ALSO BY BRENDA.

1. FYNIE'S FLOWER.

Small crown 8vo. with Three Illustrations, 1s. 6d.

'Written with the same earnest piety which characterises the wellknown works of the authoress of "Nothing to Nobody."-John Bull.

2. ESPECIALLY THOSE.

Small crown 8vo. with Three Illustrations, ts. 6d.
'A very touching little story.'-Guardian.

3. WITHOUT A REFERENCE.
Small crown 8vo. Illustrated, 3s. ód.

'One of the most cleverly constructed and touchingly told stories we have ever met with.'-Review.

NEW SIXPENNY EDITION.

THE PEEP OF DAY. For the Use of Schools. 18mo. Illustrated, cloth limp, 6d.

BY ROSALIND MARRYAT.

1. STEPS TO CHRISTIAN MANHOOD; Or, Daily Words for our Boys.,

(Uniform with Friendly Words for our Girls.')

4th Thous. with Additions. Fcap. 8vo. limp, 1s. 6d.; paper cover, 15. Thoughts and reflections for a lad, which are clear in style and manly in tone. We have rarely met with a book of devotions which is so good, and which, whilst really devout, is not overstrained."

2. WIVES AND MOTHERS.

Two Series. Cheaper Edition. Square fcap. 8vo. cloth, 2s. 6d. each, Very practical reading for mothers' meetings. Divided into a wife's duties, trials, temptations, and helps, the writer has some cheerful words of good advice on each.'-Guardian.

BY LADY BAKER.

1. FRIENDLY WORDS FOR OUR GIRLS. 16th Thousand. Square fcap. 8vo. limp cloth, 1s. 6d. ; paper, 15.

'Is adapted, and it seems to us with great fitness, to the spiritua wants of young girls of the humbler class-milliners, factory-girls, domestic servants, and so on. Prayers to use on suitable occasions, hymns to read over, and brief paragraphs of wise and kind advice, it provides for this particular class: thoroughly practical.' Literary Churchmas.

2. LAYS FOR THE LITTLE ONES. 48mo. cloth, 1s.; sewed, 6d.

'These sweet little poems are admirably adapted for young childres, and will, we think, lose nothing by a comparison with Taylor's "Hymates for Infant Minds."-Mother's Treasury.

3. HALF-HOURS WITH MY GIRLS.
Third Edition. Being 26 Readings for Sundays.
Small crown 8vo. cloth extra, 35. 6d.

A capital book, it enters pleasantly and simply on the very subjects on which young maid-servants most need advice, and there is a lively freshness about it that must surely win their attention.' Guardian.

LONDON.

I. ASSOCIATES to be of the Church of England (no such restriction being made as to Members), and the organization of the Society to follow as much as possible that of the Church, being diocesan, ruridecanal, and parochial.

II. Associates (Working and Honorary), and Members, to contribute annually to the funds; the former not less than 2s. 6d. a-year, the latter not less than 6d. a-year. Members' payments to go to the Central Fund.

III. No girl who has not borne a virtuous character to be ad mitted as a Member; such character being lost, the Member to forfeit her Card.

Our Friendly Chronicle.

ROM Newfoundland to England, and from England to New Zealand! It takes a long length of our 'friendly chain' to compass such a distance, and yet we find it has been done successfully and without breaking! The Secretary of the G.F.S. in Newfoundland writes thus to an Associate in England :

'We wish to express to you our best thanks for the trouble you took on behalf of our first Member, C. B. In her letter she never tires of speaking of the happy home she had at the G. F. S. Lodge in England, and of the extreme kindness with which she has been everywhere treated. I think this has done more than anything else could have done to make the Society known and popular.' And C. B. herself writes thus from Auckland, New Zealand, to the good matron of the Pimlico G. F. S. Lodge :

'DEAR MRS. O.--I sit down to write you from this, hoping to find you in good health, as it leaves me at present; thank God for it. I arrived in Auckland

[PRICE ONE PENNY

[PRICEost Free 13d.

CONTENTS.

OUR FRIENDLY CHRONICLE. By the Editor

A BUNCH OF BLUE RIBBONS. Chap. III. By Money Spinner. Concluded

A FRIENDLY LETTER TO MISTRESSES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. By M. E. Townsend

A FEW HELPS TO MEDITATION

THE ADVENTURES OF TINEY. An Autobiography

A CHILD'S CRY. By D. H.

LETTERS ON EMIGRATION. By the Hon. Mrs. Joyce
CORRESPONDENCE:-

A Visit to a G. F. S. Lodge

A Letter from Greece

G. F. S. Flower Mission

RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE CORRESPONDENCE CLASS

FRIENDLY WORK COMPETITIONS :-
Prize List for 1883-

English Literature
Domestic Economy
Prize Questions for 1884 :--
Domestic Economy
Riddles and Puzzles..

Page

19

21

23

24

27

28

30

wwww 25.

All Communications for the Editors of FRIENDLY WORK should be addressed 'Mrs. Townsend, care of the Secretary, G. F. S. Central Office, 3 Victoria Mansions, Victoria Street, Westminster, s.w.' Manuscripts will be returned if stamps are enclosed for postage.

We

the 2nd of Oct., after a passage of three months. had a fine time all through the voyage; no rough weather.... Would you give my love to all the girls that were in Lodge? . . . Please to thank the ladys that was so kind to me while I was with you, not forgetting all your kindness to me.' .

We have no doubt that C. B. has been duly commended to the G. F. S. in Auckland, and has found the love and care of our Society even in that distant land.

Those who have read the life of the saintly Bishop Feild must always think with deep interest of that Newfoundland where he laboured with such patient devotion, steering his Church Ship with untiring energy amongst her bays and coves, penetrating to the wild coast of the Labrador, and ministering to the little flocks of scattered sheep without a shepherd throughout his vast diocese. May 'our first G. F. S. Member in Newfoundland' be the forerunner of many others to be gathered into our friendly net.

We should like to mention in connexion with this pleasant notice of the Pimlico G. F. S. Lodge

(146 Warwick Street, S.W.), that it provides beds and a Registry for Members in Business, and will, we hope, become more and more useful for this class of workers.

As time goes on, we are more and more convinced that our G. F. S. Lodges need both increasing and supporting; and we rejoice to hear that the metropolis of the Midlands'Birmingham, to wit-is bestirring herself to supply this need, by establishing a Diocesan G. F.S. Lodge in her midst. Truly, none can doubt that the G. F. S. should have a local habitation in this great city, with her more than 300,000 inhabitants, and her teeming multitudes of young workwomen. We understand that the Birmingham G.F.S. Branch, hitherto the largest, we believe, in England, has now divided itself into four flourishing Branches, and, in order to provide funds for starting and furnishing the Lodge, the resources of art and ingenuity, both ancient and modern, are to be called into requisition. A loan exhibition of pictures, lace, carvings, needlework, &c., is to be held in the course of the year, of which, doubtless, we shall be allowed to give further particulars in future columns of our Magazine.

Talking of our Magazine' reminds us to tell our readers that its circulation is, we hope, going up, but we must not therefore relax our energies.

We shall still be glad to supply free grants of back numbers of 1883, and specimen numbers of 1884, to any Branches that may be kindly willing to distribute them for us; also to any employers, teachers, or forewomen in shops, who may be able to lend us a friendly hand in this work. We purpose also to send to every special Associate for Members in Business a specimen copy of this, our February number, and they are hereby requested to pass it on, either to their Members, or if their Members know it already, to some outsider who does not yet understand the meaning of our 'magic letters,'—G. F. S.

Perhaps we may be allowed to notice that Friendly Leaves is adapting itself especially this year to the needs of our junior Members and

4

Candidates, and we hope the time will come when many of our elder Members will take it in for their younger sisters. The Prize Competitions have been well taken up, and the ‘Candidates' Questions on the Holy Childhood' have brought forth sixty-five sets of answers. It is our earnest hope that our Society will more and more address itself to its work among children (as the best hope for its stability and depth in the future), and that our elder Members will come forward to take their share in it. Even while this is going to press we have been rejoiced to see an account, which we cannot help alluding to in our Chronicle, of a little Christmas festival prepared by the Members of one of our Branches for six candidates from the Workhouse. The Members of the weekly sewing-class provided the expense of the tea, ten of them being chosen to act as hostesses on the occasion. They laid the table, brought flowers for decoration, received the little guests, played with them, and made them happy for the whole afternoon.

This is indeed the true spirit of the G. F. S.; and if, as time goes on, our elder Members themselves can learn how to become the friends of the children, we may surely hope for a great increase of blessing on our work.

An Associate of much experience, working in a large town, writes thus :

'Each day I see more and more the need of our preventive work, and how much greater efforts are required to raise the tone of all classes, and to save the children of the poor from the terrible degradation into which so many sink. My heart aches for the children who should be innocent and pure. If we could only get more motherly hearts and hands to help, how many more girls might be saved! Shall we pray every day that God will send more truehearted women to join in our work? I am sure He would hear and answer.'

Aye, indeed! these are what we want―more to work and more to pray, for prayer is work and work is prayer; and 'this business of the King's requires haste,' lest we be too late to 'save the children.' EDITOR.

CHAPTER III.

'SHE TIED UP HER BONNY BROWN HAIR.'

ACK_ had a three miles' walk, for the roads were too heavy to bicycle as he had done in the morning, but the rain had stopped and the wind was falling, and the loneliness was refreshing after the excitement of the last few hours. He had time to realise what had happened, and a shuddering feeling of thankfulness came over him as he thought of the fearful crash that might have taken place, and reflected how much had turned on his so nearly missing the train, and thereby being with the guard and hearing directly what had happened. Two minutes more and it would have been too late, and probably many of the 'Thunderbolt' passengers, and very likely he himself, would have been lying crushed on the line. How many lives had been saved by Ruth's ribbons! and how he looked forward to her greeting and sympathy! Jack was so thankful and happy, he felt as if he were walking on air instead of ankle-deep in mud; and he rang at the Arnolds' door, quite forgetting his blackened face and hands, and unprepared for the blank stare of the butler, and his stately 'What do you want, young man? It strikes me you have forgotten there is a back-door.' 'Holla, Baines! Won't you let me in at the frontdoor ?'

'Mr. Jack! I am sure I beg ten thousand pardons, sir. I could not have supposed I hope nothing unpleasant has occurred, sir?'

'No-only a signal-post blown down, Baines, and I had to doctor the engine. I suppose I am late for dinner.' 'Dinner is not announced, sir;' and as Jack crossed the hall, Ruth, hearing his voice, came downstairs ready dressed.

It was utterly unreasonable, but he had had a great strain on him, and was completely tired outthough he had been too happy to feel it before-and Ruth's injured tone more than her words was the last straw. He knew her well enough to see she was really too angry to wish for an explanation; and if she could not trust him not to break his promise lightly he had no wish to explain; in fact, he did not care what happened. He had told her he would not ask

for a dance if he failed, and he would keep his word; he did not care to dance with her since she trusted him so little-indeed he was much too tired to dance at all. All his bones ached, he felt as if he had been kneaded all over, and he sent down a perfectly true message that he had been drenched and had a bad headache, and was going to bed; and when Mr. Arnold came up to see after him, he could get nothing out of him but that bed was all he wanted, and he should be all right in the morning. Sleep, however, seemed far away, and he tossed about what seemed to him nearly all night, hearing the distant sounds of music and reflecting that such pleasures were over for him; he should go off tomorrow and get work in the Colonies, and then perhaps Ruth would be a little sorry. She would never meet any one to love her so well as he had done, but no doubt he would read her marriage some day in the paper; and her wedding-dress would be tied up with blue ribbons, and they would go off in the "Thunderbolt' when he was on the engine. Nonsense! how could that be, when he was in the Colonies ?-till, after three or four starts out of such feverish dreamy fancies, he fell into a sound sleep-prosaic though it may sound -and slept till morning.

Ruth could not be said to spend a much pleasanter

'Guessed right for once, Ruth! I am late, I know -but here's your ribbon.'

'Late! It's no word for it! Pah! you don't think I can take ribbon that has been in that oily pocket of yours? I wouldn't touch it with the fagend of a pair of tongs. For pity's sake don't make any more purchases for me till you have left off riding on every steam-engine you meet.' And, as the dinner-bell rang, Ruth swept into the drawingroom, all the more indignant because she had been growing anxious, and was angry at having been frightened for nothing; and Jack went upstairs feeling more knocked down than he had ever done in his life.

and did her part as daughter of the house, but all the time she had a sore feeling which she set down to anger with Jack for having been so easily offended by her just indignation. She did not believe in his headache. He was all right when he came in, and she would not own she knew anything about it when her father came down saying he could not make him out— had anything happened to vex him? nor would she allow to herself that she felt any compunction at her own hasty speech. She had a perfect right to be offended, and Jack should eat humble pie before she forgave him. Then some of the arriving guests brought a vague report of an accident on the line, though no one knew exactly what it was; and Baines,

on being interrogated, reported that Mr. Jack had mentioned something of the kind when he let him in. What if, after all, he had been hurt? But why had he not told her at once? He had no right to let her blame him unjustly, and she quite ignored the fact that she had cut him short and given him no time to speak. All the same she missed him at every turn, and went off to her room the instant the last guests had departed, announcing that nothing was so tiring as a party at home; and, less fortunate than Jack, she tossed about till morning without having a wink of sleep.

Jack was not one of those young lords of creation who think it their right that breakfast should be kept on the table in holiday-time till they see fit to come down and partake of it; but, late as breakfast was next morning, it must be owned he was later. He awoke feeling as if all that had happened the night before had been a dream; and with fresh morning energies came thankfulness for his escape, and a reflection that he had been after all rather a donkey to take Ruth's vexation so seriously; and he went downstairs with his views on the subject of an immediate start for the Colonies somewhat modified, though he still felt slightly injured at her want of trust. He opened the dining-room door to find the whole party at breakfast, and to be greeted with an exclamation of 'See the conquering hero comes!' from two or three young cousins who had slept in the house after the dance. 'What's the row?' he inquired, rather gruffly. 'That's just what we want to know.'

'People come home late, and go straight to bed, and send word they've got bad headaches, and think to hide their dark deeds, and forget there are postmen and milk-boys who revel in spreading reports-the blacker the better!'

'No wonder you were done up if the story Baines heard from the postman is true! The only wonder is you are alive to tell us !' This was from Mrs. Arnold, and Ruth's was the only silent voice in the chorus that followed.

'Was the driver of the express struck by a thunderbolt ?'

'Did you jump on the engine when it was going full speed, and drive the train safely to Mangleston ?'

'Why on earth didn't you take it on to town while you were about it? You were never a fellow to do things by halves.'

'How did you come to be on the scene of action?' 'Let him tell his own story,' said Mr. Arnold. 'Come Jack, my boy, don't be bashful!'

It was easier said than done, and Jack's tea seemed to require a great deal of stirring, but by degrees the whole story came out, and was received with,-

'I say! That was something like!' from one auditor.

'I wish I'd been in your place,' from another. "Lucky for the "Thunderbolt" you weren't!' from a third. Jack, if I was Prime Minister, you should have the Victoria Cross!'

'Thank you kindly. It would become too common if every one had it who did the first thing that came into his head without consideration.'

'A capital thing for the nation if the first thing that came into every one's head was to do his duty as England expects!' and Mr. Arnold clapped Jack | approvingly on the shoulder as he rose from the table to ride off to his bank at Mangleston.

Ruth had not spoken, and Jack could not catch her eye, but after the scurry of frantic hunting for ulsters and umbrellas and seeing the other young men off, he went into the drawing-room and found her alone there. her alone there. She looked up reproachfully as he entered.

'Oh, Johnny!

How could you let me be so horrid last night? Why didn't you tell me?' 'You did not give me time. I thought you would have trusted me, Ruth.'

'Oh, don't! I am so ashamed! Do forgive me and give me the ribbon!'

'Nonsense! It's all oily. I was an ass to think you would take it.'

'When you had risked your life like that? Oh! I wish I hadn't been so horrid, and I was so miserable all the evening.'

'Miserable! You! What a fool I was! Ruth, dearest, if you were miserable, too, I am quite happy.'

Ruth might well look astonished at this startling assertion, but the outpouring that followed, in which Jack appeared to have totally forgotten that he considered himself the injured party, left her no time for retort, and it was a trembling voice, very unlike her usual bright, half-defiant tones, that answered at last—

'Oh, Johnny, I don't deserve you should care for me! You don't know how horrid I am! but you must give me the ribbon, and it will always remind me.'

'Remind you how horrid you are? My darling, there is no need for that.'

'It is too self-evident !' and Ruth laughed through the tears that Jack kissed away; and so the blue ribbon became a true-lovers' knot! and Jack, while working hard for Ruth's sake in the first-rate appointment the railway company soon gave him, carries a lock of her bonny brown hair tied with blue in the locket at his watch-chain, and is happy in the knowledge that the most soiled bit of all, which she declares is the exact right tint of