A lady near Leicester has gathered few poor children around her to work for the Nest. They save their farthings to buy material. She says "When I proposed working and saving, one little girl exclaimed, 'Oh, I've a farthing already.' If our wishes were gold, your wants would be speedily supplied. One very little girl has learned to sew, on purpose that she may not be left out of our meeting. Her mother tells me she begins before she is dressed in the morning, The boys are raising flower-seeds."

We had one very remarkable and welcome gift. Though this winter has been so mild, yet in October there were several days of biting wind and frost. I looked at the Nestlings' beds, and thought them in great need of new blankets; but it was no use thinking about it when we were in such debt. Well, as I came home, I met on the door-steps a lady; she came in with me, and sat down. "Now," she said, "I want you to tell me how many beds there are in the Birds' Nest." "One hundred and seventy-four," I said. "Do they all want blankets ?" “No,”

I said, "not all; fourteen beds are new ones." "I will buy you 160 pairs," she said. I quite started with astonishment. Just the thing we wanted. And the lady went on to ask about the needs of the other institutions, and I told all. Then she said that a kind friend had given her £100 to lay out, and she could buy almost all I had mentioned.

I went out to the Nest as soon as I could. The first thing the Matron said was, "I do wish we could have new blankets." "They are coming," I said; "God has given them." Then I went into the schoolroom and told the story. An earnest, solemn look was on each face; tears stood in many eyes; we felt Jesus was near. And I could not help thinking that it was something like the feeling in that crowd, long ago, when Jesus said, "Somebody hath touched me." Some little nestling lying cold in bed, I feel sure, had told Jesus the need, and had thus brought help.

I was telling an old Christian woman in Wales, one day, something of Jesus' providings in the Birds' Nest. She looked at me with eyes full of tears,

and said "I can't say in English exactly what I mean; but don't you feel sometimes as if Jesus was close beside you, and you could take hold of His hand?" It is thus He comes in our darkness, and gives us unexpected help; and with the disciples we can only exclaim-"It is the Lord! "

But now I must say something about the prizes, and special gifts, for pleasure as well as use. We had a great Christmas-tree on the 28th of December, and, as usual, received many contributions. Some dear friends in England had sent sundry good and pretty things, dolls, scrap-books, boxes of sweets, &c., &c. One lady sent £1 to be spent for the boys, and a little girl sent 11s. 9d. to buy something for the little girls. For the boys I bought three large footballs, of three different sizes, and marked them to be played with by the three classes in the boys' school. They liked them very much, and they afford a great deal of exercise and fun. There was a doll for each of the little girls in the infants' school; some little girls sent a special gift to help to buy some.

The 11s. 9d. I kept, for I had a plan in my mind which I could not carry out under the tree. The best-beloved prizes were given as usual; the children greatly enjoy voting for their favourites. The girl chosen out was Biddy Lindsay; the votes of the little ones carried the day for her. The infants' was a very nice little girl about nine years old, named Teresa Mahon. The boy chosen was Richard M'Cormaic. When the little ones were voting, they said "The big fellow, mind the big fellow " (there are two boys of the name). But we were all greatly amused when we saw the "big fellow," about ten or eleven years old; he looked a very little fellow, but he is much beloved amongst them all, and tries to improve in everything.

Major Ord's prize of a silver pencilcase was gained by Willy Henchy, a little boy who has borne a very high character for Christian principle and steadiness. He is just going out to a situation.

Mrs. Ord's beautiful work-box was gained by a little girl named Agnes Welsh. She was greatly surprised

when she was called up, for no one knew who was to get it. There was another work-box for a good servant; one just gone out gained it, but as she had a very nice empty work-box which she had gained as a prize before, I gave her the contents of the prize, and kept it to refill for another. The writingdesk sent by Miss G. is not awarded yet; it will be a great treasure to some

one.

Now about the little girl's gift of 11s. 9d. I thought if I bought small toys they would soon be broken, so I sent a woman into the town to buy me a real baby's cradle, such as poor mothers use, of strong, coarse wickerwork. This she got for 3s. 6d. ; into it I put a bed, a pillow, an old blanket, and a patchwork quilt; then I went to a wholesale toy-shop and bought two dolls, as large as babies, for 1s. 9d. each. These we dressed exactly alike, in long cotton frocks, pinafores, and little crimped caps. When they were laid in the cradle, they looked just like twins. Then I found I had enough of money to buy a rocking-chair. I took