O my many dear friends in
England :-

I must not let this first mail since my arrival go without a few lines to thank you for all your loving remembrance and many prayers, and to assure you that those prayers have been abundantly answered.

We have had such a good voyage; no storms, only one fog, and for the most part enjoyable weather. Some of our party suffered from sickness, but we were otherwise all well, and we had such a happy time, seeing Jesus, and enjoying Christian intercourse, learning precious lessons from God's Holy Word, uniting in prayer and praise, and feeling comforted in the separation from home and dear ones, as God alone can comfort. To Him be all the praise, for He is indeed good and faithful.

Now that He has brought me back to this place in the mission-field, where it has been so long my privilege to live and work, the joy of reunion with dear fellow-workers is great. There is much cause for praise. There

are shadows; some amongst the converts still cause anxiety, and others who were once here, are still wandering; but there are signs in others of growth in grace.

Dear friends, pray above all things for the Holy Spirit to be in our midst, always guiding, controlling, correcting, strengthening. Pray that I and my co-workers may always be ourselves filled with Him, and in all things honour our Master. Pray, too, that many more precious souls may be brought into the Kingdom.

I look back with much pleasure and much thankfulness on my time spent in England. I do thank very heartily all those who showed me kindness and welcomed me to their hospitable homes.

The sympathy of so many of God's children, and the privilege of helping in the home work of the Society, have been very refreshing, and Guildford and Keswick are places that will be remembered as those of very blessed and sacred associations.

Barrackpore, Nov. 22nd, 1893.

WONDER how many of our girls at home we should find down on their knees together before God to ask that they might pass their examinations! Last April, the day on which the Government Inspector came to Katalpara School, as the teacher drew near the room, she heard voices raised in prayer, and then she saw the girls kneeling. As she entered they rose up. "What have you been praying for?" she asked. "That we may go through our examinations well," was the ready reply.

I

Their faith is not only in a prayerhearing God, but in a Protector. see the following entry in my diary for March 14th:

"A sad story comes to our ears to-day of a little girl strangled and her jewels stolen. The child lived not far from here. The mother of two of our dear girls, Kusheem and Kiron, fears for her children, and does not wish them to go to school.

"Mother, no harm can happen to us, for God will take care of us; we cannot die unless it is His will,' the children pleaded with simple faith.”

I have spent many hours in the homes of the children, walking with the mothers, sisters, and other members of the family. Nearly always one meets with a welcome. I open my Testament to read, or sing a hymn, and ask if these words have been heard before. Oh, how many times has come the answer, "Yes, those are

the same words my child says; she is always repeating the hymns you teach her." More than one mother has repeated part of the hymn she has learnt from her child. Truly it may be said, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou perfected praise.”

Her

Little Phala, the baby of Katalpara School, only three years old, is quick to learn both verses and hymns. mother told us not long ago, with great pride, of all her little one can say—how she goes home and repeats the hymn,—

"He is Jesus my Saviour,

He is Jesus my Redeemer,

Let us go and worship at His feet."

"Not content with this," the mother added, "she will make me learn the words, and her father, too."

We heard another day of little Phala going with her sister to a feast, and in the middle shouting out another favourite hymn, which begins with the words,—

"Listen all! without Jesus there is no salvation

Much to the astonishment of the people.

We have just come back from our long holiday of the year, which was far more appreciated by teachers than pupils. The last day of school, before the holidays, when the notice was given out that for one month they must not come to school, there was a chorus of voices in response,

"We shall come, and you must come, too." Neither the teacher nor I felt willing to comply with their wishes, though we appreciated the invitation. Some children shed tears at the prospect of holidays, and at Katalpara, so determined were they to have none, that the first girl gathered several of the others together in her house and taught them! The Scripture was not forgotten; for, on our return, they repeated a verse, and a part of a hymn. The register was kept; in fact they said they just copied their teacher. Sundays, too, they met together, but only for the Bible-lesson. Was not this encouraging news for us on the first day of this new term of work?

Zenana Work.

Want of workers has been the reason why fewer Zenanas have been visited this year. My Bible-woman left last January, and since then I have not been able to hear of any one to help me, and with two schools, and sometimes five to look after, it has not been easy to find time for much house-to-house visiting; but among those visited, what a variety one meets with !

I think of one who for some time has been reading St. Luke's Gospel ; she listens attentively and always tells me how much she likes the

good words. One day she said, “I will be a Christian to-morrow if you will get my husband work to do."

I think of another house visited regularly, where I read one day of

But now we have longed to extend to villages beyond, places where again and again we have been asked to open schools!

Kind friends out here have promised help towards the opening of a school at Halishar, a town some five miles off; but lack of suitable workers, and lack of room in our mission-house, are reasons for being unable to answer these calls. Before long I am hoping that the right workers may be found, and in a few months' time we shall enlarge our Mission premises.

In this my last Annual Letter before home-going, I cannot but speak of

by telling her relations that she is a Christian. They are not as yet forcing her to do puja, though we know that at the time she was again received into their caste, she must have had to go through a degrading ceremony. Shushilla's mother and her little boy are now staying with the head catechist and his wife. The mother is still often troublesome; sometimes she seems so gentle and true, whilst at others she is wilful and angry. Pray for her and her boy, who has much improved. We want the mother to consent to his being sent to a good boarding-school, and hope by-and-bye she will herself settle down in our Converts' Home at Barrackpore. Her property and money affairs are not yet arranged. All our schools have more girls now than we expected-about twenty in the Bow Bazaar School, which is a great cheer to Miss Ghose, and the same in the Noshkardiggee, in which Shushilla was taught. Beerh School has not got up its numbers yet, but its teacher has not been able to return on account of a severe attack of fever, so that may in a great measure account for it.

Schools.

We hope, despite all the fluctuations and vicissitudes our schools have passed through this year, we shall be able to keep up the standards, and have some ready for the examinations. We are charging fees, and have adopted the code arranged by Government. We most gratefully acknowledge the great benefit we have had from a society purely

Bengali, which was years ago established for the promotion and encouragement of female schools. We had a very satisfactory private examination for our schools. Our prizeday was a success; Mr. and Mrs. Power, our Commissioner and his wife, and Mr. Williams, our Collector, besides a good many Bengali gentlemen, were present. Mr. Power presided, and Mr. Williams made a short speech. Mr. Santer had promised to give an address, but through some mistake the programme was not followed. Two or three of the fathers afterwards spoke very gratefully, and some really feel the value of the training and education given to their daughters. The time of trouble tests one's friends; we know that some here have had to suffer because of their adherence to us.

Zenanas.

Miss Smith's pupils gave her a warm welcome after the holidays. Her Zenanas have been keeping on pretty steadily, though compared with former years, the houses in Rajgangi have decreased; many took fright because one or two spoke of becoming Christians. The late baptisms have not affected this village as much as was expected, though one or two are making excuses not to read.

Miss Piggott's Zenanas, though all are in the immediate town of Burdwan, have not suffered much from the

late upset. Last year a Babu was very anxious to have his daughter-inlaw taught, but when the relations found that the Bible-teaching must