criminal women. Nearly everybody is either drunk or going to be. Men and women pass us reeking with gin. Big lads roll about tipsy amid the laughter of all around. A sad place this, truly. But not, good reader, without light and hope. Mr. W. J. Orsman labours here, and if you will read his annual report, entitled “After Office Hours," you will see how much good a voluntary labourer can do. Some of his facts are full of interest, not a few of them unique. Read this about his ragged scholars :

"Of course many of the answers to the Bible questions are wide of the mark, and sometimes provoke a smile. After reading about the Pearl of great price,' one of the boys brought in a large pearl-oyster shell to the teacher, saying that it was the greatest pearl he could find.

"Another child, replying to the question, 'What is a prophet?' said, with a

knowing look, 'Why, its wot yer gets over when yer sells anythink.' To the query, 'Why did Jairus rejoice when his daughter was raised from the dead?' one little fellow, scratching his head, replied, ''Cos it didn't cost him nothink for the funeral.' It is evident that these children of the streets look at everything from the £ s. d. point of view."

Speaking of conversions, we have the following:

"Mrs. A. was standing in White-cross Street, when a boy offered her a tract. I don't want no track, boy. I'm track enough myself,' she said; but she took it and asked a friend to read it to her. The subject was, 'No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God.' 'O lor, then it's all up with my poor soul!' From that time she commenced to attend the mission, and has led many others there also. B., a frequenter of low theatres and the son of Roman Catholic parents, was the first to introduce the Bible at home, where it is now daily read. The mother and son are consistent Christians. C., instead of going to the theatre one night, came to the mission, and the Word of God went straight to his conscience, and he went home to pray. His brother was in bed and shouted out, What are you grunting there for? Get in bed; don't be a fool about religion. What do you understand about it? You can't read.' He wrestled in agonising prayer, and peace came with the dawn of day, and he now

6

'Can read his title clear

To mansions in the skies.' Mrs. D. was awakened by a dream repeated three times, in which the Good Shepherd appeared, and led her to the mission. As she entered we were singing the hymn

'I have a Friend, a precious Friend.' The Saviour said to her, 'I am that Friend,' and she awoke. She came to the service that day for the first time, and singularly enough, as she entered, we were singing the words quoted above. This was to her an omen of good. She is now a follower of Christ. A youth showed us the other day, with tears in his eyes, the spot where Agin that post, sir, at the corner of the court, I gave my heart to Jesus. I couldn't help praying in the street, sir, my heart wor so full. There wasn't nobody-much about, sir, and it wouldn't 'ave mattered if there was." Another youth, with terrible antecedents, said of the teacher of the Bible class, which he was induced to attend, It wor 'er tears that got over me, and made me think about the Lord Jesus.''

One more extract. It is Mr. Ors

man's account of a happy Christmas Day:

cases.

"320 men, women, and children, were invited to a good dinner, tea, &c., in the mission hall. In issuing the invitations, care was taken to select the most deserving One poor man went into a neighbour's shop to buy two 'faggots'-a mysti cal savoury meal, made of the contents of a pig's stomach-with his last twopence, for his family's dinner on Christmas Day. He was known to be a deserving man-a painter out of work-so the shop-keeper gave him tickets for our dinner. When he entered the building, he saw the banner, 'Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.' With his eyes full of tears, he turned to his wife and said, 'Aye, Polly, an' that's true, if it never wor before.' At tea-time our number was augmented by seventy of the fusee boys who throng round the Post Office, Exchange, and Mansion House. After tea we had singing, religious addresses, and a dissolving-view lecture on the Life of Jesus. We ask for the means to give a similar dinner this year."

Stay, just one more fact. Mr. Orsman has just issued the Golden Lane Magazine, concerning which he tells this little story:-"One of our school-boys hearing of the new maga. zine, asked the teacher if it was 6 one of them there things wot blows people up?" "

Success to our dear brother. He deserves our love and prayers; and if he is sometimes a little odd in his ways, we hope nobody will blow him up.

There is much feasting in London on Christmas Day, and also much fasting. Let us enter a few houses, and see poor-life as it is.

We are in St. Giles's, and we will ascend to an attic in Dudley Street. Here is a widow left with eight children. How is she to feast? Come into St. Ann's Court. Here is a young wife ill of fever; her child died of fever a few days ago; and her husband is in prison. How is she to feast? Good reader, remember the poor.

Here I might lay down my pen, but before doing so I wish to say that some readers may have thought I have painted London in too gloomy colours. The worst cannot be told. So far from saying too much, I have said too little. Witness the solemn words of Lord Shaftesbury at Ryde, on Sept. 7 :—

"There were parts of London inhabited by a set of beings, many of whom, except some of the men, he said it with all