undeveloped, crushed, and objectless life. Neither is it possible to conceive, but that the great Father of all must have some purpose to accomplish, in and through the earthly career of each of His children. We not unfrequently hear the term, "a disappointed and blighted life," in reference to some whose cherished hopes and brightest prospects have withered and died. We must tread tenderly on ground watered by many tears, for sorrow is a sacred thing, and unless we believe and "trust in the living God," how many aspects of suffering may, in this life, leave the poor heart hopeless and desolate! But nothing that comes to us from the hand of God, can be intended to dry up. His object must ever be to develop His children -not to suppress and hinder them.

It sometimes pleases God, for reasons we await the "hereafter" to explain, to remove entirely from our grasp some source of earthly happiness. The door, which separates us from our cherished wish, He shuts and locks with His own hand. He does not throw away the key, for He remembers the far off opening, when all that is cheerfully surrendered for His sake, will be restored a hundred-fold; but the opening, like the shutting, must be in His own way, and in His own time. How many, alas! waste the precious hours of life in searching for false keys, or in applying strength of their own devising, by aid of which they hope to force open the closed doors. They linger, linger around the charmed portal, until every

avenue of the soul is so choked with regret and despair, that it cannot hear the voice which speaks, and says, "Follow Me. I will show thee greater things than these."

I know some who, through unhappy marriages, have the door of domestic happiness effectually barred against them. I heard the other day of a gentleman, just entering on a hopeful career as a barrister, suddenly afflicted with deafness-at one stroke shutting in his face the door he had for years been preparing to enter. Many, besides Job, have had to say, "Thou hast fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass." Blessed are they who never try to pass; who instead of wrestling with their position, accept it as divinely appointed. The highest service God needs from us, often waits for this entire surrender.

Some of the grandest work which God, in the interests of His kingdom, has to accomplish, can only be trusted to those who, broken and crushed by earth's disappointments and failures, nevertheless rise. out of it all to say, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me," and

"Who for all loss high recompense will give; Nor now unheeding marks our bitter smart, When dies our project, that His plan may live.'

IN the silence of the mountains

I had learnt to worship God;

In the smiling of the valleys
Where His love is shed abroad,

I had echoed back the music

Of the insect and the breeze, Each with its own sweet murmur Among the whispering trees.

I had listened to the torrent,

As it broke its foaming way Through the gorge of chilly darkness, Into liberty and day.

And had laughed for very gladness
As the turbid stream grew bright,

And caught upon its waters
The sunbeam's dancing light.

I had watched the mighty river
In its rushing onward sweep,
Till in the lake's fair bosom,

It had rocked itself to sleep.
I had gazed on Alpine summits,
Pure in their mantling snow,
Or burnished with strange glory,
Beneath the sunset glow.

I had lived among the flowers
Of many a sunny clime,

And breathed their freshest fragrance,
In morning's dewy prime;

Till I felt as though my spirit

Could rise on angels' wings,

And leave earth's dearth and dulness, For loftier communings.

IT

But other sights had met me,
Now, in the throng of life.
Midst sounds of sin and sadness,
Of turmoil and of strife;
My nights were hot and restless,
My days were full of care,
And I marvelled if God's children
Could serve Him everywhere.
The loud clamour of the city

Pressed on my aching brain,

And I longed with a weary longing
For beauty and rest again.
Away to the silent mountains!
To the pure untainted air!
The terrible guilt and sorrow

Might be all forgotten there.

The thunder clouds were heavy,
The lightning's fitful glare
Broke in with startling brightness,

As I breathed my faltering prayer.
I had spoken that prayer full often,
And I trembled as I knelt;
There seemed a darkness round me,
Darkness that could be felt.

I asked for the Master's guiding

In the path He would have me tread,

I asked for a willing spirit,

To follow where'er He led.
But my heart sank chill within me,
I knew I had lingered long,

And that Master had need of servants
Who would be brave and strong.
He had heard the wail of the city,
Disease and death were there,—
And I in my cowardly shrinking,

Had turned from its poisoned air ;— Must He call for more loyal soldiers, Who could glory in loss and shame, And count it all joy to suffer,

If only for His dear name !

I thought of my dreams of pleasure,
My yearnings for rest and ease-
And I seemed to see in the distance,
Gethsemane's olive trees-
And the tears of bitter anguish
That once were wept for me,
The throes of mysterious sorrow
That bought my victory!
Then a Hand was laid upon me,
Which no mortal eye could see,—
And I knew the voice that whispered
Wilt thou "do it unto Me?"

I told Him all the conflict

Of a selfish, wayward will,-
Oh! could that tender Saviour
Pardon and love me still?

Could He trust me with His messages,
Now I had learnt His grace,
And send me forth all joyous

In the shining of His face?

For I was His forgiven one,
The purchase of His blood,
Redeemed an sealed and panoplied
For the service of my God!

More beautiful than sunlight,

More pure than driven snow,
Were the gems He bid me gather
To bind upon His brow!
And I loved the dusty highway,

I loved the gloomy street,
For labour now was easy,

And sacrifice was sweet!
The summer hours sped swiftly
And darker days drew on;

I had breathed no mountain freshness,

But my weariness was gone.

I had heard no earthly music,

But my heart could always sing
The anthem of its gladness,
In the Service of the King!

was a cause of much regret to those interested in the various Christian works now carried on in different parts of Asia Minor, that the meeting announced at the last Mildmay Conference for the Broussa Orphanage was omitted in consequence of the rainy weather. In the Ladies' Meeting of the week following, so many topics pressed for admission that Mrs. Baghdasarian had but little time to speak of her interesting work. We, therefore, gladly insert the following paper, which has been sent to us :

Home for Orphan and Destitute Girls, Broussa, Bithynia, Turkey in Asia.

This Home was established at the time of the famine in Asia Minor. In it 36 destitute children

13

C. P.

found refuge, and after many great difficulties and troubles, we are now a happy and industrious family, only feeling the want of a larger and healthier home in which to shelter the children. The house we now live in is quite unsuitable. The drainage is so bad, that typhus fever and dysentery broke out amongst the children, and the house itself is too small to hold our number, or receive any of the many applicants there are for admission. The present Pasha is a liberal man-a promoter of education, and he has promised to give us a free grant of land, provided we supply the money for the building. We hope that kind friends in England will give us their help in the important work, and enable us to build a suitable home for the children. Many of them have most touching histories

and during the Russo-Turkish war have gone through scenes of terror and massacre. Here they are taught to do housework, washing, ironing, cooking, cuttingout and making their own clothes. Regular school hours are kept, from 8 o'clock in the morning till 12, and from 2 to 4. An efficient teacher is employed, and the children are taught their native language (Armenian), Turkish, and English, and, above all, to know the Saviour and follow Him. They are also trained to sympathize with others. Every Saturday afternoon is given to them to hold a missionary working party. They appoint their own president, and the meeting is begun with reading the Bible and prayer. They take it by turns to read aloud the " Pilgrim's Progress," or little accounts of mission work translated into the Armenian language. When their work is sold, the money is sent to another charity. We have received much sympathy from the American Missionaries, and from the native Protestant churches; the

latter, notwithstanding their poverty, have contributed nobly towards the support of the Home, and we have received donations from Turks, which is considered marvellous.

A report of the work was published two years ago, called, "A Voice from Mount Olympus," giving an account of the beginning of the Home, and the histories of some of the children. Since then the work has enlarged, and consequently calls for more support. In asking Christian friends for this, it will be borne in mind that their efforts will be for the furtherance of Christ's kingdom, since these children will be sent forth as teachers and Bible-women into the yet unconverted villages of Asia Minor.

[It may interest our friends to know that Mrs. Baghdasarian is an English lady, married to the son of a Russian merchant, who is now working as a missionary in Bithynia, under the Basle Society.-ED.]

Ye who dwell among the flowers-
Flowers of Eden, bright and gay-
Gather up the choicest blossoms
Ere their freshness pass away.
Take them to the lonely-hearted,

To the homes of grief and care; Shed abroad the breath of fragrance, Scatter roses everywhere.

Roses from your Father's garden,

Sparkling with the morning dew, Silent messengers of gladness

Given so lovingly to you. Lay them on the sick man's pillow, Take them to the poor man's door; Faded lips will smile a welcome

That have seldom smiled before.

Ye who dwell among the sunbeams,
Basking in the living light,
Hasten on your joyous mission

To earth's chill and weary night;
Plunge into the deepest darkness,
Valiant children of the day,
Carrying gleams of sunny brightness,
Sparkling as you thread your way.
Draw back many a shadowing curtain
Of despair, or shame, or sin ;
Speak sweet messages of mercy,
Let the rosy daylight in ;
Go and soothe away the anguish,
Go and kiss away the tears,
In the radiance of your smiling
Let sad hearts forget their fears.

A

Ye who dwell among sweet music,
Warbling, as ye pass along,
Snatches of the high and holy
Cadences of angel song!
Earth is full of jarring discords,
But ye may not turn away,
Ye've a ministry of blessing
For the dark and cheerless day.

Come and mend the broken harp-strings,
Come and put them into tune;

Sing your own sweet songs of Zion,
They shall find an echo soon;
Sing them to the broken-hearted,
Though the answer be a sigh,
You and they shall sing together
In full chorus by-and by.

S far as possible, the same visitors return to the same hospitals and infirmaries season after season, and the following notes will show the pleasure with which they are welcomed. Passing through the wards of the

Infirmary, on our return to our happy work with the carly spring flowers, we came to the bedside of a dying woman. I felt, as I looked at her, that I had never seen such joy depicted in a human face before. On seeing us she called out, Oh, I have longed for this moment! I remember what you told me last year; I am very ill now, but I have kept all the texts that were tied to the nosegays, and I am trusting Him. I have given up all to the Lord; sometimes I am not quite sure, and yet I do know He loves me." I could

hardly keep back the tears, as I shook hands with her, promising to call in again the next week, when we should be coming to visit the men's wards. But when the next week came, she was gone Home, having died that very morning. All night she had been saying, "I hope she will come," and had asked one of the old women to read the fourteenth chapter of St. John; they then repeated the Lord's Prayer together, and she thanked all around her for what they had done for her, adding, "Be sure to thank and bless the Flower ladies for me." Last year this woman had been so ignorant that she seemed scarcely to understand from what book the texts were taken. I passed on to the men's wards, and one poor fellow greeted me, with a reminder that I had last year promised him a spellingbook, and he had waited for it all the winter, for he knew I should keep my word. Alas! I had failed to bring it to him that day, but my omission gave me the opportunity of telling him of the love of a Saviour who never forgets those who trust in Him. Not one of the 170 men refused to take the flowers, or to listen to the verses on the cards, and one man had a large cactus plant standing in the window, hung round with texts.

While visiting the wards of the

Workhouse

we had more than one proof that God has His jewels in dark and desolate places. We spoke a very few words to one poor man, and the answer came at once, "I have trusted Him, and found His love more precious than gold. He is with me now and will be to the end." From another, "I have not a friend left, but one, the dear Lord is with me night and day. Do you ever long to go Home, lady? What do you think we shall feel when we open our eyes in our own dear Home, with our own dear Lord, when He will give a welcome even to such as me?" Some of the aged ones, when the texts are read, catch up the words and finish the verse, sometimes saying they like the cards even better than the flowers. Several have said that they saved the texts, when the flowers had died, to send to friends in the country, and we encourage them to do this, telling them they are helping us to sow the good seed. At our Mission Room, from whence the flowers are sent forth, many prayers ascend, both for the needed flowers, for the workers who carry them, and the sick ones who receive them. On one occasion lately (as has been often the case during this wet summer) the supply of flowers was insufficient to meet the demand. It was the day for sending to the Fever Hospital at and before deciding that this visit must be postponed, we knelt and specially asked that we might have 150 bunches for these poor sufferers. It was half-past three o'clock before we received the wished-for answer, and then three boxes of most lovely flowers arrived, and the needed 150 were sent at once to the hospital. The matron welcomed them with unusual joy, and said, “We were beginning to fear you were not coming to-day; but I am delighted

15

to see you, for we have been praying all day that God would send these flowers."

A THREEFOLD BLESSING.

A few months since I was called into a house in my district and told that a little girl of twelve had come home from the hospital-come home to die-and would like to see me. She was a bright little Christian, and had been brought to the Lord through the instrumentality of the visitors in connection with the Bible Flower Mission. The good seed of the Word of Life scattered in faith, amongst the pale faces and wasted forms of the little ones, had found a resting-place in at least one childish heart, which had opened to receive Jesus. She died a day or two after I saw her-a most triumphant death, which has left a deep impression on the neighbourhood.

I called the next day and saw the parents, who in the midst of their sorrow were both greatly moved by their child's earnest pleadings that they would give up drink and love Jesus, so as to meet her in heaven.

I went to the house many times afterwards, but only to find the door locked, for the children always went to school during the day, and the mother seemed to be constantly out at work. At last, however, my visit was successful, and I found Mrs. M— at home. What a change had come over the once dirty and neglected room! all looked bright and cheery as I entered, and she herself, though still poorly clad, was neat and respectable. On expressing my pleasure at her altered surroundings, she told me that the last words of her child had been the means of leading her to trust in the Saviour she had loved so well. Since her death she had commenced attending the Sunday service at a chapel near, and had been working hard during the week to try and get her little home more comfortable.

But sorrow with the husband has had the contrary effect, and he has relapsed into worse drunkenness than before. All his enmity against the things of God is vented on his wife, and her life is a daily round of persecution, the keenest trial of all being, that not content with constantly taunting her with her religion, her husband even tries to set the children against their mother, and amongst other things forces them to go shopping on Sundays in direct defiance of her wishes.

By God's grace, however, she keeps very steadfast, striving to win her husband by patience and love, and acting with great wisdom towards her children, all of whom, alas show the bad effects of their previous training, and are a great source of anxiety to her. One bright exception is a little girl who seems already to be following in her sister's footsteps. I think she really loves Jesus, for she often steals away, when she thinks herself unnoticed, to pray for her father, and is an earnest little member of the "Children's Bible Union." May we not hope that she also has learnt to trust in the Saviour of little children?

From Helsingborg.

A CHRISTIAN sister who has lately joined the

Association of Workers, writes :

"I have for the last fifteen years superintended a home for poor orphans. Although I have had to battle with much weakness, the Lord has given me great cause to praise His name. Eighteen children out of the 134 we have had in the institution during these years are dead, and among them there was only one about whom we had not definite hopes. Some departed beaming with joy, others have with more quietness, yet in faith, committed their souls to God.

"I am sure it will interest you to know the following case, in which we wonderfully experienced the presence of our Heavenly Father. A poor girl was received into the Home; she was in very delicate health, and had for three years previously only walked on crutches, on account of lameness (paralytic). Even thus it was with great difficulty that she could move from one place to another; we were obliged to carry her food to her, and render her assistance in everything. It was not long before she began to feel herself a sinner, and later on she seemed to realize peace in Jesus as her Saviour, though she was often troubled by doubts. At that time, in our usual morning worship, we read about the wondrous miracles the Lord wrought when He was on earth, and she thought, 'I have never asked Jesus to heal me.' When alone on that day and the following, she spoke to Him about it, and felt assured He both could and would heal her. A little later, and a marvellous power seemed to pervade her body, and the certainty that she was cured filled her mind. Instead of coming, as her habit was, to join in the daily lessons, she decided that morning to stay quietly where she was, till the interval of rest. When the hour came, she spoke to the Lord Jesus again, laid aside her crutches, and-walked. I was in the park at the time with the other children, and got a message from the girl asking me to come in. When I entered, I found her walking without any assistance, radiant with joy and praise to God. She seemed able then to realize more simply the pardon of her sins, that she was indeed free from their burden, and at peace with God through Jesus Christ. From this time she has always been in good health, and living in communion with God. She is now a teacher of children in a country place.

"At the present moment we have forty inmates in the home. They are joined every Sunday morning by the children of the neighbourhood, who come to us

to receive religious instruction. Occasionally we have preaching here, when God sends any of His servants to proclaim His Word. We want intercession for blessing, there is so much deadness among us; some are awakened, but many are still asleep."

From Copenhagen.

"Two days since I received, via Helsingborg, a parcel of papers from the dear friends at Mildmay Park, for which I most heartily thank them.

"You know that the Lord has sent one of His dear servants to labour here, but what you do not know is the wondrous results that even in this hard soil are growing up through his mighty preaching. God is greatly using and blessing him in converting souls. The Lord's people are enlightened, strengthened, and made happy by getting their eyes opened to the fact that they are brethren and heirs, even joint-heirs with Christ. In every letter from Sweden I hear the echoings of the blessed results of his stay there, and prayer is constantly offered that he may be soon led to go back again."

From a Friend at Work in Russia.

"The past season has been a most blessed one in the Lord's work, so many and such wonderful conversions. I could tell you beautiful things, if I had time to write, or you to read. The last case was that of an Italian, whom I visited in the hospital; he had cut his throat in a fit of feverish delirium. Mons. P-- had a note about him from a German pastor, begging him to send some one to see him who knew Italian, as the poor man spoke no other tongue. I had not used this language for years, but what remembrancer like the Spirit of God, when He needs our services? And I had the joy, at my second visit, of seeing Light and Life and Peace-even Jesus, come into the poor, lonely, weary heart; being a Romanist, he was the more struck by the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel. He will soon be well enough to return to his home near Venice; his aged father is still living, and I trust he may bear the glad tidings of salvation to him. He came to Russia as a frame-carver. Oh! there are so many cases like this, that lift one up to the Lord, in amazement at one's own unworthiness, and His wondrous condescension in using us. I just ask one special prayer that every moment of my life, every breath I draw, every word I speak, may be as abiding in the Lord and for His glory only. Ask this for me."