panions. Delighted with the wild flowers which abounded in that lonely sheltered spot, the eager child had soon strayed away from his playmates, and wandered through the thicket; filling his little hands with the primroses he plucked on every bank he passed, and then sitting down to tie them up into bunches that he might carry them home as trophies. At length, tired of being alone, he rose, and gathering up his treasures in his pinafore, ran along the path shouting for his companions: but they were gone. After gathering their nosegays, they had all, with the fickleness of children, run out of the dell, to find some other sport; and little James, who had left them early in the afternoon, was never once thought of by the heedless set.

Who can describe the hours of anguish which the little lost one spent in that solitary wood! He called, but no one answered: he wept, but no human eye beheld his tears. Each anxious mother had sought for her child that evening, and had laid it to repose in its lowly cot; but James had no mother to seek for him, and he who had so long been to him as a mother, had closed his eyes that very day, since James had left him, in the sleep of death.

James was not yet five years old, and after all children suffer not like those to whom years have brought the powers of reflection. Long ere the last faint streak of twilight had died away in the west, the deserted boy had sobbed himself to sleep. He was found by some labourers in the morning as they went to their work, slumbering on a bank. When roused by them, the child gave a confused account of what had passed, and spoke of bright beings with wings whom it had seen around it. The labourers said it had been dreaming. It may have been so,

but who can doubt that the holy angels watch with especial care over the sleep of childhood. They bore the stray lamb, who was half-benumbed with cold, to old Richard's cottage, but on opening the door, what a sad sight was there! The old man still lay in the arm chair where I had left him in the morning, before the now fireless hearth; but he moved not as they entered, and as they approached him they perceived he was a lifeless corpse.

At what time the spirit had flcd none could tell, for no one had been near the cottage during the whole day, but he was stiff and cold. I arrived not long after, in time to direct all proper care to be taken of the child, who had now lost his only earthly protector. A fire I had kindled soon restored the circulation to his chilled and half-frozen limbs, and strange to say, he never suffered from that night's exposure.

Old Richard's funeral was a decent one; the club he belonged to furnished the necessary funds to pay for it. I attended it out of respect to my old friend's memory. The reader may perhaps anticipate what I am going to tell him. I have not let little James return to the workhouse, but have taken upon myself the charge of his education. I have placed him at a school where he will be taught the fear and love of God, and the nature of that solemn engagement which was made for him on the first day I saw him. May he never sully the pure and white robe in which he was then arrayed. My fortune though not large, is yet a comfortable one, and I have no ncar relations. I hear that some of my friends whisper among themselves that I mean to make little James my heir. I can assure them, however, that they are completely wrong in their conjectures, I think I should be doing the boy a very questionable good,

were I to raise him out of his rank in life. I shall give him a good, sound education, and furnish him with the means of providing for himself. If he rises in after life, it

must be by his own talents and exertions, for which, blessed be God, the free institutions of our country afford such an ample scope.

*

WITHIN a blind gateway in the Rue St. Jacques, a few houses distant from the fine Church of the Val de Grace, almost under its shadow, there stands a capacious house, with court and garden, dedicated to the reception of aged poor, of both sexes. Desirous of inspecting its internal arrangements, we rang the bell, and were ushered into the Superior's parlour, until a "Sister" was called to conduct us over the Institution.

The house is one of those large and capacious buildings, which, by its fittings, exhibits the former grandeur of this locality, ere the great Revolution, and perhaps fashion, robbed the neighbourhood of the Palace of Luxembourg, of its richer inhabitants. The broad marble staircase and lofty rooms peculiarly adapt it for its present purpose, and we, in London, anxiously on the look out for either a site whereon to build, or a house suitable for a "House of Charity," on an enlarged scale, may well envy the promoters of all charitable institutions the choice of buildings, which political circumstances have rendered available for such purposes in the French metropolis. There are 97 aged persons, some in ad

vanced years, in this Asylum_of Charity. The history of this Institution is soon told. It is a branch of that root which was planted at St. Servans, at no distant date, by its pious Vicar, and carried forward under his auspices by Jeanne Jugan, assisted by two young "Sisters." It has extended itself to several towns in France, by its genuine and intrinsic merits, as a practical charity, and through the self-denying exertions, bodily and mental, of a Sisterhood, known by the title of "Sœurs des Pauvres," (Sisters of the Poor.)

own

To bring home to an English mind its true character, we may call it a Poor House for the Aged, based not on rates or ratepaying sympathies, but on the broadest principle of Christian love, and entirely dependent for its daily sustentation on collections of "the crumbs which fall from the rich man's table."

The poor people are lodged, fed, clothed, by these collections which are made by the Sisters, in faith, from house to house, market to market, shop to shop. These devoted persons are of strong and able constitutions, indicative of their belonging, so far as this

charity is concerned, to the better labouring and mechanic classes. They perform the whole menial offices of the Establishment,-nursing, cooking, washing, and cleaning.

On entering the lower hall, between twenty and thirty inmates were seated round the room, some plying the spinning wheel, some mending clothes. The bed-rooms are furnished with iron single bedsteads, very clean and neat, with better bedding than we see in our hospitals, varying in outward appearance, as to quality of coverlid or linen, and bespeaking the better condition of the occupant, in some instances, as each is allowed by self or friends to provide themselves with this comfort. Over each bed is suspended some simple symbol of their faith in their Redeemer, a crucifix or a print. Passing through the rooms, infirmary, and storeroom, (the latter very neatly arranged,) we descended by a back staircase to the men's apartments, and conversed a short time with a poor blind man, who seemed to attribute his loss of eyesight to the unskilfulness of the operator. The placid resignation of this poor man was very striking, and not less so the gentle and soothing words of the "Sister" to another poor fellow whose afflictions bore so heavily on his mental energies, that he was almost always in tears, as she said. In this part of the house there is a small oratory, for the assembling of the Sisters for devotional exercises at the close of their daily labour. Nor was the kitchen left uninspected, for we were naturally curious to witness the result of the morning's "foraging," bearing in mind the number of this Christian family, and their entire dependence for their daily sustenance, not, be it remembered, on the Parochial Treasurer, but on the superfluities of their richer brethren's kitchens, varying in

quality and substance from day to day. The basket was turned out before us, and its contents consisted of the remains of stockpots, vegetables, bits of bread, salading, &c. In the copper was boiling for the morrow's breakfast, the sweepings of coffee, supplied to them by some charitable grocer. Bread is purchased.

No sooner had this Sister delivered the contents of the store basket, than another presented herself to strengthen by a longer round the collection already made. Strong in faith, and cheered by the necessity and love of the work, they go forth from day to day through all weathers, and find in the result, that God does not forsake them, for there is no lack.

In the entrance yard stands the little chapel, with a working room for the younger women, and this completes the arrangements. For the government of the house there seem to be no written rules, no committee of management, no subscription list patronage. When a vacancy occurs it is immediately filled up from a list of candidates, without reference to the antecedent history of the party to be benefitted by admission, and the hope of reclaiming a lost soul is one element of the charity. Repeated misconduct is visited with dismissal, but the discipline of the house is the discipline of love.

Such is the "Maison des Pauvres," and its history furnishes a few reflections to the English mind, which perhaps may not be without interest to the reader.

First. The voluntary principle applied to a Poor House for aged persons; or in other words the Superintendance of an Asylum of aged destitute by a religious Sisterhood, in sufficient strength to conduct the whole management of the Institution.

Were it possible (and why not if

it was not for that religious discord which meets us at every turn in the institutions of our country?) to conduct under the pastoral supervision of the Clergy, aided by Sisters of Charity, our large town and country Unions, what a blessing it would be to the poor! what a change would be wrought in the whole system of these establishments, if religious and charitable sympathies prevailed there! But how can they find a place under a system which groupes the delicate-minded and broken-hearted with the reckless profligate, the religious with the open blasphemer; which reduces all to a level, under the sway of iron discipline, administered by officials responsible to a board of Governors, not Guardians, who are again responsible to the Ratepayers for every excess doled out to the necessities of pauperism, regarded in this country, as next-a-kin to crime! A system which constitutes a pauper a "Sister" of a ward, whose services are valued at one shilling or two shillings per week; persons often not to be trusted beyond the doors of the house lest they should return in a state of drunkenness, or with the means of indulging this propensity concealed on their person.

an

Again. The support of the house by collections of the refuse of the rich man's table.

What might not the superfluities of the domestic economy of Belgrave and Grosvenor Squares, &c., do, if systematically dedicated to the support of the aged indigent either at their own homes or in asylums? Doubtless there are many, many instances of this practice in families, but speaking generally, who profits by our profuse liberality in the kitchen department? Liberality, do I say? Nay, rather unthinking and reckless waste! Perquisites are

66

The house is

What are Sisters? Women who have placed their entire affections on things above;" gentle and simple; who have cast their whole souls into the lap of charity for Christ's poor! and "the Kingdom of Heaven's sake!" See again, the blessed effect which a system worked by Sisters of Mercy or Charity could not fail, under God, to have in respect to one class only of persons in our Town Workhouses. Young girls! for what is their career in too many instances? Without parents some foundlings-a parish child; no home but the Workhouse from the day of her birth,-no Guardian but a Board. Such a child is educated, but how? At fourteen years of age, she is put out to service, in a neighbourhood, may be, teeming with former Workhouse school companions, who have become vicious outcasts of society. These birds of prey watch the newly emancipated child as an eagle does a dove. They dodge her on her path to Church, and allure her to their abodes; the simple one is engulphed in the vortex of an hours' dissipation, to rise to the surface a ruined soul! Could this be so, if Christian sympathy was the principle of the Workhouse System? Methinks that God of his infinite mercy would keep his little ones; trained in religion and knowledge of the Truth by devoted

women, even through the fiery trials and temptations which surround the purlieus of our Metropolitan Workhouses.

Sisterhoods! What might not England hope from such as these, sympathizing and co-operating one with another, and forming, as against the world, a compact band of Christ's faithful ones, scattered among the Hospitals, Orphan Schools, Houses of Charity and of Penitence, and Workhouses, throughout the land? What a

change in the religious condition of such institutions might not a "Union" of Sisterhoods, under God's blessing, work, if duly organized and fostered by a corresponding co-operation of Church Charities? Let those who have at heart the spiritual interests of the Poor ponder on these things. The time may come when the Church of England will be allowed to give an impulse to the idea here shadowed

out.

C. W. S.

A FEW PLAIN DIRECTIONS TOWARDS LEADING A CHRISTIAN

LIFE.

Begin every day with God, and leave not thy chamber until thou hast knelt with reverence, and performed thy bounden duty of prayer and thanksgiving.

If possible attend the daily Church Services, otherwise read and meditate on some portion of the Psalms and Lessons appointed by the Church for the day.

Let simple obedience to thy Maker be the great principle and root of all thy actions.

Remember all virtue consists in duly governing thy corrupt affections, and this is the trial to which thou art called.

Shun idleness, in whatever station of life thou art, and know, that it is the part of a wise man to have always something to do.

Strive to live at peace with all men, and cultivate a courteous, meek, and benevolent disposition of mind.

Speak the truth on all occasions, be sincere and upright in thy conversation.

In all thy concerns with others, be they little or much, let this be the constant rule of thine actions,

"Whatsoever thou would'st that men should do unto thee, even so do thou unto them."

In every time of tribulation, comfort thine heart by reflecting, "That all things shall work together for good, to them that love and serve Him."

Consider that frequent partaking of the Lord's Supper, is as necessary to nourish thy soul to eternal life, as our common food is to the preservation of our bodies.

Never lay thyself down to rest, before thou hast prayed in private and recommended thyself to the Divine protection.

Always say grace before and after meals.

NO: "THERE IS NOTHING GREAT BUT GOD."

Lines suggested by seeing the above sentence inscribed on marble in the Great Exhibition.

"No, there is nothing great but God,"All other things are vain; Where'er the foot of man hath trod,

O'er mount, through vale, or plain.

"No, there is nothing great but God,"
And His "Eternal Word,"
While earthly treasures pass away,
These ever are ador'd.