PLAIN SPEAKING.

How old-fashioned is plain speaking. How very much has been accomplished by the march of intellect towards crowding the English language with an host of words which are a fearful stumbling-block to the masses of the people. The infection has pushed its way through all classes of public teachers and speakers throughout the kingdom. How have the gospel ministry been caught in this snare; what a rare thing is it to hear a sermon which will interpret itself to the ears of an entire assembly. The writer has often heard very defectively-educated persons attempt great things, and bewilder their hearers with a string of latinized words, which must have been equally dark to preacher and people. Sunday school teachers and addressers are by no means exempt from the fault. It is really painful to pass by the classes of some teachers and perceive the vacant stare of the children at their instructions. They are evidently listening as a sort of penance which they must go through, and when they are told to sit down what a happy emancipation do they show it to be by their countenances. How is this? Because the children are stupid? No. Because the teachers are indifferent to their interests? No. Because the truths to be told are of a necessarily dry, uninteresting nature? Oh no. The whole truth frequently lies in this, the teacher does not consider the sort of ground he has to sow and plant. He does not labour to simplify his thoughts, to put them into such a form that they shall at once come home to the child's understanding. He talks perhaps with great ease and continuance, but his words are not prepared, measured, suited for his audience. He is deficient in that aptness to teach which is its best and chiefest qualification.

One of the best ways to test the ordinary language of religious teachers and writers in the Sunday school, is to take a popular hymn, underline a great many of the words in it with a pen, and give it to one of the children of about the average amount of knowledge in the school to interpret. The result of this trial will soon show how often we build upon a sandy foundation. Words are not thoughts. We may lodge words in the memory without even the shadow of a thought. Can it be a matter of astonishment to us that our children are indifferent to our teaching, when we offer our teaching to them in an unknown tongue? How comfortably could we ourselves slumber under the teachings

of a highly cultivated philosopher, who was interlarding his discourse with thousands of technical terms that he had taken for granted we understood.

Is not the same fault to be seen in those who publicly address our assembled schools? Are not their exhortations far too lofty for their hearers? A very little experience in the Sunday school will forcibly remind the teacher that this is the case. Surely it is time that this matter was looked into by the pastors of our churches. Let them set an example of plain speaking, and urge upon their coworkers in the Sabbath school the same duty. It will be a work of constant labour, in order to eradicate the corrupted English with which the literature of the day has loaded our memories. Let our written thoughts be revised. Let us write our thoughts in order to correct this evil. Let such writers as John Bunyan, and the English Bible language, form the model for our imitation. By endeavouring to use a pure Saxon style of address we shall be adopting a far more fitting channel for religious instruction, than that which we at the present day are in the habit of using. Cambridge.

MEMOIR OF ELIZABETH BRADBURY.

J. T.

The subject of this notice became a scholar in the Independent Sunday school, Harpurhey, about four years ago; and before she joined the church of Christ formed in that place, her conduct in the school was such as to win the affection and excite the hopes of her teacher. The instrumentality of the Sabbath school appears to have been blest to her conversion in the month of September, 1842, and in the month of February, 1843, she joined the church, and from the time of her public profession, to the time of her death, her conduct adorned the christian character. Being naturally of an amiable disposition, and prepossessing appearance, she was very much beloved by her associates and fellow labourers, for after her conversion Elizabeth soon became a devoted teacher in the Sabbath school, and her concern for her scholars, her supplications at the female prayer meeting, and her willing and hearty co-operation in all efforts of usefulness, will not soon be forgotten. Elizabeth's religion shone brightly also in the scenes of home; her kindness, obedience, and devotedness to her parents will give an enduring fragrance to her memory. Elizabeth's evidences of a change of heart were confirmed by sickness and death, as they were clearly displayed during health and strength. The circumstances which attended her death were most affecting and remarkable, falling a martyr as she did to her devoted attention to her unconverted sister, who was dangerously ill of a fever, and who has since recovered,—and she did not do this from ignorance, but deliberate design,-she said it would break her heart if her sister should die without hope, and she was known to pray that if God would only spare her unconverted sister,

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and death must have a victim, that the blow might fall upon herself. She acted out her prayers, and the Lord answered it. The last Sunday Elizabeth was at school, she rose early in the morning, her recovered sister rising at the same time; she said to her sister, 'Sarah, I have never seen you offer up one prayer to thank God for raising you from a sick bed; if we never do it again, let us pray together now.' It was the last prayer-meeting of the sisters. When one of her christian companions went to see her, she asked Elizabeth who could support her now the hand of sickness was upon her? She answered, 'He in whom I put all my trust in health, I find to be my best friend now,' then raising her hand and waving it round, she exclaimed, 'the cross-the cross-on that cross Jesus was nailed for me;' then raising her voice higher she said,' the cross -the cross-the cross for me.' The same companion, on another occasion, referring to Elizabeth's trying circumstances, and her anticipated relief from them, said, 'Elizabeth, your trials and sorrows will be over then ;' she answered, 'my pains are enough for me to bear, if I had not made Christ my friend in health, I could not have done so now, it is he who gives me patience to bear it all, soon my trials will be over, soon all my sorrows will have an end, soon Jesus will wipe away the last tear from my eyes, and take me where pain will be known no more for ever.' She was asked during her sickness if she would like to get better? She said, if anything made her wish to get better, it was that she might work again for Christ, and get once more to the Sunday school. The last words she was heard to utter, were in expressing a desire that the Lord would take her to himself. Thus lived and died Elizabeth Bradbury, in the twentysecond year of her age; another trophy of Sunday school usefulness. One or two reflections induced by the foregoing narrative may be made.

The importance of Sunday school efforts.-Here was an immortal spirit rescued from the ruins of the fall, and wafted to the mansions above, where its bliss will be for ever advanced, when this universe is consumed, and its ashes strewn into oblivion. Surely 'He that winneth souls is wise.'

The elevating influence of the religion of Jesus.—In what other way can we account for the moral heroism which impelled a simple, uneducated Sunday school girl to ascend the altar of devotedness, and offer up herself a willing sacrifice, and make bare her heart to the stroke of death, that her unconverted, unprepared sister might be spared-for deeds less illustrious than this, the fame of many has filled the world-but I love the heroism which displays itself unseen, in the sick and silent chamber. I love the heroism which would save an immortal soul at the expense of life itself. I love this heroism, it is so much like Jesus Christ's. Oh! that it were more common amongst our fallen race. Then would this wilderness soon rejoice, and this desert blossom as the rose, and the whole universe roll round in one glad hosanna of praise to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. This simple memorial of a Sunday scholar is reared by the grateful heart and hand of her teacher.

STRANGERS IN LONDON.-It is calculated that not less than 120,000 strangers are continually present in London on a stay of longer or shorter duration; that 20,000 daily enter it, and 20,000 daily depart.

Notes on Books.

THE DOMESTIC BIBLE. London: Arnold.

Editors are occasionally privileged persons. We have been privileged to gain some acquaintance with a Bible which is about to make its appearance. It will issue in numbers, and form one beautiful volume. It is entitled 'The Domestic Bible,' and is specially adapted to the domestic circle. The Engravings are exquisite. We shall name this extraordinary work again and again. For the present it will suffice if we earnestly advise all our readers to arrange for purchasing the numbers as they issue. If young folks would adopt our advice, we would say, begin at once to lay up in store your pence in order to secure this admirable volume as the numbers are published. The publisher authorizes us to announce that a copy, bound most elegantly, with gold borders and clasps, shall be given to that teacher who disposes of the largest number of copies. Let us hope that some one of our readers will be the happy winner of so splendid a prize. Our advertising pages will, ere long, give further information about this interesting work.

THE PASTOR'S DAUGHTER. THE APPRENTICE. A BOTANICAL LADder.

London: Tract Society.

These are three works by the Tract Society, and consequently may be regarded as worthy of great confidence. A word or two on the distinct character of each will suffice, "The Pastor's Daughter,' is a most touching memoir of a dear young person, who, becoming deeply pious, was anxious to go far hence to the Gentiles, but who was soon translated to glory. Her labours as a Sunday School Teacher, and the assembling of her class around her corpse, will make every reader weep. It has a beautiful introduction by Mr. James of Birmingham. "The Apprentice' consists of a series of Letters to a lad on entering upon the duties of life. It gives judicious and affectionate advice on the thousand and ane' temptations and duties and trials incident to his situation. We trust it will be given as a reward book to boys who are leaving their home or the Sunday School for business. The Botanical Ladder' is a series of conversations between a mother and her child, on the elementary parts of Botany. It is full of pictures, and a right spirit pervades the work.

JOHN'S STATISTICAL CHART. London: Bradshaw.

A Manchester gentleman, formerly a Superintendent Registrar, has recently published a coloured sheet, giving the comparative state of education, as tested by the signature in marriage in various parts of the kingdom. It is really a curious and a useful publication. In Blackburn, for instance, we see that female writers are only fifteen per cent, while in London they are seventy-six. The persons who married under age in one year were most numerous in Sheffield, and the least numerous in Birmingham. But we forbear further remark, feeling assured that every one taking an interest in the statistics of education will at once purchase this sheet.