A lady writes: "The girls in my Sundayschool are so much interested in what they read about your Convalescent Home in The Banner of Faith that they have asked for a penny collecting-card. I am glad to take this opportunity of telling you how very much. The Banner is liked here. It is, indeed, refreshing to have a magazine with so much. real life in it, and no poor pictures.

'I return the card you so kindly sent, and 145. for the Free Sunday Breakfasts. It is not very much; but, since your appeal reached us, I do think that, for some in our Church, the Litany has been changed from mere words to a real prayer. That dear, dirtstained little card has been to more than one a first-rate lesson in giving. We thank you very much for trying to teach us such a beautiful lesson.'

A lady writes: 'It is my opinion that the best way of doing good now is to help children to grow up respectable and healthy.'

'We have sent off to-day,' writes a vicar's wife, two hampers containing fruit, flowers, biscuits, sweets, and eggs-offerings from our village children at the Harvest Festival. I often think one of the prettiest features of that Thanksgiving is our Children's Service, when they all bring an offering of fruit, or some little thing to be sent to children poorer and less blessed than themselves.

'My father had an offertory for Home Missions at a Harvest Thanksgiving Service, and sends you half the proceeds (37. 10s.) for the Orphanage. He thinks highly of your works of mercy among those poor neglected children out of the Union, and the East End of London. The money was chiefly given by the labouring class in our parish, who cheerfully contribute their little to help people so much worse off than themselves.' Several most encouraging letters were received to-day; one friend sending a cheque for 167. 125., 10. of which she desires may be devoted to the Sea-water Bath. Several clergymen have also written in very kind terms, consenting to be enrolled as Associate Priests. One says: 'I shall be very grateful if you will number me among

your Associates, and will do my little possible for the good cause.' Another: 'In reply to your letter I shall be most happy to join you. You are devoted to a grand work, and will have your reward. In a month or two I shall be in town, and will then gladly avail myself of your invitation to go over the Orphanage, in which I feel so deep an interest.' A third: 'I will readily join the roll of Associate Priests, and mingle my thanks and prayers with those of others who are labouring so unweariedly to advance the work of CHRIST.'

An offertory for the Orphanage was sent us all the way from New Zealand.

From a country parish in England we are told that If all is well, we purpose giving part of an offertory during the month of October to your Convalescent Home.'

Very pleasant intelligence has reached us from Broadstairs; the men engaged on the building there procured a savings-box, and presented it to the Sister in charge of the Workmen's Hut, informing her, at the same time, that they had made a gathering among themselves for the orphans, and she would find the result inside.' Upon unlocking the box, 3s. 9d. was found, chiefly in copper. As this was their own unsolicited idea, it is indeed most gratifying. The men intend to collect for us every month. Might not collecting-boxes be instituted at other 'Works' throughout the country? Englishmen are proverbially liberal when their sympathies are touched.

We receive many cheering tokens that we are gradually gaining the confidence of those who are called the 'working men' of our country. For instance, the following letter received from the Church of England Working Men's Society at Nottingham, expressing such faith both in the practical ability and willingness to help of our Sisters of Mercy, would not have been written a few years since :

'Dear Sister,-Would you kindly give this letter your best consideration ?

'We are very anxious to do some work for the Church; and, having taken a house

in a poor part of this town, are desirous to open it as a Working Men's Coffee and News Room, with games, &c.

'We shall endeavour to make it a centre for our Mission work, and hope shortly to commence a Men's Night School, Free Breakfasts for Destitute Children on Sunday Mornings, and other works of charity, as our funds will allow.

'The work is entirely taken in hand and managed by working men.

'Now I am coming to a point of begging. When at our anniversary in London, I was so pleased with the Restaurant in Paternoster Row and the management of it, that I want to ask you-Is it possible for us to have two Sisters here to take charge of the house? It is of the utmost importance that we should have some one who would do the work cheerfully, and have the cause at heart.

'It would entail a deal of labour, as we want to have five o'clock breakfasts and be open until 10 P.M.; so we should require two to do the work and take it in turns.

'There is a vast field for mission work. The fields are white with the harvest, and the Sisters would be a great blessing to the town.

'I do not know if it is usual to send Sisters to a work like this; but we are working men, and in securing the services of Sisters we should then have an additional blessing. I am, yours faithfully,' &c.

'I find the Banner of Faith (writes a clergyman) a universal favourite. I hope it will continue to be as great a success as it has been during its first year. One man told me he found each number more interesting than the last.'

October 3.-'I send my card filled up. I shall be glad to have another. I may be a long time getting it filled, but as long as there is anything to be done for the Home, I may as well go on collecting the little I can.'

From a priest: 'I have great pleasure in inclosing you a cheque for 27. towards the Convalescent Home fund. The sum of 17. 14s. 2d. was collected at a service of thanksgiving for the victory yesterday, from a

congregation almost entirely of poor people. It is a gift from the poor to the poor.'

'You will like to know that the soldiers of the Garrison of Fort William, Calcutta, out of a number of periodicals given them to choose from, selected Our Work and The Banner of Faith to take in for their own reading-room-two copies of each.'

To-day arrived a letter from the first of that numerous band of [Maries who will, we hope, build the Mary Ward.

'It is a happy suggestion,' she writes, 'and I hope it will be carried out-furniture and all. I think it will; we must do all we can.'

October 4.-The idea of a Christmas number of Our Work has been well received, and orders are coming in fast. To-day we have letters securing six, eight, and a dozen copies, besides smaller orders.

A 'thank-offering' of 27. was sent for our Seaside Home.

A correspondent asks if we should like 30 lbs. of fresh picked blackberries. Of course we should !

A very complete orphan's outfit was brought us to-day. Any one desiring to help by clothing a child for one year can have a list and measurements sent her on application.

Received: 57 for the Mary Ward; 5s. for the Holy Innocents' Ward, in memory of A. G. F.; 5., which the sender says she should like to be divided between our two Building Funds-'they are both such good works, and appeal so strongly to one's sympathies that one does not know which to help, so the best way out of the difficulty is to let them share alike.'

October 7.-Veritas' writes to express hearty approval of the plan mooted in our last number-that ladies possessed of zeal and aptitude for the work should band themselves together, under the Sisters of the Church, to give personal help in Missions in different parts of England. We have had other communications in the same strain.

The children of West Pennard Schools sent their annual offering for the support of

an orphan. This is now the third year that they have paid the whole of this sum themselves. 'I wish,' says the priest who writes, 'that you could have seen the bright, happy faces of our children, when the boxes were opened and the money counted out on the Feast of S. Michael and All Angels. The joy these little hearts feel in doing good is laying the foundation, we hope, for a life of self-denial.'

Several offerings came for the new wing of the Orphanage.

This afternoon the children had an entertainment in their playroom-a kind friend having volunteered to show off some conjuring tricks, &c.-which they much enjoyed. The capital way in which he imitated the cries of different animals called forth peals of laughter.

October 10.-On Sunday last, many young eyes brightened at the Orphanage dinnertable when the whisper went round—' Blackberry Tart!' Yes; the first hamper of 'berries' had been sent a day or two before, and those who took the trouble to pick and pack them would have been repaid if they could have seen the keen enjoyment with which they were partaken of.

A lady writes: 'I have received a hundred birthday presents, which will save me some outlay, so I very gladly send you 17. for the Convalescent Home, and 1. for the Orphanage Extension.'

'We think the idea of "The Holy Innocents' Ward" is a beautiful one, and are glad we may have a share in it-each of us remembering lovingly a baby brother long since in Paradise.'

From a Mother whose little ones have derived much benefit from change of air'

comes IOS.

October 12.-Received 5%, part of a harvest thanksgiving; some bedding; ten parcels of very good clothes, mostly second-hand; a bath; a Brussels carpet, in very good repair; and so many generous presents of fruit and vegetables from harvest festivals, that the Working Boys' Home, and other institutions, have benefited as well as our own.

A clergyman, writing to us, begs most earnestly for prayers for the poor convicts to whom he has been for some time ministering. He says that in the performance of this duty he has seen two things more clearly than ever before: one is the power of God's grace to subdue the roughest and coldest hearts; the other, how small is the effort made by our Church to reclaim these out'How little are they spiritually cared for! How little are they prayed for ! There are 13,000 convicts. May I entreat your prayers for them ?'

casts.

Kind Words.-'I am very glad to see that you are going to enlarge your Orphanage, but I expect that it will require adding to continually, if it is at all to keep pace with the demands made upon it.'

'I am intensely interested in Our Work. I do wish some wealthy friends would send large sums to ease your minds of the money burden, but I suppose you must be content with small accumulations. I have sent off to-day a box containing some shirts, for which I have no doubt that you will find worthy recipients.'

Our Work as Beggars.

WO pairs of Sisters have lately been upon begging expedi tions in different parts of Eng

land, impelled to make the exertion by the consideration of the very heavy building liabilities we are incurring at the present time.

The walls of our Homes, both at Kilburn and Broadstairs, are growing, but our funds. are diminishing, so what can we do but appeal both directly and indirectly to those who have the power to help us through our difficulties?

Two of our 'beggars' pleaded the good cause in the West of England, and were able to bring back a welcome addition of 50l. to the Orphanage Extension Fund.

The weariness and hardness of going about soliciting help was to a great measure lightened by the extreme kindness of which they were the objects.

Many were the expedients of self-denying and ingenious generosity which were brought to light by the Sisters' visits :

In one house the children, having taken a card for the Convalescent Home, were quite at a loss how to fill it, till a bright idea suddenly occurred to them. They made a colfavourite toys, 'all

lection of most of their

that were not broken,' the contents of their dolls' houses, &c., wrapped them in paper, and buried them deep in a bran-pie, which was placed in the hall-all visitors to the house being asked to take a threepenny dip !

The plan succeeded admirably. The servants, especially, were delighted to take their chance of a prize-the old gardener being allowed several dips, as it was 'so long before he could find anything that was of use to him.' At the time of the Sisters' visit, the cost of a dip into the bran-pie had been reduced to one penny, because all the most valuable articles had disappeared.

Surely the self-denial that has been called out in many children by means of these gift

cards must draw down an abundant blessing on the zealous little collectors themselves!

In one small town in the West of England no less than 27. 12s. 6d. was collected, the contributions varying from sixpence to five shillings, in less than two hours, by houseto-house visiting among the tradespeople.

Those who have tried this way of collecting alms well know what a hopeless and disappointing task it usually is; but in this instance, to their surprise, the Sisters did not meet with one refusal-Church-people and Dissenters all willingly giving what they could.

This was in great measure owing to the good work carried on in that part of the town by the earnest and zealous missionpriest and his wife. The latter accompanied the Sisters on their round, and pleaded their cause with unwearied zeal.

In the same town there lives a young woman whose time is wholly occupied in waiting on her sick parents, yet she never loses an opportunity of obtaining a fresh subscription to her collecting card. She has made the needs of the Convalescent Home so well known, that many even of her dissenting friends, when they meet her in the street, will volunteer to add something to her card. In this manner she has actually succeeded in collecting upwards of 77. in a short time.

Not only in towns, but also in villages, many were found doing all in their power to help on our work of charity. One very poor bed-ridden woman deserves special notice. She keeps a box for the Convalescent Home, into which every visitor is expected to drop at least a halfpenny, and by this means, when her little box was opened, the sum of 5s. 9d. was found therein.

At T the same kind friend, who always welcomes the Sisters on these expeditions, received them most hospitably, insisted that they should make her house their home while they were in the neighbourhood, and loaded them on their departure with useful and valuable presents of soap, apples, beans, tea, flowers, &c. Truly she is one who uses every opportunity of holding

out a helping hand to those who are labouring in the same cause with herself, though in a different portion of CHRIST'S Vineyard.

Who would expect to find, at the back of a shop of very modest pretensions, in a country town, an unused storehouse fitted up like a little chapel, the rafters coloured, and texts painted upon them, religious pictures on the walls, &c. &c.? This warehouse has been set apart by this good woman for some years, to be used, as she says, 'for any religious purpose.' At present it is filled to overflowing every Sunday afternoon with a Bible class for young men, conducted by one of the clergy of the place; and the pains these young fellows take to adorn and beautify the little Mission Room, in their leisure hours, show how greatly they appreciate her offering. Would that others might be stirred up by this example to go and do likewise!

One of the greatest encouragements which the Sisters experience, on these expeditions, is the sympathy shown by all classes for the work in which they are engaged. We would again and again impress upon our well-wishers, that they cannot render us a greater service, than by making known as widely as possible what we are trying to do for the poor, the suffering, the homeless, and the destitute.

The second pair of Sisters chose Hertfordshire as the scene of their labours. They were fortunate enough to find a friend willing to house them for the first two nights, and met with a cordial response from most of those they first called upon. Some rebuffs are to be occasionally expected, and these were administered by two or three persons who commented upon the bad practice of soliciting alms, and the necessity of keeping to a resolution they had made-never to give in response to a personal application.

We add a few extracts from letters received from these begging-Sisters: 'Our next day's experience was not so chequered. Warm sympathy and liberal help was the result of our begging, and with light hearts we went