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erection of a new building, the estimated cost of which is £1,000.

was also a magnificent exhibition of Dis- | after much consideration, and in humble solving Views, brilliantly illuminated dependence upon the Divine blessing, with the Oxy-hydrogen Light, illustra- to make an effort to obtain funds for the ted in a cheerful and instructive manner, by the lecturer, Mr. Deren, of the Church of England Scripture Readers' Association. At the conclusion of the meeting, each scholar had presented to him a little book, entitled, "Come to the Marriage," published by the Book Society, in memorial of the royal wedding.

On Tuesday evening, March 31st, a public meeting, in favour of the Sunday school extension movement, in connexion with the above institution, was held in the Town-hall, Mr. Alderman Abbis in the chair, supported by several local clergymen, ministers, and gentlemen. Messrs. Smither, Brain, and Caldwell, attended as a deputation from the Sunday School Union; the following extracts from the report will doubtless be interesting:

"The premises hitherto occupied for school and mission rooms, having been sold, a portion is required for other purposes. Thus, the schools numbering upwards of 200 children, (chiefly of the silk weaving population,) with all the useful machinery that has been brought together, are in constant jeopardy of being broken up and dispersed.

"There are upwards of 30,000 children in the parish of Bethnal-green, thousands of these are to be seen in the streets, especially on the Sunday, apparently given up to follow their own inclinations, and for whom no adequate school provision has yet been made.

"It has been ascertained, that in one small district, there were 400 houses inhabited by 4,150 souls, where 860 persons were found who were scarcely able to read, 186 did not know the letters of the alphabet, and 739 children between the age of three and eight years had never been to school.

"Encouraged by numerous promises of support from influential friends, accompanied by a liberal offer of the present site, the Committee have resolved,

"With a view of widening the circle from which contributions may be obtained, and of affording to all who may be inclined to help, the opportunity of casting their mite into the treasury, it is proposed to raise a subscription of 250,000 pence. The Committee look with confidence for a special blessing upon this special appeal, believing it will not be in vain, when made in behalf of those who cannot plead for themselves."

Letters were read from Robert Hanbury, Esq., M.P., Charles Buxton, Esq., M.P., and others, expressive of sympathy with the objects of the meeting, and a resolution was adopted commending the effort to all interested in the education of the poor.

KINGSLAND CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL.
Hymns sung at the "Parents' Meeting," on
Tuesday, April 7th, 1863.

O God! as tender fathers hear
Their children's lowly cry,
So listen to our suppliant prayer,
While we in faith draw nigh.
As with unswerving aim we seek
Our children's earthly good,
May we, with equal strong desire,
Provide their souls with food.

Before the altars of our homes

May we with them be found;
And Thine own temples here below
With us be hallowed ground.

Before our children, every day,

May our example shine;
And every heart be touched with truth,
Till each be owned as Thine.

While in these schools, with counsels blest,
Taught by the faithful band,
May we, by prayer and sympathy,

Strengthen their heart and hand.

And when life's cares and joys shall cease,
And life's last hour is come,
May children, teachers, parents, friends,
Be folded in Thy home.

T. A.

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CAIRO stands on the east bank of the river Nile. It was founded about the year 970, and contains now, as is supposed, about 350,000 inhabitants. It is emphatically a Moslem city, but has in its midst a large number of Copts, who, through all changes and trials, have held fast the name and many of the rites of the ancient Coptic Church, and are now, perhaps, of all in this land, most accessible to a pure gospel.

For all the large population of this city, with its 240 streets, its reported 400 mosques, and 140 schools, (where the ordinary aim seems to be mainly to teach the young to write, to do something in keeping accounts, and to repeat the Koran if Moslems, and the Psalms if nominal Christians,) there are few means in operation for scattering abroad the knowledge of the true God and Saviour.

Our United Presbyterian Church has undertaken and is now prosperously carrying forward a good work with refer

ence almost solely to the native element. After toiling for years and preparing for the work, the brethren here, and, indeed, throughout our entire church at home, were made to see with mingled wonder and gratitude the signal interposition of the Divine hand in moving the Viceroy of Egypt, though a Moslem in all his education and religion, to give, on the 17th of February last, to the missionaries and their successors for ever, a most valuable property, with the single condition that it should be used for their mission, under the auspices of the United Presbyterian Church.

Now, there are found in it a boys' school with 190 names on its roll, a girls' school with 120, a church with over 30 communicants, and an audience of from 100 to 150 persons from Sabbath to Sabbath, and a convenient home for all the missionaries and their families. Every Sabbath there is preaching twice in the Arabic tongue, and Sunday schools in the same language, and upon each exercise many earnestly attend. An English service is also held for the benefit of any of the mission families, or English and American residents, or travellers who may desire it. In another portion of the city, a second and promising girls' school is carried on under the care of the mission; and altogether, by its well-managed course, in which much of the Bible is faithfully taught through the week, and in the regular services of the Sabbath, this mission is doing a great work.-Rev. J. B. Dales, of Philadelphia.

BARBICAN CHAPEL SCHOOLS.

ON Tuesday evening, April 7th, a meeting of the teachers and scholars formerly belonging to the above schools was held in celebration of the jubilee, the schools having been instituted in November, 1813. At six o'clock about 200 friends partook of an excellent repast in the school and lecture rooms, which had been tastefully decorated for the occasion. At half-past seven o'clock

the friends retired into the chapel, and as to the General Sunday School Conthe chair having been taken by the Rev. vention- the efforts made to relieve the Joseph Boyle (pastor), the meeting was distress in the Cotton Districts-and the opened with devotional exercises. Mr. necessity of further efforts being made Alderman Challis, who had kindly en- to bring the neglected youth of Longaged to preside, was unable so to do don under Sunday school instruction. on account of ill health. Addresses, Amongst the information given as to both interesting and practical, were de- the progress of Sunday schools abroad, livered by Mr. Mullens (the present an interesting communication from Mr. superintendent), the Rev. Dr. Hewlett, Woodruff, of Brooklyn, New York, was the Rev. T. T. Waterman (Maidstone), inserted, in which he gave an account Messrs. Humphreys, Roberts, Russell, of his endeavours to introduce the Sunand other gentlemen. Amongst other day school system into that country remarkable facts mentioned during the which excites so much sympathy on meeting was the fact that Mr. Alderman account of its efforts to obtain political Challis, Mr. Mullens, and Mr. Hum- and spiritual freedom. Our readers phreys were the only known survivors will probably be pleased to have the of the persons present at the institution communication without abridgment. of these schools. Mr. WOODRUFF says―

SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION

ANNIVERSARY.

"On entering the largest city of Italy I found there no one who had adopted the Sunday school idea as a means of evangelization. There were two preachers in Italian, and two or three THE Annual Meeting of Members to others who ministered in different lanreceive the report and elect the Officers guages to the permanent and floating and Committee for the ensuing year, population, the latter being found in was held in the Lecture Hall, on Friday considerable numbers in every large evening, May 1. This meeting is one city on the continent. In connection of great importance, inasmuch as it with three of them had been established affords the Members an opportunity of day schools, and a few children gathered hearing the report and balance sheet into them, which greatly facilitated read at length of making any enquiries, the commencement of Sunday schools. and offering any suggestions as to the The first thing to be done was to find operations of the Union-and also of ex. some one who could translate from ercising their right of deciding to whom English into Italian, for I could not its management shall be entrusted dur- speak a word of Italian. This is felt to ing the ensuing year. These motives, be an insuperable difficulty in the work however, did not seem sufficiently power- of evangelization in foreign countries; ful to attract an audience. It is to be but a little common sense and judicious regretted that the Members generally management will not only overcome do not attend in greater numbers. Pro- it, but show it to be a help rather than bably this is caused by the confidence a hindrance. Men, especially ignorant they feel in the Officers and Committee; men, love to teach rather than learn; but their presence would encourage and an infidel, who would brace himself those who are labouring for them during against your ideas in an argument, the year, and they would become more when he comes to translate your sentiinterested in the proceedings of the ments to another, will sometimes be the Union. first to receive them into his own heart, and the most zealous advocate of them to others.

The report was an encouraging one. It was principally occupied by details

Were Christian travellers

but in earnest in propagating the resolved into children, and a regular gospel, the courier, who becomes a Sunday school was held, manner of sceptic from the indifference his em- reading, &c., clearly pointed out; but all ployer manifests to his own religious this was not sufficient to give the practiprofessions and convictions, would often cal idea. It was only when the children become a convert, by being made the were actually gathered in the schoolmedium of communication to others. room, the seats arranged, and the Notice being given in each circle, teacher actually placed before his pupils, however small, that on a stated evening that the thing took the real form of life. a stranger would make known the Even then no part of the whole labour Sunday school systems of America and was more difficult than to convince them England, brought together a few who that the same teacher must have the were disposed to hear what was to be same scholars, and that scholars must said about something new. To each of occupy the same seats, from Sabbath to these groups the manner of forming a Sabbath. In this way four Sunday Sunday school, and of conducting it, schools were formed in about six weeks. was carefully and minutely described. The two first nearly doubled their numBut this was not enough; they were ber in teachers and scholars, and all allowed to ask all the questions they seemed to double the interest every time could think of about them. In the first they met. Nothing could be more meeting held for this purpose a learned hopeful, nothing so exhilarating to the Italian raised the question, How would few excellent preachers who had the it be possible to guard such religious work of the gospel there, than to see teaching against the propagation of the those to whom they were preaching rankest errors and heresies? The delighted beyond description to become translator here was first in the field co-workers with them, not mere autoagainst him. In a moment the whole matons to be preached upon. As I have group were in a fermentation. The said, these schools began very small; babbling of Greek philosophers, nay, but the last Sunday in March, one of the confusion of Babel, seemed to be them had 9 teachers and 50 scholars, come again. This was a very natural one 7 teachers and 40 scholars, one 4 enquiry to a man disciplined from or 5 teachers and 40 scholars, and one infancy to believe the church was the just formed the previous Sunday, 3 rightful interpreter of Scripture. But teachers and 17 scholars. The evening when these men were convinced that whatever plausibility there might be in the theory involved in this objection, there was not the least practical danger, and that universal experience had proved it, they became silent. Afterwards it was delightful to see this very objector among the foremost and most active of the co-labourers. But from all this general and minute description no one Our readers are already aware of the was able to form or organize a Sunday large amount which the appeal of the school. The next process was to invite Sunday School Union brought in aid of as many as were disposed to undertake the suffering Sunday school teachers the labour to a private interview. Here, and scholars in the cotton manufacturfirst, a teachers' meeting was held, just ing districts. The Committee state in after the models of England and their report—

before the writer left, a monthly concert was formed, composed of the teachers from the four schools. Thus a Christian community was formed, and one of the most devoted of the teachers made this remark in the meeting, that for the first time they had then learned that evening what it was for Christians to love one another."

America. Afterwards all present were "Some of the contributions have espe

Union in London, to secure funds for the alleviation of the distress existing in the Lancashire Sunday schools. Those efforts deserve the highest commendation and lasting gratitude of the teachers and scholars of Lancashire. And the hearty response which that appeal called forth from the teachers and scholars of England is sufficient to stir the depth

of the soul. Many noble sacrifices have been made by teachers and scholars of our land in order to help us in our time of need. All honour to such self-sacrifice for such an object! May a full reward be given them for such sympathy and love.""

It appears that the Committee exhibited the publications of the Union at the International Exhibition, and have received a medal" for superiority in the compilation and publication of educational works and apparatus.”

The benevolent income of the Union, including £454. transferred by the Sunday School Society, being the residue of the funds of that Institution, amounted to £2,465. 18s. 3d., and the expenditure to £2,139. 4s. 11d., leaving a balance in hand of £326. 13s. 5d.

cially surprised and gratified them. Thus, the 100 scholars of Newton Sunday School, Auckland, New Zealand,- -a school not two years old, and unattached to any church,-having had their attention called to the circular issued by the Committee, collected and gave £17. which has been duly remitted. The Committee of the Calcutta Sunday School Union have also remitted £56. raised amongst their schools. Since then, a letter has been received from Hobart Town, Tasmania, enclosing a draught for £200., being the proceeds of collections made by the Sunday school children of Tasmania on behalf of the destitute children of Lancashire. It appears that these collections had been made before the appeal of the Committee had arrived. An address was issued to every school in Tasmania, and one week was allowed for making the collection, which resulted in an aggregate of £200., in addition to which it was thought there would be a small further remittance from some schools which had not then sent their contributions. The secretary says, The amount has been collected and subscribed by the children of Sunday schools of every Protestant religious denomination, embracing Episcopalians, Wesleyans, Independents, Free and Pri "The last report contained a statement mitive Methodists, Baptists, &c.; and of the number of schools, teachers, and our Committee, knowing that the Com- scholars within the metropolitan district. mittee of the Sunday School Union of That return had been prepared with London includes the names of gentlemen great labour and care, and is believed to of all denominations, have forwarded it to be substantially correct. The result is, them in the hope that they will under- that the Sunday scholars of the metropolis take the duty of distributing in such a do not amount to 200,000, or 1 in 15 of way as may best serve the object in the population, while in some parts of view.' By a postscript, it appears that the the country 1 in 5 of the population are mail had arrived since the writing of the Sunday scholars; or, to put the case in letter, bringing the appeal of the Com- another form, two-thirds of the youthful mittee, which had thus been answered population of London are destitute of by anticipation. The assistance thus the advantages which Sunday school afforded has been received with much instruction has been found to yield. thankfulness. The following is quoted This matter has occupied much of the from the report of the Preston Union :- attention of the Committee, and depuYour committee would desire grate- tations have visited the committees of fully to recognize the large efforts put the various auxiliaries to lay the subject forth by the Committee of the Parent before them. The experience of every

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The report directed the attention of the teachers to the necessity for greater exertion in the following terms: —

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