our greatest difficulties-and they have been many and of long continuance-we have always been upheld, first in one way and then in another.

Many points of our Mission work have not been touched on, lest the reader's patience should be too much taxed; but various new branches, as yet unattempted, might be set on foot if our numbers were larger. We especially wish, in the coming autumn and winter, to attract the men of the parish by classes or lectures, and should be very glad indeed of the help of some educated men for this purpose.

We should be very thankful for more district visitors. Of the very few persons who help us in this way, one comes from New Cross, one from Hampstead, two from Pimlico, one from Paddington. The houses are so thickly populated that a very few are sufficient to form a large district. Permission is also needed for collecting broken food at more houses, and hampers of fruit, vegetables, or flowers from the country would be very acceptable. So would cast-off clothing, books for the lending library, toys for the children, and especially just now, tickets for Convalescent Homes.

We are also glad to receive orders for underlinen, &c. (in proof of its being well done we may mention that Worth et Cie, of Hanover Street, supply us regularly with work for our women). But chiefly we beg for prayers and for thanksgivings. With all its imperfections, this has been a work of prayer and of the showing forth of GOD's power throughout. Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD GOD of Hosts.'

S. Thomas' Mission House,

14 Golden Square, W. Contributions should be addressed to The Sister in Charge.

Few experiences can relate a smaller beginning of any parochial work than this. A small piece of ground was provided, and a parish priest, endowed with 200l. a year (without a house) but beyond this, nothing. No buildings of any kind, and no funds to provide them, though the population numbered nearly 1,000 persons, who had come to live in the newly built houses, and has since been increasing every week. A mere handful of these were even nominally Church people, none of them Communicants, and almost all of them shared a house with one or two other families, and therefore were not able, even if willing, to provide building accommodation for their own spiritual needs. Field after field has been mapped out for extensive building operations, and whole streets have come into being during the past year.

WORK.

Some idea of what is needed in breaking new ground like this may be gathered from a statement of the organisation that has already been called into existence, to which much yet remains to be added.

In our little iron Church our services are as follows:

On Sundays, 8 A.M., Celebration of Holy Eucharist; 10 A.M., Short Service for Children, after Sunday-school; II A.M., Matins, Litany, and Sermon; 3.30 P.M., Catechising and Holy Baptism, after Sunday-school; 7 P.M., Evensong and Sermon.

On week days, 8 A.M., Matins daily; 7.30 P.M., Evensong daily; to which are added, at 7 A.M., Celebration of Holy Eucharist on all Holy Days and Thursdays, and Litany on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon.

There is also a Communicant's Class, both devotional and instructional, with an Address, held in Church, after Evensong once in each month; a monthly Office of Intercession said after Litany; and a quarterly Devotional Service, with Address, for the Guild.

The number of baptisms has been, in all, fifty-seven, including several adults; seventeen have been confirmed; and the roll of Communicants has already ninety-eight names, but of these last, no less than forty-three have removed from the parish, and one has been called to his rest.

This will give some idea of the increased difficulty and labour of working up so unformed a neighbourhood, with a population constantly

shifting in search of new employment, or from other causes. Moreover, the disadvantage of having no day school in the district adds materially to the difficulty of recruiting candidates for Confirmation and Communion; and this part of the work has, therefore, been almost entirely carried on amongst adults, who have, for the most part, needed separate and individual instruction.

With no funds at all at starting, either for buildings or current expenses, it was obviously impossible either to build day schools, or to maintain them when built; so a School Board, not for this district only, but for the whole parish of Willesden, with its 27,397 inhabitants, has been imminent from the first, and has actually been elected during the present week. This has, of course, increased the importance of efficient Sunday-schools in this district; and, having begun with seven children, we have now sixty-six on our books, and have had at least double that number altogether, but the removal of parents, as mentioned above, keeps up a constant ebb and flow in numbers, though there is some slight increase steadily going on almost every week. In addition to the morning and afternoon schools on Sunday, we also purpose (D.V.) in August to open a Saturday school, for religious instruction only, when a large increase of scholars is anticipated, and the need of our permanent Mission Station will be more than ever felt, as we have at present only one small iron building for use both as Church and school.

During the past year we have secured a Parish Room adjoining the Church, which is available for parochial meetings and instruction classes. Here are held fortnightly meetings of the Guild of District Visitors and of Sundayschool Teachers, and weekly Mothers' Meetings, and an Instruction Class for Boys. Here we have also established a Parochial Library, a Club and Reading Room for Men, and a Clothing Club and Penny Bank; and here, during the winter, Children's Entertainments were held every Monday, which have now given place to outdoor amusements till the winter evenings again come round.

Adjoining the Parish Room, we have also opened a Parish Bookstall, under the charge of the Guild, where Bibles, Prayer, and Hymn Books may be purchased, together with various magazines, school materials, stationery, and postage stamps, and S. Andrew's Kalendar, which is

published monthly, and forms the local wrapper of The Banner of Faith.

A Laundry Class has also been established in one of the numerous laundries of the district, where on ironing day some thirty women have the opportunity of being read to, and obtaining some religious instruction, while at their work. From this account of our work we must go on to mention our

WORKERS.

Having begun single-handed, this Trinity season has brought me a newly ordained deacon (Rev. G. P. Trevelyan) to share with me the work which has been fast growing beyond my unaided powers, and for whose help I cannot be too thankful. The two district visitors are now augmented to six, and we have seven teachers in the Sunday-school, and a 'Sister' who takes charge of permanent invalids, any special cases in sickness, and manages the Maternity Society which has been lately formed.

Our appeal in Our Work last July brought us three or four lady-workers from London, but unfortunately in every case health and kindred causes obliged them to give it up after a few months; and we shall be very thankful if other ladies in the N.W. district of London, or the suburbs, who have time at their disposal, would help to supply our rapidly-growing needs. BUILDINGS.

Besides the iron building (which is now used for Church and Sunday-school, and is the first instalment of the Mission Station) we have been enabled to rent three small houses adjoining it, to which we have given the name of S. Andrew's Hostel. The Hostel comprises not only the Parish Rooms, Bookstall, &c., mentioned above, but also apartments for the Caretaker, lodgings for the Assistant Curate, and also lodgings for young men engaged in the city, who prefer to live a little way out of town, and enjoy Church privileges and country air. These latter have a 'common room' for their meals, &c., and each a separate bedroom. At present there is accommodation for four such lodgers, but only one vacancy; and though it is not necessary that those who live at the Hostel should give any part of their time to parochial work, yet it is matter for thankfulness that all the three who are there now are devoting a considerable amount of their time to Sundayschool and choir, as well as to the Parochial Library and Boys' Cricket Club. The frequency of metropolitan trains which run to and from

Willesden Green station every ten minutes, makes the Hostel a convenient place for city clerks to live at, and the sons of country clergy and others who have appointments in town may find here the companionship of others, who are content to live quietly and economically, with no other restraint than the unwritten rule of honour, response to which has never been lacking yet.

I may mention here that to supply a want, for which, more than once lately, application has been made to me, I am willing (when there happens to be a room vacant) to receive at the Hostel clergy who may be coming up to town for a few nights, or laymen who, on application, will kindly forward some clerical introduction.

It is a subject of congratulation to add here that besides the small plot of ground, to which allusion has been made above, and which is now destined to be the site of our present Mission Buildings, another and a larger site for both Church and Vicarage has been provided, in a very eligible position on the main road, known as Willesden Lane.

In all probability, however, it must be some years before sufficient funds can be gathered to build so large a Church as will be needed; and, therefore, our more immediate attention is now being turned to the completion of the Mission Station by the addition of a large Sunday-school Building (to accommodate 300 children) to our present iron structure, and to provide kitchen and other offices, so as to make that, in future, available for the Men's Club and Coffee Room, instead of the rooms now rented for that purpose at the Hostel.

As soon as this large building is added, we purpose to move the furniture of the temporary church into it, and so make it available for services with increased accommodation, until the church itself can be provided.

Funds for this purpose are very urgently needed. The Bishop of London's Fund gave us last year a grant of 500l. for our Mission Station; but, in spite of all our efforts to raise funds to meet it, we have hitherto been unable to put the work in hand, and the grant consequently lapsed at the expiration of twelve months.

I am thankful, however, to say that on representing the peculiar circumstances of such a district as this, with its artisan population and its pressing needs, the grant has been renewed, but only on condition that the building is

actually raised during the present year. To do this, not a week ought to be lost in beginning it, but a further sum of about 500l. is yet needed; and since there is not a single parishioner who can serve on a building committee and share with me whatever responsibilities that may involve, it is quite impossible for me to undertake such responsibilities alone, until at least the greater part of that sum has been contributed.

I ought here to acknowledge, with much thankfulness, the liberality of one who resides beyond our own border, and the very widely extended sympathy of those whose smaller contributions have already amounted to about 700l. towards the Mission Buildings, exclusive of the grant mentioned above, besides various sums for other objects. Of these, the most important by far are the contributions to our Clergy Fund, which have enabled me to obtain clerical assistance which would otherwise have been quite impossible. The stipend of assistant clergy in a district like this must necessarily depend wholly on Voluntary Contributions. The offertory, at present at any rate, cannot do more than meet our current expenditure; and though our working-class population has done, I think I may say, extremely well in contributing to our offertory during our first year 1097, yet we cannot hope to rear buildings, &c., without the aid of a widespread sympathy amongst Churchmen and Churchwomen everywhere.

On this, under GOD, we confidently rely; and appeal to the readers of Our Work to do what they can, and that quickly, to enable us to save our grant of 500l. by beginning to build at once; and to provide for the stipend of the clergy who may be led to give themselves to the uphill and difficult work that is before us here.

I ought not to close this account of work done, and funds already raised, from a beginning of nothingness, which GOD has certainly largely blessed, without adding that failure has attended many an effort, and disappointment again and again trodden upon the heels of our joy and thankfulness, in the lapse of some who have been under instruction and again fallen back to the world which we had hoped they had left behind. But amidst all the encouragement and blessing of GOD's hand upon our work, it would be only ingratitude to dwell upon its disappointments, whilst, on the other hand, it might seem dishonest not to allude to them. Those who

read this account will, I trust, readily understand that it has been written, not in a spirit of vainglory, but rather to elicit sympathy and help in a vast work in which human weakness alone is responsible for failure, while its success belongs to GOD.

J. ARTHUR RAWLINS,

S. Andrew's, Willesden, N.W.

Our Work Abroad.

'Desire of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.'-Psalm ii. 8.

HE weekly foreign mails bring us letters of thanks for our magazine from places we knew little of before.

One Colonial correspondent writes :

The news from various parts of the world which it contains is most interesting. It is strange to us to see how many of our brethren are struggling under the same difficulties as we are.

It helps us to bear the trials we have, to find that others are bearing the same blessed burdens for the same blessed cause. They are burdens, though they are blessed.

In the March number of this year, there is a letter from a missionary in Prince Edward's Island, that I might almost make my own, with this exception, that I have only six children and he has ten, and my income is a little larger, though I suspect that with him living is cheaper than with us.

On the other hand, I have four mission stations to his two, and have charge of a district of nearly 600 square miles.

I think I am better off in the way of surplices, which have been mostly given me by friends; and besides, I have one very good set of altar linen, which was sent me by your own Sisterhood at Kilburn.

But, like him, I am still ready to beg, and that sturdily, because it is not for myself, but for the Master's service.

I would not ask our friends in England, if I thought my own people could provide what I want; but when I say that our church in this place will only hold a few more than a hundred, and that last year we raised nearly 150l. by weekly offertory and subscriptions, you will see that we are really helping ourselves. Our people are not rich, and many of them are coloured working people, but yet they never

fail, I think, to make an offering at service on Sundays.

Besides this, we are raising a fund for enlarging our crowded church. We want 250l. to lengthen it twenty-five feet, not only to give fifty more kneeling places, but also to extend the sanctuary and chancel, which are sadly cramped and low.

Yet this is not what I am begging for. I hope our own people will raise in a twelvemonth the required sum. What I want is perhaps what some would call a luxury of religion, and yet one which is an aid in teaching reverence for our holy religion by outward

means.

Our white altar-cloth is so soiled and old that when we remove it after Eastertide we shall hardly be able to use it again.

So if any of your friends could be moved to send us a white (and a violet) altar-frontal, they would gladden our hearts very much indeed.

If we could have it by S. Luke's Day, our Festival, it would be delightful.

I believe the present white frontal came, years ago, from the cathedral at Cape Town; and now, if we are fortunate enough to get a new one, we shall pass this on to one of our other churches, which has at present no such means of marking the festivals.

In hopes that you may be able to find some one who will do this for love of the good GOD and His Church, I enclose the measurements. . . .

The next is from New Zealand :—

In answer to an appeal my sister made in my behalf, I hear that you wish to know what we are doing here, and what our special requirements are in the district of Hampden.

We have two churches now completed, and a third beginning to be talked about. The two completed are nearly out of debt. At the same time there are several things that we have not got as yet.

We have neither altar-linen nor communion-plate in the district.

There is no bell for one of the churches, and no dwelling-house is in existence for the missionary.

People are too poor to raise even the stipend that has been declared as the minimum, but if all three churches were out of debt, I have no doubt, enough might be collected to keep a clergyman going.

A small church at Shag Point is much wanted, as the services are well attended there in a shed.

Shag Point is a coal mine about twelve miles from Hampden.

I ask for your assistance, but, above all, your prayers, that GOD will prosper the work begun here. I should like very much to hear more about your work at home, for 'Iron sharpeneth iron.'

We have just sent him a few of the articles for which he asks.

The Rev. F. Smith writes from Spaniards' Bay, Newfoundland :

I am happy to say your parcel has reached me safely. I can scarcely tell you the pleasure its arrival afforded and the thankfulness I feel. Believe me, I am deeply, truly grateful both to you and the good, kind friend who brought my wants under your notice.

Your gift will supply a want long felt. We were sorely in need of many things, but of nothing more than altar furniture. Next Sunday (Whit-Sunday) we shall use your frontal; the altar has hitherto been covered with a faded cloth of dull red rep, badly the worse for wear.

A new church has just been begun at the end of the Mission, where 300 of the very poorest people are living. There is a good spirit among them, notwithstanding their poverty.

A number of them are now voluntarily working, who on their return home in the evening will have nothing to eat but a dry ship's biscuit, and nothing to drink but cold water. They have not yet erected permanent homes, but live in temporary mud tilts (whence the name of the settlement-Tilton), but Such have determined to erect GOD's House first. zeal is very cheering to me.

Our long winter has at last passed away, though the air is still very chilly, and patches of snow remain here and there. Our hardy sealers have all returned. The result of their voyage, I regret to say, is very poor indeed.

The Labrador cod-fishing fleet are now preparing to sail. I trust their labours may be more abundantly blessed.

On Thursday next, the Bishop will probably reach S. John's, from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He will have plenty to do for some time. On Whit-Sunday he will hold a Confirmation in the Cathedral, and on Trinity-Sunday an Ordination. I do not know whether he intends making a Visitation voyage this summer or not, around the coast. I trust many years will not elapse before the diocese is divided. There is now quite sufficient work for two Bishops.

A railway is being constructed through the interior of the island, and no doubt people will follow and settle in the fertile lands which it will open up; the diocese will be quite unmanageable in consequence.

A kind friend sends Our Work regularly, from which I learn of the good work in which you are engaged. I earnestly pray that God may abundantly bless it.

With one more expression of my gratitude,
Believe me, &c.

The following is a letter of thanks for a gift of 27, kindly sent to the lay-reader at Muskoka, Canada, by one of the readers of Our Work, and which we forwarded:

I beg respectfully to thank you for your kindness in sending me 27. for the purpose of helping us with our church. It is very acceptable, for, although we can get plenty of voluntary labour, money is so scarce here, that we have the greatest difficulty in raising sufficient to pay for material.

As the church is to be built of timber, perhaps it may interest you to know how the timber is obtained. The settlers assemble, and fell immense pine trees— from 3 ft. to 4 ft. thick, and 100 ft. high; these are cut into 14 ft. lengths, and hauled out into a road by oxen; then they are loaded on sleighs in the winter, and taken eight miles off to a saw-mill, where they are cut into inch boards, re-loaded and taken back to the church-site.

This entails great labour, but is all done gratis by the settlers. Poor fellows! many are the hardships and privations they have to endure, and will until we get a railroad through the country.

If we can get a resident missionary here, we shall be satisfied, though we are beginning to despair of any such good fortune. But unless we could get one willing to submit to discomfort and difficulties of every kind for his Master's sake, he would be useless here. Thanking you for your grant of books, &c. I am, yours, &c.

We cannot refrain from inserting the following appeal, in the hope that some of our readers may like to give the help that is needed :Diocese of Nassau.

S. Peter's Parish Church Building Fund. This extensive missionary parish, containing five islands and twenty-five stations, is almost destitute of Church buildings. It is proposed to erect seven small churches, two of stone, and five of wood, or wattle and plaster.

As the people (who are nearly all negro-descendants of African slaves) give their labour gratuitously, aid is asked for materials only.

Subscriptions will be thankfully received by
MRS. HAIG,

27 Kilburn Park Road, N.W., who will gladly forward them to the Missionary in charge.

Here is a letter of thanks for a grant lately received from us :

Woodstock, New Brunswick. The box containing the grant from the Church Extension Association to this Mission has just come to hand in good order, and I need not say how grateful we all are for your kindness.

Everything will be very useful to us, and some of the articles particularly so.

They have come at a very opportune time, as you may imagine, when I tell you what has befallen us.

On November II last, a fearful fire broke out at midnight, and, owing to a high wind, was not extin