near was sent to look after her. She found all quite as bad as the lady described. Jane was ill in body, depressed in spirit, and penniless; besides which, in her destitution, she had sought refuge among people who were gaining their bread by stealing, in fact, it was a den of thieves. Jane was lying on the only bed in the room; a room which she occupied along with the mother of the family, a grown-up son, and four younger children, besides another woman. The people were not, however, unkind to poor Jane, but it was not a fit place for her to remain, and she was removed to Parker Street; the small board there being paid for by a Lady Superintendent, who has many a time stepped in to rescue some poor lonely one. By the same kind hand she was enabled, when recovering, to go away for a change, and on her return a situation was procured for her. This she did not keep, and it was feared that there was some radical fault in herself, especially as for some time she was not heard of. Lately, however, she reappeared, having got leave of absence from her present mistress. She came to tell the Matron that she is in a respectable situation, and to repay some money that had been lent to her by the lady who had helped her, as well as 2s. 6d. borrowed from the Matron, not even forgetting to restore two postage stamps that had been lent to her in the days of her poverty. The lady who told us of her, in the first instance, we have not heard of since; but surely she will never regret the effort she made to rescue this girl who had no home but the streets.

Our next story is from George Yard, which is the scene of so many strange and sorrowful incidents

A woman for some time attended the Mothers' Meeting, who seemed a stranger, and on being visited she gave the following account of herself:

A good many years ago she had a home at Buckhurst Hill, where her husband was murdered by gipsies. This grief affected her mind somewhat, and having no relatives left, her neighbours put her into a lunatic asylum, and her home was sold off. She remained in the asylum long after she had recovered, but at last the desire to leave it took possession of

her. She left the place which had so long been her only home, and after walking about for some days found herself in London, without food or shelter or any means of getting either. At this time, too, she knew nothing of God, so no cry went up to Him, but doubtless He who is not far from any of His creatures watched over her.

Once in London she did not know where to turn nor even where she was, further than that it must be the great city; but going along near Spitalfields Church a poor old man asked her to buy some tapes or buttons.

"I only wish I needed them or had money to buy with,"

said the wanderer.

"Do you want work?" asked the old pedlar.

"Yes, if I could get it."

66

Go, then," he said, "to a Jew in F Street, and he will give you work.”

Accordingly she went to seek employment, which she obtained, at a weekly payment of 2s. 6d. She felt rich with this pittance between her and starvation. It procured her food, and when her work was done she used to walk about the streets all night, or sleep under carts, or in doorways, if she could avoid the police. At last she fell ill (which is not surprising), and was taken into the infirmary. When she recovered she was again turned out, and this time the temptation came on her to make her living in the ways of sin rather than wander about starving and homeless; but the God whom she knew not, held her back, through her womanly instincts, and she felt that anything would be preferable to such a course. Impelled by hunger, she deliberately broke a shop window, and, as she expected, was sent to prison, where at least she had food and shelter.

Whilst in prison some ladies visited her and spoke kindly to her, and at parting gave her a Bible, which she still possessed, as well as a little help. She came to a lodging-house in George Yard to live, but finding that she could not pay even that small rent, she told the deputy she was leaving. A man who was present, also a lodger, overheard this, and said to her, "Look here missis, I don't like this place no more than you

do. Let us take a room together. I earn 7s. a week, and if you get some work one room will do for the two."

A burst of indignation from the poor wanderer followed this odd proposal, but she calmed down when the man explained, much amused at her outburst,

"Why, of course, I meant you to be my wife."

After a little consideration the proposal was accepted. In the course of a month they were married, and took a little back room, she adding to their scanty means by mending or doing such work as she can get. She was invited to our Meeting by the missionary, and now is thankful that she ever saw the inside of a Mothers' Meeting.

Do not these things show how true is it that God will not tempt us above what we are able, but will, with the temptation,

make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it?

THE BUTTONHOLE MAKER.

"DEAR MRS. L

"It is now some time since I gave you any account of how Mrs. M-, the needlewoman, is getting on. We have been again waiting to hear if she had been more successful with regard to the small annuity she applied for so unsuccessfully some years ago; and she has just heard there is no hope for her again this year. I fear the vacancies are filled up by those who have influential friends to recommend them, so that it does not seem any good for her to trouble further about it. She caught a severe cold through attending some of the vestry meetings concerning it, and has not been well since. Her general health is now very much impaired. The continued pains in her joints and bad eyesight tend to give her an aged appearance. She has always been a person of a very active mind, and could never bear to be idle; but now she feels even a little exertion is too much for her. She still perseveres with her reading, and is now getting on well with the Psalms. She comes to the Mothers' Meeting regularly, and tries to induce others to come also, and does all she can to get her neighbours to attend a place of worship.

"I believe at last it will be said of her, 'She hath done what she could.' A sceptical relative called one day lately to see her, and the first words he said to her were, 'Well, Caroline, I see you have not got to heaven yet.' 'No,' she replied; but, thank God, I am on the way there.' any further with her..

He did not interfere

"She often speaks of the Lord's goodness in raising up unknown friends, who continue to help her now that she is past work. Last week I said to her, 'You have been again disappointed about your annuity, and what would you say if the 3s. 6d. you have weekly were to stop?' She said, 'I would just thank the Lord for the time I have had it, and trust Him still. He is my refuge and strength, and will never fail me ; He is all-sufficient. Remember, I should not like to go to the workhouse, but if I saw it to be His will I should not object to go even there; nothing will ever make me distrust the Lord or doubt His love to me.' Her simple faith in God is very beautiful. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.' I promised to ask for a warm petticoat for her. She still feels the comfort of the nice warm shawl and other articles of clothing Mrs. Bryan kindly gave her some winters ago. "I remain, yours faithfully,

ASK AND HAVE, SEEK AND FIND.

ONE of our mothers is very old, about ninety-four. Many years she has loved the Saviour, and when every comfort has been withdrawn she has turned in loving trust to Him who has said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." I believe she often goes nearly all day without food, or without sufficient.

One day I met her in the street and gave her a coal ticket. She looked at it, then said, "I always have what I ask for; I asked for a few coals to-day, and here they are." Once when I gave her sixpence, she said, "This 'll get me what I wanted, something to eat.”

The last time I visited her, after a few minutes, she handed

me a Testament with the leaf turned down, and told me one of Mr. C's people came in and turned the leaf where the text was last night, but she hadn't time to read to her this morning, so

"I've been praying all the time that God would send someone to read it to me, and He has sent you; it's' ask and have.’ "You know God is with you?" I asked. "Yes, and I draw Him nearer to me." She stretched out her hands to show how she would draw some one nearer. "It's seek and find."

What a wonderful change it will be to her when the summons comes! She has been led to Jesus through the instrumentality of the Mission.

Visiting with the Bible-woman, we called on one of the mothers who was just recovering from what she and the doctor had thought to be her dying bed. She grasped the hand of the Bible-woman, and turning to me, she said:

"When this dear friend first called I thought her very hard on me, for she told me my own works could not save me; I was a good wife and mother, and had always believed if I did my best it was all right, but after the Bible-woman's visits I began to feel dissatisfied with myself, and would long for the time to come for her to read and explain how Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The Holy Spirit showed me I had had no real peace; but after a time of darkness God led me to believe in the willingness of Jesus to save, and when all were expecting me to die I was extremely happy, and felt God's arm underneath me, so that I thought if this be dying it is blessed to die.”

She added, "That God had made the visits of the Biblewoman a blessing to her, and now she is praying for her husband."

Mrs. W, an old woman, eighty-three years of age, was much pleased to see Nurse this morning, and to have her bed made. She is very feeble. Can scarcely stand, but with assistance in getting up, sat by the fire for a few moments. She cannot see to read, but was pleased to listen to a few verses, and told us of God's great goodness to her. She said,