"No, my dear," replied Mrs. Weston. "That was the dress of the Polish Jews. Almost all the Polish Jews dress in that manner. They were at one time obliged to wear that fur cap as a badge of shame-now they wear it from choice." "But," inquired Ellen, "why should they wear it as a thing to be ashamed of?”

"It is not easy, my child, to understand what were the motives that often led people in authority to order the Jews to wear clothing that was different to that of other people. There is no doubt, however, that in many cases it was done in order that money might be obtained from the Jews, or in order to compel them to buy things that no one else would buy. I will tell you of a circumstance which is related by White in his Three Years in Constantinople.'

"M. d'Argental was the name of the French ambassador who was sent to Turkey in the year 1690. The name of his chief valet was La Rose. When he was about to leave Paris for Constantinople, the valet was persuaded by some one to spend all his savings in buying wigs. These he expected to sell again when he reached Constantinople. But the chief servant of the French ambassador was most grieved and vexed when he arrived at this great city, to find that he had been imposed on. There were no persons at Constantinople who wore wigs.

"The poor valet fell into very low spirits. He well-nigh died, for the loss of his money had such an effect on his mind. His master, the ambassador, saw this, and was sorry for his servant. He thought that he would ask the Grand Vizier, who is the chief officer of the Sultan, whether he could do anything by which a sale of the wigs might take place. 'Nothing can be more easy,' said the Vizier, 'leave the affair to me.'

"The day after this an order was sent forth. This was what is called in that country a firman. It was to be read in all the synagogues. By this all the Jews were ordered to wear wigs."

The children could not help laughing aloud when Mrs. Weston told them this.

"It was no laughing matter, dear children, for the poor Jews. They were in dreadful distress as to what they should do. The Sultan's order must be obeyed, and where were these wigs to be bought? Few knew the meaning of wigs, and none knew where to find them.

"This soon reached the ears of La Rose. Most joyfully he delivered his store of wigs to a person who was appointed for the purpose. All of them were soon sold, and he got a great deal of money from the poor Jews."

"But such a thing as that," said Harry, "would not be done in England ?”

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It would not be done now, Harry,” replied Mrs. Weston, "but I am not sure that it may not have been done in time of old. For example, in the reign of Edward I., all the Jews above seven years of age, were ordered to wear a badge, or mark, of a stuff called taffeta. This was of a

yellow colour, and two pieces of it were to be worn on the upper garments. It is not at all unlikely that some person who was in favour with the king spent his money in buying yellow taffeta, as the French valet did in buying wigs; and when it could not be sold, the poor Jews were made in this way to become the buyers."

"But what about the fur caps, mamma!"

exclaimed Ellen.

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There was an account, my dear, in the Advocate,' about these fur caps, which you may remember to have read. They were first used when the Jews were ordered to wear a fox's tail, or a cat's tail, in front of their caps. This was afterwards enlarged. Now they wear these fine fur caps, some of which are very expensive. They seem to take quite a pride in them."

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Is that the reason, too, why they dress in those long flowing robes ?"

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"This may have something to do with this practice. But we know that the Jews in many parts of the world have always dressed in this It is very likely that it is the same kind

way.

of dress which was worn in the time of the Saviour."

"Do the people in the Holy Land dress in this way, mamma ?”

"The better class of people do so. But among the poorer classes they generally wear but one long garment. This is bound round the waist

by a shawl or girdle. It is open at the breast, and in this they will put all kinds of things. But it is time for you now to be going to bed. I am afraid, Harry, that we shall only be able to have one more conversation about the Jews, before you return to school."

(To be continued.)

LETTERS ON MISSIONS.

BRESLAU.

DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,

You will find that the town of Breslau is situated in the kingdom of Silesia. There the Society has long had an important mission. As far back as the year 1823 the missionary work was begun in that town.

The missionaries who have laboured at Breslau in time past have been Mr. R. Smith, the Rev. H. Lawrence, the Rev. W. Ayerst, and Mr. T. Deutsch. They have carried on the work there at different times. When they were withdrawn in the year 1834, Dr. Neumann was employed as the agent of the Society. Dr. Neumann continues to be so employed. He is a son

Abraham according to the flesh, and is one of the Professors in the University.

In 1850 the Committee determined to renew and to strengthen this mission.

The Rev. J. C.

Hartmann, who had been at Frankfurt-on-theOder, was removed to Breslau.

Other labourers

Mr.

were afterwards added to this mission. Krueger and Mr. Romann were engaged for the work. The latter was another of those sons of Abraham according to the flesh, who are also his sons by faith in the Lord Jesus. The Rev. A. I. Behrens, who had filled the mission at Jassy, found it necessary that he should be removed from that place, on account of the health of his family. He was appointed to Breslau, to take the place of Mr. Krueger.

It was soon after this that the war with Russia arose. Our missionaries who were labouring in Poland were banished from the country, and the Committee had to place them in other stations. Two of them, viz., Mr. Lange and Mr. Zuckertort, were appointed to Breslau. This was done, not merely in order that the missionary work at Breslau should be more fully carried on, but in order that these missionaries should make it a centre, a place of constant meeting, from whence they should go forth to all the parts around, to proclaim Jesus as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." These missionary journeys are constantly being carried on. There are a great number of watering-places in the district. To these

numbers of Jews come in the season for the baths. The missionaries find it a good time for conversing with them. They have more time to think about what is said to them.