'Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.'-Ps. XCI. 3.

N September 1854, the cholera broke out with considerable virulence in the neighbourhood of Middlesex Hospital. During the course of the same month one hundred and ninety-one cases were admitted into the establishment; and out of that number, one hundred and ten terminated fatally. Under this trying emergency, the chairman of the committee happened to be absent on a tour in the Highlands of Scotland, and, in the circumstances, it devolved upon Mr. Nisbet to undertake the responsibility, and to adopt whatever measures were necessary in the way of meeting that most calamitous visitation.

But he was not awanting in the energy and decision. that were needed. With indomitable courage, and in

strong reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, he entered nobly on the path that was opened up before him, and putting away all fear of danger either to himself or his family, he was found day after day at the post of incumbent duty, not only adopting all legitimate means for checking the progress of the disease, and mitigating the physical sufferings of the patients, but administering to them, by means of his counsels and his prayers, the sweet and precious consolations of our holy religion.

He received, as might have been expected, the warmest thanks of the chairman for the succinct account he had given of the calamity, and for the prompt and energetic measures he had adopted with so much credit to the Hospital, and with the best success to the sufferers. But in his reply he ignores all reference to anything which had been done by himself; and with the unselfishness, the kindly feeling, and the generosity which marked his conduct in almost everything that he did, he embraces the opportunity of saying: From personal observation, I am truly thankful to bear my humble testimony to the great exertions made by every one connected with the establishment during the whole time of the awful visitation that has befallen our neighbourhood. Every one seemed to vie with another in anxiety to render all needful assistance, even in the most painful and distressing circumstances. To the matron we owe

much for the kind and considerate care by which the nurses were preserved in health, and thus enabled to render most essential aid to the suffering patients. It is perhaps hardly proper to single out one, when all did their duty so well; still I cannot help noticing the alacrity and the cheerfulness with which Mr. Sedley attended to the respective duties devolving on him in the absence of his superior. Trusting that you will excuse these remarks, and praying that this awful visitation may be abundantly sanctified to us all, I remain,' etc.

I have a strong impression, that the diligence and promptitude which, on this occasion, were evinced by the officials of the establishment, were owing in no small degree to the countenance and encouragement which they received from James Nisbet; and I think that I cannot better enforce the lesson to be learned from this passage in his history than by quoting a few stanzas from the ode of James Montgomery, so distinguished for its tenderness and its power :