ing light upon the dark hearts of many of them, and proved the power of God to their salvation. The following is certainly a remarkable instance of the means by which God sometimes effects His gracious designs :

"A Páhán-i.e., a priest of the devil-obtained from his son, when at the point of dying, a solemn promise not to forsake the religion of their fathers as others had done, but to beware of the influence of the Feringhees, or foreigners; and, above all, not to mix with those who had forsaken their own religion and adopted that of the white people. He told him to continue to worship the gods of the jungle, and assured him that, as these gods had protected him (the father) all his life through from dangers and disease, they would also protect the son. The young man promised the father faithfully to follow his advice. After this the father died, and his corpse was burnt, according to the custom of the people. But not long afterwards the son joined a party of sportsmen in Phagun, and, whilst passing through the jungle, a tiger sprung out of the thicket and prepared at once to attack the party. In a minute they all took to their heels except our Páhán; but he remained, and reasoned with himself in some such way as this: 'Why should I flee? Have I not been a faithful servant of the bhút of the jungle-the god of the woods-and of all the animals therein? Have I not promised my father, on his deathbed, to remain a faithful servant of the bhút? and have I not kept my promises hitherto, bringing offerings at all festivals, and worshipping daily before him? Why should I flee? Will not the god of the jungle protect me from the tiger?' Full of confidence, he stood still, looking full in the face of the savage beast; then he took his bow from his back, and an arrow; but, alas! whilst

drawing the bow the cord snapped, and the arrow became useless. What could he do now! Without another weapon, he stood defenceless before the tiger, which meanwhile had crept near enough to him to be ready for the last spring. The Páhán, deadly pale, still stood facing the fierce creature, which did not give him much time to think; for the next minute, with a sudden spring, he was upon the poor Cole, threw him to the ground, with his fore paws upon his shoulders, and the claws of his hinder paws tearing his legs. Writhing with pain, and struggling with death, the Páhán put forth all his strength, and, seizing the tiger with a strong gripe by his throat, he tried to choke him. This frightened the beast. He struggled to get away, and soon with a spring left the Cole, and moved away a short distance. Soon, however, he turned round to renew his attack, and, looking at his prey lying on the ground, he prepared himself for a second spring. As it was impossible for the poor man to rise from the ground and face his enemy, as he saw the tiger preparing for the jump he placed himself on his back, and drew his legs down upon his chest as closely as possible, thus covering his whole body. This was no sooner done than the tiger leaped upon him, but was thrown back with great force by the man, who, having drawn in his legs as much as possible, was able, by putting his feet on the chest of the beast, to throw him off. As he was not prepared for such a reception, and seemed quite ashamed of being foiled a second time, he walked off into the jungle, and did not return. The men who ran when the tiger made his appearance had gone to the next village, making a great noise, and, drawing others together from the field and village, they ran to the place where they had seen the tiger. Some of

these were inquirers after the truth which servants of Christ had brought to their land. They, therefore, offered to assist the poor man, who was wounded severely by the tiger, and to bring him to the missionaries, who would apply ointment to his wounds and give him medicine. To this he readily consented. Here he heard words of life and salvation. Soon afterwards he gave up his idolatry, and turned with his whole heart to Jesus Christ. Being a man of energy and well known, his influence drew many more after him. But now persecution arose. As his father had possessed a large grant of land from the Thikedar (the Zemindar, or landowner, who is responsible to the British Government for the rent), the land became the son's after the father's death, and so long as he was a pagan he enjoyed it without disturbance or dispute; but as soon as it became known that he had joined the Christians, or rather had become an inquirer, persecution arose from all sides. The Thikedar tried to take away the grant of land, but in this he failed. The villagers, who had formerly looked up to the Páhán (devil priest), now ill-treated him. But he bore all this very well, and remained steadfast. Soon he publicly professed his faith in Jesus Christ, and was like a happy child rejoicing in the peace and rest which he had found; from that time being a pattern to Christians, and a light to the benighted heathen. Though he lives twenty-five miles from the Mission-station, the brethren see him every Sunday attending both services; and on Monday morning, before he begins his journey, he comes to one of the missionäries, and asks him to pray with him, because, he says, the devil is even more cruel and enraged than the tiger, and the only weapons against his fiery assault are prayer and faith."

IN THE VINEYARD.

A MOTTO FOR THE NEW COLLECTING CARD.

IN the vineyard of our Father
Daily work we find to do;

Scattered gleanings we may gather,

Though we are but young and few.

Little clusters

Help to fill the garners too.

Toiling early in the morning,

Catching moments through the day,
Nothing small or lowly scorning,

So along our path we stray,
Gath'ring gladly

Farewell offerings by the way.

THE BURNING BIBLE.

pious

A TRACT visitor became acquainted with a woman whose husband was an infidel, and oftentimes outrageous in his opposition to religious things.

The visitor, uniting her prayers with those of the believing wife as she had opportunity, sought, in the wisest and mildest way, to turn the misguided man from his course of folly and sin.

She, as may be supposed, was very anxious that he should read the Bible for himself, and one day took a copy to give him. The infidel, in the most decided tone and manner, said he would certainly burn the book if she left it; but the visitor thinking it only a furious threat, and remembering the fervent prayers of the pious wife, and her anxiety for the success of the effort, concluded to leave the precious volume, and retired to pray.

The visitor had hardly left the room-the wife also stepping out for a minute-when the man thrust the Bible hastily into the fire, and watched its rapid destruction by the flames. Very soon nothing remained but the cover and a few bits of the leaves; some of the fragments where whirled out of the fire by a current of air, and fell upon the hearth: these he gathered up and put back again, but casting his eye over the pieces, he saw a few lines still legible, which some impulse prompted him to read, and which were found to be so apposite, that infidelity itself could not deny the hand and voice of God.

The words he made out were-"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away."

The Spirit of the Lord sent home to his heart immediately such a conviction of the truth of these words, and of his awful heaven-daring impiety, that we think Belshazzar himself scarcely felt more horror when he saw the mysterious handwriting upon the wall, preaging his doom. His soul was in terror; he besought his wife to pray for him, and accompanied her to the house of God to ask the prayers of Christians on his