THE EDITOR'S TABLE. OWING to peculiar circumstances the Editor has been unable this month to give his usual attention to this department of the INSTRUCTOR. Those who have sent questions must therefore please be so kind as to exercise their patience a little in waiting for answers. It is his endeavour to meet their wishes with as much promptness as practicable, but he does not think it right to sacrifice carefulness and satisfactoriness to despatch. A WORD TO THE COMPETITORS FOR THE PRIZES. Several of our young friends have written complaining that they do not get their INSTRUCTOR sufficiently early to supply answers by the date given. We are sorry for this. We presume these cases occur where the Magazines have to be forwarded to some other place after they have been received by the minister to whom they are in the first instance consigned. To accommodate such cases, we will do our best to send them off from London a few days earlier. We say we will do our best to accomplish this; but when we have done our best we fear that there may be instances in which we shall not succeed. Will our ministers please do their best, also, to distribute the Magazines with as little delay as possible after their arrival? We wish to say a word to our young friends about the circulation of the INSTRUCTOR. We are happy to say the sale of it has increased somewhat with the new year, but we candidly confess the increase has not been according to either our desire or expectation. Our hope is that every one who reads the INSTRUCTOR likes it, and thinks it an excellent magazine, for young people especially. On that ground, then, we ask you to give it a word of recommendation to others. You know who, in your class, or family, or among your acquaintances, do not buy it; name it to them, and try to persuade them to take it on trial, if they will not at once become permanent subscribers. We are anxious in this matter, not from the love of gain, but from a desire to do good-that is our main object in all we write or prepare for the INSTRUCTOR. We wish through it to be a means of blessing to all our readers, and so the greater the circulation the greater our usefulNow then, boys and girls, young men and maidens, all and every one of you, do your best to gratify your friend the Editor in this respect If you will, any advantage received shall in some measure return to yourselves in the improvement of the Magazine. ness. We have had unexpectedly to change our residence. Letters must now be addressed REV. JOHN HUDSTON, BALTIC LODGE, EVERTON ROAD, LIVERPOOL. FIRST QUARTER. Golden Texts for Repetition. 7 Jesus at Public Worship... | Luke iv. 16-30 ... 14 The Wisdom of Jesus..... Luke x. 25-37.. Ps. cxxii. 1. you SWALWELL CHRISTMAS EFFORT.-On Thursday, December 24, 1874, we held our annual Christmas effort, which consisted of a public tea; and a stall containing articles too numerous to catalogue was erected. It exceeded all previous ones, and surpassed our sanguine expectations. New Government schools have recently been built at Swalwell, and we selected one of the commodious rooms for the consummation of our labours, which has been conducted by us with much enthusiasm during three or four months previous to Christmas-eve. Our interest at Swalwell chiefly depends upon working people, and the goods offered for sale being the produce of "our hands," success depended upon us—“ and I." Our intentions were made known, and one house after another was thrown open. Spirit," in the flesh mind you, "moved spirit," and soon all was in motion: calicos and cotton multum in parvo in kinds and quality, waited for scissors to science it, ready for sewing-meeting-day; that arrived, hands were there capable of fine fancy work, playing with the shuttle, tatting, knitting stockings, or sewing of a varied or mixed description. How money and goods came! Intuitively gentlemen came past a corner in a village, town, or market-place. In response to inquiry, "Can you help us in any shape? We are busy with Christmas effort to get debt off, please?" "There is a half-sovereign," or "There are five shillings," and so on, was the reply. The little gold things came in by the brace, and proud to scramble into the " King's basket.” Virtued, out they went with grace to some establishment, to be invested in raw materials, and in return received by the ladies, "my wife" included, to were be scissored, "pinafored," "aproned," or made into other laudable articles. For instance, the quilting frames were hauled from behind the clock, the little spiders fit to carry the big ones away bodily as they ran through beneath the big ones, they in turn wondering what in the world theNew Connexion" drones were after. Long wood skewers, needle shape, were soon on the chatter, with such seasonable fabrics as a woollen shawl, wrapper, or muffler; "heads,' 'hearts," "hands soon in commotion. Peggy or Tog began teasing and tugging at somebody's coat or dress, "to do something, to do something." At last goods rolled in apples by the hundredweight, oranges by the box. We brought our tithes into the storehouse first; the rich brought their mite, the poor their riches-distinction melted itself into the treasury. Sunniside sent its conveyance with goods; the neighbourhood roundabout was drawn into a focus; the windows of heaven were opened. The Misses Alexander, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, presided at the stall, containing upwards of £50 in goods, and got three cheers for a "Christmas-box departing. Tables were efficiently attended, too, by various ladies. The Rev. Mr. Isham and a host from Dunston came to take a leaf away-how they do things at Swalwell. On New Year's-eve we had our annual coffee supper. It was full of music. We had three instruments, our first love being amongst them. By kind permission of Sir Henry Clavering, Bart., we, like a few snow-flaked gipsies or Israelites, marched up through snow and thickness to the beautiful mansion Axwell Hall, and like "harps in tune " sang the songs of Zion-"Jesus comes, His conflicts over," "All hail the power of Jesu's name," "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him," &c. Thus we sang the old year -the year 1874-out of existence, and thus we ushered the new-the new year 1875-into being.-W. W. B. in CHRISTMAS-TREE, ST. PETER'S QUAY, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.—A successful effort has recently been made in connection with the above society for the purpose of aiding our mission funds by means of a Christmastree. The matter was initiated, and has been brought to a satisfactory issue, principally through the interest and activity manifested in it by Mrs. A. Brown and Mrs. J. Thompson, assisted by the elder scholars of the Sunday-school. The sale was held on Tuesday, December 29. The proceedings were commenced with devotional exercises and a suitable address by the Rev. T. T. Rushworth, expressive of congratulation and encouragement to the friends in their laudable undertaking. The body of the chapel, where the sale was conducted, presented a very tasteful and inviting appearance, the tree and a table in addition being laden with articles both of an ornamental and a useful character. Excellent refreshments, which had been contributed by generous friends, were provided at moderate cost. The sale realised the gratifying sum of £13 18. 7d. £10 10s. of this amount will be devoted to the Chinese Mission, and the remainder to the Home Mission Fund. Great credit is due to the ladies and young friends who have had the conducting of this effort, and we trust that the success achieved will be to them an inducement to repeat the effort next year.-T. T. R. EBENEZER SUNDAY-SCHOOL, TRURO.-On Friday, January 15, 1875, the teachers of the above school held their annual tea meeting. About sixty of the teachers and their friends sat down to an excellent tea, pre sided over by the Misses Roberts, Hawkins, Cragoe, and E. Henwood. A public meeting was afterwards held, the Rev. T. Porteus in the chair. The report, read by the secretary, Mr. Hendra, showed an increase in the number of teachers and scholars, also an increased balance in the funds in favour of the school. Addresses were given, bearing on the work of Sabbath-school teaching and its importance, by the chairman, the Rev. J. L. Hookins, and Messrs. John Hearn, James Clemens, Hope, Skewes, Argall, Chegwin, and Inliff. The meeting took the opportunity of presenting to Mr. John S. Clemens (who for many years was a scholar, and afterwards secretary of the school, but has left for Ranmoor College to prepare for the ministry) a testimonial of the high esteem in which he is held by the teachers. It consisted of six volumes of the "Life and Sermons of the Rev. F. S. Robertson." The presentation was made by the senior superintendent, Mr. R. Phillips. In a very appropriate speech, Mr. Clemens, in thanking the teachers for their kind remembrance of him, said wherever he might be called to labour he should not forget the many happy associations connected with the Sabbath-school at Truro. Votes of thanks to the ladies for presiding at the tables brought the meeting to a close.-R. HENDRA, Secretary. JUVENILE MISSIONARY MEETING, FELLING SHORE, GATESHEAD.-The juvenile missionary meeting in connection with the above place was held in the Methodist New Connexion Chapel, on Sunday, the 24th ult., when Mr. Edward Smith, superintendent, occupied the chair. The chairman opened the meeting with a few remarks on the missions generally, and the following juveniles recited appropriate pieces of poetry, viz. :-Alice Cunningham, Emma Dixon, Jane Sharp, Ellen Miller, Ann Jane Cook, Mary Knott, Isabella Atkinson, Elizabeth Richardson, and Wm. Hand, Jno. Wm. Newton and Alfred Smith. Messrs. Hopper, of Wardley, and Shute, of Gateshead, gave short but appropriate addresses. Master Wm. Smith produced the proceeds of his missionary-box, amounting to 6s. 6d., accompanied by a note expressing his sympathy with and best wishes for the mission cause. The meeting was well attended, and was a success. The collections amounted to 26s. 6d.-T. SMITH, Hon. Sec. 11.-Which is the least chapter in the Bible? 12.-How many times did Christ appear to His disciples after His resurrection ? 13.-Who was the first that committed suicide, and where do we find the account? 14.-In the Bible God is frequently spoken of as a Father; how many instances are there on record in which men addressed him as such before Christ told them? 15.-A mountain of Asia; A sin severely denounced by Christ; An officer in the service of King Josiah ; A village in Mount Olivet. The initials give the name of a King of Israel, the finals where his wife came from. N.B.-Our young friends will please refer to what we say on page 78. Memoirs. MARTHA ELLEN BENNETT. reap not MARTHA ELLEN BENNETT, daughter of William and Jemima Bennett, the subject of this short sketch, began at a very early age to attend our Sundayschool at Wepre, Hawarden Circuit. As a child she was very delicateone of those flowers which seem too frail to bloom on earth, and are more suited for the milder clime of heaven. She was a very conscientious child, quiet in her disposition, and remarkable for her obedience. When there were fairs or wakes in the neighbourhood, and she saw other children visiting such places, she would sometimes ask, "Is it wrong to go, mother?" and on being answered, "It is, my child," she would be quite content, and never even ask to go. At the Sunday-school she was very regular in her attendance as long as health permitted, and also very attentive. In the spring of this year, 1874, when other flowers began to bloom, this fragile flower began to fade. Consumption, "the fell foe of youth," appeared, and soon it became evident that the "Reaper whose name is Death "would soon come, and with "his sickle keen " only "the bearded grain" at a breath, but this and other "flowers that grew" between. During her illness she was very patient; not even a murmur escaped her lips; and often she would try to sing some of the hymns she had learnt in the Sabbath-school. Her father was away at this time, but on his homeward voyage from Spain. She was, therefore, naturally anxious to see him; but this desire was not realised. A short time before her death, she said, "I shall have to go before my father comes home; but tell him when he comes I have gone to glory." What a sad, yet what a strengthening message this for the father on his arrival home! A few hours before her death she said, "I am going to-night. The Lord is preparing a place for me." Then she put her hands together and prayed to God to bless her father and mother, sisters and brothers. Shortly afterwards, seeing her mother in tears, she said, "I am going to leave you; but, mother, don't you cry after me, as I am going to heaven." And the same night the Reaper came, or rather |