thing of all. The land breeze, which we have every evening, carries the balloon right out to sea in the direction of Lifu. The natives watch it with intense interest until it is out of sight. "Mrs. Creagh has given some of the toys to our own children, and to those of a brother missionary. The toolbox was given to the elder of our two sons, now with us, a boy about four years old, and his little heart seems quite fascinated with the tools. I don't know how many boxes he has made already, which he says are for the bees when they swarm. He seems to have some mechanical genius.” Thus far Mr. Creagh writes. The following, on the same subject, is by the Rev. S. Macfarlane, of Lifu :— "The toys were very acceptable; they helped to deck our Christmas Tree. We give an annual party in European style to the Native teachers, their wives, and the students of the seminary here. This year it was unusually large and interesting. The new lecture-room was tastefully decorated with leaves tied to vines, and hung about it in festoons, and then studded with pretty wild flowers. We had two long tables, which contained all the plates, cups and saucers, glasses, knives and forks, and spoons that we could muster; also beautiful bouquets of wild flowers, which, although a great ornament, were, I fear, neither appreciated nor their use understood by the natives, who evi dently regarded the nosegays which were placed in the bottles as so many corks; and so they at once drew the corks-that is to say, they pulled out the flowers, threw them away, and drank off the water as part of the provided entertainment! Since then I have in the provinces, spacious chapel at Chelmsford was filled that Sunday afternoon with children, their parents and friends: a fine sight it was; and to me the association was particularly pleasing, as I began my career of usefulness in Jamaica with this beloved servant of God: so in England. addressed many schools in the city and with large attendance of children; but in speaking to you through the pages of this Magazine, my audience is greatly increased, for I presume all our Sunday School children in this country take in this excellent monthly friend and visitor. If they do not, they ought to. Can't each of you help to increase its circulation? It was my pleasure and privilege on one occasion to assist in the formation of a Juvenile Missionary Society in the east part of the city, conducted by some excellent Christian people. The first collection for Missions was made then. I shall watch the progress of that small Society with great interest, even when far away in my island home of the West. The Sunday School anniversaries have been very interest ing. At one of these delightful gatherings the secretary read a beautiful report. He compared the school to a bee-hive, and the children to bees, gathering honey all the year from every opening flower. I hope you answer to the description of a "busy bee." bee-hive at my station in Jamaica. black and coloured; but the honey, or rather (changing the first letter of the word to get the true idea) the money is quite as good. You shall hear of my Sunday School another time. There is such a The bees are all How good is it to be engaged in any work for God! King David said he would willingly be a door-keeper in the house of the Lord-the first in and the last out of it. You have done nobly on former occasions. Your cheerful heartiness in purchasing the missionary ship, will, like a beautiful flower, remain fresh and fragrant in the history of Christian Missions. At the present time the Society requires increased aid to sustain its operations and extend its hallowed work. The young men of the city have formed an association of their own to help forward the good cause. The young women, I presume, will quietly have theirs too; and you, the little ones, will, I am sure, do more this year than ever to send the Gospel to the heathen. There is great power in littles. Oh, how much of sunshine received and given is in one little kind word or kind look! and how much of usefulness and happiness in the germ is in your little contributions to God's cause! What if the little rain should say, Can ne'er refresh those thirsty fields: What if the shining beam at noon Should in its fountain stay, Because its feeble light alone Cannot create a day. Doth not each rain-drop help to form The cool refreshing shower, And every ray of light to warm And beautify the flower? "A FESTIVAL! What is that?" It is something like the fairs and feasts, or wakes, which are held in the country towns and villages of England. Great numbers of people come together. Still, a fair in England is a very different thing from a festival in India; and, that you may better understand it, I will tell you something about one which I attended a short time ago. It is six o'clock on a beautiful cool morning, such as we get sometimes in India during the wet season. We jump into our bullock-cart-for we use bul locks for drawing our vehicles here, instead of horses-and drive off to Shapore. As we go we see crowds of people making their way to the same place. After driving for twenty minutes along a road which lies through rice-fields we come to the town, into which we go through large gate in the wall which surrounds it. You must not think it like an English town, with its high neat houses and wide clean streets; the houses |