Examined and certified by me, as duly entered in the books of the Mission, JAMES WADDELL, of J. WADDELL & CO.,

Public Accountants, New Poultry Chambers, 7, Poultry, E.C.

Contributions to the LONDON BIBLE AND DOMESTIC FEMALE MISSIONS can be received by the Honorary Secretary, Mrs. Ranyard, 13, Hunter-street, Brunswick-square, London, W.C.; by the Hon. A. Kinnaird, M. P., addressed to the Bank of Messrs. Ransom and Co., No. 1, Pall Mall East; and by Messrs. Nisbet and Co., Berners-street. Money Orders should be made payable at the Post-office in Burton-crescent, W.C., in the name of "Ellen Ranyard."

FINANCIAL CONCERNS.

THE 15th of October is past once more, and our mission ship is in port, with fresh reason to thank Him who has given the winds and waves a charge over it in all its voyages through the seas of misery and want. To drop a figure which it would be inconvenient to continue, we have received many most kind responses to the few lines on the subject of finance in our October number, and if we had had any fears as to being worse off than last year, they are all put to shame.

Our friends may now rejoice with us in beginning a fresh year's work with a fair balance, that is to say, a balance of one month's provision beforehand, just as little as it is safe to work with on so large a scale. Two timely and welcome legacies, one of 5007. (less duty), the other of 2007., have brought us to this desired point, otherwise it might not have been attained.

A full detail of Receipts and Expenditure will be given as usual in the double December number. We will not, therefore, forestall particulars, merely presenting as specimens one or two of our last month's letters, and they are such as it is not unfrequently our privilege to receive.

We have often thought that a most interesting number of the Magazine might be composed alone from many of the valued letters that accompany our donations.

The following are from old friends of the Mission:

The first is from a gentleman.

"MY DEAR MRS. R———,

your

"In consequence of financial notice at the commencement of the current number of the Magazine, I have determined to send my yearly contribution in this month instead of in November, and also to double its amount. I have much pleasure, therefore, in enclosing a cheque for. In these times of daring error, and man-made doctrine in our Church, I increasingly feel the value of such agencies as yours, which takes the simple Word of God to the poor and ignorant. VOL. IV.—NO. 11.

Y

"I am quite sure a blessing has been on that work, and I trust it will be so more and more, and that help will always be forthcoming as needed both in money and agents. I am sure it is the duty, and should be felt to be the privilege, of all who love the pure Gospel, to help such agencies both with contributions and with prayer.

"Believe me, very sincerely yours,

as a con

"I beg to enclose a post-office order for £tinued proof of the interest I take in the varied labours of your Missions for the poor and afflicted. I wish I had it in my power to send more, for I feel that this will do but little for the many destitute and suffering ones of your great city, with whom I feel deep sympathy, as I have myself been twenty-one years an invalid, and at times when I have been brought very low, I have remembered the poor who have so few comforts, and I rejoice to think that you are now enabled to add a fresh branch to your Society for sending trained Nurses to minister to the souls and bodies of the sick poor.

"I earnestly desire that our Heavenly Father may put it into the hearts of many to whom He has committed much of earthly treasure to support this part of your agency, as well as all the other branches which have proved so useful. I should like £of my subscription to be devoted to the General Fund for Mission Work, £ to go to the Nurses' Fund, and the other to the Dormitory for Working Girls, or the whole to either, as you think best.

"I feel so interested in the accounts given in the Missing Link Magazine' that I often wish we could have a Biblewoman in a very poor district near which we resided in the country for many years, but which we have now left in order to seek medical help; but there is no one to support it, and it is not in my power to do so, so I must do what I can. I have often felt how much I should have enjoyed entering into such work myself, but my lot is to suffer, and I know by whose hand

it is appointed, and I feel that we who are weak can pray for those who are strong, and who are labouring more actively, so that in the end, through redeeming mercy, we shall all rejoice together.

"I hope I have not trespassed too long on your time, but I believe it is sometimes a comfort to workers to feel that they have the prayerful sympathy of those who have long felt a deep interest in their labours. It is my earnest prayer that many more wandering sheep may be brought by your missions to our Saviour's feet. I should be obliged to you not to allow my name to appear in the list.

"Believe me, with Christian regards,

(From "Verses for the Sick and Lonely.")

LORD, I had planned to do Thee service true-
To be more humbly watchful unto prayer;
More faithful in obedience to Thy word;
More bent to put away all earthly care.

I thought of sad hearts comforted and healed,
Of wanderers turn'd into the pleasant way,
Of little ones preserved from sinful snare,
Of dark homes brightened with a heavenly ray;

Of time, all renovated to Thy will,

Of strength spent gladly for Thee day by day,
When suddenly the heavenly mandate came
That I should give it all at once away.

Thy blessed hand came forth and laid me down,
Turned every beating pulse to throbs of pain,
Hushed all my prayers into one feeble cry,
Then bade me to believe that loss was gain

And was it loss to have indulged such hopes?
Nay, they were gifts from out the inner shrine,
Garlands that I might hang about Thy cross,
Gems to surrender at the call divine.

As chiselled image unresisting lies

In niche, by its own sculptor's hand designed ;
So to my unemployed and silent life
Let me in quiet meekness be resigned.

If works of faith, and labours sweet of love
May not be mine, yet patient hope can be
Within my heart, like a bright censer's fire,
With incense of thanksgiving, mounting free.

Thou art our pattern to the end of time,
O Crucified! and perfect is Thy will.
The workers follow Thee in doing good,
The helpless think of Calvary, and are still.

THE BIBLE-WOMAN'S GRAVE.

"That ye shine as lights in the world."

ON one of the brightest days of last month, standing around an open grave in Bow cemetery, might have been seen a group of mourners.

One glance would have told you they were drawn from the lowliest rank of life. They had come from the back streets of one of the poorest of our London districts. Who was it that was laid in that lowly grave? It was a beloved friend, their Bible-woman and faithful teacher, one who had shone as a light in their path, and showed them the way to heaven.

All had contrived to put on some little outward mourning, and "they had come," they said, "to see the last of the best friend they had."

Not many tears were shed; no, it seemed as if we could not weep that day. We loved her, we had lost a faithful and affectionate friend, but "our loss was her gain." The tired pilgrim