life twenty years hence. A youth in crossing the fields dropped cherry-stones from his mouth, and in old age retraced his steps by the trees laden with luscious fruit. But many a parent whose heart is lacerated by a child's ingratitude might say,

"The thorns by which I bleed are of

the tree I planted."

To answer rightly a child's questions would give scope for the wisdom of all the ancients and to illustrate needed precept by example would require the exercise of every Christian virtue.

I have hinted at the child's right to be let alone, by which I mean he should have the sovereignty of his person and immunity from invasion. It may be fine sport for grown people to victimize children as they do; to tumble their hair with a clumsily caressing hand, to catch a timid little girl and toss her to the ceiling, or subject a sensitive, bashful boy to the ordeal of indiscriminate kissing. But every such act is an unwarranted liberty, and no less an invasion of

Observer, Apr. 1, '75.

personal rights than if practised upon the highest dignitary of the land. In fact, it is rather more so than less, for the child cannot protect himself, nor even show displeasure without subjecting himself to rebuke. If there is any right that is inalienable, it is that of every human soul to the tenement with which God has invested it; to be safe from so much as the touch of a finger Το except at its own option. profane with a careless hand the shrines of the gods was a grave offence, and subjected the offender to fearful penalties; but is not every human organism a shrine no less sacred?

The beauty of all our relations is marred by coarse familiarity. We need to learn more reverence; to be reminded that every human form, whether of adult or of little child, embodies a thought of God; to hear anew the voice from the bush, saying, "Put thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."

HE who takes his boys to the beer-shop, and trusts that they will grow up sober, puts his coffeepot on the fire and expects it to look as bright as new tin. Men cannot be in their senses when they brew with bad malt and expect good beer, or set a wicked example and expect to raise a respectable family. You may hope and hope till your heart grows sick, but when you send your boy up the chimney, he will come down black for all hoping. Teach a child to lie, and then hope he will grow up honest; better put a wasp

in a tar barrel, and then wait until he makes you honey.

"I

As to the next world, it is a great pity that men do not take a little more care when they speak of it. If a man dies drunk, somebody or other is sure to say, hope he has gone to heaven." It is all very well to wish it, but to hope it is another thing. Men turn their faces to hell and expect to get to heaven; why don't they walk into the horse-pond and expect to be dry? Hopes of heaven are solemn things, and should be tried by the Word of God. A man

Observer, Apr. 1, '75.

THE SOUTHERN DIVISION.-The first meeting of this division to promote the work of evangelization, was held on Monday, March 1st, in Christian Chapel, Rotherhithe, London. After singing and prayer by Bro. Scott, of Grateley, Bro. Richardson was called to the chair, and Bro. Chapman to act as secretary to the meeting. Schedules had been sent to the fourteen Churches forming the division; thirteen of these reported, and expressed approval of the movement. Schedules were also sent to three small gatherings of good standing, not on the list of churches: viz., Woking, Stratford (London) and Luton. They reported to the meeting; two of them sending delegates. By the schedules we find a total membership in the sixteen Churches of 560, and, among them, seventeen brethren who can preach the Gospel acceptably and visit the neighbouring Churches. The amount promised to the Divisional Evangelistic fund is £74; but from remarks on schedules, and by delegates at the meeting, there is little room to doubt that the amount from Churches alone will exceed £100 per amum. Most of the Churches will continue, for the present year, their contributions to the general fund. The following propositions, after due discussion, were adopted by the meeting without opposition-That a committee be formed of seven brethren residing in London, to act as an Evangelist Committee for this division. That the committee be requested to take steps to obtain the services of one or more Evangelists to labour in the division, to be supported out of the Divisional fund. That the committee be requested to arrange the Churches into districts in order to the interchange of preachers. That the committee be requsted to take steps in order to the formation of a Tract depôt for the Division. That the suggestions on the schedules, as to the more efficient use of the press, be left in the

hands of the committee, to be dealt with as they may think best. That the com. mittee be requested to arrange with the General Evangelist Committee as to the labours of Bro. Adam or any other Evangelist that may be sent by them into the division. That the Churches of Woking, Stratford, (London,) and Luton be received into this co-operation, and that the committee be requested to propose that they be received into the general co-operation at the next annual general meeting. That the next Conference of the Division be held in London on Easter Monday, 1876: the place of meeting to be named by the committee. The thanks of the meeting were voted to the brethren in London, who had arranged the conference; to the brethren in Bath and Bristol, who, by circular, called the attention of the Churches of the Division to the necessity for co-operation; to the sisters at Rotherhithe for the excellent and substantial tea provided; and to the chairman and secretary for efficient labours. The meeting was well attended. Brethren from Ashford, Bath, Brighton, Hildenboro, Tunbridge Wells, Luton, Wallop, and London Churches were present. A spirit of earnest hearty co-operation pervaded the meeting, and we feel sure that in future this division will be able to support, at least, two evangelists out of its own fund, in addition to bringing the Churches into closer organization, so that their preaching talent may be better employed in aiding weak Churches.

W. CHAPMAN. BIRMINGHAM.-The special services, on Sunday afternoons and evenings, in St. James's Hall, having been so well attended by deeply attentive audiences, have been announced to be continued for another month. At the time of writing this, two Lord's days in March have passed. The last meeting was equal to any in interest; a number of persons left without being able to gain admission.

S. H. Coles and D. King addressed the assembly both afternoon and evening. Services commence at eight o'clock, and thus allow the ordinary meetings in our chapels to close in time. Other immersions have taken place since our notice last month, making in all, some sixteen; others are immediately expected. During the month we have also been made glad on account of a reunion between the Church in Icknield Port Road and the other recognised Churches in Birminham, which Churches had declined further co-operation with that Church on account of its receiving to its fellowship persons excluded from one of the Birmingham Churches. The Icknield Port Road Church has, however, now come to see the wrongness of that course, and consequently to communicate a reversal of its practice thereon; the result being restoration to its former standing among the Churches. The following is to hand from C. Abercrombie, and will speak for itself as to his visit to this town. 66 'My visit to Birmingham was on this wise-I had been in Glasgow some five weeks, and had settled down for a time at Boness, where part of my family are at present residing. I say settled down-in such settlement as belongs to my lot, especially since my return from the United States-In other words, I had come back from Glasgow, to wait in Boness, for an invitation to go somewhere else. The brethren in Newcastle wanted me, and I wanted to go thither, but an expected invitation to another field hindered me from visiting them. I was, and am under promise to revisit Glasgow. I sent to ascertain whether I was then wanted, and while waiting for an answer there came an urgent request for me to go to Birmingham. Willing to go any where, and not having then got an answer from Glasgow, with this Birmingham letter in my hand, I thought a little, and then decided to go south. That very night I had a note from Bro. Linn, inviting me on to Glasgow ; I had, however, concluded to go to Birmingham Ijustified myself in my decision thus-the weather was very uninviting for the kind of work before me in Glasgow, so I concluded to wait for better weather. For my going south, the inducements were prospects of good meetings, to see the brethren there once more, and to be on the platform with Bro. King. In due time I got to Birmingham, and was at work next day. The brethren had secured a large hall, and had well advertised

Observer, Apr. 1, "75.

their intended meetings. As a result, we stood up before a meeting numbering from 1,500 to 2,000 souls. The people seemed religiously disposed. Before the time of opening, they enjoyed themselves singing from Ira D. Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos, and truly it was pleasing to hear them. Bro. King discoursed on the day of Pentecost, and I followed with an assurance that "this Man receiveth sinners." I remained in Birmingham over four weeks, taking share in preaching in the chapels and in St. James's Hall. In all these places, and during the whole time I was there, we had good meetings-large meetings generally. I experienced much kindness from the brethren, especially from Bro. King's household. Knowing my inability to travel far, and the distance between the places of meeting being considerable, brethren kindly accommodated me with pony and "trap," and so we got "marching along." There are four Churches now in Birmingham. I visited three. They seem anxious to convert men to Christ, and their efforts are somewhat blessed, as you may see from "Church intelligence " in the E. 0. Before I left I was invited to a farewell meeting, at which we had no tea, but speaking, singing, and prayer. They commended me to the care of our loving God, and desired that I might be successful in doing good, wherever I should go. It was an unexpected meeting on my part, but nevertheless a pleasant one to look baek upon; and I trust by the help of our Lord and master, to be the means of causing them some little joy in the conversion of sinners to our God through the glorious Gospel. I have, since my return from America, laboured and prayed that my brethren in Britain might be waked up to a higher sense of the blessedness of our position as a people of God, and am happy to think that our labours have not been in vain. Much remains to be done, nevertheless, something has been done; and to God be all the praise.

C. ABERCROMBIE. LIVERPOOL.-After a long season of apparent unfruitfulness in our work, our hearts have been cheered by a substantial addition to our numbers within the last five weeks. We have received two formerly baptized, one brother from Edinburgh, and eight having confessed their faith in Jesus and submitted themselves to His appointment, have entered His kingdom, and become heirs of eternal life. Our earnest prayer is that these