Some of our readers, we know, have a taste for drawing. Those who have, ought to cultivate it. They cannot have a more harmless, a more interesting, or a more useful amusement. In drawing, your work is not only a pleasure while you are engaged in it, but it may afterwards give pleasure to others. How nice, for example, when you go in summer to the country, or to the sea-side, to be able to make a sketch of the house you live in, or of the trees, or the ships, and boats, and rocks around you!

A WARNING FOR BOYS.

A MINISTER, who had been for many years chaplain to the Maryland Penitentiary, took great pains to find out what it was which first led the prisoners to go astray; and, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, he found that Sabbath-breaking was the beginning of their wicked courses.

A young man was going to be hanged for inurder. As he stood upon the scaffold, he spoke to the great crowd gathered round, in this manner :

"My friends, you have come to see a man die. Let me advise you to take warning by me. The beginning of my ruin was Sabbath-breaking. This led me into bad company from had company I went to drinking; from drinking, to robbing orchards and gardens; from this, to housebreaking; and from this, to murder. Thus I have been brought to my present sad condition. Many of you are young: in an especial manner let me warn you to beware of Sabbath-breaking."-Rev. R. Newton, D.D.

SIN IS A POISON.

SIN is a poison: you cannot drink it and yet live the life of grace. If a man love sin, sin is its own punishment; to be an enemy of God is hell.-C. H. Spurgeon.

THE HAPPY HOME IS ALL.

Ir maketh not much what path we go to heaven. The happy home is all, when the roughness of the way shall be forgotten.Samuel Rutherford.

"ROCK OF AGES."

IN LATIN.

Translated by the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, Prime Minister of Great Britain.

[WHILE visiting, last autumn, a remote Free Church manse in Shetland, the young people put into our hands the following beautiful lines. We print them for those of our boy-readers who are learning Latin, and who, we hope, 'will translate them to their sisters.-ED. C. R.]

1.

JESUS, pro me perforatus,
Condar intra tuum latus!
Tu, per lympham profluentem,
Tu, per sanguinem tepentem,—
In peccata mî redunda,
Tolle culpam, sordes munda.

2.

Coram te nec justus forem, Quamvis tota vi laborem ; Nec si fide nunquam cesso Fletu stillans indefesso; Tibi soli tantum munus,Salva me, salvator unus!

3.

Nil in manu mecum fero,
Sed me versus crucem gero;
Vestimenta nudus oro,

Opem debilis imploro;

Fontem Christi quaero immundus,— Nisi laves, moribundus!

4.

Dum hos artus vita regit, Quando nox sepulchro tegit, Mortuos cum stare jubes, Sedens judex inter nubes,JESUS! pro me perforatus, Condar intra tuum latus!

INDIA.

BENGAL.

Baptism at Mahanad.

On the 6th August I had the happiness of admitting a young man into the visible Church of Christ by the sacred rite of baptism. His name is Sharat Chandra Muchtaphi, a native of Shripoor, which lies midway between Tribene and Culna. In 1869 he went to Lahore, and studied for a short time in the mission school of that capital. While there, he says, he was convinced of the truth of Christianity, and felt a desire even then to make an open confession of his faith; but want of moral courage, and worldliness, prevented him from doing so. The next year he returned to Bengal.

Fortunately for him, he states, he met our native preacher, Bábu Koilas Chandra Bánergee, with whom he held several conversations on the subject of Christianity. At last he felt it his duty to make a public confession of his faith in Christ Jesus, and accordingly offered himself here in the middle of July as a candidate for baptism. Being thoroughly satisfied with his knowledge and sincerity, I baptized him on the 6th August, as mentioned above. Before his baptism, Sharat's relatives came, and, as usual in such cases, made most heartrending cries and lamentations, with the view to dissuade him from embracing the Christian religion; but I am very thankful to say he remained very firm, and resisted every temptation.

Four days after his baptism, his father and uncle came to him, and assured him that if he went to live with them, they would not in any way interfere with his new religion, but give him full liberty to practise it at home. He believed their word, and accompanied them to his house. I think this profession of liberality was simply a trap to take away the young man and try to make him a Hindu again. We often pray that divine grace may be vouchsafed to the new disciple, that he may be able to resist all temptations to apostasy, and come out uninjured and unscathed from the fiery trials with which he is likely to be tried by his friends and relatives. Rev. J. Bhattacharjya, Mahanad.

THE CONTINENT.

ROME.

Waldensian Church-Noble Gifts.

THOUGH obliged under medical advice to refrain for a time from active duty, Dr. Stewart of Leghorn has not been idle. He writes:

"Most of your readers are aware that the Waldensian Church was the first to preach the gospel in Rome after its Occupation by the Italian troops. The Waldensian Mission has prospered; its Italian congregation is the largest in Rome, and it has two schools in operation. From the influence brought to bear upon the landlords by the priests, however, the congregation has been driven from more than one place hired for divine worship.

Taking into consideration the constant liability to such annoyances so long as they have not a place which they can call their own, I resolved, depending upon the blessing of the great Head of the Church, to make an effort (similar to the one made in 1860, which ended in the purchase of Palazzo Salviati for their Theological College) to raise £6000 for the purchase of a house in Rome, sufficiently large to accommodate within its walls a church, schools, pastors and teachers' apartments, and a shop for a Bible colporteur. Through the munificent donations of the following friends, that effort has been more than completed: James Lenox, Esq., New York, £1000; Messrs. R. L. and A. Stuart, New York, £1000, forwarded through the American Presbyterian Board of Missions; Mrs. Gamble, Ashburn, Gourock, £1000; James White, Esq., Overtoun, £1000; George Martin, Esq., Auchendennan, £500; Hugh M. Matheson, Esq., London, £500; James Stevenson, Esq., Largs, £500: Messrs. D. and J. Paton, Tillicoultry, £600; J. Stitt, Esq., Cloughton, The Grange, £100; Mrs. Barclay, Öld Kilpatrick, £100; James A. Campbell, Esq., younger of Stracathro, £50; and S. S. Teulon, Esq., London, £5, 5s. Lenox sent me £1000 for Florence in 1860, and at once agreed to head the present effort. To all these kind friends I beg to return my most grateful thanks; and to God be all the glory."

Mr.

AFRICA.

KAFFRARIA.

Letter from Miss Blair about the Kaffir

Children.

PIRIE MISSION STATION, 5th August 1871.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-I suppose you would all like to hear a little about Kaffirs, and our work among them. There are two kinds of Kaffirs: first, those who live on the station, and are dressed in European clothing; second, the heathen, who paint their bodies and the clothes they wear red. The clothing of the men and women is generally a blanket; but as for the children, they have to content themselves with a sheep-skin or any other thing they can get. Very often, you will be shocked to hear, they run naked; and if they see the missionary or any other European coming, they lie down and hide among the grass.

There was a "jubilee" of the mission held at all the stations on the 28th of July. It is now fifty years since Messrs. Bennie and Thompson landed on Africa's shores to preach the glorious gospel to the natives of this country, who had long sat in darkness. We had a very large meeting here. The people came in from all the surrounding out-stations, and had service in the church. It was quite crowded. The people did not know where to sit. A few children from the schools at the out-stations were allowed to come in. They at first took possession of the seats, but had very soon to give them up, to make room for the grown-up people. They were then all crowded together on the floor, and even below the table, which serves at present instead of a pulpit. I fear you children in Scotland would not like this kind of treatment; but the little Kaffirs do not mind it, as they are accustomed to nothing better at home, there being no chairs in their houses. As for the station children, they were not even allowed to come in, although, poor things, they were all dressed up finely for the occasion. They, however, made up for it in their own way, by going and spending part of their holiday in play.

We opened our meeting by singing a hymn composed by a Kaffir. Its metre is peculiar, and the time is equally so to European

ears.

I

There were a good number of red Kaffirs present, also four headmen. think you would be amused to see them. They make themselves very grand in their own way. The most of them wear necklaces of beads, and some even make them of teeth. They also wear long strings of beads over their shoulders. I have seen some of the women with a great number of chains hanging down from their waists, which make a great noise when they walk. They paint their faces in all kinds of ways, and even rub paint on their hair, which is short, like wool.

After the service (which was conducted by Mr. B. Ross) was over, the people who wished to say anything were called upon to speak. These were also told that there was to be a great meeting held at Burnshill in November, where all the missionaries and people are expected to meet; for which they were requested to make a collection.

Old Mr. Ross then spoke a few words about the difficulties they had when they came here at first. The people listened to him very attentively. If spared, his "jubilee" will be in two years. A number of the people then made short addresses, at the same time giving their_collections, which amounted to £4, 12s. The meeting was closed with prayer and praise.

The children, who by this time had gathered around the teacher's door, were busy singing. When he returned he gave them a fine dinner; which, you may suppose, they enjoyed well, as it is seldom they have any such thing. After their fine dinner was finished, they spent their afternoon in singing. There was also a meeting held at night, which was very well attended.

Now I have told you a little about the Kaffirs at Pirie, hoping you will do what you can to help them to get their new church built, so that there may be room for all to come and hear about the Saviour who suffered and died for us and them. We desire the prayers of all Christian children that the Lord may shower blessings upon his work among the heathen, and open their hearts to receive the gospel. But to you who have not yet found the Lord to be your own Saviour, allow me to say, Seek him now, for you do not know how soon you may be cut down.

Your affectionate friend,

HELEN BLAIR.

roofs of houses are generally made flat, and they are very nice places to sit or walk on in the evening.

There are some passages, too, which show us that the writers of them were very well acquainted with the customs of heathens. You have read in Isaiah several descriptions of god-making, which must have seemed to you very strange (Isa. xl. 19, 20; xli. 6, 7; xliv. 10-19). But the children in India and China do not think so. They see men in their workshops, as I have often seen them in India, making gods; and among them a boy serves his apprenticeship to a god-maker, just as a boy amongst us becomes apprentice to a shoemaker or a watchmaker.

In this picture you see men at work in a shed, busy at their trade. The god that is just about finished is Krishna, playing on his guitar. He is standing on the back of an elephant, which the workman is just about finishing. You will see other two men making other gods, and on the floor there are some half-finished ones. These god-makers in India are very much like the silversmiths in Ephesus. not think they really believe in the gods that they make; but they believe in the money that they get for making them, and therefore they are very much opposed to missions and missionaries.

I do

Perhaps you may think that there will not be much employment for these godmakers; that when once all the people of the country are supplied, they will not need any more for a long time. But the iuventors of Hinduism took care of this; and they have arranged it so that there must be new gods continually. One generally lasts only for one or two days. He is got ready for a particular day, when puja or worship is to be offered to him. He is made of strips of bamboo, stuffed with straw, and covered over with clay, and then

painted with bright colours. But he is not a god yet. The Brahmins make him a god by repeating some Sanscrit verses! Then he is set up, and all the people pray to him, and ask him to bless them! This lasts for one, two, three, or more days; and then the Brahmins repeat some other verses, and then he is a god no longer, and he is thrown into the river; and so next puja-day another one must be provided.

I saw in a newspaper the other day a funny story about a little girl who passed by a forge, and saw a blacksmith nailing on a horse's shoe. She went home and said to her mother that she had found out the place where they made the horses, and that she had seen a man just finishing one, as he was fastening on the last foot! You think that very silly in the little girl. But what are we to say of thousands of grownup people who think that gods can be made with axes and hammers? One of the passages in Isaiah that I spoke about describes very terribly the folly of this. It shows you a man thinking what he is to do with a log of wood that he has got. I want, he says, some firewood to heat my oven. Well, the log will do very well for that. Ah! but, he adds, I may not need the whole of it for that purpose. Well, if there be any left I shall make a god of it! "With the residue thereof he maketh a god, and falleth down and worshippeth it."

Is not all this very foolish? And must not the devil have been very anxious to get men's hearts taken off from God, when he took so much trouble to make them believe such a lie? Well, he is just as anxious to take off your hearts from God, and he will try very hard to make you set your heart upon something else; and he does not very much care what it be that yon put instead of God, if only he can get you to love, and to fear, and to seek happiness and pleasure in, anything more than in God.