SUPERINTENDENTS OF SABBATH SCHOOLS.

Ir is pleasant to hear from so many quarters that the Dayspring is every-where a favorite with the children, and waking up among them a missionary spirit. The circulation is now more than forty thousand copies a month, and is gradually increasing. But it might be much larger. Ought it not to be? Not half the children belonging to our Sabbath schools ever see it, or any other missionary publication. Each number will, the coming year, have two engravings, and no pains be spared to make it attractive. It is put at the low price of ten copies for a dollar, so that no child may be unable to take it on account of his poverty. Will not the Superintendents of Sabbath schools seek to introduce it among their scholars? And will not those children who prize the Dayspring, each of them find one new subscriber? If all would exert themselves, we might begin the year with the monthly circulation of one hundred thousand copies! It is only when children read about missions that they will become interested in them. And if interested in them when young, they will grow up active and warm-hearted laborers

in the cause. Shall we not see here, in America, something of the same zeal which purchased and fitted out the John Williams, an account of which is given below?

The missionary ship! Have you ever heard of the missionary ship? Can you tell why she was purchased, who contributed the money, and what she has been doing these six years past? If you cannot, and would like to know, you shall have the whole story.

Many years ago, the London Missionary Society sent out missionaries among the thousands of beautiful islands in the South seas. They went to many a savage tribe, and told them the story of the cross. But the islands are scores, and some of them hundreds of miles apart, and the missionaries wanted, at least once a year, a supply of food, clothes, medicines, books, and other comforts which they could not

obtain among those degraded people. They found that without a missionary ship, to go back and forth for this purpose, they could not live there, and that many of the stations must be given up.

So the directors of the Society determined to have a ship to send on these errands of mercy. For a while they used a vessel called the Camden; but this became old and crazy, and could not be trusted. Then the directors wrote an address to the Sabbath school children of Great Britain, and asked them for their help.

When the children heard what was wanted, they set themselves, all over the land, with wonderful zeal to accomplish it. They called on their parents and uncles and aunts and friends to give something towards the missionary ship. You will be delighted to hear how successful they were. Two girls in one town, who worked in a factory, collected money during their dinner hour, sometimes even going without their dinner. In a week they had got nearly four dollars. And so it was in a thousand other places.

But the children did not merely beg from others. They gave from their own little hoards, and increased them by their self-denying labors. One little fellow, six years old, said, "I have a shilling and a sixpence and a penny; and I will give the shilling and the penny for the missionary ship." Two boys, who had each a half crown, were determined to give their all. One said, “I am glad I have so much to give"; and when somebody told him he had better keep sixpence for the holidays, he replied, "No, I should only spend it for some trifle that would not do me much good; and I love to help buy the dear missionaries a ship to carry them over the waters, so that they may preach Christ to the heathen." A little girl, miserably poor, whose parents were without work, came and said, "Teacher, here's a penny for the missionary ship." When told that she was too poor to

spend the money, she replied with the simplicity of a pious child, "I have earned it myself."

In a word, every Sabbath school wanted a plank or two in this new ship. Contributions came in by hundreds and thousands, and it was not long before the children had raised thirty thousand dollars. This was enough to buy a new vessel and fit her out for sea. She was called the "John Williams," after the excellent missionary who was murdered at Erromanga in the South seas; and as she was launched and spread her sails to the breeze and bore her precious freight from the shores of England, the prayer went up to heaven from many a youthful heart, “God bless our missionary ship."

This was six years ago, and ever since that time the John Williams has been going to and fro, carrying missionaries to their fields of labor, bringing their children home to England to be educated, and scattering blessings all along its track. As it heaves in sight of a missionary station, among the green isles of the Pacific, the heart of the care-worn missionary dances for joy. The pious natives too, in the South seas, take much delight in this ship. They call her the "Torch of Truth," the “Beacon Light," the "Messenger of Peace," and the "Ark of the New Covenant," and many other beautiful names; and when she leaves their shores, they freight her with cocoa-nut oil and arrow-root, which they give as their contribution to help on the blessed work.

See what can be done when the heart is interested. Here you have "a living monument of the mighty power of littles." Thirty thousand dollars in one year from Sabbath school scholars! A ship built and fitted out by children! How happy they must be to think of it. How much more blessed is it to give than to receive. What Samsons will they become in the missionary cause, if they go on abounding more

and more in their contributions as they grow up to manhood.

Now, after reading this account, how much will the three hundred thousand children in our Sabbath schools determine to give this coming year? If each one were to contribute but ten cents, what would the whole sum be? Is there any one that cannot give so much as that? Is there any one that would not rejoice thus to contribute his mite to save a lost world?

[For the Youth's Dayspring.]

LITTLE ADDISON'S POTATOES.

Little Addison is five years old. He thinks much about the poor heathen. Last spring his mother gave him the parings of some potatoes taken off before they were cooked. He planted them in the back yard. They grew finely, and he sold them for twenty-five cents, which he wishes to send to the poor heathen, that they may be "taught better."

Yours,

R. TAYLOR.

Shrewsbury, N. J.

THE TWO LITTLE BLIND GIRLS.

In Aintab are two little blind girls who are committing to memory the New Testament. Both of them live in families who do not love the gospel, and their friends have tried all that threats and beating can do to prevent them listening or learning; but they have persevered until their friends have become weary, and have concluded to let them do as they please. We now give two other little girls three cents a month each, for teaching them daily a portion of the Testament. One has in this way committed to memory all of the book of Matthew, and a part of Mark; the other has suffered more from persecution, and has not been able, until recently, to obtain liberty to learn, but she can repeat the first ten chapters of Matthew very accurately. This girl very seldom listens to a sermon