the time of need. I must conclude, as I fear I have now trespassed on your valuable time, but feel I cannot say enough, but God will reward all.

"Believe me to remain, in all sincerity,

"An ever grateful patient,

Nurse has some very queer people to deal with, but she is quiet and patient, and succeeds with them. One very aged woman refused to have anything done for her though she was very dirty. Nurse told her she could not come if she did not let her help; but no, she would not that day, though quite willing to talk to us and hear us talk, for though so peculiar she is a Christian. The next day Nurse went again, and she let her wash and make her more comfortable, although previously when she had spoken of cutting off some of her hair she has had a message that if she dares to cut off a morsel her son will send a policeman after her. Still she waits quietly and does what she can when permission is given.

To-day our old friend said she was sure Nurse would come again as she had asked Jesus to send her, and she had also told Him about her parish pay, which had been stopped. She told us, however, that she had prayed about it, and accordingly the next day it was brought again.

Such is her faith that she lies praising God aloud; but there are many things that make her unlovely in the sight of man, and we are forced to see how different are His thoughts from ours, for He bears with her and loves her, making us ashamed of having any feeling of dislike, and stimulating Nurse to do all she can for her.

She looked at me rather crossly, and asked if Nurse was going away and that woman going to take her place, and it was a relief when Nurse told her she was not going to leave her.

Her peculiarities extend to her inner life. We read, "All but one patient were delighted with the lovely flowers given them from the Flower Show; they had arranged them in the best way, and placed them in the most conspicuous places, all

but the old woman, who had refused to let Nurse do anything for her." Strange to say she did not want any of the flowers; she had a nice fuchsia, and as soon as it began to bud told her landlady to take it away, for it took away her thoughts from God. Surely the visits of Nurse will tend to give her wider thoughts of the love of God and man. She has told us that at

first she thought we came to quiz her dirty blanket, now she asks when we are coming again to talk to her of Jesus. It is only the thought of Him who laid aside His garments and came to earth to minister to our needs that can urge us on to persevere in our efforts to bring to such poor ones the cleansing outward and inward that they need.

TWENTY YEARS SINCE.

Ir is more than twenty years since Nurse, when a Bible-woman in this district, knocked at the door of Mr. Penn's cottage: he was then a stranger to her, and had not long been left a widower with a young family. In his trouble he had that day quite intended to commit suicide, but Nurse's knock and asking him to begin paying for a Bible changed his thoughts. She soon found he was a Roman Catholic, and his work was the carving of images. However, he allowed her to call again, and Nurse remembers the words so much on her mind were, "Cast thy bread upon the waters: and thou shalt find it after many days." He soon looked upon her as a friend, and she helped him with his youngest child, quite a baby. After a time his health gave way and she was able to lead him to Jesus the only Saviour, and at last he died a very happy Christian. Nurse has watched over the children for years; the youngest died while quite a child; two boys went to sea and might be doing better; the eldest daughter often made her home with Nurse, and at times caused her much anxiety, but she now keeps in respectable situations, and is a fine young woman. When living near enough she attends church with Nurse, and regrets that she has so often made her unhappy. I met her a few weeks ago while out with Nurse, and she was as pleased to see her as if she had been her own mother.

When Nurse met with this family a Roman Catholic neighbour used to be in with the children sometimes, and from that time Nurse has known her and her children, and has often given a helping hand in sickness. Although Romanists they respected her, and one lad which she had often talked to would listen to her. After his father's death he was very kind to his mother and worked very hard until a few months ago he went oft rapidly in consumption. Nurse's teaching had doubtless been blest to him for he told all around him that Jesus was more to him than the priest, and he hoped his mother would follow him to heaven.

It is now about twelve years since Nurse last attended Mrs. Brown with a very bad leg, so bad that the doctor at the hospital wanted to amputate it but the poor woman declined having it off, and Nurse attended her at home for a long time, dressing it with her carbolic treatment until it was quite well, and she has been able to stand to laundry work all these years.

INCREASED CIRCULATION OF THE SCRIPTURES IN SYRIA.

FROM Beyrout, on the 12th February, Mrs. Smith writes:"It is very gratifying to see how many thousand copies of the Bible now find an entrance and a welcome in the houses of Moslems. Many come to us begging for the Bible, saying the Koran does not forbid their study of it.

"What strange events are now passing in the East, all advancing towards the great climax of our Christian hopes in the future! How we feel for the Jews, not suffered to land on their arrival at their own shores! But the Word of the Lord will surely come to pass however long it may seem to tarry.

"Many Syrians are finding employment in Egypt, and many English officers are noble missionaries, not only among their own soldiers, but also among others. So we trust to hear that there will be a goodly harvest to rejoice in after the heaviness."

In this place we have five agents, one for each of the religious districts into which it is divided, Moslem, Druze, Maronite, Greek, and the Harem visitor, with whom we have fortnightly meetings.

K

REPORT OF ABOU SELIM ELYAZAJIE, THE BLIND SCRIPTURE READER.

"In passing through the town one day a blind beggar asked alms of me to pay for souls in purgatory. I knew him, his name was Peshara (Peshara means good news). I said to him, instead of asking for money for souls in purgatory, why not tell the people the good news, that Christ came to save them? He said, 'I have no liberty to speak in that way, the priests won't let me.' I said, 'You have liberty to curse, to steal, to beg, &c., and no liberty to speak to Christ or for Christ.' This conversation brought a crowd of Moslems and Jews round us, and we began speaking of Jesus. I had my Bible, and asked one man to read a few verses from Jeremiah v. Then the Moslems and Jews disputed; the Moslems saying Christ had come, the Jews saying He had not. After reading a few more passages of Scripture I went my way. But some Moslems came after me and asked me to explain to them how Jesus could be the Son of God? This I gladly did. Some of them said, 'We shall get one of your Bibles and read for ourselves whether what you say is true.' I told them I would gladly sell them a Bible, as I had already sold many.

6

"Visiting a Greek family, I found a little girl from our East Coombe School, teaching her mother the hymn, Jesus, refuge of my soul.' This gave an opportunity of speaking very plainly to the woman. I asked her if Jesus was her refuge, and in what way ? She said, 'No, He was not her refuge, she found a refuge in confessing to the priests.' I asked her 'how she could confess her sins to a man like one of us and believe he could pardon her?

"She said, "Well, I want to do certain things which I could not do unless I knew I could get pardon from someone.' I pointed her to Christ as the only one able to pardon.

"Yes,' she said, 'my little child prays to your Jesus, and I would not wish her to pray to anyone else; and perhaps some day her poor mother will pray to the same Jesus.' The little child said, 'Mother, I pray every day for you.'

I read Luke xv., prayed with her, and left her. I believe she will find Jesus her eternal refuge.

"I am happy to be able to speak of the conversion of a Moslem man and a Jewish lad of about fourteen years of age whom I have been visiting in the hospital. They have both been led to own Christ as their Saviour while on their sick bed. The poor Moslem has been obliged to leave Beyrout on pain of death. The Jewish lad I hope to keep with me; being blind he will be a help to me in my work. May I ask all who read this to pray for these two poor persons.

66

'During this month I have sold twenty Testaments, three Bibles, and some Gospels. Visiting another house I found a girl from one of our schools very ill in bed. I asked her whether she was afraid of death. O, no!' she replied, 'I am very happy, I have learned at school to love my Saviour. He died for me. My soul is in His hand, and when my body dies my soul will be with Christ in heaven. I believe in the Lord Jesus, who loved me and gave Himself for me; and I am sure that if I die I shall go to be with Him. This is much better for me than being here. I suffer much pain, and I commit sin. I long to go to Jesus and sin no more and suffer no more.'

"The mother shed tears at these words of her child, saying she was not ready to die as her child was. Then she begged me not to speak with her child any more for fear of exciting her. I told her, her child would see Jesus, and begged her to be reconciled to the same Saviour. She said there were some people in the next room, would I speak to them about Christ? I went in and had a long conversation with them; many seemed impressed with what they had seen and heard."

THE BIBLE-WOMAN AT HASBAYA, MOUNT HERMON.

There is a touching interest which hangs around our faithful Nigmy Gazelle, who has been for some time acting as Biblewoman at Hasbaya, within sight of the Mount of Transfiguration. She has steadily worked on during all the long and trying events in Egypt, where her youngest and beloved son was summoned to act as dragoman in the perilous enterprise of Professor Palmer and his companions. Yet she worked on, though her heart was with the absent son far off in the desert