years in China, tells in his last letter of a Chinese officer who long had been a Christian at heart. He says:-" In the month of April I visited a market-town called Pen-K'eo-wông, having a population of about 15,000 souls, and situated about twenty li to the south of Ningpo. Here I met a retired officer, who, more than twenty years ago, had heard the Gospel in the city of Canton, and received from the preacher a copy of the Holy Scriptures. What he heard from the preacher, and subsequently read in the Holy Book, made such an impression on his mind that he abandoned all idolatrous practices, and daily worshipped the only living and true God. His knowledge of scriptural truth is very considerable, and his fondness for the Holy Book unmistakable. He and his wife are now applicants for baptism, and also several of his townsmen, who have been taught and influenced by his example. Does not this remind us of the Centurion Cornelius ?"

But in China one of the great hindrances to mission work is the practice of opium-smoking, because this opium has been introduced into China by the English merchants. Bishop Russell tells this story: :

"I was brought into contact with an old gentleman, over seventy years of age, six feet high, very large in proportion, and as deaf as a poker. I laid before him a copy of the New Testament, and asked him if he could read. 'I should like to know,' he answered,' what book I couldn't read? Why, I have been a schoolmaster half my days; and the rest I have been a physician, when I also read much. I can read anything.' I turned to the story of the Prodigal Son, and asked him to read it to me. He did so, freely commenting upon it as he went along, somewhat as follows:-""A certain man had two sons "-well, that's just my case- -"and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me

the portion of goods that falleth to me. Now, that is queer; why, that is exactly what my younger son has done! "And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.' Here he put down the book, looked at me, and said, "This story exactly fits my case; this is just what that scamp of a younger son of mine has done. He has just gone and spent all I gave him on opium-smoking. Oh! how is it that you foreigners have brought us that dreadful thing which brings such misery and ruin upon us?' 'We deserve to be beaten,' I replied; 'but go on with the story.' He read on until he came to the words, 'And when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants,'-when he again put down the Book, and told a bystander to go at once and call his younger son to him, that he too might hear the story. The messenger went, and after a short time returned, saying that his son could not come now as he was engaged in opium-smoking. 'Oh!' said the old man, staring me again in the face-and this time with tears trickling down his cheeks, presenting one of the most affecting sights I have ever witnessed in China-Oh! tell me how it is that you foreigners have brought to us such a thing as this opium, which has ruined my son and millions of others too ?' 'We do indeed deserve to be beaten,' I replied; 'we are altogether inexcusable. But pray finish the story.' He went on, ""And he arose and went to his father.

But

when he was a great way off his father saw him, and had compassion on him, and ran and fell on his neck [here to illustrate it, he threw his brawny arms round my neck] and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him. Well, now, if that wretched son of mine would only act in this way, I too would treat him well. I wouldn't long leave him in his present ragged, halfnaked condition. I would gladly give him a new suit of clothes to wear, and good food to eat.' Finish the story," I said. He continued, "And put a ring on his hand." Oh, no! I wouldn't do that-that would be treating him

""

with too much courtesy-with good clothes and good food the scamp ought to be well satisfied.' He then read the remainder of this wonderful story without much additional comment, when I attempted to lead him from its earthly to its heavenly meaning. Some months afterwards the old man succeeded in inducing his prodigal son to come to Ningpo, where he was cured of opiumsmoking by Dr. Barchet, of the American Baptist Mission; and our earnest hope and prayer is that both father and son may be cured of the still greater plague of sin by the great Physician of souls."

Dear children, let us pray earnestly and perseveringly to God that He would pour out his Holy Spirit and bless the work of Christian Missions to the Salvation of the many millions of China.

C. M. S. Missionaries on the Look at the map of Africa, and find these three places, first Khartoum on the Nile in Egypt, then go down into the centre of the continent and find the great Lake Victoria Nyanza and mark its southern shores. Then carry your finger away to the north-west, find the River Niger and mark the place where the two rivers become one. About the 16th of August last, a Mission party of the Society was starting from each of these places, to carry the Gospel to new regions.

On the Niger there was Bishop Crowther and Mr. Ashcroft in the Henry Venn, and as we have lately seen this little steamer in the Token we will not say more than that she is doing a good work, and if God blesses and prospers her next voyage, we may tell soon of our important Missionary journey into the heart of Africa.

On the Victoria Nyanza two of our Missionaries met who had long been

Niger, Nyanza, and Nile.

separated, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Mackay. One had remained alone with King Mtesa preaching the Gospel and teaching, and was now come down from Uganda to meet his brother Mackay, and take him back with him. Mackay had pushed up from the coast to the lake on hearing of the death of our dear friends Smith and O'Neill, in December, 1877.

He reached Kagei in June last; there he found our Mission stores all safe with the Daisy; he repaired her, and then, entirely alone and unarmed, he put himself in the hands of Lukongeh, the chief of Ukerewe, in order to ascertain the real facts of the death of our Missionaries, and he was able to show the savage king that the Missionary can trust himself to the protection of the King of kings, and teach him the lesson that the followers of Christ seek not revenge.

You cannot all get the Church Missionary Intelligencer for February, but if you will ask your parents or teachers

to read the account to you, you will learn how Mr. Mackay patiently arranged all Mission stores, repaired the Daisy, and made friends with the children at Kagei. Meanwhile our Missionary, Mr. Wilson, was coming from Uganda with native canoes, passing from island to island, skirting along the shore until at last he reached Kagei. He says:

"About seven o'clock we rounded Palm-Tree Point. It was very dark, and we had some difficulty in finding the landing-place, so we fired two shots, and lights appeared. I sat near the steersman, and told him how to steer, and we got safely to land through a heavy surf. The lake had risen so much that, in the darkness, I scarcely knew the place, as a row of gardens along the lake were almost completely submerged. I had scarcely landed when, to my great delight, Mackay appeared. We went up to our hut, and after a change of clothes-for I was wet through with spray-and some dinner, we had a most delightful evening. We had so much to tell one another that we never noticed the flight of time, and the cocks began to crow before we went to bed."

Then on the 17th of August they were to start together for Uganda in the Daisy.

Now let us look to the north, and at the time that Mackay and Wilson were starting for Uganda, a steamer, perhaps the very one shown in our picture, was steaming up the Nile, carrying our Missionaries, Messrs. Pearson, Litchfield, and Felkin, on their long journey to Uganda, a long and wearisome journey it was, for fuel failed, the floating grass blocked the river, and for the whole month of September they had to remain at one place in the marshes of the Nile. Mr. Litchfield says, writing on the 8th October :

Long before this date, I expected to have been on the march from Lado to Ugando, but here we are still on the

steamer, and not yet arrived at Gondokoro. I am sure you will all join me in a hymn of thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father, for the continued blessing of good health.

It is very difficult for us to realize where we are, and what an immense distance we have been brought into the heart of this vast country, through the good hand of our God upon us.

Five months have been spent in constant travel, and the sights and sounds have been so varied, as almost to defy pen and ink to reproduce them. Col. Gordon Pacha sent such strong orders to all the military posts on the river, that we have but to ask, and we get what we want; or rather what they have to give us. During the whole month of September, we remained fast bound, in the midst of marshes some ten or fifteen miles wide, on either side of us, and saw no living things but pelicans, fishes, and a stray white-headed eagle or two. Fever was plentiful, as these marshes are hotbeds of malaria. Seven out of thirteen sailors were taken ill. Felkin was down with fever and diarrhoea, and our dragoman had the ague. Pearson and myself escaped, but feel languid and weak.

We are now clear again, and close to Lado, at a place called Bohr, which is about two days steam from Lado. The tribes about here are all naked and live in little round huts, with entrances two feet in height. They live by fishing, and paddle about in their long canoes, with great speed. The canoes are made from palm-trees, burnt out in the middle, and are not bad specimens of savage skill. I should like you to see the flowers here. Gigantic convolvuluses, primroses, sweet peas, and other flowers of lovely colours, of which I know not the names. The grass is very high (six seven feet), while the reeds and papyrus (in the marshes) grow from ten to thirty feet. The height of the

or

grass and the inundation make travelling very difficult just now. After Gondokoro, we shall have marches of twenty to twenty-five miles, where the water is up to the waist, and, at times, reaches the neck. No beasts of burden live here, in consequence of the Tsetse fly, which kills them; and as the porters only carry 45lbs. weight of luggage, we have to arrange and repack all our baggage. The country is beautiful, but in many ways dangerous, as lions, boars, leopards, and serpents abound. Crocodiles and hippopotami are as common as the domestic cat in England.

From Lado our Missionaries would march to Uganda, and they had a difficult and dangerous journey before them.

Dear children, does not this short account of our dear Missionary brethren in Africa show how they need our prayers? These trials may not appear so very great to you, but you cannot understand the weariness and painfulness of disease and suffering in tropical Africa; then think too of their loneliness, far away from Christian privilege, no church, no happy_communion with those that love the Lord, everything around speaking of sin and suffering and misery, yet faith enables them to persevere, and faith enables us to pray for them that God would make them the heralds of salvation to poor benighted Africa.

PERHAPS Some of you little boys and girls, who have lately been dancing so merrily round your own Christmas-trees at home, may like to hear of a treat which we had in Allahabad (see cut), at the Native Christian village of Béla.

The village is a very pretty one. It has a church, and well-built schools for the boys and girls.

There are about 200 children in Béla. It was for them that some ladies prepared the treat which I am going to tell you about. First, there was the giving of prizes to those who had been good and attentive at school all through the year. Some got books, some work-baskets, some knives, some very prettily-dressed dolls, some thimbles, real little English thimbles. When the prizes had been given all the children sang a hymn, one of the older girls playing the tune on the harmonium. Then came tea in the big school-room, and oh! if you could but have seen how the little brown boys and girls seemed to enjoy it. They did not have tables and benches as you have at your English treats, but

strips of matting were spread on the floor, and the children sat in rows on them, with their little tin mugs and plates in front of them. They had tea and cake and buns, and bread and jam as much as ever they wanted, and then each had a little bag of sugar-plums to finish up with. When tea was over they all ran out into the school garden for a play, whilst the candles were lighted on the Christmas-tree and the room properly darkened. None of the children had ever seen a Christmas-tree before, and they were not even allowed to peep in whilst it was being got ready, so you may be sure they were wondering very much what sort of a thing it would be.

The

At six o'clock all was ready. little girls came in first, and then the little boys, and they stood in a double line all round the room. How their bright black eyes did sparkle with wonder and delight, and how they laughed and clapped their hands as they gazed upon the beautiful tree, with all sorts of pretty things which had been sent out by kind friends in England for these