children. Many boys and girls are well off in life when, so to speak, they become orphans, for they have then some prospect of rising. But a criminal or vicious relative or friend remains many years a heavy weight on the future prospects of a child. At this time while I was uneasy about the little girls, I thought it wise to try and put as wide a distance between them and their friends as possible. I was not then sending children myself abroad, but I obtained help, and they were kindly included in another party that were leaving for Canada. When they were going I made this stipulation with the kind friend in charge that the two children, one now eight, and the other six years of age, must not be separated, that they must go into one household, must remain together. Accordingly, away they went, and I was glad when I knew they were gone.

Some time passed, and I heard the story of my children. Most of the children who went out in the lot were easily disposed of, --either for service with those who were older, or adopted in the case of those who were younger. Those two little girls, having to go together, remained on hand; and when all the others were gone the two still remained. One night there drove up to the door of the little Home a farmer's buggy, and out of it came a respectable farmer-like man and a woman, who seemed his wife, who was dressed in mourning-a poor-looking woman. And at the door they asked the question, "Have you got little girls here? I hear you have a home for little girls, and we want one." They were asked inside. The woman said, "I want a little girl six years of age," and then the story of her mourning came out. They had had a little child of their own. When she was six they had lost her, and they were anxious to get another to fill the vacant place in their heart and home. So the good friend in charge of the Home said: "I have not one, but I have got two-one six and the other eight. I cannot let one go without the other; but if you like to come in you can see them." They came into the room, and the two little children were called down. The moment the woman saw the youngest she seized her, and went away with her into the corner. The oldest went to the farmer, and was presently found on his knee, and he was chatting to her as only a kindly heart can with a little child. By-and-by the woman came up with the youngest, and she said: "Alec, they'll fit." Now what did she mean? She had brought away from her cherished

little cupboard in her house a pair of tiny shoes, and a pair of socks belonging to the little one that was gone. She produced these from her pocket, and had gone away to see if they would fit the little one at the Home. The mere fact that they had fitted was almost a sufficient proof to her that she was the child to have, and so she would not give up the child. The farmer had got his arm round the other; and so there and then a home was found for the two little children taken out of the wretched place in Drury Lane, where there was absolutely no hope of reaching them with anything higher and better, where the most awful life lay before them,-placed in a Christian home, under kind Christian people, where the prospects of their future are as bright as they can possibly be.

Now do you not feel-and I am sure you do—how any such statement as that I have made is but to show the importance and blessedness of such work as we are engaged in? I will only say this to you, that there are hundreds and thousands of children in London, and in great cities, who need the help which Christ's Church can give, that they appeal to those who know the Saviour, that we may help them, and all I can say and desire for you, as well as for myself, is that we may hear the voice of the children, and hear the voice of the Saviour, as we listen to them. Depend upon it, if by-and-by, in the days to come, the evils which surround us now, and.which baffle our wisest skill and our greatest efforts, if these are to be met, to be removed, to be destroyed, it will be just in so far as the Church reaches out her hands warm and loving with the love of Christ to the children, and snatches them from the evils to which they are exposed, and brings them under the sound of the Gospel, which is God's only means of reaching the human heart. When I tell you that to-day thirty boys have gone to Canada, and 120 girls will leave next month, and that that will make 500 children sent out within three years; that altogether, 5,963 boys and girls have been rescued in the Homes, of which I have been speaking, from the evils of a street life, from the dangers of orphanhood, from the perils of an unprotected condition, that these children have been brought into our Home and in contact with and under the influences of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will understand how right our friends were who arranged our programme to-day, in including some little account of this work in an afternoon devoted to Home Missions. I earnestly ask the prayerful sympathy of all for the work

which we are carrying on, and which is not unattended with a very great deal of difficulty. At this time I am sorry to say we have scarlet fever in our village Home, but I have the great joy of saying that it has not spread very much. There was only one case yesterday, and all the cases are of a very mild character. We have so isolated them that I trust in God's mercy there will not be a wider outbreak. I would ask your prayerful sympathy for all the children, for those that are ill, that the affliction may be blessed to them and for those that are well, that they may be spared contact with and inclusion in the danger.

The Chairman said: I am sure we have been not only interested but deeply stirred by what we have heard. I know Dr. Barnardo would be equally pleased with Dr. Gould if we went to see his work at the Homes. I have been to these girls' Homes down in Essex, and seen these girls, some hundreds in number. It would touch your hearts to see the attention of these little ones to Gospel addresses. I think we ought to have just one moment's silent prayer before we part. Let us ask God's blessing upon this missionary work.

After prayer, accordingly, the meeting was brought to a close by the Benediction.

The Praise Meeting.

Saturday Morning, 28th June, 1884.

CCORDING to wont the Conference concluded with a thanksgiving meeting, held on Saturday morning. The proceedings commenced with silent prayer, and the singing of hymn No. 10

"O God of glorious majesty,

Messiah, King of Grace."

Rev. JOHN WILKINSON presented prayer, praising God for the beautiful weather granted throughout the days of Conference.

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Mr. JAMES E. MATHIESON read Psalm xci., and said:Beloved friends, this meeting is for praise and thanksgiving, in connection with our Conference. Personally, I have a great deal to thank and bless God for, in having brought us through these precious days so happily and so blessedly, and without any hitch or trouble or disappointment. We praise Him for the bright sunshine outside and the peace and harmony within. For every effect there is a cause we come then to look at the great cause why God has been so blessing us in this Conference. You remember when Samuel went to the house of Jesse and reviewed the sons, he did not see the one whom he believed the Lord had chosen to be His king. He asked if there was not another, and was told the younger remained, but he was with the sheep. "Then send for him," he said; "for we will not sit down tili he come hither." Now that was the resolve

of many of us who gathered at the prayer meetings before the Conference, and each morning during the Conference: "We will not sit down till He come '-we will not sit down until we have some assurance our blessed Master is come, and His blessed presence be with us. That assurance of His presence we did have. Some of you will recollect the blessed meetings we had, particularly on Tuesday evening, on the eve of the Conference. We then realized of a truth He was with us. So, as we heard yesterday at the Communion, we have sat under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit has been sweet

unto our taste.

Now this sitting down is the posture, the attitude in which we, as the children of God, are expected to wait on Him for the blessing He-a Father-would bestow. You remember the good advice that wise woman, Naomi, gave to her daughter-in-law, Ruth, who had cast in her lot with the people of God. It was, "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know.'

I believe this art of sitting still is quite familiar in theory to God's dear children; but a most difficult art to learn in practice. In these days of hurrying and rushing, how few seem willing to sit still and hear what God the Lord will say! I remember being very much struck by a verse quoted here some years ago by Mr. Blackwood, before I was placed in my present position: "Yea, He loved the people; all His saints are in Thy hand; and they sat down at Thy feet: every one shall receive of Thy words."

In the heart of God, in the hand of God, and at the feet of God. How few know what that means! We are so familiar with the idea of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, but how unfamiliar we are with the fact in connection with ourselves! And we are apt to forget how often in the life of our blessed Lord He took that posture or position. We forget that the Son of God, endued with power from the Father, came forth to His public ministry, taking the human place in quietness and confidence. Don't you remember His sitting humbly to hear and answer questions? We are here to get knowledge of God, and we are seeking that knowledge of Him from human creatures, and He blesses us in getting knowledge from every source available; but we can get much knowledge from the study of Him who hath received a name that is above every name, in His life of three years' public ministry-His life, His words, His sufferings, and His death. But the larger