receive the blessings of their elders. The benediction of a boy will be something like this: May you have long life, gold inkstand and gold pen, acquire profound learning and immense wealth, and support lakhs [a word which means a very large number] of men.' To a girl may be said: 'May you enjoy the blessings of a married life [that is, never become a widow], become the mother of a rajah [or native Indian ruler], use vermilion on your gray hair, continue to wear an iron bangle [both the iron bangle and vermilion are worn by married women, and given up if they become widows], have seven sons, and never know want.' It is a long time before the excitement of the festival disappears; it is the great occasion for the receiving and entertaining of relations and friends."

Working and Praying.

"Faith without works is dead."-Bible. SAID Farmer Jones, in a whining tone, To his good old neighbor Gray: "I've worn my knees through to the bone, But it ain't no use to pray.

"Your corn looks twice as good as mine, Though you don't pretend to be

A shinin' light in the church to shine,
An' teli salvation's free.

"I've prayed the Lord a thousand times
For to make that 'ere corn grow,
And why your'n beats it so, and climbs,
I'd gin a deal to know."

Said Farmer Gray to his neighbor Jones,
In his easy, quiet way:

"When prayers get mixed with lazy bones
They don't make farmin' pay.

"Your weeds, I notice, are good and tall,
In spite of all your prayers;

You may pray for corn till the heavens fall
If you don't dig up the tares.

"I mix my prayers with a little toil
Along in every row,

An' I work this mixture into the soil
Quite vig'rous with a hoe.

"An' I've discovered, though still in sin,
As sure as you are born,

This kind of compost, well worked in,
Makes pretty decent corn.

"So while I'm praying I use my hoe.
An' do my level best

To keep down the weeds along each row,
An' the Lord he does the rest.

"It's well for to pray both night and morn,
As every farmer knows;

But the place to pray for thrifty corn

Is right between the rows.

"You must use your hands while praying, though, If an answer you would get;

For prayer-worn knees and a rusty hoe
Never raised a big crop yet.

"An' so, I believe, my good old friend,
If you mean to win the day,
From plowing clean to the harvest's end
You must hoe as well as pray."

Three Little Maids and Their Brother.

(The first two verses may be recited in concert or separately by two of the best speakers.)

HERE are three little maids of the Mission Band-
Bright and early we've taken our stand

To be of some use in this great wide world,
Instead of living just to be curled

And feathered and frizzed, like the poor little birds;
We mean to try, by our deeds and our words,
To do all the good we possibly may,
While on this pleasant earth we stay.

So we have lots of things to tell-
For in our band we learn them well-
About the far-off mission lands
Where day and night the teacher stands
To show the way to our dear Lord
And teach the people from his word.
We'll show you how the children look,
As they sit and learn God's holy book.

(First Little Girl.)

This is the way they dress in Japan-
Land of the bamboo and the fan-
Where the queer little children are begging to learn
Of Jesus, that they from their idols may turu,
And be happy as we in the care of a Friend
Who, having once loved them, will love to the end.

(Second Little Girl.)

From the land of pagodas and elephants white,
I'm a Siamese child just for to-night--
Where the bright little girls are hearing at last
Of your better ways, and are learning so fast;
They beg for more schools and teachers to come,
To tell them still more of the beautiful home.

(Third Little Girl.)

I'm a Hindu child just now,
From sunny India, where they bow
To cruel gods; where mothers sad
Throw little girls to Gunga bad,
And little widows no older than I
Are left in darkness to pine and die.
O, thankful and glad indeed are we
Only "make-believe" heathen to be!

(Enter Chinese Boy.)

Here comes a boy from China, you see!
You three little maidens, make room there for me?
For the boys are not to be left behind

In a race with the girls for the good and the kind.
In China we boys, of course, ought to beat,
For what can girls do, with their poor stumbling feet?
But we mean in the future to give them fair play,
If Christians will help us and show us the way.

(All recite together.)

So we three little maids, and our brother "Chinee,"
Mean always true workers for Jesus to be;
Perhaps you may hear of ns, one of these days,
In China or India, teaching his ways.

-E. F. R. C.. in Children's Work for Children

Netherlands:

Bali and Lombok.

Total......

Area, sq. m.

Population. 23,064,086

2,697,832

Rian-Lingga Archipelago..

17,325

Banca...

4,977

Billiton.

2,500

Borneo, West, South, East.

203,714

Celebes..

71,150

Molucca Islands..

42,420

Timor Archipelago

21,840

3,990

94,676 79,648 37,803 1,008,892 762,284 321,168 45,538 1,353,064 200,000

37

The Methodists have made the greatest proportionate increase in the Dominion as a whole, followed by the Presbyterians, the Church of England, and the Roman Catholics in the order named. Two denominations have increased their strength in every province of the Dominion-the Roman Catholics and the Methodists. The Church of England has decreased in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The Presbyterians have decreased in New Brunswick, In MauiNova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. toba the growth of Presbyterianism has been remarkable, more than twenty-eight per cent of the In whole increase falling to that denomination. British Columbia the growth of the Church of England is even more remarkable, that body having thirty-one per cent of the total increase of the population.

UNITED STATES.

The census of 1890 gave the total colored population of of the United States except Alaska as 7,638,360. this number 7,470,040 were persons of African descent, 107,475 were Chinese, 2,039 Japanese, and 58,806 were civilized Indians. The Indians here reported are those found among the general populalation and not under tribal relations.

The persons of African descent are divided into 6,337,980 blacks, 956,989 mulattoes, 105,135 quadroons, and 69,936 octoroons. Over ninety per cent of them are found in the South Atlantic and South Central division of States and Territories.

Of the total Chinese over seventy per cent are in California.

Of the total Japanese over one half are in California.

Of the civilized Indians over 19,000 are in the New England and the Atlantic States.

The total Indian population of the United States, Of these exclusive of Alaska, numbers 249,273. 66,289 are in the Indian Territory, 8,278 are Pueblas of New Mexico, 5,304 are in New York, 2,885 are in North Carolina.

The population of Alaska is 31,795, and is classified as follows: whites, 4,303; mixed (Russian and native), 1,819; Indians, 23,274; Mongolians, 2,287; all others, 112. The Indians are divided as follows: Eskimo, 12,784; Thlinket, 4,739, Athabaskan, 3,441; Aleut, 968; Tsimpsean, 951; Hyda, 391. The popu lation of the principal towns are as follows: Afognak, 409; Alitak. 420; Douglas City, 402; Port Clarence, 485; Sitka, 1,190; Juneau, 1,253; Hoonah, 438; Karluk, 1,123; Kingaghee, 488; Metlakahtla,

823.

THE WEST INDIES.

Spanish West Indies comprises Cuba (population 1,521,684) and Porto Rico (806,708).

British West Indies comprises the islands of Bermudas, Barbadoes, Jamaica, Turk's, Leeward, Windward, and Trinidad.

French West Indies comprises the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinque, St. Pierre, Miquelon, and northern part of St. Martin.

Dutch West Indies comprises the islands of Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, St. Eustache, Saba, and southern part of St. Martin.

Danish West Indies comprises the islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John.

On the island of Hayti are the two republics of Hayti and San Domingo, the former with a population of 900,000, the latter with 610,000. The inbabitants are blacks and mulattoes.

38

SOUTH AMERICA.

Guiana is divided between Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands. British Guiana has a population of 284,887; French Guiana, or Cayenne, 25,796; Dutch Guiana, or Surinam, 55,958.

The Roman Catholic is the established religion in all the republics except Brazil, where connection between State and Church has been abolished. The exercise of all other religions is permitted except in Ecuador, where "the religion of the republic, according to the Constitution, is the Roman Catholic, to the exclusion of every other;' " and in Peru, where the Constitution "prohibits the public exercise of any other religion than the Roman Catholic."

EUROPE.

Germany has a population of 49,426,394; of these 30,964,274 are Protestants adhering to the State Church, 141,701 independent Protestants, 17,646,890 Roman Catholics, 567,441 Jews.

On August 25, 1892, Bishop Joyce organized the Finland and St. Petersburg Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, appointing Rev. Johannes Roth the superintendent. There are nine pastoral charges in the mission, and each one has as its pastor either a member of Conference or a local preacher appointed by the superintendent.

The Roman Catholics and Protestants of Europe are distributed about as follows:

The World Divided Religiously.

Denmark..

France..

Christian.
Non-Christian...

441,000,000

1,059,000,000

Germany

Greece

Great Britain and Ireland..

14,000 5,000,000 30,000,000

1,000

Eastern.....

16,000

95,000,000

4,700,000

Roman Catholic...

1,000

205,000,000

115,000

14,000

The non-Christians are divided:

8,500,000

6,000,000

Jews....

8,000,000

1,000 4,800,000

1,000 2,000,000

ASIA.

1,190,000 1,725,000 30,000 47,000

154,362,000 85,211,000