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A Letter to our Juvenile Missionary Collectors.

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in my labour of love, and help me to get ten shillings in the year, and every time I entered my closet during the whole of the year, my simple but earnest prayer was-Lord, bless the missionary cause, and incline the people to give-help me to get ten shillings this year! I had not the means to give much myself; my parents were then ungodly, and did not allow me money for religious purposes. I am happy to say that some years after they both found pardon, and died in the faith. Like many other parents, they allowed me coppers to spend; but instead of spending them in sweatmeats, &c., I took care of them to pay my class. As a member of society, I felt it my duty to deny myself little things, that children consider luxuries, that I might pay my weekly pence, and give something for my ticket at the end of each quarter. In this matter, I do not remember ever having failed. After these payments were made, nearly all that I could muster was deposited in my missionary box. In begging, I did not meet with the success I desired; I was often discouraged, even by those who I thought ought to help me. The close of the year was now drawing near, and at times I entertained doubts about getting the sum I had fixed my mind upon; nevertheless, I still kept praying. But after I had given all I could, and begged all I could, I had but about five shillings in my box at the time the bills appeared announcing our missionary meeting. The enemy now came in like a flood, and tried to show me the folly of such prayers as mine. I, of course, felt discouraged on account of my little success, but I did not leave off praying. I remembered reading in my Bible that the gold and silver are the Lord's; and, again, "If ye shall ask anything touching my kingdom it shall be done." I resolved to make one more good effort, and so I did; for on the day before my box was to be opened, I went everywhere where I thought I could get a copper, and on that excursion I got two shillings and some odd coppers. I had now seven

shillings and a few coppers in my box, but where the other three were to come from I had not the remotest idea. The time for opening the boxes at length arrived, and I took mine with a heavy heart. When I arrived at the place for opening, the money of one collector was being counted, and mine was to be the next. All hope was now gone; my mind was racked, and my little heart almost bleeding. At this juncture, about half a minute before the key (that tells so many tales of honour and disgrace) was put into my box, the sainted Mrs. Callow, whose memoir

appeared in our magazine some years ago, stepped up to me, and put three shillings into my hand. She whispered in my ear, "This is for your missionary box." Our young friends will better guess how I felt than I can describe; I don't think that I could have felt more oy spring up in my young heart if a legacy had been bequeathed to me. Those of you that have read your Bibles, and understand the nature of prayer, will know who it was that moved the giver. What makes this answer to prayer appear the more signal is, the donor herself had a missionary box, and knew nothing of my inward struggle. Are any of our juvenile collectors cast down? From my experience let them take courage; the Lord is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Fix your mind upon some reasonable sum, according to your circumstances, and be determined to obtain it. Perhaps some of you can better get a pound than I could ten shillings; if so, be determined to get one. Some may not be able to obtain ten shillings, but you can all do something. Now, will you promise, before you lay down the magazine, that you will do what you can towards relieving our missionary committee of a burden that must press heavily upon them? There are three ways by which you can do this: firstly, by denying yourselves little things that are useless; secondly, by using your influence with others to do the same; and lastly, but not least, by praying that God may open the hearts of our up-grown members, that have money at their command, that they may be led to unite with you in this important matter. If you are hesitating to fix upon the sum that you should like to realize, ask your father or mother how much they think you are able to get; and if they help you to fix upon the sum, they will no doubt help you to obtain it. We believe there are hundreds of fathers and mothers in our beloved connexion would rather their children gave their pence to the missionary cause than they should spend them in trifles—that would rather see their tables or chimney-pieces ornamented with a missionary box than with all kinds of useless toys and trinkets. But I must come to a close, or I shall exhaust your patience with this long letter. In closing, my advice is, let us have a strong pull and a pull altogether; and if we do so, instead of our missionary operations having to be circumscribed, our editor will soon have the unspeakable pleasure of telling us that a wider field is being opened. "Haste, happy day !" is the prayer of your humble adviser, C. STAFFORD.

Newcastle.

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EDWARD DEAVALL was born at Stafford, in September, 1853. His parents being members of the Primitive Methodist Society, Edward was sent at the early age of two and a-half years to the Sabbathschool connected with the above society, and remained in the position of a scholar until February 26, 1871, when the teachers presented him with a book as an expression of their appreciation of his good conduct and regular attendance, and duly elected him as a teacher. Shortly after entering upon the duty of a teacher, he became deeply impressed about the salvation of his soul, and of the necessity of becoming a decided Christian himself, in order that, by his example, he might faithfully discharge his duty towards those whose interests had been committed to his charge. Although, for some time he had regularly attended Brother W. Banks class, and received from this

father in Israel the kindest advice, still he could not rejoice in the assurance of sins forgiven until the day of the Annual Camp Meeting, in July, the same year. At the lovefeast in the evening, he cast his soul on the merits of the dear Redeemer, "and found the ground whereon sure his soul's anchor did remain." His walk and general carriage were blameless, and hopes of years of usefulness were entertained for him by his friends, but the unerring Master saw otherwise, for it was soon apparent that the seeds of consumption had taken root, and he sank gradually, until compelled to leave his work. Although, at intervals, on a slight improvement, he attempted to resume his labours, but only to fail, as often as he tried. It was now evident that all hopes of final recovery were gone - -a long and painful illness followed, and all his cherished hopes of this life faded away before his continual increased prostration, and this, too, in the face of all the unceasing efforts, and unremitting attention of a tender mother. His leader, ministers, and other friends, seeing that it was in vain to encourage his hopes of recovery, addressed themselves pointedly to him on his spiritual state, and his prospects on leaving this world. After a little conflict with the enemy, he was enabled to give up all, and, though in excruciating pain, to patiently wait for his change. He had no doubts about his acceptance with God, but all through his illness maintained that his hope was full of immortality. Getting nearer his end, he began to manifest an earnest desire to enter into rest. And to a friend, who said "that there was a brighter day," he said, "I wish it would dawn." The night previous to his death, his mother, untiring in her watching, seeing he was close to the river, asked, "My dear, have you much pain? "Yes," was the reply. "But you will soon be freed from all pain," whispered this bleeding heart. Yes, was the response, "free from pain, His glory see." And embracing his mother he exclaimed, "God bless you; you have been a good mother to me." And pressing his sister to him he said, “Bless you; bless you." And on his widowed mother asking him if he was not sorry to leave her? He said, "How can I be sorry? I am going to Jesus, and He will take care of you when I am gone.” On the Thursday morning his pain was intense, and he was frequently heard to say, "Come Jesus, sweet Jesus, come now;" and about twelve o'clock on this day, May 29, 1873, sweet Jesus came, and another star was in the Saviour's crown, another saint in heaven.

W. T.

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IRST in the list of our acquaintances among the sons of
Ham must be placed the Kroo-boys. These so-called

boys (many of whom are strong and able-bodied men) appear to constitute the bone, muscle, and sinew of manual labour on the West Coast of Africa. They are engaged on board the mail steamers at the first opportunity, and prove valuable helps to the British sailor during his tropical voyages. Merchants and traders would be helpless without their aid, and even missionaries would find it difficult to do without them. They hail from Monrovia, Cape Palmas, and other parts of Liberia, and hire themselves to any suitable 'massa for one or two years, at the rate of one, two, or three dollars per month and their food, their employer having to pay their passage money per steamer to and from their homes. They also expect to be supplied with a loin-cloth monthly. Their food consists of about one-and-a-half pound of rice per diem and half a pound of 'beef' per week-fish (salt or fresh) equirrel, deer, turtle, or porcupine is 'beef' to a Kroo-boy. Our acquaintance with Kroo-boys dates from our arrival at Sierra Leone, where a number were engaged by the officers of the Roquelle. It was quite amusing to watch them attending to their duties under the direction of their 'head-man,' who was not backward in using muscular arguments to induce his labourers to obey. At Monrovia a number of boys' came on board, desirous of being engaged by some of the merchants on board. Three of them remained on deck somewhat longer than was pleasing to the 'head-man' above referred to (himself a stalwart Kroo-boy, whose 'fine English name' was Frying-pan), upon which he hurried them down the ladder in a very unceremonious manner.

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