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ANNALS OF THE POOR. 301

“Why no, sir, I never thought of it,” she replied; “M— was always thought to be rich, and till lately he paid everybody; I never thought of losing it.” “Exactly so,” he said, “you put your trust in man; you forgot in this instance, Margaret, what in so many other things you had learnt and practised well—you forgot to hold this money entirely dependent on God's good pleasure. This is the reason why you are so sadly cast down. This in all our sorrows is the most bitter part, the opposition of our will to the Will of God.” Margaret confessed herself surprised; for notwithstanding her earnest desire to live a godly life, it seems that in this point she had, in a measure, deceived herself. She found it indeed difficult to resign this one earthly wish for which she had striven so hard, viz., to live and die independent. With many more instructions than I can repeat her kind pastor instructed her; she was humbled and softened, and at last she was prevailed on to say that if such were the Will of God she would be contented to receive relief from the parish and be buried as a pauper. The visit ended by the Vicar asking her to entrust him with such papers as she possessed relating to her money, that he might see if anything could be done for her. With a strong resolution to think as little upon the subject as she could, she gave them into his hand and returned home a humbler but far happier woman. From that time she returned to her usual occupations with cheerfulness; her orchard and garden were once more a source of pleasure and profit, her poultry were cared for as before, and many were the little kindnesses which the story of her loss procured for her from many who knew her. With increasing years and infirmities she became more anxious than ever to miss no service at the parish church that she could possibly reach. The one Sunday service was devoutly attended, while from the Feast, “sweetest, holiest, best of all,” the blessed Eucharist, hardly any severity of weather had been known to keep her away. Often, when she returned to her cottage on the bleak hill side, tired with her four miles' walk, dripping with rain or benumbed with cold, doubtful of fire, with no kind face to welcome her or to smooth the hardships of life, her first act had been one of meet thankfulness to that God Who had removed her heart with all its treasures to His Own sure keeping. The loss of her money was evidently blessed to her; there was nothing, I believe, that from that time seriously divided her affections with her hopes of Heaven. She was mercifully spared any severe poverty, and was very thankful to find that her little resources proved sufficient for her wants. About two years after the farmer who had borrowed her money had absconded, the Vicar found out his retreat though the kindness of a friend, an attorney living near that place. The distress of the poor widow was represented to him; her papers were found to be quite worthless in point of law, so that, a compromise of the whole debt for 4:10 being offered, it was gladly accepted. When poor Margaret brought us this sum to keep for her it was with a different feeling to any I had observed before. She seemed to doubt her own strength to think of it still as an uncertain thing; but she was deeply thankful, and chiefly from the thought that it might be a sign of God's forgiveness of her former too self-willed desire of independence. The latter part of her life flowed calmly on till she was attacked with a slight fever accompanied with fainting fits, which were, of course, to a person living quite alone very dangerous. We were anxious to supply her with a nurse, but this she would not hear of. We found the imagined presence of her departed husband was the only company she desired; and the fear of losing this soothing belief always made her object to any one sleeping in her cottage. We were obliged, therefore, to content ourselves with frequent visits to her. The last of these impressed itself strongly on my mind. A friend, a very old woman and devout churchwoman, had come to see her and was taking her leave at the door when I came up. Old Margaret's pale face looked more worn than ever from her illness, and her tall and once robust figure was bent by debility. The frequent return of the fits made us all think her life very uncertain. Her visitor, leaning on a crutch, said “The Lord be with you, Margaret !” and she answered, “And with you, too, Mary,” and so they parted. I also took my last leave of her that evening.

To our surprise and almost disappointment we found the next day that some relations had visited her and persuaded her to return with them to their home in a distant village. She did not long survive the change, but her death, we were told, was calm and full of hope. The remainder of the money which had taught her such a strong lesson of resignation, was paid for the expenses of her illness and funeral; and on the spot where she had held sweet communings with her departed husband, her mortal remains are now peacefully reposing.

CURRENT NOTES.

&\: S usual at this season of the year the meeting of the 'A' Church Congress is the most prominent feature in the month's record. It is rather monotonous to say ever" time that the Congress was successful, but we may possibly vary the phrase and say that the late meeting was important. It was full of subjects of great importance, and the treatment of several of them was also worth great consideration. The introductory sermons, those particularly of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Winchester, were notably weighty, the latter dealing principally with the signs of the times in relation to the growth of the predicted spirit of the Antichrist. The Bishop of Oxford's presidential address was remarkably good, striking the most important topics which the Congress would

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CURRENT NOTES. 303

have to discuss, and meriting special praise for the calm and resolute attitude taken up in regard to the so-called Sisters' Marriage Bill, showing himself fully alive to and utterly undaunted by the threat that the Bishops' opposition to the measure might result in their expulsion from the House of Lords: a foolish and cowardly threat, which the Bishop, speaking, we must assume, not only for himself, treated as it deserved. When the subject came before the Congress for discussion the honest Christian spirit of the meeting was never more unequivocally manifested; there was not the ghost of a voice raised in favour of vice, and though this may have given the discussion a one-sidedness, it was tolerable evidence that the other side felt that they had no honest footing in the Church. The meetings on Purity and for the Prevention of the Degradation of Women and Children, were, as is well known, confined to men, and the proceedings may be said not to have been made public. We do not challenge the necessity, but we feel that the loss to those who could not be present was one that must be profoundly regretted. We hope that at least they may be fully reported in the Official Report of the Congress, which comparatively few will care to see, and they those only whose interest is true. By general consent no more urgent matter came before the Congress, and we have a right to look for some energetic practical result of the discussion. One hint at all events is recorded, that we do not begin anything like early enough in the lives of children to watch over them in these matters. The truth is no age is too early. The subject of “Recent Advances in Natural Science in the Relation to the Christian Faith" resolved itself practically into a discussion of evolution as bearing on the doctrine of creation. The treatment was very able by both professional experts in science, like Professor Flower, President of the Zoological Society, Mr. Le Gros Clark, F.R.S., and Professor Pritchard, and intellectual theologians, as the Bishop of Carlisle and the Rev. Aubrey Moore of Keble College. The time can hardly be distant when intelligent men will be ashamed to pretend that Evolution, whether true or false scientifically, is antagonistic to the Christian faith. As a scientific theory it goes forward continually, not exclusively on the narrow Darwinian lines, as all sufficient in itself, but as a highly important factor in God's mode of creation. On Recent Advances in Biblical Criticism, two very weighty papers were read by the Rev. G. K. Cheyne and Professor Sanday (successor to Canon Liddon in the Ireland Chair of Exegesis) on the Old and New Testament respectively. In the former the author warned us that we must expect the prevalence of greatly modified views of the construction and arrangement of the Old Testament books, of their dates, and of their authorship, as the result of modern searching criticism (which, however, is far too miscroscopic, uncertain, conflicting, and in many respects, perhaps, frivolous, to be regarded as doing more than putting the Word of God and our faith in it, or rather in Him, to the proof). Professor Sanday recorded that at last someone had been found to challenge the authenticity of the hitherto unquestioned portions of the New Testament—the Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians; so that now according to someone or other no part of the New Testament can be depended on. Both writers agree that whatever criticism may do, it has not shaken and cannot shake the solid ground of the faith of Christians. If it has any truth to tell us in God's Name, in God's Name it is welcome. We know Whom we have believed: it is nothing alarming to us to find the same question addressed to the Word of God that was once addressed to God the Word, “How long dost thou make us to doubt; if thou be [the Word of God] tell us plainly.” The sub-section of Historical Discovery was most interestingly occupied by Col. Sir Charles Wilson, F.R.S., of the Palestine Exploration, the Rev. H. G. Tompkins, and Canon Rawlinson. The proceedings on this whole section were of the highest interest. The discussion of the means for securing the opinions of the Laity gave rise to some whimsical theories, but the solid sense of the meeting went, we think, with those who maintained that in whatever kinds of Parochial Councils or other Conferences given, the Laymen whose opinions are to be desired are the Communicants only. To give the most cursory glance at all the subjects that came before the Congress is impossible. Many we must pass by altogether. On Women's work, Sisterhoods, Deaconesses, &c., much was said that was good, not much that was new. On the Church, the Universities, the pessimist views of our prospects did not find support from the spokesmen of either Oxford or Cambridge; Canon King, however, strongly urged the importance of parents sending their sons to the University well grounded in the faith. Sunday teaching for the children of all classes gave rise to a highly interesting and practical discussion; suitable children's services and systematic thorough catechising being the principal recommendations. The Bishop of Bedford made a most significant remark that in east London “the commonest answer which they received when they asked men what had induced them to give up their belief, was that they had met with some difficulty in the Bible, and found that their Sunday-school teachers could not remove it.” The Bishop also suggested with a humour full of grave meaning, that a Sunday-school should be opened at Westminster for members of Parliament. Of course the Ecclesiastical Courts Commission Report was largely discussed, but we may be allowed to be a trifle tired of the subject, and will only say that, on the whole, the feeling of the Congress is favourable to the Report.

THE RING's solDIER. 305

The discussion of Sunday Observance was varied and instructive. Strict Sabbatarianism found apparently no advocates; the Opening of Museums and the like, a few, but a few only. All seemed to feel that the two leading characteristics of the day should be worship and rest. For “rest” one speaker would substitute “recreation”; but rest is better, and better answered to the original ideas of the day. It does not exclude all recreation, nor should it include all. “Elementary State Education” and “The Adaptation of the Services of the Church to Modern Need” elicited much thoughtful writing and speaking, but we cannot linger on these familiar though important topics. The “Working-men's” meeting was very largely attended, and some of the speeches good, especially Canon Hole's, which was admirably spirited and telling, and extremely amusing. And now, there is an old Scottish Legend which tells of a time and place when “the beast that was greatest was eating the beast that was least, and the beast that was least was doing as it might.” And we greatly fear that the Church Congress must represent on this occasion the larger of these two beasts. It has occupied all our space and more than we have a right to appropriate for these vagrant “Current Notes,” and the other animal must for once do as it may, i.e., simply be devoured. One word only may be spared for grateful recognition cf the convalescence of the good Bishop of Peterborough, who has at length been permitted to return thanks to God for his recovery, now, we hope, fairly in progress. Oct. 16. J. W. L.

THE KING'S SOLDIER.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN.*

£HRISTIAN was a little invalid. He was nearly always in | bed, or, if he was able to get up, he sat by the window in his grandmother's chair. His illness was a great sorrow to his poor mother, and her sick child cost her many tears. Ah! what would become of Christian when mother and grandmother should be laid to rest in the churchyard beside the child's father ? “The God of old lives still,” said the grandmother to console her daughter when she saw her weep; and the tired, wrinkled hands, made the knitting needles fly faster than before. The words had their effect; and afterwards, when a passing gleam of sunshine lighted up the boy's pinched and sickly face, it found its way also to the mother's heart. Yes, the God of old lived still ; he had actually sent a sunbeam to her sick child. One day, with a neighbour's help, she had wheeled poor Christian in his little carriage as far as the king's beautiful garden. The

* “Herzblattehens Zeitvertrieb,” published by Carl Flemming, Glogan.

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