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THE CHILDREN'S FIRST MISSIONARY MEETING. 85

“I did not think the report could be made so interesting," said Rose.

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"Well, try my plan. Next time you hear a report read, try and picture the places to yourself, and make pictures, too, of what you hear about. There is Brittany, for instance, with its women in highcrowned caps. Now there was a picture about some of these poor women that very much affected me. Three of them I saw going from farm-house to farm-house, and village to village, to teach, not in schools, but in families. The children of the houses they visit rejoice in their coming; and some older persons, too, learn to read and love the Scriptures. Altogether they have a hundred scholars. But this the priests do not like; they call the gentle Christian teachers bad, dangerous women, and try to hinder the people from selling them any food, If you let them teach you or your children,' say the priests, we will not absolve you from your sins-you for your corn-we will drive you from your farms.' So the hundred scholars become sixty; but still the poor women keep on. Then, they are brought before the magistrate for keeping unlawful schools; for, in France, nobody may keep school without permission of the government. Now, they had not kept schools, but only taught from house to house, yet the magistrates fine them four pounds apiece, and command them to leave off teaching. A kind lawyer in Paris hears of it and tries to get the unjust judgment altered. But no! And altogether these poor women had to pay ten pounds apiece.”

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"What a shame! I hope the Queen has told the Emperor and Empress about it!"

Mr. Ashton smiled sadly, and said, "Do not think that the Christians in England let the poor women The monAY Was immediatelyv

sent over. And now look at them once more in the dissolving view. Do you think they have left off teaching? No; there you see them, just as before, tramping cheerily in their high-heeled shoes along the country lanes, with God's own book in their hands, and joy in their hearts, that they are counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake."

"Do the magistrates let them teach again ?"

"Why, I suppose they know that it is not really against the law of France to teach from house to house, so will not meddle with them any more.

And

I must tell you that there were as many as sixty-six scholars a very few days after they had begun again. Several have left off attending mass or confessing their sins to the priest; and some have begun to say, "We should like to have a chapel.' So, perhaps, in the next 'dissolving view' you have from that part of Brittany, there may be a neat new place of worship in the middle of the picture. But I must go. report will all be printed in the May 'Missionary Herald' in a day or two. Read it when it comes out, and you will find it full of pictures as interesting and beautiful as these from Brittany."

A LITTLE ABOUT RUSSIA.

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EVERY little boy and girl has heard of Nicholas, the Emperor of Russia, how the people of England, France, and Turkey, made war with him, and how thousands of our own countrymen went from their homes to fight against his power. Not very long ago he died, nearly suddenly; here is a picture of the beautiful house he died in at St. Petersburg. It is called the Winter Palace, and is the most beautiful palace we know of. It was built by Peter the Great, who founded the city.

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St. Petersburg is a very large and beautiful place, studded with splendid buildings and palaces; Peter took so much pains to build it, that he even lived in a small house there on purpose to superintend the work. Moscow was the largest city in Russia before the building of St. Petersburg; there are a great many churches in Moscow. Do you know what kind of churches ? The religion of Russia is the Greek Church; there are some things good about it, but so much nonsense is mixed up that it is a sort of idolatry. They pretend to worship Jesus, and at Easter make a grand festival to celebrate the resurrection; but they fill their houses and their churches with pictures and images of saints, and worship them ; one picture is in every cottage, it is that of St. Nicholas, and before it always hangs a burning lamp. Here is an account of the way in which the children are treated when they are babies; they call it baptism, but we, who read the New Testament, know very well that it is not the baptism of Christians, and that God is angry when he is mocked with such service.

"Every Russian child wears a cross, tied by a black ribbon round its neck; it is first put on at its baptism, when it is a little baby. The priest first dips the baby three times in water, and then he takes a little oil, and with a little brush touches its eyes, and ears, and mouth, and hands, and feet, and afterwards he puts the cross round its neck. The Russian children think that this cross will keep them from harm."

The Bible is read by the priests in the church, but I fear the people know very little about true religion, for they do not study the Scriptures at home, and I do not think the priests care much

A LITTLE ABOUT RUSSIA.

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about their understanding them at church, for they read so fast that no one can follow them. We think a great deal of the heathen abroad who have never even heard of Jesus. There are very many nearer home who need our pity and sympathy as much; for though the Greek Church and the Roman Catholics ought to know the truth, their ministers do not practise it, or teach it to the people.

If you ever meet with any of them, you can, perhaps, talk to them about the religion of Jesus; at any rate you should try to understand and remember what is taught you, that you may never be led away from the simple truth yourself, but may rather be able to show to others the simplicity and beauty of the religion which Jesus taught.

The rich people in Russia are well off, but the poor people live in miserable huts, and are obliged to eat rye bread; they sleep in the same room that they live in, and make their beds over their ovens to keep them warm. We should pity them, for they are obliged to do whatever their Emperor wishes; they are his slaves. Many have been obliged to go to fight, and leave their families, when they would much rather have remained at home and never have been soldiers at all. In England no one is ever made a soldier unless he himself is willing. I hope that no boys who read this will choose that way of life, but will find something better to do. When Jesus reigns there will be no more war, because there will be no more sin. Men will "beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks," and understand that the way for all nations to be truly great and wise, is to TRUST and LOVE each other. EVA.

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