PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER, March 11, 1915.

Worship in War-time. National Free Church Council. By Rev. J. C. Mantripp. Annual Meetings in Manchester.

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PrimitiveMethodist Leader

No. 2441. Old Series. No. 609. New Series. LONDON : THURSDAY, MARCH 11 , 1915. ONE PENNY

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LONDON PRIMITIVE METHODIST COUNCIL.

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A Great Rally WILL BE HFLD AT

HOLBORN HALL ox FRIDAY, MARCH 12th, 1915,

at 7.15 p.m. Chairman :

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Speakers:

Rev. J. H. SHAKESPEARE, M.A. (Baptist). •

Rev. GEORGE STANDING (Army Chaplain).

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WORSHIP IN WAR-TIME.

By Joseph C. Mantripp.

There seethes about us in these days the raga an,1 fury of battle. Tumult and shouting, destruction and death greet us every day. We cannot evade the con-tagion of events that war is placarding before the eyes of the nations. We may be remote from the shock of contending armies and navies, yet these are terribly real to us.

" Go, lay to earth a listening ear ; The tramp of measured marches hear—The rolling of the cannon's wheel, The shotted muskets' murderous peal, The night alarms, the sentry's call . ."

The martial spirit is the music to which life marches to-day. And patriotism would fain persuade us that we would not have things other than they are. Still we are not persuaded. It would be easy for us to be altogether patriotic in the narrowest and most intense meaning of the term if we had not learned to be Christian. As it is, the surge of warlike passion can-not capture us utterly for unconcern towards those whom the malignity of the moment has made our enemies. When the surge of the soul is Godward in public worship, these cannot be refused a place in our devotions. We are made conscious that devotion has become difficult. The Hebrew Psalmist tells us that he was perplexed while he battled with his diffi-culties outside the Sanctuary. When he " went into the Sanctuary of God " they vanished. Our position to-day is dilterent. Our difficulties are accentuated when we come to God's house for worship. That is, if we let thought have its part in worship. It is not strange that this should be. These are testing times, and in such times Christian problems must be brought from the regions of theory to where the fierce light of reality plays upon them.

Those who are aware of the trend of Christianity in recent times have discovered that worship has been interpenetrated with a larger humanitarianism. The opening-up cf the world by modern discovery and ex-ploration, and even by modern exploitation, has revealed a more complex human problem. It has also evoked a larger human concern. This has been re-flected in the worship and work of Christian people. Mrs. Barclay may deprecate supplication that over-leaps individual needs and seeks to gather up the world in the surge of God's redemption, but the Christian spirit caught up in the freedom of worship will always be attracted towards this direction. For God loves the world of humanity, and it is His joy to lure those who learn His mind into the trackless regions of that wonderful love. It has not been easy to gain this liberty. To believe that brotherhood is a larger thing than patriotism is difficult—how difficult we are learn-ing now. For our past adventures and discoveries in the region of Christian brotherhood make our pnoblem difficult now. The passion of patriotism would provoke us to deny the enlargement of vision and worship we have won; would make worship merely the expression of present emotion, and deny the larger meaning which remains when matters of present moment cease to be important. What are we to do ? Are we to refuse the vision that so far has led us ; to lose the gains of other toilsome, joyous days ? Or is worship, in order to remain Christian, to become a challenge to patriotism ?

1.6 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. MARCH 11, 1915

We are perplexed by many discordant voices. Some tell us that all war is un-Christian; wrong, even when aeces,sary. Others assure us that war is God's oppor-tunity to declare His mind to a nation, inciting to nobler manhood and inspiring acts of sacrifice that submerge all mean and so/did vices. There are those who tell us that this war is winning our own nation for worship and for the will of God. The signs are not conspicuous. Indeed, no permanent remedy for religious indifference was ever won in the hour of fear and panic. But these divergent utterances meet us to-day in our worship. We are assured that the bene-diction of God cannot be sought for that which is contrary to the Christian spirit, and then we are assured again that this war is altogether righteous, and that we can pray without scruple for yictory. We can ask God to scatter our enemies, to abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices.

Our danger in face of such perplexity is that worship should cease; that we should be driven about by divers opinions until perplexity issues in distraction. There is no easy solution for our perplexity. The knight of chivalry could don his armour and grasp his weapons after keeping vigil in -God's house unperplexed by doubt in his fighting. The opportunity of giving good blows was evidence of God's grace. Cromwell was sure that God was on his side, and that his army was God's instrument to break sinners. The covenanting army in Scott's " Old Mortality "' could encompass the battle with worship in which the rapture was such that " the wounded forgot their pain, the faint and hungry their privations, as they listened to doctrines which elevated them alike above the wants and calami-ties of the world, and identified their cause with that of the Deity." This attitude is impossible for us. We have seen a larger vision, and we cannot be false to it. Our worship refuses to be fettered by mere patriotism; it keeps its reality only by concern for the Kingdom of God. We may be persuaded that our country is worth fighting for, that its ideals are pushing towards righteousness, and we must pray personally for what we are convinced is right. Yet we cannot forget that our country does not monopolise righteousness, and that other peoples are precious in the sight of God.

Worship is the whole attitude of mind and soul towards God ; the unity of thought and aspiration that finds its highest expression in fellowship with God's people in His house. When we gather there, although the activities, the perplexities, the enormities of to-day surge about us, we must endeavour to realise that other surge of the redemptive purpose of God that would gather up all the peoples—Germans, Austrians, French, Belgians, and even the Turks, which is more real, because abiding. We must be Christian, even if this involves the charge of being less patriotic. In the sanctuary God must be worshipped, not the idols set up by men. For we cannot claim ignorance as an excuse for any idolatry to-day. War is not a good thing, something to be sought for itself. Jesus was courteous to soldiers; He led no crusade against the Roman world in arms. Yet His reign means the end of the soldier's trade and the end of war.

" I read the lesson of the past That firm endurance wins at last

More than the sword. 0 clear-eyed Faith, and Patience, thou

So calm and strong ! Lend strength to weakness, teach us how The sleepless eyes of God look through

This night of wrong ! " In our worship there must mingle faith, hope, love.

Our trials are great, and our temptations are many, but if we worship all will be well. " 0 the little birds sang east, and the little birds

sang wesb, And I said in underbreath, ' All our life is mixed

with death,' And who knoweth which is best ? '

O the little birds sang east, and the little birds sang west,

And I smiled to think God's greatness flowed around our incompleteness—

Round our restlessness, His rest."

TnE PRrDENTIAL ASSURANCE COMPANY have Once again issued their annual statement of the year. In spite of the war the business shows a great increase. The claims paid for the year just exceeded four millions. Nearly sixty-six thousand policies were issued during the year, which brought a, new revenue to the company of over £424,000. The income to the company from premiums amounted to more than eight millions.

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MR. J. FERGUSON, OF MARPLE.

A Jubilee Celebration.

Fifty years ago Mr. John Ferguson, of Marple, began to preach. He is still faithful to his first call. He has seen much service and yet hopes to do more. His devotion, his integrity, his zeal are unquestioned. He is generous to his Church, he maintains a sympathetic interest in all that concerns Primitive Methodism, and he has also the broader outlook upon the work of the Kingdom of God. TheYey-note of his life is spiritual, and his chief interest has always been centred in evangelistic work. It is in Home Mission work that his service has chiefly been rendered. He was born February 8th, 1845, at Wingate Grange, Durham. He was converted at fourteen years of age while the family lived at Newbottle. At the age of nineteen he left for Edinburgh, where he joined our church which worshipped at Phosnix Hall, Melbourne-place. He became a local preacher there at the age of twenty. Four years later he was recommended to the Missionary Committee by Rev. J. C. Antliffe, then at Edinburgh, and was sent as missioner to Penrith. After-wards he entered the Theological Institute at Sunderland, but retired at the end of six months and again became a missioner at Spennymoor. During that term a great revival took place, and as many as sixty conversions were witnessed at Tudor Colliery. Later on, through the recommendation of the late Rev. John Watson, he was sent by the General Missionary Committee to Maidstone, where he laboured two years. He was then appointed as missioner to the Manchester Fourth Circuit for nine months. He joined the Wellington-street Society in that circuit, and though he afterwards laboured in other spheres he and his wife retained their connection with Wellington-street until their removal to Marple just over three years ago. He has been a missioner under the Manchester City Mission for ten years, eight and a-half of which he was engaged on behalf of the same mission at Winsford, Cheshire. During the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, he was engaged for 4,1 years in mission work among the navvies. Later he returned to Manchester and became a part time missioner and dis-trict visitor for ten years at Star Hall Mission, Openshaw.

Mr. Ferguson still carries on his visitation work at Marple. He goes anywhere among the poorest people. He has distributed large numbers of tracts at his own ex-pense, and in cases of poverty and sickness other good things besides, which Mrs. Ferguson has generously prepared. It is in this kind of work that Mr. Ferguson excels and he does it as a joy. He is very faithful to his preaching appointments in the circuit, and his services are always with profit to the churches. Mr. Ferguson has three sons and one daughter, all connected with our Church. The eldest son is at Reading, the second is in the ministry and now at Newcastle-on-Tyne Second Circuit, and the third son is in Manchester.

On February 10th Mr. Ferguson celebrated his fifty years' service and hjp seventieth birthday at the same time, by giving an " At Home " at Marple. Two hundred people responded to the invitation. Mr. Isaac Lill, an old friend of Wellington-street, Manchester, presided. Mr. J. Hibbs, circuit steward of the same circuit, and formerly of Marple, also expressed his appreciation of Mr. Ferguson. Mr. John Hambleton voiced the con-geatulations of the Compstall friends. Opportunity was taken to present Mr. Ferguson with a gold-mounted umbrella ; the presentation was made by Mr. A. Fletcher, Marple, Circuit Steward ; and Rev. H. Haynes made the presentation of a lady's handbag to Mrs. Ferguson. The gathering was very successful. Mr. Ferguson gave an appropriate address, and appealed for personal consecra-tion to Christ. It was his desire, he said, not so much to have a birthday party as to gather the friends together and stimulate interest in the work of God. Also, at Mr. Ferguson's request, a collection was taken for the Circuit Fund, and resulted in over £5. At the conclusion of a happy evening, our host requested family prayer. The minister read the Scripture, and Mr. Ferguson offered prayer, after which all joined heartily in singing the Doxology.

NEWS FROM THE DISTRICTS.

West Midland District. The district committees met on Monday at Bristol Hall,

Rev. J. B. Bissell presiding. The attendance of members was not large. Rev. D. C. Cooper presented the business of the Missionary Committee. Rev. J. Humphries was elected vice-delegate to the district meeting ; the Execu-tive were empowered to consider the loans to circuits, and it was reported that All End Trust, West Bromwich First Circuit, had completed their repayment. Rev. E. Hancox, in the Building Committee, reported favourably as Collington new trust, West Bromyard Atation, and the hope was expressed that soon a new church might be erected. Applications from Watling Street (Lichfield), Mount Pleasant and Pensnett (Brier*, Hill), Willenhall and Long Lane (Blackheath and Langley) were received and approved. In the District Committee Rev. W. C. Ball read a characteristic reply from Rev. I. Dorricott (now in South Africa) to the fraternal greeting sent to him. The report of the Executive on the Mileage Fund was deferred to the April meeting. The transfer of Collycroft and Bedworth (Coventry Second) to Nuneaton Branch was approved, as suggested by the General Com- mittee. Sympathy was expressed with Revs. J. H. Howlett, J. Mainwaring, J. H. Hirst and Mr. D. Sheen, and Mr. W. Ashman was heartily congratulated on his first appearance at committee after a long and critical illness. The reports of approved list and probationary ministers were received, Birmingham Fifth paying a spec al tribute to the work of Rev. John Andeaton. Mr. H. Bolton's application for deed poll membership was endorsed.,

A BOOK-LOVER'S LEAVETAKINGS.

I.—" The Sons of Strength," by J. R. P. Sclater.

. . . Page 63, and so soon to an end !—to that moment of leavetaking between reader and book which is, in the best instances, so exhilarating an experience. It, is almost like the warm, eloquent pressure of a friend's hand after a time of rare intercourse, expressive of under-standing and gratitude and the blessedness of comrade-ship all in one. The impression, in its peculiarly inti-mate and vital quality, is not permanent, though it may include a very definite assimilation. But there is an atmosphere about this immediate experience which can rarely be re-captured after a lapse of time, a spell as of personality. A calm and impersonal judgment might be given later upon the intellectual substance of the book, but at the present its impression is more subtle, one's mood and current experience of life are involved ; one is conscious not simply of rational analysis, but of an inter-play, an appeal and response, which is of a more in-genuous kind. To attempt the expression of such is, perhaps, a rather rash enterprise ; it is to run the risk of egotism, and even of distortion, yet it has its allurement in a certain sense of spiritual values. . . .

So to our case in point. I have been spending not more than an hour or two with the interpretation of a certain striking feature of George Meredith's poetie message. It has no greater pretensions than this—does not claim to " 14 bare the poet's soul" or epitomise the " heart of his philosophy." It simply presents the fact that Meredith's " reading of Earth' resulted in a very strong, virile and inspiring view of life : a view, more-over, which is greatly in harmony with what the Christian standpoint affords. My heart went out to Mr. Sclater because of his own strength and freedom of perception. There are some people who must persuade themselves that Huxley, say, or Carlyle, spelt out the Athanasian Creed before they are prepared to accept any enlightenment from them, or—what amounts to the same thing—they attempt to read into the author's presentation of ideas their own dogmatic formulte. Not so Mr. Sclater : he respects Meredith's theological position while he marks with regret the restrictions it imposed on the poet's vision, but he also goes deep enough to be able to recognise " great religious thoughts " clothed " in fresh language." Here at least, I mused, is one who knows how to listen to a prophet. For the " language difficulty " is an effective bar, so far as many good religious folk are concerned. It need not be so literally difficult as in Meredith's in-stance ; enough that it is fresh and net couched in the familiar theological terms. " This is of the devil," quoth* they . . . and the door is shut.

I have been salutarily reminded of Meredith's joy in a battling life ; and that one may insist on the necessity of strong effort without inducing despair. Pessimism, after all, is the patent of weakness, not of strength, of the spirit which throws up the sponge, not of that which en-dures the conflict. "Fearful saint," I have noted, is a contradiction in terms, like " distrustful believer." Any sort of attitude to life, whether it calls itself religious or otherwise, which seeks satisfaction in-taking refuge from reality is false and self-deluding. Mr. Sclater shrewdly, diagnoses that the man-of-the-world attitude—the " jolly good fellow " keeping up decent appearances—lacks just this element of reality, •this backbone of strength. And I would like to read what he has to say about them to various individuals I have met who belong to what he calls the " apathetic fringe " or " Laodicean leaven " in our churches—the men who affirm that their heart is in the right place, but apparently are troubled with a slug-gish liver. If one could only find the right quality of dynamite to persuade them of the " joy of battle"! And there is another application of the message which I felt the church can sometimes afford to consider ; that the pre-sentation of religion which shrinks from life and merely "plays for safety" is of small practical value after all. A religion that is either namby-pamby or ascetic is bound to fail of gripping men. And quite right, too, for Christianity means a -manly life and a full-orbed one, or it means nothing. "Only those capable of life are also capable of God," says Evelyn Underhill. -

Meredith's conception of life was of this kind ; " blood and brain and spirit," all must be raised to their maxi-mum value, and the strong man is an all-round man, realising his tri-partittf nature in full development and harmonious interdependence. We are approaching nearer to that ideal view, I venture to hope. Meredith insisted thee; " the rebel, the heart," must yield " place to brain, each prompting soul," and Mr: Sclater, entirely with my acquiescence, affixes a guarded query. For possibly Meredith kept " the rebel " a little too rigorously in check, which, had he trusted it more as he trusted " brain," would have prompted his soul to even clearer vision through the dim gates of death. Yet, as it is, the poet's attitude to the fact of death is true to the demands of strength. Death is only a process in life, as every woodland haunt testifies :—

" Earth knows no desolatioii. She smells regeneration In the moist breath of decay."

Out of death comes new life, and there is courage and inspiration in the " Forward View," even though for Meredith it is a forward view of the race only, and not of the individual. The strong man's attitude, therefore, to life and death alike is one not of lamenting resignation, but of active and loyal assent to the Higher Will which governs all. It is " knowing the rules and playing the game." And there is supreme inspiration in the sense of spiritual companionship. How finely this writer discerns Meredith's discovery of a " Presence " in Nature, and observes that in Nature's company "the flesh-con. trolled are not at home." So, as I shut the book, all my, weaknesses painfully present in consciousness, I said, "God make me, who call myself Christian, a Son of Strength! " ./E. CE.

147 MARCH 11, 1915 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER

NOTES OF THE WEEK. OUR SPECIAL EVANGELIST.

A Character Study. The War Day by Day.

It is evident that the struggle on the Western front is close and bitter, though there is little to report of a decisive kind. The persistence of the Allies, however, is resulting in the holding of all the ground they have gained, as well as the conquest of some of the enemy's trenches. The losses of the enemy are reported to be very heavy. The tenacity of the British bull-dog is being in-creasingly seen, and there is evidence that the forces of the foe are gradually, but surely, being "nibbled " away. The tactics of the allied Generals are, of course, a close secret, but there is little fear.hat when the moment comes to strike, they will do it, and with intense vigour, too. Every day adds to the number and strength of the allied forces, while the pressure upon both Germany and Austria from within as well as from without is becoming more acute. The failure of the policy of " frightfulness " is now unquestioned, and it is not difficult to conceive the chagrin of the tyrant of Potsdam.

The Russian Recovery. The most significant war news of the week has come

from the Eastern area, and it has probably caused more than a little perturbation,in high circles in Berlin. Not only has the Grand Duke outwitted the schemes of the German leaders, but has completely checked their advance, and turned the tables on them, and driven them back in confusion. The Germans have had to effect a considerable retreat, and Przasnysz has been retaken. The line between Przasnysz and Ciechanow is now held firmly by the Russians, and the railway between Warsaw and Petrograd. We may now confidently look forward to a considerable increase in the Russia* forces, and the whole course of the war shows that they are being magnificently led. Both Austria and Germany are staggering under the new blow administered to them. Russia is indicating that she possesses not only dogged endurance but sturdy recuperative power.

Sea Triumphs. Though the great bulk of our naval strength is occupied

in keeping the German Fleet where it can do little damage the nation has been stirred by the story of the exploits of some portions of it, as it has been told in the reports of Admiral Sturdee as to the operations at the Falkland Islands, and of Admiral Beatty as to the successes in the North Sea. Both accounts show the significant superiority of the British ships and guns over those of her foe, and also reveal that the typical Jack Tar is not a whit behind his predecessors. Cases of individual bravery are recited which evoke the warmest and highest admiration. Our debt to the brave men who keep the seas cannot be exag-gerated. Then not only is the much-vaunted blockade by Germany proving to be almost a fiasco, but two, and, probably, three or four of the enemy's submarines have been sent to the bottom. Events seem to prove that these subtle craft have been much overrated, and that not only can destroyers dispose of them, but well-captained vessels of good power can leave them behind.

Progress in the Dardanelles. Probably the most sanguine little dreamt that such

progress could be made in forcing the strongly fortified and heavily mined passage of the Dardanelles as the latest reports show has really been the case. There are other forts to be demolished and many miles of mined waters to be cleared before the battleships of the Allies can get through the Narrows and into the Sea of Marmora, but the early successes have been so striking and sur-prising that confident hopes are entertained as to ultimate and, it may be, speedy triumph. The weather has rather hindered consecutive progress, but our plucky men are even overcoming the untoward climatic conditions. There is well-nigh a panic at Constantinople, and the Turk is more and more inclined to curse the German for dragoon-ing him into the conflict. The effect of the successes of the Allied ships is beginning to be seen, not only in the Balkans, but in Greece, and startling developments are almost certain if the triumphal progress continues.

The Clyde Dispute. Better counsels are prevailing in the shipyards on the

Clyde, and the recalcitrant workmen are bowing to the force of public opinion. It has again been demonstrated that Labour is badly advised when it begins to flout the views of its leaders, and to set their advice at naught. Every reasonable man will support the contention of the men that in the enormously booming trade in the industries which supply the munitions of war they should have a fair share. The specially appointed Government committee may well be trusted, however, to look after the interests of the men. The men will not win public approval if, having gone back, they adept, " ca' canny " methods. The situation is too serious to be subject to the moods and actiog% of any class which seeks to take advantage of it. It will be unjust, however, to hastily condemn the workers. The amount of work they have admittedly turned out shows that they can be as patriotic as those who censure them. Probably Mr. Lloyd George's appeal contributed not a little to a result over which the whole land will rejoice.

Mr. Asquith's Great Speech. Mr. Asquith has once more shown what an outstanding

-statesman he is in his massive and overwhelming reply to the arrogant German blockade. He declared in memor-able and reassuring words that "the German Fleet was not blockading, could not blockade, and never would blockade, our coasts." He was very definite and precise in his declaration that, whilst the enemy claimed the right to torpedo at sight, and without any regard to the safety of either passengers or crew, any merchant vessel, under any flag, the Allied Powers would enforce their blockade

of Germany without risk to neutral ships, and in strict observance of the dictates of humanity. The British and French Governments, however, hold themselves .,free tc prevent commodities of any kind, whether munitions of war or any kind of food, from entering or leaving Germany. The immense difference in the two blockades of course is that the Allies have power to enforce theirs, while Germany has not. Protests will be evoked, but they will hardly be very serious.

Alcohol and National Efficiency.

The question of the use of alcoholic liquor has come into unusual prominence in consequence of the War, and the ranks of temperance advocates have had some extra-ordinary accessions. Probably our distresses will prove far more promotive of temperance reform than our times of ease have clone. Dr. Hunter, the chairman of Messrs. Swan, Hunter and Richardson, at the annual meeting of the company on Friday, did not hesitate to advocate, on the ground of the efficiency of the workman, a further limitation of the sale of intoxicating drink. He fully endorsed the statement of the Russian Minister of Finance that prohibition in Russia had increased the efficiency of the people from 30 to 50 per cent. Temperance workers will welcome these new recruits, and they may also be pardoned if they feel some satisfaction at having their much scorned contentions thus justified. At the earliest possible moment the Government should be urged to make drastic changes in our loose arrangements for the sale of drink.

Cheap Child Labour.

It will be with unfeigned regret that the nation will note that even Mr. Asquith gave some countenance in the House of Commons on Thursday to the agitation for the taking of boys from school before school-leaving age for the purpose of employing them on the land now that there is,, or seems to be, a shortage of labour. He laid down sharp conditions, it is true, but the fact that such reactionaries as Mr. Chaplin and Mr. Walter Long blessed his proposals makes us suspicious. To plunder the child, and the most needy child, of part of his all too scant chance of educa-tional equipment is, to our thinking, so grievous a wrong that it should be resisted with the utmost vigour. The chief champions of the employment of child labour are those who desire to keep the tiller of the soil in the condition of practical serfdom, under which he has long groaned. If wages were only fair and adequate to the conditions of life there would be no scarcity in adult workers on the land. The attempts to exploit women and children of school age in agriculture should ',waken alarm and hostility.

The Welsh Church Act.

It is well known that there has been a skilfully engineered attempt to prevent the Welsh nation from realising its hopes on the recently passed Disestablish-ment Act, and ponderous prophecies were made as to what would happen when the Duke of Devonshire's Suspensory Act (1914) Amendment Bill came up for discussion in the House of Lords. For some not very obvious reason his lordship graciously consented not to proceed, at present, with his Bill, and plainly indicated the hope of his Tory and his ecclesiastical backers that the Govern-ment would yield to their claims. It will probably prove that the Government will do nothing of the sort should there be the slightest indication of wobbling. However, the Government may certainly look out for very serious trouble. How, in the presence of a more or less real political truce, the greedy defenders of a State Church in Wales can have the effrontery to claim that this question can be reopened passes our wit. But the Bishops must fight for their pound of flesh.

The late Dr. Mitchell. Sra,—May I add a word or two to what has been said

and written about my old friend Dr. Mitchell, whose death after his day's toil, affected me strangely, deeply. I had known him somewhat intimately for over forty years. He had given me advice as to loans from funds he was inter-ested in, and I had reason to suppose had used his influ-ence in my favour. The last time we met was at the General Committee, a few weeks ago, when he was called to the chair. How little we then thought that most of ns " would see his face no more." I had a chat with him that day, when, referring to my superannuation, he said, "I thought you would have gone on another year or two," and made a playful remark about saving the, funds. I told him it was neither my intention nor wish to retire at the time, but I yielded to advice and influence. "I quite believe that," he said. Was he thinking of his own case, for we were the same year's men? Then I am reminded of an old time incident in which he figured. At the end of my probation, the late Dr. Samuel Antliff called upon, and spent a night with me. He was examining the papers of the probationers. Handing me a batch of such papers to read, he remarked " That young man can use his pen and brains too." That " young man" was Thomas Mitchell. Such was Dr. Antliff's testimony to his pen-manship and mental ability. May I add one other fact. His sister, Mrs. Cuddington—my beau ideal of a ministers and missionary's wife—and her husband and I were co-workers and neighbours in Fernando Po, both during the years '73 and '74 and '79, and between those dates had taken charge of our little girl while we were out .there. These little events, with a variety of others, brought me into touch with our friend, and tended to make me feel his sudden and unexpected departure very, very keenly.a- Yours, etc., W. Horaaare.

Church-road, Norwood.

Our first glimpse of him was at the railway station as

he stepped from the compartment to the platform. Nearly six feet in height and massively built, attired in a dark grey frock coat spit, there was no difficulty in selecting him from the rest of the passengers, for his skin was only removed from black by a shade or two, and in place of the conventional silk hat or accommodating trilby be wore the more 'picturesque turban. His greeting was

cordial yet calm, and one was struck by the entire absence of restraint or the least disturbance of demeanour. Pro-gress through the main street of the little town was marked by the gaze of the curious and the open-mouthed astonishment of the children. The missioner—Mr. E. G. Prasatham. Cotelingham—had arrived.

I'urther acquaintance revealed the main facts of his life. He was born in Southern India of Christian parentage, his father and mother having both been con-verted to the Christian faith. He himself earlytembraced the religion of his parents under the influence of a missionary working under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society, and immediately sought to win his fellow-students to a like faith. He received a liberal education at English schools, and entered the journalistic profession on the staff of the " Madras Mail." A serious accident on the polo field necessitated his leaving his native land, and for some years he travelled round the world, visiting Australia, America and Europe. Fifteen years ago he settled in this country, and has since been engaged in lecturing and evangelistic work.

Such is the man. What of his methods? Looking back over the series of meetings, the first thing that impresses one is the sharp contrast with the usual type of evan-gelistic mission. There is no attempt to arouse emotional sentiment or to produce a false and shallow enthusiasm. The atmosphere is not electric with excitement. Rather is there " a holy stillness, breathing calm " in every meeting. The usual order of service is maintained, with the interspersion of one or two prayers by specially selected individuals. The address occupies from twenty to thirty minutes, and the attention of the audience never wavers nor flags. In quiet and simple language suited to those who listen, the speaker carries his hearers away from the superficial and commonplace into the depths of spiritual reality. His Eastern mind penetrates the inner meaning of the Oriental metaphors in which the Bible abounds, and lays bare their hidden beauties. But, above all, he speaks of great things out of a great soul. The truths he expounds are those which have passed the best of his own experience and have become the foundation principles upon which his spiritual life is reared. The mysticism of the East colours his utterances, but not sufficiently to obscure his meaning even to simple minds. He is familiar with the various schools of theological thought, and is modern without being heterodox. The address ends with an appeal embracing both converted and unconverted, and while all are in the attitude of prayer, a few sentences quietly spoken urge to decision. Sometimes the speaker seeks some outward sign of surrender, but preferably he leaves the message and appeal to find their own response, backed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

He is a welcome visitor in the homes of the people. His presence carries sunshine wherever he goes. He is an expert in the art of adaptation. In one home he will listen to a tale of woe, and the recital will call forth expressions of sympathy and cheer. He leaves the people wondering why. everything seems so bright and happy. Next door he is ushered into a sick room, and the few verses read and the eloquent prayer do more good than the medicine of the physician that day. A few doors farther up the street he finds himself among a group of young folks. He has a. joke for them all, and the joke may be immediately followed by the Eastern salutation " The Lord bless thee and cause His face to shine upon thee." Yet there seerns no incongruity in it. His faith permeates his whole life, and is as the very air that he breathes. The same words on other lips would sound hypocritical or mere pious platitude. When lie utters them their sincerity is unquestioned. He has a keen sense of humour, as the boy found who carried his bags to the station. Having set them down on the railway platform, the lad was astonished to hear himself being thanked in profuse terms for his kindly service, which the traveller would never forget ; indeed, he would remem-ber him in his will. The boy's face lengthened and he stood dumbfounded. Then suddenly a generous tip was pressed into his palm, and a hearty handshake sent him off smiling.

Only on one occasion was there any evidence of that passionate nature usually attributed to dark-skinned races. It was desired that the troops stationed in the town should be given an opportunity of attending the closing lecture, and in order to effect this the co-operation of the adjutant was sought. He proved to be devoid of that gentlemanly and chivalrous spirit usually attributed to the British 'officer, and, assuming the most autocratic bearing, was almost insulting. He had misjudged his man. The sudden change in his visitor's demeanour alarmed him, and for five minutes he listened to a delinea-tion of his character, delivered with remarkable faithful-ness, that will long live in his memory. It was glorious to see him climb down.

" But," you ask, ,‘ what were the results of the mission?" I suppose you mean " How many were brought in' 7 " to use the conventional phrase. Only

God knows that. But hearts were stirred; and the angels were busy registering vows of consecration and holiness.

Our adieus were said at the door of the " through " carriage for Birmingham, and as the train steamed away we knew that for one week we had been on the mountain- top. A. E. GOWE118.

THE GIRL PROBLEM.

By Rev. W. Younger.

The prophets, and especially Isaiah, have a serioul message for the women of their time. Isaiah denounces their unbridled extravagance, their feverish love of silly, display, and their love of costly jewellery in order to minister to their little ambitions and amateur sense of dignity. Along with these deficiencies there is a luke-warm attitude to homely virtues and noble modesty, and a love of ease which-probably springs'from a snobbish idea of the inferiority of the person who works. He uses two phrases which deserve a little attention. He speaks of easy women and careless daughters. These home thrusts do not represent the whole of Isaiah's message to women, but their significance cannot be ignored. And though the changes in society imply that some of the temporary refer-' ences have ceased to have value for us, it is nevertheless true that a substantial' portion of his message is applicable to all generations of women. The author of " John Halifax, Gentleman," refers to their " laborious polite-ness," instead of kindness, their substitution of show for hospitality, and their sham airs in the place of character. My readers will remember that some months ago I dealt with the hopeful side of the future of women. But Isaiah's two phrases are an apt description of two types of women to-day.

There is a certain carelessness among girls in the ex-penditure of money. Their income, especially among ser-vants and shop girls, is limited, and allows no margin for trifling. Yet their money is often spent in the most foolish way. There is also a light-hearted waste of time. Their hours of work are long, and after the toil of the day there is a natural desire for change. But the hunger is wrongly interpreted, and often takes the form of an aim-less walking of the streets and a silly advertisement of flippant movement which reveals the risk of becoming both immodest and immoral. Many are also careless in their attitude to religion and the culture of the religious life. A strange change is coming over society, and, if not dealt with, will be ruinous to the next generation. It is evi-dent in the homes where the love of God is a great passion in the hearts of the parents. The daughters of leading officials and members are becoming indifferent to the things of the soul. They are in many cases well educated. They ought to be the very girls upon whom the churches ought to rely for workers and. leaders of others. But the love of spiritual fellowship is often conspicuously absent ; they are influenced by the mood of the time, and mix only with those of their own social status, and thus lose the desire to mix with those in the church who, socially, are below them. They also develop airs which incapacitate them for spiritual work. Two reasons help to explain this aimless drift of girls. One is their carelessness with re-gard to companions. • There is a lack of care in the choice of girl friends. Here is one of the causes of the steady drift from Sunday-schools. Many of them form friendships with those who have no religious desires ; they soon manufacture excuses for absence, and the mother, who is more loving than shrewd and-firm, allowd her daughter to take her first step to moral licence. She becomes the creature of impulse and superficial life. The other reason for drift from the church is the utter care-lessness often With regard to male companionships. The story of the temporary military centres is eloquent on this matter. I have nothing but praise for large numbers of recruits ; these men represent the best elements of the new time. But others come from all classes of the community, and every variety of home, habit and heart. One would have expected girls to be on their guard in their relation to strangers, and to have paid some regard to modesty, and honour. The facts. however, reveal an appalling ab-sence of discretion and purpose. And the pity of it is that a large number of these girls are quite young. Many, of them range from fifteen to eighteen years of age. The doctrine of liberty ought to be qualified in these cases, and something done of a very drastic character. The moral tone of girls must not be lowered, and the personal example of their elders should act as a sweetening influ-ence upon the sources of fellowship.

I am convinced, however, that one of the main causes of this wave of uncontrolled emotion during was times is due to easy mothers. What can be said strong enough about the mother who allows her daughter to wander in the evenings anywhere? This parental indifference is the saddest feature of the situation. It is manifest even among parents who go off frequently for week-ends, aid weeks together, and leave their daughters in their plastic years to the freedom and risks of inexperience, and often with lamentable and life-long consequences. Girls are not taken into the confidence of the mother. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. These young people go wrong because they do not realise the terrible results of straying from the path of virtue. But many mothers are easy going. Their own evenings are often spent in the theatre or picture house, and in sublime indifference to the fact that their daughters may be on the verge of a precipice. They must be taught that their power to love is - their glory and their danger, and that it must be accompanied by a cautious and long-range judgment. They can soar or sink. and become diamonds or demons. They can get nearer to God and hell than men. Every mother ought to read the noem of Ella Wheeler Wilcox entitled, "The Mother-in-Law."

148 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. MARCH 11, 1915

demand on the brains as well as the emotions of the delegates, which is extremely taxing. A most useful con-ference has been held during the tea hour of Council secretaries, who have been the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lamb at the Midland Hotel, on " The Press and the Free Churches : the Journalists' Point of View," and well-known journalists like Mr. F. E. Hamer and Mr. H. Jeffs have discussed it. The Council sermon—a very powerful deliverance—has been preached this evening to a crowded audience by Rev. T. Charles Williams, M.A., of Menai Bridge.

National Free Church Council. ANNUAL MEETINGS AT MANCHESTER.

By. Rev. James Pickett.

' Methodists, and in view, of the labour and energy they

more thrown its doors open to the National Council, audience. We wished that his hands did not so easily

the meetings would be held in Leicester. But councils pockets. The closing passages, however, were most dm-though, until a few months ago, it was quite expected and so frequently find their way into his trousers'

propose and monarchs—especially when they get both pressive. This was followed by a finely graceful induc-arrogant and mad—dispose, and when war broke out Leicester appealed to be relieved of the responsibility of entertaining so large a number of guests. As Manchester was the centre at which the Free Church Council idea came to birth, it is not unfit that at its twentieth anni-versary it should return to the spot of its nativity. Of course, it assembles under new and sombre conditions,

of the ecclesiastical clans since war began. Perhaps the great Churches acted a little in panic in suspending or postponing their great Assemblies, and, it may be, with

though the withdrawal of Leicester created not a little arrangements still went forward for these great meetings,

and is a little singular in being the first great gathering

some unwisdom, too. Anyway, the war notwithstanding,

difficulty. There is every promise of remarkable sessions. The programme is singularly strong, and bears several new names. This is likely to add to its interest, and

necessity is dominated by the war, and pertinently raises probably to the popularity of the Assembly. It almost of

questions as to the message of the Church both to the

review. -

present critical moment and to the future necessity of the land, and intensely vital matters will come under

honour and shoulder the responsibility, and no layman in the country could have been found who is worthier or abler than the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Compton-Rickett. His own Church called him to the Chairmanship of its Union several years ago, and he occupied the position to

Besides being a most successful leader of commerce, and

The time had certainly come for a layman to enjoy the

the delight and satisfaction of all Congregationalists.

is a high-souled gentleman and a distinguished and sincere an able man of affairs, and an astute parliamentarian, he

Christian. He has been a hard and careful student, and the result is seen in the realm of authorship, in which he has treated of poetry and philosophy and fiction, as well.

maintain the best traditions of his great office.

fears on that score. Two hundred more tickets have been

as making considerable contributions to journalism. He

gates, though the preoccupation of the war and the in-

issued to representatives than was the case at Norwich

is calm, dignified and versatile, and may be trusted to

creased expense of travelling to the Assembly on account of the perversity of the railway companies created some

last year, and one hundred and fifty more than in the preceding year. Interest, therefore, does not wane. Five hundred of the delegates are ministers, six hundred are,

Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of Manchester, but, unlike

note that about one hundred and fifty are Primitive laymen, and fifty are ladies. It is a little gratifying to

are being introduced this year." How far it will be possible to maintain that decision events will prove, but there is more than room for doubt.

The Handbook says " no resolutions on public questions have given to the movement this is certainly their due.

preceding years, it pas timed to begin at five and to close at seven o'clock. It goes without saying that it has been on a magnificent scale. His Worship, though a devout

he really is. The remarkable pile of buildings compris-

mural paintings in the Great Hall, make a significant meet-

.audience found its swing. It was quickly interested,

and greatly honoured Roman Catholic, showed, in a finely conceived and well-delivered speech, how true a Christian

of the Manchester and District Federation, and graceful replies were made by the retiring President and the new

Revs. G. Moffat Gautrey, R. C. Gillie, M.A. E: Mclellan

ing the Town Hall, with the exceptional and most valuable

women. A welcome has also been offered by the President

President. This early closing made it possible for the delegates to attend one or the other of two great Young People's Meetings, the one in the Albert Hall, presided over by Sir A. A. Haworth, the speakers at which were

and Mrs. George Morgan, and the other in the Pendleton Brunswick Wesleyan Church, at which the speakers have been Revs. W. Kingscote Greeiiland, P. T. Thompson,

ing ground for this great host of Free Church men and

M.A., W. Younger and Miss C. Dugdale." The chairman at the latter has been our friend the Mayor. of Swindon, who

some points singularly effective. There was no attempt

bears and honours a familiar name, Mr. W. E. Morse.

things is in store.

things. His characterisation of Nicodemus was at times

Manchester, with true T incashire generosity, has once occasional dashes of the dramatic, quite arrested the

It was based on John iii. 3, and he spoke, as he said, of

sermon proved to be a most unconventional one. but none the less profitable on that account. The President is an artist and a poet, and he was bold enough to do striking

a little strained, but it was both bold and" free and racy. Whether New Testament exegetes would fully agree is

An excellent start has been made, and a feast of fat

ing service this morning, though it must be confessed that the devotional exercises were of a poor and rather ragged sort. The singing was lifeless, slow, and badly

however, when Rev. F. L. Wiseman began his sermon.

another matter. Occasionally he was perilously familiar,

led by the organ. It was some time before the vast

and Net he kept himself so well in hand that it was at

a forward-looking man to forward-looking men. The

The Council is exceptionally fortunate in its President.

Nor are we likely to suffer in the attendance of dele-

As is now the custom, there has been a Reception by the

A great and expectant throng assembled for the open-

MONDAY. at a great effort; indeed, the easy, chatty style, with

TUESDAY. and the State in Time of War." He contended that the

tion of the new President, and we then settled down to

present is a Day of Judgment to which the nations, small

listen to a most weighty deliverance on "The Church

and great, are summoned. He showed that the common

have we, as Churches, to offer to the new situation? The

awakened for their their duty to the world at large. But

life, is touched by a new emotion, and inquired, What

first duty of the Church is to awaken the human soul to things divine ; the next to train men and women so

the Church has no monopoly of goodness. It is bound to

-wars of aggression. He claimed that, in view of the.

recognise orbits in human affairs, non-Christian though

and necessary organisation. Yet it is impossible to point

religious, not excluded from the harmony and soheme of God. Jesus declared that " the Kingdom of God is within you," but He gave honour to the State as to a healthy

then, in her corporate capacity can the Church do for

to any period when the Church has played a successful part by intervening in the affairs of the State. What,

the State under conditions of war ? She will open her buildings for intercession ; she will denounce personal bitterness, cruelty to the helpless and the non-combatant ;

conflicts demanded by righteousness, protesting against

devastations of war, the Church must seek to know more about that second life, so little removed from the

distinguish between war and - war, approving of those

present. Then there is pressing need for the Church to reconstruct her public prayer. The war offers opportuni-

she will curb the expression of hatred, and teach pity for the enemy whom we are bound to strike. She will

ties of an unusual character. Hearts are more tender, and the spiritual sense is quickened, and the Church should so

Church must,also close up her divisions. Organic union

is difficult to teach morality when the sense of decency

pray as to bring God into as close a touch as possible with

tionship would do wonders for practical Christianity. The

cal conditions which her spiritual message demands. It

is far away, perhaps undesirable. Federal association is the only practical movement towards union, and

the familiar life of the worshipper. Such a revival of rela-

is blunted by the crowded conditions of slum life. The

State can do much for the Church, too, by securing physi-

federalism would save both. Chuch and State. As to the

could be trusted to control passion, then the peacemaker arrived, for the ground is not yet cleared. If argument question of reconstruction, the moment has hardly

would triumph. But all_men have not faith, 'neither do

high level, though it suffered a little in delivery. But

Problem of the War from a Christian Standpoint." He

that our best prayers are choked. Militarism had been

ttiey listen to reason. The enemy is for ever sowing

the interested attention of the great audience showed that it was greatly appreciated.

that, .however much we might be driven to see that this

B.A., at once plunged into a brilliant, paper on " The

quickly came to grips with vital questions. He showed

intensely on the sacredness and imperativeness of peace. War was a schism in the soul, and no Christian could be

Christianity. It so affects us, so violates our best ideals,

impossible for a follower of Christ to be entirely true to

vexes among the wheat. The entire address was on a

war could not have been avoided, we believed even more

happy about it, but must admit that, at best, it is a ghastly wrong, and antagonistic to the whole spirit of

allowed to so grow in Britain that it was now well-nigh

his Lord. Nations had allowed militarism and har-boured it until it had at last come to a head. Of all atrocities war was the greatest atrocity of all. And yet

chance had come to the Church to play the heroic and

fine and stirring deliverance, though all may not agree

somewhere the hand of God must be in it. A great

self-sacrificing part. It is impossible to do justice to this

with all parts of it, and rarely has a huge audience been

hearts were strangely searched, but few were as much

enlist, and by another pungent but chaste and effective

so profoundly moved as ours was under .its delivery.

invited addiesses, from Rev. J. R. Gillies, Moderator of

avowed his belief that Christian ministers should not

moved as the speaker himself. This was followed by

address by Mrs. George Morgan.

straight speaking by one of the Treasurers. The re-elec-tion of both Secretaries and Treasurers was then cordially carried, and then, in a most gracious and graceful speech,

the Presbyterian Church of England, who bluntly

was also the financial statement, after a bit of plain and

Strong men wept, and were deeply humbled as their

the person of Rev. J. H. Shakespeare, M.A. Mr. Shake-the President nominated the President for 1916-17 in

of the Free Churches to Maintain the Christian Attitude

reply plainly indicated that during his year he should

made his own—the subject of Free Church unity. Most

speare, who is greatly beloved of his brethren, in his

again and again discuss the subject he has particularly

effective and timely addresses followed on " The Duty

topic is proving very valuable, and is saving us from a pointless discursiveness. It is, however, making a heavy

in the National Life " from Dr. A. E. Garvie and Dr. Anderson Scott, and another on their duty to combat the tendency to militarism from Rev. Thomas Nightin-gale. This concentration on one main and dominating

After the singing of a hymn, Rev. Thomas Phillips,

After luncheon •the Federation Report was adopted, as

there were seven or eight of them, had been christened, and the parents now desired that they should be bap-tised. In the absence of a minister, and as Brown figured largely in the services, he was deputed to perform the ceremony. It was both pathetic and humorous to see the row of youngsters. The eldest would probably be twelve years of age

' the youngest was an infant in the mother's

arms. With basin in hand Henry went along the line, and threw water in the face of each child. He explained to the audience and the parents the object of the ordinance and the responsibilities it involved, adding : " The bairns will be no worse if they are no better. I would baptise the devil if it would make him any better."

Henry's responses to prayer were always ready and hearty. Sometimes, however, they were disconcerting. When George Warner was conducting a mission at New Shildon, during the miners' strike in 1879, arbitration had been urged as a means to end the struggle. In one of the services Mr. Warner prayed most earnestly that a peaceful settlement of the conflict should •be arrived at. Brown happened to be present, and responded : " Nowt but arbitration, Lord ; nowt but arbitration ! "

An ardent advocate of total abstinence, he was also a strong anti-tobaccoist, and his rebukes to Christians who indulged in the weed were frequently more pungent than pleasant. Mr. Readshaw tells a characteristic Uory in this connection. He and Henry were travelling to con-tiguous appointments one beautiful Sunday in early summer, and they saw a man approaching them who was making the smoke fly profusely.

"I think you is Mr. W—," said Brown, mentioning the name of a rather popular local preacher belonging to a sister church.

" Yes, I think it is," replied his companion. " I see he is billed to preach at Shildon to-day."

" Ah!" The ejaculation was followed by the mouth snapping like a vice, and there was no more speech from him until they came up to the smoking brother.

" Good afternoon," said Mr. W—. • " Good afternoon," responded Henry. " You aren't

afire, are you ; there's a lot of smoke astir ? " "No," replied the other, and he blushed. "I was just

smoking my pipe, and musing on the Word, as I walked quietly along. '

" Ah ! Oh l'FIrrem ! " growled the questioner. " You didn't happen to be musing on this passage, did you : ' Little children, keep yourselves from idols' ; or 'Be not over-charged with surfeitings and drunkenness ' ? " And he quoted about half-a-dozen other texts, without a break, bearing on self-indulgence. " You might add them to the subject of your musings. Good afternoon." And away he went, leaving the man staring after him.

For a time his companion could scarcely keep pace with his impatient stride, so fierce was his indignation against the tobacco-smoking " local."

" You were a bit hard on him, were you not, Henry ?" Mr. Readshaw ventured to remark, when the irate man had slowed down a bit.

"Hard! " thundered he. "Hard! Would you have me be soft? I have no patience with such men, desecrating this lovely Sabbath, polluting this sweet air, and daring to mix God's Holy Word with filthy smoke. Methinks the bread and fish" [the man was known to have a favourite sermon on the " loaves and fishes "] " he hands out to-day will stink of beery."

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set out their characteriStics. " Ah !" he eventually ex-claimed, "I see another large order coming, bearing a banner that is blood-stained, and an emblem on which is inscribed a Cross, a heart, and a crown." Then he ran over a number of biblical personalities and later-day Church worthies he saw in the procession, telling the excellencies of each and the general goodliness of the processionists, and reachinga climax, he shouted : " Who is like unto thee, 0 people, saved by the Lord? " From thence he proceeded to outline the meaning and purpose of that particular order, stating the rules, the terms of admission, its benefits, and winding up by entreating all before him to apply for initiation and become enrolled with this wonderful people saved by the Lord.

No pen can depict the character and effect of such an address. A number of loungers had been lolling on the grass on the outside of the crowd during the greater part of the former proceedings, but when they saw Harry Brown up to speak they got to their feet. Long before he had finished they pressed in with the others as eager and intent as the most devout, held spellbound by the natural eloquence of the speaker. Needless to say, the conductor made no attempt at " rounding off." He merely announced the evening meeting, and closed the service.

" What a number of wonderful sermons of his come into my mind as I sit writing," continues Mr. Readshaw. "I have often felt sorry since his death that a collection of his discourses has not been preserved. I know ho used to write them pretty fully, and always advised young preachers to do the same. No such collection is known to exist." Perhaps, however, the manuscripts might have given little actual indication of the preacher. Notwithstanding his early disadvantages, he was an oratorical artist, and the moment and mood would provide much of the glamour of the hour. His large lurid of humour, sometimes quaint, sometimes broad, his keen wit, sharp, piercing satire, moving pathos, and homely phrase, were always at command. At a united camp meeting—Wesleyan, Primitive, and other Churches—so profound an impression did he create upon the large assembly, says Thomas Davison, a boon companion, that a Wesleyan minister asked him to publish his sermon, offering to bear part of the cost. "He was born to lead," declares Joseph Longstaff, of Newcastle (a Shildonian by birth, himself a peer in the Connexion) ; " and had he received the discipline of early training he would have exerted considerable influence in much wider spheres.. His witty sayings and humorous sallies were simply irresistible. Grave and gay by turns, there was yet a fine spiritual flavour in his utterances. He had a large element of sympathy in his nature too, and took a kindly interest in young men who were preparing for public work. I have reason to be grateful to him for many enccuraging words."

It mattered little where Brown was, his witticisms and laughter-provoking retorts were almost certain to come out. Accustomed to domiciliary visitations; he was often told by the inmates (frequently as an evasion) that they went to church. One night, 'at the close of a meeting, a man asked him if he was aware that he had offended a lady.

"Not intentionally, I hope," responded Harry. " The lady told you she went to church," replied the

interrogator, " and you told her that the devil went to church."

" And did I say he didn't go to chapel ? " The question-ing answer sped out with lightning swiftness, and staggered the interrogator.

The Shildon choir and some others of the society were invited to give an entertainment at Evenwood, a village now in' the West Auckland Circuit. They certainly looked out of the ordinary as they trooped along. George Glad-win was there, Henry Brown, Willie Stones, Thomas Walker, and other veterans—they were young then, of course—carrying clarionettes, flutes, violins, and bass and double-bass fiddles, the double-bass requiring two bearers, one holding the neck and the other the tail. B"incr a Saturday afternoon, travelling tradesmen were disposing of their wares in the main street of West Auck-land as the visitors passed through. A butcher, supply-ing a customer from his cart, amd thinking to take a " rise " out of what he termed a German band, shouted : " Wad a sheep's heed be iv ony use to ye?" As quick as thought Brown threw at the butcher : "Can thou spare thine? "

As might be supposed, Henry was very sensitive respect-ing his damaged eye. Naturally, he did not like it to be referred to in his presence. Once he went to a Co-opera-tive Store Committee meeting with a grievance, and during an argument with the chairman, with whom he was very familiar, he made the remark : " I cannot see your point"

" Don't forget thou's got only one eye, Henry," rejoined the chairman, the bad taste of which was brutal.

Quickly, and with the look he could give, Brown answered : " If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light."

Peals of laughter greeted the double-barrelled retort. At a camp meeting a preacher of a somewhat prosy

style, quoting the Psalmist, got a little mixed, and said : " Once I was old, but now I am young." Instantly, Brown, who was in the waggon, cried out : "Bless the Lord, brother ; we'll live for ever! "

In the course of a revival at Shildon, a family-was discovered, through the conversion of the parents, to have been living in a state of actual heathenism. They hid not been long in Shildon before they came under the influence of the Gospel. Not one of the children, and

Twice-Born Men in Pit Villages. II.--SHILDON—HENRY BROWN.

By W. M. PATTERSON.

Mr. Readshaw gives a fine picture of Henry Brown as a preacher. There is more than that in the picture, much more. There is an idyllic scene : scented woods, a leaping waterfall, and a kindly sky. But there is still more. Amongst the throng on the burnside is a youth captivated by the rolling periods rushing from the lips of a son of the people. I can see the whole picture. 1 have witnessed the lovely spot in the highlands of Northern England.

" Mr. Brown," says the narrator " was a remarkable preacher. He had a wonderful delivery—rapid, correct, and arresting. The words simply flowed from him like the waters bursting from a fountain. I never remember hearing him hesitate for a word, or using an incorrect sentence. Not that he was a studied. grammarian or had practised rhetoric. He seemed to have a natural gift of language and delivery. The first time I heard him was in my native circuit (Alston), on the occasion of a Sunday-school gathering, held in the Ashgill Woods, one of the beauty spots' of East Cumberland. The speaker's

stand was in the vicinity of a remarkable waterfall ; and as I stood and listened to Henry Brown, who was tile principal speaker that year (I think 1871), I could not help but compare him with the waterfall, the murmurs of which we could hear and the sheen of whose waters we could see. The words seemed to leap from his lips as the flow of Ashgill Burn plunged over the jutting rock to the bed beneath.

" The subject was 'The Pleasures and Benefits of Reading.' To show what books could do for their readers he took us for a tour into the starry heavens, pointing out the wonders of some of the principal planets ; then down through the strata of the world below, mentioning the characteristics of the various 'deposits, instancing the carboniferous limestone from which the mineral ore of the district was extracted. Next, he took us for a journey through the various countries and cities of the world ; then into the-realm of movement, the records of history, the stories of biography, and ending with the beauty, the charm, and romance of the Bible. As a young man, stood and listened transfixed. It seemed to me as though the reservoirs of knowledge had burst, and that we were watching the water rush past us."

Although he took a prominent part in public affairs, speaking at miners' mass meetings, taking the platform when great national and local questions were discussed, acquiring a strong position and wide popularity amongst the Liberal party in the constituency, Henry Brown never coveted public honours. His high ambition was preach ing, and in that he excelled. All the methods used by pulpiteers were familiar to him. He could expound, although, perhaps, some of his expositions would not stand the test of modern exegesis ; he could divide ; he could warn, denounce, exhort, or woo, just as the occasion demanded. In all his efforts he could arrest attentio-and command notice. Even on a Sunday afternoon there was not much danger of any of his hearers going to sleet while he was preaching.

He believed what he preached. His messages touches his own heart, and set his tongue on fire. Robert Pearson, of Shildon, has a vivid recollection of one of his sermons The text was : " The wicked shall be turned into hell with all the nations that forget God." " As he described to the congregation the wages of sin," says Mr. Pearson "you could almost imagine you smelt brimstone! "

In the use of descriptive imagery Henry Brown was r master, and he could make events of centuries avo livr

before the vision of his hearers. "I once took part with him in an outdoor service," says Mr. Readshaw. " was in a mining village on a Sunday evening. He spoke from the words, 'That sight,' dealing with the tragedy on Calvary. In his introduction he portrayed the mission and work of Jesus as a modern occurrence. A yours; mechanic felt he had a call to a wider service, and wen out on mission work, created a great stir, came into conflict with the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, way arrested, brought before the courts, and executed. It was a meet graphic recital, and modern terms were used throughout. A young miner sat in front of him, in open mouthed wonder as he listened. When the narrative wa; concluded, and the spell broken, he looked at a friend who sat beside him, and said : ' Aa nivvor read owt aboot that in the pavpors, Tom : did thou ?' "

In the days when galas and demonstrations were popular throughout the county of Durham, a great display and Procession took place at Shildon, in which a number of friendly societies and orders were concerned. Bands and banners made a festive scene. Very soon afterwards there was a camp meeting. It was the first Sunday of the newly-appointed superintendent minister in the cir suit. Henry Brown and he were the last speakers, and there wasn't time for them both to do justice to their subjects. Henry offered to stand aside. The minister. who had a reputation for being a popular speaker, but who did not know his man. patted Brown patrofrisingly on the shoulder, and remarked "Oh, say a few words. Brother Brown, and then I'll chime in, and round it off."

But it was not Henry's method to say a few words and leave to another to " round it off." He had gone tr preach, and preach he did. " Who is like unto thee. 0 people, saved by the Lord?" (Deut. xxxiii. 291 was his text, and he began : "It's a great gala day, and I see a mighty procession of various orders, with their emblem-and their banners. First, I see a procession of kings," and he went on to describe their emblem and their banner of blue. Then came the statesmen, the writers, the generals, and so on and so on. In each case he mentioned a few of the outstanding men of the order, and quaintly

150 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. MARCH 11, 1915

XIII.—WHY A SCAR EDGE PREACHER FILLED A PULPIT AND EMPTIED A CHAPEL.

While words of learned length and thundering sound Amazed the gazing -rustics ranged around, And still they gazed and still the wonder grew, That one small head should carry all he knew.

The Rev. Hezekiah Longtongham was a preacher of weight. He turned the scale at fifteen stone, and his sermons were as bulky as his substance. He liked to hear you speak, even in pleasantry, of his towering fore-head and high, Socratic brow. He prided himself on being a man of massive intellect, and took it as a sign of mental massiveness to preach long sermons. But Norman maintains that a long-winded sermon—he admits a sermon may sometimes be long without being long winded—is a sign of mental feebleness. He has read in recent years of a clever Frenchman who has discovered a new mental disease, or a new name for an old disease, which he calls verbomania. The chief symptom of verbomania, is an excessive development of the faculty of speech. You could always tell the verbomaniac from the born orator, because the orator always knew the value of measure, reticence, and restraint. The artist is always known by what he omits. But the verbomaniac must unload all that is on his mind. Like the donkey that ran downhill because, once started, it was too lazy to stop, so the verbomaniac can never pull himself up. The impulse to speak is always stronger than the will to refrain. Verbomania is a disease that attacks many preachers and demagogues, but no man ever had it worse than the Rev. Hezekiah Longtongham.

When Norman talked like'that in the old days, I hardly knew how to answer him. For I had been brought up to be loyal to the preachers, and to believe that, despite their shortcomings—or longstayings—they honestly tried to give us of their best. I tried to show Norman that the very abundance of the Rev. Hezekiah's material at least bore witness to his conscientious and laborious preparation. But Norman would not have it. He said that long-winded preaching was just a form of self-indulgence, with no more moral sanction than any other form of self-indulgence. In most cases it was due to sheer mental laziness. The man who wrote a long, rambling, incoherent letter begged his friend's pardon because he had no time to think out a short and crisp one. Every long preacher should make a similar apology. It was because preachers would not take the trouble to search out words that were picked and packed that they had to drone on to such dreary lengths. When one Sunday afternoon he whispered to me that Mr. Longtong-ham's sermon, like the peace of God, passed all human understanding, and he wondered if, like the mercy of God, it would endure for ever, I thought him profane. When I mentioned this at their own tea-table his mother was even more shocked than I was. But his father told us both to take no notice of him. Norman, he said, was a choirmaster, and choirmasters always believed in short sermons and long anthems. What both singers and preachers needed to learn was that people could have too much even of what they liked, as the kitten said when it fell into the milk-pail. What with Mr. Longtongham's sixty-minute sermons and Norman's. twenty-minute anthems, it was enough to drive a man to spend his Sundays at the "Black Bull," where they had pint pots for hymn books and sermons were never dry.

Mr. Longtongham was generally planned for us on a Sunday afternoon. Being the Beersheba of the circuit, we seldom or never had the minister at night. Folks from other places told us in this we were fortunate. For with us he must finish some time to get to his night appointment. At Kayleigh he had told them that the craze for snippets and sermonettes was the ruin of this frivolous generation, and he, for one, was not going to pander to it. They even told of his speaking in a Sunday night prayer-meeting from ten minutes past eight until five minutes past nine on the "Advantages of Praying Short." Never was preaching precept so promptly or so severely practised. For when he had finished not a voice was raised in prayer at all. But though at Scar Edge we never had his full measure, he kept on long enough to wear himself out and us too. I remember being with him at Hartley's to tea. He flung himself down on Mrs. Hart-ley's sofa and asked her husband if he knew anything harder than preaching for an hour on a Sunday after-noon. Adam said he only knew one thing, and that was listening. Had Mr. Longtongham ever tried listening ? If he had he would know that the race of Methodist martyrs was not extinct. That was not Adam's actual language, but that is what it meant.

But Scar Edge patience never completely gave out until one December afternoon, when Sunday happened to fall on the shortest day. That night there was to be a memorial service for an old Scar Edge scholar, who had gone to live at Kayleigh. He had seen Scar Edge throtigh many a sharp struggle, and, though business had taken him to the town where fortune had favoured him, his gifts, his influence, and his counsel had been at the service of hit spiritual and natural birthplace. Some thought the memorial service should have been held at Scar Edge. But as he had been for many years a Kay-leigh steward, and as his family had been brought up

there, it was decided to hold-it in the circuit chapel. So Scar Edge people resolved to show their respect by attend- ing in a body. But to do this it was necessary that their own service should finish at four. This was put as delicately as possible to Mr. Longtongham. But he said he would be dictated to by no man, and added it was time they learned to have some respect for a living minister as well as for a dead steward. It afterwards came to my knowledge that he had been put out because a minister from another circuit had been invited to preach the funeral sermon, but of this our people knew nothing at the time. I was not an eye-witness of the painful altercation on the chapel steps, but Job Pickles told me, with tears in his eyes, that Isaac and the Rev. Hezekiah went at it hammer and tongs. The preacher banged his heavy stick on the hard stones, and declared he should finish his sermon if he finished it to an empty chapel.

Nearly all the congregation except myself had seen and heard what had passed on the chapel steps. Indoors the atmosphere was electric. When the clock hand pointed tc within a few minutes of the hour of four, the feeling became tense almost to breaking point. People kept looking first at the preacher and then at the clock, and wondering what would happen next. On the stroke of four—Mr. Longtongham always said before the stroke of four—Isaac tramped heavily down the chapel floor and, flinging the keys on the preacher's desk with a rattle, said :

" Tha can lock up when tha's finished. We're gooin'." He then passed through the chapel door, and the whole

congregation except myself filed out after him. I might have gone, too, but it was our day to entertain the preacher, and my sense of hospitality—to say nothing of what my wife would say—would not permit me to desert our clerical guest. . But I crept into a corner of the choir pew, and only let him know of my presence by heaving a heavy sigh.

I had always thought that Mr. Longtongham was a close follower of his manuscript. I do not say he read his sermons (that would have been libellous at Scar Edge), but he spoke from very full notes, and he had to steadily plough through what he had prepared.. There are some preachers so alert and nimble-witted that they can take a passing circumstance, a momentary impression, or even a hostile interruption, and so deftly weave it into the web of their discourse that it fits its place as though it had been made for it. But to such pulpit adaptability Mr. Longtongham was never equal. I have read somewhere that some preachers study their subject, while others study their object, and their object is the conversion of sinners and the edification of the saints. I think Mr. Longtongham was most studious of his subject, and even in delivery he seemed more anxious to do justice to his subject than to do justice to his congregation. I noticed on that afternoon that when his congregation had been reduced to one it made no difference to his discourse. Soon after the chapel had emptied save for our two selves he startled and nearly convulsed me by saying :

" And now, by way of application, let me say a word of encouragement and exhortation to those of you who are mothers."

I ought perhaps to have explained before that his subject was " Religious Heredity," and his text was, "I call to re-membrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice." So that a word to the mothers would have been quite appropriate if the mothers had not all left the service. But of their absence Mr. Longtongham seemed blissfully unconscious. For ten minutes he went on giving counsel to mothers in a congregation of one man. When he passed from that to speak of the reverence that was due to one's pious grandmother Lois or godly mother Eunice, he did bring to mind circumstances and occasions when I had given my own mother more trouble than I need have done. But even thus it was of little present help to me. For I could never remember a grandmother, and my mother had been dead for some years. As the preacher went on with his unseasonable- admonitions I began to think he ought to have married the hospital visitor, who presented a tract on the wickedness of dancing to a man who just had both legs cut off.

When the service was over I went up to him to bid him good-afternoon.

"It is our privilege to entertain the preacher to-day; and Mrs. Haworth is expecting you to tea.

A momentary scowl passed over his features, and he looked as though about to refuse. And so I added :

"I hope Mrs. Haworth's kindness will in part atone for the extraordinary behaviour of our folks to-day."

I hesitated whether I ought to say this, but when I saw how deeply it touched him I was glad I had been moved to utter it. Almost in tears he answered :

" I had vowed not to have bite or sup in Scar Edge this day, but I cannot refuse Mrs. Haworth's gracious hospi-tality. She is a good woman if ever there was one."

This made us good friends at once, for I was newly married then. And even when he could get on with no one else at Scar Edge, Mr. Longtongham always professed aegreat regard for my wife. Over our tea-table and under her soothing influence he was greatly mollified. We came to a better understanding. I came to sympathise with his natural soreness in being passed over for a pulpit

charlatan, and he came to regret having unwittingly wounded our honest, hearty affection for the Kayleigh steward. He was, however, at great pains to explain that he intended preaching until one minute past four, an as to make a stand for principle, and then release the con-gregation in ample time for their Rayleigh service. This explanation left me wondering why, if he intended releas-ing his larger congregation at one minute past four, he kept his solitary hearer until nearly twenty minutes past. But I thought it best not to pursue the subject, and so I turned the talk on to something else.

" Those who went, Mr. Longtongham," I said, " missed the close of one of the best sermons you have ever given us at Scar Edge. Though I could hardly keep a straight face when, with only one person in the chapel, and he a man, you said, ' And now let me speak to those of you who are mothers.' " •

"I never said that, surely ! " he exclaimed with genuine embarrassment.

"I think- you did ; and it would have been all right if the mothers had not gone out."

He pulled out his manuscript, and when lie found he must have said this he gave vent to a forced and feeble laugh. There is always hope for the man who can join in the laugh against himself, though I found he was very sensitive to the ridicule of others. He was nervously fearful lest his misdirected exhortation to mothers should become tile talk of the circuit. On this point we re-assured him. Before he left for his, night appointment we concluded a treaty of peace. He agreed to overlook the rude behaviour of our Scar Edge congregation and caretaker, and we on our side promised to keep silence concerning the word to mothers, and though some who do not know my wife say no woman can ever keep a secret, I want to say that compact was faithfully kept. Not until long after Mr. Longtongham had left the circuit did this become public knowledge, and even then he was the first to make it so. But for nearly two years Norman used to ask me why I always made faces, and why Mary always developed a fit of coughing or a raging toothache when-ever a preacher read of grandmother Lois or of mother Eunice.

NEWS FROM THE FRONT. .

A Soldier's Letter.

The following is a letter sent by one of our formet Sunday-school teachers at Hammersmith to the school superintendent, and will doubtless interest our readers. We shall be glad to receive similar communications which may reach the friends of our soldiers :—

" DEAR SIR, -My thoughts have wandered so many times to the school, the children and the teachers, one of which I was a while since, that I feel it is almost part of my duty to write and ask you to tell them I have not for-gotten them, that I am constantly praying that God's blessing may be bestowed upon them. Out here, in the midst of hostilities, I have felt, and do still feel, that great Spirit at work. Along with others I have just passed through the hardest fought battle since the beginning of the war ; that was the battle of Ypres, which ended in a victory for our troops. But at what a fearful cost ! Men were mowed down like wheat, for they fought against fearful odds. The eights I witnessed during those days were dreadfi. God has been pleased to spare me till now, and I trust He will be pleased to extend His mercies that I may return home to those who are dear to me. There have been more times than once when I have prepared myself for what I thought must have been the end. I am thankful to be able to say that He has been sufficient for me at all times. Fear has never been permitted to enter my heart for one moment, and I shall trust Him until the end. We are at present having things fairly easy. I, together with six other men are billeted away from the rest of the ambulance ; my quarters are in a disused bakehouse, rather novel, but quite comfortable. We are not far from the firing line, and just as I write the noise outside makes the night hideous. The rifle, maxim gun, and big gun fire is terrific. Evidently there will be something doing to-night.

" But let me tell you about a certain little French laddie who visits me. He is a dear little boy who is just five years old. When I am not busy he comes and chats with me. His father fell fighting for his country in the begin-ning of the war, and he gets awfully excited when he tells me about it to-day. He told me he had been to see another soldier who had promised to lend him his ' big gun ' to kill the German who had killed his daddy and made his mamma cry. I feel so much for this fatherless laddie. The family are Protestants, which is rather rare here. Sabre, for that is the boy's name, talks of other things at times. I am learning him to sing ' Jesus loves me ' in English, and he is getting along well. I am sure if you could look in and see us two seated on the floor upon a folded blanket, chatting about things in general, you would think it contrasted with the work in hand. This little incident stands out among many others. It reminds me so much of those I taught. Now I must close. Please remember me to all. When I come home (DN.) I hope to recommence my work in the vineyard—I am, respectfully yours, "H. M. HARRIS."

Choral Festival at Middlesbrough. SIR,-I should like to intimate to the choristers and

others interested that owing to the inability of the railway company to offer excursion facilities in connection with the above, our Executive Committee have decided to post-pone the festival until more favourable conditions Pre-vail. The committee feel that in the absence of femur. sions probably more than half of the choir, as well as 4 large number of patrons, would be unable to get to the festival, and therefore no other course was open. As soon as a date is fixed due notice will be given.—Yours, etc.,

W. H. RYCROFT

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,h* "The Quaint Memories of a Moorland Methodist." Being some Stray Leaves from a Country Chapel Secretary's Notebook.

BY COLIN GREENWOOD, tt Author of "Christmas Eve' on Wuthering Moor," "Hill-top Dialogues," etc., etc.

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MARCH 11, 1915

THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. 151

A DESCENDANT OF A. FUGITIVE EARL. .

The Late Rev. M. A. Drummond.

On Wednesday, the 24th ult., the remains of the late Rev. M. A. Drummond; who died at Lanchester, in the county of Durham, at the advanced age of eighty-two, were interred. The circumstance of the death of the venerable minister recalls the romantic story of the fugitive sixth Earl of Perth, who became a ferryman on the Wear at Biddick, Mr. Drummond being a great-grandson of the unfortunate peer. That Earl it was who took up arms on behalf of the young Pretender in 1745, and commanded the right wing of the army at the battle of Culloden. After that disaster he . fled, and was in hiding in Scotland for some months. With a view to lull suspicion and to facilitate a scheme of escape he had formed, he caused a report to be circulated that he had embarked to France and had died Jan the voyage. Eventually he mTliaged to get on board a small coasting vessel, and was subsequently landed at South Shields. From the Tyne port the fugitive walked to Sunderland, thence up the Wear to the hamlet of Biddick, and found concealment and a home in the cottage of John Arm-strong, a worker at an adjacent colliery. 'Here he remained, and a few years afterwards, when he had settled down as a ferryman in that locality, he married Elizabeth, the miner's beautiful daughter, in the parish church at Houghton-le-Spring. The event took place in the month of November, 1749, and his wife bore him children.

The Earl had to remain as if dead, for there was " a price upon his head" ; and it does not appear that, after his decease, his son and heir made any move towards getting the title and estates restored. His grandson, however, the late Thomas Drummond, of Penshaw, a man of intellectual gifts and commanding personality, took the case to the High Court at Edinburgh, and obtained a verdict that he was "the nearest and lawful male heir of his deceased great-granduncle, Lord Edward Drummond, who took upon himself the title of Earl of Perth, and who was the youngest and last surviving son and last heir male of the body of James, the fourth Earl of Perth." The claim had, however, to be taken to the House of Lords, and there the Durham workman fourid legal barriers arising out of the Act of Attainder standing in his way. In the end the titles went to another.

Thomas Drujmnond's wife bore him seven sons and seven daughters, one of the sons being the deceased, Rev. Maurice Andrew Drummond. Though reared in humble circumstances, Mr. Drummond was studious in his youth, and while yet a young man.was called into the Primitive Methodist ministry_ He retired in 1893, and spent his last years in the rural village of Lanchester. He was an applicant for Deed Poll membership, and had he lived until Conference would have been elected. He had a most successful ministry in the North of England.

AN EVENING WITH THE SOLDIERS.

Commanding Officer and his Staff in the Pulpit.

Rev. George Kendall extended to the Colonel, his officers and men the warmest thanks of the congregation for their presence and for the splendid programme rendered. As a practical proof of appreciation a collection was taken on behalf of the Sunday-schOol, which realised a splendid sum. The National anthem brought to a conclusion this delightful evening, and the soldiers were afterwards enter-tained to refreshments by the teachers in the schoolroom. Previous to the concert Mrs. Langley, one of our devoted workers, generously gave a tea to the Sunday-school scholars. The High Sheriff of the county and several prominent residents of the town and district have sent to Rev. George Kendall up to date over £8 towards his work at Ledger's-road, and as there is a debt of £760 on the building, and £50 has been spent in renovation, he is anticipating a much larger sum, and thus in working-for the soldiers the way is opening for a real effort in debt reduction. So true patriotism finds its reward.

Early Christianity.

" The Environment of Early Christianity." By S. Angus, M.A., Ph.D. (Duckworth and Co. 2s. 6d. net.)

The study of the ancient world is inspired by the text, " When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son." " Christ came at the one time in history when all civilised nations lived, as it were, under one roof," when there was " one empire, one universal language, one civilisation, one common development toward monotheism, and a common yearning for saviours." Dr. Angus tells a most interesting story of the Grwco-Roman world with its contrast of heathendom and classic scholarship, its brutality, and its groping for the light. The evolution of the race is traced with singular skill, and the various factors, mental, social, and religious, are presented with their respective significance. The social conditions of the age, which formed the mould into which the molten life was poured, is appreciated. Slavery was universal, amusements debasing, family life, particularly the place occupied by women and children, was on a low scale, with only an occasional spurt of improvement. The religious conditions were strangely fluctuating ; in some places fatalism, pessimism, and. rank ignorance thrived, while in others there was evidence of the awakening conscience and the enlightenment of a noble life. When the tribal gods were abandoned and men began to appreciate the one Supreme Being "of infinite power, wisdom and goodness" they awoke to the realisation that they had a soul to be saved, and stretched out yearning hands to possess the truth.

The three great peoples of this time were the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews, and they all paved the way for the rapid advance of the Christian life. The Greek mind was essentially speculative, it produced the first great philosophers. " Greece gave to early Christianity a world unified in language and culture." It tested life a, every point, and left man with one problem to solve, namely, the religious. The Roman Empire brought order out of chaos, "she blended the nations in preparation for the Gospel." " It was a discovery to find that men of every race and nation, of every degree of culture, and of social distinction, could live together in peace." The third factor was the Jew, with " his one absorbing interest in his relationship to God." His mind is dominated by one idea, the religious. "He had a hungry heart that yearned after righteousness and communes with God." He taught the world to pray. He was a born missionary. his faith withstood persecution, his zeal was a perennial spring of power, and he tenaciously preserved the Old Testament, so that he conttibuted to the establishment and organisation of Christianity. The whole survey i‘• masterly in its treatment, wide in its range, ample in if, knowledge, and will prove a welcome addition to the shelves of preacher and laymen. C.

Compulsory Inoculation.

FROM A DECEASED MINISTER'S DIARY.

V.—A District Meeting Camp Meeting. In the old days, when the District Meeting stationed

the preachers, naturally the faith of both preachers and people in a guiding and all-wise Providence was strong. But it is very evident that other powers than Providence had a part in determining the destinies of the preachers and their destinations also. Sometimes superintendent ministers who had ideas above the careers of their colleagues exercised management in skilful manner. They were splendid strategists. In those days of boasted democracy the wisdom of the serpent was necessary and- was seldom wanting. It was necessary also to use that wisdom carefully. This is the story of a scheme that succeeded in allaying prejudice against a college training and at the same time securing a good appointment for a much-esteemed colleague. It was a bold scheme, for the superintendent was one of the most powerful and popular ministers that East Anglia has known. At the District Camp Meeting in the early morning my superintendent said to me, " You must preach for me this /grencon." "I dare not take your place," I replied. " Oh,vbut you must" ; and he partly pulled me on to the wagon. Twe laymen and a minister had spoken, when the conductor called on my superintendent to preach. " My colleague is going to preach for me," he said. I had not promised to do so, but now there seemed no way out. I gave out a text, and soon got hold of the crowd. While I was preaching I heard the conductors, two old ministers, saying, "The young man is a credit to us." Presently Mr. Wainwright leaped from his seat, shouting, " God bless the boy, he'll beat the lot of us.': When I had finished the old man made some allusion to the Theo-logical Institute, calling it "the lalitute," and said he had never been in favour of the young men going to it, but if this was the sort of men they sent out he wouldn't say any more against it. Many times I have been re-minded of that service by those who were present, and it secured for me an appointment to a city circuit the next day instead of a country station to which I had been appointed on the Saturday.

A Tragic Story.

My superintendent and I were plan-making when a letter came from another minister stationed a few miles

w away. It was a brief message :—" Dear Brother,—By the time you receive this I shall be in eternity.—Yours truly, —. This was part of a sad story. This preacher ha .l been born in a poor man's house in a remote village. In youth he had no advantages, sharing the hard toil and the thoughtless follies of lads engaged in agricultural pursuits. After some years the Primitive Methodists missioned the village, and among the numbers gathered into the Church was this lad. In accordance with the summary- methods of those days he was soon called to exercise what gifts he had. He revealed considerable brain power linked with a singular gift of speech and a happy art of attractive song. He soon had a place on the preachers' plan, and presently was called into the rank; of the ministry. He became immensely popular, and was in constant demand as a special preacher. But in his home life he was not happy. After many years of useful and successful ministry a marked change in his character was apparent. His deterioration was most sad. It was a life twisted and morally spoiled. The culmination of this sad story was reached at the time when tho previously mentioned tragic note was despatched. Inquiry was at once made, but the minister had left his circuit, and for some time his whereabouts could not b traced. Some weeks afterwards I was conducting a camp meeting in a remote village when, to my surprise, thr_i missing minister was in the congregation. After the service I followed him to his residence, and found his wife and he in a very lowly cottage without a particle of furniture. The ministers of the District more than once started him in business, and after strange and sad experi-ences that brought him lower and lower he drifted to London, and it seemed likely that he would swell the number of the hopelessly submerged. I found him thero in after years. He had been restored to the Church, and was engaged as a circuit missionary. His public work was amongst those whose lives had been marred by sin. He would spend the Saturday nights especially amongst the most degraded who thronged the streets and public-houses, and was the means of rescuing many from the gutter and starting them on the way of sainthood. For some years he continued in this lowly but glorious ministry, redeeming as far as possible the past. •After a day of cloud and storm light had come to him at even-tide ; days of calm weather in sight of the immortal sea before he crossed the bar. He made a good finish, dying in peaceful triumph.

" Safe home, safe home in port, Rent cordage, shattered deck,

Torn sails, provision short, And only not a wreck."

By the grace of God there was not shipwreck, although the peril had been deadly.

On Saturday, February 27th, at Woking, Guildford, a pretty wedding was witnessed, when Corporal T. Drury Smith, stepson of Rev. Albert E. Rose, of Sheffield, was married to Miss Mabel Pottinger, of All Cannings, Devizes. Both these young people are highly esteemed in our Church, and their marriage created a great amount of interest. They have been the happy recipients of shoals of good wishes, and of many valuable presents. Mr. Smith is a local preacher. Prior to enlistment he was the 'chairman of the Labour party in Woking and a man with a great influence for good among working-men. He sacrificed a good position to join the Forces, but has won for himself a place of affection among his soldier comrades; as seen in the presents they sent him on his wedding daa and by The number who travelled many miles to bq present at the ceremony.

When the war broke out Slough was made a garrison town like its proud neighbour Royal Windsor, and soon the town was crowded with soldiers. The men were given

warm welcome and made to feel quite at htme. Our church at Ledger's-road being right in the centre of the billeting district, was at once thrown open to the men, and the following card was distributed by the thousand :-" A message to soldiers : Make yourselves at home these cold winter evenings at the Ledger's-road Primitive Methodist Schoolroom, Slough. The large school hall and classrooms are open free for your use every week evening from 6.30. Billiards, games, piano, writing materials, etc. Services in the church on Sundays at 11 and 6.30. We want you to be happy and comfortable, and we will try to make you so." We are proud of our gallant boys, for twenty-six have left our church and school to fight for their country, and we knew others would show them kindnesses, and we were anxious to do the same. And our work has received recognition, for last Wednesday evening the famous band of the 1st Home Counties Royal Field Artillery came in full strength to give us a concert, and the church, gallery, schoolroom and even the classrooms upstairs were packed in every part. And the commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel Rigden, came too, and brought his officers, and, to their great, astonish-ment, Rev. George Kendall, the minister, marched them into the pulpit, whilst the large audience cheered enthu-siastically. The band played many excellent selections under Bandmaster C. J. Chatfield, who seemed to enjoy the atmosphere of the church. Then Sergeant-Trumpeter Schooley, Gunner Watts and Gunner Carmen rendered solos, which, judged by the applause and encores, suited the tastes of the audience in a remarkable way. Then the Colonel interposed, "The officers must do something, the pulpit must supply some talent." That was a command to be obeyed, and so Captain Baines proved his ability as an elocutionist by his dramatic rendering of "John Nicholson," a tale of the Indian Mutiny, followed by " Play the Game." Captain Clayton then gave great delight by singing two songs. The Colonel then gave a Short speech, expressing appreciation to the minister and members for all they had done for his men. He wanted the people to realise that by throwing open their homes and church and making the soldiers comfortable they were really serving their country, and they would never regret it. It had been a real pleasure for himself and his brother officers to visit their church. Mr. Kendall had visited him on several occasions, and he was anxious to do all that he could to help him,

Sin,—According to the recent debate in the House of Commons on this question, an effort is to ba made to render the inoculation of our soldiers compulsory. If this is done it will be a direct violation of the Government's pledge at the commence-ment of the war to respect conscientious objection to the practice, and a breach of the political truce not to introduce contentious legislation during the war. It would also be in direct opposition to the Government's professed principles of civil and religious freedom. We are fighting hard to keep ourselves intact from the in-vasion of Germany's oppressive " kultur," and it would be a lasting disgrace to us as a free people to make use of the war to place our soldiers under the tyrannical " kultur " of the medical hierarchy, and would tend to alienate thousands of the Government's best supporters. Besides, there is no true scientific basis for such legis-lation. The doctors themselves are very much divided on the supposed utility of the practice, some declaring that it is perfectly useless as a protection against typhoid. Not one of them, however skilled in the manufacture of the anti-typhoid serum and its application, can guarantee immunity from -the disease or from the ghastly risks of its action. This fact is abundantly proved by the South African War, and the number of post-inoculated cases of typhoid in the present war. As a great number of our young men have gone to the front, and others in training, it is only right that they should know there is as yet no compulsion, and their objection to a useless and in-jurious operation should be fully respected. Army doctors and officers have no legal right to bully men into its adoption. We sometimes sing "Britons never shall be slaves," and we have no more right to be made slaves to h mere medical theory—and it is nothing more than a theory at present—than we' have to be made slaves to a religious dogma.—Yours, etc., G. ANDREW.

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SUNDERLAND & NEWCASTLE DISTRICT. GREAT DISTRICT' L.P.

CONVENTION AT

CentralChurch,Newcastle-on-Tyne SATURDAY, 13 MARCH, 1915.

AFTERNOON at 3.30—Address by.

Rev.A.L.Humphries,m.A. SUBJECT

"The Doctrin?. of Sin in the light of Modern Difficulties."

Chairman : Mr. W. M. PATTERSON

PUBLIC MEETING at 6.30. SPEAKERS:

Revs.J. RUTHERFORD &A. L. HUMPHRIES, M.A. Chairman—Mr. JOHN DODD.

We are forced to an Attitude of Defence,

but it need not be despair. We must sorrow, but we are not without hope. There is no need to yield to that whole-sale condemnation of the Christian Church in which some men take a morbid pleasure, just as some society philoso-phers and noisy demagogues sneer at Britain, while patriots die for her. The guilt of war does not lie on the enthusiasts for missions. We are broken men, our ideals are shattered, but we have not been traitors. We can tell the world that we take no delight in war. We have been pacifists and are still. We pleaded for peace and then for neutrality ; we have sought friendship with our Teuton brothers, we have been almost servile in our admiration of their gifts ; and to be at war seemed to us impossible twelve months ago. We have failed, but we have not played false.

Our missionary evangel does bear some wholesome fruit even amid the agony of European conflict. We have forced all nations to regard military aggression as evil, and all parties to this strife seek to avoid its guilt. The pagan glory in war, for its own sake, has gone, and the German pleads that war has been forced upon him. I believe that his guilt is proved and his crimes cover his nation with awful shame, but his defence is, at least, lip homage to the Gospel of Peace. We have created a new spirit in Britain ; there is here no lust for blood ; no greed for gold, no passion for territory no hymns of hate, no Mafeking. Our statesmen are restrained though deter-mined ; we face our grim task with a stern resolve to see it through, but we have no love for war ; we view it as a hideous disturbance of our national life. This is a moral revolution from the temper that marked the South African War. The Red Cross is the gift of our evangel to all nations ; it approaches the firing line with a courage as great as that of rushing - cavalry or crashing artillery. Here charity makes no distinction between friend and foe. Our gentle nurses and skilful doctors are living witnesses that we have not worked in vain.

True it is humbling to have to stand on defence before the barbarous and heathen ; but we need not fling our Missionary Gospel on the scrap-heap, and lay our

i authority in the dust. We must not be extravagant in our confession. Some men find positive pleasure in the white sheet. I refuse to share their taste. There is a penitence that is dramatic rather than devout ; and a humility that, lisps in spurious sentiment ; it leads to an insincerity that is final incapacity for missionary labour. We have to face the heathen cynic and pagan foe, we must lay aside our airs of European superiority and Western pride ; the day of patronage and arrogance is gone, I trust for ever. The evils from which we would rescue the far-off land, have broken upon us. We are plunged into the awful conflict that makes Calvary eternal rather than historic. The world had not advanced as far as we supposed, and so we missionaries must be modest, but, thank God, we can be manly too.

We have a vindication that should silence the Scorn of even Non-Christ'an Peoples.

We have nothing to withdraw of the Gospel we have preached. War is still to us a denial of the Message of Grace. This war did not open under the patronage of the Man of Nazareth. It is the awful reaping of perverted philosophy, distorted ethics and degraded religion. It is

! Taper read at National Free Church Council, Manchester.

MARCH 11, 1915 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER 153

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THE EFFECT OF WAR ON CHRISTIAN MISSIONS.*

By Arthur T. Guttery.

One of the deepest tragedies of the war is that it forces Christendom to plead for merciful judgment by the non-Christian races. We are weakened for aggression ; we are diverted from the straight road to conquest, and must defend our missionary evangel from reproach and rejec-tion. Protestant and Christian nations are out for slaughter, and we stand amazed. before the most malig-nant miracle of history. We have preached peace to peoples who have the passion for war in their very blood ; we have declared the splendours of long-suffering, forgive-ness and meekness to races who regard revenge as a sacred duty, and we have held up the ideals of patience, purity and peace to men and women who view them as chill impossibilities. This evangel is broken in our hands ; the nations who lead in theological thought and religious enterprise are at each other's throats and gasp with chok-ing breath their loyalty to the Prince of Peace. These horrors are whispered in the bazaars of the East, the Kraals of Africa and the Islands of the Southern Seas. The heathen challenge us to explain this travesty of the Gospel we have preached. We cannot complain of the challenge, even when it is cynical ; we have urged these peoples to claim the franchise of their mind ; we have advised them to test a tree, or a religion, by its fruit and now they take us at our word.

another Crucifixion of the Son of Man, and the Super-Man I would be His executioner. Missionaries cannot deal with diplomatic discussions and scriptural conundrums, but they should make it plain. that war has no Christian origin. The unselfish and spiritual interests, that Christian England would guard, must be declared. There need be no pharisaic airs, but we can tell the African and the Asiatic that Britain has risked her all to make obliga-tions sacred, freedom inviolate, and the life of small nations safe. Then we may tell him that these things are more precious than life itself ; that they are sacred to us because of -what Jesus has taught us, and, though he understands little of our dogma,, he will be thrilled by our devotion. He will see-power in the pathos of a proud nation suffering for its faith even to the very Cross. Sacrifice still moves the world more than dialectics or patronage. Tell the war-like savage that you have given your sons to war that they may end war. The paradox may be a delusion, but, at least, it is sincere.

Our lads, God bless them! are determined to smite the Qesarism that lives by war. We have limited their term of service to this task, and we keep their situations open for them when it is accomplished. We are not a nation of conscripts, and do not mean to be, in spite of the threats of some religious weeklies. We desire, and we will not rest till we have won, an inviolate peace. We would paralyse " the mailed fist " that " the pierced hands" may rule the world. We are resolved that the brutalities of Berlin shall challenge no more the gentleness of Galilee. Tell the tribesmen of continent and island that we do not seek to establish a racial dominion, but to make possible as world-wide League of Peace. In its benefits all races shall share, till internationalism shall become our Father's House, in which all nations shall dwell in safety and peace. Call upon the backward people to join our pledge of brotherhood, and assure them that we do not covet political domination or sectarian power but their redemption and salvation. H someone says it will be difficult for the missionary to make plain this message to his heathen hearers, I answer that in the native conscience and soul there is that which will respond to suffering nobly borne for divine and unselfish ideals. It is not for missionaries to confess difficulties, but to overcome them. This new Crucifixion shall thrill the world as did the one of two thousand years ago.

We have done with Apologetics and face the Great Tasks of Reconstruction that will follow the War.

Here the missionary must call the world to see the Christian Gospel actually at work. We pray daily " Thy Kingdom come," we teach that petition to converts in all lands ; the time is at hand when with brave hearts and bleeding hands we may set up the Kingdom for which' we pray. We face here the mightiest task that has ever challenged our faith. Military ambition must be thrown on the dust-heap. Investments that foment racial hate and grow rich on slaughter must be regarded as piracy. The decision of peace and war ought to be taken out of the hands of lonely autocrats and mysterious diplomats and vested in the people. They must possess real sovereignty as the redeemed of God. The balancing of power, the equilibrium of interests, the counting of legions and guns shall yield to mutuality of service and fraternity of faith. The Fatherhood of God, the Headship of Jesus Christ, and the universality of the Holy Spirit must dominate the international politics of the morrow. We are forced for the moment to use military weapons ; the scourge of whips is with our Navy ; but we are not deceived, we still put our supreme faith in the spiritual energies that are the gift of our evangel. Get to work to make a new, a clean, and a holy Europe, and you will kindle a light that shall girdle the world.

The world looks on and must see these Churches staunch the wounds of bleeding nations. We are called to repair the waste of war and save a wearied Europe from moral ana3mia. We must rebuke the lust for vengeance and the arrogance of victory. We would replace the creed of efficiency with the passion for service, and " the will to power " by "the will of love." We may thrill both foe and ally with this new ambition, and, if we succeed, the world shall find in our suffering a sacrament of cleansing.

For this Colossal Work Unity is Essential.

We can afford no divisions here. All nations, the defeated and victorious, must share this high endeavour. This future belongs to us all. Here is the eternal centre of reconciliation. The nations will be slow in securing economic re-adjustment, political conciliation, and racial concord, but, immediately the sword is sheathed, they may come together under the missionary impulse. Men will meet each other in the final brotherhood, not under a dynasty or a flag, but at the foot of the Cross. Our diplo-mats may take a holiday, our Generals and Admirals deserve a rest, while the missionary Churches build up the new era. The missionary societies on both sides the Atlantic should combine their forces. There must be no waste ; it is sin. There must be no rivalry ; it is treason. If we cannot have organic unity and complete identity, there should be the closest- federation. We must have unity in our message and our strategy. Denomination-alism, and nationalism, too, ought to be lost in the larger vision. It will not be easy to secure this unity though it is imperative. There are interests to placate, prejudices to forget, and funerals to conduct ; but the task is so tremendous, so glorious that we can allow no sectarianism to stand in the way. Nothing will so impress the non-Christian world as a United Christendom set upon its redemption.

Brothers! it is a great work to which we are called. It is the most glorious that ever fired the human soul. Our resources are infinite and they are modern. This nation bids us hope. Its unity is amazing and unbreakable. Its generosity is full of marvel ; the next ten years should be fat years for our treasurers ; our people have learned to give. The valour of our youths is magnificent ; we have about us a generation of heroes. Give to English youths the call to sacrifice and courage ; tell them that to hold a lonely mission station is as brave as to line a trench ;

supreme is nobler than to humble'Berlin. Our resources are more than human, they are divine. We have with us the Grace of God, the presence of the living Christ, and the energies of the Eternal Spirit. Awful as is the ruin of war, searching as are the judgments that try our faith, we may, in all hope, set to work to build up that radiant City of God that shall be the songful home of a redeemed race.

BY-PATHS OF EXPERIENCE.

• The Fraternal.

tell them that to challenge cruel paganism is as valiant then brightening as if a really valuable discovery had been as to resist a charge of Uhlans, and to make Bethlehem made, " I say, mother, is this what you call a Faith Teal"

By Charles Crabtree. That events of no mean order were preparing was

plainly evident. The " boy " soon realised that. There was a hum of busy work, fires being lighted, the silver refurbished, dad's book-shelves and desk put in unusual order—plainly something was afoot. Said mother, in answer to his eager questionings, " Why, the Fraternal is coming." "And what is the Fraternal? " Oh I just the ministers." " Then will they pray ? " The\ " boy's" idea of ministers was fashioned from their service in the little church to which his weekly pilgrimage was made and in which a much-coveted penny was won as a reward for angelic conduct never else attained.

But 3 o'clock came. The while tea was being prepared, the boy " helping," with eyes and tripping feet eloquent of his joy, mine host waited in his study to welcome his guests. One by one they arrived. The first, as usual, was our secretary, a war-worn captain of the hosts whose great bittles were past history, but who, loth to doff his armour, was in retirement eager as ever to serve for Church and country. A man of quaint sayings and queer Biblical tags, but which often had wonderful apposite-ness. Following him came in turn the rest of the brethren, each and all excellent men in their way, but each with a " way of his own." It is wonderful—and refreshing—to note what differences of outlook even the allied Free Churches, reveal. But freedom ever did make for individuality and strength !

Here was our friend, the Rev. —, with an assump-tion of worldly guile calculated to deceive strangers, but that never deceived us. We knew him to be pure gold in his simplicity of heart. Then came the bluff and hearty President of our local Council, hail-fellow-well-met on the golf course or wherever men do congregate—a man of fine physique, with the wit and blarney of a true-born Irishman—but of sterlirig worth as pastor and friend, and a preacher of some eloquence. A moment later came another, earnest, pious, of genuine fervour and zeal, but who had not yet learned to trust to his own powers, or to track boldy to their lair the ogres raised my modernist critics. Here was the type of persistent Methodist, with an overweening pride in his own Church—the bull-dog Congregationalist, zealous for all that concerned the welfare of the Free Churches—the orderly Presbyterian, a man of band-box precision reminiscent of Covenanting days, whom all loved, but all teased in turn, and, last of all, and most welcome of all, came " the Super," one who was in spirit and in outlook the father of the family—one of those truly wise and brotherly men who have drunk at the fount of life itself and learned in the school of experience.

And how they talked ! To mention the weather in these days of war was to drift first into a discussion of the effect of artillery duels on the abnormal rainfall ; from that to a comparison of the merits of the respective forces ; and then to a keen debate as to the issues in-volved. We reaffirmed our faith in the power of the God behind all—the God within the shadow—though some felt difficulty. How did we know of God, and test His working ? And before we knew it two protagonists of old were battling fiercely, one for the intuitionalist, the other for the intellectualist view. Then our pragmatist joinel in, and would appeal only to history and experience. Things grew lively, to the imminent danger of the over-mantel, which somehow had become the pivot of the argument !

But this mood passed and gave way to that of frank confession. We searched our hearts as to our presenta-tion of the Gospel in this time of crisis. Said our Irish wit, " We shall have problems to face, the war ended, perhaps of our own fostering. In attacking the great wrong done, we have perhaps been careless as to the paramount law. of Christian charity. But then"— and here his eyes twinkled—" the Kaiser was such a God-send to some of us who were pumped dry, wonder-ing where our next sermons were coming from ! "

But so we proceeded—a real feast of reason and flow of the soultill our secretary called us to order, and to business. We prayed, and realised that behind all differ-ence of opinion and outlook we were one, sharing with our people the needs of a common humanity. We discussed problems affecting our Churches and people—relief work, education, the soldiers, Sunday papers, the drink ; and here our older friends had a chance to show their mettle. Doughtily did they defend the Free Church position. Then we took farewell of one of our brethren, going to another charge ; a touching ceremony, quaintly old-world in its courtesy, breathing the very fragrance of spiritual kinship and goodwill.

The tea-bell ringing, however, we were glad to respond, leaving all such matters—intellectual, ecclesiastical, per-sonal—for a feast of another and not less welcome order. We cared not of the special menu. We did ourselves justice —trust the brethren of the Fraternal for that !—but here again our greatest joy was in the hearty good-fellowship that prevailed. We voiced our thanks to the lady of the house by the silver tongue of one who was pre-eminently our ladies' man, and who claimed this pleasure as his own ; and retired for social converse era farewells were said.

The door ajar, we could just hear the " boy " crying disappointedly, " They never said their prayers ! " and

154 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. MARCH 11, 1915

Services and Preachers. SUNDAY, MARCH 14th.

BERMONDSEY. ST. GEORGE'S HALL. OLD KENT ROAD, S.E. 11, Services ; 3.30, P. S. A. Fellowship ; 7, Services.

.BLACKPOOL, Chapel Street (faeinr, the Central Pier). 10.45 and 6.30, Mrs. Jabaz Bell. Thursday, 7.30 to 8.3u, Devotional Hour. Visitors heartily invited.

BRIDLINGTON, Quay Church. 10.30, Rev. W. Turner ; 6.30, Mr. J. W. Jenkinson. •

John Street. 10.30 and 6.30, Rev. G. Tucker. CALEDONIAN ROAD, N. (corner of Market Road). 11

and 6.30, Rev. W. Roberts. CANNING TOWN, E. (Mary Street, Barking Road).

11 and 6.30, Rev. G. E. Butt, and Monday Meeting. CULLERCOATS. 10.45 and 6.30, Rev. J. Dyson, of

Blyth. HAMMERSMITH, Dalling Road. 11 and 7, Mr. R. W.

Allen, B.A. HARRINGAY, Mattison Road. 11 and 6.30, Rev. M. P.

• Davison. HARROGATE, Dragon l'arade Church. 11 and 6.30, Rev.

W. Younger. LEEDS NINTH, Meanwood Road. 10.30, Mr. F. Sadler ;

6.30, Mr. R. Siddle. Harehills Avenue. 10.45 and 6.10, Rev. B. A.

Barber. LIVERPOOL FIRST, Prince's Avenue Church. 10.45 and

6.30, Rev. A. T. Guttery. MORECAMBE, Parliament Street. 10.30, Mr. W. P.

Venn ; 6.30. Rev. J. Shepherd. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Central Church. 10.30 and

6.30, Rev. J. Harryman Taylor, M.A. SCARBOROUGH, St. Sepulchre Street (off Eastborough).

10.30 and 6.30, Rev. W. S. Bosence. SOUTHPORT, Church Street. 10.30, Rev. F. H. Shim-

min ; 6.30, Rev. J. T. Barkby. SOUTHSEA, Central Hall, near King's Theatre. 11, Mr.

F. H. llarraclough ; 6.30, Rev. Lewis Hancock. Visitors always welcomed.

ST. ANNES-ON.THE.SEA. 10.45 and 6.30, Rev. A. J. Campbell, F.L.S. Organ Opening Services.

SURREY CHAPEL, Central Mission, Blackfriars Road, S.E. 11 and 7, Rev. T. Sykes ; 3.15, Musical Service.

WEST NORWOOD, S.E., Knight's Hill. 11 and 6.30, Rev. M. Featherstone. Visitors welcomed.

The President's Engagements. Chester, George Street, Sunday and Monday, March 14th and

15th ; Northwich, Tuesday, 16th ; Sunderland, Tatham Street, Wednesday, 17th ; Hetton, Thursday, 18th ; South Yorkshire Mission, Maltby, Saturday 20th.

Connexional Evangelists' Engagements. MR. J. B. BAYLIFFE, Dunstable, till March 23rd. MISS PERRETT, Buglawt3n, Congleton, till March 19th.

Evangelists' Engagements. MR. J. CAREY, Dipton, till March 31st. MISS BOTT (Sister Ethel), New Millerdam, Wakefield, till

March 18th. Sister Ethel is open after Easter to book for Recitals, Sunday and Week-end Services.—Apply, 31, Chapel Street, Barwell, Hinckley.

MR. TOM HOLLAND, Cross Keys, South Wales, till March 15th.

SISTER LILY; late South Yorkshire Mission. Open dates for Missions and Week-end Services.—Address, 33, Queen's Road; Carcroft, Doncaster.

ALBERT SHAKESBY, Blaenavon, March 13th to 17th. SISTER ELLEN, Victoria Road, Todmorden, March 11th

to 25th. Applications for Week-ends and Missions to be sent to 251, Lees Road, Oldham.

Births, Marriages, Deaths. NOTICES must reach the Office, 73. Farringdon Street, London, E.C., by

Tuesday morning. Terms, prepaid: Under SO words, 2a. ; each additional 10 words or less, 6d. Memoirs, reports of marriages, eta., mutt be accompanied by a prepaid notice.

MARRIAGES, SMITH—POITINGER.—On February 27th, at Woking, by Rev.

J. E. Gilbert, Corporal T. D. Smith, stepson of Rev. A. E. Rose, of Sheffield, to Mabel Pottinger, of Devizes.

DEATHS. ARCHER.—On February 24th, at Little Walsingham, Robert

Archer, aged eighty-two. For over sixty years a local preacher. Interred at Walsingham on March 1st.

Ciurza.—At Withy Mills, Midsomer. Norton Circuit, on February 25th, George Carter, aged seventy-four.

HoLia-Es.—In loving memory of Caroline Holmes, of Buxton, who passed away on March 4th, in her eighty-fifth year, Never forgotten.

PICKERING.--GeOrg0 Taylor Pickering, the beloved eldest son of Joseph Windle and Hannah Pickering, who died at Blackburn, /arch 3rd, 1915, aged thirty-five years, and was interred at Southport Cemetery, March 6th, 1915.

STEPHENSON.—Low Risby, February 20th, 1915, William Guy, the beloved husband of Mary E. Stephenson, aged sixty-eight. " Thy will be done."

VALLINTINE.—On February 26th, William Thomas Vallin-tine, aged fifty years. Interred at St. James' Cemetery, Dover, March 3rd. " Faithful unto death."

WinKrissoN.—February 24th, at Campbell-street, Nrockmoor, Edward Wilkinson, aged fifty-two. Interred at Baptist Cemetery February 27th. " Servant of God, well done."

WORTH.—On March 6th, at 5, Trilby-street, Bramley, near Leeds, Henry Worth, aged seventy-nine years. Superannuated Primitive Methodist minister. Interred at Zion Baptist Burial Ground, Bramley, March 10th.

IN MEMORIAM. Cox.—In ever loving memory of our dearly beloved eon,

Bert, who entered into rest on March 13th, 1910. Never for-gotten.

DAwEs.--In loving memory of my dear wife, Olive Dawes, who was called to the Homeland from Holloway, Matlook, March 13th, 1913. " Two years have passed, ,My heart's still sore; As time rolls on, I miss her more."—Samuel Dawes.

Hontams.—In loving memory of the late John Holmes, of Spring Gardens, Buxton, who passed away on February 28th, 1904. Never forgotten.

PARR.—In memory of Andrew Park, 22, De Grey-street,' Newcastle-on-Tyne, who died March 12th, 1912. Affectionately remembered.

PILSWORTH.—In loving memory of Alice, the beloved wife of. J. W. Pilsworth, of New Brumby, who passed away March 12th, 1912. " No morning dawns or night returns but what we think of you." From loving husband and daughters.

SKULL.—In loving memory of Maria, beloved wife of Edward Lewin Skull, of Stonebroom-lane, Shirland, who died March 11th, 1914. From husband and family. " For ever with the Lord."

Ministerial Changes and Engagements. (Changes indicate that ministers named are leaving and ars

not. engaged.) Change in 1915.

Rev. W. Tingle from Brierley Hill.

Changes in 1916. Rev. W. Robson from Mere, Rev. Edgar Reavley from Thirsk, and not Malton as pre-

viously stated. Rev. A. E. H. Tucker from Fakenham after three years. Rev. W. H. Richardson from Telney, after three years. Rev. J. B. Bissell from Quinton. Rev. A. Fawcett from Luton Second, after five years. Rev. W. G. Rutherford from Basingstoke. Rev. T. Dowson from Heckmondwike, after three years. Rev. Ralph Shields from Haslingden. Rev. J. P. Mossop from Alfreton, after four years. Rev. W. J. Peatfield from Congleton, after four years. Rev. W. Sunley Spencer from Leeds Fourth, after three

years. Rev. Oswald E. Brown from Clay Cross, Chesterfield, after

five years. Engagements for 1915-16.

Rev. G. P. Cammish to South Wales Mission, a second year. Rev. J. Norton to Derby Third. Rev. A. E. Goodall to Balton Second. Rev. N. Boocock to Leighton Buzzard. Revs. R. Finall and W. D. Turner to Enfield. Rev. G. Shapcott is applying for superannuation. Rev. R. K. Spedding to Cleethorpes, and till end of proba-

tion. Engagements for 1916-17.

Rev. W. B. Cheshire to Hasbury and Halesowen, Rev. A. Wilkes to Blackheath and Langley. Rev. Philip A. Evans to Macclesfield.

Engagements for 1917-113. Rev, F. Hobson to Bradford Fifth, a fifth year. Rev. J. T. Ridley to Chatham. Rev. W. J. Ward to Cleethorpes till Conference, 1918.

PERSONAL.

Surrey Chapel anniversary is of more than ordinary interest to our London churches inasmuch as " Surrey ' has for so long occupied a conspicuous position in our Metropolitan work. And then on Sunday next, March 14th, the special preacher will be Rev. T. Sykes, of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Mr. Sykes is not unknown in London. His visits, though limited, have drawn together a number of admirers, and each visit has added to his friends. Next Sunday should witness large gatherings both morning and night. The fame of Mr. Sykes is now well established, and our people will be well repaid for a visit to " Surrey." The , Mayor of Southwark and members of the Borough Council will attend the morning service. Monday's meet-ing in the evening will afford an opportunity to many friends to hear Mr. Sykes, even though deprived of that pleasure on Sunday. At the present time all lovers of old " Surrey " should rally to encourage the brave-hearted and tireless worker, Rev. J. Tolefree Parr, in his strenuous effort to raise E250. Friends who cannot attend the services have still other means of showing their sym-pathy with Mr. Parr's heroic work.

The visit of Professor A. Lewis Humphries, M.A., to Newcastle-on-Tyne, on Saturday next, March 13th, is already awakening lively interest. There is no part of the country where organisation is more effective than in the Sunderland and Newcastle District, and the Local Preachers' Convention this week-end will reveal the unique force the local preacher possesses in our churches. The committee manifest the highest wisdom in obtaining the services of so distinguished a preacher as Professor Hum-phries. There will be a large gathering in the Central Church at 3.30, when the professor delivers hie address on "The Doctrine of Sin in the Light of Modern Diffi-culties." The subject itself is an attractive one to all who have to preach and teach. The afternoon session will be followed by an evening one, when Professor Humphries and Rev. J. Rutherford will be the speakers. It is to be

hoped that not only will local preachers avail themselves of this opportunity, but that all workers among the young will also endeavour to attend. The topic of the afternoon immediately affects our Sunday-school teaching.

The Parks Committee of the Reading Corporation have consented to allow the open-air demonstration on Sunday afternooft, June 20th, to be held in the historic grounds of the Abbey ruins. This is a concession which is greatly appreciated locally. ^ The procession will be led by three brass bands, and will be preceded by a short service in St. Mary's Butts. The Conference missionary sermon will be preached in Trinity Congregational Church on Friday morning, June 18th, at 11 o'clock, by Professor Peake. Notwithstanding the very busy life the doctor lives, he has most graciously placed his services at the disposal of the local committee for this important event.

Dr. H. S. Gerrard -desires gratefully to acknowledge Mr. J. Calow's generous gift of drugs amounting in value to £22.

In connection with the University Students' Union a social evening was held at Hartley College, at the kind invitation of the Principal and Mrs. Pickett. During the evening the election of officers for the ensuing University year was held ; and in the course of a discussion. on the progress of the society a strong desire was manifested for a representation of the Union at the Swanwick meeting in July. After the business meeting was concluded the Principal delivered a telling address on the career of John Ruskin and the inspiration to be derived from his teach-ing. He attacked the statement of Sir W. Robertson Nicoll that Ruskin should be classed with Carlyle as one whose teaching was one of the contributory causes of the present war. At the close of the address refreshments were served, and the remainder of the evening devoted to social intercourse. The society rejoices to report con- tinuous progress, its membership now amountinglo sixty.

Rev. Arthur Jubb is rapidly taking a leading position in Sheffield and district. He has been cordially welcomed by the Free Church Council, which he recently represented at the United Intercession Service in the Cathedral, and he has been appointed secretary to the Praise Committee of the National Endeavour Convention, Sheffield, 1916. His cheerful response to the call of the local churches is much appreciated, and the Endeavour and Sunday-school workers ave delighted to have such an efficient and enthusiastic leader. His recent visits to conventions at Mexbro', Staveley and Handsworth have been most inspiring. A host of young men and women at the historic John-street Church are finding in him a wise councillor and a friend with a great heart. Mrs. Jubb is winning the hearts of the people, and has proved to be a valuable acquisition to the District Ladies' Orphanage Committee and the Sheffield Women's Missionary Auxiliary, of which she has been appointed the vice-wesident.

Mr. John T. Jenkinson, who has been assisting Rev. Geo. Standing at Aldershot, was on Wednesday of last week taken into the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, suffering from appendicitis. An operation was performed and a,ppears to have been quite successful. Mr. Jenkin-son's friends will be glad to hear that the prospects of recovery are good. The local friends, including Mr. and Mrs. Ainger, Rev. George Standing, Rev. J. E. and Mrs. Gilbert, have been very kind in their attentions.

Mr. William Wilcox, circuit . steward of Aberdare Station, has been elected President of the local Free Church Council. Mr. Wilcox is a local preacher in con-siderable demand among our own and other churches, is well known throughout the South Wales District, and is keenly interested in Connexional matters.

Quite a pleasing incident has come to light in connection with one of our young men at Aldershot. Mr. John Gerdes, jun., of East Ham, joined the R.A.M.C. last August and was recently promoted to full Corporal as noted in the Leader. Most of his company were under orders for the front ; but before going. they had arranged a surprise for him. One of the men summoned him to the table, and, surrounded by the, others, he proceeded to make a speech expressing the kindliest sentiments to the Corporal, and asked his acceptance of a clock as a mark of esteem, finishing by reminding them that they had on several occasions been congratulated on the appearance of their room by their superior officer, due to the fact of the good-fellowship existing between them and the kindly influence of the Corporal ; and calling. for three hearty cheers. Corporal Gerdes is barely twenty years of age, and it speaks volumes for his influence that he has been able both to earn promotion and the esteem of those that serve under him, most of whom are many years older than himself. Corporal Gerdes' father is already in the fight-ing line. Both are held in high esteem by the East Ham friends.

Mr. W. Collins, of Grimsby, has recently published a series of temperance hymns set to popular tunes. They are issued at ls. per hundred.

Those in search for new and popular recitations for school anniversary services will find the " Bankfield " series, published by Messrs. Blackburn and Co., of Leeds, to be most helpful. They are entirely new, and their quality excellent.

• The Birmingham Forward Mission has held its annual

stocktaking, and again rejoices in increakes in all depart-ments. They are looking forward to the annual synod, which is to be held at Erdington Church.

At the recent Quarterly Meeting in connection with Wakefield First Circuit, the officials unanimously voted Rev. T. Whitehead three months' rest from all preaching services. They hoped by that time he would be quite recovered from his recent operation, and be able to take the full duties of the ministry.

Rev. Ralph Shields, though unanimously invited to continue his ministry in Haslingden Circuit, until 1918, has intimated his intention to remove from Haslingden, July 1916.

MARCH 11, 1915

THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. 155

We regret to announce that Rev. Henry Worth died at Bramley, Leeds Fifth, on Saturday last, at the age of seventy-nine years. He was superannuated in 1886.

Owing to the present crisis unique intercessory services cre being conducted every week at St. Aiden's Church (Church of England), Carlisle,' and ministers of all denominations residing in the parish have been invited to take part in all the services. This week our esteemed minister, Rev. W. Raistrick, delivered a very suitable address on " The Difference.Christ is Making," which was

• most instructive and much appreciated by a large con-gregation. The services were inaugurated by the resident clergyman, who must be admired for such a step.

The Reading Circuit is taking steps to secure the nomination of its superintendent minister, Rev. J. A. Alderson, as Vice Book Steward.

Rev. E. B. Story is doing his best to win the people around the Queen's-road Church, Norwich, and is suc-ceeding. He has several district visitors, who regularly visit the people and pay special attention to those who have not been attending a place of worship. He himself follows up their work. A popular monthly_ service, with special hymns and anthems and address by the pastor, has been commenced with good effect. The whole programme, printed in an attractive four-page leaflet, is thoroughly well circulated.. Contact with the people is securing their interest in the church. • -

At the quarterly meeting of the Croydon Circuit oppor-tunity was taken in reappointing Mr. George Price, of Sutton, to the office of circuit steward, to express grati-tude for thirty-five years of service in that office, a service marked by liberality, consistency, and excellent judgment in all that has concerned the varied interests of the churches during so long a period.

Chester First Circuit is taking steps to secure the ser-vices of a superannuated minister. Rev. John Sadler, who was superannuated at the last Conference, and is just completing a six months' engagement on the Swansea Circuit, has been engaged. He will shortly take up his residence at Neston, and will have pastoral over-sight of Neston, Willaston, and Saughall churches.

Rev. G. Albeit Price is appointed " officiating clergy-man" to the Congregational, Baptist, United Methodist and Primitive Methodist soldiers billeted in the neigh-bourhood of Morley. He will be pleased to have sent on the names and addresses of members of the above bodies, belonging to the 23rd and 24th Battalions County of London, or 4th south Lance Regiments, stationed at Horley, especially those who may be wrongly identified.

Mr. J. Halsey, jun., local preacher, of Hitchin Circuit, has enlisted in the Army as a postal telegraphist.

Mr. George Pomfret has been very cordially recom-mended by the Blackpool quarterly meeting for election as a deed poll member of Conference.

Lance-Corporal E. Biggins and Sergeant C. V. Westcott, both of the West Yorks Regiment, are to-day officially announced as prisoners of war in Germany. They were reported as missing on October 6th. Both are Primitive Methodists, and attended our church when in camp at Cambridge during the summer.

Mr. Edward MacFarlane has obtained a certificate of merit for pianoforte playing, intermediate section, in the recent examination of the London College of Music. Mr. MacFarlane was prepared by Mr. David Cole, Bollington.

Alter fifty-two years of strenuous work in the ministry, Rev. Danny Sheen, superintendent of the Leicester Second Circuit, has decided to apply to the coming Conference for superannuation. For eight years Mr. Sheen laboured under wise superintendents, among whom were Revs. G. Lamb and Joseph Toulson, three years on London Second Circuit, three years on Walworth Circuit, and two on Canterbury. During thirty-nine years he has superin-tended circuits, some being of the largest, and for five years held the responsible and arduous position of General Secretary of the Connexional Sunday School Union. Leicester Second Circuit ,at its quarterly meeting passed a warmly appreciative resolution, wishing him and Mrs. Sheen continued good health and usefulness in the coming years. The circuit reports 1,220 members. Rev. D. Sheen is delegate to the District Synod, and Rev. N. Jefferson vice ,• Mr. S. F. Clements and Mr. J. A. Broughton lay delegates. Nearly £840 has been paid off chapel debts during the past year, besides a considerable sum raised towards substantial reduction of debt on Hinckley-road Church, although it does not yet appear in the scheduled accounts.

Mr. W. Shackleton, the genial and capable secretary of the New Church Fund, Ebenezer, Halifax First, is attending the National Free Church Council meetings as the Halifax representative.

Mr. Colin Holroyd, son of the late Rev. Jonas Holroyd, has been appointed engineer to an important company in Assam, and will shortly leave Halifax to take up the work.

The dark angel has again visited our Ebenezer Church, Halifax. Joseph Flather, who had life-long association with the church, has been called to his reward. An invalid for ten years, he could take no part in the public ministries of his church. Not loud in profession, but sterling in worth, his influence was such that every mem-ber of his family is in membership with uS.

Rev. W. Swinnerton is president of the Radcliffe Free Church Council for a second year, and attended the Man- chester meetings as delegate. Mr. Jesse Brown also attended the Manchester meetings as a delegate from Wellingborough Council.

Messrs. Vernon and Harold Morton, the two sons of ' Rev. Adam Morton, of Blackpool, joined the Royal Field

Artillery at the beginning of the year and are now in training preparatory to going abroad.

BAZAARS AND SPECIAL EFFORTS.

Our aim was to clear at least £500 towards our proposed new church to be erected in Whalley-road, Accrington. We did not fully realise our ideal. Had not the war inter-fered our object would have been fully achieved. As it is the result is most gratifying. The bazaar was opened on the first day by Miss Macalpine, to whom, together with her parents, Sir George and Lady Macalpine, we are greatly indebted for persistent sympathy and help. His Worship the Mayor (Captain Harwood, J.P.), another good friend of our cause, presided over a large gathering, sup-ported by the circuit ministers and others. On the second day Mr. James Ellison opened and Councillor A. Nuttall took the chair. The opener on the third day was Mr. P. Warburton, in the absence of Mr. G. Hayhurst, the Rev. E. R. Davies presiding. The schoolroom was tastefully decorated by Messrs. Moffett Bros. at a nominal cost, and the various stalls named after the allied countries pro-duced the following result : -Russia, £101 10s. lid. ; France, £62 7s. 2d. ; British, £50 8s. 4d. ; Montenegro, £30 10s. ; Belgium, £28 12s. 5d. ; Canada, £25 15s. 3d. ; Japan, £23 65. ; Australia, £21 lls. 5d. ; Servia, £14 5s. 4d. ; India, £11 lls. ld. ; Pals' Battalion, £310s. 10d. ; entrance money £2518s. 9d. ; donations, etc., £28 Os. 6d. ; making a grand total of £427 8s. This result, which brings us appreciably nearer our goal, is very en-couraging under the circumstances, and speaks volumes for the devotion and self-denial of a comparatively small church composed chiefly of working people.

At Dartmouth Park Church, Highgate, a three days' grand floral bazaar has been held in aid of the Trust Fund. On Wednesday the bazaar was opened by Mrs. W. H. Dickinson, who was accompanied by the Right Hon. W. H. Dickinson, M.P., as chairman, supported by Mr. and Mrs. W. Idris, Mrs. Hobson, Rev. J. Squires, Mr. T. W. Davey, and Mr. F. J. Driver. On Thursday Mrs. Traill was the opener, with Mr. J. Whitby in the chair, supported by Dr. Prankard, Rev. J. and Mrs. Mayles

, Mrs. Prankard, Mrs. Whitby, and Rev. J. Squires. On Friday Mrs. Miall Smith, M. A., performed the opening ceremony, supported by Mr. Whiteside, chairman, Mrs. Whiteside, Miss Whiteside, Mr. G. Cooke and Rev. J. Squires. Conceits at intervals were arranged by Mr. J. Head. Among stallholders were Mr. G., Mrs., and Miss Cooke, who secured the highest amount realised by any sten Mrs. Head and the Endeavour Society, with Mrs. Driver, Misses Francis and Palmer, did well with the sale of flowers. Miss Beesley also did well. Mr. F. J. Driver collected £23 and Mr. T. W. Davey £10. The total realised amounted to £106 19s. 2d.

IN MEMORIAM. Mr. R. Archer.

On February 24th one of the oldest local preachers of the Wells Circuit, viz., Mr. R. Archer, of Walsingham, passed to the higher home. He became a member at the early age of twelve, and began to preach in his six-teenth year, and from that time till a few years ago, when declining health prevented, he took an active share in Christian service. As a working man he acquired quite a unique library, and gave much time to reading, especially such as he thought would inform his mind and better fit him for public work. His preaching was not only accept-able but with power. He was among those whose jour-neys were long. Oft before the daylight dawned he would set out to some distant place where his labours were ex-pected. Helping to mission Whissonsett, after preaching in the open air one afternoon, a farmer offered his barn, and, using a wheelbarrow as his pulpit, he spake of Christ's saving power, and not in vain. For many years he was a diligent classleader, and as a true shepherd looked after his flock. His home life was an example of piety, and as a servant he was conscientious and diligent, and was trusted by all his employers. In his declining years he was afflicted with deafness and rheumatism, yet went to the House of God whenever he could, and was interested in all theproceedings, even when he could not hear. He was carried to his last resting place by some of the local preachers on his station, and the funeral ceremony was conducted by Rev. A. Mortar, assisted by Rev. A. It H. Tucker (Fakenham), and Rev. H. Page (Wesleyan). A large concourse gathered at the graveside ceremony. He leaves a widow to mourn his loss, and also a son and daughter. His death was improved by Rev. J. Davidson, an old friend of the family, on the Sunday night.

Mr. W. T. Vallintine. The London-road Church at Dover has lost a diligent

and faithful worker in the passing of Mr. William T. Vallintine on February 26th. From childhood he was connected with the Sunday-school and church, and ren-dered splendid service in all departments. He was a great temperance 'worker, and occupied many important posi-tions in the Good Templar lodges, both local and district. He started a company of the Boys' Life Brigade, and did fine work among the boys as captain. Besides being a trustee for three chapels and trust secretary, Mr. Vallintine was also society steward at London-road. Many times he attended to his duties when suffering severe pain, thus manifesting heroic fortitude. He went to a London hospital to be examined, where it was found necessary that an operation should take place, to which he succumbed in a few days. The funeral service was held in the London-road Church on Wednesday, March 3rd, Rev. W. W. Goldstraw officiating. A large number of relatives and friends attended, indicating the esteem in which the deceased was held. A memorial service was held on Sunday night, when the minister made reference to the Christian life and faithful service of the departed.

Mr. George Carter.

Mr. Carter was born at High Littleton, Somerset, over seventy-four years ago, and he passed away at Withy Mills on February 25th. In the early part of his life he was a member of the Wesleyan Church, until thirty-five years ago, when, with his family, he removed to Withy Mills and joined with our Church there. During the

latter period our Church has found the family to be most reliable and helpful, providing hospitality for the preachers and the mainstay of the society and Sunday- school. Mr. Carter was the class leader, the Sunday- school superintendent and society steward ; in these positions his spiritual vision and steady Christian charac-ter enabled him to hold the positions with general advan-tage to the society. Mrs. Carter's death and that of their daughter, Mrs. Pulsford, some three or four years ago, was a trial to him, and for some time past he was not equal to the active duties of official life. The funeral on Wednesday, March 3rd, was largely attended by friends from Withy Mills and High Littleton. A service was held in the chapel, conducted by Mr. A. Ashmore and Mr. A. H. Riddick. The interment took place at High Littleton, where the other members of the family rest.

Recitation .for Anniversaries. S111,-In a recent issue you verly kindly allowed me to

make an appeal on behalf of the above. The result has quite justified the step taken. It is my mission to-day to tender my thanks to the friends all over the country who have taken the trouble to comply with my request. Some have sent parcels and packets of recitations, and others have kindly sent addresses of publishers. \I thank all very heartily. The fact remains that Primitive Methodists all over the land have not forgotten the words of our beloved founder, Hugh Bourne, who said, "Remem-ber the children." Thanks also to the bond of Primitive Methodism which binds us, through the channel of the Leader.-Tours, etc., W. BRAMWELL HILL.

Stratton Saint Margaret, Swindon.

London Church Council. Sin,-Would you kindly allow me the hospitality of

your columns to remind our London churches that June 13th has been fixed as the day upon which to take collec-tions for the Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund ? Sir W. P. Hartley has intimated his willingness to double our contributions, and expresses the hope that special efforts will be put forth to get an amount more worthy of our Church. May I also be allowed to say that Sir William has sent me a number of " forms of recommenda-tion" for the London Temperance Hospital? I shall be glad to supply these as far as they will go to cases requiring them. Application to be made to me through the circuit minister.-Yours, etc.,

Jrto. LEAR61ONTH, Secretary. 4, Oakington-road, Harrow-road, W.

PRUDENTIAL ASSURANCE COMPANY, LIIVIITED .

Chief Office-HOLBORN BARS, LONDON.

Funds exceed £91,000,000.

Summary of the Report presented at the Sixty-sixth

Annual Meeting, held on 4th March, 1915.

ORDINARY BRANCH. -The number of policies issued daring t he year was 65,751, assuring the sum of 26.318,643, and producing a new annual pr mium income of £424,353. The premiums receiv, d durin e the year were 15,035,4125. being an increase of £115,107 ever the year 1913. In addition. £10,315 was received in premiums under the Sickness Insurance Tables. The claims of the year amounted to £4,014,658. The number of deaths was 9,351. The number of endowment assurances matured was 24,966, the premium income of which was £136,735,

The number of policies In force at the end of the year was 9ZE,505.

INDUSTRIAL BRANCH -The premiums received during the year were 28,176.262, being an increase of 2301,746. The claims of the year amountel to £3,373,850, including 2398.360 bonne additions. The number of claims and surrenders, including 6.731 endowment asavrancea matured, was 392,083. The number of free policies granted daring the year to those policyholders of five years' standing and upwards, who desired to discontinue their payments, was 103,514, the number in force being 1,947.556. The number of free policies whirls became claims during the year was 46,364.

The total number of policies in force in the branch at.the end of the year was 25,083,010 ; their average duration exceeds thirteen years.

The assets of the Company, in both branch., as shown in the balance sheet, are £91,202,344, being an increase of £4,209,341 over those of 1913. .

The outbreak of hostilities in August last placed upon the Directors the grave responsibility of deciding what charge, if any, should be made to policyholders on active service. After careful consideration it was decided to charge no extra premium in respect of existing policies on the lives of those engaging for the period of the war, and in respect of existing Doliciea on the lives of other members of the regular forces it was decided that 5250 .f assurance on any life should be exempted from the payment of extra p emium.

In the Ordinary Branch a reversionary bonus at the rate of £1 10.. per cent, on the original cues seared has been added to all classae of partici-pating policies issued since the year 1870.

In the Industrial Branch a bonus addition will be madp to the sums assured on policies of over live years' duration which become claims eith 'r by death or maturity of endowment from the 5th of March, 1915, to the 2ad of March, 1918 both dates inclusive, as fothews

PREMIUMS PAID FOR.

5 years and lees than 10 yea- s 10

IP I I

as 65 eo and Upward s

The sex Prulential Approved SooleVes formed under the National Inrein ante Act, 1911, have done important work during the year and the memb ship continues to increase. bince the commencement of the Act the Agency Staff has dietrLuted benefits exceeding £3,000,000 to the members at their own home.

Messrs. Deioitte, Plender, Griffiths & Co. have exami ed the securities, and their certificate is appended to t le balance sheets.

THOS. C. DEWEY, Charrenan. W. J. L NCASTER, Direceffs. F. SCHOOLING, f

J. BURN, Actuary. A, C. THOMPSON, G. R MAY, &ere ary. General M rre ter.

The full Beyer. ant Bolo tee Sheet can be obtai red upon application.

is

26 30 ss 40 46 50

„ „ so „

BO „ 86 „ 40 „

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;ONUS ADDITION 20 SUMS SSURED.

22 108. per cent. 25 PI £5 27 108. „ 210 II

£12 108. , £15 £20 It £30 ,, £10 £50 PP

• •

156 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. MARCH 11, 1915

JONATHAN AND HIS ARMOUR BEARER.

International Lesson for Sunday, Mar. 21, 1915: 1 Samuel xiv. 1-46. Go. T., Romans xiii. 12.

Guild of

Kind Hearts.

By Henry J. Pickett,

interests! (3) In yielding to envy and jealousy because of prominence and popularity won by those who have greatly dared for truth!

IV.—Nor should it surprise us to find, in vers. 45-46,

Saul's Public Rejection. following. the more private declaration of vers. 13-14 in the previous chapter. The heart and judgment of a nation is often sound, and they know who of us serve for self, and who for love's dear sake alone. Selfishness, envy, jealousy, the narrowness which cannot rejoice in another's gifts and success, the penalty assuredly is exclusion, loneliness,' contempt. It is possible to build our-selves out of the admiration, desire and friendship of others. This, too, is part of the wages of sin.

JESUS AND THE INQUIRER.

Endeavour Topic for Week beginning Mar. 14:

John iii. 1-15.

Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest court of justice and supreme council of Jerusalem. He was a man of influence, and the sequel described in to-day's Scripture shows him to have been liberal-minded to a degree unusual among Jewish officials. Compared with himself and his like, Jesus was only an untutored layman, yet by his frank admission of Jesus as "a Teacher come from God " he concedes the layman's right to teach when his credentials are bona fide. In the case of Jesus these credentials were the wonders He performed and the gracious words that He spoke. The tree must be judged by the fruit it bears, and not by the horticul-turist's label affixed to it. Providing the inquirer is in earnest, Jesus will lay open the truth he seeks. Proof of this is found in our Lord's compliance with the request of Nicodemus. Where Jesus had reason to doubt the inquirer's sincerity, he refused his request. His compli-ance and His refusal alike bear testimony to the know-ledge of men possessed by Jesus.

Jesus came not as an irregular Rabbi, but as the Founder of an entirely new order of things—" the King-dom of God." The phrase was old, but the thing implied was new. The fulfilment of the national hope was possible to the mind of Nicodemus only along the line of continuing what had been. But Jesus informs him that He had not come to perpetuate the old order, but to recreate. His programme- was "Regeneration "—" Ye must be born anew." There must be a new vision, a new start, and the experience of a new power. Regenera-tion is as real as it is mysterious. There is a comparison between the physical properties of the wind and the transforming power of " the Spirit." The waving branches and rustling leaves of the tree witness to the power which affects it, so the new life of the regenerated man witnesses to the spiritual power which has produced it. Mr. S. H. Hadley, speaking of his conversion, says " I promised God that night that if He would take away the appetite for strong drink I would work for Him all my life. He has done His part, and I have been trying to do mine."

This was the fact that made faith so difficult for Nico-demus—that a man who is physically, morally and spiritually the result of all his east, should be able to undergo so radical a change as the words of Jesus implied. " How can these things be?" The evidence for this inscrutable fact of conversion is the changed lives of those who have experienced it. And if Nicodemus cannot believe the possibility of the new birth in the face of such evidence, then he is quite incapable of comprehending those other truths that Jesus came to teach, •but which are not outwardly confirmed, as is conversion, by its fruits. The relatives of Dives who would not respond to the message of Moses and the prophets were incapable of responding to the more exalted appeal of Jesus and His disciples. If we will not admit the genuineness of a tree when its fruit is before us, then it is unlikely that we shall abandon our scepticism when no fruit is to be seen. Faith is always harder than unbelief but where there is an unwillingness to accent incontrovertible evidence faith becomes impossible. Here Nicodemus erred pitiably.

SAMUEL PALMER:

CONNEXIONAL MAGAZINES FOR MARCH. The " Aldersgate" is a strong, rich, and illuminating

number. The stories both serial and complete, are excel-lent. A few names of contributors are sufficient guaran-tee of the quality of the other contents. J. Day Thompson, William Archer, W. E. Ferndale, Edna Bell, Mary John-son, Sarah Doudney, .T. W. Cotton, M.B.A.A.. H. Yooll, H. B. Kendall, B.A., Eric W. B. Scott, A.R.I.B.A., with many others, are enough to whet appetite for this wonder-ful literary menu. The " Preachers' " and " Teachers' " magazines are indispensable to their respective classes of workers. " Springtime " is full of interest, and of the meat which will make young men and maidens strong of heart and well-furnished in mind. To those who have seen life's noon the " Christian Messenger " comes laden with cheer, comfort and instruction. " Morning " and " Child's Friend " were never better, than which they can receive no higher praise. Happy are those families which take them all and read them.

THE TREE BABIES. You all know the nursery rhyme about the tree babies

"Rock-a-bye, baby, in a tree top, When the wind blows the cradle will rock ; When the wind ceases the cradle will fall, Down will come baby, and cradle, and all."

But those are not the tree bribies I want to talk about, though I have noticed that the rooks are busy building their nests and getting ready for their black babies, which are due in a few weeks. Then the storm-wind will rock their cradles, and if the rooks did not make. the nests secure, every one of them would be blown to pieces.

There are other babies in trees. Just- now all the trees —.except, of course, the evergreens—are without leaves, but in a few weeks they, will be clothed with leaves of glorious green. Where are those leaves now? This very morning I have been looking at a horse - chestnut tree which grows in the road quite close to our house. By the way, I wonder if you know why this tree is called a horse-chestnut tree? I asked a man long, long- ago, and he said it was because horses liked to eat the nuts. A joker might say the horse likes to get the nuts on his chest. A friend said to me once : " Do you know why this is called a horse-chestnut tree?" pointing to such a tree near by-. I answered somewhat cautiously : "Well, I have heard several reasons ; but do you know ? " " Yes," he said, " I do ; and I'll show you something." He quickly broke off a small branch, and, bringing it to me, said : " Now you look here! Wherever a leaf is joined to a branch, or a twig or small branch, grows out of another, there is the shape of a horse's foot. - And whenever you break off a leaf you find on the twig a horse's shoe." I looked, and sure enough it was as he said. Yet probably your school teacher will give you quite another reason for the name of this tree. But it was our horse-chestnut tree I wanted to talk about. (It is not really ours ; it belongs, I expect, to the city of Sheffield, but that does not matter.) All over the tree are big buds, brown and sticky, and inside the buds there are -baby leaves and baby blossoms. These are the tree babies, and they are as well cared for as was the little baby that once came to your house. The tree is like a good mother. When you go to bed, you are wrapped in blankets to keep you warm. When you ge out of doors this winter time, your mother puts, you on a warm coat, and some of you who are specially fortunate have a mackintosh for rainy or snowy weather. The baby-leaves have all these things. The mother-tree wraps them in warm, white blankets. Over this warm covering she wraps a brown coat, and over this she puts a sticky covering to keep out the rain and the snow. Let the wind blow ever so cold, and the rain fall ever so fast, the tree-babies are safe and warm.

Last autumn the leaves on the tree began to turn brown. When the cold winds blew, the whole tree seemed to shiver, and the leaves began falling. A. few cold nights, one or two little windstorms, and nothing more was needed to strip the tree. But where the leaves had been were little brown buds, with new baby-leaves inside. Snug and warm they are this cold March day, but very soon—perhaps to-morrow—the sun will shine, and the wind will blow from the south-lands, and they will say to the tree-babies, " Wake up! Wake up ! Spring is coming ! " All over the land the babies of the hedges and the trees will awake, and one morning, to our surprise, we shall see the hedges and trees in their new spring robes. The snow-drops have come. The crocuses and the daffodils are here. The lambs are in the meadows. Baby rabbits are in the burrows. The birds are seeking places for their nests-. Away in Asia and Africa the birds which left us last autumn are turning their eyes again this way, and soon they will be coming back to us—the swallows, the nightin-gales, and thousands of others. We shall have sunshine and warm days, and both young and old will be glad. Our Father-God looks ahead, and plans for our happiness. If men and women and little folks would only learn to be good and kind, this would be a glad world. As it is, people so often spoil God's plans, and do hurt to them-selves and one another. Let us pray that God will teach all people to do right and love one another all the time.

Short Stories for Everybody. At a Primitive Methodist Sunday-school prize distribu-

tion a little girl went on the platform to receive her reward, which was a book entitled " The Better Part." The minister asked the little girl if she could tell him who chose " the better part" (he was thinking of Mary, who lived at Bethany), and he was very much amused to receive the answer, " My mother." Everybody laughed and applauded the girl's reply.

A four-year-old boy is learning to pronounce the aspirate. He knows the meaning between "hill " and " ill." When ho thinks of a word like " hand " he asks if there is an " h" in it, so that he may say it correctly,. The other day his brother told him the story of Jonah, and all at once the little fellow asked, !` Is there an " h " in Jonah?" Yes," said his brother, "at the end." "Then is it Jonah-uh ? " he asked.

New members received for the Guild at any time. Semi on name, age and address, with promise to be kind. Badges are one penny each. An extra penny stamp to be sent for return postage. Mark letters " Guild," and address tq Rev. ARTHUR Jtenn, 218, Chippinghouse-road, Sheffield.

PEARL ASSURANCE COMPANY, LTD.—This company, like others, has had to meet a number of claims owing to the war. But in spite of this the balance-sheet shows an excel-lent year's business. The total income for the year was £3,466,896. Twenty-two thousand six hundred and sixty-three policies were issued during the year. The com-pany's imposing new buildings in Holborn are in them-selves a mark of immense progress.

1.—Saul does not again appear in the favourable light of last week's study. The promise of courage and devotion we then witnessed is broken off, and he rapidly drops down to the lowest depths of cowardice, jealousy, and murder. In estimating the lesson now before us, and especially in the study of Jonathan's daring, we must not forget that, in the interval of our lessons, Saul had been guilty of an act of shocking disobedience (see Chap. xiii.), and had received notice from Samuel that he would be deprived of his throne by a successor more "after God's own heart" (see ver. 14). A,11 this indicated a moral lapse and growing unfitness, which, to a keenly observing re-ligious youth like Jonathan, would come as a great shock. Nor could Jonathan have been ignorant of Samuel's warn-ing, though, apart from sharing his father's wickedness, Jonathan's loyalty to his father is beautiful, and, as we shall see later, was illustrated not only in life, but in death. Later, too, we may seek to estimate the character of Jonathan ; meanwhile, with this key in our hands, we shall discover here an example of daring and devotion almost without parallel in history.

IL—The lesson now to be studied is full of excitement, reaching heights of thrilling interest. Taking the lead-ing characters of Father and Son, it is full of startling contrasts also, yet just such contrasts as we may see in life, the differences being explained by the absence and presence of religion, or the real presence of God in life. The lesson to-day proves, and future studies of Jonathan will justify the statement, as a key to his character and work, that he was intensely religious, devotion to God was a passion, love of his fellow-man was worthy of centuries much later than his own. The first view of the lesson is that of

Jonathan's Sublime Daring. The teacher should be careful to point out that the last sentence of ver. 1 is entirely creditable to Jonathan. He knew his father's timidity, he must have felt keen dis-appointment as he marked the evident signs of moral decay, and it is almost certain that his father would have sternly forbidden such an attempt as an evidence of youthful folly. But even more eagerly it should be pointed out that Jonathan's daring was the daring of faith; there was no personal ambition nor love of dis-play ; it was prompted by desire to help his father, still more by a righteous anger against the wicked insults of the Philistines, most of all by his intense desire for the Divine honour. After describing fife. proposal and the achievement as set forth in vers. 1-16, the teacher will go on to point out that precisely similar courage is called for to-day. Then, as now, (1) Evil challenges the good. We ought to see and hear in the prevailing indifference to God's honour, in the awful Sabbath desecration, in the ravages of the drink traffic, in the destruction of young life by gambling, in the attraction of low, corrupting pleasure, in the horror of war, God's pointing finger and God's clear call to denunciation, separation, attack. To be silent and inactive is to confess a condition of -life far away from the heat of God's consuming fire against all wrong-doing. To skulk behind the statement that pro-test would be of no use is shocking cowardice. Then, as now, (2) God's honour is at stake. The presence and growth of evil unchecked and unrebuked is a perpetual menace not only to the Divine authority, but to the Divine existence itself. We cannot better encourage evil than by resigning ourselves to the feeling that it is in-evitable, that protest is useless. All the might and boast of evil is a menace to God's authority, and, if our hearts burn with zeal for God, we can no more be silent or indifferent than was Jonathan to those on the opposite cliff who laughed at Israel's helplessness. Then, as now, (3) Witness for God must take risks. History on its best side is a tribute to individual daring which "counted not its own life dear unto itself." The apostles, Savonarola, Wycliffe, Luther, Bunyan, Carey, Livingstone, Wesley, our own founders, these followed the example of Jona-than, who said : God is more than the body, more than big majorities, more than outward success. It does not matter what happens to us. It does matter infinitely what happens to truth, to honour, to the reputation of the Church. Here we find the supreme motive of Jonathan, and it must be ours.

III.—The remainder of the study is an utter contrast, serving to throw into brighter light the superiority of Jonathan and his faithful armour bearer. We mark

Saul's Criminal Folly. (vers. 17-38). We must not be misled by Saul's apparent concern for the ritual of religion, nor for the erection by him of his " first altar" (ver. 35). He was so obviously indifferent to the real things, the things that mattered, namely, the vindication of God's authority, as an answer to the boast of the Philistines, as to attempt to veil his jealousy of his own son by a concern for the observances cf religion. What hypocrisy it is to ignore honesty, sin-cerity, purity of thought, and yet claim to be very anxious about certain religious observances. Saul's care that they should not transgress by eating flesh with blood in it (vers. 33-34), and by ordering a fast when, inspired by the heroism of his son, the enemies of God were in flight. and the people should have rallied to the brave leadership of the young prince, all this is too clearly a covering to hide a terribly wicked spirit, even to the length of sacrificing his brave lad, rather than lose a bit of his external authority ! How possible for us to repeat Saul's crime, in other ways ? (1) In imputing wrong motives to those who are bearing brave witness for God. (2) In spreading unfounded rumour concerning some, who. because they are attacking evil, incur the hate of vested

MARCH 11, 1915

THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER.. 157

the inspiring message which he gave us A will not be forgotten for very many-days.

Quarterly Meetings. Church News. Barnsley Second.

The church at Low Valley has experi-enced a glorious time during the mission of Mr. J. Carey, of Thornley. We have had souls saved, backsliders reclaimed, and the whole church has been quickened. We have had another glimpse of old time Methodism which has done much to in-crease the spiritual fervour and atmo-sphere of our church.. We shall ever remember the services. Birkenhead.

A successful concert was given at Grange-road by the " Cecilia Ladies' Choir " of our Grange-road Church, on Thursday. The proceeds were in aid of the " Queen's Work for Women Fund " and the Church Trust Fund: The Mayoress of the Borough (Mrs. Arkle) presided, and in a neat speech at the interval complimented Mies L. Cuthbert (conductor) and the young ladies on the excellence. The artistes rendered splendid ,service, and were well received by the large audience. The pro-ceeds amounted to over £6. The choir is doing excellent service in our local churches.

Birtley. A concert was given at Ouston on

February 27th by the married people's choir. Mr. M. H. Winter presided. After the concert a supper was provided. On Sunday, Mr. John Harrison was the preacher in the morning. In the evening a service of song, " Old Davie," was given by the married people's choir, under the conductorship of Mr. R. Urwin, the organist being Mr. R. Anderson. The connective readings were given by Mrs. R. Anderson. Proceeds for church funds. Brotton.

A very successful faith tea and concert was held in the Brotton Church, promoted by the ladies of the circuit, on Wednesday. February 24th. The concert was presided over by Mrs. T. R. Holtby. Proceeds, which amounted to '24 3s., were for the manse fund. Burton First.

In connection with a series of social evenings, given for the funds of our Mosley-street Church, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Chapman arranged a delightful evening on Wednesday last, when the family, assisted by a couple of their friends, presented an excellent programme, which included an amusing sketch entitled " The Scamp Next Door." Refreshments were pro-vided during the evening. There was a crowded schoolroom, and the evening was in every way a success. Chester-le-Street.

On Wednesday, February -24th, the infants' class at Central Church gave their annual tea and concert. A large number sat down to tea, and at night gave a concert, consisting of solos, action songs, etc., under the leadership of Sister E. Robson. Mrs. M. Pringle accompanied, and Mr. R. Clark was chairman. At the close of the pioceedings the teachers of the above class, Brothers R. Bolt and J. Bewick and Sister Robson, were able to hand over to the trustees the sum of £20 ls. to help with the church debt.

Fakenham. The Endeavour anniversary was cele-

brated on February 21st and 22nd. Rev. A. Benham, of King's Lynn, was the special preacher. In the afternoon a sacred concert was held, when several troopers of the Berks Yeomanry were among the artistes. On the Monday Rev. C. Humble, Connexional C.E. Secretary, preached in the afternoon. A tea-table conference followed, the conversation being opened by Rev. A. Tucker. The evening meeting was well sustained by Revs.. Benham and Humble. Harringay.

On Thursday, February 26th, we received a visit from Rev. A. T. Guttery, who delivered to a most enthusiastic audience his popular lecture, entitled " The Duty and Glory of Britain." Harringay has been favoured on previous occasions with the presence of Mr. Guttery, and he has never failed to stir and enthuse our people. On this occasion he made an even greater _impression upon us. The eloquent description of the glories of our Empire, both at present and in the past ; his presentation of what is our duty in this greet national crisis, and his evident con-viction as to the issue which is before us, filled his hearers with a great joy, and a hope which will not leave us until the whole of the - oloud now darkening our heaven has been dispersed. His visit and

High Wycombe. ,

Professor Humphries has paid a visit tet this circuit, and dealt with the subject of Local Preachers' Training. Rev. G. Trusler and Mr. J. Holland, C.C., pre-'I sided at the Tea Table Conference, and Mr. A. Jackson, of Croydon, presided at the evening meeting. The event was much enjoyed. The President of Conference (Rev. G. Bennett) visited. White Hare.' street Church on Saturday, preached in the afternoon, and in the evening gave a lecture, with Mr. H. Haddow as chairman. The timely utterances were highly interesting and stimulating. Hull First.

In connection with the Ebenezer Church, Spring Bank, a very interesting gathering was held on February 24th,- in the form of a social, given annually by Mrs. Tyler to the young ladies of her two classes. Mrs. Tyler, who is much respected, was pre-sented with a silver-plated cake basket from her Sunday afternoon . class. In thanking._ them, Mrs. Taylor said she needed nothing more to assure her of their devotion than their kind and loyal sup-port, and this they had ever been ready to give. Leicester Second.

The prizes recently awarded to Sunday scholars in Leicester Second Circuit, in connection with the Scripture examination, were gained by George Wood, Enderby (Senior Division), 82 marks ; Willie Clements, Hinckley-road (Upper Mid), 95 marks. He also gained the First District prize. L. W. Orton, Wigston. Magna (Lower Mid), 96 marks ; and H. Broughton, Wigeton Magna (Junior), 90 marks. Liverpool Second.

At Boundary-street on Wednesday last, the 3rd inst., we concluded a series of teas and socials in aid of our trust fund, and they have been remarkably successful. Ten of our young men have joined the Colours, one of whom we hear has been killed at the Front. Our people are noted for their loyalty and generosity, and they have "a mind to work," and, therefore, we keep forging ahead. At these teas and socials the following sums have been raised by the groups named : The Juniors; £3 6s. 10d. ; the unmarried ladies, £9 18s. 3d. ; the married. ladies, £18 3s. 5d. ; the married and unmarried men, £24 17s. ; total, £56 5s. 6d. This will enable as to pay our way, and reduced our consolidated debt by £20. Our -best thanks are offered to all who have kindly helped us in this enter-prise. Swinton. Mee

The forty-fifth anniversary of the church was held on February 21st and 22nd. Th. preacher on the Sunday was Rev. J. N. Clague. In the afternoon a musical service was presided over by Mr. E. Fletcher. On Monday there was a tea, kindly given by Mr. and Mrs. B. Lindley, and Mr. and Mrs. C. Heeson. The evening meeting was addressed by Rev. M. Dobinson and J. N. Clague, chairman Mr. H. Mann. Mr. M. Guest presented the report, which was considered highly satisfactory. The total proceeds of anniversary amounted to £25, a substantial increase on any similar event at this church. Tottenham.

A concert was held at Northumberland Park, on Thursday last, under the direc-tion of Mr. C. W. Skinner. We were favoured with some of the best-known artistes in Tottenham, each one of whom delighted the crowded audience with their songs and recitations. Mr. W. Plumb, presided. Rev. J. Bowles,' and Mr. H. Skinner thanked the friends for coming to our aid. Proceeds, • £5 12s., which was devoted to trust funds.

• Whitehaven.

One of the healthiest institutions in con-nection with the Whitehaven Church is the Men's. Bible-class. Throughout the past year this class has rendered splendid help to all branches of church work. Sunday, February 28th, was the class anniversary, and the day's services proved a great suc-cess. For the third year in succession Mr. Peter Robson, of Carlisle, conducted the services. The afternoon was devoted to a splendid musical service rendered by local artistes and Mr, Robson. The chairman was Mr. Edward Gregory. A good congre-gation assembled in the evening. Rev. E. Campbell conducted the preliminary devo-tions, and read out the church roll of honour, containing thirty-five names. Most of these young men were actively associated with the Bible-class, and on enlisting were presented with a neat Testament. Special prayer was offered on their behalf. The choir also rendered excellent service.

Batley. Held at Wellington-street. Taking nine-

teen names from roll, we report 195 mem-bers, being same as last year. Mis-sionary and orphanage contributions in advance of last year. Trust estates in healthy condition ; debts reduced at Wellington-street and Gomersal. West Ardsley Chapel has been altered and re-novated during the year at total cost -of £197, and £130 of this amount has been raised during the year. Kilpin Hill Trust has invested £36 in the C.A.A. Sunday-school, C.E., and Band of Hope reports were considered -satisfactory. Messrs. Thos. Gladwin and Ernest Childe were re-elected circuit steward and secretary re-spectively. A hearty invitation was given to Rev. T. Pearson Ellis to superintend the circuit for a fifth year (1916-17), which Mr. Ellis accepted. Birming. m Third. - Held at Regent-street, Smethwick. An increase of five members was reported to Conference. The school report showed an increase of -five teachers and sixty-four scholars. The trust funds were very satis-factory ; six out of seven had balances in hand at the end of the year, and £295 had been paid off the chapel debts. The mis-sionary income was not quite complete, but at least £36 would be available for division between the Home and African Funds £3 9s. ed. had been sent to the Aged Local Preachers' Fund, and col-lections were appointed to be taken at each school for the Orphanage Homes. Rev. T. A. Kelly remains on the circuit for a fourth year at an increased salary, and will be succeeded -by Rev. D. Dunn in 1916. Mr. J. Perkins was appointed dele-gate to District meeting, and Mr. W. J. Short was nominated for Conference. - Blackburn First.

Held at Branch-road, March 4th. Presi-dent, Rev. T. J. Watson ; Secretary, Rev. J. H. Briggs. The attendance'was excel-lent. The ministers were unanimously in-vited to remain—Mr. Watson for a third years, and his colleague for a second. The delegates to District meeting are Rev. J. H. Briggs and Mr. E. Fielding. Mr. Collings and Mr. Manning were re-elected circuit stewards. Statistical returns relating to Trust, Schools, Endeavour and Bands of Hope were considered very satisfactory, in most departments progress being reported. The income for the missionary funds tin--fortunately showed a deficiency on the pre-vious year. Blackpool.

Meeting held at Chapel-street, under the presidency of Rev. John Bradbury. There was a capital attendance. The cir-cuit is in a prosperous condition, the sum of £630 having been paid off chapel debts during the year, and the report of mem-bers showed an increase of fifteen. The delegate to District meeting is Mr. J. Turner, vice-delegate Mr. F. Eccles. Several votes of condolence were passed, and Mr. Martin W. Pinker, candidate for the ministry, was heartily congratulated on having passed the oral examination. Good spiritual work is being done, in which all our churches are sharing. Primitive Methodism has done its share in catering for the moral and spiritual welfare of the large number of troops billeted in the town, and our influence in the borough is increasing. Bottesford.

Held on Monday last. Rev. A. Hodgson accepted invitation to remain another year. Mr. G. May was elected delegate to Dis-trict meeting, and Mr. T. W. Silverwood vice-delegate. -Messrs. May and Wright re-elected to District Committee. Bradford Fifth. •

Held at Dudley Hill. Chairman, Rev. F. Hobson. Secretary, Mr. H. W. Peel. The yearly schedules indicate encouraging progress. The Sunday-schools all report an increase of scholars. The week-night classes aro well attended. An increase of ten members is reported to District meet-ing. The trust schedules show an income of £806 for the year. £60 has been paid off debt at Dudley Hill, £90 at Tennyson-place, and £86 has been placed in New Hey-road New Church Building Fund. There is an increase of £4 3s. 5d. in mis- sionary income, and £1 10s. in orphanage income. - Mr. Wm. Farrar, the oldest local preacher, was elected delegate to District meeting. Alderman A. Peel. J.P., was re-elected circuit' steward. A unanimous invitation was given to Rev. F. Hobson for a fifth year (1917-18), and accepted. Bridlington. - Held on Wednesday, and was largely

attended. Rev. W. Turner presided, with

Rev. G. Tucker as secretary. The various reports showed the membership had been maintained. There were forty-four tassel during the year, but all had been made up. The great circuit effort was com- pleted and over £800 had been raised and paid off debt during the year. Mr. J. W. Wilson was appointed circuit steward for a sixth year, and Mr. W. Woodcock and Mr. J. W. Wilson elected delegates to District meeting. Rev. W. Turner and Rev. G. Tucker are ministers for next year. Carlisle.

Held at Cecil-street, March 4th. Bev. W. Raistrick presided. Mr. J. Gibson secretary. Letters of sympathy were sent Messrs. C. Waddell, J.P., and R. Muckley in their illness. Arrangements were made for the visit of Rev. A. T. Guttery during the quarter. Messrs. G. Clark and D. Elliott come upon the plan as full local preachers, also Mr. W. Bamborough ou receipt of his credentials from the Spenny-moor Circuit. The various repotts were received and approved, the membership standing same as last quarter. Circuit stewards. Messrs. W. Foster and F. J. Doidge were re-elected. The following were elected delegates to district meeting: Messrs. A. C. Kilviegton and P. Robson, with Messrs. R. Thompson and J. Gibson as vice. Touching reference was made to the death of Rev. J. Smith, and a letter of condolence is to be sent. Chester First.

Meeting held at George-street, March 3rd. Excellent attendance. We report 505 members, an increase of five, after taking fifty-seven names off the roll. The financial statements were very encourag- ing. The sum raised during the year for all purposes amounted to nearly £1,850. including £127 for missionary funds. and £54 for the " Work in the Army Fund." Rev. G. Hunt and Mr. J. H. Davidson were appointed delegates to the District Synod. Revs. G. Hunt and F. W. Henshall both remain in the circuit next year, a fourth year in each case. Application from Piper's Ash trustees for sanction to pur- ' chase the land (now leased) on which the chapel and school are built was received and approved. Crowle. '

Held at Crowle, on Friday, March 51./. We report a slight increase in members ; also a slight advance in missionary revenue. The general finances of the sta-tion were considered very encouraging e a good spiritual tone prevails throughout the station ; a number of conversions have taken place during the quarter. Rev. J. Southall and Mr. R. Fowler were the elected delegates to District Meeting, with 'Rev. R. B. Hall and Mr. J. Neal as vice. At the close of business Mrs. Jas. Gibson and family generously entertained the brethren to tea, Messrs. D. Amery and A. H. Blackburn voiced our thanks, and Mr. Jno. Gibson responded. Derby Fourth-

Quarterly Meeting held of Dale-road. We report same membership as last year. Trust debts have been reduced. at each place, viz., Dale-road, £122 10s. ; St. 'rhomas-road, £31 10s. ; and Graham-. street, £3. Income balanced with outgo. Mr, T. S. Ball re-elected circuit steward, with Mr. T. Toplis junior steward, and Mr. A. Colborn secretary. Minister 1915-16, Rev. J. A. Taylor (third year). Helpful con-versation on woik of God, introduced by Bro. B. Pipe, which was worthily taken part in by brethren present. Delegate to District meeting, Rev. J. A. Taylor ; vice, Mr. B. Pipe. Nomination for Conference, Mr. T. S. Ball. Durham.

Meeting held on Saturday. The attend-ance was good. An unusual number of deaths had to be reported, including the wife of Rev. E. Evans, Mr. W. Heppell and others. Dr. J. Wilson, M.P., and Mr. J. Coward, J.P., have both been ill, and the former is still very unwell. Two young men, R. S. Gray and C. Nixon, were accepted as candidates for the plan. F. Kendal was given permission to accom-pany sacristan preachers and assist them by singing. Every trust had a balance in. hand at the year's end. £242 has been paid off the debts. Number of meenbers reported to Heteon District meeting 700, the same as last year. The Sunday- school; Christian Endeavour and Temper-ance reports show slight increases on the year's work. Messrs. R. ,Rutherford and G. Best were appointed delegates to Dis-trict meeting, with Messrs. W. T. Iredale and R. Booth as vice-delegates. The circuit is asking the district meeting to hold their meetings in • Durham in 1916. £110 has been raised for the missionary funds and £2 4s. 6d. for Aged Local Preachers' Fund. There is a balance of over £6 is hand after meeting all circuit claims. In

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158 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. MARCH 11, 1915

commemoration of their jubilee of mem-bership Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Oliver pro-vided tea for the representatives, and the occasion was made memorable by the presence of Rev. M. P. Davison, General Committee Secretary, and life-long friend of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver. In a few well-chosen words Mr. Davison voiced the thanks of the representatives to Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and offered hearty congratula- tions. Rev. H. Fletcher added a few words, and the circuit steward thanked the ladies who presided at the tables. • Halstead and Great Bardfield.

Quarterly meeting was held March 4th. The chapel and circuit affairs received careful consideration. We have a heavy deficiency. Revs. F. W. Wilkinson and R. G. Cooper were unanimously invited for another year, but both deferred their decision.

Heckmondwike. Held on Saturday. Note was taken of

the passing of Bro. Thomas Greenwood, the oldest local preacher in the circuit, at the age of eighty-five years, and also of Mrs. Greenwood. The reports showed an increase of Junior Endeavourers and of S.S. scholars, and that the funds have been well sustained. Rev. T. Dowson leaves the circuit in 1916, and Rev. A. Bateson was invited to succeed him. Bro. G. Bean was elected as delegate to District meeting. Jarrow.

Held at Jarrow on March 6th. Two local preachers and many members have joined the forces. Suitable resolutions were passed. The S.S. and circuit schedules were approved. We report 578 members, increase 10 ; 1,986 scholars, in-crease 26 ; 227 teachers, increase 3. The trusts have had a splendid year. In addi-tion to the money raised for the new build-ing at Pelaw, we have paid off debts £130, and invested with the C.A.A. £568. The property is valued at £15,000, with a total net indebtedness of under £1,000. The financial report showed an income of £109, and balance of- £9 10s. ; £10 has been raised for the orphanages. Mr. Jas. Smith, jun., was elected delegate to Dis-trict meeting. All branches of the church are in a thoroughly healthy condition. Kiveton Park.

Held on February 27th, Rev. W. J. Musson presiding. After removing fifty-four names we report an increase of two members ; increase of nineteen members in Senior C.E.'s, thirteen Intermediates, and twelve Juniors were reported ; also four-teen more scholars, and thirteen more Band of Hope members than last year. Each Trust has made substantial reduc-tions of debt during the year. Kiveton Park has installed a new heating apparatus at a cost of £34, and reduced the debt by £44. Shireoaks has extinguished its debt, North Anston has paid off £30 ; Firvale £15, and the manse debt has been reduced by £30. At Aston-terrace £50 has been spent on a new vestry, and £20 paid off the debt in addition. While Dinnington has done splendidly in raising £150 to complete pay-ment for a £300 organ, and paying £50 off the debt besides. On Trust property worth £10,490, only ,£2,475 remains as debt. Fifty-five young men from our churches and schools are serving in the new armies.

• Rev. W. J. Musson removes to Chesterfield Second in July, after a four years' term, and will be succeeded . by Rev. D. M. Bowman. Knighton. - Held on Friday last. Well attended. Harmonious and devotional. We have a healthy roll of 170 and twenty juniors. Mr. W. A. Roberts delegate to District meeting. Rev. W. Turner, of Darlaston, succeeds the present minister. About fifty were entertained to a sumptuous tea by Kr. and Mrs. J. L. Allcock. After tea Mr. Allcock was the recipient of a large platinotype photo of himself, suitably framed and inscribed : "To Mr. J. L. Allcock, U.D.C., in appreciation of twenty-five, after taking 202 off the books in the the Knighton Circuit. March 5th, 1915." Leigh.

Held at Leigh on Saturday. The schools, trusts, Bands of Hope, and Chris-tia Endeavourers were found to be in a heaTthy condition. The tea was the gift of Mr. J. Henn (society steward) and his wife, for which the thanks of the friends were voiced by Rev. W. Newns and Mr. R. Allen. A resolution was passed urging the Government to take drastic action with the liquor traffic in this national crisis. A most interesting conversation on the spiritual condition of the circuit was an ocoasion of much heart-searching. Mem-bership same as last year, and the mis-sionary revenue considerably in advance. This last item is mainly due to the Glaze-brook Society.

Lichfield. Held at Brownhills. Splendid tone per-

vaded meeting. £217 has been paid off the trust debt, £66 invested for new pro-jects, and £90 spent on renovation of Brownhills Manse. Missionary income, £70 ls. 6d., an increase of £8 on any pre-vious year. Membership report showed an increase of forty. Superintendent minister's salary was increased. Rev. E. F. Martin (second minister) leaves this year for Yarmouth, and will be succeeded by Rev. George E. Wallace. Rev. J. Brace Evans was engaged for a third year (1916-17). Liverpool Second.

Meeting held at Boundary-street on the 4th inst. After removing fifteen per cent. of the members off the roll during the year we report the same number as at last March, with an increase of seven juniors. The circuit steward .has a balance in hand. We have formed a new trust at Boundary-street, and we have paid £20 off the trust debt at Boundary-street, and £20 off that at Tue Brook. The schedules showed that our work in the Schools, En-deavour, and the Temperance departments is on the whole prosperous. Delegate to District Synod : Rev. P. Nume ; vice-dele-gate, Mr. A. W. Sizer, jun. Our minister was very heartily invited to continue with us, and he promised to do so.

Liverpool Third. Meeting held at Everton-road on March

3rd. The reports showed all departments healthy throughout the circuit. The in-come covered the expenditure, and the cir-cuit debt will be liquidated by June. We reported, 300 members, a record increase for the quarter, and an increase of 43 mein-bars for the year. We have been steadily advancing for years, and there is every prospect that this steady advance will be maintained. Notice was given to invite ministers in June. Mr. W. J. Cochrane is our delegate to the District Meeting, and Mr. Arthur Kinnish vice-delegate.

Luton First. Held at Cardigan-street on Wednesday.

The reports from the various departments showed the circuit to be fairly prosperous'. There are 410 members, an increase of five ; the income for the quarter was equal to the outgo. The delegates to the District meeting are Rev. W. Curry and Mr. J. A. Ashby. .Sharpenhoe wishes to build a weather-porch to their chapel, and High Town to improve the lighting and heating of their school ; both were approved. At the conclusion of the business the circuit officials were entertained to supper by the circuit steward, Mr. F. C. Effingham.

Manchester Sixth. , Held at Great Western-street on March

6th, under the presidency of Rev. James Lockhart. The quarterly revenue, as usual, balanced with the expenditure. We report to District meeting an increase of six members for the year. We have about thirty young men from Great Western-street Church who have obeyed the " call " to the Colours. Rev. A. L. Humphries, MA., is our delegate to District meeting, with Rev. Nathan Haigh as vice. This meeting was exceptionally Solemnized by the fact that during the quarter we had suffered two very severe losses by death. Our beloved and venerable circuit steward, Mr. John Sutcliffe, had died while on a visit to London, at the age of eighty-five, and later Mrs. Lockhart had been called home while still in the prime of life. Suitable and heartfelt resolutions were placed upon the records. A unani-mous request was made to Mr. T. L. Sut-cliffe to fill the post of circuit steward, to which he acceded. Even under the ad-verse conditions, the circuit reports pro-gress in every department, the numbers remaining at the prayer-meetings and sacramental services always calling forth remarks of delight, from the President downwards. The invitation to Rev. James Lockhart for a fourth year was unani-mously given, and heartily accepted.

Manchester Seventh. Held on Saturday, under the presidency

of Rev. F. W. Brett. The circuit is in a prosperous state, and is able to report the following increases :-Fifteen adult mem-bers, thirty junior members, thirty Sun-day-school scholars, thirty Christian Endeavourers. Barnes Green Chapel debt has been reduced by £150, and Light-bowne-road debt by £70, besides which over £1,000 have been raised towards the new schools recently opened at Newton Heath. Mr. W. Bentley was recommended as a delegate to Conference and re-appointed circuit steward, after having held that position for twelve years. Dele-gate to District meeting, Rev. F. 'W. Brett, Mr. S. Clayton vice.

Marylebone. Held on March. 1st at Seymour-place.

We report a decrease in members, which is covered by removals and deaths. Reports of chapels, Sunday-schools, Tem-perance and Endeavour sections were pre-sented by Rev. J. Learmonth. A list of young men who have enlisted was also presented, and they were commended to the care of our Heavenly Father. Mr. W. Child, a local preacher of over fifty years' standing, was appointed delegate to Dis-trict meeting, and Mr. W. J. Nelson vice-delegate. Arrangements were made to secure a successor to Rev. J. Learmonth, who leaves in 1916 after seven years' ser- vice. Mr. C. J. Hearn was re-elected circuit steward.

Reading. Meeting held at London-street on

Wednesday last. Rev. J. Arthur Alderson in the chair. After paying all accounts there was a nice balance in the hands of the circuit steward. We report 722 merri-bers, an increase of thirty for the past year, after taking sixty-seven off the roll. We have lost sixteen by death during the year, and thirty-four have removed to other stations. This is the third year in succession we have had the joy of reporting an increase, which now totals to eighty-five, after taking 202 off the books in the some period. All departments of the circuit are in a healthy condition, with the exception of a decrease of thirty-five scholars owing to the removal of families. Chapel debts have been reduced by £64, there being a debt of only £1,763 on the entire circuit property valued at £14,540. The turnover in the trust accounts for the year amounts to £858. Revs. Thomas Stones and H. J. Taylor are to be the missionary deputations for the November and December rounds respectively. Rev. E. I. Devenish has been granted three months' rest owing to his breakdown in health, and arrangements are being made for his work to be supplied. Mr. Devenish is seeking superannuation at Conference. The delegates to District Synod are Rev. J. A. Alderson and Messrs. J. E. Coates and G. Naish. We have sent a strong recommendation urging the Synod tgi place our superintendent in nomination for the Vice to the Book Steward, his splendid business training and qualifications eminently fitting him for such a position.

From the report given by the chairman it was realised that the arrangements for the Conference are proceeding satisfactorily. The meeting was enthusiastic over the acceptance of Professor Peaks of the invitation to preach the Conference Mis-sionary Sermon.

Runcorn.

Meeting held last Saturday. It was decided to report the same number of members as last year, leaving a reserve. The missionary revenue was one guinea in advance of preceding year. £400 had been paid off Runcorn Chapel debt, making a total of £545 in two years, besides spend-ing about £90 in repairs. The circuit has contributed £9 2s. 6d. to the Army Fund. Rev, J. S. White was unanimously invited to remain for a fourth year, and accepted. He will retire from the active ministry in 1916. We invite the Liverpool Synod for 1916. Mr. W. Killcross was recommended as a candidate for the ministry, to take effect in 1916. Mr. Joseph Spruce was appointed delegate to the Synod, and Mr. W. H. Richardson as vice. Messrs. Spruce and Richardson will be representa-tives on the District Committees, and Mr.

Aston and Mr. Richardson on School Committee.

Saltburn.

Meeting held at Saltburn, March 3rd. We report an increase of members. We have a junior roll of 130 in the circuit. The Endeavour and Sunday-school de-partments also show progress. The debts on all our churches, also on the circuit manse, have been reduced during the year. The Redcar new church scheme is post-poned owing to the war. At a bazaar held previous to the outbreak of war, and other efforts, a sum of £450 has been accumu-lated toward the new church. Marske Chapel has had its indebtedness entirely removed during the year, and a new trust is to be formed. The recent bombardment on our shores has caused large numbers to remove to inland neighbourhoods, and amongst them have gone some of our best members and givers. Between thirty and forty of our workers have joined the Army Forces. The delegate to the District Meet-ing is Rev. G. J. Lane, vice-delegate Mr. T. Rawlings. Rev. G. J. Lane remains until 1916, when he will have completed a term of eight years on the station.

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THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. 159

Women's Missionary Federation.

Barry Dock. The first meeting of the Women's Mis-

sionary Auxiliary in connection with the Pyke-street Church was held March 3rd. There was a very good attendance, and the service was marked with intense enthusiasm. The Scripture was read and the chair taken by the president, Mrs. G. Wedlake, and Rev. J. Whittock offered prayer. Inspiring and instructive ad-dresses were delivered by Mrs. Youngs (president), of Cardiff Auxiliary, Mrs. Dr. Griffiths and Miss Roberts, Barry Dock, returned missionaries from the Kassia Hills, India. The addresses were most effective and instructive. The missionary letter was read by Mrs. J. Whittock, and solos effetively rendered by Messrs. J. Jones, J. G. Whittock, Miss M. Williams ably presiding at the organ. At the close a number of members were enrolled.

Gainaborough. The monthly meeting was held at Mister-

ton, presided over by Mrs. Baldwin. . The missionary letter was read by Mrs. Rolling-ton. Speaker, Rev. G. E. Rudram ; soloist, Miss Ida Wilson. The tea was kindly given by the Misterton ladies.

Middlesbrough. The meetings in January and February

were well attended and financially suc-cessful. The first was at Ayresom4-street. Mrs. F. W. Atkin presided, and an address was given by Rev. F. C. Challice on " Facts from the Field." The second meeting was at North Ormesby, when the speaker was Miss Richardson, from Jamestown, who held the attention of the audience while she spoke on " Twenty-one Years—Before and After," giving a detailed account of the difficulties of the work and the success achieved. Refreshments were provided by the ladies of the two churches.

Ripley. The Wood-street School prize distribu-

tion took place on February 28th. The event was a most auspicious one, upwards of 240 books being distributed amongst 320 scholars. The teachers also gave prizes to those candidates who sat for Scripture Examination for 1914. The result of the examination was very gratifying. Brother Jcel Walters (superintendent) ably pre-sided, and performed the distribution. Mr. F. Wharton was the capable secretary.

Shotley Bridge. Miss Richardson, from Jamestown Insti-

tute, West Africa, visited Consett on February 24th, and delighted her hearers with her enthusiastic story of the work among the girls at the Institute.. The appreciative audience was presided over by Mrs. E. J. George, of Consett. After the meeting a tea was provided by the Consett -Society, and a collection taken for African missions.

Sheffield. A largely attended drawing-room meet-

ing was held-at the Abbeydale Schoolroom on the 3rd inst. under the auspices of the Sheffield Adxiliary. Mrs. T. Robson gracefully presided, and an instructive and inspiring address was delivered by Rev. J. W. Richardson, of the Attercliffe Cir-cuit. Solos were admirably rendered by Mrs. Senior, with Miss Dudley as accom-panist, and Miss Pattie Hall excelled as elocutionist. Mesdames Barwett and J. Sivil and Rev. J. R. Tranmer also took part in the proceedings. Tea was served by the Abbeydale ladies, and £4 15s. was taken at the collection.

Stockton. On Thursday last about eighty ladies

attended our meeting at Bowesfield-lane. Mrs. Henderson presided. An excellent-address was given by Miss Richardson, of the Jamestown Girls' Institute. Her visit was the more interesting, because her col-leagues, Miss Elkins and Miss Roberts, have also addressed our women's meeting. Prayer was offered by Mrs. Walker. The lesson was read by Miss Jennings. Miss Doughty was the soloist, and Miss Childs was the accompanist. The missionary letter was read by Mrs. J. W. Parfitt. Afternoon tea was served and provided by the ladies of the Bowesfierd-lane Church. Revs. J. G. Brown and J. Roxby also took part in the service. Tebay.

Our monthly meeting was held in the schoolroom. Mrs. T. Brown presided over an excellent gathering. Mrs. Pearson read the missionary letter. Miss J. Atkinson and Mr. J. Lamb delighted all with their musical renderings on piano and harp. Mrs. W. J. Wharton gave an interesting reading, and Miss M. Gargate was the soloist. Supper was provided at the close.

Stockton.

We have had a very successful year. The trust debts have been reduced by £330 10s. The properties are now worth more than £24,000, and the debts remain-ing- are £3,400. After taking 61 names from the roll books we report 770, an in-crease for the year of 10. Rev. J. G. Bowran and Messrs. C. Murgatroyd and C. Brown were elected delegates to the Dis-trict meeting, and Rev. J. Henderson and Messrs. J. R. Gargett and W. Harding as vice-delegates. Thanks were given to Revs. J. G. Bowran and J. Roxby for taking classes through the winter for teacher training. Twelve of their pupils sat for the examination on the 3rd inst. In response to the appeal on behalf of the Ushaw Moor trustees in the Brandon Sta-tion, Mr. J. R. Clapham, J.P., kindly offered £5. The Quarterly Meeting gave another £5.

Tetney.

Meeting l eld at Tetney on Monday, March 1st. A fine attendance of officials. Muth pleasurs was manifest when Rev. W. H. Richardson spoke_hopef ally of the proposed erection of a new church in North Thoresby during 1915. In spite of the war more money has been raised for the circuit and other interests than for many years. Wold Newton debt has been ex-tinguished. Fulstow debt reduced. Sab-bath-schools have an average balance in hand of £3 3s. per school. A new manse was discussed and a committee appointed to make earnest attempts to secure a site. Rev. W. H. Richardson was asked to remain a fourth year (1916-17), but deferred his decision..

Watei:iouses.

Held at Lymington-terrace, February 27th. Rev. T. Dale presided, and Mr. G. Homan was secretary. Mr. W. Foster, key-man, reported on the Laymen's Mis-sionary League. It was decided to arrange for a visit From Hartley College students. The membership stands at 285, the same as last year, after taking off 31 names through removals, lapses and deaths. Coun. James Hammel was elected delegate to District meeting, and Mr. J. Fitzpatrick vice. Yearly reports were received and approved. Station finances were satis-factory, there being a small balance oh the quarter's working.

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CHILDREN THAT CURES RUPTURE.

Sent on Trial. If you have tried most everything else, come to us.

Where others fail hi where we have our greatest success. Bend attached coupon to-day, and we will send you free our illustrated book on Rupture and its Cure, showing the Appliance, giving you prices, and names of many people who Dave tried it and are extremely grateful. It is instant relief where all others fail. Remember, we uce no salves, no harness, no lies.

From a photograph of Mr. C. F. Brooks, Inventor of the appliance, who cured himself and whose

experience has since benefited thousands. If ruptured write to-day.

We make It to your ,measure and send It to you on a strict guarantee of 'Satisfaction or money refunded, and we have put our price so low that anybody, rich or poor, can buy it. We send it on trial to prove that what we say is true. You are the fudge, and once having seen our Illustrated book and read it, you will be as enthusiastic as the thousands of patients whose letters are on She in our office. Fill in the free coupon below and post to-day.

FREE INFORMATION COUPON. Brooks Appliance Co., 798B, Bank Bldg.,

Kingewny, London, W.G. Please send me by poet in plain wrapper your

Illustrated Book and full information about your Appliance for the cure of rupture.

NAME ........ ..... ......... ADDRESS

Please write plainly.

OR EAT SALE. LAST 14 DAYS.

8/11 COSTUME 3/ SKIRT FOR

and a pair of LADIES' SMART SHOES

FREE. We have just purchased a huge consignment of Warm Winter Serge Costume Cloth at a very low prlee,

, and will makeat once for any reader State of P.M. Leader a smartTallor-Built

Costume Skirt, in the very latest worn style and cut, in either Navy,Black,

Frown, Grey, Wine, Hello or Myrtle, to your own measuremente, for 8/. only, and to a Ivertise these goods we will present to State Zeni th, ev ■ry purchaser a puir of Smart Strapover _song and Shyes ABSOLUTELY FREE. Send your v measure lueneuremente to-day, with P.O. value 8/- (by poet 4d. extra), and we will make end despatch Skirt and Shoes at once. Money returned if not eatiefled. Dept. 221, YORKSHIRE MANUFACTURING CO., Godwin St., BRADFORD.

SLIDES SALE OR HIRE. EUROPEAN W./L11.

ARMY AND NAVY. The Best Obtainable for Religious and

Temperance EflOrta. NEW SUBJECTS FOR THIS BEASON.

HIRE STOCK HAND-PAINTED. A REVELATION TO LANTERNISTS.

COMPLETE LANTERN OUTFITS. Full Illustrated Catalogue, post free, ftd.

Write Manager, CHURCH ARMY (Q Room), 14, Edgware Road, London, W.

GUIDE BOOK FREE. Model Windows Shown. Laos Curtains, Nets,

Casement Fabrics, Linens, Lassa. ALL BRITISH MANU-FACTURE. Direct from Actual Makers. SEND NOW. It

will save you money. SAMUEL PEACH & SONS, 105, The Learns, NOTTINGHAM.

AHTIFICIAL TEETH (OLD) BOUGHT. We pay absolutely highest genuine prices ; up to Se. per tooth pinned on vulcanite, Ile on silver, 135. on gold, Ills. on platinum. Cash by return. If offer not accepted we return parcel poet free. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Bankers Parrs. S. CANN dl Co.. 69s., Market Street, Manchester. (Estd. DM.)

FOR SPECIAL SERVICES Use our Tract.. You will find them very useful. 500 11/-; 1,000 4/6 ; poet free, cash with order. We shall be glad to receive enquiries for any description of Plinking for Churchea or Sunday Schools, or fur

Business or Private Purposes.

PENDLEBURY & SONS, P.M. Printers, 17, Blackburn Road, Bolton.

Buy your CHAIRS for Primitive Methodist Churches and Schools from the .‘ P.M.'.

Chair Factory.

Speciality : Infants' Chairs for S. S. Primary Dept. ('Phme 172 *mein)

JOYNSON, HOLLAND & CO., High Wycombo.

CONCERNING THAT HEAVY DEBT.

Churches have repeatedly cleared /to In a fortnight by our Penny Scheme, which achieves each results WITHOUT BEGGING. Do not regarl this as a puff, but send clamp or particulars.

SLACK & CO., Printers, LINCOLN.

ANNIVERSARY MUSIC. Send stamp for samples of the popular CAMBRIAN MUSIC — Anthems, Chormes, Marches, Children's Pieces, vec. suitable for large or small Cholla.

DAVID JONES MUSIC PUBLISHER, ,P.M.OIRMASTER

THE CAMBRIAN OFFICE meat. P.M CH L), BARGOED, GLAM.,

A Choirmaster writes ;—" Very fine composltlone, and without doubt the best I have over seen."

MISCELLANEOUS.

FOOTS.—Save nearly 50 per cent. buying I/ from factory direct. Agents wanted. — Send postage, Ed., for large illustrated Bet and particulars, eraran BOOT Co. (Dept. 290), Portland Square, Bristol.

CHINA BAZAAR SPECIALITIES.—Church Tea Ware ; Reliable supplies for homes,

shops, and all purposes ; references ; catalogues. — WILLIAM MORLEY, 0 16, Peukhull New Road, Stoke-on-Trent.

BAZAABAZAAR HELPERS should try our R

ld. Patriotic Novelty in Colours ; 8s. ed. grou; selling flue.—Write at once, Sample Id., UTILITY Co., Sheffield.

A GOOD AGENCY.—Respectable Men, in regular employment, desirous of increasiug

their incomes are invited to apply for terms and parti-culars of a Spare Time Agency by which they can supply Clothing, Drapery, Boots and Shove, Watches, Jewell.,ry, Household Requisites, Musical Instruments, Bicycler, Ac., for caeh or credit; favourable terms to agent and cus-tomer.—JOHN hITERS dt CO., LTD. (Box 11), 230, West. minster Bridge Roal, London. Eetablished nearly a o'ntury.

I. CHAPEL POSTERS THAT PAY! 30 ins. c 40 ins. ; handwritten, waterproof ;

20 words ; testimonials from all parts ; cash with order. —LOVE, Exchange Street, Norwich.

YOU can add to your present income by

taking a Spare Tame Agency with the Hearts of Oak Life and Fire and General Assurance Co., Ltd.—Apply, DISTRICT MANAGER, 6, Briabaue Road, Rea ling.

WANTED, to borrow by P.M., £100 for to 5 years at I per cent.—Apply, L. B., care of

T. M. Brindley, 4, Ludgate Circus, E.C.

FOR SALE, Pulpit Commentary, corn-pieta New Testament, 18 vols., published price

10 guineas. What off t re Y—PRIEST, Hermitage, Greenfield, W rexham.

MAIDENHAIR SCALP FOOD, 15. 6d. Cures dandruff, and quickly produces new hair,

even in extreme old age.—Al.es Dave, Here Fe, rers, South Devon. State peper.

-101001CS FOR SALE.—Historical New Testament, Moffatt Se. ; International Critical

Commentary, Deuteronomy, 7s.; Romans, 7e.; Epheslane, Cs. ed. ; Great Trxte, 1- pheii ins, 4s. ; Philosophy of Christian Religion, Falrhairn, 6s. ; Knowledge of God, G. Welkin. 2 vole., 7s. ; Delltetch, Palms, 3 vole., Os. ; Delitesch, Isalah,2 vole., 4s ; Expositor's Bib'e, Psa'rue, MacLaren, vol. 1, ss. ; MacLar n, Bible Class Zaps et- hic. 13 vole., le. 6d. each ; Parker, Studies In Texts, 6 vols., le. ed. each ; Treasury of Davis, 7 vol., 10e., and tithe. s.—Write, 7, W ocnbiey Gardena, Aintree.

PULPIT COMMENTARY, 48 vols., best ecItion ; Homl let, 50 vole. ; Sermon Bible, 12 vole

,A hat offers?—J. C. MaNTRipe, W ymondham,

Marcella

Wm. P. HARTLEY'S NEW SEASON'S

SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE IS ABSOLUTELY PURE.

GLORIOUS NEW GLADIOLUS. The Gladiolus is the most satleactory, the

most desirable, and the most popular of all garden bulb.. Nothing else of the kind costs so little. and nothing elan grows ani blooms so readily for anybody and everybody, in any Soil or climate. It is, in short. the most aatis-factorygarden flower, thriving and bloom ng. as it does, with the least care and attention, and makes a display wbch for brilliancy and beauty of colouring few bulbs can equal and none surpass. The Oadiolus is to the flower garden what bread is to the man-" The Staff of Life...

BARGAIN PRICE THIS SEASON. LARGE STOCK'

Golden Valley strain of Giant-flowering New and Improved Hybrids. The quality of these magnificent Hybrid Gadiolus boa, by groat oaro and selection, been immensely improved, and the Golden Valley mixture will be C. great advance in sine of spikes and individual flowers, substance, freedom of growth; and the many new shades and splendid forms that will -appear among them-far more beautiful and intensely-deep rich colours than anything that has hitherto been seen in the finest Gladiolus. This new type is exceptionally free-flowering, producing bold massive spikes, with unusually large blossoms of groat sub-stance and exquisite colours. No garden Slauld be without these stately and noble flowers. Incom-parably brilliant and majeetio, and so easy of oul-ture that they will grow in any position, and in all sotto and eituations, in absolutely elidess combine, tions of the most brilliantly magnificent colours imaginable, ganging through all the known shades, and embracing many quite novel and intensely beau-tiful floral develcrpments. Grand far exhibition.. Ordinary size, 12 for Is. 6d.; 25 for Ie. Gd.; 50 for 42. 6d. • 100 for Ss. Extra large fine specimen, roots, 6 for 1e. 6d.; 12 for 2s. 6d.; 25 for 4e. 6do 50 for

Gd.; 100 for 14e. Immense, heavy giant roots, 6 for 2s.; 12 for as. •6d. • 25 for ee. ; 50 for 10s. 6d. Extract from " Garden 'Life."-" There is an extra One sort, known as the Golden Valley 'strain, which reaches the height of 4 or 5 feet, and which beans mikes of bloom over 2 feet in length, the individual ewers frequently measuring 7 to 9 inches. Tho sew

rod improved hybrids possess the further merit that they are very free-flowering, and of intensely rich and bri.liant colours."

THE MOST rhmous OF- ALL MY BLUE GLADIOLUS.-" Amateur Gardening" says "The colour is grand." Not a pale, weak, or washed-out blue, bat true, deep, rich blue, of such sterling merit is to cause a sensation wherever grown or ehown. It s a colour absolutely distinct. The flowers aro large ,nd bold. and so beautiful es to be absolutely peerless among Gladiolus. Perfectly hardy, and should be lanted in the open border at once. New reduced in -.rice, so that all may grow this glorious Gladiolus. I for ls. 6d.; 6 'for 2e. 6d.; 12 for 4s. 6d.

GLADIOLUS CRIMSON EMPEROR.-Knowing "te value, I have grown a large stock, and now offer t at just half price. They are as easy to grow, that merely plant the roots in .any soil or eituation, and -eu will have such a dazzling blaze of colour as you lever had before. The garden will glow with a radiant 'Ire of riohnem. One customer who had 100 Last sea, :on described his garden as all afire. Remember the rice and plant with a lavish hand. Remember they ■ncrease and last for ever; thus yon will not need' -o purchase again. ls. M. per dozen ; 50 for 46.; 100 for 7e. 6clo 1,000 for £3. A. few larger bulbs, 12 for is. 9d.; 25 for 30.; 50 for 5s. 6d.; 100 for 10e.

HARDY OUT-DOOR CLIMBERS. Every garden. every cottage. every fence,

vaIl, stump. or old tree is beautified by the 2-aceful and profuse flowering vines here Afered. Vine. are Nature's draperies, and ore essen'ial to any and every attempt to aautily one's home surroundings Many an anaightly abject to they cover, many a lover screen, or fence, or trellis do they make ntsses of beautiful blossoms, and grateful hada do they furnish. The following melee-, -on is all that can bz desired.

AMPELOPSIS VEITCHIL-NO picture ran por-tray the beauty of this grand climbing pant. As sa important aid to architectural beauty it is rapidly ettaining prominence, being now a feature on the trivet houses It is entirely hardy in the most mimeo]. elec., attaining a height of 20 or 30 feet in two or three years, clinging to stones, brick or wood work with the greatest tenacity. For covering dead trees, Tate posts, boundary wells, verandahs, etc., it has na -squat, while its rapid growth and tenacious clinging Inaliries make it a most desirable plant for staying 0.1) terraces. It is a wall of living green the summer through, turning in autumn to flaming crimson, when it is fairly gorgeous. It stands the dust and dry air of cities admirably. Nothing else can take its "ace. Extra large selected, Is. 6d. each; 3 for 4s.; I for 7s. Gd,

TROP/EOLUM SPECIOSUM.-The grandest of CI perennial climbers, delights in damp, ehady situations. Once established it becomes ravishingly beautiful. It is theory of the Scotch Islands. A sunless spot where other °limbers fail just suits this lovely oliinber. 3 for Is. 3d.; 6 for 26 .3d.

GRAND CLIMBING CLEMATIS.-Glorio-a, hardy, everlasting climbers, all tyro years old. I have a grand stock of the-fel-awing colours, end offer at a bargain price' so long .as unsold :-Cream, blue, white, yellow, either colour, separated or mixed, as desired. 4 for Is. 6d.; 8 for 2a. ad.; 12 for 4s. The beautiful Olem.atis Montana, two for Is. 6d.

DOUBLE MORNING GLORY (Csilystegla).- Rare haedy perennial o:imber ; one of the most beau-tiful climbing plants, covered all through the summer with a mans of full double pale rose flowers in the ehape of double Olemata flowers, often 3 inches screw. Remarkably fast and easy growing; exoenerva for trelliswork, for covering walls, verandahs, bal-conies, eta.; growls on every eoil. Sometitnea called Rose Vine end Californian Rcee; it will luxuriate anywhere, sun or shade, and when well established its long vines. wreathed in a profusion of large double rose-like blossom.. produce a very telling effect. 3 for la. 6c1.; 6 for as. 9d.,• 12 for 5s. Planta of this lovely climber can now be supplied established in pots, ls. 3d. per pot; 3 for 2e. 6d.; 6 for 4s.

GLORIOUS LILIES. LILIUM SPECIOSUM MAGNIFICUM.-Thia is

the most beautiful variety of 8peoiosum rebrum recently discovered. It was thought that no Stocio-sum could exceed Melpomene, but this new Lily is even larger, grander, and, if possible, more richly coloured. Clouded and suffused with rosy blush sad spotted with rosy ;scarlet is to convey but a .eight idea of its perfect loveliness. The deep y recurred petals are snowy-white at the tip, gradually deepening in colour to the base of cook petal, which is botehel with a raised, moss-like fringe, which glistens like diamonds. The flower is very large. 3 for ls. ed.; 6 for 2s. 6c1.; 12 fur 46. 6d. ; 50 for 128. 6d.; 100 for tie,

THE BEAUTIFUL BELLADONNA LILY.- Lovely rosy pink, should be petted now for gram-house, or can be planted in warns border or at foot of wall, and you owl get a grand display year after year. Grand bulbs, 2 for le. eel.; 4 for 2e. 6d.; 6 for 3e. 6d.; 12 for Os.

SPECIOSUM RUBRUM (Lancifolium).- Large, wide flowers, recurring more or leas at the tips. Anions: the choicest of all Linea, and perhaps the moat robust and the most radiantly beautiful. Very fragrant and hardy. Love.y roae and white spotted crimson. 0 for Ls. 9d.; 12 for 36.; 50 for 96.; 100 for 17e.

AGAPANTHUS (the Blue African The only real Blue Lily in the world. It is a rapid grower, and inoreasee in size and beauty every year. With the most ordinary kind of oare it will lest for ever. 2 for Le. 6d.; 4 for 20. 9d.; 6 foreas.

LILIUM CANDIDUM (the beautiful Madonna Lily).-This lovely Lily produces from six to thirty lovely waxy-white blossoms which have the most delicious fragrance. Of all Lilies it is one of the most charming, and sure to bloom free:y. Exceedingly hardy; no frost will ever harm it. Now is the time to plant this Lily for grand show next season. 6 for le. 6c1.•

' 12 for 2e. 6d. Extra heavy

bulbs, 6 for as. 6ddd.; 12 for 46. WALLFLOWERS CANNOT BE PLANTED

TOO EARLY.-Single Wallflower. B'ood-rod or Golden Tom Thumb, 25 for Is. ed.; 50 for 29. 6d.; 101 for 4s. Gel. Superb mixed, all colours, a charming combination, 23 for le, 6d.; 50 far, 26. Gd.. 100 foe 9e, 6d.

SWEET WILLIAM PINK BEAUTY.-I now offer this lovely Sweet William for the first time. Splendid flowering plants; the colour is a charming shade of salmon pink, and makes a superb bed. Plants of this particular SHADE being VERY SCARCE. 12 for Is. 3d. ; 25 for 4s.; 50 for 7s. 6d.

HELLEBORUS NIGER (Christmas Rose). -Perfectly hardy. Give it a sheltered, shady earner, and it will -bloom to perfection in .mid-winter, or may be potted for the greer.house. 3 for ls. 9d. ; 6 for 26. 9d. Extra large, 3 for as. 91.; 6 for 50. ; 12 for 9a. The latter is exceedingly fine stuff.

ALPINE AURICULAS.-Quite hardy, easily grown; their flowers are bold end handsome, and should be doubly welcome, coming as they do in the early spriag, when flowers see scarce. Two-year-old pante, to include the most superb colours, 6 for le. 6d.; 12 for 2e. 6d.; 25 for 46. 6d.

RARE NEW FRUIT SHOULD BE IN EVERY- GARDEN.

THE LOGANBERRY.-The grandest of recent introductions, s cross -between a Blackberry mud a Respberry. Hardy, vigorous grower. Fruit large and roost delicious. Will be in every garden later. Owing to ge/hI demand, stock very limitede.

American

2s. 6do 6 for 5s. ; 12 for 9s. RATHBUN BLACKBERRY (New A

m ca

Giantr.-The fruit le very large and handsome, intense black, with a very high polish, and without any hard core, fuiey, highly flavoured; of no superior a quality that it is in a class by itself. Those accustomed to the old varieties would scarcely recognise it for a Blackberry. 3 for as. 6d.; 6 for 4s.; 12 for 7s. 6d.

BLACK CURRANTS, BOSKOOP GIANT (New),-This is the flneet and largest Black Cur-rant in cultivation. The fruit is of great size, splendid quality and flavour, and the plant is a most abundant bearer. Even young plants are literally covered with huge bunches of fruit almost as large as Grapes. 4e, per dozen. Smaller trees, 3s. dozen.

SPECIAL FRUIT COLLECTION.-2 Dessert Apples, 2 Dessert Pears, 2 Dessert Plums. All two-year-old trees, healthy, well grown. The 6 trees for 5e; free on rail,

SPECIAL OFFER OF HARDY FLOWERING SHRUBS.-Give a wealth of flower for the cold greenhouse, or make the garden a blase of colour. 6, in variety, le. 9d.; 12, 2s. 9d.

MIMOSA (The Persian Silk Rose Tree).-The airy grace and magnificent fronds, of thie tree asshardly be described on paper. Suffice it. to say it is to the flower garden what a magnificent anell graceful fern is to the greenhouse. It is quite hardy, and should be largely planted. Ten times the price is paid for ;shrubs not half 60 graceful and beautiful in every way. 3 for le. 6d. ; 6 for Is. 93.1 12 for 5s.

1(30 THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST LEADER. MARCH 11, 1915

Mrs. GARDNER, F.R.H.S., Priory House, STROUD. 29th Year.

Known all over the world where Plants, Bulbs, and Trees can be sent. Thousands eason upon thousands of Testimonials for Quality, Packing, Freshness, and Safe Arrival, gained 58th S. only by sheer merit and superlative value.

A FEW TESTIMONIALS WORTHY TO BE WRITTEN IN LETTERS OF GOLD. Mrs. KELLETT, Montreal, writes, February lath : "Herewith is order for R. EVAN z, Eaq , Willenhall, write.: "Many thanks for plants. Your SIR WHATELEY ELIOT, Bournemouth, writes : "I wish to express my

Arabs, etc. I h ,ve had mazy plant. from you, alma a most satisfactory. Quality is geed, your quantity better. Whe i one sends for two plant., and entire satisfaction not only with the plants themselves, but also with the A herbaceous border I made nix years ago with your plants, at a very gets four, it is pleasing in the age, when advertised goods in the majority I careful manner in which they were packed." email cost, is admired every season when In full bloom." of cases are not what they are represented to be." The above original letters can he se,n in my office and thonsanis of similar °nee. What more can be Bald of any trees or plants? Low prloop and so-called cheap lots are not cheap when they apply

to rubbish. I Bed Only FISIST-CLASS QUALITY, so that I may l.ve In your confidence for many years to come, remembering that many customers to-day were my customers over 90 years ago. MRS. GARDNER wishes it to ba distincly u derstced that sOie does no LOCAL business or 'must nursery bminess, therefore Vie. best pleats and trees are never picked out by pltriOn&l applicant% and what to left considered good enough for customers hundreds of miles away, who cannot ,ee what they are buying My business le a MAIL ORDER BI3INE38 ABSOLUTELY, and was commence I a. ouch 28 year. ago, and all goods are sent by parcels post or pleat:Inger train CARRIAGE PAID, no matter whit distance or what part of the country, and the quality of every tree, plant, and bulb

is such that anything not giving the greatest eatiefaction ou arrival cae be returned at my expo...

12 SUPERB TEA & HYBRID TEA EVER-BLOOMING ROSES.

Twelve magnificent varieties for garden or green-Loam, nearly ad Gold Medal winners; flower con-tinuously the whole season. The Noses are of great eubstanoe, with remarkably long, handsome buds and shell-petalled flowers of most exquisite tort shades and distinct tea-like fragrance.

KILLARNEY, fresh, shaded white, suffused pale pink, very attractive and unique colouring, superb long bud. MDME. RAVARY, long, potat., redeem yeleow buds, opening full to oraage-yellow very hardy'and free-flowering. J. B. CLARK, deep rieh scarlet, a grand new rose; Goid Medal, N.R.8.; the colour is unique among Roam, and the flowers are immense and superb in formation. MME. A. CHATENAY, pae fawn-pink, shaded salmon; a charming Rose, beautiful beyond dmoription. GRUSS AN TEPLITZ, deep vermiion, shaded roe and brownish velvet; ever-booming variety. MME. JULES GROLEZ, clear silvery rose, shaded yellow; the buds aro long and puinted;a rat ly magnificent Bose. J. L. MOCK (R.17.), NEW, 1910, awarded two Gold Medals, one Silver Medal, and numerous other awards, rich carmine blooms of large, full form, changing to imperial pink; very free and vigorous, highly ;scented. BELL SIEBRECHT, bright rosy pink, beautiful in bud, large, fu 1-pointed flowers, free bloomer. KAISERIN AUGUSTA VICTORIA, -Hybrid Tea Rose, :oft pearly white, lightly tint-vi with lemon in the centre. RICHMOND, rich red-dish scarlet, of fine form ; very fragrant; has been awarded many prizes. MOLLY SHARMAN CRAWFORD, white, perfectly pure when expanded,- delicately perfumed; large, full, and perfectly formed, vigorous habit, free and continuous -bloomer; a first-class Rose for all purposes. BETTY, coppery-rose, overspread with golden yellow ; large, fairly full, and of fine farm; deliolouely perfumed, continuous bloomer, vigorous, erect, free branching habit.

Ally 3 for 3s. ; 6 for 5a. esd. The complete cot of 12

limer. for 10s. Send me a sample order for my vigorous country-grown Roses and compare

with any others you can buy elsewhere. Don't bo misled by offers of so-called cheap rubbish offered at aboard prices.

• FRAU KARL DRUSCHKI,-The sensational new snow-white Hybrid-perpetual Rose, hardy, free-flowering, and superb formation. of b.ossom. All will certainly grow this charming new Rose. The Queen greatly admired this grand new Rose at the National Rose Society's Show. 3 for 4e.; • 6 for 7e. 6d.; 12 for 12s. Panted beside the velvety crimsomblaok Rase, the effect is grand. Two crimson-blacks and two ■F. K. Drmchki for 58. ; 4 of each for 9e. ; 6 of each las.

WALLACE,1 Morrion, 0o. Dublin, writes, November 19 The F. K. Druechki Nose I had last year born the largest Rose I ever saw in my life and se still flowering now."

THE VELVETY-CRIMSON BLACK ROSE.-'Probably the nearest to u real black Rose, magni-ficent lustre and texture; hardy, vigorous, and free bloomer. 2s. each; 2 for Is. 6d.

THE BEDDING MARECHAL NIEL.-A. greed new Rose, rich, deep oitron yellow, becoming deeper es the flowers expand-a colour that does not fade; the blooms are large, full, and of perfect form, with high-pointed centre, and are delicious y fragrant ; the plant ie a vigorous, erect grower, free and continuoue in bloom; one of the finest of the new Roses for exhibition, decorative use, or pot culture. 3, 46. fid.; 6, 7s. ed.

VERY SPECIAL OFFER of Giant-flowering Hybrid Perpetual Roses. -My selection, drawn from the very best varieties where I have a surplue. Will transplant splendidly now, every tree having a mass of &brows roots, and every one flowered all last season. A magnificeat range of colour, from pure white ti rich crimson. These will make any garden a bias? of colour, 6, all different, for 36.; 12 for 58. Gd. ; 2.5 for 10s.; 50 for 18s. 6d. Packed free and carriage paid. This is a bargain price su loefg as stock lasts, as many of these Roses are worth from la. to Is. each.

HYBRID DELPHINIUMS.--Can offer plant. from my superb collection. Single and Double Exhi-bilion varieties, towering splice of the most exquisite bane shades imaginable. All who sea these new hybrids are amazed at ,e rici.nces and intensity a! colour. Without seeing them no one can form the slightest conception of their splendour. Perfectly hardy, and thrive anywhere. 6 for le. Gd. 12, 2a, 9d. Extra large, 6 for 26.; 12 for 36. Gd.

CANTERBURY BELLS.-The new Pink Beauty. A delightful new shade of rose. AIL have been charmed who have grown this lovely Canterbury Be I. 6 for la. 3d.; 12 for 20. 3d.; 25, 40.

CANTERBURY BELLS.-Dean's lovely hybrids, ten 'superb colours of double and single varieties; fine year-old plants, that will make a magnificent display. 12 for le. 3d.; 24 for 2.. 9d.

THE REAL OLD-FASHIONED LAVENDER.- Flowers and foliage deliciously scented. Everybody likes lavender; grows anywhere. Strong pants. No garden complete without this old favourite. 3 for la. 9d.; 6 for 29.; 12 for 3e. Gd.

ROSEMARY.-Stame price as Lavender.

HYBRID PERPETUAL ROSES. General favourites everywhere on amount of their

!tardiness, abundant blooming , qualities (being ;scarcely ever out of flower the whole season), and robust, vigorous constitution.

MRS. JOHN LAING, rich satiny pink, delicious fragrance; blooma constantly. ULRICH BRUNNER, a beautiful hardy Throe, in flower and foliage. The former is large and cupped, bright cherry-red, and very fragrant. The flowers are borne en long flower-stalks almost devoid of thorns. BARONESS ROTHSCHILD, an exquisite shade of satiny pink. PAUL NEYRON, imperial pink of the richest shade, large and beautifully formed, the

largest Rose in cultivation. GENERAL JACQUE-M IN OT, bright scarlet crimson, an abundant bloomer; large -and fine double flower. MAGNA CHARTA, bright pink, shaded- with oarmine, large and full ; magnificent Rose. MRS. R. G. SHAR-MAN CRAWFORD, deep rosy pink, outer petals shaded with pale flesh; a beautiful .Rose in every respect. FISHER HOLMES, magnificent scarlet, shaded with deep velvety maroon ; very brilliant, large and full. CAPTAIN HAYWARD, bright crimson °ermine, an entirely distinct shade of colour, of perfeot form and very sweet. CONRAD F. MEYER, bright /silvery Race, very large and fragrant; an immense favourite every season, the demand far exceeding the supply; strong grower, oontinuous blooming. MME. GABRIEL LUIZET, silvery pink, a lovely Rose, very fragrant, very vigorous ; does well anywhere. HUGH DICKSON, intense brilliant crimson, shaded scarlet; it is very fragrant, and has been awarded the Gold Medal at the N.R.S., and numerous F. C. Certificates.

All the above Hybrid Perpetuals are strong, robust, two-year-old trees, every one of which flowered abundantly lees seaeon. Any 6 for 46-. 6J.; the set of 12 "(one of each), for Ss. -Extra. large selected, 6 for 5a. 6d.; 12 for 10s.. We have

Mrthousands of other Itosee. All the popular varieties. Customers can leave out any of

the above and include others they may wish to have.

TEA AND HYBRID TEA EVER-BLOOMING ROSES.-My selection. Magnificent varieties for garden or green-house; nearly all Gold Medal win-ners; flower continuouely the whole e,eason. The Reece are of great sulatence, with remarkably tong, handsome buds end. shell-petalled flowers of moat exquisite soft shades and distinct tea-like fragrance. 3 for as. 6d.; 6 for Ie. 9d. ; la for es. 6d.

CLIMBING ROSES. -A. wonderful offer; hald price. Having a grand stock of Climbing and Ramb-ling Roses, all grand trees, in splendid condition, no need for.bara walks, ugly places, arches and trellises not covered, etc. Plant these freely, they will flower in the wildest profusion anywhere and every-where. 6 for 36.; 12 for 5s. No more at the bar-gain price when these are cleared.

EXTRA CHOICE CLIMBING ROSES.- All splendid varieties; strong, vigorous trees, all dif-ferent and correctly named. 6 for 4e. 6d-; 12 for ye. 6d. Meal bargain. Large stock. These will give something more than mere satisfaction..

WINTER HELIOTROPE (Tussilago frau-rans).-Perfobtly hardy, blooms in the open, mid-winter. One spray will scent out a large room. Anyone can grow this in. sunleeo town garden, or even backyard. 4 for Is. 3d. ; 8 for 2s.; 12 for 3s.

THE HARDY BLUE GERANIUMS.-Thar lovely hardy Geranium is rarely seen in beds or borders, yet it is ateolutely a hardy perennial: and will give a wealth of glorious large blue flowers for months ; increase and improve yearly. 3 for ls." 3d.; 6 for 2s. ; 12 for 3s. 6d.

SUPERB DOUBLE WALLFLOWERS, in r charming mixture of colour, with large, massive spikes of bloom, splendid for outdoor or cold green hOlt6e. These ere dwarf, sturdy, well-grown pante and TBiSed from an exceedingly fine strain. 12 for Ls. 3d. ; 24 for 2s. 34.; 50 for 4s.

WALLFLOWERS CANNOT BE PLANTED TOO EARLY.-Single Wallflower, Blood-red or Golden Torn Thumb, 25 for ls. 6-1.; 50 for 2s. 6d.; 100 for 4s. td. Sliperb, mined,-all colours; a oharm ing combination, 25 for Is. 6d.; 50 for 26. 6d.; 104 for 4e. 6c1. Poet free.

FORGET-ME-NOT (The Jewel).-The colour is a remarkable sky-blue, which shines out in a most eonepicuous manner when ride by aide with other Forget-me-nuts, and constitutes the distinct feature of this plant. ls. 6c1. per dozen.

POLYANTHUS, WEBBS' NEW GIANT.-The flneet colour and most glorious of all Polyanthuses free blooming and m-agnificent 'colours. Sl"rong plants, all over a year old, full of buds, and will very shortly make a grand display of bloom. All can plant freely at the very low price I offer. 12 fie Is. 3d. ; 24 for as. 3d.

NEW MAMMOTH FLOWERED PANSY.-S auperb mixture of great beauty and vigour, relayed growing and free flowering; fine plants, now break sag into bud; give a wealth of 'blossom almost at once. 12 for ls. 9d. ; 25 for 3s.; 50 for 5s.

LONG-SPURRED HYBRID AQUILECIA.-T bare a greed mixture of these lovely hardy flower., in all their lovely raie',ow colours. Few people have any idea of the exquisite beauty and hardy nem of these plients, or they would be in every garden. Once pleated, a °continual joy, year elites year. 6 for Is. 3d. ; 12 for 2a. 3d.

want plenty of

bRierommbtehr: •

i I you season. T YOUR

ROSE TREES AT ONCE. Th'y cannot be planted ten early.

STANDARD ROSES. Only about 1,00) grand trees left, the lineal ever

offered. Many doub's and triple budded, splendid

heads and straight stem., hardy and vigorous

all the more decorative and popular varieties,

now whits to rioh swim -or. Now Is the time to plant

f or Wanly of bsosscm this ssaaon.

4 for 66.; 8 for llse 12 for 158. Extra selected, 4 for 7E. Gd.; 8 for 14e.; 12 for 20s. No lees than four sold as they have to be packed separately and runt per passenger train, carriage paid.

SRS. ALL POSTAGE OR CARRIAGE PAID. CATALOGUE OF ROSES, BULBS, PERENNIAL AND HERBACEOUS PLANTS, POST FREE.

Clikaaa,31311WEIEL,, NUEL.33..151.., 3PitYCIOEL-Iir Mrcioxr15131, Swim crux). London: Published by "The Associated Methodist Newspapers Company, Limited," 73, Farrinvdon Street, E.C.

rented by Wyman & Sons, Lt,d., Rolls Buildings, Fettar Lane, LC., Thursday, March 11, 1915.