rous spirit grows within him; double money and a present he orders to be taken: Israel, the Prince, behaves like a Prince, and sends the Prime Minister of Egypt far more than he requires.

APPLICATION.

How often have I struggled to avoid complying with the demands of my LORD and Saviour, and then the famine has been sore in the land; a famine sent in mercy in order to force me to give up my cherished idol. It may be a famine of the affections, sent to compel me to cry out to GOD for His love; it may be a spiritual famine, causing me to fly from the things of GOD to God Himself. May I seek, instead of giving Him less, to give Him more than He asks: not only to send Him my cherished child, but to send Him double money, silver and gold purified and tried in the fire, the balm of prayer, the honey of praise, the myrrh of repentance, the spices of good works, the nuts and almonds of holy thoughts and meditations. It may be only a little balm, a little honey, but it will be a token of my love, a sign of my willingness to do all His will would have me do; and the resignation of the sorrowful soul will be turned into the joy of the generous soul.

AFFECTION.

O LORD and Saviour! I have often withheld from Thee the very things Thou hast required; give me a generous self-sacrificing spirit that I may be willing to give Thee all. What hast Thou not done for me! O make me joyful and glad when I am able to give Thee a token of my love.

RESOLUTION.

To think 'What may I do for GOD?' instead of 'What must I do for GOD?'

THOUGHT.

'GOD loveth a cheerful giver.'

The Brother's Yearning.

First Prelude.-Picture: Joseph weeping in his chamber.

Second Prelude.-Pray for a deeper sense of the love of GOD.

CONSIDERATION.

The souls of his brethren are gradually drawn towards Joseph. The salutation 'Peace be unto you' is given to them all by his steward at the entrance of his house. His own greeting to Benjamin, the chosen soul, is 'GOD be gracious unto thee, my son.' Hospitality is freely extended to them they are to feast in the presence of Joseph. Simeon is brought out of prison, Benjamin gladly welcomed, the feast made ready, their present accepted, their doubts laid to restwhat a reward for their obedience! But the giver of all this happiness-where is he? Weeping in his chamber; yearning for his brother. He is weeping for the sins of his brethren; he is weeping for the anguish of his father; he is weeping for all those long years of absence and alienation; he is weeping for the love of his youngest brother, to whom he cannot yet reveal himself. APPLICATION.

I have caused the tears of one far holier than Joseph to flow. The LORD JESUS CHRIST has wept for His brethren three times. He wept over their sorrows at the grave of Lazarus; He wept over their sins on the Mount of Olives; He wept over the weight of their sins and their sorrows in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had not, like Joseph, even a chamber to weep in, so He entered into the garden, and wept there. And now what do I feel about Him? He has given me His peace; He has spread for me His feast; He has accepted my poor offering; He is yearning for my heart. Have I given it to Him? My sins helped to cause His tears shall my love add to His joy? At the grave, on the mount, in the Garden of Sorrow, He foresaw all my sins, all my sorrows, all my faithlessness, all my rejecttion of Him. I will ask Him to let me weep with Him that I may be worthy to feast with Him.

AFFECTION.

O long-suffering LORD and SAVIOUR! I adore Thy sorrows and I thank Thee for Thy tears. Take possession of my heart,

After the weeping follows the feast. After sorrow comes joy. After the act of obedience comes the reward. After the wearisome, painful, anxious journey, behold the dinner in a King's palace. Obedience brings forth the privilege of warm fellowship and association, but the brotherly union is not yet. accomplished; there must be yet more. suffering before this takes place in all its fulness. There must be divisions, orderly and well-marked divisions. The Egyptians eat by themselves, the Hebrews by themselves, the master of the feast by himself; but though the eleven eat by themselves, their brother sends them the best from his own table, and the portions are not equal, for the youngest receives most. And thus, in this present life there are divisions in the Kingdom of Grace, and to him who can receive most the largest portion is given; but in the Kingdom of Glory the union will be complete, and all who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.

APPLICATION.

GOD has placed me at a table of refreshment in His own house, the Church. He has given me the food of His Word, the refreshment of good thoughts and of holy services; and not only does He send me the wine of gladness, the bread of strength, the milk of the word, the honey of sweetness,

E have several times spoken of the really splendid site of six acres which we were fortunate to secure upon the cliffs of Broadstairs. So excellent a plot of ground is it, so suited in every way to the purpose, that but one adverse criticism has ever been made in respect of it: Surely,' our friendly visitors occasionally remark, 'the situation is very exposed.' Yes, this is true. There is a total absence of shelter. The sea-breeze has it all its own way, and, when the wind blows from the North-East, it seems sometimes as though the men engaged on the building would have the very bricks blown out of their hands, as they try to lay them one upon another.

It was with a view to remedying this, that earlier in the year we pleaded for trees and shrubs wherewith to form an artificial break

We

wind-if such a term is admissible. hope to return to this charge again in the autumn; but now we are writing with a different object.

Our solicitude is aroused for the men through whose industry the walls of our new Home are already rising so rapidly, and our desire is to provide some shelter where they can rest and take their meals in comfort.

It is high summer now, and the thirty or forty bricklayers and navvies employed on what they call 'The job,' look happy and picturesque enough, dotted about the ground -drinking cold tea and eating hunks of bread and cheese at breakfast and dinnertine. A few, who do things in a superior sort of way, burn a paraffin lamp at the bottom of a hole, where they can warm up their tea-cans and toast a herring in turns ; and some others saunter off in the direction of the nearest public-house.

But our English summers are sadly short. Biting blasts and sea-fogs-not to speak of driving rain and early frosts-will soon be the order of the day. 'And what will the men do then?' we took occasion one day to ask the foreman-a kind and intelligent

man.

'Well, badly enough,' he replied, 'especially as by that time there may be a hundred hands, or more, at work. There are hardly any of them that come out of Broadstairs; they mostly walk in to their work from Ramsgate, St. Peters, and all round.'

'Do you think that if we put up a "hut," and sold tea, coffee, hot soup, potatoes, &c., at moderate prices, it would be appreciated by them?'

'There's no doubt about that,' he replied; ' and a great boon it would be.'

So this is what we have decided upon doing. But we must ask for a little help at the outset just enough to provide a rough shed, tables and benches, two or three large soup and coffee boilers, knives and forks, &c. They are a decent, industrious, civil set of men, and very deserving of the effort we desire to make on their behalf.

Contributions will be very thankfully re

ceived either by the secretaries of the society, or Miss Eleanor Paget, Children's Conva'lescent Home, 5 Wrotham Crescent, Broadstairs.

We have been both surprised and delighted to receive 50l. as the profits arising from the sale of surplices since January. This is due to the energy and kind labours of Miss Wiseman, who conducts this branch, and we feel greatly indebted to her for her willing handywork. We are glad to have the opportunity of bringing this particular department to the notice of our clerical readers, and others who may be disposed to give Miss Wiseman an order.

The little foundling, for whom we pleaded. last month, has already found a friend-nay, several friends.

Our Work for July had not appeared more than a few days before the suggestion we made was taken up, and the old couple's hearts made glad by an offer to make them an allowance of 5s. weekly, until such time as we could receive their little charge into our Orphanage. Not only this, but sundry smaller gifts have enabled the aged pair to redeem their pawned property, and to add a few comforts to the humble home which they have struggled so bravely to 'keep together.'

The clergyman who so successfully pleaded their cause in the first instance writes :'The poor old people can hardly believe in their good fortune. This act of charity has indeed made them happy; and they are much touched by the thoughtful kindness which enables them to get their things out of pawn.'

Baby Noble, whose pitiful case was recorded in the June number of this Magazine, has through the kindness of those who subscribed towards her seaside expenses, been enabled to enjoy three months at the present Convalescent Home. The change this has worked in her is simply marvellous. She has lost her dwarf-like appearance, and

can not only stand, but walk very creditably, while it would be difficult to find a pair of brighter eyes, or rosier cheeks. She often says, 'Me wan's to stop here for always.' This cannot be, of course; but what a difference this seaside sojourn will make to her whole after-life—who could calculate?

The Sisters who work in Shoreditch feel very grateful to the kind friends who in answer to an advertisement in the June number of Our Work have sent orders for plain needlework. It is gratifying to hear that those who have done so have expressed themselves much pleased with the work. We venture to hope that our friends will make it known as widely as possible, and that many more orders will be forthcoming this month. Many of these poor women depend solely on their needle for support.

One dear old woman remarked, 'The pennies she earned were so sweet;' and when told that perhaps if the supply of work continued she might earn two or three shillings a week she almost cried for joy, and said, 'Why, I shall make my fortune!'

By the advice of a kind friend, a quantity of breakfast pinafores, and print and satteen frocks, have been made by the women, and will be supplied at moderate prices. Please address

MRS. MARTIN, 4 Farleigh Road,

Stoke Newington, N. Price lists will be forwarded on application.

The absolute necessity of large salt-water baths for such a Home as we propose building was fully set forth in the last number of Our Work. So convinced are we that this addition is essential to the well-being of the future poor sickly little inmates, that we would rather defer the completion of the Convalescent Home-should that be necessary-than build it minus swimming baths. Yet the cost-500l. each-is formidable enough.

A proposal has, however, been made,

which we hail with joy, for, if carried out, it will smooth away at least half the difficulty. A friend offers 10l. towards one bath, and invites forty-nine others to join her in raising the required sum.

At this very season, how many fond and anxious parents are rejoicing to see their little ones gaining health and strength, by means of their daily dip! They watch, with deep gratitude, the colour returning to cheek and lips, the vigour to feeble wasted limbs. They see

Through days and weeks of hope that grows by stealth

That little wan and faded cheeks are kindling into health,

and they exclaim, 'Ah! it was a good idea. to bring our 'precious children where they could have the advantage of sea-bathing.'

Dear readers, the children of the respectable working-class are not less dear to them; sometimes, indeed, do they not seem even dearer, for they have often few pleasures, few other sources of happiness?

At this very moment we have at our Broadstairs temporary Home a child who seems literally the idol of his parents. The letter which begged admission for little Ernest stated that he was below the usual age, but pleaded so urgently that an exception should be made in his favour, that we replied he might come if he could make himself happy away from his mother.

We had not thought of the other parent. The very next day the baby arrived, carried by his father-a railway man-who had brought him down from London, and who looked so respectable in his Sunday-best that the children announced him as 'a gentleman.'

It was most touching to see the affection that subsisted between the father and child. They appeared bound up in each other, and it really seemed at one time as if it would be impossible for them to part. Time after time the young father tore himself away, but, unable to bear the sight of the child's distress, or the sound of his piercing screams, returned to clasp him once

more in his arms and try to soothe him into submission. At last, fearing to lose his train, he rushed from the house, and returned to town.

In about a week came a well-written letter, begging that someone would take the trouble to write. Please, dear Sister, do write and tell me how my dear little boy is. I'm afraid he cried pitiful after me the night I left him.' The Sister in charge was happily able to inform the anxious father that baby Ernest was wonderfully better. The flush of health had come to his pinched face, and his poor little rickety bones had so far hardened that he was able to stand alone. She comforted him, too, with the assurance that his little son had soon discovered the various advantages of his new abode, and made himself happy and very much at home.

One advantage, however, had not been his. For, alas! sea-bathing is impossible under present circumstances, either for Ernest or any of his forty or fifty companions. Machines are quite impracticable, owing to the great expense; and the plan which, hitherto, the Sisters, with much trouble and labour have adopted-of letting the children bathe from the shore-has been frustrated through the building of a large new pier.

So we can but look forward to the time when the roomy baths which appear on the plans for the new Home shall be complete and in full working order, and hope that our kind and good friends will quickly subscribe the necessary funds.

One of the Secretaries - Miss Helen Wetherell, or Miss A. M. Thomas, 27 Kilburn Park Road, London, N.W.-will be happy to receive contributions or promises of rol towards the new bath.

The Children's Gift.-Our young friends have enthusiastically welcomed the idea that they should build a ward of the new Convalescent Home with their very own money.

Collecting-cards-with picture of proposed ward-have already been despatched in many directions, and seem to give universal satisfaction. One little girl writes: My

sister has taken the card you sent, but I should like to have one all to myself, though I am only eight years old. I will do what I can for the poor sick children, and I should like to help to build this room for them.'

Another says: 'I am filling up the card, "The Children's Gift," as fast as possible. All the girls in this school are delighted with it, and I think I shall be able to make use of several more.'

'A Mother' writes that her little boy is saving all his pennies and will buy nothing with his pocket-money, because he wants to build a room for nursing the poor little sick London children.

National schoolmasters and schoolmistresses have written to beg us to send cards immediately, and school-children of all ranks are hard at work.

Still, in spite of all this help and encouragement, 500l. is a large sum for such little people to collect. Many a 'mickle' must make the muckle'; or, in other words, it is only by enlisting the sympathies of a large number of little ones that the thing can be done. Will all parents, teachers, elder brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, help us to do this?

As it is hoped that a large gathering of the friends of the Church Extension Association will assemble on August 8 to witness the laying of the foundation-stone of the Convalescent Home, we venture to suggest to the friends living on the London, Chatham, and Dover line that hampers of fruit and flowers would be very acceptable. It would be a convenience if the hampers could be sent off early the day before, so as to reach Broadstairs the same evening or early the following morning.

Address, MissS PAGET,
5 Wrotham Crescent,
Broadstairs.