knees refreshed, and assured that “God would help her, and that right early." In the course of the day, William's brother, who also possessed a small farm, came in; Catherine told him of her difficulties, but added, "I have had this morning, in prayer, such a view of Almighty power, that, far advanced as the season is, if you will lend me your plough and horses, to plough a small field, I feel assured of a harvest!" He said, it was impossible, as seed time was considerably past: however, her entreaties were so urgent, he complied with her request ; the field was ploughed; the great Lord of the harvest honoured with a blessing the faith which was of the operation of His own Spirit, and it yielded more than the usual produce of former years. This gracious providence is quite a comment upon those encouraging promises-"While they are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isa. lxv.), "For the sighing of the needy, and oppression of the poor, now will I arise," "I have seen their sorrows." Though God is usually pleased to carry on the purposes of His grace and providence by the use of means, yet there are times when, to remind us that He is a Sovereign, He seems, as it were, to work without means, or above them, that we may know that "in Him we live and move and have our being."

Difficulties increasing, Catherine was soon obliged to give up her farm, and go into a cottage with her children. Here she laboured diligently with her hands for her support, that she might not require assistance from the parish. Let us observe the blessing of early habits of industry and honest independence; and they descended on her children; for, during the many years their mother was bedridden, each of them contributed a portion of their wages for her support; and she never depended upon parochial relief.

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In the year 1792, scarcity, amounting almost to famine, prevailed in Scotland. Catherine, in common with others, was severely tried. One morn ing she had nothing left in the house for breakfast; she had no neighbour from whom she could borrow but as it is in the darkest night that the stars shine brightest, and “trials” that "make the promise sweet," so at this trying moment she found these precious promises a staff to bear upon : “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee;" Bread shall be given, and waters shall be sure." In the spirit of faith and prayer, therefore, she sent her little children to walk out to see what God would do for her. She seated herself to repair their clothes, which she had often done, with every patch and colour, thinking nothing so bad as tatters. One hour after another passed away, till the clock struck eleven, and no appearance of the children. Her hunger had now become great. She had recourse to mighty prayer, the outlet of all her trouble, and the inlet of all her comfort. She besought the Lord to increase her faith, to grant her patience and submission to wait His time and way. She had not

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long re-seated herself, when a cart stopped at the door, and she heard some one call her by name; she opened the door, when the driver of the cart said, My master thinks in this severe weather you must be in want of firing, so he has sent you this cart of coals." In little more than half an hour after, the children returned with a considerable quantity of oatmeal which had been given them by some kind person, who noticed them on the road.

On one occasion, when relating more of God's providential dealings with her, Catherine remarked, "When God winds up the watch of time, and eternity begins — when the chequered web of providence is thrown down-what shall we not see?"

Life

is indeed as a "volume thick and closely written with providential mercies from the beginning to the end; we wear mercies, we walk on mercies, we breathe mercies."

But the time of the sojourning on earth of this highly favoured and afflicted servant of Christ was to have an end. For nearly the last nine years of her life she was confined to her bed. She could indeed take up the language of David, for it suited her, “Thou hast shewn me great and sore troubles, but Thou shalt comfort me on every side: I will praise Thy truth, O my God" (Ps. lxxi. 20). From the nature of her disease, her bodily agonies were great; and for a considerable portion of that period was she called to pass through the deepest waters of spiritual conflict,-trials, for which there is a "needs be " to the believer, to subdue righteous self, as well as sinful self; enabling him in some measure "to comprehend the length, and breadth, and depth, and height" of that love which makes a sinner "meet for the inheritance of the saints in light." In the year 1818, Catherine entered "into the joy of her Lord."

BIBLE WORKMEN;

OR, THE DIGNITY OF LABOUR.

ADAM as a workman wrought,

When the breath of golden hours,

With delicious odours fraught,

Wandered through fair Eden's bowers;
Work for holy hands was found
In that happy pleasure-ground.

NOAH as a workman wrought,

When the ark rose huge and high,

And by word and sign he taught
Sinful men God's wrath to fly;
Heavily the hammers fell,

Sounding forth earth's solemn knell.
JOSEPH as a workman wrought,
When, abandoned of his own,
Into slavery he was bought,
Into prison he was thrown ;
Faithful, watchful, he endured,
And a glorious name secured.
MOSES as a workman wrought,
When, a shepherd, year by year
Jethro's flock he fed, and brought
To the slopes of Horeb drear;
Till upon that lonely height
He beheld God's glory bright.

DAVID as a workman wrought,
When he fashioned harp and lute
For God's praise, and bravely caught
By his beard the tawny brute-
Guarding, guiding “those few sheep"
Which were given him to keep.

PETER as a workman wrought

On the sea with net and hook, Casting oftentimes for nought

Till the astonished fisher took
One fair Pearl of mighty worth,
Brightest gem of heaven or earth.

PAUL, too, as a workman wrought,
Weaving tents with his own hands,
While the Gospel-fight he fought-
Preaching JESUS in all lands:
First he wove the goat-hair, then
Wielded inspiration's pen.

JESUS as a workman wrought :

What the name He deigned to bear
When our sinful souls He sought?
"Is not this the Carpenter ?"
Days of labour, nights of prayer
For His last sad hour prepare.
Hast thou as a workman wrought?
Dost thou toil with hand or brain-
Wearing labour, wasting thought?
Prayerful work is not in vain :
And since JESUS toiled and died
Labour has been glorified.

RICHARD WILTON, M.A.

Londesborough Rectory.

UNVENTILATED BED-CHAMBERS.

THERE is reason to believe that more cases of dangerous and fatal disease are gradually engendered annually by the habit of sleeping in small unventilated rooms, than have occurred from a cholera atmosphere during any year since it made its appearance in this country. Very many persons sleep in eight by ten rooms, that is, in rooms the length and breadth of which multiplied together, and this multiplied again by ten for the height of the chamber, would make eight hundred cubic feet, while the cubic space for each bed, according to the English apportionment for hospitals, is twentyone hundred feet. But more, in order "to give the air of a room the highest degree of freshness," the French hospitals contract for a complete renewal of the air of a room every hour, while the English assert that double the amount, or over four thousand feet an hour, is required. Four thousand feet of air