Home News.

JUVENILE missionary meeting, in connection with the King Street Congregational Church, Portsea, was held in the schoolroom a short time since.

A bounteous tea was provided for the young folk by their pastor, the Rev. W. Rose, after which he gave them a very amusing, interesting, and instructive address on Mission work, illustrated by coloured diagrams hung round the room, which gave a vivid idea of the devoted labours of the two missionary heroes, Moffat and Williams, and depicted some of the darker scenes of heathen life.

A more impressive way of advocating Christian Missions among children could scarcely be adopted. The pictures will never be forgotten.

All who had collected as much as five shillings were then presented with a small missionary map, showing in different colours the moral geography of the world.

It may be encouraging to the friends of Missions to learn that in the first year of Mr. Rose's pastorate, the missionary boxes and collecting cards have produced no less than fifty pounds. It would greatly help the funds of the Society, and do much good among the young, if such meetings and efforts were common throughout our Churches. While the cause of Christ may thus be advanced, the great end which superintendents and teachers have in view will also be greatly furthered.

THE WIDOW'S TREE.

Ta country missionary meeting, held a few months since, a contribution of ten shillings was sent in with

the following deeply-interesting letter:

"Sir, I enclose the sum of ten shillings to the London Missionary Society, being the price I made of a favourite yew-tree which I had growing in my garden for nearly half a century. It was cut and trained in its present form by my departed husband, who has been sleeping in the grave for more than thirty-nine years. Having to change my residence, I was obliged to remove it. I thought, what can I do with this tree? I thought, I will give it to the Lord, who has watered it with the dews of heaven, and caused the sun to shine upon it. It has stood many a winter's storm, and the snow has whitened it and covered it with beauty; and I have stood and gazed at it many a time with pleasure and delight to see how, amidst all, it retained life and vigour a fit emblem of the missionary cause.

"I now give it the name of

THE MISSIONARY TREE.'

Where it is now planted, may the owner long live to see

it beautify his grounds, and flourish under his culture. May his children's children look upon the tree with interest, and do worthily for the cause of Missions when I am sleeping in the clods of the valley. And may He, who is the Tree of Life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations, plant in every soil and kingdom and country the standard of the Cross, and may all nations rally round it, is the desire and prayer of diaE

THE GIVER."

THE SPEAKING MACHINE.

A GOOD many years ago, when slavery existed in Demerára, a pious master, Mr. Post, used to read the Word of God daily with his family, before rising from the breakfast table. Books at that time were a great mystery to most of the negroes. A female slave (who was alive in September last) used to look with wondering awe on what was to her

an incomprehensible thingthe Bible, that lay upon the table, and which she supposed to be a speaking machine; and then, after walking round the table, examining first one side and then the other of the speaking book, she would open it, and imploringly say "talk to ME now."

J. F.

LITTLE BY LITTLE.

A THOUGHT FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR.

HAVE you ever watched the formation of an icicle outside your window? you saw how it froże, one drop at a time, until it was a foot long or more. If the water was quite clean, then the icicle appeared quite clear, and sparkled brightly in the sun; but if the water was only a little muddy, the icicle looked dirty, and its beauty was spoiled. Now it is just so that your character is being formed; little by little, one little thought, or feeling, or

action, added to another, time after time, day after day, will make it what is hateful, or what is lovely; either pure and right, or polluted and wrong. If there is a mind to pray, a heart to love, and a will to do good, then, by God's help, you will have t growingly good character; and if you begin to do some little thing for Christ and his . cause now, you may be spared to do some greater thing by-and-bye.

"Thus doth the Christian thrive and grow,

Though poor-a wealthy man ;

And if we can't be happy so,

I know not how we can."

R. R.

thus come to announce the jubilee year, though travelworn, and with sandalled feet all covered with dust, he was, nevertheless, received with gladness; at another time they might have said to him, "Retire, and wash your feet;" but now they were all ready to join in the shout, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that publisheth good tidings!"

But how much more reason have we to be thankful and joyous for THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION by Jesus Christ! When Philip the Evangelist went down to a city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto the people, and they believed in Him, we are told, in Acts viii. 8, "There was great joy in that city."

"How happy are our ears,

That hear this joyful sound,

Which kings and prophets waited for,

And sought but never found!"

This Gospel is a source of the highest joy wherever it is preached; and even poor slaves have been able thereby to rejoice in "the glorious liberty of the children of God."

Take the following fact, sent to the Editor by " J. F.,” an honoured missionary from Berbice:

THE FIRST SERMON TO THE DEMERARA SLAVES. The Rev. John Wray was the first missionary to British Guiana. He arrived there on Saturday, February 6th, 1808. The next day he preached on an estate called La Resouvenir, from the words, " This day is salvation come to this house." This was the first discourse preached to the black people in that country. Of the complete ignorance of the slaves at that time, few persons now can form any