tea and said he had just got a place. She could not help speaking of God's goodness. my "Her brother is seventeen years old. He added: 'I told 66 sister if we cried to God in our distress He would help us.' 'They quite believe help came in answer to prayer. She is able now to sit up, and is much better, and desires me to thank you, and say it must have been the Lord who put it in heart." THE PEACEMAKER. your WE have lately heard of one of our workers who seems to have cultivated this special branch of the Christian character with so much success, that we would fain hope the record of the power she is thus able to exercise over the angry passions of her poorer neighbours may induce others to strive after the same perfection, and attain the like reward. And lest any should think this peacemaking power a special gift, depending on a naturally peace-loving character, we will simply say that, having by nature a very quick temper, and a mind capable of appreciating beauty and cleverness, she knows how to bear with dulness and stupidity, and the quick temper is, by God's grace, under the perfect control of a firm will and loving heart. A terrible quarrel began one Sunday afternoon between a husband and wife on the subject of the wife's mother, Mrs. Z-; the husband declaring she should leave the house; he was poor, and she eat his children's bread, &c.; the wife responding, "Ye had her up from her old home for your convenience, and ye sha'n't turn her out; or if she goes, I go too." The man in a rage dashed a chair at her. The wife, terrified, called to her eldest boy, "Run for Mrs. S―" When she arrived the man had disappeared, and she had to talk first to the woman. So she told the wife very plainly that her husband was right in wishing to have his home to himself, and that she was wrong in trying to oppose him. "But," she added, "it is your duty to see after your mother, for she is well on in years, and you will not have her long." And then she suggested a plan by which the old lady might be made comfortable, and soon it was peaceably arranged. Then said Mrs. S-, "Can I see your husband?" “Well,” said the mollified wife, "he is in bed; perhaps you would not care to go up." "Oh yes, I will go; I am not afraid, and there's no time like the present." So up she went, and after some talk, he, too, came round, and was willing to give the old lady a weekly allowance, as well as to welcome her always at his own fireside and then Mrs. S-wished him good-bye. "Oh," said he, "I'll come down with you; I only got into bed to keep you out; I never thought you would tackle me there." And so the quarrel ended. On another occasion, a young husband coming home at an unusual hour found his wife at a gin-shop close by, in company with a very low woman. His anger was unbounded; he swore and stormed, and knocked the poor children about, seized the poker. The wife was savage and sulky. Mrs. S——, a perfect stranger to these people, was sent for, but still they raged at one another, and she waited patiently till they were both utterly exhausted, and could really say no more; then Mrs. S―― knelt down, took the woman's hand and the man's hand, and poured out her soul's desire before the Father in Heaven. In a very few minutes tears were pouring down the angry faces, the heads were bowed, and the prayer ended in a long embrace and full confession on the wife's part. Then came tea-shrimps, cake, &c. This reunion was permanent; the couple began a new life of attention to religious duties, and we believe of true conversion. Some time since a miserable forlorn-looking wife came to Mrs. S. Her home was unhappy, her husband always at the public house, etc. She accompanied her to the home, and found a filthy room; grate, windows, floor, victuals all out of order, and she herself untidy and dirty. "I never give him a cross word, and I keep to my home." "Ah," said Mrs. S, in her strong, gentle voice, "and is this a fitting place for a man to sit down in and have his tea? No, my dear, it is not; but you can tidy up quickly. Here is с с 1d. for soap, 1d. for soda, 1d. for a good cup of tea; and you go straight through thoroughly, and then lock the door, so as to keep it fresh against he comes." The poor woman wiped her eyes and went to work with a will, and was rewarded by the delight of her husband when he came in. Once Mrs. S was called in to comfort a miserable wife, but she employed the time better by showing her where she was wrong. Presently the husband came from behind a door. "Well, missis, I will make it up, and say I was wrong. You talk that fair, no one could quarrel with what you say," and so the reconciliation was made. In what, then, lies this power? Is it not in the gentle yet firm voice, in the good woman's tact? for she never assumes, does not use many words, never repeats what is said, and if she doubts about the wisdom of speaking she is silent. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Yes; what a wonderful power is a wise and gentle tongue! It gives a woman a real power, such as no amount of "women's rights" can or will do. WORK UNDER DIFFICULTIES. "DEAR MADAM, I "In response to your request for a letter, we again try to give you some little account of our work at Stepney. think you would like to know that the poor old lady of whom I spoke in my last letter, five months ago, who loves flowers, yet would not listen to the story of His love who made the flowers, is, by degrees, getting quite softened. I am not able to see her often, as she is out all day cleaning steps and going errands for people; that is how she gets her living. The other day she called me and said, 'My brother is gone into the workhouse, and I am going to live in a little back room, and shall be glad if you will come and read a chapter to me and pray with me,' and she seemed really glad at the prospect. OUR READING CLASS. "It is a lamentable fact that so many have grown to womanhood without ever learning to read; some are dreadfully sorry, and would give anything to learn now; others seem to have no capacity or desire to learn; others, again, are so tied with their little families, or opposed by their husbands, that it is very difficult for them to attempt the task. However, to give them an opportunity to learn, we commenced a class about three months ago on Thursday evenings, from half-past seven till nine o'clock; the first few weeks the attendance was very low, but now the dark nights have come, and the children get to bed earlier, the mothers can come out. I have twelve names on the book; there were eight present last week. It is very delightful to watch the progress of those who have attended from the first, and very touching to see with what trembling earnestness some, who do not know all their letters, try to remember the difference between p and q, and n and u, &c. It is a pleasant and profitable time, and it is hard to say who is the happiest, the teacher or the taught; it is not merely a scholastic class, but real heart work; all our lessons are Scripture. We have a large print roll and hand-books to correspond, and an alphabet sheet; we commence and end with prayer, and always find that we have the presence of the Master with us in our Bible Reading-class. They are all paying for Bibles but one, and she wishes to commence next week. OUR BOYS' CLASS. "The first few nights of our reading-class we were much disturbed by noisy rough boys banging at the door, and in other ways trying to annoy us, which made me wish very much to do them some good; so I told them if they would be quiet and go away, they should come in at nine o'clock for half an hour, and should have a little book, and I would read or tell them a story; and ever since there are about twenty boys waiting to be let in punctually at nine o'clock. They have quite left off making noises outside; they learn a text of Scripture and repeat a prayer after me; then I read to them; I think it will soon grow into a Bible-class; three of them have begun to 7 pay for Bibles. There was only one so bad that we were obliged to turn him out for the others' sake; the next worst to him, a poor cripple boy fifteen years old, is my champion now; he is becoming quite a terror to the evil-doers. Their text last week was, "And God heard the voice of the lad," Gen. xxi. 17. After vainly trying all the week to find out who the lad was, they were very good and quiet while I told them the story of Ishmael. In my visits I sometimes meet with the mothers of some of the boys, who are pleased that their boy should be one of my class; we have long since found out that the quickest way to a mother's heart is through her children. "Yours faithfully, "L. M. M." N.B. by the Editor.-We hear from other sources that there is a very marked change in the cripple boy mentioned in this letter. The neighbours said that it was no use trying to do him any good. "I AM WAITING." I'm waiting at the threshold, aweary, faint, and sore, A weary path I've travelled, 'mid darkness, storm, and strife, But now the morn is breaking, my toil will soon be o'er, I'm kneeling at the threshold, my hand is at the door. Methinks I hear the voices of the blessed as they stand The friends that started with me have entered long ago ; |