in her views of Missionary work. This was her opinion: "To publish the glad tidings of salvation, is the highest post of honour that men can have on earth; and among these the missionary is the nearest to the apostolic." Therefore, as soon as she heard how her young friend was going to be employed she wrote to her as follows::

"MY DEAR SALLY;

What a

Many tears have I shed over your letter. changing lot has been that of my family! The Lord's providences to me and mine have not been of the ordinary kind, and you, as one in it, seem to be a partaker with us. Surely, of all others, we have most reason to say, 'We are strangers and pilgrims on the earth.' Oh that we may drink into the true spirit of that phrase, and enjoy the genuine, firm faith of an everlasting habitation of living at home with God!

"My dear Sally, take the comfort of this, that it is the Lord who hath led you all the way by which you have gone. Of all persons whom I know, you were, from your temper and dispo sition, the least likely to travel, still less to continue a traveller. No ordinary means would have led you to leave your friends and religious privileges. And many a pang it has cost me, on reflection, to think how positive I was that you should take the voyage. But it was of the Lord. The physicians urged it, as the only chance you had for life, and they had reason; for of all those who who were attacked in the same manner, there is not one alive, within my knowledge, at this day.

"The Lord, by wonderful means, called you from your native land, and led you to the very spot where you met Mr. Loveless. The same God, being also his God, led him, by means perhaps equally unforeseen and uncommon, to the same spot; united your hearts to each other, and made you one in his hand, and I trust to his glory. You ask my blessing. I have carried both of you to my God and Saviour, and have prayed, and continue to pray, that the Lord will bless you individually and unitedly, give you much sweet communion with himself, and much social enjoyment with him and with one another. May he bless Mr. Loveless as a Missionary, and give him the spirit of his office, and much fruit among the heathen, as seals to his ministry; and may you be a helper with him, and both be blessed and made a blessing.

"I feel my loss. You were a comfort and a help to us all, especially to me: but I do not mourn; I heartily acquiesce. This is not only agreeable to me, as it is one of God's wise

arrangements to you and us all, but I think it will be more to your comfort. Religion and conjugal love will sweeten almost any lot. It is the Lord's appointment, and his richest earthly blessing.

My dear Sally, I have ever considered you as my child. You are very dear to my heart. Tell Mr. Loveless he must ever consider me as his mother. Your affectionate mother, "ISABELLA GRAHAM."

The city of Madras is the residence of the governor, and the chief city of the presidency. It stands near the sea, on the coast of Coromandel, long. 80° 17′ east, lat. 13° 4′ north. Its appearance from the sea is exceedingly beautiful. I never shall forget the emotions that I felt, when, after a voyage of 14,000 miles, I stood on the ship's deck, and gazed on Fort St. George, with the city and country near it. The surf is so dangerous, that ships never venture near the shore, and both passengers and cargo are landed in native boats. When a

ship is seen about to anchor in the roads, two or three natives are sent off on a small raft, which they call a catamaran, in order to take letters ashore. These were the first natives we saw, and their appearance was any thing but prepossessing. 1 left the ship by the first boat, and right glad I was at the thought of setting my foot on land; but as we approached the beach, our joy was greatly marred by the sight of numerous heathen, who were just before us. These men had literally the

mark of the beast in their foreheads. Some of them had one streak across the forehead, others had two, and others had three, with a star in the centre. This was to point out what idol they worshipped. They were not ashamed of their religion. No; they carried the mark of it in their very foreheads, and proclaimed to every one that saw them, "We are the worshippers of idols." Other people might look on such a scene as a matter of curiosity, but to a Missionary the sight was overwhelming, especially as this one city contains three hundred thousand inhabitants.

Mr. Loveless was the first English Missionary to Madras, and his situation had peculiar difficulties. As the policy of the East India Company's government prevented Missionaries from going to India in their ships, so the same policy made it very difficult for a Missionary to labour there, who had come in a foreign ship. The Baptist Missionaries in Bengal had sheltered themselves at Serampore, a Danish settlement; and John Thompson had been hunted as a partridge on the mountains,

until he was put into the grave. The company seemed determined that nothing should be attempted to remove the thick moral darkness from India. Now, under a more enlightened government, our Missionaries have access to every part of British India; and, if we had suitable men, we might in six months communicate the knowledge of God our Saviour to one hundred millions of the followers of Bramah, and Vishnu, and Sheva. What a glorious change! Oh that the church of Christ would now exert herself, and improve the opportunity!

The Rev. Dr. Kerr, senior chaplain, and a few other friends who took an interest in Missions, advised Mr. Loveless, as the only way to get a footing at Madras, to become the superintendent of the Military Orphan Male Asylum, and there to impart religious instruction to 350 boys. He yielded to their advice, and in this asylum he remained about six years, under Dr. Kerr and his successors. Mrs. Loveless united in various ways in promoting the best interests of the rising generation; many of whom lived to fill useful stations in the presidency, and became members of the church under the pastoral care of her husband.

One of these boys, who had become a pious and intelligent man, once said to me: "When Mr. and Mrs. Loveless first took me by the hand, and gave me good advice, I did not know that I had a soul; and I always consider a hymn, which they gave me to learn, as the instrument of leading me to seek salvation, through the Lord Jesus Christ." Another youth, who had enjoyed the privilege of living with Mrs. Loveless from his ninth year, made a similar confession to me. This youth knew more of the Bible than any person I ever met with; and he has, up to this day, maintained an honourable character as a disciple of Christ. Persons who may read or hear of this, if they are able to appreciate the good done to souls, will perceive what a happy influence the labors of these holy and unpretending Missionaries must have produced on the rising generation.

During the time that Mr. Loveless was engaged in the asylum, he commenced preaching in various places in the city and suburbs, and God smiled upon these labours in the conversion of souls. His preaching was not generally to Englishmen, but to a most important and interesting part of the community, usually called "The country-born," that is, the descendants of Europeans by the father's side. They had been in a great measure neglected, but are now fast rising in the scale of intelligence and excellence, and are likely to form a grand integral part of the British empire in India.

During this time, also, two free day schools were established for the same people, in which Mrs. Loveless took a lively interest, and towards the prosperity of which she largely contributed.

In 1810, Mr. Loveless commenced his great work of building the missionary chapel, known by the name of "Loveless' Chapel." It is one of the most complete missionary chapels in the world; and the laying of the foundation stone of that edifice was a grand day for India, though it knew it not. It stands in the midst of a garden containing more than an acre of ground. A fine missionary free school for boys adorns it on the right, and a similar school for girls on the left, and a school for heathen children in the rear. The congregation is of vast importance to the missionary cause in India, not only from the funds which it supplies, but as being the nursery of a few of our most devoted Missionaries. It has been something like the far-famed Banian-tree, a self-producer. New trees have sprung out of its branches.

In the erection of this house for God, Mrs. Loveless took a very active part, and the business habits which she had learned in America, now shone forth to great advantage, by her wise management of its internal arrangements. Mr. Loveless never received any salary from his congregation; neither at this time were they receiving any from the Missionary Society; but, by her prudential domestic economy, she enabled her husband to give largely to the building fund. A wise woman, who looks well to the state of her household, may do a great deal for the Missionary cause, though she never preaches a sermon.

The expense of this building was about £3000*, not a shilling of which came from Europe. Some generous and nobleminded Episcopalians, who I rejoice to know are still alive, and resident in England, were Mr. Loveless' best friends in this matter; but, notwithstanding all their efforts, a debt of 800 pagodas, or £200† still remained.

This pressed heavily on Mrs. Loveless' mind but the load was soon suddenly removed, in the following manner :-A stranger called, and requested a private interview. He spoke to this effect: "I knew that you had a debt of 800 pagodas on your chapel, and I made a vow, that if a certain plan of mine succeeded, I would liquidate your debt. That plan has succeeded; and 1 am come to pay my vow. Here is the money, and you must not refuse it. No mortal knows of this

About 13,000 dollars

† About 900 dollars.

but you and me; and my name must remain a secret." The debt was paid, the chapel was free, and my friends were joyful. It is built in "The Black Town," and is surrounded on all sides by Pagan temples. We never went there to worship the living God, but we could hear the music of idolaters sounding in honour of gods that could not hear: yet this often quickened us in our devotion, and made us adore the grace which had made us to differ.

One Sunday morning, I was going to preach to this congre gation; the chapel was full, and I said to my brother Missionary, “What a beautiful sight this is!" "Yes," he replied, "it is beautiful indeed; but if it appears so to you, how much more so to me, for I knew this place when there was no congregation, no chapel, no prayer; when nearly all those before you never thought of preparing to meet their God !" I said to him, "What was the state of things when you arrived ?" "I found in this city and suburbs," he replied, " about 300,000 souls; the greater part were Pagans, a large number were Mohammedans, many were Roman Catholics, and the remainder were Protestants; but out of the whole of this vast multitude, I could only find one man who prayed to God with his family."

Reader, think of this! Only imagine what must be the state of morals, when, in a population of nearly a third part of a million, there was only one man who had family prayer! A man who does not pray to God with his family, may be compared to a man who opens the roof of his house to let down the curses of God upon his household. Fearful state! Surely such persons can never have read that part of the Bible, where it is said, "Pour out thy fury upon the heathen, and upon the families that call not on thy name." In this verse the heathen idolaters and prayerless Christian families are linked together. How dreadful must it be to continue in that connexion! A happy change has been effected in various parts of India since that day. Now, there are Europeans, and country-born and converted heathen families too, who offer up their night and morning sacrifice on the family altar. To God be the glory forever. Amen.

It was the dictate of infinite wisdom, as well as of infinite goodness, which said, "It is not good for man to be alone;" and we have seen a part of its blessedness when looking at Mrs. Loveless as a wife. Now let us behold her as

THE MISTRESS.

This happy couple left the Military Asylum in 1812, and opened a boarding-school for their support. Mr. Loveless, speak