POETRY THE NEGRO'S PRAYER. 16 great pleasure that I heard you on Sabbath, and last night at the Queen Street Hall, advocating the cause of the London Missionary Society. I am very sorry that the society is so deeply in debt, but I trust that great efforts will be made to supply the deficiency. Will you accept of Will you accept of the enclosed sovereign, and add it to the list of contributions from a young lady who quite agrees with Mary in thinking that we ought not to wear fine bonnets if we cannot afford to give liberal subscriptions to the missionary cause. Another came in : "DEAR SIR,-I wear a good bonnet, and I live in a good house, but I had not a good donation to give to the society last night. Be so good as accept of the enclosed two pounds for the Missionary Society. "A FRIEND TO AFRICA." A third followed: “A lady who has just had related to her the interesting anecdote which you told at the missionary meeting last night, feels that she has not been so consistent in her givings as she ought to have been, and has the pleasure of enclosing a sovereign to the Missionary Society." I can assure you, my dear children, that the anecdote of Mary and her bonnet has always been very successful while pleading the missionary cause; and as it is a very nice story, I hope you will read it to your parents, and to those servants whom you know, that they may cherish Mary's spirit, and follow Mary's example. And trusting that it may have a good effect upon yourselves, I am, my dear children, yours affectionately, A FRIEND TO INDIA. Price 6d. per doz. or 3s. 6d. per 100; 20 copies sent free by post for 10d., paid in advance. Published by GALL & INGLIS, 6 George Street, Edinburgh, HOULSTON & WRIGHT, London. 18 STORY OF A NATIVE MISSIONARY IN INDIA. amongst them, a missionary mentions | solved to do. the following: A Kaffir, when quite young, had shot an elephant. Like most of his countrymen, he afterwards suffered much in the course of his life. These sufferings were brought upon himself by his folly and his sins. But this he did not know or believe. Although he had been a liar, and most probably a thief, if not a murderer, he had no fears on this account. Neither did he trace what he suffered to any such evils. But once he had shot an elephant! This was the one great crime of his life. And not only was he disturbed by the thought, but he believed that the ghost of the murdered animal was continually haunting him. What, then, was he to do? How could he "lay the spirit," or turn away the anger of this tormenting elephant? There was, he thought, but one way. It was by offering to it a sacrifice. He then took a bullock and killed it with much ceremony, and afterwards brought the carcass and laid it, as he fancied, before the ghost. Shortly after this, a cloud arose from near the forest where it was supposed the spirit of the beast had hid itself. The cloud soon spread over the face of the sky, and sent down its showers upon the earth. This was enough. The people believed that the elephant had accepted the sacrifice, and the poor man who had so long been haunted went home, relieved and happy. Oh, when shall such sad tales as these cease to be told about living men! When shall such untutored tribes be taught that truth which we possess! When shall vain imaginations and false fears give place to heaven's blessed light! Let us, dear readers, do what we can to hasten onwards that happy day.-Juvenile Missionary This, therefore, he re- | Magazine. STORY OF A NATIVE MISSIONARY IN INDIA. THE Rev. Gopenath Nundy had laboured for several years among his countrymen at Futtehpoor, when the rebellion broke out, and he along with others were obliged to flee for their lives. He thought that as he was a native he could escape without much danger, and set out with his wife and two young children for Mirzapoor. They had not gone far, however, before they fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped off their clothing and treated them most cruelly. They then took refuge in the city of Alla STORY OF A NATIVE MISSIONARY IN INDIA. habad, not knowing that it had just 'We inquired from our host about the fort, and the fate of the Europeans who were in it. The poor man said, as far as his knowledge extended, the fort was taken by the mutineers, and its inmates murdered. This sad news, at this critical time, grieved us greatly, and brought us to utter despair. Our host seeing us in such a state, said that a moulwi (judge) had come from Kurria with some men, to shelter and help the distressed and afflicted, without any distinction of creed or colour. This was rather cheering news, and we made up our minds to go to him. About sunset we directed our course towards that side, and when we came near the police station-house, we found out that he was hostile to the English; and all the Christians, whether European or native, brought before him were massacred. This greatly alarmed us; but to turn our course in any other direction then was utterly impossible, as we were surrounded by thousands of infuriated Mussulmans; so we made up our minds to go to the 19 'A moulwi, and throw ourselves on his mercy-to do with us as it pleased him, either to kill or spare our lives. Accordingly we went to him, but, before reaching his place, our lives were often in jeopardy from those who surrounded us, for they wanted to kill us; but we besought them not to do so until we had an interview with their head, the moulwi. They accordingly brought us to him. We found him seated on a chair, attended by a number of men with drawn swords, and he put the following questions to us, viz. Who are you?' Christian.' 'What place do you come from?' Futtehpoor.' 'What was your occupation?' 'Preaching and teaching the Christian religion.' Are you a padre (minister)?' 'Yes, sir.' 'Was it not you who used to go about reading, and distributing tracts in the streets and villages?' Yes, sir; it was I and my catechists.' 'How many Christians have you made?' 'I did not make any Christians, for no human being can change the heart of another; but God, through my instrumentality, brought to the belief of His true religion about a couple of dozens.' To this the man exclaimed in a great rage, 6 Fy! fy! such a downright blasphemy! God never makes a person a Christian, but you infidels pervert the people. He always makes Mo 20 STORY OF A NATIVE MISSIONARY IN INDIA. hammedans, for the religion which her answer was as firm as mine. She said she was ready to sacrifice her life in preference to any inducement he held out as to the renouncement of the true religion of Jesus. The moulwi then asked if I had read the Koran. My answer was, 'Yes.' He then said I could not have read it with a view to be profited by it, but simply picked passages to argue with Mohammedans. However, he said he would allow us three days' time to think over the matter, and then he would send for us, and read a portion of the Koran: if we believed, and became Mohammedans, all right and good; but if otherwise, our noses were to be cut off. We further said there was no occasion to wait till that time: as long as God continues His grace we will not renounce our faith; so he had better at once order our heads to be taken off. He then pointed to his people to take us to prison. It was a part of the Sarie, where travellers put up, guarded by his men with drawn swords, not very far from him. "While on the way to the prison, I raised my heart in praise and adoration to the Lord Jesus for giving us grace to stand firm, and to overcome all the temptations which the moulwi held forth; and, while repeating the 11th and 12th verses of the 5th chapter of St Matthew, I thanked |