The Seaside Convalescent Tome.

ILL your new Convalescent Home be open all through the winter for the reception of patients?" is a question that is often put to us. Well, our own thoughts at the present time do not travel very far beyond the bricks and mortar, the tiles and timber, the furniture and fittings, which have somehow or other to be purchased, brought together, fixed into their proper places, and-worst of all-paid for between this and the end of the year.

But we should be sorry to think it possible that a Home which is to be planned and built with the greatest care to suit all seasons of our variable climate, should be, even for one week of the year, emptied of its proper inmates-the sickly and suffering children of our large over-crowded towns.

It is a well-known fact that illness is far more rife amongst poor children in winter than in summer. The half-starved, thinlyclad little frame, which has borne itself so bravely through the scorching days and sultry nights of July and August-spite of its unconscious pining for green fields and country breezes-succumbs at once before the cold blasts, and nipping frosts, and black choking fogs of early autumn and winter.

Those who may have tried to get some

PRICE 2d.

child-patient admitted to one of our London hospitals at this season know how difficult it is to find a vacant place, when every bed is filled with the tiny victims of bronchitis or pleurisy, of lung disease or rheumatic fever, or some of the many other maladies due to the severity of the climate, and aggravated by neglect and exposure.

The fortunate persons who have homes where comfort and plenty reign, and where stoves and blazing fires create an artificial summer, might smile at the idea of transplanting their cherished little ones from their spacious nurseries to lodgings at the seaside in the depth of winter. They would rightly conjure up visions of rough seas and howling winds, of a gloomy deserted beach and esplanade, and of quarters made almost uninhabitable by smoky chimneys, and doors and windows rattling ceaselessly in their sockets. The very idea,' they would say, 'makes us shiver !'

This is all most true. But supposing the comfortable mansion or villa residence were exchanged for such a home as the costermonger's cellar, or the day-labourer's one dingy room! And supposing a little daughter was expected home who had been tended through a dangerous illness at the Victoria, the Evelina, or the Ormond Street Hospital-home to the one dusty, smoky, draughty little room, which is made to serve so many purposes, with its blanketless bed and bare larder-what then?

Would they not hail with joy an invitation to the little convalescent to spend three or four weeks in a large, well-warmed, wellventilated abode, with big airy play-rooms, and cosy dormitories, and well-supplied refectory, and dry sunny play-grounds, in which advantage can be taken of every gleam of sunshine; not to speak of the tepid salt-water baths and other appliances, to which we look forward as happy possibilities?

It is needless to answer such a question. And we think we have said enough to prove that even winter is not an unseasonable time for us to plead for our proposed Convalescent Home.

Earnestly, then, do we beg our friends to remember that, ere two months are over, busy workmen might be hard at work digging the foundations of this much-needed institution; and that soon, very soon after, its solid walls might be seen rising upon the present bare piece of land, if we have sufficient in hand to justify us in making the venture.

Is it too much to hope that during the next eight weeks we may receive some generous donations which would enable us to set to work with a light heart and a good courage?

We beseech our friends not to relax their efforts, nor to allow their interest to flag in a project which may seem almost too great for such a society as ours to have undertaken. We have been helped up to this time most marvellously, and far beyond our most sanguine expectations. It is but nine months since we issued our first appeal, and on an average 800l. a month has been contributed. Surely we may acknowledge with deep thankfulness to GOD that success has hitherto crowned our efforts. And our friends may certainly feel encouraged to do the very utmost that lies in their power towards this most charitable work.

It may be remarked, that although several munificent gifts have come to gladden our hearts, yet the great proportion of the fund has been given in smaller sums, averaging from Ios. to 57.

The Secretary has a large stock of cards and collecting boxes on hand. The former

are of two kinds, viz., cards for collecting shillings up to 1/. 10s., and those for collecting pence up to 10s. If all who feel themselves stirred to put their hand to this work would send for a packet of these cards (containing, say, three of each sort), and induce friends and acquaintances, tradespeople, servants, children, &c., to take them, they would indeed do good service to the cause, and our difficulties would soon be overcome. It is perhaps well to add, that both the collecting cards and the boxes are pretty and ornamental, and might well be permitted a place on drawing-room tables, shop-counters, &c. All contributions, applications for circulars, cards, &c., to be sent to

Miss A. M. THOMAS,

27 Kilburn Park Road, London, N.W.

Cheques may be crossed London and County Bank.

Our Journal.

By the SECRETARY.

ECEMBER 9.-A lady, writing from Cannes, says :-' Pray let me know if there are any other members of the C. E. A. here, as I am anxious to get up a working-party for the Orphanage. Send me, please, the full list of an orphan's outfit.'

Received a white satin dress, which will make a handsome altar-cloth for some church; a large box, containing all sorts of useful things such as five 14-lb. tins of preserve, a bag of eschalots, &c.

Orders for The Banner of Faith are coming in very quickly; some parishes are going to take 1,000 numbers, others 500, 100, and so on. Besides this, our friends all over the country are exerting themselves to introduce it into booksellers' shops, families, Sundayschools, &c. We feel exceedingly grateful for the way in which so many well-wishers

have come forward to help us through the first anxieties of the enterprise.

December 12.-It did not need the recent statistics, which have made so much stir, to prove to every earnest parish-worker that there are, in every street, lane, and court of London and other large towns, a number of persons who ought to attend public worship, and don't.

At Kilburn it has lately been decided to try, on Sunday evenings, One-hour Services for the working-classes, to be held in the large and beautiful school-room adjoining the church. The first of these services was held last night. Handbills had been distributed during the preceding week, announcing the fact; and also making known that the hymns to be used would be given away at the door, and that the choir would consist of 100 orphans from the Home. This last idea was suggested by a speech made by a navvy whom a Sister met last summer when working in Bedfordshire :-'Oh, ma'am, wherever I go there's one thing I never can forget, and that's the singing o' them little orphans at your services ! '

There was a much larger gathering than could have been looked for (about 150). The service was bright and short, only exceeding the hour by a few moments. It was truly a striking sight to see the rows of bright young faces leading the singing, and so some of the congregation were heard to remark as they went out. Whole families of workingpeople attended the service, mothers with infants in their arms, fathers leading a child by each hand-youngsters who could not possibly have been induced to sit through the ordinary two hours' Evensong, including its sermon under many 'heads.'

I suppose it is difficult to put ourselves into other people's places, for really to hear the comfortable classes-with their cooks and ladies'-maids, nurses and governesses-talk of the bounden duty of every working-man and woman to attend regulation Matins and Evensong, you would conclude that there were no such things as babies and troublesome little boys, or Sunday dinners and sup

pers to be taken into account among the 'lower orders !'

Why should there not be in every parish One-hour services of a bright, stirring, and withal free-and-easy type? There are plenty of earnest lay-men and lay-women who could conduct them when a clergyman could not be spared, and by this means hundreds and thousands of home-heathens might find the stepping-stone they need to lead them up to more regular and formal ministrations.

As our Sunday-night congregation filed out one man was heard to observe to his friend, that it was the first time he had found himself at a service of any sort for some years.

Our request for a cuckoo clock for Paternoster Row Restaurant has met with favourable consideration from a kind friend of this Society, and the 'neat little clock' now stands in a prominent position, while its busy little inmate seems to be hopping in and out all day long, in its efforts to proclaim the time of day.

December 14.-The last few days the entrance hall of the Orphanage has literally overflowed with packages of every description; from the small brown-paper parcel, to immense bales or crates requiring two men to move them. Brim-full they are of every kind of garment-new and old. Orphans, ragged boys and girls, old men and women, mothers and their babies-all have been thought of and remembered.

The postman, too, has plenty to do. Letters upon all sorts of subjects pour in; and many contain cheques, bank-notes, postoffice orders, or stamps. Perhaps there are not many persons who look forward more anxiously to the morning post than the workers of the Church Extension Association,' for to them it brings the help so much needed by the many who are dependent upon them for their daily bread. Often one letter will remove a whole weight of anxiety, another conveys just the requisite sum to smooth over some special difficulty, and smaller sums, dropping in, go towards completing the large amount we are trying to raise for any extensive project we have on hand, such as

a new Orphanage or Convalescent Home. We receive few letters, too, that do not contain words of kind sympathy and encouragement, which go far to speed us on with our various undertakings.

December 16.-A visitor to the Orphanage very kindly brought us a number of readymade plum-puddings for the children. This thoughtful present will save a good deal of trouble at our very busy Christmas season.

Two other callers each adopted an orphan. Four new members joined us. The number of these kind workers almost keeps pace with the growth of the work of the Society. If it were not for the lady visitors who devote weeks at a time to helping us with writing and needlework, visiting the sick and poor, serving the men in coffeehouses, docks, &c., teaching and classtaking, the work would really come to a stand-still sometimes for want of hands.

Often when it seems as if a certain branch of the Society must be dropped for a time, we get a letter from some well-tried friend, saying: 'I find I can be spared from home for three or four weeks. Will you make me of use and give me plenty of work if I spend the time with you?'

We have welcomed with peculiar delight this month a number of presents from members of the 'Guild of the Guardian Angels.' These young people have saved up pocketmoney, deprived themselves of many a pleasure, sacrificed many a holiday hour, in order to help their less favoured little brothers and sisters.

We believe that this Guild-which now numbers eighty members, and forms an important branch of the work of the C. E. A.-is but little known. It is formed entirely of children of the upper class, and the principal obligation incurred by those who join it, is that of choosing out some poor child-orphan, or sick, or destituteand engaging to befriend it in any way possible.

Will not some of our friends find a pleasure in enrolling their little ones among this band of youthful workers, and thus arm them

in their early years against that selfishness which is too often the bane of later life? Rules and all particulars can be had by applying to Miss WORDSWORTH,

27 Kilburn Park Road, N.W. December 17.-We have to-day despatched a number of appeals to the great City Companies, imploring them to aid us in building a 'Convalescent Home' for the poor children of London and other large towns. We have been often told of the liberality of these Public Bodies, and how readily they contribute large sums to any charity which they consider deserving of help, and we therefore await rather anxiously the result of this appeal. It is possible that some who read these pages may be acquainted with members of these Companies, and might, if so minded, find an opportunity of representing to them the thoroughly practical and useful nature of the object we have at heart. they will do us good service.

If so,

December 20.-We have received such very liberal contributions towards a larger soup-stand for the London Docks, that we can order a proper one without further delay. The Superintendent of the Dock came up to the Sisters yesterday to apologise for the non-removal of a quantity of canes, which are piled up behind our present barrow. He promised that they should be taken away as soon as possible. This will be a welcome arrangement to all parties, as it will enable both the Sisters and their customers to get under shelter-no small matter this raw, rainy weather.

The diners at the Docks Restaurant are slowly but steadily increasing in numbers. A great many sailors, especially mates of ships, besides working-men from the neighbourhood, make their regular appearance. It is encouraging to hear the approving remarks passed upon the provisions by all parties-from the casual visitor who dropped in through curiosity, and pronounced the coffee to be superior to that made at his West-end club, to the genuine working-man, who, after enjoying a penny college pudding himself, bought another to take home to his