they to introduce their own broader views of Gospel truth? Certainly not, for-as they find directly-they are not employed as teachers, but merely as the disseminators of instruction. And if in this fact of their office, or with regard to other regulations, they see a mistaken course of action, what is their resource, or to whom their appeal? They have nothing to do in such matters. As a consequence of this, many sit still without the attempt to labour, while others suffer silently. Some few in the more liberal churches have attempted to force their position by using the right of opinion, and even speech, nominally allowed them in the church meetings open to their attendance, and have only met with the humiliation of being virtually ignored. Repulsed from every point, no wonder they yield at last to the imputation of incapacity, and believe themselves shut out from the service of the Christian church as of the Jewish temple.

But we will not leave this portion of our subject without reference to the many who are toiling against the tide with an influence and strength of purpose, which even those who deny such qualities to woman, cannot but see and admire. These may be passed by, wishing them with ourselves "God speed" in sisterly love. Yet what if we pause a moment, and take a lesson in humility from the contrast of them with ourselves. They are women highly gifted with spiritual and intellectual energy, very likely far beyond our own. They are perhaps working lonelily in a course of their own forming, for their career is not hailed forward as ours might be by the love of sympathizing friends. What would some of the more spiritually exercised not give for the cheering aid of a church to start them on their way, to smooth their path with worldly gifts where these were required, to watch over their labours and sympathize in their progress, to bring them to their homes as with songs of praise, to join its thanksgivings

to theirs, while listening to their story of mercy, guidance, and peace; and amid the sublime stillness of the flesh to help them to set up the spiritual Ebenezer? But we know such have a church, and are as surely numbered with its royal priesthood, as though human record bare witness to the fact.

Is it asked how we shall proceed in the work which is here indicated? It may be answered, by cultivating acquaintance with those from whom we have been so prone to hide ourselves. The influence derived from social intercourse, is the strongest motive-power in the human machinery. We see all public efforts for the help of the Poor, producing little adequate return, and private ones often failing of any lasting result. It is only as the agents or agencies employed, approximate to a participation in the daily life and personal interests of those to be assisted, that the work assumes a selfacting vitality. The same rule applies to any attempt for those in higher life (according to this world) than ourselves. In either of these cases there are barriers between us and our best intentions not easily surmounted; but how plainly the principle comes home to our consciences, with reference to the thousands immediately surrounding us; why has it been so often overlooked, so that they and we have become accustomed to pass each other by, or at the most to content ourselves with a friendly smile in passing?

The fault has been regarded by the world as entirely on the side of Friends, and not without reason, for here as in many other cases, the originally pure motive that may have led at one time to such a course of action, has been lost in the perversions of an objectless custom. The care to avoid the contaminations of sin, by avoiding those more certainly exposed to it than we are, has become a habit of living within ourselves quite at variance with the terms of that Holy Prayer, not that thou shouldst take them out of the

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world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil." The making to ourselves a world of our own to any extent, is only an attempt to subvert the very object of our lives here,-to do by our own contrivances, that which is to be done by the power of omnipotence through us; and in proportion as the principles of our Christian profession are vitally our own, we have this power, and have it for use amid the evils of the world.

While the course necessary to preserve this exclusiveness, has tended to promote too much of selfesteem in some individuals, the accompanying and generally superabundant instructions in humility and simplicity have done much to engender the reserve of shyness in the timid mind that has had but little association towards others who were not Friends. There is no hesitation in saying that many more have suffered considerably from this, than from the opposite temptation to pride (for which such reserve is often mistaken.) Through these means Friends have been misrepresented, and it is largely owing to this that the Society remains so little understood or known amongst professing Christians.

Ought we not then to encourage one another, not excepting our children, to a freer companionship with those they find beside them in life's journey? and cannot this be done in the spirit of a sisterly readiness to give of our own spiritual wealth or take of theirs, for we do not always know on which side it will preponderate.

It would be futile to attempt to specify how any so introduced might work together. As women they must have a common centre of duties, of cares, and of joys, a general field of influence and effort; and in this let those of our name never pass by the seemingly idle ones, if able to reach them by any kindly means.

They might do much to inspirit these to those selfexertions which many would be glad to make if the

way were but shown them; they might invite them to a share of their own labours, and strengthen them through the power of sympathy, to do that for themselves which both their churches and their social laws refuse to do for them. The experiment of such intercommunion has never yet failed; and that its extension is demanded of women Friends, and will command a proportionate extension of the Divine Blessing on themselves and the world-wide interests of humanity, is equally certain. But one thing must they keep steadily in view. However, we may avoid the subject in conversation or writing, from the fear of "making a sermon,' (which by a strange perversion has become a term of wearisomeness and distaste, rather than of Gospel joy,) we cannot shirk the fact that the smallest duties of life will not be perfectly performed, nor the larger ones rightly undertaken, without a single eye to the throne of omnipotence, and our one Mediator there, the crucified Jesus, the risen Saviour, the exalted Prince! When He appoints a duty it must tend to the coming of His kingdom, and for that duty He will undoubtedly prepare a way even as He prepared the way for His own personal advent amongst the people. Like it, it will be through baptisms, but they are not always seasons of distress to the willing disciple, and joyfully to his ear the mazes of the wilderness still re-echo the cry "Make His paths straight."

A VOICE FROM SOUTHAMPTON.

NO. III.

IF inanimate things could tell of the scenes which have transpired in their unheeded presence, what a strange "book of nature" should we have! If even the Southampton Dock walls could speak of the various events which they have witnessed during the thirty years they have been erected, what "sermons in stones" should we find graven with iron pen upon their unconscious surface!

I have described in a former paper the sailing of the Madagascar Missionaries from this spot, where royal personages have met, from whence Crimean warriors have embarked, and where Indian governors, ambassadors, and foreign princes have so often landed. But this sensation-loving seaport witnessed another strange excitement, when on July 17th, vessel after vessel rounded their dock entrance, each laden with its living freight of visitors from all parts of the kingdom, bent on seeing the Naval Review at Spithead, which was appointed for the special entertainment of the Turkish Sultan and the Viceroy of Egypt. The newspapers of that day have set forth, in language more graphic than I can command, how on that extraordinary occasion there was "a fleet of men-of-war, such as had never hitherto been brought together; also fleets of yachts, fleets of pleasure-boats, and royal and illustrious visitors in numbers--how the morn broke heavily, and the mist thickened as the wind freshened, with angry squalls of cold, biting rain-the sea came rolling in heavily on the southern beach, and the ships in the