there not thousands of heathen among us? Are there not many, in this very parish, who never attend any house of worship at all? Have not Infidelity, Chartism, and Socialism, of late stalked through this land with giant strides? Then believe me, you may do much for these men. Do your endeavour, by God's grace, to walk in all the ordinances of our most holy religion blameless, and it may be that you may lead them to see your good works, and to glorify your Father which is in heaven. Finally, exhort one another daily, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. -Church Missionary Gleaner. IDOLATROUS CEREMONIES AT MADRAS. Not long ago, hearing a great noise, I went to the window, and saw three men riding on Brahminee bulls, and beating tomtoms. These were followed by men blowing trumpets, after whom came two Brahmins, and then another man with a silk cap, walking at the side of a woman who was measuring her progress by prostrating herself on the ground. In one hand she held a cocoa-nut, her clothes were coloured with the sacred saffron powder, her ankles adorned with bangles (bracelets), and her hair ornamented with flowers, In this way she passed along, alternately rising and lying down, with her forehead on the ground; while on one side a person marked off, with a stick, the progress she made at each prostration; and on the other, a woman sprinkled water before her to cool the ground. She was accompanied by a number of persons, all greatly excited, though the poor woman herself appeared to be so exhausted as to be scarcely able to procecd. Two or three days afterwards, a similar party passed my house, only in this case it was a man who was making the prostrations: he had a green bow in his hand, and the single lock of hair that hung from the crown of his head was adorned with flowers. Both these poor misguided persons had probably come in this manner the whole way from Benares, in North India, measuring the distance with their bodies, in fulfilment of some vow! Sometimes I see persons walking in great state, with flags, and silk canopies, and musical instruments, to some sacred river, to wash away their sins; and I often see a water-carrier selling sacred water, as he calls it, from the Ganges. Some of the water is in very small chatties (earthen pots), sealed with the seal of the priests of Benares, and, of course, is particularly valuable: the rest he sells out in small quantities from large chatties, carefully tying them down again, lest the water should receive any accidental defilement. When I look on these things, I am ready to exclaim, Can these bones live? and can only make the same answer as the prophet, O, Lord God, thou knowest.-Church Missionary Paper. EDITOR'S PORTFOLIO. NO SURRENDER. FOR MUSIC. EVER constant, ever true, Let the word be, No surrender; With a magic-No surrender! Nail the colours to the mast, No surrender, No surrender! Beat them off with, No surrender! Constant and courageous still, Mind, the word is, No surrender; Battle, though it be up hill, Stagger not at seeming ill, No surrender, No surrender! Is to give them-No surrender! Juvenile Missionary Herald. MOTTOES. HOLD principles firmly, but let practice be modified by circum stances. Let your practice ever praise your principles. Duties are ours, results are God's. A place for everything, and everything in its place. Success and failure are too often attributed to tools, instead of the mind that works the tools. The experience of some men is like the stern light of a ship, which only illumines the track behind. Look back at the past, that you may be humble; look onward to the future, that your zeal may have fresh stimulus. The teacher should regulate his lessons, not by what he can impart, but by what the children can receive. A Scripture lesson not applied, is like a clock without hands. It is doubtful which is the greater evil, that the instruction should be above or below the capacity of the children. It is as important how children hear as what they hear. A child should be firm on one step before you lead him to the A TEACHER'S TESTIMONY.-During the period of our recess this summer, it pleased the great Shepherd to gather one of his dear lambs from his pasture in the wilderness, into the heavenly fold, whose testimony on a dying pillow, to the advantages of Sundayschool instruction, was most encouraging. She had been about three years at our school, and always evinced the liveliest interest in the important work in which she was engaged. Never was she absent, and never unprepared in the business appointed for the day. Her attention and intelligence, accompanied, nevertheless, by the greatest humility and diffidence, were ever most gratifying to her Teacher, whilst occupied with her class; but, oh! how great a recompense even for years of toil, the grateful message she left to be delivered to that Teacher (who was then at a distance) by the Clergyman who visited her at her dying hour-"O Sir, tell Mrs. how thankful I am to her for all the instruction I received at the Sunday-school; it was there-it was from her I learned all these precious truths!" And on one occasion, speaking in reference to her expected recovery, she said, "If I be again able to attend the Sunday-school, I think I will not be able to contain myself, but tears of joy and thankfulness will burst forth in spite of me." Her last expressions were addressed to her weeping parents and brethren, that were engaged in prayer around her bed-"Oh! pray with more faith-pray with more faith!" LITTLE KINDNESSES.-The humble current of little kindnesses, which, though but a creeping streamlet, yet incessantly flows, although it glides in silent secrecy within the domestic walls, and along the walks of private life, and makes neither appearance nor noise in the world, proves in the end a more copious tributary to the store of human comfort and felicity, than any sudden and transient flood of detached bounty, however ample, that may rush into it with a mighty sound.-Fawcett. THINKING. A Teacher should understand, and understand it well, that there is scarcely anything so painful to the human mind in its undisciplined state, as thinking. To overcome this repugnance, and to teach the child so that he will love to think, is perfection in the art of teach ng.—Todd. INSTRUCTION A GRAVE AND SERIOUS OCCUPATION.-Let us respect the happiness of children, and shield it with all justifiable care from being rudely disturbed; but be it never forgotten, that this state must have an end; that for all children a life of trial and hazard must speedily commence; that enjoyment is not the loftiest destination of man upon the earth,-there being one far higher, for which the child ought to be prepared. We need not shrink, therefore, from employing our pupils, though it gives them pain, if otherwise it should be necessary: for thus they may be spared deeper griefs, or rendered able to support them. Instruction should in all respects be rendered easy and attractive; but it can never be considered an amusement; it is a grave and serious occupation, though in nowise devoid of interest. THE BIBLE WHEN USED AS A TEXT BOOK.-When the word of God is read in a school. the Teacher should take the greatest possible care that it be read in a reverent manner. The children should be made to feel that the Bible ought to be read and studied in a very different way from all other books. Irreverent reading of the Bible leads to innumerable evils. SUMMARY OF NEWS. "There are many devices in a man's heart: nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand.” SINCE Our last, the critical period of the ingathering of the harvest has passed away, and the gloomy prospects with which it commenced have become bright and cheerful. God's promise has again been fulfilled: "Seed time and harvest shall not fail." And in most instances the grain has been secured uninjured. In the South, however, the rains were more injurious. In the Midland and Northern Counties little has been harmed. The Scottish harvest has not yet advanced enough for us to report on it. In Ireland we fear that it will be found that the produce is below the average; the rains having been more incessant and violent than in England. A large proportion of the potatoe crop has without doubt failed. We trust, however, that the ensuing winter will pass away without any serious calamities from scarcity. That prices will rise after four or five months, there seems every prospect, but not to such an extent we trust as will cause the pressure to be felt very severely by the poorer classes of the community. But the last year or two have proved how short-sighted human calculations and prudence have been. The Parliamentary Session terminated on the 5th of September, after having continued the lengthened period of ten months. Just before it closed, the Diplomatic Relations Bill with Rome passed by a large majority. It seems clear that before many months have passed away, a proposition for paying the Roman Catholic Priesthood in Ireland, will be submitted to Parliament. A remarkable conversation took place respecting its feasibility in the House of Lords the other day, in which the leading men of all parties seemed to concur and Lord Ellenborough hinted that the sum which is returned from the Irish Loan, would be well laid out in building Glebe and Manse Houses for the Priests, to raise them above their flocks. All true Protestants, we trust, will unite in firmly resisting such a measure should it be brought forward. Lord John Russell has been lately paying an official visit to Ireland, a step of which all must approve; but we trust that no ill-advised and consequently inefficacious concessions will be its result. The Queen has been staying at Balmoral, in Scotland, but will have probably returned before this notice appears. The Revenue Returns have been lately made up. The Expenditure is calculated at £52,422,335, with an addition of £1,738,921 for the Kafir War, Emigration, and the Irish Supplies. The Income is estimated at £51,210,000. So that there is a large deficit in prospect. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir C. Wood's) speech, with such an announcement, and with the potatoe failure, and uncertain harvest before us, was, we thought, too smooth and easy. In a temporal point of view, we could not help being reminded of the prophet's words: "Prophesy unto this people smooth things." There has been a lamentable deficiency discovered lately in the Tralee and Limerick Savings' Banks,-those valuable institutions which are often such a mine of wealth to the industrious and hardworking classes of the community. Great abuses also seem to have existed in their management: Public Institutions having actually deposits there, and many individuals whose position in society and resources ought to have excluded them from their benefits. Mr. Tidd Pratt, the Government Commissioner, has lately inspected and issued his report upon them. We trust that it will call the attention of the managers and trustees of such institutions generally through the country to see that they are directed to their proper uses. A Conference was held in Paris, September 9, the result of which has not reached us, to discuss the divisions which now exist between |