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some fame, in his Pictures from Italy, sketches "the noble bay of Genoa, with the deep blue Mediterranean strous old desolate houses and palaces dotted all aboutlofty hills, with their tops often hidden in the clouds, and with strong forts perched high upon their craggy sides. They who would know how beautiful the country immediately surrounding Genoa is, should climb to the top of Monte Faccio, or, at least, ride round the city walls, a feat more easily performed. There lies all Genoa, in beautiful confusion, with its many churches, monasteries, and convents, pointing up into the sunny sky. The fort within the walls commands that height upon the right. The broad sea lies in front there; and that line of coast, beginning by the lighthouse and tapering away, a mere speck in the rosy distance, is the beautiful coast road that leads to Nice."

We want to add to the interest of this interesting city interesting, not only on account of the natural beauty of its situation, but its former political glory and ascendancy among the nations-by planting there, in the form of a visible temple, the standard of the true Cross. Often has the rude hand of a ruthless foe carried fire into its palaces and streets, and laid the city in a heap of smouldering ruins! We trust such days are for ever gone. We would ask the friends of truth and holy peace to combine to carry thither another torch-the torch of the truth of the Gospel-that may burn up and utterly consume every vestige of a soul-destroying superstition, while it introduces the light of a blessed peace, and joy, and heavenly hope, into the hearts and homes of all its people. Already a congregation has been formed, and plans and contributions devised and begun for the erection of a church. But considerably more funds are wanted to carry out the design. "We have been in treaty," says a correspondent, in speaking of the difficulties on account of the necessary expense, "several times for pieces of ground, but have been obliged to give up the purchase for want of means; for, however economically we may build, a church cannot cost much less than £5000; and all we can do

now is to buy the site. We are still on the look-out for a suitable spot, and I trust we may soon succeed. In the meantime, we have hired a place for two years, more in the centre of the town than M. Geymonat's house, and which can contain 400 people; so that your idea is already realized; and we would have made any sacrifice rather than allow our service to be stopped. I hope that this information will suffice to enable you to obtain subscriptions for the church at Genoa. This work calls for the sympathy of all sincere Christians, who consecrate their lives to the advancement of the kingdom of God."

Will our young friends, then, help us now for the church at Genoa, as they did for that at Turin? We invite them prayerfully and earnestly to do so, and shall take care of any contributions that they may send us for that purpose.

THE SABBATH IN PARIS.

A HOPEFUL SYMPTOM.

A VERY numerous meeting was held lately of the shopkeepers in one of the districts of Paris, in support of a Sunday movement going on there. A very strong feeling in favour of the observance of the Sabbath was manifested; and a very large number of tradesmen pledged themselves to close their shops on the Sabbath. A considerable number who had previously given the promise have conscientiously respected it.

IRELAND UNDER THE POT.

ONE of the Dublin agents for the Irish Church Missions was lately spending a few days in the west of Ireland. One Sunday, as he was walking from Clifden to attend service at Derrygimla, he met a little girl very poorly clad, about thirteen years of age, and the following conversation took place:

Agent. This is a very wild country.

Child. It is, indeed, Sir.

A. And it seems to be a very poor country too.
C.-Yes, Sir; but I think it is improving.

A.-How so?

C.-The people are all reading the Word of God, and the love of Christ is in their hearts.

A.-Oh! I'm afraid you are a jumper, and that you want to make a convert of me!

C.-I am a jumper, Sir, and would like very much to teach you how your sins may be pardoned through the blood of Christ.

"It does not seem to have done you much good," said the agent, glancing at her dress; "you look very poor." "Ah!" said the child, "it has done my soul good."

"Why, what were you before you were a jumper ?" After a moment's thought, she answered: "We were like people under a pot, with our eyes shut, until Mr. Dallas brought us the Word of God."

"And was it Mr. Dallas that took you from under the pot?"

"Oh! no," she replied, quickly, "he was only God's instrument; it was God the Holy Ghost who took us from under the pot, and opened our eyes.”—Erin's Hope.

MISSIONS IN INDIA.

WE are sure that every friend to missions will read with much interest the following account, given by the Rev. N. L. Moody of his journeyings through the missionary field in South India, at the recent great annual meeting of the Church Missionary Society in London :

It is but very recently that I returned from a most interesting tour, which I had the privilege of making through the missionary station of the south of India. My course extended over a circuit of nearly 1500 miles, and I was engaged about five months in that occupation.

I will ask this meeting to follow me in my supervision, and to bear with me while I refer to certain topics that struck me while passing through that mission. We cannot but feel that there is a day of great things, God be thanked, in store for India. That day, I believe, has commenced. Wherever we look-and I am speaking now of South India, with which I am more intimately acquainted,wherever we look, we see indications of the breaking up of the vast masses of native society-we see evidences that a lever is at work under the native mind, which is secretly

and imperceptibly lifting it up, and hurrying it forward from one inquiry to another, until it knows not into what it is plunging next. One evidence of that movement is, that the position of the missionary church in South India is beginning to be thoroughly understood by the natives. In past years it was not so. The natives used formerly to look upon our missionaries sometimes as political agents, sometimes as men who had come out to India to make money, and sometimes as men having some design or object which they could not fathom or understand. But those days have passed away for ever; and the natives of India now begin to feel that the aim and object of the missionaries is to subvert the whole of that gigantic system of idolatry and superstition by which that vast country has been for ages begirt.

Diminution of the Influence of the Brahmins.

Another symptom of this great change which is going on in native society in India is, that the power and influence of the Brahmins is rapidly dying away. I was especially struck with this fact by what I saw in Travancore and Cochin, for there we know the domination of the Brahminical priesthood is more powerful than in any other part of southern India, and yet there the native population are not only beginning to think, but to speak against that domination.

I remember a circumstance which will illustrate the feeling of the natives as to the Brahmins. A young man, a Christian, was asked by a Brahmin, who was an influential landowner, to repair an idol temple,-the palmyra leaves which they use for covering the roofs had become displaced, and this young man was required to replace them. He refused, saying: "It is against my conscience to contribute any longer, or to support by work, or in any other way to uphold the system of idolatry from which I have, thank God, been separated." But," said the Brahmin, "are you not aware that it is a meritorious act to repair a temple for the great God ?" "If that be the case," replied the young man, "then I will transfer the work over to you, and you shall have all the merit."

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Growth of Unity.

Let me add one more circumstance, which I think is hopeful for the missionary church of South India, and that is, the growing union amongst all the Protestant Churches of Christendom which are engaged there in promoting the blessed work. Wherever that unity spreads, I believe God

gives it His blessing. It is as the dew of Hermon; it descends upon the mountains of Zion, and commandeth a blessing, even life for evermore. I do not mean to say that all is done towards accomplishing that unity; but what I do say is, that men have, at length, begun to act as right-minded men had long begun to feel.

I believe that the various Protestant Missionary Societies in South India are working harmoniously together; each taking its own separate field of missionary labour, and communicating their plans; and sometimes-though I am sorry to say but rarely-offering up together their united prayers for God's blessing on the world. The spread of this unity is teeming with a radiant and a glorious hope for the missionary church of South India, and God gives His blessing to it.

Missionary Labours in Travancore.

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Let me ask you to accompany me to one or two spots in Travancore, that beautiful, but unhappy country where the tread of the wild beast and the coil of the serpent have so long remained undisturbed. There is a deeply interesting spot among the mountains, mentioned in the report-Mundakyam. Some hill tribes, called the Araans, are connected with this place. I know not why they are so called. In the Travancore country it is said they are the hill kings; but in the Malabar country, it is said they are descended from the loins of a great chief, and are of the highest caste. A few years ago my friend, Mr. Baker, was applied to by some of them, who went down to him for the purpose, for aid and assistance in preaching to them the Gospel of Jesus, of which they had heard something, but of which they were ignorant. He was not satisfied with their motives and bade them wait, feeling sure, that if the current of their heart was really set towards Christianity, time would increase its flow, rather than lessen it. At last he visited Mundakyam, which is the first settlement near which some Araan villages are situated. The village, which is called Combukuthi, stands on the verge of a precipice, down the face of which forests of brushwood and creepers cling and climb. When he went there 300 or 400 of those unhappy and benighted people met him. It was night, and they made up a glowing fire of logs as a protection against the beasts of prey, and that they might have light enough to see the missionary, and that he might see them. When he began to speak to them of the love of God in Christin His sending His own dear Son to die for their sins that