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Extension of the Orphanage of Mercy.

'They helped every one his neighbour, and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering; and he fastened it with nails that it should not be moved.'

HIS beautiful picture of brotherly love and mutual help, drawn by the Prophet Isaiah, is familiar to all. But it is brought home to us with especial force at the present time, when, day by day, we experience the friendly and hearty co-operation of those who desire to assist us in provi-ding increased accommodation for homeless and friendless children.

Mutual love-the bearing of each other's burdens-is the great law of the Christian religion; just as the motto 'Every one for himself' embodied the principle of Paganism.

That Christians fail sadly to come up to the standard of self-denial and good works, set before them by their Divine Founder, is only too patent. Still, thanks be to GOD, who stirs up the hearts of His faithful people, many are ever to be found who love to help in deeds of mercy.

So it has come to pass that as weeks have glided on into months, since we, in faith and hope, laid the foundations of the new Wing of our Orphanage, we have received the most cheering assurances that many hearts have beat with warm sympathy towards the work.

Who could grow weary or hopeless over any undertaking, however vast, which all classes of the community, high and low, rich and poor, seemed equally willing to take part in?

So, week by week, we add up our receipts, and pay our workmen, and, like Joshua of old, thank God and take courage.

Still it must be confessed that we have now no funds in hand. We have spent the money so gladly contributed by the Sisters themselves, and must look to the public to cement and complete the work so happily inaugurated.

It is not much that we ask for: Five thousand pounds wherewith to build a lasting shelter for 100 destitute children.

Think of one hundred little ones rescued from a life of loneliness, suffering, and sin, placed in a happy Christian home, under motherly influence and care, and brought up to serve GOD and to live useful lives!

We now keep a list of the hapless children, on whose behalf application is made to uschildren who have neither money nor friends, and whose best hope of happiness, as regards this world, rests upon their admission to the Orphanage of Mercy.

We have promised to receive these little children as soon as we have a roof to cover them-receive them without payment or promise of money, trusting to the Father of the fatherless to supply their daily bread.

It

How long will these desolate ones have to wait? Ah! that does not rest with us. rests with those whom GOD destines to help this good work-to whom He is perhaps even now saying: 'Take these children for Me, and I will give thee thy wages.'

Meanwhile, to what evil influences may they not be exposed, left in a world of want and temptation, with no parental care to protect them, for

They have no tender mother

In the world so waste and wide,
And they have no earthly father
For their weakness to provide.

And, having been thus early deprived of a child's natural and best protectors, is it not the duty and privilege of Christian charity to step in, and save them from the surroundings of sin and crime?

Sad it is to think how soon the young learn, in the terrible streets of our great cities,

to lie, and steal, and take words of licentiousness and blasphemy upon their lips.

A well-known author of the present day, having occasion to visit a dying person in the parish of St. George's-in-the-East, was stopped by a policeman, who said it was not fit for her to walk alone, and conducted her to the house where her business lay. She writes:

'What a walk it was! I have been in many known haunts of misery-the Canongate of Edinburgh, the Cowcaddens of Glasgow, the Seven Dials in London-but never did I see such a region as that we now passed through. The mere atmosphere physically was almost unbreathable! Men worse than the brutes, women without a bit of womanhood left, children-ah! that is the deepest horror of it all. To this day I can scarcely look at my own child's sweet rosy face, without thinking in an agony of pity of those wretched East-end children, with their old, wicked, battered expression. So small they were too; such stunted, shrunken limbs peered from out their miserable rags, and almost every one was maimed, or crippled, or hopelessly diseased. Who could wonder, since among the women (what fiends to bear the holy name of mother!) we scarcely saw one that was not "drunk and disorderly." However, we passed on unmolested; though the children followed, staring at the basket I carried, as if they had never seen a bunch of flowers or a rosy apple in all their lives.

Is this an overwrought picture, an exaggerated statement? Earnestly do we ask any who might think so to go to Shadwell, or Wapping, or Ratcliff Highway, or the Commercial Road, and judge for themselves. They would see what would appal them.

It is from such scenes of vice and misery we wish to rescue the children we plead for.

The donations we have already received towards this Building, although given so willingly, and made sweeter still by many a welcome word of sympathy, have been for the most part small in amount, and wholly inadequate to the need; and, unless more is placed in our hands during the months of December and January, it will be necessary

to reduce the expenses by dismissing most of the workmen.

This will, of course, mean delay in opening our doors to the fatherless and motherless children who are now waiting outside them.

We fervently hope that we may be spared this alternative.

Oh, at the Blessed Christmas-tide, when the wondrous love of the Saviour of the World, in taking our nature upon Him, is brought home to every Christian heart, is it too much to hope that it may occur to some to show their gratitude by making liberal sacrifices to aid in the rescue of the lambs of CHRIST'S flock?

Donations of any amount (large or small) most thankfully received and acknowledged by the Secretaries of the Society-Miss A. M. THOMAS, or Miss H. WETHERELL, 27 Kilburn Park Road, N.W.

What Others are Doing.

means

Under this heading we desire to introduce our readers to a variety of charitable and religious work which is being carried on for GOD in different parts of the world. It will be distinctly a record of work -charitable, philanthropic, and missionary-and we wish it to be understood that we by no commit ourselves to any approval of the religious views and opinions held by those who do such work. In this particular, great scope will be allowed, and we trust that our readers will understand and appreciate our motives. We shall gladly welcome interesting accounts written by those engaged themselves in charitable and missionary work. Mere begging ap. peals are not admissible.

THE HOME OF COMPASSION, OAKERY COTTAGE, BECKENHAM. ILVER and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee; in the name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, rise up and walk.' How well these words describe the work of the foundress of this Cottage Home, for the worse than destitute children whom it shelters. Rescued from the wilderness by one who was poor in this world's goods, but rich in her boundless compassion and sympathy, these poor

outcasts are brought within the fold of the tender Shepherd, who would 'gather them into His arms and carry them in His bosom.'

She

It was during the London Mission of 1874 that Miss Annie Bagshawe first became interested in these unfortunate little ones, the offspring of poverty and vice. gathered them into this Home, the mothers in some cases paying what they were able towards their maintenance, though this could at no time be very much. Kind friends were forthcoming to help, and the foundress gave her little all.

Then came the illness and death of her brother, the Rev. F. L. Bagshawe, vicar of S. Barnabas, Pimlico, and, in nursing him, Miss Bagshawe's own health and strength, exhausted by her unceasing labours amongst the poor, became undermined. She was back again, however, with her little flock as soon as her duties by her brother's deathbed were ended, and, when holding a teadrinking for the children under the trees in the garden of Oakery Cottage, caught a cold which turned to pleurisy. This ended her mortal life, in June 1881, just six weeks after the death of her brother.

And what of the children now doubly orphaned?

Sister Clare, of East Grinstead, who had nursed them through scarlet fever the previous winter, was allowed by her Superior to remain in charge, and did her best. But, in the lack of all things, what could be accomplished?

By Miss Bagshawe's will, two annuities, one of 100l., the other 50%., were left to two protégées whom she had succoured, and who were dependent on her-a young woman and a girl of sixteen; these being paid, the Orphanage was residuary legatee. And all that remains is 200l., which the trustees will invest for the benefit of the Home until the money of the two young annuitants shall fall in. The work cannot cease; the Charity Commissioners require it to be continued because of the money which will eventually come to it; but how, meanwhile, is it to be kept up?

This was the problem which presented itself to us on the wet November afternoon when we paid our first visit to the Home of Compassion.

Sister Clare had been replaced by Sister Ellen, one of the most experienced of the East Grinstead Sisters, and who had been especially chosen by Dr. Neale to nurse him on his death-bed. Under her care the children have greatly improved in health and intelligence, while the whole house is a picture of neatness and cleanliness. But how were the twenty-one little ones, fourteen girls and seven boys, aged from four to twelve, to be fed, and warmed, and clothed?

For some few payments are made, more or less, according to the means of mother or friends; but for very few anything like the full amount, 137. a year, can be contributed. Some have no mother, no friends, except the Father of the fatherless and Friend of the friendless, who will surely reward a hundredfold this good work for His orphaned and destitute children. Little Tommy, aged five, for instance, can remember no other home but this; and no one now knows from whence he comes. Once he was feeble and bandy-legged, but is now a picture of health, with his chubby, rosy cheeks and intelligent, dark eyes.

'I cannot undertake the work if I do not feed the children properly,' Sister Ellen said to the parish priest and chaplain of the Home when she first entered on the post of superintendent, and to that end she undergoes any amount of hard work, so that nothing may have to be expended on hired. labour. She cooks, irons, scrubs, and for her only helper has a young girl of seventeen, not looking more than fifteen, who, having failed in all her places, has been turned over to the Sister as a last resource. The children are of course taught industrial work, but are too little for their assistance to be of much value at present. A very delicate and rather deaf certificated schoolmistress, who came here for her health, teaches the younger children, and the elder boys go to school in the village.

Oakery Cottage is in two parts: the boys, with the governess, sleep on one side; the girls, under Sister Ellen's care, on the other; and, besides their dormitories, they have a good-sized living room, opening with French windows on to the garden. It contained a doll's house, but struck us as somewhat dull, there being nothing to spare for luxuriesnaturally enough in such a case. The cottage is very old (the woodwork giving way in places), and surrounded with trees. Sister Ellen has been lately obliged to go to considerable expense in improving the drainage and the water supply-as they were for a time without water-and a present of 15% she received had all to be spent in these necessary matters. Of one thing we can always feel sure-in Homes managed by these Sisters-every penny will do its work, and more than its work, but then the pennies must be forthcoming.

From a few houses in Beckenham, scraps are allowed to be collected, which are made into savoury dishes, and presents in kind are occasionally received, as, for instance, a few days before our visit, when an unexpected and most welcome gift of twelve rabbits and pigeons arrived, the preparation of which quite knocked up the good Sister upon whom this labour, as all other, fell. But oh, how much more help is needed! Will any readers who are able to do so pay a visit to Oakery Cottage, Beckenham ? They will be warmly welcomed by the Sister in charge, and if they could manage to charge themselves with the maintenance of one of the orphans by making a yearly payment of 13., and also interest themselves in its welfare, they would indeed be rendering the most valuable aid. But all help, whether the giver is able to pay a visit or not, will be truly welcome-money for coals and food, clothing old and new, provisions of all sorts, toys, books, &c.

For these little ones, as once of old for the blessed CHRIST Child, there is 'no room' in the hearts and homes of happy united families, no room, no place of shelter in this busy world, were it not for the love of those who have heard the Master's voice saying to them,

'Whoso receiveth one such child in My name receiveth Me,' and who now appeal with all confidence to the tender compassion of Christlike souls to aid them in their good work of succouring and tending His little children. C. F. HERNAMAN.

be Banner of Faith.'

T was just this time last year that we were planning how best to introduce to friendly notice our new magazine for the working and lower middle classes-The

Banner of Faith.

The success of that enterprise was infinitely greater than we had reason to expect, the circulation having rapidly mounted up to between sixty-five and seventy thousand. We are assured by those experienced in such matters that, for the first year, such rapid growth is almost unprecedented.

Does it occur to anyone that we ought to rest satisfied with the size of the present issue and not seek to add to it? We earnestly hope that no one will encourage such a fallacious notion as this. The magazine contains so much matter, and is supplied at so cheap a rate for localising, that, with all our efforts, we have not quite succeeded in making two ends meet, and we shall find ourselves at Christmas with a balance on the wrong side.

We look to our friends to see that this does not happen again. They can insure a more satisfactory result by working hard to increase the circulation of the periodical.

Over and over again during the past twelve months we have been told that' The Banner has only to be known to be appreciated.' So we say 'Make it known.' Take it in yourself; get your friends and dependents to do so; introduce it to your bookseller; ask your parish priest to localise it; and, if your ardour will carry you yet further, order a few extra dozen copies every month,

and employ any man out of work to whom you would wish to do a good turn, to sell them among his friends and acquaintancesgiving him a small percentage for his trouble.

This last will be found an excellent and sure way of doing good; and we hope many of our friends may take the hint and start a Banner-seller with the New Year.

The need of a new Parish Magazine must indeed have been great, to judge by the number of clergy who have adopted The Banner for that purpose; for it is already used in some hundreds of parishes.

In response to many applications we have received on the subject, we have decided to issue our Magazine next year in two sizes. This we stated last month, and the announcement has been variously received. Some parish priests have determined to adopt the smaller size, because they consider it is more convenient for the printing of local news; but the general opinion seems to be that it is not so taking as the original shape. The smaller size can only be had in quantities, and without wrapper, for localising. The price and the contents are exactly the same in both cases.

We may conclude this paper by dwelling upon the enthusiasm with which The Banner has been received, wherever it has made its appearance, in India and the Colonies. Our readers would confer a great benefit on any Missionary by ordering twelve copies to be sent to him regularly, for distribution among his flock. Names would gladly be furnished by The Editor, 6 Paternoster Row, and the orders received there.

We may take this opportunity of mentioning that, to facilitate the introduction of The Banner into any parish where it is intended to localise it, fifty or a hundred back numbers will be supplied free to any clergyman willing to pay the postage. Address the Manager, Miss A. Mitchell, 6 Paternoster Row, E.C.

Very effective covers for binding the numbers of The Banner for 1882 can now be had, as our readers will see from the advertisement; the bound volume for last year is also ready.

editations on Genesis.

The Blessing of the Brethren. OME, HOLY GHOST, &c.

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First Prelude. Picture : The Twelve standing before their Father.

Second Prelude. - Pray for grace to lay a good foundation. CONSIDERATION.

The dying Patriarch speaks the last words to his sons. Obedient and disobedient, cruel and merciful, reverent and profane, they are all gathered before him. The eldest nearest to him, and all approaching one by one, according to age. What anxiety, what jealousy, what heartburnings, and yet what reverent awe on the part of his sons, as one by one the aged hand is laid on the head of each, and the words spoken which reveal past sins and future destinies: the eldest, deprived of the birthright for sins committed long ago; the second and third, reminded of past cruelty; Judah blessed and praised-he who offered himself as a ransom for his brethren made the ancestor of Him who paid the ransom for His brethren; Joseph singled out for a double blessing, and made the ancestor of two tribes; whilst Benjamin, the gentle child, was to become the successful warrior. Each received exactly the measure he had deserved, the blessing he had earned by his own conduct.

APPLICATION.

As in worldly things so in spiritual things, we reap what we have sown. My Heavenly Father will one day give me my place. Where will it be? On the left hand or on the right? Amongst the sheep or the goats? Whichever it be, it will be according to my deserts.

Do I not find even now how vain it is to blame circumstances for my faults, mistakes, and misfortunes? I owe them entirely to my own former want of discipline, my wanton tongue, my heartless action, my cruel These have come back to me years and years afterwards, constantly reminding

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