I was surrounded by eight or ten boys, of about nine years of age, who tuned their little musical organs to the words with all their might. The sight of their ragged garments and brilliant eyes, accompanied by the remembrance, that some of them are orphans, some fatherless, some motherless, and others not acknowledged by any earthly parent, was calculated to excite melancholy feelings. Some of them, however, I said to myself, since they are instructed at the benevolent Free School, may in some future day rise to usefulness, influence, and even affluence; for many have arisen from indigence to honour, and have become the ornaments of society. In such a frame of mind, it was more than vocal music which I heard, when they sung;

ness.

February 2nd.

My journal is of necessity the record of wretchedThe unfortunate Miss L**** is more frantic, and there is very little reason to expect that she will ever be restored to sanity. The poor black woman, who was mangled by her husband, still lives, but her head seems to be a mass of putrefaction. She exhibits an example of patience and forgiveness, which is worthy of imitation.

Another sufferer lies in the Hospital, bereft of reason, who, not long since, went to see a tiger, which is now exhibited in this city; and while offering the wild beast an apple, was caught by the arm, a little above the wrist, by the paw of the ferocious creature. The unguarded prey was drawn violently against the cage, and with the loss of flesh, nerves, muscles, tendons, and blood-vessels, from the arm, with difficulty made his escape. Of all public shows, those which exhibit the works of creation are the most proper; but it is dangerous even to stroke the mane of a tame lion: or, in proffering a favour, to extend the hand to a tiger.

It would be difficult to decide which was most cruel, the tiger or the drunken African.

NNNNNN

February 3rd.

IN the ward of the Almshouse in which I preached this morning, were ten bed-ridden females, who cannot continue long in life; for they are most of them in the latter stages of the consumption. A little lad, who on Thursday evening entreated me to give him a book of hymns, to-day renewed his application with great ardour. He was very respectful, but very importunate. I doubted his ability to read, but he soon convinced me of my mistake. Two books were all I had; and since several little boys were watching the success of their companion, I presented one to an aged man, and put the other in my pocket, for a widow, to whom I had partly promised one; while I assured the children that I would soon procure some smaller books for them. The little fellow was so dejected, that he could scarcely

SUCCESSFUL IMPORTUNITY.

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refrain from weeping. Down I came, by the shortest passage, from the upper story, to the outer door; and whom should I meet there, but this same child of importunity! He had descended by another stair-case into the cellar, and came up under the threshold over which I was to pass. There he stood, without a hat, in a storm of sleet; and pleaded that he was going away to the cotton-factory on the succeeding day; and that he should never get a book, if I did not give him one now. At first I did not know that he was to be bound an apprentice, and asked, "When will you be here again?”

"I'm going there to live: I'll not be seen here again, Sir, very soon, if they use me well at the factory."

The book was his; and mine the pleasure of his promise, that if ever I saw him again, I should see his hymn-book also. The lad is sprightly; and I am persuaded from the delicacy of his complexion, and the brilliancy of his eyes, that no vulgar blood runs in his veins. Who can say what will be the future history of this book? It will go to the factory with the lad, and there, possibly, besides being of service to the owner, will be read to other children, or will comfort some one infirm child of God, who, being an heir of glory, to learn. patience, and have an opportunity of imitating Christ in his humiliation, tends a cotton-machine, for a scanty subsistence.

In the afternoon, my audience at the Hospital was unusually full and attentive. Here my hearers are frequently changed. Some go in a few weeks, others come, and a few remain for the greater part of the year. By death and restoration, the inhabitants of one ward have been almost entirely changed in three weeks. A preacher here resembles a guide-post indeed; for he

54

THREE UNHAPPY SISTERS.

stands beside a public road, multitudes pass him; he points them to the path which leads to a better country, and they are soon out of sight. Some of the doctrines of the cross, however, which are taught in this place, may be carried in the minds of the seamen to distant lands. Some mariner may remember a discourse about the blessed Saviour in a storm; and some forlorn female, thoughtlessly returning to her former abode, may find arrows of truth fastened in the mind, of which she was insensible, and which may eventually give her no peace, until her polluted conscience is cleansed, and her wounded heart healed, by divine grace.

Several abandoned women listened to my discourse to-day; and among them was a beautiful girl of only fifteen years of age. It was astonishing to see so fair and young a person as M. D. in such a situation. She was brought to the Hospital by her father, who has two other daughters beside this, who have been patients in this Institution. The eldest sister led the way; the younger sisters followed. In early childhood they were all left motherless; and the father, as is commonly the case with labouring men, had no time to stand sentinel over the chastity of three fair daughters.

February 7th.

IN the course of the last week, several blind people have committed a long hymn to memory, and this evening they sung it: so that my blind hearers contrive to perform their part of public worship with great propriety.

The little sprightly beggar of a book was gone to the factory. Some of the aged men, who have been with

THE GOOD WELSH WOMAN.

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out God, appear to be awakened from their stupidity, and requested that our next meeting might be in their ward. It is a singular fact, that all my public preaching hitherto has been in the rooms of the female paupers, and that the chief nurses of those rooms are pious. They have contributed much to my comfort, by making their rooms clean for my reception. Some unusual exertion, which was much needed, has uniformly been made to purify the apartments where our assemblies have been convened. If no other purification should result from our coming together, this will be no trivial benefit to the poor.

February 10th.

AN aged man presented me the petition of a blind boy, who desired a hymn-book. The boy was born blind, but could sing, as I before had learned, many sacred songs. He can commit to memory any common chapter in the Bible, by hearing it read a few times. It was decided that he should have the book, which was intended for my own use.

When I entered the room, I spake to the aged woman, whose case I have stated in the 16th page of this journal. She expressed great gratitude to God for giving her this holy day, and said she hoped He would give me something good to give them. During the service, she was much affected; and after it, bathing my hand with her tears, she said, "O what a coot God I

have! He give me all things. How could my plessed Saviour stoop so low as me, as pick up me, poor sinner! He cover my nakedness, wash me, make me see, make me feel, and take me to be his! O my plessed Jasus !”