conversion of three young men has inspired the labourers with joy and gratitude. The number of boys in the English and vernacular schools increased to 480 in July last.

"Christian Congregation.

:

"I trust the Christians are growing in grace, and are duly appreciating the inestimable blessings of Christianity. The aggregate number is seventy-five, of whom fifty are adults of these, forty are communicants. Two adult converts have been baptized-one at Christ Church, Agurparah, and the other at Trinity Church, Mirzapore, where also fourteen individuals from this Mission were confirmed by the Bishop of Calcutta in June last."

COTTAGE COOKERY.

In summer, eggs being cheap, are also much used by the peasantry, and almost in every instance fried, either alone or with bacon. An agreeable change may, however, be made, by frying three or four onions until they are well browned, and while the onions are frying, having your eggs broken into a basin, and beaten with a fork for a couple of minutes. Season with pepper and salt, and then pour them over the sliced onions, taking care to have sufficient dripping in the pan to prevent them from adhering to the bottom; and in this manner they will form a very good omelet, which will be done in the course of three or four minutes. Or, if frying be inconvenient, the Irish mode of "buttered eggs" may be employed, by merely putting the eggs, after their being beaten up in the foregoing manner, into an earthen pipkin, greased inside, and stirring them together for about same time.

the

M. B.

EXTRACTS FROM PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS. HEALTH AND CLEANLINESS OF THE POOR.-Within the last month a wash-house has been opened in Ham-yard, Great Windmill-street, Haymarket, for the purpose of enabling the poor of the metropolis, and especially those who sleep in the streets or parks, or the casual wards of the workhouses, to wash themselves in the morning. Upon inspecting this wash-house, we were glad to observe that there was a plentiful supply of pure clean water, with basins, towels, and other necessaries, to enable the poor to enjoy-what is so essential to cleanliness and health-a good ablution. There are separate apartments for men and women. No less than from 300 to 400 of both sexes avail themselves of this excellent

wash-house to refresh and invigorate them in the morning, after being pent up in great numbers in the casual wards of the various workhouses of the metropolis, in only two or three of which is any convenience provided for the cleanliness of the casual poor. In connexion with the wash-house a soup kitchen has been opened, where the unfortunate persons who come to wash are supplied with a basin of good warm soup and a piece of bread. There is also a refuge on a small scale, where destitute persons are allowed to sleep, and in case of sickness, to remain until their recovery; and as an instance of the good which it has done, and is doing, we may state, that when we visited it this morning, we conversed with a respectable young woman, an unfortunate needlewoman, who was found lying exhausted and destitute on the steps of a door in the neighbourhood, and who was taken to the Refuge, where she says every possible attention and kindness were shown to her. The expense of opening and fitting up one or more washhouses, similar to that in Ham-yard, in every parish in the metropolis, would be trifling; and, considering how conducive such means would be to the maintenance of public health, and more especially at the present time, when we are threatened with the return of the cholera, we would earnestly call the attention of the parochial authorities and the public at large to the subject.-Globe.

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.- A bill has been brought down from the House of Lords, entitled "An Act for the more effectual Prevention of Cruelty to Animals." It first repeals the Acts 5 and 6 William IV., cap. 59, the 7th William IV., and the 1st Victoria, cap. 66, and proceeds to enact "That if any person shall from and after the passing of this act wantonly and cruelly beat, ill-treat, over-drive, abuse, or torture any animal, every such offender shall for every such offence forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding 51." Clause 3 defines acts of cruelty as follows: viz. "That to use or employ any animal in drawing or assisting to draw any vehicle, or in carrying any person or any load, or in doing any work whatever, whilst such animal is, by reason of infirmity, disease, or injury, unfit to be so used or employed, or in doing any work whatever which is manifestly beyond the strength of such animal, shall be deemed to be a wanton and cruel abuse of such animal within the meaning of this Act; and if any person being the owner of any animal shall use or employ, or cause, suffer, or permit any such animal to be used or employed, in drawing or assisting to draw any vehicle, or in carrying any person or any load, or in doing any work whatever, while such animal is, to the knowledge of such person, by reason of infirmity, disease, or injury, unfit to be so used or employed, or any work whatever which is manifestly beyond the strength of such animal, every person so offending shall be deemed to have wantonly and cruelly abused such animal within the meaning of this Act." The barbarous and disgusting "amusements" of bull-baiting, cock-fighting, badger-matches, &c., are put down by a special proviso, imposing a penalty of from 51. to 10%. on the keepers of such places for every day on which they may keep them open or use them for such purpose. Compensation will be exacted from any party wantonly injuring animals serviceable to their owners. Other merciful provisions are made concerning the pounding and slaughtering of cattle, &c.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communications of M. B.; S. B.; Mrs. Cameron; F. A.; a Layman; M. J.; V.; E. D.; and some anonymous correspondents. X. Y. Z.'s article has not been inserted, the subject having been previously taken up by another contributor.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN TWO NEIGHBOURS.

J. NEIGHBOUR, will you allow me to ask you, why it is that we so seldom meet together in the same house of prayer, to join in the praises of Him we so often speak of together in our own houses? I have wished to hear you on this subject before now, but something has always prevented my introducing it in our conversation. Do not hesitate to give your reasons from any fear of offending me, for I assure you I am disposed to put the best construction on your motives.

T. Well, but I do go to church sometimes, and I have no very great dislike to go at any time.

J. Yes, neighbour, you are sometimes seen there, I know; but it would not be only sometimes, but always, if you thoroughly felt the value of our ordinances. You say you have no very great dislike, and, I am sure, from

expression, that you have not an entire satisfaction in them, not such as I feel myself, and am sure that most others, who have given their mind to them, also enjoy. T. To say the truth, as you press me to tell you, I do not receive that entire satisfaction you seem to express. J. Is there any part of the services in particular that

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you think contains any thing wrong, or contrary to Scripture?

T. Oh no! nothing wrong, or contrary to Scripture, that I have found, in any of the prayers; I don't think there is.

J. In what, then, lies your dissatisfaction with them?

T. Well, it's not very easy to say, but somehow I can't join them so well as I can some others. I get tired, perhaps partly because they are long, and partly because I can't keep my attention so well to them, as to such prayers as one has not heard before.

J. Now I understand you; you like short prayers better, and prayers which are delivered extempore.

T. Yes, I think I do. But I should be very glad to hear you say why you do not look at them in the same light, because I don't wish to be bigoted to my own opinions too much.

J. Well, neighbour, you speak fairly, and I will try to give my reasons for feeling as I do, because I have often thought about this matter, and my mind's pretty well made up. I have heard extempore prayer sometimes. It has been my lot to hear very good prayers delivered so, I must own; but then sometimes they have been but indifferent; and I like to have prayer always alike, and equally good at all times, because it is so very important and so necessary. I take it to be a great deal the most important business in which a Christian ever engages and when we are met together under the Saviour's promise that He "will be in the midst" of us, nothing can be of so much consequence as that public prayer should always be conducted well, and equally so. Now I don't blame men for not being able always to express themselves equally well, and to remember all they ought to mention. I know that human infirmity prevents that being possible; and this is one of my reasons for not liking extempore prayer. I love our own forms because they are as good, at least, as any other prayers ever offered up in public worship in the Church of Christ; and they are always equally excellent and full of Christian feeling. I find them to express the wants of a repenting and contrite heart, and the "desires

of them that are sorrowful," and the joys of our faith in a living Saviour, and the language of our gratitude to God, as perfectly as human language can do it, and so I never could be content if I worshipped where these things were ever done less satisfactorily, and that, you must confess, is often the case where novelty and change in the form of prayer is expected. I do not feel comfortable to be dependent on the devotional fervour, or knowledge, or talents of a man for my addresses to the throne of grace; and still less that the whole congregation should be so dependent together. To me it is an exquisite pleasure that I know that my necessary wants and proper desires, both for soul and body, will be presented before God in our public worship at every service, that nothing will be omitted which ought to be named, and nothing said which is irrelevant, or wrong, or unwise, or even in bad taste. Having once thoroughly approved of the Liturgy, I know I shall have what I like and love; although I admit that some new beauties and excellencies very often strike me in it which I never had observed before.

T. I own I have nothing to say against what you have named. The Church prayers are very beautiful when one considers them, and almost every body whose opinion is worth having has commended them. But let me ask you, do you never get at all tired in the morning service, and can you keep up your attention all the time, " praying in the spirit and with the understanding also," when there is nothing new to excite your mind, and occasionally to raise up your devotional feelings above the usual pitch? Excuse my asking you this sort of question.

J. I shall be very ready to answer it, and with great grief I confess that my attention often wanders in prayer both in public and private, and sometimes a feeling of fatigue, bodily only though I hope, will come over me. But I don't accuse the prayers of those things which are my own sins and infirmities, I don't think them too long; they are seldom more than an hour, and we ought to be able to pray that time, surely, when our Lord "continued all night in prayer to God," and we hope hereafter to spend in heaven an eternity of worship. There are those in that happy place before the throne even now who