every day through. On Saints' Days there is a Sermon at 12 o'clock, the Gospel being explained familiar on Fridays, and the Epistle on Wednesdays at evensong. The Holy Communion is administered every Sunday, and on all Holy Days. In connexion with this beautiful Church is a very useful institution, called St. Stephen's House. Any person who chooses and who is in want of either food or lodging can there receive gratuitously a meal or a night's lodging. A large sum of money is thus expended annually.

The American Church is suffering everywhere sadly from a want of clergy; humanly speaking, it might do anything were its clergy increased. The American Church numbers now 1500 Churches, with Church accomodation for 825,000 persons, being one-fortieth part, according to the last census, of the whole population. The clergy are about 1660, but nearly 350 of these have no pastoral cure, being engaged in schools and universities, and the like. It appears that about 200 Churches are either destitute of pastors, or only have the blessing of services on occasional Sundays. It is calculated that the increase of congregations is about fifty annually, but the ordinations in 1852 only amounted to fifty-nine, the deaths to thirty, twenty-nine therefore being the only increase to meet the large demand. The American Church is turning its attention to the propriety of establishing training schools for the preparation of the children of poor persons for Holy Orders. The welfare of the American Church must ever be an object of the greatest moment to English Church people; and well may they sympathise with it in their prayers. God speed thee, O sister, in all thy great and glorious work, may well be our ejaculation!

Here for the present we must close our gatherings of American Church news. Some day or other, perhaps, if we are spared and you are willing, we may give you further account of that great living branch of Christ's Holy Catholic Church-our daughter in the faith. "Little children," pray

for her!

S.

THE SISTERS.

"I wonder, Fanny, you can be so kind to Mary Ryder," said Ann Wilson to her sister, "I cannot forget how very ill-natured she was when you obtained a prize at school and she did not; but I was the most vexed with her making the mistress believe you broke the window, when she was aware all the time you did not. I know we ought to forgive one another and I hope I bear her no malice, nor would I like to injure her in any way, but I do not feel the interest in her you express, though she is an orphan."

"Ann," replied her sister," our Blessed Saviour says, we are to love our enemies.' At the time I was so unjustly blamed, I was one of the candidates for confirmation, and, during our examination the Clergyman especially impressed upon us the necessity of being in perfect charity with all, really inwardly feeling there was no one in the world to whom we did not wish well, and bearing love to all mankind. We were particularly urged to self-examination at all times, and 1 well remember as I walked home from the school thinking over all I had heard, how much I regretted the bad feeling I entertained towards Mary Ryder. I was very unhappy, and as soon as I reached my little bed room, I went and knelt

down by the chair where I always said my prayers and prayed to God, to bless poor Mary and prepare her for His heavenly kingdom. I concluded with the beautiful Collect for Quinquagesima, or the Sunday before Lent; from that time I trust I have loved her and been very anxious for her soul's welfare. Let us my dear Ann, adopt the plan of earnestly praying for those who annoy us, and who we consider as our enemies, as tending to remove any uncharitable feeling which may exist."

"Fanny," said her sister, "I will follow the advice you have given me, and shall doubtless profit by it." Fanny put her arm round Ann, and concluded their conversation by remarking, how thoroughly the Collects in the Prayer Book were adapted for every circumstance of life, if only more known and more frequently used.

YETTA.

THE LORD'S PRAYER PARAPHRASED.

Hallowed be Thy Name.

My first petition shall be not for myself but for Thy Praise and Glory. Oh Thou, whose Name is Great, Wonderful, and Holy, grant that I and all Thy children may glorify Thee, in our hearts, with our mouths, and by our works and deeds.

Hallowed be Thy actual Name and Titles. May sinners leave off blaspheming, cursing and swearing. May we never use Thy Name in irreverent talking or in careless Praying. May we ever reverently bow the knee at the Name of Thy Holy Child Jesus.

Hallowed be Thy Day. May I and all other Christians everywhere keep it holy in Thy fear.

Hallowed be Thy Word. May we all daily read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest Thy Holy Scriptures.

Hallowed be Thy House. May Thy Churches be ever crowded with devout worshippers, and may I set others the example of what I pray for.

Hallowed be Thy Sacraments; Holy Baptism! may we all remember our own vows which we took on ourselves at our Confirmation. And if we have not been confirmed, may we remember that we are still bound by them, and may we not be ashamed although grown up, to take the first opportunity of coming to that holy ordinance. May we choose pious God-parents for children, and if we are God-parents ourselves, may we discharge our duties sincerely and conscientiously.

And the Holy Communion; may we never turn our backs upon or come irreverently to Thy heavenly banquet.

Hallowed be Thy Ministers. May we ever listen with open ears and open hearts to their words, whether in private or from the Pulpit. May we pray for them and love them as those set over us in the Lord.

Hallowed be Thy children. May we all who bear a Christian name live as those who have redeemed bodies and are not their own. By all of us, O Lord, in union with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of Heaven, Hallowed be Thy glorious Name. Evermore may we praise Thee, saying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts; Heaven and Earth are full of Thy Glory. Glory be to Thee, O Lord most High. PRESBYTER.

THE SNOWDROP.

Snowdrop! nature's first-born darling,
Fairest, purest child of earth,

Lift thy drooping head, and tell us
Of the God Who gave thee birth.

"Little children, I am lowly,

Unto me hath not been given
Lofty voice to sing His praises,
Upward eye to lift to Heaven.

"He is God, and He hath made me
Modest in my look and station;

I am but a still small whisper

Of the voice that fills creation.

"But when all my prouder kindred,
Frightened, hide them in the earth,
I am heard amidst the whirlwind,

And the storm of Winter's wrath.

"Pale and downcast, timid, trembling,
Rudely cradled, roughly nursed,

I, of every flower, am chosen

To proclaim His glory first.

"And 'tis thus that I would teach thee,

If thou dost His favour seek,

That the Lord our God exalteth

Most, the humble and the meek."

W. J. L.

SLANDER.-The slanderer does harm to three persons at once: to him of whom he says the ill; to him to whom he says it, and most of all to himself, in saying it.-St. Basil.