A NOBLE CHARACTER.

FITZGERALD MATTHEW.

ERE is a picture of a Negro with a wooden leg bringing his contribution and those of his wife and children to the missionary. On being told that the money was not wanted then, but merely a promise to give it when required, he said

"God's work must be done, and I may be dead;" and being resolved to do his part, would pay the money. This man's name was Fitzgerald Matthew.

He had been a slave, and no doubt also the servant of sin, but he had been made free in a double sense, and he was one who prized his freedom, and turned it to good account. He was a cheerful, happy, obliging man, and so was much liked whilst he also made himself very useful.

He was sick nurse on the estate, and a favourite with the doctor, who always wore a white hat, which, after having used awhile, he would hand over to Fitzgerald, and so enabled him, in so far as that was concerned, to dress like himself.

At the Mission chapel which he attended there was a Sabbath-school which met in the morning before the service, and again in the afternoon.

Nothing but sickness would keep Fitzgerald away from chapel, and although he had a long way to come,

and could not walk very fast with his wooden leg, he always managed to be in time for the early Sundayschool. As he walked up the aisle with his staff in one

of the head he would say, "Yes, massa, me come;" and, raising his eyes, would say in a subdued voice, "O Father, I thank thee." Whilst he set a good example by his regular attendance and punctuality at public worship, he also greatly assisted the missionary by his efforts for the spiritual welfare of the people where he lived.

One day, whilst the missionary was busily engaged, a person came running to say that Fitzgerald Matthew, whilst crossing a bridge, had fallen and severely hurt himself; and on looking out the missionary saw him being carried past on a stretcher by four men. He followed them to the hospital, where he found Fitzgerald suffering much pain, but cheerful and resigned; he only lived two days. When the missionary called to see him on the Saturday afternoon, he said to him on parting, "Good bye, massa-me going home; me going home to Father. Good bye." When the missionary returned he found that he had "gone home." But for the Gospel carried by the missionary, that poor negro never would have known of a home in heaven, nor a Father there. Nor would he have been that happy useful man which, during so many years, he was. It is a glorious work, this work of blessing our fellow-men, and rendering them blessings unto others, and it is a work in which even the young can take a part. Let us not grow weary, but work whilst we can, and as we can; that so, when our work is done, like Fitzgerald Matthew, we may go home, not having lived in vain.

REV. J. DALGLEISH.

A Scene from Mission Life in India.

(See Frontispiece.)

E cast anchor in the Burchurra Nuddee, with an extensive forest on both sides. An hour had just elapsed, when at about a hundred yards from us an alligator came up out of the river to enjoy his noon-tide sleep in

the rays of the sun. After remaining there

about half an hour, and being apparently in a sound sleep, we observed an immense tiger emerging from the jungle, and bending his steps towards the place where the alligator lay. With the most cautious pace imaginable the tiger approached the alligator, his raised foot remained some seconds before he replaced it on the ground, and so he proceeded till he came within the power of his leap, when, exerting all his strength and bounding from the earth, he descended immediately upon the alligator's back, and seized it by its throat. The monster of the deep, roused from its slumber, opened its tremendous jaws, and slashed its terrific tail; and whilst the conflict lasted, each seemed to exert its utmost strength. The tiger, however, had the advantage, for he had grasped the alligator in a part of the neck which entirely prevented him from turning his head sufficiently round to seize his antagonist; and though many severe blows were inflicted on the body of the tiger by its saw-like tail, the noble beast of the forest, when the battle was concluded, shook his brawny sides, and seemed unconscious of any pain. Having overcome the alligator, he dragged it a little farther on the shore, and sat over it exactly in the attitude of a cat sitting over a captive mouse. He then took the creature in his mouth, and gently walked off with it into the jungles. About ten minutes

afterwards we saw the tiger emerge from the forest, and, after gazing at us for a few minutes, and perhaps imagining we were almost too far from the shore to allow him to add us to the number of his trophies of victory and blood, he slowly pursued his course in a different direction to where he had left his prey, and we saw him no more. In less than an hour afterwards the alligator, who had been stunned but not killed, crept out of the jungle, and though evidently much injured, yet with some difficulty reached the river, and escaped the power of his sanguinary foe. He, however, was too much lacerated to remain long in the water, and soon came again to land, but took the precaution of exposing but a part of his body, and keeping his face towards the shore. He continued but a very short time, and again launched into the deep, repeating his visits to the beach almost every quarter of an hour whilst we remained. The sight was certainly the most dreadfully magnificent that can possibly be conceived, and one, we believe, that is very seldom witnessed. It taught us and our people a very important lesson, viz., not to go needlessly on shore in such a place.

THE DEVIL TEMPLE

TURNED INTO A HOUSE OF GOD.

REV. JAMES DUTHIE.

OME days ago I set out from Nagercoil (it being vacation time in our Seminary

ing tour through the churches of our Mission in Travancore. I am now away far up among these jungles and mountains of this beautiful country, but the rain has come down upon us tothere), on a preach-day in such torrents that we are