INDIA.
CALCUTTA.

Induction of the Rev. Lal Behari De,

AS PASTOR OF THE FREE CHURCH MISSION CONGREGATION, CORNWALLIS SQUARE, CALCUTTA.

UPWARDS of twelve years ago, the native converts of the Free Church Mission, Calcutta, were formed into a church, under the late Dr. Ewart; the intention, from the first, having been to appoint an ordained native pastor as soon as circumstances permitted.

At an expense of twenty-one thousand rupees,-given to Dr. Duff for the purpose when last at home by a noble lady,-a neat church or chapel, with a suitable house for the pastor adjoining, has been erected in Cornwallis Square, within the mission premises. It is now nearly two years since these have been finished. In the chapel, public worship has been celebrated regularly every Sabbath-day-in the forenoon in English, in the evening in Bengali,

Before a native pastor could be settled by the Free Church Presbytery, it was deemed desirable to require that the members of the church should show that they were both able and willing to contribute, from the very outset, at least one half of the pastor's salary. This they have been enabled to do to the satisfaction of the Presbytery. Accordingly, a unanimous call, agreeably to the forms of the Free Church, having been given to the Rev. Lal Behari De, already an ordained native missionary, Sabbath evening, 17th March, was appointed for his induction or formal introduction as pastor of the flock.

By appointment of the Presbytery, the whole of the services were conducted by Dr. Duff, who, after sermon, put the usual questions to the chosen pastor, and then introduced him with the usual formality. Thereafter, a solemn charge was delivered, first to the newly inducted pastor, and, secondly, to the members of his flock.Calcutta Observer.

MADRAS.

Preaching Tours in the villages.-Mahabulipurum. HEPE the remains of Hindu Sculpture are to be seen.

The designs of unfinished temples, cars and idols are all grand and bespeak Hindu skill and folly-skill in the workmanship, folly in the dedication of one of the fine. arts to the service of blind superstition. In this place we had a noble opportunity of turning the attention of the people to heaven and earth as God's handiwork. He that made such a beautiful heaven with sun, moon and stars that revolve by day and night, cannot with reason be compared to images made of stocks and stones. The Father of lights cannot be likened to beings whose deeds resemble the darkness of hell. Our fathers and we preferred the service of dumb idols to that of the living God. And yet how gracious is this God. Instead of punishing us according to our deserts, he most mercifully sent his beloved Son Jesus Christ to bear our sins. The Brahmins and stone tuasons who heard our preaching did not seem to be pleased with our message. We gave to them several tracts, &c., and entreated them to read prayerfully, promising spiritual good.-V. T. Paramasiven, in Madras Native Herald.

AFRICA.

BURNSHILL.

Need of Female Education.

THERE is much room for exertion, with the view of improving the domestic and social condition of the females in heathen countries; and the associations that are formed at home for this great object have every reason to go forward.-Rev. Mr. Laing.

Collections Falling Off.

Our collections at this station are falling off this year. This arises from the low price of grain, such as maize and millet, on which the natives chiefly depend for money. I might have stated that the native grain is four times cheaper than in former years. Some of the natives, when thay have not money to give for the furtherance of the gospel, give sheep or goats, and for these there is a ready sale.-Rev. Mr. Laing.

"HOLD ON, MOTHER."

SUCH was the message of a sailor to his widowed mother. She had several children, for whom "she prayed day and night exceedingly." Manifestly in answer to her prayers, one after another was awakened by the Spirit of God, convinced of sin, and brought into a state of reconciliation through Christ. One of her sons followed the seas for eleven years. Much had she prayed for her "poor sailor boy," and many a letter had she written him, rich with motherly counsel and anxiety. At length a letter came from him, in which he said at the close, "Hold on, mother; your prayers will yet be answered for us all."

A FORTUNE-TELLING BOOK.

"I WISH I had a fortune-telling book," said one of three boys, as they walked down to the river to go swimming; "I want to know what my luck is to be. I've tried to buy one, but there's none to sell."

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I've got one," said the barber's son.

"Got one!" cried Bill Staples eagerly; "why didn't you tell of it before? Where is it?

"Down at the shop," answered the barber's son.

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And it does tell what's coming to pass, does it?" asked the third boy.

"Yes, it does."

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But how do you know?" asked the third boy; "you haven't lived long enough to know if it's told your fortune right.'

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Why, you see it's a very old book,' said the barber's son. "My grandfather had it, and it told his fortune; then my father had it, and it told his : and it all came to pass.

"It beats all," cried Bill Staples; "what a prize! Why don't you go round telling fortunes? You'd make lots of money..

"I am afraid nobody would believe me," said the barber's son humbly.

"Well, show it to us," said they. "Come down to the shop to-night," he said; come just after we shut up; that's the best time to read it." "Sell it to me," cried Bill Staples; "how will you trade now?"

"Can't part with mine," answered the barber's son; "but I reckon you can get one where mine came from." "I'll have one as certain as my name is Bill Staples; but we'll come and try our luck with you."

"Agreed," said they all.

The two boys were before time, and hung round the shop until every customer had gone and the shutters were put up; then in they went. The barber's son asked them to be seated, and drew a little table out, and placed a lamp on it. Then he went to the back part of the shop, and opening a little trunk (for as you may well think, such a book was kept very carefully), took it out, and

laid it on the table, the boys narrowly eyeing him all the time. "There," he said in a very sober tone when he laid the book on the table, "there, boys, is my fortune-telling book. What it says is sure." The two apprentices scrambled to the table.

"The Bible!" they exclaimed, at once shrinking back. "Yes," said the barber's son, "that is my father's Bible, and it says there are but just two ways for you and for me to try our chances in this world. One is called the 'broad way,' and the other the strait and narrow way.' Such a fortune-telling book they were not thinking of; but it is the only kind that does not deceive us.

DON'T TATTLE.

Even

DON'T talk about each other. Don't call one of your school-fellows "ugly," another "stingy," another "cross, behind their backs. It is the meanest sort of sin. if they are ugly, stingy, or cross, it does you no good to repeat it. It makes you love to tell of faults; it makes you uncharitable; your heart loses its kindly blood when you tattle about your friends. Tell all the good you know about them; and carry the sins to your own heart, to be sorry for them, and to tell them to God, and ask him to pardon them. That will be Christ-like. If anybody says to you, "Oh, that Mary did such a naughty thing," call to mind some good that Mary did, and hold it up to her praise. Learn to make this a habit.

"YOU MUST BE LIKE HIM."

TAKE care that you never make all that Christ has done for you a pretence for doing nothing yourself. You must be like him if you would please him.

WHICH SIDE DO YOU SEEK?

It is one thing to wish the truth to be on our side, and another to wish to be on the side of truth. Our love of the truth may thus be tested.