"Oft at the silent, shadowy close of day,
When the hushed grove has sung its parting lay,
When pensive twilight, in her dusky car,
Comes slowly on to meet the evening star.
Above, below, aërial murmurs swell

From hanging wood, brown heath, and bushy dell!
A thousand nameless rills, that shun the light.
Stealing soft music on the ear of night.
So oft the finer movements of the soul,
That shun the sphere of pleasure's gay control,
In the still shades of calm seclusion rise,
And breathe their sweet şeraphic harmonies!"

Pleasures of Memory.

It is the hour, when among the mountains or in the villages, the soul seems sometimes to see far out beyond the verge of time, seems to feel the horizon of existence expanding, seems to be upon the seaside, and is impelled, as in the beautiful image of Young, to—

"Walk thoughtful on the silent, solemn shore

Of that vast ocean, she must sail so soon!"

On the nights of Saturday and the sabbath, it was a lovely sight to watch the rising moon upon the tops of the snow shining mountains, at such an immense height above us. We could not see the moon, but could only see her pale light travelling slowly down, as a white soft veil, along the distant peaks and ridges, till at a late hour the silver radiance poured more rapidly over the forests, and filled the valley.

The Pilgrim in the Shadow of the Jungfrau.

A CORDIAL FOR THE AFFLICTED.

PLEASANT it is to add to the joy of the joyous, to cast an additional sunbeam in the path of those who rejoice, but doubly pleasant to give comfort to the afflicted heart, and to say to the sons and daughters of sorrow, “ Mourn no more!"

Among the many inventions of modern times that have greatly increased the comforts of mankind; among all the discoveries of science and efforts of benevolence to add to human happiness, a something was wanted, which is in a measure, now supplied. This additional blessing, the gift of the Father of mercies, will cause many a feeble knee to bend in thankfulness, and many a desponding heart to offer up a song of praise. There is a class, or description, of persons in society, more than others shut out from joy and comfort.

This class includes all those who are labouring under diseases without hope of relief, unless they submit to painful surgical operations. The sunny seasons that bring us green leaves and flowers, and fruit, give them but little pleasure. Worldly prosperity, which confers such happiness on others, is not able to light up their faces with delight. Suffering is their present lot, and the future hour and the future year are clouded with fearful apprehensions. They are, as it were, clothed in sackcloth; anticipating evil, they go mourning all their days, weary with their groaning. All the night make they their bed to swim; they water their couch with their

tears.

What a comfort, what a pleasure it is, then, to tell suchand what a boon, what a blessing to them to know it—that a method has been discovered by which the most fearful surgical operations may be performed without pain. This is not a doubtful assertion, but a matter of fact. Already in the London, and other hospitals, have many operations taken place, giving no pain, which, under other circumstances, would have been attended with the acutest agony.

The discovery is this, that persons inhaling sulphuric ether for a few minutes, under proper direction, become insensible to pain, and may, then, be operated upon with the lancet or knife of the surgeon, without feeling any disagreeable sensation. The ether is inhaled from a small metal tube, containing ether, with hot water below it; the tube has an indian-rubber mouth-piece, to suit different mouths.

What a load will be removed from the oppressed spirit, and what a relief, what a comfort, what a delight, will be communicated to him, who, heavily afflicted, is looking forwards with fearful apprehensions, to know, that should his case come to the worst, he may be relieved without the torture, which, in prospect, has so long overwhelmed him!

In

This important discovery can hardly be too highly estimated; like an angel of mercy it will fly through the world imparting comfort to the habitations of the afflicted. hundreds of instances, sorrow, with its scalding tears, will be soothed; fear, with its scaring apprehensions of evil, be rendered calm; and pain, with its agonizing throes, will no longer writhe in torture. True it is, that in the world we shall still have tribulation, and there is no real cure for the ills of this life, but the sure and certain hope of a better, yet still, it is no small blessing in trying and critical seasons of distress, to have temporal ease, instead of temporal agony.

Let us regard this new discovery, then, as the merciful gift of the Father of mercies, for he has the hearts and intellects of all men in his hands, and without him they can do nothing. Praise him ye who are in health that ye are free from anguish. Praise him ye afflicted, that he has mitigated your distress, by a remedy which, it is hoped, may be found, on further trial, to be effectual and safe.

MISSIONARY FACTS AND ANECDOTES.

HOME MISSIONS.

G.

THE Town Missionary and Scripture Readers Society, in their new publication, entitled the " Monthly Record," commenced January, 1847, state that in 1844 the Society employed only three agents as town missionaries, and it has now in the field fifty-two. The extracts given from the Reports of the missionaries detail facts of great interest. Such is the following, from the journal of a missionary on the Chester and Holyhead Railway.

"I entered into conversation with F. H—, when going to his labour, ten months ago, and as I was reading myself, I said, Well friend, can you read? He said he had never read much; however, he could read 'Robinson Crusoe.' I asked him if he thought he could read my book? (the New Testament). He said, he supposed he could make out some of it. I then read the very interesting parable, The Prodigal Son,' and made a few remarks afterwards. At length, he bought the New Testament, and went on his way.

"Some time afterward he called on me, and requested me to tell him how crucifying was done. I explained to him the method; and told him it was a mode of punishment practised among the Romans, and read to him the note on John xix. 6, in Bagster's Bible. Then he asked me how the apostle Paul could glory in it? At once I told him, that the crucifixion of Christ formed the foundation of our hope for eternal life. I also told him the sense in which the apostle could glory in it. I explained to him as much as time would allow. Subsequently he visited me, I believe, as often as he could; and I have reason to believe that he felt himself to be a sinner before God. The portions of Scripture that pleased him most were those which exhibited the willingness of Christ to

save.

"This young man afterwards went to Leeds; from which place he sent me the following letter:-

"Dear Sir,-This is to tell you where I am, as you said you would like to know. I am at my mother's house in Leeds. I am quite well, and mean to stop here a week or When I leave home, I will write again. Thank you, sir, for the Testament; I sold it to my brother; but I have bought a larger one.

So.

It

"I never read the Testament until you sold me one. was full of new things. I never knew that I was such a sinner, till you read to me Rom. iii., and I never thought much of Christ till you told me about him.

"What a blessed text that is in the 3rd of John, 16th verse. I never prayed in all my life before I saw you; I did not know what was meant by believing. Well now I hope I do pray, and I think I do believe; I can say, with all my heart, I wish to believe in Christ. Yet I am afraid I do not love him. I cannot help thinking about the cross. "I am your humble servant,

666

" And will pray for you while I live,

"F. H-.'

FOREIGN MISSIONS.

THE YOUNG NANTIKOK.

From Journals of Moravian Missionaries of last Century.

In the year 1765, a number of Indians visited our settlement at Friedenshutten in North America, entreating that they might hear the message from God.

There was one young man, of the Nantikok tribe, especially earnest. "I have to-day," he said, "felt something extraordinary in my heart; I have a great longing to become holy; but I am a servant of Satan, and I feel as if he held me bound, and would not let me go; but yet I want to get free and become a possession of the Lord's." Another day, he broke out in a flood of tears, with these words: "Brethren, have pity on me! I am the most miserable man that can be in the whole world; since yesterday morning, I have felt nothing but anguish and sorrow; all the afternoon I lay as a dead man; there is no more strength in me; take pity on me, and wash me with the Saviour's blood from sins that my

heart may

be at rest."

my

The brethren had refused to receive any of this tribe into their community while they continued the barbarous practice of digging up the bodies of their friends, separating the bones

from the flesh, and taking away the bones with them. But this poor fellow was so earnest to be received that they could not find it in their hearts to let him ask in vain. He was baptized, to his inexpressible comfort, by brother David Zeisberger, and named Samnet.

In the island of Thomas, a few years previously, a poor woman brought her son, fourteen years of age, to the missionary, who asked the boy what he wished; he answered, “I need the Saviour." "Who has told you so?" asked the teacher. My own heart," he answered.

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VISIT OF A GANG OF MURDERERS TO THE GREENLAND MISSIONARIES.

In the month of May, 1744, a band of notorious murderers, who had previously threatened the missionaries, came to their settlement of New Herrnhut, and entered the room where Mathias Stach sat alone; all the other men being engaged at their daily labour. He gives the following relation :

:

"Their menaces were well known to me; but I had no fear, and quietly continued my work of translation. My room was so small that they could not stir. After they had sat awhile, their captain said, 'We are come to hear something good.' I said, I am glad to hear it, and began to sing some hymns; among others, the following:

“Listen, all men! the Divinity who came down to us, and receives all who come to Him, lived thirty years here, poor and despised; He was slain, and ransomed us and all men. Then I prayed that the Lord would open their hearts that they might receive whatever He should give me at that time to say to them.

Hereupon I read them a passage from my translation from the Acts of the Apostles, chap. 17, and then said, Now I will not say much to you about the Creator of all things, for that there is one you know; to which they all said 'Yes ;' and that you are all bad people you know; again they said 'Yes;' so I will speak to you as concisely as I can about what is most important, namely, that you and we have a Saviour, who is the same who made all things in the beginning. This Saviour and his work of reconciliation I described to them, and added, He will appear yet once again in the clouds of heaven; then all the dead will be raised and