gentle life, as full of charity to his neighbour as of Love to GOD. He never allowed anything to interfere with his private devotions, however toilsome his days or disturbed his nights, and he so loved the courts of the LORD'S House that he would not absent himself from any Service, even when the terrible malady which assailed him rendered it impossible for him to support himself otherwise than on his knees; at last even that could not be attempted, and Holy Week of this year saw him laid on the bed from which he was never to rise again. From that time to the day of his death, though his sufferings seemed almost beyond human endurance, no murmur ever escaped his lips, -he was always cheerful and contented and touchingly grateful for every kindness shown him. He received the Blessed Sacrament constantly, and seemed to find therein perfect rest. A few days before the end a friend said to him, "I am so glad to hear you had the Holy Communion this morning-it is the best comfort you can have ;" and he answered with the utmost fervour, "Ah, indeed it is the best and the dearest." He made his last Communion on the very day when he was to go in the strength of that Divine Food, even to the Mount of GOD. A few hours later, he was lying quiet with his eyes closed, and perfect silence reigned in the room, when he suddenly turned to his wife who sat by his side and said, "Who spoke?" "No one," she answered, "did you think you heard some one speak?" "I did hear a voice," he replied, "which certainly spoke to me." Then she asked him what words he had heard, and he answered calmly and distinctly, "The voice said to me, Come, thou blessed of My Father." After that, there was less than an hour of struggling life, and then he was with us here no more. Can we doubt that the Good Shepherd, Whose own, He tells us, "hear His voice," Himself had come to lead His faithful servant away to the green pastures and still waters of comfort, where in His dear Presence His ransomed people know eternal peace? Anima nostra sint cum illo! -Yours, &c., ORIENS. Queries. THE FIRST SACRAMENT." SIR,-Will you or any of your correspondents kindly inform me what was the "first Sacrament" to which in his Confessions S. Augustine says Simplicianus was admitted before he gave in his name for baptism? The account occurs Bk. viii. sec. ii.-Yours, &c., M. S. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. SIR,-1. May I inquire what is the correct way of crossing oneself? 2. Would any reader be kind enough to give an outline of a Sister of Charity's duties in a London Sisterhood, also what is about the sum paid for entrance?— Yours, &c., HIlda. HAND-PAINTED CARDS, ETC. Miss E. M. MACGACHEN, Littlebourne Vicarage, Wingham, will be glad to receive orders for hand-painted chairbacks, dresses, ménu, and dinner name cards. Money to be used for church purposes. THE TWENTY MINUTE WORK SOCIETY. SIR,-You were kind enough in March 1877 to insert a letter from me concerning the establishment of a "Twenty Minute Work Society," for supplying clothing to the poorer Clergy in New Zealand. It may interest your readers to hear of its entire success. There are now, upwards of one hundred working more or less for the Society. The Clergy of the Dioceses of Auckland and Dunedin, (for whose benefit the Society was started) being for the present well supplied with clothing, it is proposed to send in the Autumn, a box of clothing to Nova Scotia, Canada, or wherever most needed. Any ladies willing to join are invited to apply for the rules, &c. (enclosing a stamped envelope) to the address given below. I am however now most anxious to provide for the needs of the Churches in the Dioceses of Auckland and Dunedin, New Zealand, and for that end to receive members, (not of course Twenty Minute Workers) who can afford the time and money for making Altar Cloths, Altar Linen, Kneelers, Book-markers, Almsbags, Surplices, &c. I am also very desirous to obtain Annual Subscribers to a fund for increasing the Stipends of the poorer clergy in the two Dioceses named, and also for providing Altar Plate, Fonts and other Church necessaries always being required for new Churches, and with which many old Churches are still unprovided. The Churches being very small, and mostly built of wood, anything very elaborate would be out of place, good but simple work is required. For any further information, rules, dimensions of work, &c., your readers may apply, (enclosing a stamped envelope) to Miss C. A. GORDON, 23, Lansdowne Road, Tunbridge Wells. BOOKS FOR SELF-EDUCATION. SIR,-Would any of the readers of the Churchman's Companion inform me which are the latest, and best books of Grammar, Geography, and History for a young man, not very well educated, who wants to teach himself? please state prices.-Yours, &c., LEARNER. PICTURE OF THE RESURRECTION. SIR,-Can any reader of the Churchman's Companion tell me where to procure a copy, either print, photograph or oleograph of a good picture of the Resurrection, suitable for the Wards of a Hospital, and not too expensive?—Yours, &c., E. C. S. PHILIP'S, CLERKENWELL. SIR,-May I ask you to make known, through the medium of your muchvalued Churchman's Companion, a great and urgent religious work now going on in one of the poorest and most denselycrowded London parishes, and which, unless funds can be speedily raised, cannot be effectively carried out. This work has existed for more than seven years in the district of S. Philip's, Clerkenwell, which contains a population of about 10,000, of, for the most part, the very poorest people. There is one church, accommodating about 600 persons, but its situation and the arrangement of the streets prevent it from benefiting the very poor. Some years ago, at the request of the Vicar, a room was obtained by a priest working in the parish, in which services were held, as well as a Sunday school. This room was soon found insufficient, but these services were still carried on until last year, when an opportunity of developing this work presented itself. A lady who had generously supported this mission, took a house, to which a stable and workshop were attached. In their place, a building has been erected, which holds about 150 persons, and forms the present Mission Chapel. Application was made to the Bishop of London, who consented to constitute this part of the parish into a separate ecclesiastical district, and the same lady offers £100 per annum for the endowment, while the Ecclesiastical Commissioners meet this offer with a grant of £50 per annum. The Bishop, however, in consequence of the poverty of the district, requires an endowment of £300 per annum. If £100 per annum can be secured by next spring the Ecclesiastical Commissioners will complete the £300 by a further grant of £50 per annum, and the Bishop will then constitute the district. The lady above referred to undertakes to give half the £100, there still remains therefore £50 per annum to be obtained. For this sum, owing to the unusually high price of securities, £1,500 is now still wanting to complete the endowment. The future patronage of the district will be placed in the hands of Trustees commanding the confidence of Church men. Miss L. Nicholson, 13, Lloyd Square, Clerkenwell, will gladly send collecting cards to any one applying for them, and if all your readers would help, either by sending donations themselves, however small, or undertaking to collect subscriptions from friends, this sum will be raised, and the glorious work completed of securing a permanent place of worship for these wandering sheep, ready and willing to return, but at present cut off from their FATHER's house, because there is no room for them. Contributions may be paid to Messrs. Brown, Janson & Co., 32, Abchurch Lane, London, E.C., to the account of the District of the Holy Redeemer; to Miss L. Nicholson, care of the Mother Superior, 13, Lloyd Square, W.C.; to the Rev. E. V. Eyre, 21, Wilmington Square, Clerkenwell, W.C. References kindly permitted to the Rev. R. M. Benson, Mission House, Cowley, S. John, Oxford; Rev. Canon Liddon, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row; Hon. Charles Wood, 10, Belgrave Sq., S. W.-I am, &c., ASSOCIATE. GOOD STORY BOOKS. SIR,-Will any of the readers of your magazine kindly contribute presents of good story books for the use of the patients in S. John's Hospital for Incurables, now under the care of the Sisters of All Saints? Parcels will be thankfully received by the Sister in Charge, S. John the Evangelist's Hospital, Cowley S. John, Oxford. A POOR PARISH. SIR,-Will you kindly permit me to appeal to your readers in behalf of my husband's parish, now poorer than ever, on account of the stagnation in the iron trade? Contributions of left off clothing will be most thankfully received. Books which are read and done with will be very acceptable for our parish library. Address, C. H. Ridsdel, S. Mary's Vicarage, Sedgley, near Dudley. HOME FOR LADIES. SIR,-Would you be so very kind as to name this Home in the Churchman's Companion, so as to induce ladies who may be in want of rest, without expense, to come to our Home?-Yours, &c., ANNE MERCIER, Kemerton Rectory, Tewkesbury. THE SNOWSTORM IN CHURCH. SIR,-May I ask you to make known to your numerous readers a case of misfortune which has recently occurred in a village in Berkshire? Only two years ago the church and organ were very nicely restored, and on the 18th of January, during the memorable snowstorm, the snow drifted into the organ chamber and rendered the organ quite useless. There is a surpliced choir with Gregorian music, so you may imagine the instrument is much missed and wanted. The parishioners are very poor, but they will do what they can to get the money for restoration. If any one will help in any manner it will be an act of kindness and charity. Please address, Miss L. MILLNER, 12, Stanhope Place, S. Leonard's-on-Sea. Notices to Correspondents. Accepted: "S. Luke the Evangelist." "Summer seems to have no duties, and while law and order may rule for nine months of the year, during these three they may cease, and the birds, the grass, and the trees do just as they like, at least so it appears to me, and thus I feel out of harmony with all around, which after all is my own fault, for I have only to follow the example of nature and like what I must do."-CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS-WYNN. DULCIBELLA woke the next morning late and with a start, but in time to be down first of the sisterhood as usual, looking round the picture-hung staircase and landing, the comfortable, pleasant diningroom, over the trim lawns and pretty shrubberies, and wooded undulations stretching eastward beyond them, with something of the feeling with which her father had looked around him in this home of all his life but two nights before. All, also familiar to her, and from her earliest years; only additional comforts, luxuries, beauties added as time went on, needs increased, and even the large family had not seriously diminished means. Her father was the first to follow her, looking none the worse for the previous day's fatigue; perhaps the better for the certainty it had brought him after what had been a most unexpected awakening to the realisation of the fact that he, too, was mortal. He still, at sixty, looked in the prime of middle life, and this morning had been his usual round of garden and orchards before turning indoors punctually at eight. "It's a sweet morning," he said, and so cheerily that Dulcibella could have believed their last night's talk a dream; "and here comes Freda, none the worse for our long day in town; to-day will be cooler for the hay-makers." "And for some lawn-tennis; yesterday was a wasted day in that respect, and in others too, but very delightful in itself. No letters for me? and you haven't opened yours, Dulcie,-how tantalizing you are." Dulcie, from old upbringing, never did open her letters till after prayers; any more than speak a word, even when sharing a sister's or friend's room, after their light had been extinguished. "Poor little weakly soul! after all its training to need so many props," had Friedeswide remarked lightly when, soon after the girls' return from town, the eldest sister had remonstrated gently against the clatter of talk ringing from the old nursery, sometimes till long after her and her father's later retiring hour; and quoted Miss Gilbert's training of themselves, and the comfort and use Amy and herself had found in carrying on this teaching. Dulcibella had spoken with hereditary shyness and difficulty on the real motives and uses of such self-control; but Friedeswide watched her raised colour with critical amusement, if some affection also, "Poor dear Dulcie, you and Amy never will be anything but children all your lives I declare, unless Will Lawson puts a new soul into Amy,—and then what a rebound it will be! It will leave her, poor dear, with no anchor to hold fast by, never having had previous sense so much as to imagine that there even was another side to the moon. I give you the credit of far greater original mother-wit, and also capability of giving a reason for your faith and practicecapability at least to know that there are two sides to a shield. But I wonder what George Saville's made of all Dinah's pious practices by this time ?—made right away with them long before now no doubt, for they too were only imitative-" Then even Freda reproached herself at sight of Dulcibella's dumb look of grief and pain, and added with a kiss, "But don't fuss yourself about us, Dulcie dear; think how delightful it is for us three juniors to get right away from all you dull, learned, reverend, potent seniors at last; don't grudge us that half-hour of fun! papa never objects—" "He is just deaf enough not to hear it,—the stairs turning away from your room." "Well! go and tell him of us, if you like; and force him to interfere, if you choose,-but if you do-" and Friedeswide shook her fist as in play, but there was a glitter of defiance in her clear brown eyes, implying if you do, war to the knife henceforth from me, and whether you succeed or not!" |