He was engaged with some miners a long way up the pit, when a sudden burst of water came upon them. They could not get to the shaft, or the opening into the pit, and were forced to flee to a cave up the mine, where the water could not reach them. The alarm was soon given to the people above, who did all they could to get the water out, but all their efforts were in vain. Nine months passed away, and at last the place was reached where the bodies of William and some more lads were found. They had all been starved or smothered to death. What must William have felt when he found all hope of escape was cut off, and that he should see his dear mother no more, nor again enter his Sunday-school? He knew that he must die a slow and dreadful death. When the bodies were brought up from the pit, the mother of William was there. She came to find the bodies of her husband and her son. How sad the sight! How full of grief must have been her heart! After a search, they were found, and taken to her cottage. In one of William's pockets was his candle-box, such as is used by collier boys. Some time passed away, when one day some scratches were noticed on this candlebox; and what do you suppose they were? These marks were William's last letter to his dear mother! In the darkness of the pit, or perhaps by the light of a lamp, the poor boy had with a nail scratched these words:Fret not, dear mother, for we were singing while we had time, and praising God. Mother, follow God more than ever I did.” And then on the other side were found some more words, which it is thought his dying father told him to write, as they are signed with his name:—“ If Johnny is saved, be a good lad to God, and thy mother.— John Thew." Johnny was one of those that were saved, but the poor widow, while she wept at the loss of her husband and one of her sons, was comforted when she knew that in their last hours they were singing and praising God. Learn from this account not to put off the care of the soul; for the young may die; they may die suddenly; and they should be ready to die. But if they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, whether they live or die, all will be well. Annals of the Band of Hope Union. THE LABOURS OF OUR AGENTS. The following is a summary for the past month: Mr. GEORGE BLABY has addressed the following meetings:-Bloomsbury Refuge, twice; Denmark street, three times; King street, Long acre; Asylum road, Old Kent road; Charles street, Drury lane; Little Denmark street; Carr street, Limehouse; City road; Moor street, Five dials; Spa Fields Chapel; Union street, Whitechapel; Mercer street, Shadwell; Liverpool street, King's cross; Agar town; King street, Camden town; and Weir's passage, Euston road. Mr. B. has also taken part in four adult meetings, preached eight sermons, and addressed four Sunday Schools. Mr. F. SMITH has attended and addressed meetings, as under:Vauxhall Walk Wesleyan Band of Hope, twice; Barnsbury; Esher street, Kennington; Surrey Chapel; Haverstock hill; Britannia fields, Hoxton; Croydon; Commercial Road Baptist Chapel; Little Denmark street; Hill street, Peckham; Lant street, Borough; Little Wild street; King street, Long acre; Landsdowne place, Kent street, Borough; Temperance Hall, Vauxhall walk; City road; Mercer street, Shadwell; Mill Pond bridge, Rotherhithe. Mr. W. B. AFFLECK is still at work in connection with the Northern auxiliary of the Union. Mr. C. STARLING, who has for some time done such good service as an honorary speaker, has been engaged by the Committee of the Union as an additional agent. His engagement commences on September 29th. MEETINGS, FETES, &c. We are glad to see that as the fall of the year approaches, our friends are beginning their work in various places with renewed earnestness and vigour; whilst in many places, taking advantage of the fine weather during the past month, our friends in many parts have had large out-door gatherings. LIVERPOOL.-We are glad to see that Mr. Whyte is again able to work in a cause so dear to him, after a long illness. He has for many years laboured in Liverpool with great success, especially amongst the children. A very successful out-door festival was held, and managed entirely by Mr. Whyte. DARLEY, near HARROGATE, YORK.-This is a little village, where the cause is being well worked. At a tea festival 400 sat down to tea, the incumbent was in the chair, and some excellent pieces of music were sung by a Tonic Sol-Fa Singing Class. Much good has been done here during the past year. MARKET DRAYTON PRIMITIVE METHODIST Band of HOPE.-This is a society managed well in many respects. One plan adopted is especially worthy of imitation. The members of the Band of Hope pay into the hands of the treasurer their farthings, halfpennies, and pennies, which have during one year amounted to £13. 15s. 6d. A proper account of what each child pays through the year is kept by the secretary, and then at the year's end, and just before the anniversary, the children have their money returned to them, so that it proves useful to them in providing them wearing apparel, &c., for that day. It is always well to encourage provident habits in children, thus forming a habit very necessary in after years. A very successful anniversary has lately been held, at which the vicar of the parish presided. · HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKS.-Our friends here are still working earnestly, as they have been now for several years. The Band of Hope is in a very prosperous state. At the festival recently held, the Rev. J. B. Horberry, in referring to the Band of Hope work, said—“ What a blessing it is that efforts are being made to gather in the young. It is said, ' Prevention is better than cure;' thank God for what has been done in this respect; thousands have been prevented becoming drunkards and from falling into other vices by the simple process of being trained, when young, to avoid 'the unclean thing.' The salvation of children from the whirlpool of vice is very desirable; in them we hope for future materials in the Temperance cause, as well as in the Church of God. We must care for children as well as for men and women, and thus try to rear a posterity of babes and sucklings' to carry on every good work when we are mouldering in the tomb. Dear friends, renew your efforts to gather in the young. Labour on. Labour on with as much earnestness as you would if you heard the wailings of drunkards in hell.” WINCANTON.-At a meeting held a short time since, more than fifty of the subscribing members of the Band of Hope and Adult Society met for tea and conference at the Baptist School-room. Several important resolutions were passed, one of them being, “That believing the existence of two separate societies instead of one to be prejudicial to the interest of the Temperance cause in Wincanton, it is therefore resolved to amalgamate them, under the title of "The Wincanton Band of Hope and Abstainers' Union." The treasurer announced that there was a united balance of above £2, 10s. in hand. EXCELSIOR BAND OF HOPE, DENMARK STREET, SOHO.-The fourth anniversary of the above Society took place on Tuesday evening, September 16th; John Thwaites, Esq. presided. Appropriate addresses were delivered by the Rev. G. W. McCree, and Messrs. W. Robson, and G. Blaby, from the Band of Hope Union. During the evening, several solos, choruses, and recitations were given by the members, in a manner which elicited the applause of an attentive audience. The interesting proceedings were brought to a close, by a cordial vote of thanks to the chairman, speakers, and children, for the evening's entertainment. HALSTEAD BAND OF HOPE.-On Tuesday week the annual festival of this juvenile Temperance society, which number upwards of five hundred enrolled members, was held, by permission of Edward Horner, Esq., at the Howe Park. At four o'clock two hundred and fifty children sat down to a tea supplied to them by the committee for the sum of fourpence each; and at a subsequent hour the tea-tables in the grove were surrounded by a party of three hundred and sixty friends and elder members of the Band of Hope. During the day-fortunately a very fine one-several hundreds of persons entered the grounds, although a charge of threepence was made in order to meet the heavy expenses incurred. Everything passed off successfully, if we except the descent of a fire balloon into a wheat field, but happily without damaging the dry crop. Between nine and ten o'clock the gong gave intimation of the hour of departure, previous to which the Rev. W. Clements proposed, in a brief address, three hearty cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Horner, which were stoutly given, and followed by one cheer more for cold water. We learn that the receipts amounted to £23. The annual sermon was preached on the previous Sunday at the North-street Chapel by the Rev. W. Clements, when a collection was made on behalf of the society - Halstead Times. YEOVIL BAND OF HOPE.-The Band of Hope in this town is progressing. There was a full room on Tuesday week, and the audience were exceedingly pleased with the dialogues, recitations, and songs. One pleasing feature is, the committee is composed of thirteen young men full of life, who, beside teaching the children songs, also assist by reciting and singing solos at the monthly meetings. There is a club belonging to the Band of Hope, in which is one hundred and ninety-five members, paying from one penny to sixpence a week. I also feel glad to mention that it may aid other committees, that we use the recitations of G. Roy, Esq., I. II.," Feather-stone's Original Reciter," and Glover's. Mr. R. Nichol has attended meetings in South Shields, North Shields, &c., as a deputation from the Band of Hope Union, and has communicated the following interesting fact :-As some boys were bathing in the gut now making near the River Commissioners' yard, at Howdon, one of them, named George Hudson, about 13 years of age, when attempting to swim across, was suddenly seized by cramp. Some labourers employed at the place, observing the struggling of the boy, rushed in to rescue him; but not succeeding, a workman belonging to the Commissioners' yard went to their assistance, and brought both the man and the boy safely ashore. The boy was much exhausted, and on being offered some brandy by Mrs. Turnbull, of the Jenny Lind Inn, he obstinately refused it, stating that he was a teetotaller. THE INTERNATIONAL AND PROHIBITION CONVENTION.-All our readers will, ere this, have become familiar with the great success of this gathering. We need not enter into details, but simply say that the accredited representatives of the Band of Hope Union were, Messrs. S. Shirley, S. Tucker, G. S. Wybroo, W. Robson, M. W. Dunn, Rev. G. W. McCree. The Band of Hope section was well attended; and among the papers was one by the Rev. G. W. McCree, on the " History Design, and Operations of the Band of Hope Union." The papers read by Mrs. Balfour, the Rev. T. Holme, Mr. Peter Sinclair, and J. H. Raper, were very valuable. THE SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHERS' TEMPERANCE LEAGUE.— We have received from the Secretary the following ADDRESS TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS OF ENGLAND. DEAR FELLOW-LABOURERS,-The subject on which we most affectionately address you is of vital importance to ourselves, to our pupils and their friends, as well as to the Church and the nation. That we Sabbath School Teachers, numbering about three hundred thousand (300,000), should be entrusted with the religious education of about three millions (3,000,000) of young immortals, is a serious responsibility. Whatever impedes success, whatever lessens the good of our labours, whatever lends the enemy of souls an advantage over those whom Christ came to seek and to save, we, as workers together with him, are bound to remove. We have been privileged for years to sow good not the adversary all the while been sowing tares? some of our senior pupils? seed; but, alas! has What has become of After enquiry made from the chaplains of the principal prisons in England, Scotland, and Wales, and from the matrons of various penitentiaries, as to how many of the inmates had been pupils in Sabbath Schools, it appeared that-out of ten thousand three hundred and sixty-one inmates of those places, not fewer than six thousand five hundred and seventy-two had previously received religious instruction in Sabbath Schools!! On further inquiry, however, it was almost uniformly found, that the use of intoxicating liquors was the cause, directly or indirectly, of so many Sabbath School scholars becoming criminals. The SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHERS' TEMPERANCE LEAGUE includes all who are, or have been, Sabbath School Teachers (of both sexes), and Ministers of religion, who have subscribed to the following declaration:— 'Believing that the use of intoxicating drinks as beverages is a great injury to Sabbath Schools, by preventing many from joining them, and drawing others from their ranks, I promise, with the Divine blessing, to abstain therefrom, and to exert my influence to induce my fellow-teachers and the scholars in my class to do likewise." We most earnestly recommend this organization to the prayerful consideration of Sabbath School Teachers throughout the land. W. ACKWORTH, Vicar of Plumstead, Kent. HUGH ALLEN, D.D., St. George's the Martyr, Southwark. H. T. BREAY, M.A., Incumbent of St. Matthias's, Birmingham. W. F. CALLAWAY, Minister of Highbury Chapel, Birmingham. F. Derrington, Congregational Minister, Birmingham. THOMAS HACKING, Methodist Free Church, Bristol. NEWMAN HALL, L.L.B., Minister of Surrey Chapel, London. D. LEDSAM, M.A., Perpetual Curate, St. Mark's, Birmingham. J. PARKER, Minister of Cavendish Street Chapel, Manchester. A. FRANKLIN, Westminster Place, Pershore Rd., Birmingham. JOSIAH PUMPHREY, Paradise Street, Birmingham. WILSON STURGE, (Treasurer), Broad Street, Birmingham. |