But while we thought on these things there came a sound of solemn singing, and looking towards the road we saw the funeral procession. The coffin, borne by eight of the schoolboys in turn, was followed by thirty little children of the Nest, and many more schoolfellows with the teachers. As they walked along they sang sweet hymns, and when they wound up the little green lane and entered the church-yard, they were met by a missionary clergyman the children all loved very much. Then all assembled round the grave, and when the service had been read, and the little coffin put down, a few solemn, earnest words were spoken to the children, and they sang "Come to Jesus," and "Shall we ever meet again ?" and the little ones went home, solemnly singing as they went. We felt very thankful that the first death should be such a happy one; we feel quite sure that little Nanny Slattery is in heaven.

Earth and Heaven.

Every morning the red sun
Rises warm and bright;
But the evening cometh on,

And the dark, cold night.
There's a bright land far away,
Where 'tis everlasting day.

Every Spring the sweet young flowers

Open fresh and gay,
Till the chilly Autumn hours

Wither them away.

There's a land we have not seen,

Where the trees are always green.

Little birds sing songs of praise,
All the Summer long;
But in colder, shorter days,
They forget their song.

There's a place where angels sing
Ceaseless praises to their King.

Christ the Lord is ever near

Those who follow Him;
But we cannot see Him here,
For our eyes are dim.
There is a most happy place,
Where men always see His face.

Who shall go to that fair land?
Those who love the right;
Holy children there shall stand,
In their robes of white:

For that heaven so bright and blest
Is our everlasting rest.

-Selected.

CHAPTER V.

"AND ABRAHAM CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE JE HOVAH-JIREH "-Gen. xxii. 14.

FOR some time money had come in pretty well for "The Birds' Nest." but as the number of children increased it became difficult to get enough, and sometimes our faith began to fail, but we knew we were in the right path, and so we felt that God would sometime give us a blessing. However, it was necessary to work, and in the month of July we had a sale of work in the open air. Some pretty gardens were lent to us, and we got three tents erected, in two of which we displayed our wares, the other was for the band to make music. We thought it would be nice to have the children there, that friends might see them, so they came dressed in their blue frocks and white pinafores, the boys in blue pinafores and straw hats. When they entered the gardens the

soldiers stopped playing their music; and a clergyman who was there, took the smallest Birdie by the hand, and led the troop round the tent, singing as they went. All business ceased. It was so very touching to see the little helpless things; and one could not help feeling so very grateful that they had been rescued from misery to be trained up for glory. Afterwards, they went into a tent and sang hymn after hymn; and when we thought they must be tired, they said with one voice, "No, no; we could sing all night."

By that Bazaar we got about £70 for the Nest: it was a great help.

Towards the close of the year, as there was a great difficulty about beginning the new building, we thought we ought not to keep so many poor children waiting, as God was sending money; so we determined to leave the little cottage, and take a larger house; this was done, and by the end of the year there were sixty-four inmates. The new comers easily fell into the orderly ways of those who had been trained to good habits, and so there was little difficulty; and as time went on we were induced to increase the number to eighty

30

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