last month our school was visited by a rich Native lady residing at Gurha, which shows that the bigotry of the inhabitants to our work is gradually breaking down.

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Her father-in-law had died, and left all his rupees to her husband and her. For a fortnight they were busy feeding all their relations and friends, &c. one day she sent a message that she would like to give some of her sweetmeats to our school-children. I thought she would only send them, but much to my surprise she came herself, accompanied by her servant carrying the basket of "metai" on her head, in true Oriental style.

As this was the first Native lady who had done our schools the honour of a visit, I tried to entertain her as best I could, making the children sing action-songs, &c.

The next day, which was the villagers' Bible-class, she appeared again with her servant and a neighbour. They listened most attentively to the bhajan singing, and the Bible-woman's address on "The Flood," and were not a bit tired. She also enjoyed watching the distribution of medicines to the poor and sick afterwards.

Last year I gave her a New Testament, and in a time of sore family trouble she not only asked “Emma' to pray for her, but also to teach her how to pray to the true God. One day I had explained to her the story of some Scripture picture; she asked leave to show the picture to her husband, and

repeated to him all I had said to her.

In visiting the women in the surrounding villages, we have great encouragement.

At one hamlet, the approach to which is generally under water the whole of the rainy season, the women thought we must be angry with them, as we had not been to see them for six months, and therefore they endeavoured to appease us by an offering of custard apples! It was their way of showing how glad they were to see us

once more.

"You do not come every day, so please stay a little longer, and sing some more bhajans to us," was the welcome in another hamlet. The first time we went to a new village, a woman ran into her house and cried, and shut the door on my approach, and the men forbade their wives to come and listen to us. A message has lately come from this selfsame village, wanting to know when we are coming again, and saying that woman is willing to become a regular pupil. Perhaps it is the one who ran away and shut the door!

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I shall be very sorry to leave all these women and children next spring, when my furlough is due; but I suppose it will be the truest wisdom if I wish to return and work amongst them for the remaining years of my life.

December, 1893.

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MISS DAEUBLE,

MISS LAWRENCE,

Tthe beginning of February, 1893, Miss Hall was called upon to leave this busy corner of the great harvest field to glean for the Master in a quiet sick-room at home. Miss Daeuble joined us to take up Miss Hall's work, but a few days after her arrival, she heard of her dear father's serious illness. We all know with what feelings she was daily watching the post that brought her rews of great suffering, till at last, on May 11th, a telegram told her of the Home call.

All this time, our friend and fellowworker, Miss Pinniger, who was

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detained in England by illness, cheered us by bright and loving letters, giving us hopes of her return to help us. But God had other and better plans for her she is serving the Master now, not under a tropical sun, but in the sunshine of His face! Oh, what perfect service, what perfect bliss! How many of her dear Bhagulpur women and children, who had gone before her, will there have welcomed her! How these events spur us on to greater zeal and earnestness in making known the Saviour's love, wherever opportunity affords, for

our time for work on earth may be short too. May we be faithful, and finish the work He has sent us to do for His glory!

Miss Lawrence, our new fellowworker, arrived here on November 18th to be a help and a comfort.

Among our Native helpers our staff has increased by four. Thank God for this. Going round day by day to the schools and Zenanas, one feels at times discouraged at not seeing more fruit; yet taking a class in a school makes one ashamed of want of faith and ingratitude. Those who at the beginning of the year hardly knew their A B C, can now read "the glad story of old," and enjoy telling and singing of Jesus their Saviour. It is the same in the Zenanas; many women have during the year heard enough of God's Word to know His plan of salvation. Let us pray that God by His Holy Spirit may finish the work thus begun.

In many, many villages both round Bhagulpur and Jamalpur, thousands of women have heard the Gospel for the first time this year; but there are many millions in Behar yet untouched; we are longing to go out to bring them also to the knowledge of their Saviour. We earnestly hope and pray that next cold weather the Society will send us two new ladies to take up this most important work among the thousands of villages in Behar.

If time and space allowed, many details might be given of how the school-children's influence is felt in their homes. A blind boy in one of our Zenanas, who used to be wild, naughty, and wicked, is now a new creature,

coming to the girls' school every day, sitting outside the open door, learning all the hymns, texts, and Scripture stories the girls learn. The expression of his face is quite changed, so are his ways and habits; he is every and any hour of the day singing hymns, and his old playfellows in mockery call him "Jesus," and will not play with him any more. This boy's father is a staunch Hindu, and refuses to read the Bible, but his little sister in school professes to believe in Christ, and often talks to her father of Him.

Jamalpur.

The work at Jamalpur has grown steadily during this year; the school has now eighty-six pupils, and Mrs. Chalke has also been giving instructions in sixteen Zenanas during the year. Satan has done his utmost to hinder the work; the school was nearly emptied several times, but the prayer of faith prevailed, and we believe that the Lord will greatly bless the people there. As I have often said before, Jamalpur is a grand centre for work: Miss Daeuble will tell you something of the villages lying around it, but, alas! one of us can only be there in the cold weather. Mrs. Chalke needs help sadly; we need two ladies to live there and take up the work manfully. Who will come to help us?

Will all friends who have helped us by their means, prayers, and efforts, accept our warmest thanks? they are truly upholding us and are strengthening our hands and hearts.

Bhagulpur, Dec. 30th, 1893.

I have been at Bhagalpur about six weeks, and I feel that in sending me to this station the Lord has indeed "crowned me with lovingkindness and tender mercies."

I have been to some of the schools with Miss Haitz, and it has been lovely to watch the chorus of eager responses from the bright-eyed little Bengalis, as she questioned them on a Bible story. The Hindustanis, too, are dear little things, and it is a great pleasure to help them to spell out their "First book."

On Friday, December 22nd, we had Our school-treat and prize-giving. Gaily covered tables, spread with parcels of every description and colour, sent by friends at home, are carried out to the stone terrace in front of the house. About two o'clock we hear the hum of little voices, and are greeted on going out to meet them with bright smiles of welcome. How readily they enter into English games, and how they enjoy chasing each other! The Hindustanis having walked, arrive first; most of the Bengalis, in various conveyances, appear rather later.

What wonderful costumes they wear! Some have queer hats with feather trimmings, others frocks of green and pink brocade, or a terracotta bodice with a green sari, or a black and green satin frock! And now a group has gathered round three Bengali girls who, under the direction of their teacher, are reciting a conversation about the religion of Jesus.

How fast the words come, almost

tumbling out of their mouths! They have been taught, while reciting, to take one another by the hand, or to put their hands on each other's shoulder, as if in earnest pleading. As one watches the scene, many thoughts come crowding into one's mind; of her (dear Miss Pinniger) who so loved the little ones, and whose last Christmas out here was spent in amusing them, and who is now in Glory awaiting them. Specially our thoughts rise to Him Who died for them; and instinctively the prayer comes—

"In the Kingdom of Thy grace,

Grant these little ones a place.'

But now the visitors have arrived and it is time for the prize-giving, so the children are collected on the terrace, and after the group has been photographed, and some hymns sung, and a wee girlie of about three years old has recited, Mrs. Badcock, our Judge's wife, gives the prizes. Mrs. Quinn, our Commissioner's wife, had promised to come, but owing to her husband having met with a serious accident some days previously, she was unable to do so. Each child received some gift: the Hindustanis, skirts, jackets, dolls; the Bengalis, bags, well stocked with bright wools, needles, canvas, cottons, &c., dolls, and all sorts of little things, and each child had two oranges. Some of the English people in the station were present, and several expressed great interest in the proceedings. There were also some Brahmo ladies with us, one of whom has been a pupil of

Miss Haitz for five years; and there were two "purdah ladies "-Bengalis, dressed in very rich saris of violet and pale-blue silk.

The following evening we gave our teachers a dinner; they looked such a picturesque group sitting on the floor in our dining-room with their bright chaddars. Miss Haitz, Miss Daeuble, and I sat at a table in the corner of the room, but partook of the same native fare. We then adjourned to another room, where we sat round the bright log fire, and sang hymns, and partook of tea and native sweetmeats. Then came the event of the evening-the bran-pie. It was amusing to see how gingerly the children put their hands into the bran; though all seemed to enjoy pulling out the presents.

Christmas Day in Bhagulpur.

On Christmas Day, we went early to service at the Mission Church. The singing was very bright. It seemed wonderful to me to be singing," Hark! the Herald Angels sing,” in Urdu, and to realise that at last the hope of years was fulfilled, and I was really partak. ing of the Holy Communion with an Indian congregation, united in Him, "Who hath made of one blood all nations upon earth." The Christmas service was a very happy one. English service was at noon, and our hearts were cheered with the message, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."

In the afternoon we took a lovely walk, with the teachers, to a hill about

a mile away. It is crowned by a

Mohammedan tomb, and from this one gets a lovely and far-reaching view. Below us, on one side, was a big tank, with a mosque on the opposite bank; on the other, a village nestled among the trees. Around us were beautiful groups of fan-palms and thicker foliage; right away in the distance we saw the faint line of the river. After tea, we walked down to the other side, and sat there watching the sunset, and singing bhajans; then in the glory of the sunset glow, we made our way home. The Bengali teachers had asked us to tiffin at two o'clock and we had found the table decorated. and a very tasty feast prepared; all native food, but very nice. A quiet, pleasant evening at home ended a very happy Christmas Day.

If Christmas can be such a blessed day in this land, what must it be in the Glory-land! What praises must resound there! How our dear Miss Pinniger must be rejoicing this first Christmas in Glory! The thought that such a saint of God has laboured here, makes this place holy ground.

To be sent to the station where she worked, to the people she loved so well, is to me a very great privilege, a very sacred thing. Oh, that the Lord would take of the Spirit that was upon her, and put it upon me, upon us here, in a very special way, for His glory's sake! Pray much for us. We need your prayers, oh! so much. For myself I would ask that I may be able readily to understand and grasp the language, and that meanwhile, in my daily life," God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord."