panion or dear friend; if he felt dull and lonely, the tones that he awoke from it accorded with his own feelings; or if he was gay and lively, his violin seemed to him to participate in his pleasure.

One day he had been playing in front of an hotel, and, feeling sleepy, he walked round to the back of the house, and laid himself down on a seat and went to sleep, and, consequently, heard nothing of the noise and bustle caused by the arrival of a French nobleman. As soon as he awoke he commenced playing on his violin. This attracted the duke's attention, and he walked to the window to see where the music came from. As soon as Luigi saw him, he stood up and continued playing. The duke was evidently much pleased, and desired the boy to come nearer.

"What do you play, my little fellow ?" he said, kindly.

"Whatever comes into my head," replied Luigi.

"You have a knowledge of music, then. Who taught you?" asked the nobleman.

"No one," replied the boy. "I am fond of music, and my violin is my only companion."

"How old are you?" said the duke, still more interested.

"Nearly thirteen, I think my father told me, just before he died."

"It is a pity this child is not in Parishe would make his fortune there," thought the duke aloud.

"If I thought so, I would go," said the child, who had heard what he said.

"It is too far," replied the duke; and at the same moment supper was announced. He put his hand into his pocket, and, taking out a louis-d'or, threw it out of the window to the child, and passed on to the supper-room.

After the duke had gone, the young musician remained a minute quite bewildered. The words, "It is a pity this child is not in Paris, he would make his fortune there," rung in his ears, and awakened his ambition. "I should make my fortune there," said he thoughtfully; "that surely means to play my violin, and be very happy." So saying, he stooped to pick up the money that had been thrown to him. It was a piece of gold. He took it up, but stood motionless with it in his hand. He could not conceive that it had been intended to give him so much money. "Surely," said he, "the gentleman has made a mistake, and I ought not to take advan

tage of it;" and without further hesitat he ran into the hotel; but when he there, he knew not how to reach presence of the nobleman. So he wai about for some time, until at length he one of his servants, and he asked him to him speak to his master before he got i his carriage, which was now waiting at door for him.

"A pretty fellow you are, certainly speak to my lord the duke," said servant, making a motion as if he about to give him a kick; but seeing Lu distressed looks, a feeling of compassion curiosity restrained him, and he asked v he wanted to see him for.

"I played the violin before him," the boy, "and he took some money ou his pocket and threw it to me; but w I picked it up, I found it was a piece gold."

"Well, where's the harm in tha demanded the man.

"There is no harm in the piece of sir," replied little Luigi; "but there w be harm if I were to keep it: and reason I want to speak to your master! return it to him."

"Since my lord gave you the louisit was intended for you, and you better keep it," said the man.

"But, sir," said the boy, "the d must have given it in mistake. He w not have given so much as that for al air on the violin."

"You are an Italian idiot!" said man, turning his head, and walking off "Idiot!" repeated Luigi. "My fi told me to be honest, and God would me, and I should be happy: and I wi honest, in spite of what people may me." And with this determination pushed his way through the crowd, tc side of the carriage. It was quite now, but Luigi could see by the lig the torches that the duke had take seat, and everything was ready for hi mediate departure; and without wa for another moment's consideration jumped on the step. At the same in the carriage moved on, carrying Luigi it. He had left his violin in the hotel it was well he did so, for it was n much as he could do to hold on by his hands. To get down again was in sible at the rate they were travelling at Luigi was obliged to content himself the thought that they would have to for something before long, and the

could return the money, and walk back again to Florence. They travelled on for several hours, when Luigi was suddenly thrown from his seat by a violent jerk, and he lay on the ground for some moments stunned by the fall.

"What is the matter? Are we overturned?" said the duke, opening the carriage window.

"No, my lord; only the axletree broken," replied the postillion. And one of the servants rode on and speedily brought a blacksmith from the village to repair the damage. When this was nearly completed, Luigi, who had been waiting about, saw an opportunity of speaking to the duke. The auxe saw him coming to the side of the carriage, but not recognising him, threw him a piece of money, at the same time calling to his attendants, "Send away that little beggar," and set off

at once.

"Beggar!" cried Luigi. "Oh, no; I am not a beggar, and I will prove it to you." And he picked up the money, and ran after the carriage, which had just driven off. Whilst running after the carriage, day, which was now breaking, permitted him to see a large open basket fastened under the boot of the carriage; and as it was now ascending a steep hill, and consequently obliged to proceed very slowly, Luigi soon came up with it, and then he saw that a little dog was all the basket contained; he formed the resolution, therefore, of getting anto it himself, for he could not speak to the duke now; and be thought a thief and a beggar he would not. He would travel on until the duke alighted, and then tell him of the mistake he had made. And so before the top of the hill was reached, Luigi was seated in the basket with the dog in his arms, who, for a wonder, did not dislike his companionship. There was one thing Luigi bitterly regretted, and that having left his violin behind him: he could not help shedding tears when he thought of it, for he very much feared it would be broken before he could reach Florence again. But by-and-bye sleep made him forget his troubles, and when he awoke he found that the carriage had stopped. Putting his head out of the basket he saw that the horses were taken out, and they were in an inn-yard. "Well, this time I am determined not to be frightened by this great lord and his servants," he said, jumping up out of his hiding place, and going towards the house. He inquired of a man

was

he saw waiting about where he could find the duke.

"If you want to see his grace," said the man, "go straight forward into the parlour on the right."

In his great anxiety to make restitution, and return to Florence, Luigi, without thanking the man, hurried on; he tapped at the door, and was told to "Come in."

"I am Luigi Montalto," said the boy; "yesterday evening you made a mistake, and gave me this gold piece; and last night you took me for a beggar, and threw me this piece of silver."

Yesterday evening! repeated the astonished nobleman; "why, I was at Florence. I do not recollect anything about you."

"But I have not forgotten you," said Luigi. "How much did you intend to give me ? "

"I cannot understand a single word you are saying," said the duke. "I do not even know who you are."

"Do you not remember at the hotel yesterday evening, a little violin-player? "Oh! yes, I recollect now," said the duke. "What do you want with me?"

"I do not want anything," said Luigi. "I only wish to return you the goldpiece you gave me yesterday evening. I knew very well you had made a mistake, and that you did not intend to give me so much; and also the piece of silver you threw me last night, when you took me for a beggar. I play the violin to earn my bread honestly: I am no beggar!" and the boy drew himself up proudly.

By my honour!" said the duke, "this is charming. Now, my dear, honest little fellow, tell me how you followed me." And he took Luigi's hand, and drew him towards him, while he listened to the account he gave of the way in which he had reached Turin.

"Well," said the nobleman, when he had heard it, "will you go with me to Paris and learn music?"

We need scarcely say what Luigi's answer was. He went, and was placed with the best masters, under whose instruction he improved so much that he afterwards became professor of the Royal Academy of Music; and this high honour he owed entirely to God's blessing on his honesty and integrity. But for that honesty he might have lived and died a violin-player in the streets of Florence.

WORKING CHRISTIANS. LEARN to be working Christians. "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." It is very striking to see the usefulness of many Christians. Are there none of you who know what it is to be selfish in your Christianity? You have seen a selfish child go into a secret place to enjoy some delicious morsel undisturbed by his companions. So it is with some Christians. They feed upon Christ and forgiveness; but it is alone, and all for themselves. Are there not some of you who can enjoy being a Christian, while your dearest friend is not, and yet you will not speak to him? See here, you have got work to do. When Christ found you, he said, "Go work in my vineyard." What were you hired for, if it was not to spread salvation ? What blessed for? O my Christian friends, how little you live as though you were servants of Christ! How much idle time and talk you have! This is not like a good servant. How many things you have to do for yourself! how few for Christ and his people! This is not like a servant.-M' Cheyne.

SPEAK FOR CHRIST.

SPEAK for your Lord and Master. You tell me you are nervous. Never mind your nervousness. Try once. If you break down half a dozen times, try again; you shall find your talents increase. It is wonderful how these break-downs do more good than our keeping on. Just deliver your soul of what is in it. Get your heart red hot, and then, like some volcano that is heaving in its inmost depths, let the hot lava of your speech run streaming down. You need not care for the graces of oratory, nor for the refinements of eloquence, but speak what you do know; show them your Saviour's wounds; bid his sorrow speak to them; and it shall be marvellous how your stammering tongue shall be all the better an instrument because it does stammer, for that God "hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are."-C. H. Spurgeon.

HOW WILL THE YEAR END? THE early period of the month at which we go to press will not allow us to give to our readers the complete result of the appeal of the Committee to the churches. Still, sufficient is known to render it highly probable that the deficiency will be but small, if indeed the year's receipts should show any deficit at all. Last month we gave the result up to the end of January. At the end of February the report was much more favourable; for it was foundso liberal had been the gifts of the Lord's people, combined with some diminution in the year's expenditure-that the deficiency would probably not exceed £1,500. That isto say, should the receipts of March this year equal those of March last year, the anticipated deficiency is reduced from £8,000 to £1,500. Since March has begun its course, the anticipation that the receipts

would receive yet further augmentation has been more than fulfilled. At the time we write, the Committee have received a sum considerably in excess of the sum received up to the same time last year, and it has become a pretty confident hope that the year will close without any deficiency at all.

Should our anticipation turn out to be correct, it is a cause of very great thank fulness to God, and another proof how he watches over and provides for the interests of his kingdom. At all events, this crisis in the Society's affairs has made it most evident that the Mission lives in the hearts of the people; that our churches are not unmindful of the great work bequeathed to them by those eminent servants of Christ

that

who have now entered into their rest; a true, genuine, ardent missionary spirit prevails throughout the denomination; and that there is an earnest determination that

the work of God among the heathen shall not languish for want of the means of support.

Yet we must not forget that a very large portion of the gifts bestowed to meet this emergency have been special. We may not depend on a similar effort next year. If the income of the Society does not receive a permanent increase of contributions, it yet may become necessary to withdraw missionaries from the field. We are, therefore, glad to know that in numerous cases the regular subscriptions have been doubled, and in many more augmented, while arrangements are made for a thorough canvass of the congregations for new and continuous contributions during the coming year.

It will gratify our readers to know that their efforts are warmly responded to in the Mission field itself. The Rev. R. Smith, of Cameroons, gives us the following interesting narrative of the effect produced by stating the difficulties of the Society to our African native brethren :

we

"Last Monday evening," he says, had a deeply interesting missionary meeting. After Mr. Fuller and I had addressed the people, several of the members spoke of the blessings the Gospel had brought them, and their desire to contribute something. Towards the close of the meeting an aged African woman came up to the table and placed a shilling thereon, saying, 'I don't know about my food to-morrow; but my heart say I must give this to God.' She had scarcely spoken when a number left the chapel to bring something. Several poor men who do not earn more than a shilling a day came with smiling faces and said, placing two shillings and a threepennypiece down, 'Dis for me, dis for my wife, and dis for my child.' One very poor woman said, 'Me, I no get money; I go give two bunches of plantain.' Just as we were leaving the chapel a young man (an inquirer) came running in with a shilling and a bar of soap, saying, "Take this for missionary. Since the meeting others have brought starch, fowls, and mattocks. The result of the meeting is as follows Cash, £2 08. 2d.; goods, 10s. 9d.; total, £2 10s. 11d. We may expect other donations. Some who gave so liberally, once

refused even a cup of cold water to the missionaries."

A very interesting letter has also been received from Ceylon, of which the following is an extract. It is the Rev. H. Pigott who writes, under date of February 15:

"I have appointed meetings in all the native stations (eleven in number) in February. They have a special reference to finance. To-day I go to Makawitte. On Tuesday, the 9th, at a meeting at Weilgama, I found the people all willing to help, but very poor. Their annual subscription has been about 16s.; they are to contribute £3 this year. At Hanwelle they will increase their subscription from 15s. to £7 10s. Od., and hope to send me names for 30s. or 40s. more. The Colombo meeting is to be held in March. I thought the people here would like to know what the natives were willing to do before asking them to help. The members of the Pettah church are anxious to assist. At a church meeting, held February 4th, the following brethren subscribed :-[We need not here print the names and amounts; but the total sum given by thirteen members was £121 5s. Od. It must be remembered that the Pettah church consists of Burghers and Europeans. Mr. Pigott thus concludes]: We expect more from members, and perhaps £100 more from the public. I find the spiritual prospects in the stations at Weilgama, &c., very encouraging."

The missionaries in India are also pressing the subject on the attention of the native converts there, and we trust not without encouraging results.

These are very cheering facts, and show how strong is the tie which binds the churches at home with the converts abroadhow rapidly the chords of sympathy vibrate at the touch of a common need. Thus the Church throughout the world finds its meeting-place in Christ, and can rejoice together on such an occasion to exhibit their love to their common Lord. May the year on which we now enter cement that union by yet firmer bonds, and the whole Church, in heathen and in Christian lands, go forward with ever-increasing success, to bear witness of the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ!

GENERAL. THE war in Denmark, to which we referred in our last Number, still continues and extends. At

present there appears little hope of a speedy settlement of the difficulty, for though a conference of European Powers is about to be held

on the matters in dispute, it appears very doubtful whether an arrangement will be made which all parties will accept. Meantime, the conduct of our Government appears to have been singularly wise and moderate. They have done all they could in the interest of peace. Still, the fear is by no means dispelled, that we may yet be plunged into a European war.

Parliament has adjourned for the Easter holidays. The history of the session so far has been almost wholly unsatisfactory. Personal disputes have taken the place of calm discussions of political questions. Two events only, during the last month, we can contemplate with pleasure : one, the introduction, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer-who is rapidly becoming one of England's foremost men-of a Bill for providing life assurances for the poor, through the agency of the Post Office; the other, the carrying of the second reading of a Bill, introduced by Mr. Dodson, for abolishing many of the "tests" which are still applied in the University of Oxford.

The Royal "christening" took place on Thursday, the 10th ult., with all State ceremony, at Buckingham Palace. Among the illustrious personages present was the King of the Belgians, who acted as one of the sponsors. The infant prince was named Albert Victor Christian Edward. These are near and dear family names. The first was that of the young prince's late grandfather, "Albert the Good;" the second is the masculine form of the name of our own gracious Sovereign ; the third the name of the King of Denmark, the father of the Princess of Wales; and the last the name of the Prince of Wales, the father of the infant prince. The Archbishop of Canterbury performed the service, and the names of the prince were given by the Queen in answer to the usual inquiry from his grace. Our only regret at this State ceremonial is that it was regarded as a religious rite.

Another of those great calamities whose shock pervades the whole nation, occurred at Sheffield on the day after the "christening." A great reservoir of water, covering an area of not less than twenty-six acres, burst at midnight; and the escaped waters carried devastation and death wherever they went. Nearly two hundred and fifty lives were lost. A vast amount of property was destroyed or carried away. It is needless to aay that the greatest sympathy has been felt for the sufferers all over the country, and already a large sum has been raised for their relief.

During the past month Cardinal Wiseman has published in a bound volume a paper which he read at the Roman Catholic Congress at Malines last year, on the religious and social position of his fellow-religionists in England. He tells his hearers and readers that Catholicism in England is in a prosperous state. Everybody in England seems to acknowledge that Catholicism is daily gaining ground upon Protestantism. In 1830 there were only 434 priests for the whole of England; there are now 1,242. The number of chapels, which was then 410, now amounts to 872. From 16 convents, which they possessed in 1830, they have risen in 1863, to 162. Lastly, while in 1833

no

"house of religious men" existed there, in 1850 there were 11, and their present number is 53. The Cardinal proceeds to say that "conversions to the faith" are now made noiselessly; the clergy were always opposed to publishing them. "Do not suppose, therefore, gentlemen, that because you hear less than you formerly did of conversions, the current of proselytism is stopped. On the contrary, conversions are gradually in

creasing: they embrace persons of every position, extending, as formerly, even to the highest in the social scale." The Catholics, he says, are becoming strong in England. At the last election, "a candidate in a considerable town came before the electors on Liberal principles, and was surprised to find himself rejected by the preponderance of Catholic votes, which turned the scale. He was informed that the motive for this conduct was his having exceeded even the liberty accorded to an advocate in a cause which he had pleaded against a Roman Catholic bishop, in order to excite the religious prejudice of a jury. He was told that he would meet with the same determined and orga nized opposition in another place where he intended to try his chance. This was the case. So, having to stand for the very place where that bishop lived, he called upon him, and made his peace." The Cardinal adds, that with Roman Catholics in England, "one claim must be made at a time, that it may be calmly and leisurely enforced; and then another must succeed, till all shall have been favourably exhausted." All this may be very satisfactory to Catholics; to Protestants it ought to serve as a warning.

In our last issue we announced the retirement of our honoured friend, Mr. J. H. Allen, on account of declining health, from the treasurership of the Baptist Building Fund. We have now, we regret to say, to make the announcement of his decease. For some time Mr. Allen's health has been seriously impaired, and he has been obliged to relinquish all active duties; but it was hoped that by care and rest, with the blessing of God on the means used, his life might still be prolonged. About a month before his death he went on a visit to Kettering, and within a fortnight it became evident that his death was approaching. He died on Saturday, Feb. 27th. "With a calm trust in Jesus," we are informed, "he met the great change; so peacefully, that it was good to be there." Mr. Allen's name will long be remem bered as that of one of the most honoured and useful members of the Baptist denomination. By the Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society, of which he had long been a member, and by the Committee of the Building Fund, his loss will be especially felt.

DOMESTIC.

SOUTHAMPTON.-The members of the church and congregation worshipping in Portland Chapel, Southampton, invited their late pastor, the Rev. M. Hudson, to a farewell tea on Thursday evening Feb. 25th, in the school-room connected with that place of worship. The opportunity was embraced to present Mr. Hudson with a valuable gold watch, as a parting token of affection from those who have sat under his ministry during his residence in the town. After the tea a meeting was held, under the presidency of Mr. W. B. Randall, J.P., a deacon of the church. Mr. H. Rimer, at the call of the chairman, stated the result of the effort that had recently been made to liquidate the debt due by the building committee for the reconstruction and enlargement of the chapel, which showed that not only had the debt been paid off, but a balance of some pounds added to the funds of the chapel. The chairman addressed the meeting in a speech full of good counsel and sound advice, and expressed the great satisfaction he had ever felt in working with Mr. Hudson, in connection with Portland Chapel. Mr. Rose, one of the deacons, in the name and in behalf of the members of the church and congregation, presented to Mr. Hudson