"It is a personal question," he said, when they had risen from their knees. "It addresses itself to me. To each one of all of us. It is a

We visited a portion of the main street which is built in imitation of European houses. It surprised me to see so many shops for the sale of optical, mathematical, and scientific apparatus. European goods of all kinds were displayed in great variety. Book shops were numerous. Over one of these it was gladsome to see "British and Foreign Bible Society and Religious Tract Society Depôt." Mr. Piper introduced me also to the rooms of the Tokio Young Men's Christian Association, which is supported by the residents. Thus there is a much-needed and most important witness to Christ in the heart of this vast heathen metropolis, which we trust will speak eloquently by the influence of the Holy Spirit to the thousands of English-speaking Japanese gentlemen who throng the streets of the capital.

In one large native book store I noticed American editions of the latest works of Huxley, Tyndall, Spencer, and Darwin, side by side with Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Trench on the Miracles, and other orthodox publications. A great door and an effectual is open to the Gospel in Japan, and there are also many adversaries, some of the most subtle and dangerous of which, alas! come from lands which profess to be Christian.

TALKS WITH YOUNG WORKERS.

BY THE REV. J. E. SAMPSON.

CHAPTER IX.

BOUT a week after Mr. Harper and young Welton had walked and talked together, as recorded in our last chapter, who should knock at Mr. Harper's door but young Mr. Handley. He wanted to have a little confidential conversation with the good man about soul matters. It was a sort of understood thing that Mr. Harper was always to be seen when such business was in hand.

Welton had not forgotten Mr. Harper's searching and somewhat biting inquiry about his fellow-clerk, and next day he spoke to him about the salvation of God. Instead of being repulsed as he had anticipated, Handley expressed his surprise that his companion had not spoken to him before. I think, if we were more faithful, we should meet with many such surprises. The result of their conversation was that Handley acknowledged that he was not happy, that his moral excesses had been indulged in to hide away his misery, and he had determined to take the first opportunity of calling upon one who he knew would sympathise with him in his sorrow, and would be able, he hoped, to comfort him.

Why had he not gone to Mr. Verity? He knew well that the good clergyman was interested in the great work of God. But yet he chose to go to a layman. Laymen little know how much they can help their ministers by being ready to guide the inquiring and the anxious in the way. Handley felt that Mr. Harper was nearer to him, more like him, than Mr. Verity was, and the one became a stepping-stone to the other. A missionary spirit directs the eye of zeal not to heathen only, but to home surroundings also.

At the next "Talk" Mr. Handley was present. He had not yet become a communicant; he was not prepared to be a missionary worker; but he wished to come to this meeting that he might know what was being done, and that he might, in some measure, cast in his lot with those who feared God.

The question for the party-gathering at Mr. Harper's house was now assuming a definite form. He had watched the gradual growth of missionary interest as he had been prayerfully watering it from the stream of missionary intelligence. Knowledge begets, as well as directs, zeal. "What shall we do?" It was Mr. Treddel who asked the question. He had been thinking about that large parish, their well-attended Sundayschools, their well-worked parochial machinery, and he felt that there was a lack. There was no work being done systematically in the great missionary duty of the Church. He knew the vicar too well to think that this missionary listlessness could be according to his mind. But he knew a's that no work could be done without workers. Hence the question came to the front-What shall we do?

When Mr. Harper opened the meeting that evening, he put the question to God in the name of them all. Something should be done-that was clear. Their hearts, too, were anxious to be doing. The question waswhat? "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"

way. We are servants, not masters. One is your Master, even Christ. We have been to Him. He is with us now. We desire first and above all always and only to do His will, in this and in every matter. I hope this is clear to us all ?"

Saying this, Mr. Harper looked round upon all.

Certainly," said Mr. Treddel, "that is the spirit in which all work must be done for God."

"Then, secondly," continued Mr. Harper, "we must remember we are Churchmen. Ours is not a guerilla work, in which we impulsively do each what we think best. We must work parochially. We must work in harmony with the various other organisations which are in operation in this parish, subordinating all our plans to our ordained leader. I wished very much that our good vicar could have been with us to-night; but he had an engagement, and desired me to say that he should hear with interest the result of our conversation. He hopes to be with us next time."

"Could we not form some association whereby we may work together with Dissenters? We have in missionary work but one aim, and union is power." This was Mr. Green's inquiry.

"No one," Mr. Harper answered, "has a greater regard-I will say love-for godly Dissenters than myself; indeed, I hope that we are all ready to say we love all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.' I am sure this is a principle with the Church Missionary Society. In aim we are one with them, but in methods we differ. Let us work side by side with them for our common Master, but let each use our own methods. The moment we try to unite the differing means we use for attaining our one object, we introduce an element of discord, which would weaken the workers and hinder the work. But while we work apart, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,' we are maintaining the truest union; and union is strength, you know, Mr. Green."

"But are not many of our good Societies undenominational?" asked Mr. Green.

"To my mind, there appears to be a hidden fallacy in that word undenominational. As a matter of fact, we have our denominations, our various sects and parties, both in and out of the Church. Christian men and women are brought up with differing habits and methods of work. The great object is the same-the glory of God. The great weapon used in the warfare is the same-the Word of God. The living agent is the same-the spiritual people of God. The life-giving power is the same-the Holy Ghost. But the training is very different, and the tactics adopted. It is like a great army. It is not composed of one regiment, but many, each regiment having its own officers, its own special department. The infantry and the cavalry do not commingle in the fight. Men trained in artillery would be helpless with the rifle. To unite all in one common regiment would produce nothing but confusion and disaster. So would it be if Christ's great army were to be mixed in one common method of warfare. Rather let each division work in its own way under the one Captain: then we work harmoniously; love is promoted, and the zeal of the one stimulates the zeal of the other."

"But does not our Lord pray that they all may be one ?" still suggested Mr. Green.

"He does, indeed, and the drift of what I am saying is to prove that that oneness is best promoted by separate action. The union our Lord teaches is in the Spirit, not in the flesh. Men crave for a merely outward and visible unity. This is the error of the Roman Catholics on the one | hand, and of the Plymouth Brethren on the other. True union in Christ is in the heart."

"But is it not visible? Is not the inner union of Christ's body to be seen by the world that the world may be impressed by it ?"

"True again, Mr. Green. But how is the union of the children of God to be shown? On platforms? In undenominational Societies? In a common form of worship, or a common method of work for God? Alas, these too often make only more palpable the unseen disunion which there is among professing Christians. No, rather let us show our oneness with all Christ's people by love and kindness and forbearance; by a grateful recognition of their work. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.""

Are we not digressing from the subject proposed for our Talk' today?" asked young Welton, who was impatient to be at work.

"I am not sorry for the digression," said Mr. Harper, "because I am more and more assured, as life goes on, that if we would work the work of God, we must work it on the lines which lie before us in His providence. We did not make the things that are now. We were born to them. Neither can we unmake them. But we can work in them. And depend upon it, my friends, we shall work most happily, most successfully, and most harmoniously with the great Church of Christ, if, as honest Churchmen, we work on Church lines."

66

The manifestation of the unity will be at the manifestation of the

ANOTHER LETTER FROM RAGHAPURAM. (See Mrs. Stone's previous letter in the GLEANER of November last.) To a Bible Class of Young Women.

IN CAMP, MOONAGALAPILLI, NEAR RAGHAVAPURAM,

TELUGU COUNTRY, SOUTH INDIA, 27th January, 1880. SI sit outside the tent under the trees, it seems a nice quiet time to write to you. Up above the wild doves are cooing among the boughs, and the pretty green parrots flying about, while the crows are passing this way and that to their own nests; for the beautiful Indian sun is setting, and the pink glow of the evening light says to all that night is soon coming. All around my husband are heathen people who have come for medicine, and before they go he will tell them about the love of God.

Some time ago you heard about our work out here, and how we were starting a boarding-school and orphanage for girls. Those children who are already with us are provided for, for the time, and as each fresh help in the way of money comes in we are able to bring in new children. It is not always easy to get orphans from heathen people, partly because they know they will learn a new religion, and, sadder still, they say they "can get a little money for them," which in real truth means that they can sell them to farmers or others who promise food and clothing, and bring up the children to work hard for them, so as to make them pay for the food given them to eat. It is this very thing which is now hindering us from taking in two dear wee boys into the boys' boarding house down in the village.

We have twelve girls, in age from seven to fourteen. Some have pretty names-one is "Rataksim," which means "Grace" or "Kindness"; another is "Prama," meaning "Love." At five o'clock they all get up, and each has a bath. Then they sweep and dust the two rooms. At 6.15 I ring a little bell, which tells them it is time to go to school. Then they return about 10.30, and I go to their store-room, where two take it in turns to meet me with the matron. Then I measure out the grain, and give one onion and the " curry stuffs" and tamarind fruit and salt. They have to "dunce" their food, and this is done by putting it into a hole cut out of a large boulder stone, and there for nearly two hours they pound and beat it till it is ready for cooking. Meanwhile the girls not at this work go to the river side and gather sticks that have been washed down, or else carry up water in pots on their heads, to fill the very large ones which hold the water for the next day's baths. When the food is ready one comes over in turn to tell me, and I go and see that it is measured out in equal parts. It is wonderful to see their large plates of curry and grain. They sit round in a circle, and have learned at last to put their earthen plates and earthen water-mugs straight in each place. We say "grace" first in Telugu. In the afternoon they go to school at 2.30, and return at five, when again I give out the grain; then they have a good romp and games, and sometimes as a treat I go and help them.

A few days ago I went over to the children at an hour when they did not expect me. Now we had ordered all the doors and windows to be kept open, and I saw they were shut, and some

of the children were outside. At first I thought they had been disobedient, and went in to see. But no! inside was little Maria praying, and she did not move; then in the other room were two more girls doing the same. This pleased me, and it is a lesson to many who read this, to hear how these children were kneeling down in the middle of the day because they felt that then they needed help from God. At all hours, in any place, at our work, or even in company, God will hear us, when we lift up our voice to ask Him for His help or blessing.

The evening meal is ready about seven o'clock, when I see it divided out again. Then at eight o'clock we have evening prayers. If Mr. Stone cannot go over with me I go alone, or if both of us are engaged, then the matron, who is a good Christian woman, and was once in Mrs. Sharkey's boarding-school at Masulipatam as a child, takes it.

When you come to your Sunday class you may like to know how we spend the same day. In India and all hot countries the sun is very powerful, so much so in April and May that the ground burns the people's feet if they walk during the middle of the day. In one of those months I picked up a stone about four P.M., and had to throw it down quickly because it was so hot. At this time of year it is much cooler, and we can sow seeds and plant our gardens with vegetables. The heat makes us choose an early hour to go to the prayer-house for service. There is no church yet at Raghavapuram, but the money for it has been collected, and the churchyard wall is at this time being built. Meanwhile service is held in the prayer-house.

At 7.30 A.M. six of the Christian men come up to our bungalow to carry me in my tonjon to church. This is a kind of chair, with a long pole at each end, and I sit in it and pull down the curtains. Prayers begin at eight o'clock, and the people all squat on the ground, on mats, so that I am the only one on a chair. Those who are inquiring about the Christian religion sit at the very back, and I sit by them, which they like. They sat in a disorderly way when we came here from having been alone for some months, but we have taught them to sit in rows, the men on one side and the women on the other, while the children sit on each side of Mr. Stone. In the morning he takes a text for his sermon, and at this time in the afternoon he is taking the history of Noah, Abraham, and going through the early stories in the Old Testament. He asks them questions each time, so as to impress the words on their memory, for they find it very difficult to remember. After morning prayers are over, and before the sermon, the collection is made. It is very different from those in England. Some of the people come and lay large vegetables down before the lectern, or country beans, or "ghee" (a kind of native butter), which is brought in a pot, while others put different kinds of grain into two boxes which are carried round. Every day the children, by their own request, give back a little of their grain to me, to put by till Sunday, so that they may have some to give at the collection. It was a very nice thought of theirs.

After service there are generally some people to talk to, and we get home about 10.30. Then we have breakfast, and then the English service together. At one o'clock the boarding boys from the village come up. They sit on one side of the study, and the girls come across and sit on the other side, and Mr. Stone gives them all a Bible lesson, and in the week they prepare some Scripture to say. They leave soon after two o'clock, and at 2.30 Mr. Stone has a class of men and young men, while I have some poor ignorant women to whom I tell easy Bible stories and teach verses. Meanwhile the Sunday-school goes on in the village, where the master and mistress take classes. 3.45 we all go to the prayer-house for service, and, with talking afterwards, are not home till past six o'clock. Such is our Sunday among the Native Christians and inquirers.

ALICE CAMERON STONE.

At

We have turned to the Church Missionary Almanack to see what text stands against this 13th of August, and we find these glorious words, which come as a comforting and animating a comforting and animating message from Him who spoke them, "A pillar in the temple of My God-he shall go no more out" (Rev. iii. 12). They were chosen, as will be seen by referring to the Almanack, to mark the date of the death of a faithful missionary who entered into rest two years ago; but if they were suitable to him, as they are (for our Lord used them so) to every one who may be described

by the words "him that overcometh," most emphatically are they appropriate to Henry Wright. A pillar!-that is exactly what he was-upright, firm, stable, immovable from the base of high Christian principle and loyalty to the Lord he loved. Not a pillar standing alone like an Egyptian obelisk, for its own glory, so to speak; but a pillar in the temple of God, the Church on earth, nobly bearing his part in the support of the great spiritual structure. The firm support of that pillar, indeed, is lost now. It is "gone out." But it is only transferred to the

heavenly temple above, to the place prepared for it there; and thence it shall "go no more out" for ever.

We turned also to the Almanack which at this very time is being prepared for next year, and in which we must now sadly enter the event of this 13th of August. The texts had been completed last week: what text had we then put to that date? and should we have to alter it? The words we had put were these "My God shall supply all your need" (Phil. iv. 18). "All need." No, they shall not be changed. They are exactly what we want, to stand against this mournful anniversary.

your

walk with God. But God knows all, and He "shall supply all your need."

The news of Henry Wright's death will fill many hearts with sorrow in every part of the globe. In every land where the Church Missionary Society labours there are missionaries to whom his house at Hampstead is a spot surrounded with happy And who will not miss his letters? There are gifts memories. in which others may have equalled or excelled him. As a letterwriter, always saying the right thing in the right way, always "speaking the truth in love," he was surely unapproached.

It is but two months since we gave on this centre page of

the GLEANER a portrait of the revered Henry Venn. We little thought the occasion would so quickly arise for presenting the It was one of the comforts of Henry Venn's declining hours that he left Henry Wright to fill his likeness of his successor. vacant chair; though he could not know how it would be filled. once more empty. Thousands of the readers of the GLEANER Seven years and a half have passed away, and now the place is never saw the kindly face of him who sat there; but they will loss, and will pray the Lord who has called His servant home to sympathise with the fellow-workers who mourn their irreparable sustain the holy cause to which that servant's life was devoted.

AUGUST 13TH, 1880.

"God is the Lord, by Whom we escape death.

"He is a Father of the fatherless, and defendeth the cause of the widows."
Psalm lxviii. 20, 5 (for the 13th day of the month, Morning Prayer).
"He hath done all things well."-The Gospel for 12th S. aft. Trinity, Aug. 15, 1880.
IND friend and brother! for thee I am distrest,

Sunk, with green verge so near, below the watery floor,
And hearts will mourn for thee in East and West,

But thou, beyond our sight, hast reached th' eternal shore.
Thou hast "escaped from death" to endless life,

"The God of thy salvation"" hath done well for thee";
But here, still battling in the Church's strife,

Sorely we'll miss thy counsel wise, and readiest sympathy.
Fear not! the fields for which he toiled, God keeps ;
Widow" and "fatherless" are His peculiar care;
Come, let us work while the tired worker sleeps,

And rise from sorrow's wave, in hope, and praise, and prayer.

THE BARBER OF BATÁLA.

A. E. M.

N the 10th March, 1880, a baptism took place in Anarkalli which excited a great sensation in Batála. The room used as a chapel was fuller than perhaps it had ever been before, some turbaned heads appearing not only within but outside the doors. Amba, our new Christian, is a man very well known and much respected in Batála, his native city. Who did not know the kindly face and grizzled beard of the barber ?-an important person in the East, who, in his many-sided profession, had probably helped to make many of the marriages not only of the mothers, but even the grandmothers of the place!

On the morning of the day of his baptism, Amba, as must be expected by those who dare to receive the rite in their birthplace, had to encounter a storm. As he himself described it, "it was as if the Day of Judgment had come." But the baptism itself passed over quietly. Firmly, as one who has no doubt or fear on his mind, Amba went through the solemn service by which he was cutting himself off from old associations, old friends, and—at least for the present-from wife, children, and other relations. The history of the barber's conversion had better be given in his own words (freely translated). As he describes his own state of mind we are reminded of Bunyan's Pilgrim, with his back to the City of Destruction, the Book in his hand, and the burden on his back:

NARRATIVE TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CONVERT'S DICTATION. I was born in Batála, and at the age of seven was sent to a pandit to learn to read, but my progress not being great I was brought back to my father's work, which was that of a barber. One day I saw a boy reading a Gurmuki book, and I formed a desire to read Gurmuki also. I took such pains under divers teachers that I read large books, even the Grandth [the much revered Scriptures of the Sikhs]. From this time my heart inclined to seek God; I read Hindu books, and studied them constantly with all my heart. But Satan's enmity and the burden of sin were completely upon me.

I married the daughter of a barber. . .. I enjoyed hearing words about God, and served faqirs a great deal. I often made pilgrimages to the Ganges. I accidentally met Karak Singh, who was then a faqir. He was very fond of reading the Shastras. After awhile I also acquired this knowledge. After this I followed the disciples of Brahm Jeuki, and thought that these were the disciples of the true God. This slok (stanza) of theirs was exceedingly pleasant to my heart

"We are sinners, our work is all sin, our soul too is sinful, we were born in sin, we fear! Oh! lotus-eyed one! forgive us all our sins!

For some time I remained attached to these people, and at this period my wife died. At first my intention was never to marry again, but after a long time, on account of troubles, I married once more. From remaining in bad company I did wicked things, and also twice drank spirits; this was the consequence of my father's having once given to me spirits

*This is the native building occupied by the Boarding School for Christian boys of the Punjab and other parts of India, established near Batala by its Honorary Principal, the Rev. F. H. Baring. A picture of it appeared in the Gleaner of April last.

when I was a child, and I was always seeing him drink, so that I did not know this to be an evil thing.

Then that brother, Karak Singh, through whom I had read the Shastras, said to me, "The Gospel is an exceedingly good book, you should certainly read it." I bought a New Testament from Padri Sadiq [the Rev. Mian Sadiq] for four annas [less than sixpence], and began to read it. The teaching in this book astonished me greatly, and this thought began to find a place in my heart of hearts, How much purer the teaching of this book is than that of all former books!" I also read the Old Testament, and the more I perused the Gospel, the more all former things fled out of my heart.

When I could find no way out of my difficulties, then I cried to God, "Do Thou Thyself show me the true path!" I saw the books of other religions. I read those of the Brahmo-Somaj and Arya Somaj; I went to Daya Nand Saraswati [a well-known Hindu reformer]; but all appeared insipid, and I felt that the plague of sin will never be healed by these.

I was in this state when, by the help of God, it became clear that the God of the Gospel is indeed the true God. So I associated more with Christians, and from meeting them found that these are the people with whom the will of God overcomes the will of man; these are they whose whole hope is not of this world, but whose reward is only with God. Amongst these people are to be found the means of fulfilling God's pleasure, and walking according to His commands. These are the people who, with loins girded, wait prepared for life's journey.

When it was well proved to me that there is only one way of salvation for the whole world, and that this is the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, then I fixed my gaze on His cross, and cried out, " Oh! Lord Jesus Christ, take me under Thy protection," and I day and night repeated—

"Jesus Christ has saved my soul!

Those who come to Jesus, to them He giveth salvation."* When I was in this state the thought of baptism came, but I was sore troubled, and my heart feared exceedingly. Sometimes Satan alarmed me by saying, "Now you are old; what will your relations say? What will become of your wife? Why do you not look to your son and daughter? See, what will the world say of you? I thought much over all these things, but when these two verses came into my mind, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" and, " Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ," then all fear and danger went from my heart, and I became ready to follow Christ. On Tuesday (March 9th) I desired to enter Christ's flock. Rising in the morning I took the road to Anarkalli, and arriving there set to cutting the hair of the Christian brothers. I remained the whole day in the place, and returned to my house in the evening. Sitting outside, I ate my food from a vessel, apart from my wife. She, being surprised, exclaimed, "What has happened to-day that you do thus?" I then told her everything. As soon as she had heard all she began to weep, and many men, taking me into the house, began to argue with me. When assured that I should never turn from my resolve, they put me against my will into a room, and turned the lock on me. There I remained all night praying to God.

In the morning they again lectured me, and sent me, accompanied by a man, to Anarkalli for my barber's utensils. When I arrived there, I said to my companion, “Do you depart; to-day I will receive baptism." He went and gave the news in my house. Then my wife, children, and other people coming, it was as if the Day of Judgment had arrived.

Though this went on all day, by God's grace I received baptism at four o'clock. The Lord Jesus Christ's soldiers were victorious, and Satan's army was defeated.

Yes, Christ's soldiers were victorious, and specially this one who had braced himself to endure hardness. Like a song of triumph burst the loud chorus most heartily sung at the service, "Crown Him Lord of all." The Urdu version of this familiar hymn sounds more sublime and emphatic than the original, the literal retranslation of the burden being

"Own Him to be King of kings!"

Many Hindus have come to see Amba since his baptism, and he has availed himself of this opportunity of speaking of Christ crucified to his benighted countrymen. Thus has he described his own state, "I was a wandering sheep, and Jesus Christ found me." To one who suggested his again becoming a Hindu he replied, "That is impossible. I am now safe in the arms of Jesus, and nothing in heaven or earth can take me thence." A.L.O.E.

A favourite bhajan (a kind of song) often sang in zenanas and schools. This was a decisive act. The barber who had cut the hair of Christians became, as it were, polluted in the sight of Hindus. It resembled an officer's throwing up his commission.