his zeal and wisdom much of the great success of the movement is due. An earnest work is going on in every diocese in England, and we know of at least 300,000 members, though probably there are many more. Some of the special features of the work are very interesting.

For instance, several missionaries are working at police courts, where every day they find men, women, and sometimes mere children, who are ruining themselves with strong drink. Quite lately one of these missionaries met a servant, only twenty-three years of age, who had lost five situations through intemperance. On being discharged from the last, she took a lodging for a fortnight, where she robbed the landlord of 10l. When the detective went to search her room, he found seven gin-bottles, all empty but one. The poor girl signed the pledge, and the missionary hopes to find her a home directly her two months' imprisonment is over.

Last year the total number of persons charged with being drunk in London alone was 33,892, and out of these 15,612, or nearly half, were women.

Dear girls, think of these solemn facts, and see what you can do to rescue the fallen and to prevent others from falling.

Our C. E. T. S. also carries on a good work among the young and their teachers; it has a branch for seamen, another for cabmen, and is just establishing one for servants.

There is not space enough for any description of these works, however, so I must pass on at once to two things which you all have in common.

First. Your companions: most of you have at least one workfellow, some of you have many. But even if you are alone in a situation, yet there are some friends whom you

meet at times. ous idea that people cannot enjoy themselves or be 'really friendly unless they occasionally take something to drink together.

Now there is a most danger

Alas! that it should be necessary to caution young women as well as young men about this matter. For some months I had to spend much time in a London office from which I could see a large drinking-bar. It was deeply painful to observe the number of bright, healthy-looking country girls, evidently up in London for the day, drinking there sometimes as early as ten or eleven o'clock in the morning. In America any young woman who is seen at a public bar loses her character for virtue. What a blessing it would be if English girls had the same fear about 'drinking places, and would treat it as an insult if any male or female friend suggested their entering one! Drinking for drinking sake is foolish, dangerous, and expensive, and there can be no true friendliness in leading people into folly, danger, and expense.

Every member of the G. F. S. who is worthy of that beautiful name 'friendly,' must fight earnestly against these evil customs of social drinking, especially if she is working among many others in a factory or workshop, where the influence of even one steady, consistent Christian example may be widely felt.

Social drinking means those mischievous habits of drinking healths, or drinking at christenings, weddings, funerals, meetings and partings of friends, and upon the many other occasions which people turn into an excuse for a friendly glass.' No! it is the enemy's glass, the glass of danger, perhaps o. ruin, for 'Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall'

Set your face against all drinking customs. Use your influence for temperance not only with women but with your male relations and friends. Woman's power over man, for good or evil, always has been immense; see then that you employ it for good, not for evil.

Eleven years ago a page-boy lived in my service, and, though he left me a long time back, he still writes regularly and often comes to see me. I have frequently tried to make him a total abstainer, but never could persuade him. One day he wrote and said he was engaged to be married to a very nice young woman, that she was a teetotaler, and had made him a teetotaler too. Bravo! I hope she belonged to the G. F. S.

Never marry a drinking man in the vain hope of reforming him after marriage. It is one of the most awful mistakes any girl can make. If the love of God and the love of you, before marriage, will not keep a man sober, your influence will be of very little use afterwards. Have you ever seen a drunkard's home? Well, then, will you run the risk of sharing such utter, hopeless misery for life?

If your intended husband ever drinks too much, the very next time you meet him say to him, I will not marry you till you have been an abstainer for one year, and you must begin to-night.' Suppose he will not agree. Then he loves his liquor better than he loves you; he does not really care about you, and you are well rid of him.

Temperance and thrift, based on the love of God, are the only foundations of a truly happy married life.

Secondly. You all share the common blessing of work. To have nothing to do is a real misfortune, but it is a great privilege to be able to imitate our Blessed Lord, who Ilimself worked as 'the carpenter' (Mark,

vi. 3). (Gen. ii. 15), and surely his daily task of gardening was a happiness to him, but when he was turned out of Paradise then the conditions of his work were altered, and he laboured in weariness and trouble among the thorns and thistles (Gen. iii. 17-19). So it is with you sometimes; you have to rise early and make long hours when you feel weak or ill. Then the temptation to take a little stimulant is very strong, but, dear girls, you must resist it. Pray for self-control, for the habit of depending upon stimulants to help you in work or weakness is one which grows with fearful speed. The horrible system of grocers' licenses has made this danger much greater. Many a girl who would be ashamed to go to a public-house, has begun the habit of secret drinking by the ease with which she has been able to buy strong drink at provision-shops.

Adam in Paradise had to work

Never accept a present of wine, beer, or spirits, from a tradesman, and never purchase even one single bottle in a shop, however much you may be tempted.

Our cleverest doctors now tell us that there is no real strength or nourishment to be got out of strong drink. All the nourishment in one quart of stout might be squeezed down into a little cake just the size of a sixpence !

Suppose you saw a man whipping and spurring a horse up hill, would you say, 'How he is nourishing the poor thing along?' Strong drink only stimulates, which means spurs on,' the body for a while, and then leaves it weaker than before.

The whole of this number of Friendly Leaves might be filled with instances of soldiers like Havelock and Napier, sailors like Sir William King Hall, travellers like Livingstone, bishops like those of Rochester, Exe

ter, and many more, members of Parliament like John Bright and Mr. Burt, athletes like Webb and Weston, navvies like the celebrated gang on the Great Western Railway, who did the hardest work ever known on oatmeal drink, brickmakers, harvesters, mill-hands, and people of all classes and both sexes, who have not only endured extremes of heat and cold, crushing fatigues and life-long labours, but who say they could not have done so unless they had been abstainers.

Good food, pure water, and suitable clothing, are the real necessities for performing hard work.

Stimulants may be useful as a medicine, but if ever a doctor orders you to take a little beer, or wine,' first ask him whether something else will not do as well; if he says no, then ask exactly how much you are to take, at what times, and how long you are to go on with it. Leave it off directly you are well, just as you would any other medicine.

Now, in conclusion, if you think you cannot abstain entirely, at least make some simple rules for yourself, such as that you will never drink between meals, never drink more than one glass of beer or wine a-day, never take part in any drinking customs, never laugh at drunkenness, or make game of a teetotaler. It is one of the wickedest acts in the world to try and persuade a person to break the pledge, and it may lead to the awful sin of soul-murder.

Join the Church of England Temperance Society; if there is a branch in your parish. become a member of it; but if there is not, then write to Mr. Sargant, General Secretary, Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, asking for a Declaration Paper, and say whether you wish to join the Servants' Branch. You will then receive a paper containing the two promises, one for abstainers, the other

for non-abstainers;* put your name against whichever you wish to make, return the paper to the Secretary, and you will get a card in exchange. When you have joined the Society you will take a more real part in that great united battle against intemperance, which, as baptized Christians, you are already pledged to fight.

ter.

Lastly. Pray very earnestly about the matThis is a religious work from first to last. Pray, then, that God will touch the hearts of those who are living in sin, and will bring them back to Jesus. Pray also that He will make you useful to others, and especially to the young.

The Lord has need of each one of you. However young you are, or however humble your position may seem, you are the centre of a little circle of influence. Some one is looking at you, some one is being helped or hindered by your example.

'Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light, Like a little candle burning in the night; In the world of darkness so we must shineYou in your small corner, and I in mine. 'Jesus bids us shine, first of all, for Him; Well He sees and knows it, if our light be dim; He looks down from heaven to see us shineYou in your small corner, and I in mine. 'Jesus bids us shine; yes, for all around, Oh, what depths of darkness in the world are found!

There's sin, there's want, and sorrow; so we must shine

You in your small corner, and I in mine.'

* These are the two promises:

General section.-'I recognise my duty, as a Christian, to exert myself for the suppression of Intemperance; and will endeavour, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both by example and effort, to promote its objects.'

Total Abstinence section.-'I hereby agree with the help of God, to abstain from the use of intoxicating drinks as beverages, as long as I retain this card of Membership."

Esther Tregarthen's Faith.

By E. M. L.

Author of How John Merrivale Chose his Wife,' &c. (Continued from p. 174.)

CHAPTER III.

'Thou shalt be served thyself by every sense of service which thou renderest.'

STHER had been home some time, but things had not mended with regard to Phil; neither did the time to speak' seem to present itself. Meanwhile Mrs. Tregarthen watched and listened, and at length grew impatient.

'I thought you would have had things out with your brother, long before this, Esther, my dear! However, I am going to stay from the service this morning, on purpose that you may put the rights and the wrongs before him, as you walk over the fields together; and I shall be rightly vexed if you fail me again.'

'I will do my best,' replied Esther quietly; but, alas! Esther's best that day was a thorough failure. Phil had such an easy way of turning the subject, whenever he saw the direction it was taking; and, to say the truth, the task was one she felt unequal to just then. She had seen nothing of Martin Heath since her return, and it disturbed her greatly to find he no longer occupied his old place by the transept arch. How she might advise Phil, or how she might best ask him the cause of Martin's absence, by turns were uppermost in Esther's mind, and kept her silent; whether Martin had left the dear old church he used to love for the new Baptist chapel at the 'Twinings,' or whether he went nowhere? They had nearly reached home before she ventured the question.

'I don't go to church myself very often,' replied Phil; 'so how can I tell as to the chapel folk? I should think Martin could never talk fast enough for them.' And he imitated his leisurely way of addressing the boys on Sunday evening down at the Lower Llydiatt.

6 Martin has not given up his Sunday class, then,' said Esther, with a quick look of pleasure.

'The boys don't give him up,' said Phil, 'or maybe it would have dropped through. Martin has got slower, and more dreamy, than ever.'

Several days passed by, and still Esther saw nothing of Martin Heath, and still there had been no chance of getting a word in edgeways with Phil-nothing that might stir him up to mend his ways had ever come into her mind. Home was no longer the old home to Esther.

Mrs. Tregarthen had gone to bed early the second Sunday of her daughter's return, for 'sight is a gift to be taken care of,' she said sententiously, as she lighted her candle with a tract she had begun to read. This print is of no use to me; and then if you read aloud, I always go to sleep. So, good night, Esther, my dear, and mind you are up early, to get the cream ready for churning. I promised faithfully to send some fresh butter down to Llanarth Court before nine o'clock.'

'Now,' said Esther to herself, 'the time is come when I must speak to Phil;' and putting down her book, she said quietly, 'Phil, dear, things don't seem to be going on very comfortably at home, I'm afraid.'

'Indeed!' replied lazy Phil, 'I thought they were; we have had some new cushions to the sofa, and a good truck of coal came in last week. I am quite content myself, now you are come back-especially so, Esther.'

'Mother is not easy in her mind about the farm; and because of your fondness for a gun, instead of '

'Oh, bother!' exclaimed Phil, standing up and giving Rover a rough push from the fire. 'I tell you what, Esther, if you listen to all mother's fidgety notions, you will get just like her yourself, always on the worry and fret. Work, work! that is all mother cares about. Well she is often telling me to follow her example, and I'll do it now; so good-night, Esther, and don't look dismal. I'm right enough!'

The red dawn of early morning shone upon the frosty pane as Esther drew up the blind and looked out-looked out, it must be confessedtowards the Llydiatt Farm to watch the smoke