sill she wrote, while the tears fell fast on the paper, words that to Willie would seem so cruel; for he had never realized that anything, save Martha's ill-health, could come between them.

When William Brown again entered the cottage, Martha slipped the note into his hand, with these words, "Don't judge me harshly. I trust the time will come, when you will feel as I do."

And as she went alone that she might not see how her note was received, she repeated to herself the words, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me."

(To be continued.)

MOTHERS' MEETINGS.*

EFORE commencing the subject of my paper, which is "How to work Mothers' Societies so as to make them effective means of reaching, educating, and saving the working-people of England," allow me to speak for a moment, first, of their importance; and secondly, of the value attached to them by the members themselves. First, of their importance. I have often felt surprised that the ministers and officers in our Churches have looked upon them as very secondary means, and, in some cases, have considered them unimportant. It has always seemed to me that, if properly and earnestly carried out, they would be the foundation of everything that is good. If mothers could be taught to feel of importance what I call the minute training of children, which is watching over them at all times, putting in a word of counsel, reproof, or encouragement, and binding the children to them with the cords of love, what a change would be felt in every department of Christian labour, especially in the Sunday-school. I confess I never leave the school without the miserable feeling that the children have never been taught the first lesson in life (that of obedience), and that before I meet them again, all remembrance of my instruction will be gone, or marred by the influence of home. It has been asked, What does the world want most? I am sure every heart will reiterate the reply," Good mothers." In reading the lives of good men, we see how much they were influenced by early training; and we are not surprised to find the mother of the Wesleys was a wise, holy, estimable woman, any more than that the mother of Nero was a murderess. If, therefore, the impress of the mother is stamped upon the child, especially upon the boy (and he is the germ of future society), unquestionably the attention of all thinking people, and most of all the Christian Church, should be turned to

*This paper is from the the pen of Mrs. Midwood, of Manchester; and was read at the Conference held at Nottingham in connection with the recent opening of the New Institute.

adopt the best means of reaching and educating them. Is it not truly said that " She who rocks the cradle rules the world"? and while we see the mothers in the highest circles of society leaving their children to receive their early impressions from the minds of ignorant nurses, and the poor mothers toiling only to supply their little ones with food and raiment, can we wonder that the world is what it is? During the last seven years I have had in my societies. nearly five hundred mothers, some of whom never attended a place of worship until roused to a sense of their responsibilities at a Mothers' Meeting. It is a very difficult matter for the wife of a working-man, surrounded by little children, to take her place among Sabbath worshippers; but the quiet hour at the Mothers' Meeting is always a rest and pleasure, and soon creates a desire for further instruction, and leads them to the house of God. Is not this an important reason why great efforts should be made to further this work? It is true that in the world we sometimes see a pious mother weeping over her wayward son, or a pious son rising up in the midst of a godless family, but I strongly believe it is the exception, not the rule. We never have a command without a promise, and the injunction to "train up a child in the way he should go" is followed by the promise that, "when he is old he shall not depart from it.”

I must now say a few words, secondly, about the value these Meetings are to the members, and the pleasure as well as instruction they derive from them. To illustrate this, I shall be obliged to give some instances from my own experience; I do so merely to enforce what I wish to say. At the close of one of my Meetings, an old woman said to me, "I do wish we had had Mothers' Meetings when I was young, my children would have turned out better than they have done." A young mother said, " My children have to thank God all their lives that I ever attended a Mothers' Meeting;" another said, "I thought I knew how to bring my children up, but I find I know nothing of training ;" and another added, "There never was peace in the village before the Meetings." I shall not, I hope, be misunderstood if I transcribe a letter I received from a Society I was obliged to leave :

"We, the mothers, have heard with unfeigned regret that you and your kind family purpose leaving this village. We cannot express to the full extent how sorry we are, for we may see daily what blessings you bestow, either one way or another, to some poor soul. We are afraid, when we review the past, that we have often grieved you; and now we come to contemplate what a loss we shall sustain. We don't know what to do nor what to think. We are well aware that we may bid adieu to Mothers' Meetings; and look what blessings they have been to many poor sinners! If you leave us and go to another field for to labour, as you said, we, perhaps rather selfishly, think you will leave a great work unfinished in this village. We do assure you that we mothers in this district will

promise you anything, and by the assistance of our heavenly Father we should perform the same, if we could induce you to stay amongst us; if, on the other hand, you feel that God wills that you should leave us, we feel it our bounden duty to say to you, our kindest of earthly friends, that we will act as becometh Christians, and strive to let you feel that all your teachings have not been in vain.

"Humbly hoping you will not take these few lines amiss,

"We are,

"THE MOTHERS AT THE BROOKSIDE.”

I have met with numberless instances of gratitude and affection, and many a care-worn mother has said that our Meetings were her only pleasure, and that she has looked forward to them all the week. Thirdly, I must proceed to the more immediate subject of my paper, "How to work these Societies." I have never had the assistance of a Bible-woman, and I can only give my own experience. I think it would be out of place in this paper to give a detailed account of my plans, but I shall be glad to give particulars to any lady who may wish to have them, so many things branch out from a Mothers' Society. It is my opinion that one lady only should undertake the management and instruction of each Society; I am certain it works better; she can have as much assistance as she needs from young people in the distribution of the sick and clothing funds, and in all the minor duties.

General plans may be formed, but local circumstances often oblige us to vary them; for instance, in a prosperous district, a sick fund is not wanted, and I have been told that arrangements can now be made at a Co-operative store, which precludes the necessity for a clothing club.

I am now trying a Society without the two latter. But, in the place where I was most successful, and my numbers the largest, I had all these things combined. I had also a Mothers' Bible Class on the Sunday afternoon, first in one cottage, then in another, and the mothers in the immediate neighbourhood attended; these were very much valued, and always pleasant and profitable to myself. I also met on the Saturday morning (at a room we called the Nursery) any mother who wished to consult me about the health of the children, and I gave them practical illustrations of my method of bathing children. All these things work well, and make our influence greater, and the bond firmer-but I always feel most anxious about the real conversion of each mother. Without this great change I know that no improvement can be permanent. I try in all Scripture lessons to convey some fresh thought for the week, and urge its practical bearing. In some Societies the members are encouraged to bring a text and repeat it at the meetings; but our numbers are always too large. I therefore select one for the benefit of all; singing, of course, forms part of our service. After the Scripture lesson I always read something interesting, and take

care that it conveys a useful lesson for mothers. Occasionally I talk to them about domestic matters-nursing the sick, the importance of ventilation, fresh air, pure water; and the advice given has often been faithfully carried out.

I do not think this work requires extraordinary talent, but only a loving, sympathising, earnest heart; true piety there must be, or it cannot be carried out in all the essential points. It must be begun, continued, and ended with prayer. I once conversed with a lady who had joined two others in the formation of a Mothers' Society, and inquiring about their progress; she replied, "We cannot decide whether we should have extempore prayer, or a form, so we have been obliged to confine ourselves to reading a chapter in the Bible." I need not say that that Society did not exist long. If ever there is a time when the heart is moved to plead for our fellow-creatures, it is surely when we meet those tired, weary, often ignorant, helpless mothers, on whom depend the welfare of so many. I must not omit to say, that a strong love for children, and a desire to be the means of shielding them from harsh treatment, helps on the work. I remember feeling abundantly repaid for efforts one day when a mother said to me, "I have never my struck my child since you said at the meeting, 'A moments' thought is passion's passing-bell;"" and another added, "I never beat my children now for breaking anything." Once more, I say, that if Mothers' Societies could be vigorously worked in every district, their influence would soon be felt throughout society. I have often found that the working men have been much moved by the improvement in their wives; I knew one who walked from the place where he was working-six miles-to take care of the children while his wife came to the Meeting; and one mother, speaking of the change for the better in her husband, added, " You see, he sees such an improvement in me." If I can do anything to encourage ladies to commence this work in places where it has not been tried, I will gladly do it. Conscious as I am of the imperfection of my labours, I can yet say that nothing has yielded me so much satisfaction; discouragements we must meet with in this, as in every other good work, but let us be cheered by the assurance that the cup of cold water shall in no wise lose its reward, and that soon we shall see the dawn of the millennial glory, when, instead of misery and wretchedness, thanksgiving and the voice of melody shall be heard in our land.

"I have long felt that until the fathers and mothers are better men and women, our schools can accomplish comparatively little. I believe that any improvement that could be brought to bear on the MOTHERS, more especially, would effect a greater amount of good than anything that has yet been done."-Earl of Shaftesbury. “Good laws will not reform us, if reformation begin not at home. This is the cause of all our misdeeds in Church and State, even the want of a holy education of children.”—Baxter.

66 ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE: FOR WIDE IS THE GATE, AND BROAD IS THE WAY, THAT LEADETH TO DESTRUCTION, AND

MANY THERE BE WHICH GO IN THEREAT: BECAUSE STRAIT IS THE GATE, AND NARROW IS THE WAY, WHICH LEADETH UNTO LIFE, AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT."-Matt. vii. 13, 14.

"HIM

John vi. 37.

BUT I AM A GREAT SINNER, SAYEST THOU.

I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.

BUT I AM AN OLD SINNER, SAYEST THOU.

I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.

BUT I AM A HARD-HEARTED SINNER, SAYEST THOU.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.

BUT I HAVE SERVED SATAN ALL MY DAYS, SAYEST THOU.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.