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36

ADVENTURE WITH A LION.

named Mebálwe, a most excellent man, I saw one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock, within the nowclosed circle of men. Mebálwe fired at him before I could, and the ball struck the rock on which the animal was sitting. He bit at the spot struck, as a dog does at a stick or stone thrown at him; then leaping away, broke through the opening circle, and escaped unhurt. The men were afraid to attack him, perhaps on account of their belief in witchcraft. When the circle was reformed, we saw two other lions in it, but we were afraid to fire lest we should strike the men; and they allowed the beasts to burst through also. If the Bakatla had acted according to the custom of the country, they would have speared the lions in their attempt to get out. Seeing we could not get them to kill one of the lions, we bent our footsteps towards the village in going round the end of the hill, however, I saw one of the beasts sitting on a rock as before, but this time he had a little bush in front. Being about thirty yards off, I took a good aim at his body through the bush, and fired both barrels into it. The men then called out, He is shot! he is shot!' Others cried, 'He has been shot by another man too; let us go to him.' I did not see any one else shoot at him, but I saw the

lion's tail erected in anger behind the bush, and turning to the people said, 'Stop a little till I load again.' When in the act of ramming down the bullets, I heard a shout. Starting and looking half round, I saw the lion, just in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height; he caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together. Growling horribly close

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to my ear, he shook me as a terrierdog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor, similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though I was quite conscious of all that was happening. stroyed fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in all animals killed by the carnivora (animals which feed on flesh); and, if so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death. Turning round to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebálwe, who was trying to shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels; the lion immediately left me, and, attacking

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"DEAR FRIEND,-I think I promised the truths of the Bible, and the errors

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in one of my letters to tell you something about handbills, and their circulation amongst the Roman Catholics. You know the Irish are great people for the larnin,' and Paddy would never be the man to let a stray bit of printed paper go unread. I have seen a group of quarrymen, while sitting over their dinner, listen with intense interest to the contents of a leaf of an old book that one of them had picked up. To satisfy this thirst for knowledge, the Society for Irish Church Missions prints every week thousands of handbills, containing drops of the 'Water of Life,' and startling questions, exposing the poison of Romanism. Most of them announce some sermon to be preached, with the subject and text; or some class to be held for the discussion of

of tradition, &c. These bills are given to the Ragged School children to carry home to their parents, are carried about and distributed by the readers, dropped into areas and letter-boxes, scattered along the streets and roads; in short, as Romish authority says, 'they are circulated with most malicious activity.'

"When the sower sows his seed, some falls on stony, and some on thorny ground; but some falls on good ground, and brings forth rich fruit. We must not be discouraged if some of the bills are torn in pieces and flung away in scorn; even torn pieces I have seen carefully laid together by a poor old woman, and if only one in a thousand does real good, we must thank God and work on, remembering that much fruit may grow

38

HANDBILLS IN IRELAND.

and ripen, and be gathered in at the great harvest, unknown to any save Him whose are the secrets of all hearts. Our Father permits us to see some golden grains, that our hearts be gladdened, and our faith quickened; and over some of these fruits I now ask you to rejoice with me.

"A poor countrywoman was one day going home from market, when she saw a little piece of paper blown about by the wind. It was a handbill. She picked it up; and being unable to read, put it into her pocket. When she got home, she laid it upon a shelf along with some other papers. Some time after this, the woman's husband was ill, and at home alone on a Sunday morning. He began to search the old papers, found the handbill, and, as something new, he eagerly sat down to read. Its contents startled him. He procured a Douay Bible to see if the quotations were correct; finding they were so, he went to the priest to see if he could reconcile the doctrines of their church with their own Bible, but the priest angrily sent him away. The man continued reading his Bible, and now he and his family are consistent Protestants. Here was a whole family brought to the study of the Bible by the means of one of these little bills!

"This is much; but what would you think of a ship's crew being con

verted through the same means? About a year ago, a young sailor lad entered a controversial class in Dublin. He was interested, and came again and again, until he was thoroughly convinced of the truth. When the vessel was leaving Dublin, the sailor asked for some handbills, which were given him. After the lapse of a year, that vessel returned to Dublin, aud in great joy our young friend brought eighteen of his shipmates to service, all of whom had been brought to a searching after the truth by means of the bills. So you see our little seeds are scattered by land and sea. We often hear, too, of them in America. They are enclosed in considerable numbers in the letters of the poor people to their friends there.

"Not very long ago, one Sunday morning, as a reader was walking along Townsend Street, he saw a gentleman, evidently a stranger, searching for some place. The reader offered his services, and the gentleman said he was from America, and wanted to find the mission church. The reader looked surprised, and asked how he had heard of it? 'Ah,' said he, 'it is well known in my country. I have sixty Irishmen in my employ, and there is not a week passes without some of them getting your little bills, and I am come over to see all about it.',

HANDBILLS IN IRELAND.

39

"I cannot close my letter without adding a little history of a Bible. Some time ago, a little thief gained admittance into the daily Ragged School. She remained a few days, and then absconded with a nice new Bible. She took it to a pawn-office. The young man in the office, attracted by the neat, new book, opened it and read; he then hid it, that he might read more. From this time, every leisure moment was occupied with his new treasure, and its truths sank deep into his heart. One Satur

"There is one good thing about | very largely God is blessing the means these handbills, they are so small, and we are using. can so easily be concealed. In this respect, they are of the greatest use to inquiring and timid Roman Catholics. I remember once hearing of one picked up in the area of a priest's house by a servant girl. She could not read herself, but she laid it on the breakfast table; a niece of the priest's was the first to come down, and she read a little, but hearing her uncle's step on the stairs, slipped it into her pocket. When again alone, she read and was aroused to the procuring a Douay Bible, and was so thoroughly convinced, that she mentioned her difficulties to her uncle, who commanded her to leave off reading that book, and never mention the subject again; but she, having drunk from the life-giving fountain, would not leave it for the 'broken cisterns,' and consequently was turned out of the house. She was forced to go to service in a lodging-house. A missionary lodged there; and while she was waiting on him one day, he spoke to her of her soul's concerns. Her story was soon told, and she added that she was happier in her poverty with Christ, than she had ever been in her former envied position without Him. Hardly a day passes but we hear of some such cases, showing how

day night a poor lame convert, hav-
ing no food for his children on the
coming day, took his coat to the pawn-
office. While the young man was ex-
amining it, the convert asked him,
'Do you know the way to be saved?'
The young man looked narrowly at
him, and answered in the words of
Scripture. 'Where did you learn
that?' said the convert.
The young
man drew out his Bible from its hid-
ing-place. It was enough; they shook
hands, and rejoiced together.

"The mission work in Dublin never was in a more prosperous state. The classes are crowded by anxious inquirers (some day I must describe one of them to you); some nights many of them go away unable to get

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us.

Jesus, but it is very difficult to get to know the worst, as all foreigners are now shut out from the country.

THE last time we mentioned the Island | their attachment to the religion of of Madagascar, we expressed the hope that English missionaries might soon be allowed to return and dwell among the people; but, alas!, how are our hopes dashed to the ground by the sad news which has reached Another persecution, even more terrible than the former one, has broken out, and the poor native Christians have been treated as if they were the worst of criminals. In July last, thirteen persons were stoned to death, and their heads afterwards stuck on poles, their wives and children being made slaves; between fifty and sixty were forced to drink poisoned water; sixty were bound in chains, of whom two had died; while a number more had been made slaves. It is to be feared that many others have been called to lay down their lives for

"WHAT are you doing?" said a minister, as he one day visited a feeble old man who lived in a hovel, and was sitting with a Bible open on

We can only do one thing to help these poor persecuted ones; but one thing we can do we can pray for them. When the Apostle Paul was in prison, he often used to write to the Christians in other places, "Brethren, pray for us," and, "Remember my bonds." Let us all join together in prayer for the people of Madagascar, that the Christians may be strengthened to endure this fiery trial, and to suffer anything rather than deny their Lord. Let us pray, too, for the cruel queen and the heathen, that they may be changed from savage persecutors into meek and lowly Christians.

his knee. "Oh, sir, I am sitting under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit is sweet to my taste."

Price 6d. per doz. or 3s. 6d. per 100; 20 copies sent free by post for 10d., paid in advance. Published by GALL & INGLIS, 6 George Street, Edinburgh. HOULSTON & WRIGHT, London.

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