baiting purposes was common among the farmers. He has often seen the beast chained to a stake, and a dog let loose upon him. Then would ensue a most furious encounter. If the bull succeeded, as he often did, in killing the first dog, another, and another, and another were brought until the animal was seized by the nose and fairly pinned to the ground, when the dog which had succeeded in accomplishing the feat was pronounced the winner. Cock-fights, dog-fights, and horse-races were also among the common amusements of the day. These took place in the neighbourhood of a public house as regularly as the Saturday afternoon came round. Week by week did the country folks and their families assemble in large numbers to witness the debasing sports, for debasing they were in the highest degree. Gambling and drunkenness were their ordinary accompaniments. Then arguments arising as to fair play, or foul play, man-fights would necessarily follow. Thus were our youths taught idleness and dissipation, in addition to other vices, to their own ruin, and to the heart-breaking of many a fond but too indulgent parent, whose grey hairs they brought down with sorrow to the grave. A better state of things now exists. Public Morality, prompted by the progress of Christianity, lifted up her voice against them, and all such vile, demoralising, and cruel practices have since been made punishable by law. The success of any

new agency for good is generally far more apparent in the generation succeeding that in which the good work is begun. Thus Scripture Readers, City Missionaries, and other Lay Agents of the present day commenced their labours amongst a population whose habits had been previously formed, and in most cases firmly established. The present generation testifies to the value of the labours of the past; and the next generation will still more fully disclose the results of the labours of the present. The labourers of that day will reap the fruit of what others have sown in this. It is amongst the young, not amongst those who have grown old in sin, that we look for most success. Conversions amongst persons of forty years of age, or upwards, are quite the exception. Dr. Young, in his "Night Thoughts," expresses the same opinion.

At thirty, man suspects himself a fool;
Knows it at forty, and re-forms his plan;
At fifty, chides his infamous delay,
Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve;

In all the magnanimity of thought

Resolves, and re-resolves; then dies the same ! "

But though conversions are not common at an advanced stage of life, and are the exception, and not the rule, they are nevertheless,

blessed be God, to be met with at all ages; for "with God all things are possible." The regular visitor from house to house comes in contact with those who cannot otherwise be easily reached. And, quite independently of conversions to God, which nevertheless are the chief aim and object of our Readers, results are accomplished which are calculated to produce the most beneficial effects upon society in general, and upon the rising generation in particular. Many of the men are led to entertain at least an outward respect for religion, and so to speak favourably, and even with reverence, before their children and friends, of their Ministers and other professedly religious men. These same men would, not long ago, have been found railing at Christianity, both in their homes and elsewhere. These changes for the better are gradually taking place and children are now rising up from our Sunday and other schools, who, in their turn, no doubt will be instruments of good to others -it may be to their very parents and older relatives. Thus is Lay Agency working, under God, incalculable good, without at all encroaching on the rights and proper duties of the Sacred Ministry. Some twelve or fourteen years ago we recollect a lady withdrawing her subscription from the Scripture Readers' Association because we had been unable to prevent a riot in the neighbourhood of Trafalgar-square and Cockspur-street, when the mob smashed the lamps "in the very front," as she expressed it, "of the Society's offices." No doubt this excellent lady expected that, after seven or eight years' labour amongst nearly three millions of people, we should have leavened for good the whole population of London ! Of course any such unreasonable expectations we can never expect to realize, but, at the same time, may we not ask, in passing, what would have been the state of things, had no additional agency, beyond the already overburdened Clergy, been at work during the last quarter of a Century in our large Metropolitan parishes?

So far we have been speaking only of the indirect good effected through the instrumentality of the Scripture Reader. To do good to the souls of the people, and to lead them, by God's blessing, to the One only Saviour of sinners, is his first and highest object, desire, and prayer; as, we trust, it is of all our Readers. The Reader, of whom we are now more particularly speaking, has been greatly blessed of God in his labours amongst the poor. The Incumbent of the District has at various times borne willing testimony to this. Some very interesting cases of conversion to God have already appeared in the pages of this journal. We will now give, in very brief terms, a few additional instances, all well known to the Incumbent. An old man of nearly ninety years of age, going down to the grave in sorrow and sadness, "dead in

trespasses and sins," was brought, by grace, to see his lost and ruined condition, and to flee to Christ from the wrath to come. He had been growing old in the deepest ignorance, but, being of a simple and candid turn of mind, he listened to the truth, when it was brought before him, saw his need of a Saviour, was convinced that Jesus was the Saviour he needed, and embraced and realized the precious truth, that, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The old man lived a little longer, and then died "in the Lord," followed shortly afterwards by his aged widow, who, also happily led to Christ, fell asleep "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God." But this was not all. The visits of the Reader, in connexion, let us add, with those of the Clergy, were greatly blessed to the family. The daughter-inlaw, an Irish Roman Catholic, was so impressed with the truth brought before her from time to time, that she joined the Church of England, and has had all her children baptized in our Church. She is now a regular attendant, and, when the claims of an afflicted husband and small family permit, may always be seen in her place at the prayer-meetings held in the neighbourhood of her residence. We now pass from the case of the old, to the equally happy case of a young man. The mother had called upon the Reader and begged him to visit her dear sick, but still, she feared, unconverted boy. She yearned for his salvation, but could not but fear that he was quite unprepared to meet his God. The Reader at once obeyed the summons, spoke to him in terms of affection and sympathy, and read to him, then and afterwards, such portions of the Word of God as the third chapter of St. John's Gospel, the parable of the Prodigal Son, &c. The young man listened with attention, saw, and believed the faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. On one occasion, when our Reader was reading and applying the 116th Psalm, the lad, unable to restrain his feelings, broke out into language of praise. "My son," said the mother, "don't talk so much. You are too weak." Mother," replied the son, "don't prevent me, for I am so happy, I must give vent to my feelings." The young man died rejoicing, and the mother's heart was enabled, in her hour of sorrow and trial, to rejoice over her son as

"Not lost, but gone before."

(To be continued.)

SCRIPTURE READERS' JOURNAL,

&c.

JANUARY, 1865.

THE RETROSPECT; OR, FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE.

"He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."John iv. 36.

CHAPTER II.

N our last number we were enabled to give but one or two instances in which the labours of the Scripture Reader had been manifestly

blessed of God. Many other

cases of a similar character might have been added, but the length of our article warned us to stop. We now purpose renewing our relation of interesting facts connected with his visitation from house to house. But before we follow him in his visitation through the District, we must for a moment reverse the picture, and make a passing reference to the visits paid to his own house by those whom ordinarily he is called to visit.

The calls that are almost daily made at his residence

are oftentimes of the most varied and interesting character. A wife comes in, evidently under deep anxiety, and entreats an early call for her sick and aged husband; or a daughter, equally anxious for a visit, pleads in favour of a widowed mother, inquiring, too, it may be, if the Reader can procure for her a Dispensary letter, or tell her where she may obtain one, on his recommendation. These calls frequently give rise to conversations on the most solemn subjects, and this sometimes makes the return call doubly welcome, if not doubly profitable. But it is not only in cases of sickness that these calls are made. So completely has he won the confidence and affections of the people, so thoroughly found his way into their hearts, that they are glad to consult him even in the most private family matters. A poor broken-hearted wife

comes for advice respecting a drunken husband; and an honest, hard-working husband, respecting the reckless extravagance of a drunken, dissipated wife. Or, one or other, or both will come for advice and counsel as to the recovery and reformation of a profligate child. He is expected, too, by many-rather unreasonably perhaps to know everything about places for servants, Dispensary letters, tickets for the London hospitals, and things of this kind. A mother calls, anxiously desiring to get a little girl into service; another wants a recommendation to some lady for washing, or charing; while a third comes for a character, sent to the Reader by some lady in the district. For our Reader has become learned in the characters and the peculiarities of the occupants of the streets, courts, and alleys which comprise his District. Impostors are easily detected; but such characters give little trouble now, for they have made themselves very scarce of late. Having discovered that their cases would be thoroughly investigated, and knowing well they would not bear the sifting process, they have taken themselves almost entirely away. They have voluntarily banished themselves from the District!

Nor are any of these opportunities that should be overlooked or thrown away. No doubt much valuable time is taken up. He has to listen to many a narrative of hardship, and to sympathize with, and to comfort, many a poor disconsolate sufferer. To tales of want and misfortune, of crushed hopes and almost broken hearts, he must not turn a deaf ear, or most certainly a deaf ear he will encounter in return. The Christian visitor must not only be, but he must show himself to be, tender-hearted; and, in doing so, he will assuredly gather much encouragement. Christian love and sympathy, manifesting themselves in the clothing of soft words and kindly tones, seldom, if ever, fail to "drain the heart of the sourness that calamity engenders, and sweeten it with the balm of resignation—often enlarge it with cheerful hope, sometimes swell it high with the rejoicings of a Christian triumph."

But to proceed with our narration of facts. The experience of our Reader, whose labours have been in the immediate neighbourhood of a large arsenal, embraced characters of the most varied description. Mormons, infidels, and semi-infidels seem to have abounded. To several infidels he appears to have been used by God to carry home to their souls the Message of Salvation. Of two only can we speak just now, one a man of intelligence and superior understanding; the other a plain common-sense man. Of the latter, a shoemaker by trade, we will speak first. When called in to see him, the Reader was candidly told that the mau was an infidel, believing in neither God nor Devil, Heaven