THE OLD HIGHLANDER'S SOVEREIGN. 66 78 their baggage, and to erect their houses. have a fine rein-deer, which I will give." A party of the heathen, however, who said" I," said another, have a good pair of they would not live with the believers, left rein-deer boots, which I will gladly conthe place, leaving behind them a man, his tribute." "And I," said a third, "will wife and child, who refused to follow the send them a seal, that they may have someheathen any longer. This family had thing to eat, and to burn in their lamps." pitched their tent at some distance; but The collection was then made, and their the Christians, filled with love, went to kind offerings were sent to the relief of the them, took down their tent, and placed it poor Indians. This is the more remarkin the midst of their own dwellings. They able, as these people were once known for gave the strangers a welcome, all striving their selfish and unkind feelings. to show some act of kindness. The newcomers were quite amazed at their charity; and declared that, for the first time in their lives, they had found people who showed they sincerely loved them. Do you pity the poor heathen? do you wish to do them good? There are some children who think if they had a ship-load of money, then they would help to send missionaries to the heathen; but they canAnother tribe, in these northern regions, not deny themselves in the least thing, beheard that a missionary station among the cause they say they have now nothing to Indians had been attacked by a body of spare. Let the liberality of the poor Esfierce savages, when some of the converts quimaux put such to shame. All may do were killed; and others, who had been something to extend the kingdom of Christ driven from their homes, were in a desti- in the world. But do not forget that you tute state. The believers burst into tears must begin with yourself. Do you love at the account they heard, and at once Christ? Are you relying on his blood and offered to make a collection out of their righteousness for eternal life?-Missionscanty means, for the relief of the sufferers. ary Tracts published by Religious Tract Money they had none; but one said, "Il Society. THE OLD HIGHLANDER'S SOVEREIGN. THE Presbyterian Church in England have lately sent out to China a very godly missionary named William Burns, who has been very useful both in Seotland and in America. I will tell you a little story about him. There was a very good old Highlander, who lived in one of the islands in the west of Scotland, and was very fond of studying the prophecies. He often used to take up the map of the world, and look anxiously upon the great empire of China, which contained so many millions of souls sunk in the deepest ignorance, and going down to death in hundreds every day without a Saviour. He was sadly grieved to think that no missionaries were allowed to enter the country; and he often prayed that God would op n up some door by which the gospel might get in. At last the war began, and, to his joy, he heard that missionaries might now go there and preach. He was disappointed, and wondered that his own church did not immediately send out men to preach; but he said within himself, "Some day it will be done;" so he wrapped up a sovereign in a piece of paper, and laid it aside, saying, That is for the mission to China, as soon as I can hear how to send it." A little time after this, he met a missionary of the Free Church, so he brought out his sovereign and offered it to him; but he replied, "I am sorry that I cannot take it, for we have no missionaries to China." This was 66 66 JUVENILE MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. 79 a great disappointment, so he had to wrap | visited the island a short time ago, and to up the sovereign again; but he put a half him the old Highlander applied. "Will crown beside it, to wait a better oppor-you do me a great favour?" he said; "here tunity. A year ago another minister of the is a little contribution which I have laid Free Church visited the island, and, as he past for sending a missionary to China. happened to be connected with their Mis- You perhaps know of some society which sion Schemes, the old highlander resolved will send a missionary there; will you give to see him, and put the money into his them this subscription for the purpose? I hands; for," said he, although there have long set my heart upon this, and this may be no mission to China just now, this money has been long laid aside for the may put it into their minds to have one." purpose." Mr. Burns at once agreed to He therefore went to seek the gentleman, take charge of the donation, as he knew and got the length of the pier, when he saw that the English Presbyterian Church had the little boat set off with the passengers resolved to send a missionary there; and, for the steam-boat, so that he was too late. he added, "I sometimes think I will be Ile was very sorry at this second disappoint- there myself." The old man was overment; but, putting in a shilling beside the joyed at hearing this, and lately meeting sovereign and the half-crown, he returned with a friend, who told him that Mr. Burns home with his little contribution, and had sailed for China, he exclaimed, “Is he waited until he should hear of some other really gone? perhaps I have had some way to dispose of it. The third attempt hand in sending him away." was more successful; the Rev. W. Burns JUVENILE MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. IN the parish of North Leith, in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, there have existed for several years seven or eight very lively and successful Juvenile Missionary Societies. They are all under the superintendence of a Sabbath School Association; but the children are allowed to take a very material part in the management of their monthly meetings, and in voting away their funds. This year they have voted to several missionary institutions, belonging to various denominations of Christians, the sum of £1083; and on the previous occasion they had collected and voted away the sum of £10 18 8. The mode of collecting their money, and conducting their meetings, appear to be so interesting and useful, that we are inclined to state them here, in the hope that they will be considered and adopted in other places by teachers, and even by parents. They hold their meetings monthly, generally after a short exercise in the Sabbath school on a Sunday, and in the presence of their teachers. The members elect a chairman to preside at the meeting, who is usually one of the teachers,-but who has not unfrequently also been one of themselves. The chairman either commences by prayer, or calls on another to do so; the minutes of the last meeting are read, and, if approved of, the business immediately commences. The list of speakers, chosen at last monthly meeting, is then called over, and they are told to hold themselves in readiness to speak when called on by the chairman. Their duty was to procure, during the month, from Magazines, Records, or Missionary Travels, some missionary intelligence or missionary anecdote. One of these juvenile speakers is asked to commence, who stands up, and telis JUVENILE MEETINGS AND CONTRIBUTIONS. 80 his (or her) anecdote, (does not read nor which are marked. The chairman, teachers, repeat it.) in his own way, and in his and other speakers, appointed or voluntary, own words. The benefit of this to the then give their respective anecdotes, and children has been found very great. The one of the teachers is called on to pray. chairman, or one of the teachers, generally Before singing their missionary hymn, four, makes a very few practical remarks on the six, or eight speakers for the next meeting narrative given, applying it to the case of the children themselves. Another is then called on to do the same, and a few remarks made in the same way. are elected by the children; they are severally asked if they will accept, and if they do, they are recorded as the speakers elected for next month. Their missionary hymn is then sung, and the meeting breaks up. The monthly subscriptions are then taken up. The members are called over in order, and each comes forward and pays his sub- The advantages of this mode of conductscription (generally a halfpenny or a penny ing missionary meetings among children is given) as his monthly contribution, and is are said to be numerous, and we think marked on the list as paid. The payment they are; and although some teachers may of one farthing per month constitutes mem- at first think it impossible to adopt such a bership. plan with their children, yet we are quite Another speaker is then called on to satisfied, that, in nineteen out of every give his anecdote as before. The collectors twenty schools in Great Britain, with a (if any were appointed at last meeting) fair trial, it would succeed. are called on to give in their collections, About 300 young peo JUVENILE MEETINGS AND CONTRIBUTIONS. August 23d.-A Juvenile Meeting was held at NORTHOWRAM, near Halifax. ple were present, and an address was given by the Rev. C. H. Bateman. August 24th.-A Children's Missionary Meeting was held at BROMLEY LANE, near Halifax, and an address given by the Rev. C. H. Bateman. About 400 were present. August 26th.-A Children's Missionary Meeting was held at GOMERSAL, near Leeds. About 400 were present, and an address given by Rev. C. H. Bateman. Price One Halfpenny Published by J. GALL & SON, 38 North Bridge, Edinburgh. THE CHILDREN'S MISSIONARY NEWSPAPER VOL. VIII.-No. 6.] THY KINGDOM COME.' [PRICE ONE HALFPENNY. is a district running along the east coast, from the Cape Colony on the south to the River Bashie, about 200 miles to the north, and bounded on the west by the country of the Bechuanas and Bosjeman. TAKE a map of Africa, young reader, generally marked out by the name, and and look out for Caffraria. You will find it stretching away from Negroland and Abyssinia on the north, down to the Cape Colony on the south, having only a narrow belt of country, consisting of Congo and other western divisions on the west, and then running east as far as the Indian Ocean. This is Kaffir-land in its largest extent, but a very small portion of this is June, 1851. Over this country the Kaffirs have been used to range for ages. A beautiful country it is, possessing all the charms and setting forth all the beauties of some of the finest land scenery in the world. There are the Amatola Mountains, and in their deep vallies, rugged sides, and often woodcrowned summits, may be found scenes of extraordinary loveliness and grandeur. Amongst these fine scenes the Kaffirs feed their flocks. They possess large herds of cattle, and cultivate extensive tracts of land in native corn and vegetables. They are not a set of wandering savages, but a numerous and settled people, dwelling in kraals or villages; and though without a king or fixed form of government, closely united for the maintenance of their rights. They are described as "a fine, stout, healthy-looking race of people, of dark complexion, and not unpleasant countenance." By some they are believed to have descended from Ishmael, and to have come down from more northern countries to this part of Africa. Many of the ancient customs of the Patriarchs are to be found amongst them; such as the rite of circumcision, burning of fat in sacrifice, purifying themselves by washing in water, considering themselves defiled by touching a dead body, and other things common amongst the Jews. They are a bold and warlike people, and have maintained their independence to the present day against every effort to destroy them. Once they possessed the greater part of that territory on the south of their present district, called Albany, and inhabited by Hottentots and farmers; but have been gradually driven back by a series of wars, and their land taken from them. With all this they still keep their freedom, and before the late war numbered some 200,000 people. It is a very wicked thing, indeed, that people should be deprived of their land by force in this way; but it is just one of the fruits of human pride and selfishness. We can have no right to take our neighbour's land, and shoot him down if he tries to keep it himself. And I hope that if you grow up to be men and women, you will resolve to have nothing to do with any such wicked wars, but use all your influenee to spread honourable, kind, and loving dealings amongst all mankind. The Gospel, you know, is a great peace-maker, and as its influence fills the earth and governs men, the nations will "learn war no more.' I must, however, go back to my account of the Kaffirs. Though driven back upon their own lands they never have been conquered, I was saying, and have always been a great annoyance to the settlers. Down they would come in large numbers when the people were unprepared for them, drive off the farmer's cattle, and sometimes destroy his whole farm produce, and burn his buildings, and murder him and his family. This has called forth acts of revenge from the settlers; and these again brought down fresh bands of Kaffirs; and so it has been going on for many years. Different governors that have gone out, have done what they could to make agreements with the Kaffirs, and get them to give up quietly some part of their territory for a proper return, or enter into some arrangement for preventing these quarrels. At times good seems to have been done, and all has gone on well for a time, but suddenly some new quarrel has arisen, and more annoyance has come out. Then fresh settlements have been made and a little peace secured, and so on. We have bad too, quarrels between the government of the colony and the chiefs, besides those of the settlers; and these have given, rise to two very expensive wars already, and now to a third, which is involving the whole country in distress, and will require probably two millions of money to pay its expenses. Sir Harry Smith, the governor of the colony, has resolved the Kaffirs shall be all destroyed; and numbers of troops have been sent up to drive them out of their mountain homes, and put them all to the sword, ar bring all down by the |