Spafields Chapel Sunday-Schools, held recently, was a most pleasant sight, the brightness and decoration of the spacious room, with the numerous attendants, and their cheerful appearance, will not soon be forgotten.

W. T. M. Torrens, Esq., M.P., presided; supported by the Revs. Robert Maguire, A.M., Incumbent of Clerkenwell; T. E. Thoresby, T. Dodd, T. Davidson, E. C. Lewis; J. Trotter, Deputy Assistant-Judge Payne, Messrs. Churchwarden Willcocks, Best, Scargill, Paget, Partridge, Drayton, List, Parker, Dimsdale, Seal, &c. About 400 sat down to a sumptuous tea.

Mr. Willcocks said: "During his connexion with the schools, he had never known the teachers more hearty in their work than at present; in fact, they seemed more kind and devoted than ever. Since the opening of the schools they had had 16,552 pass through the books, and during the past year the admissions had been 168. On the previous Sunday there was a special sermon to the children in the chapel, and upwards of 800 children were present. On Easter Monday they had a very pleasing meeting by some of the young people in connexion with Mr. Thoresby's Bible Class, and the teachers had their usual excursion among themselves. The school excursion took place as usual, twenty-five vans being employed, and a large number of children and their friends attended, and, after enjoying themselves, returned without any accident. The expense of the excursion was 651., towards which they raised 631. On Sunday morning and Sunday evening they had separate services in the schools. In their library they had exchanged 700 books 3,006 times, and they had also circulated 6,062 magazines, in addition to Bibles and hymnbooks. The missionary offerings last year amounted to 337. 10s., while this year he was pleased to say they amounted to 35l. The work of God had been going on among the classes. Several admissions to the Church have taken place. In their infant classes there were between 300 and 400 children, with an

average attendance during the morning of about 130, and in the evening 140. That class had supplied to the upper school about eighty during the year, and contributed 21. to the missionary fund. Mr. Willcocks read the reports of some of the teachers, which were very satisfactory. He thought, before he sat down, it was his duty, and a very pleasing one too, to refer to the goodwill of the teachers towards himself, and also the officers of the school. He was at a loss to know what he should do unless he had the generous sympathy of the officers and teachers in his work; and he could safely say, although he had always had help, he had never so much real sympathy as during the last two years He had nothing to wish for, and never felt happier. It was very gratifying to him to see so many old faces, and he was glad to see his old friends assembling at their anniversary in such large numbers. The decoration of the room was almost all owing to the kindness and exertions of old friends, and he returned them his sincere thanks for it. He felt proud that their meetings were looked upon as an institution, and it was their friends who made it so. He had also to acknowledge the kindness of the leading men of the parish, to whom he had sold upwards of sixty tickets. He mentioned in his last report that several of their teachers had been getting married, and, speaking as superintendent, he was sorry to say that sort of thing had been going on during the present year, but the newly-married folks were all there that evening, looking so well and happy that he had almost a mind to get married himself."

All appeared to be thoroughly good at the meeting, except the subsequent speeches; these had not their usual excellence.

We may mention, in connexion with the School, the young persons in Miss Polley's class, have presented her with an ornamental and substantial inkstand, as a mark of their affection and high esteem.

Let us also notice that a few of the

friends, at the suggestion of Mr. Johnson (whose family attend Spafields Chapel), and through the kindness of Mr. Parker and Mr. Willcocks, a very munificent Christmas-box was presented to the Pastor, consisting of two handsome purses, worked by the Misses Dimsdale and Johnson, and forty spade guineas. The guineas were obtained expressly from the Bank of England, and were very beautiful-principally of George III.'s reign, but going back so far as the reign of Queen Anne. They were presented on a silver salver, at a social gathering at Mr. Willcocks' house. The gift was as perfect a surprise as we ever witnessed. We have the best reason to know that the Pastor felt very grateful for this elegant kindness on the part of his friends. These spades have a remarkable facility and power of dig. ging; and if a few other toiling husbandmen were to receive a few of them, we believe those labourers would do their work none the worse for the gift.

-Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel. On Wednesday, December 26, 1866, a tea-meeting was held at the above chapel to celebrate the appointment of the Rev. J. Dawson to the pastorate of this chapel, in the room of the late Mr. J. Rawling. There was a numerous attendance. After tea the members, teachers, and singers, presented Miss Rawling, daughter of their late minister, and superintendent of the Sunday. school, with a testimonial, consisting of a silver butter-knife, an electro-plated butter-cooler, and a flower vase, as a mark of their esteem and affection for the untiring assiduity with which she discharges the duties of her office. The presentation was accompanied by the following address: "Dear Miss Rawling,We, the undersigned members, teachers, and singers of the Countess of Hunting

don's Chapel, Bearfield, being deeply sensible of the anxious care and unwearied toil through which you have passed, and so faithfully discharged that portion of duty which seemed incumbent upon yourself, and which must have laid heavy upon you since your dear father has been taken from us, wish, by presenting this small testimonial, to manifest our sincere affection for your work and labour of love. The gift is small, but we feel assured it will be received by you, not according to its value, but for the motive which prompted us to offer it to you; and you may be assured that not one who has contributed towards it but has done so with a cheer

ful heart and a willing mind. We only regret we could not present you with something more valuable, and more worthy of your acceptance. Praying that the blessing of God may ever rest upon you, we subscribe ourselves," &c. On behalf of Miss Rawling, the Rev. J. Dawson acknowledged the gift. On the Sunday evening previous, the members of the chapel were each presented with a copy of the biography of their late lamented minister for upwards of twenty years, Joseph Rawling.

MALVERN.-An interesting meeting of the congregation was held on Thursday, December 27, at the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, Great Malvern, for the purpose of welcoming home the Rev. E. H. Allen, LL.B., and Mrs. Allen, after their marriage, and of presenting to each a testimonial-consisting of an elegant French clock to Mr. Allen by the congregation, and a handsome Bible to Mrs. Allen by the teachers and children of the school. The above was very suitably and feelingly acknowledged, amidst the earnest wishes of the people for their happiness and usefulness in the town and neighbourhood.

In a few days Jane entered on her domestic duties; and in a short time she forgot her sorrows in the unexpected comforts which she enjoyed, and dreaded rather than wished any change in the family to take place.

But the visitor, so wished for by the Hanburys, so dreaded by the timid Jane, arrived; and after the most affectionate greetings had taken place between Douglas and them, Jane was introduced to him as "Miss Vernon," and to her low curtsey he returned a cold and distant bow. "My friend was right," thought Jane.

Mr. Hanbury then said, "Douglas, this young lady is my ward now as well as yourself." In reply he smiled indeed, but bowed as coldly as before, concluding it was an heiress left to the kind protection which he had experienced himself; and the smile, had she understood it, was one of congratulation on her good fortune.

Soon after the tea-things were brought, and Jane sat down to officiate at the table. But what a difficult task it was! Douglas sat opposite to her, and she found his fine dark eyes fixed on her in a manner that distressed her exceed ingly, and confirmed more than ever her idea that he was proud, and presumed on his superior fortune. But Jane was very wide of the truth. The truth was, that Douglas, whose feelings were completely absorbed in an ardent passion for study, and whose warmest ambition was to excel both as a mathematician and a metaphysician, was at this time writing a definition of beauty; and

having read in Sir Joshua Reynolds's admirable discourses, that he imagined beauty to consist in "the medium form in everything," he had for some hours been considering within himself how far this definition was true or false; therefore, when he beheld in Jane a face and form of great beauty and regularity, he could not help gazing at her in order to apply to nature the rules and opinions which he was revolving in his mind; and while so engaged he quite forgot that he was probably wounding the modesty of a timid girl of seventeen. But Jane dared not even reprove him with a frown; and he continued his offence and his ignorance, though the victim of his metaphysical abstractions dropped the sugar-tongs in her confusion, overset the milkpot, and scalded her fingers.

At last, tea was over, and Jane took the first opportunity of retiring to her chamber, where she vented her indignation in expressions of "hateful, proud wretch! If I had been his equal, he would not have dared to stare at me in such a manner; but no doubt he heard before he came that his guardian had taken into his house on charity the penniless orphan of a country curate!" Full of these unpleasant thoughts, she did not choose to go down stairs again till the first bell rang for supper; and then with a swelling heart she returned into the parlour.

As soon as she appeared, Douglas, the formidable Douglas, eagerly rose from his seat, and handed a chair to her, bowing as he did it with an air of great respect, and an expression of kindness

and interest on his countenance, which could not be misunderstood even by the prejudiced eye of Jane. Surprised, pleased, but conscience-stricken, Jane stood quite still, neither accepting nor refusing the offered chair.

"Do sit down, Miss Vernon," said Douglas; "you look pale, but perhaps you had rather sit nearer the fire ;" and in an instant he had moved the seat nearer it; for Jane was no longer in his eyes a rich independent heiress; he had heard her story, and his generous nature had felt for the poor destitute orphan. Jane listened to him, heard the deep and impressive tone of his voice, felt too that it was modulated, as he addressed her, by the influence of compassion; and recollecting what she had said and thought of him, while she sat sullenly in her own room, she threw herself into the chair and burst into tears.

Douglas was surprised and shocked; but the Hanburys told him that Miss Vernon's spirits had been so weak since her father's death, that even the sight of a stranger was too much for them; and then they endeavoured judiciously to direct her thoughts into another channel. Nor was it long before Jane recovered her composure; but it was nearly overset again on Douglas's drawing his chair close to hers, and saying, in a soft and gentle tone of voice, "There is a striking, and in one respect, a happy similarity in our fate, Miss Vernon-we have both lost our natural protectors, but have fortunately obtained the love and protection of two kind friends, who are able and willing amply to supply their loss; therefore, dear sister in early sorrow, let me prevail on you not to dwell on the past, but look forward with cheerfulness and hope to the future."

"This man has a heart then," thought Jane; and with feelings very different to those with which she had attended the tea-table she sat down to supper.

Nor did Douglas repeat his former offence; he had forgotten even his projected essay in the pity which the Han

burys had excited in his breast for the poor orphan, now become an object of such sacred respect in his eyes, that he was afraid of not being attentive enough in his manner to her; and never had Douglas been known to pay such attention to any woman, as he did this evening to the poor orphan Jane.

"So this is the man whose arrival I dreaded," said Jane to herself, as soon as she reached her chamber. "I never will allow myself to be prejudiced against anyone again, nor to form a hasty judgment."

Then, determining to make Douglas ample amends, by her good opinion of him in future, for the injustice which she had done him, she lay awake some hours, her spirits being too much elevated to allow her to sleep, as she felt that delightful sensation to the heart of the poor dependent victim of ill-fortune, the consciousness of being to the prosperous the object of attention and respect.

The next morning Jane experienced a slight disappointment at finding herself obliged to begin breakfast without Douglas; but Mr. and Mrs. Hanbury assured her that they never waited for the young philosopher, and Jane was forced to proceed even to her second cup before Douglas appeared. Jane blushed, when after having apologised for not being down sooner, he turned to her with an air of coldness, and inquired after her health; but as soon as he had performed this necessary act of politeness, and exchanged a few common-place observations on the weather and politics, Douglas fell into a profound reverie, from which he did not seem to awake till the breakfast things being removed, he bowed without speaking to anyone present, and retired to his own room again.

But though Jane was vexed at Douglas's absence and inattention, she was not angry, for she did not attribute his coldness and neglect to pride, but to learned abstraction; and in this idea she was confirmed by hearing Mrs. Hanbury say, "Ah! he is gone; and

I know by his manner that we shall see him no more till dinner-time, as he is study-mad, as usual."

"But at dinner-time we shall see him," thought Jane; and while she busied herself in making preparations for the dinner, and in other household occupations, she could not help thinking how much the arrival of a visitor enlivened a family, and added interest to the dull routine of domestic duties.

At dinner, and not till then, Douglas reappeared, but cold, reserved, and taciturn. The interest which the forlorn condition of the poor orphan had excited in him was swallowed up in mathematical perplexities; and having eaten his meal almost in silence, he again retired to his studies, leaving Jane quite as silent as himself.

At tea-time he came again, and behaved in the same manner; but at length arrived his accustomed season of relaxation; and an hour before supper, satisfied with his long application, and in consequence of it with himself, he joined the party round the wood fire, with all that grace and amenity of manners which had filled Jane with such remorseful and pleasant feelings the preceding evening, and with a degree of vivacity and animation which she did not imagine him to possess.

After supper Douglas proposed to Mrs. Hanbury a renewal of their old habits, to which she cheerfully consented; and in a moment Mr. Hanbury was seated at a little table, on one side of the fire. Douglas had placed Mrs. Hanbury's work-table on the other side of it; and she and Jane having resumed their work, Douglas took up a book, and began reading aloud. Douglas read admirably; and Jane, to whom the book was entirely new, almost forgot her usual timidity. Thus engaged, midnight came unnoticed, unfelt by them all.

"And is it indeed time to go to rest!" thought Jane. "Surely this has been the most delightful evening that I ever passed. Who could ever have made me believe that I should laugh so heartily again?"

The next morning philosophy and mathematics as usual, like the Alps crowned with snow, sat on the brow of the Cambridge student, and Jane hardly knew him again.

'But evening will come at last," she said to herself; and it did come, and Douglas read another comedy, and again the amusement which he afforded in the evening made ample amends for the gloomy abstraction of the day. (To be Continued.)

replied, "I never was happy till I came, I only repent that I did not come to Him sooner. The minister then turned to the opposite gallery, and addressed himself to an aged member in the same manner, "Brother, do you repent of coming to Christ?" "No, Sir," said he, "I have known the Lord from my youth upwards." He then looked down upon the young man, whose attention was fully engaged, and, fixing his eyes upon him, said, "Young man, are you willing to come to Christ?" This unexpected address from the pulpit, exciting the ob