mere shreds and patches,” but rather does the very giving of life and light to those who sit in darkness and death make our own lives broader, deeper, and richer. And now, dear girls, older and younger, to each and every one who has opened her heart and hand to this good work, in the name of all suffering women and children who, so long as this dispensary stands, shall receive bodily and spiritual healing, in the name of all these, accept my thanks.

ANoth ER year has closed. It seems but a moment since, as a Board, we stood upon its threshold gazing anxiously into its dim mysteries, wondering what its weeks and months would bring forth of success or failure, joy or sorrow, encouragement or disappointment. At its close we have but one note to sound through all our borders—a note of praise and thanksgiving, “The Lord hath blessed his people!” “Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.”

We think we may say that in no other year in our history has there been more satisfactory progress than in the one just closed. There have been years when the number of new organizations has been greater, when statistics of all kinds have made a more decided advance; but never, we believe, has the progress in true and permament strength been greater than in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and eighty-four To those who are watching this work among the women in our churches in all the length and breadth of our territory, it is a matter of much thanksgiving, not unmixed, we must confess, with a certain wonder to see how the interest deepens and widens; how the enthusiasm not only continues unabated, but is constantly adding to its swift current, becoming with some almost an absorbing passion; how the various meetings grow in spirituality and power, making them in deed and in truth heavenly places; how the giving grows spontaneous and consecrated; how the bond that draws the workers grows closer and dearer, creating social enjoyments on a true foundation, and so giving unalloyed pleasure; above all, to see that the foundation of it all is one that never can be moved — a true love for our Lord, his work, and his kingdom. What gives us the greatest strength, however, is the abiding conviction that our God has set his seal upon our work; that he is beginning the fulfillment of his ancient prophecy that has received a new meaning in the Revised Version, “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of women that published it;” that he means to use the women and children in bringing the world to himself. We may be sure that these results have not been brought about by accident, neither has there been any miracle. At the beginning of the year we asked for four very simple things—more prayer, deeper consecration, greater effort, larger gifts; and we believe it has been through just these means that progress has been made. If the story of all these earnest prayers, new consecrations, special efforts, and individual thank-offerings could be written out, we believe they would bring to light such heart-searchings, such spiritual uplifting, such sacrifice of time, and ease, and precious treasures as would fill a volume of intensest interest. Now in the retrospect, do we hear of regrets over these experiences? Does any one say, I am sorry I made this sacrifice, that I gave up that pleasure, that I “abridged a ruffle or subtracted a tuck,” that I might make time to attend the missionary meeting? Does any one say, How foolish I was to be led away by my enthusiasm to make such a large thank-offering 2 I wish I had never made that special consecration, that seemed to lead me to do things I never thought I could do before? Ah no l we never hear such words as these. The tongue would falter and the lips refuse to utter such thoughts. Does not every such recollection the rather send a glow through our hearts and a feeling of satisfaction at every such treasure laid away where it can never be lost nor defiled. Now, dear friends, are you willing to make equal effort and sacrifice the coming year? What has been done can be done again. What cost us much during the past twelve months may, perhaps, be done with ease in the future, but we cannot doubt that other efforts, other sacrifices, no less costly, may be needed for the coming work. With King David we wish to ask, Who is willing to consecrate her service this day unto the Lord afresh? Does the work demand it? Never so much as now: never did our Lord so surely beckon us onward; never were the openings so many and so grand as at the present moment. The greatest need just now is for men and women for the foreign field. There is positive and immediate call for eleven young women for this work. Before this year is over there are those who will be called upon to give their lives to this work; and there are those who will be called to give that which is dearer than life — a loved daughter, or sister, or friend. May the dear Lord give the strength for this sacrifice to those from whom it shall be required. But this is a call that will come to the few. To most of us comes the infinitely smaller request of a full and hearty support, unstinted sympathy, unceasing, earnest prayers. In dollars and cents, should the eleven young ladies be found, it will cost for outfits and traveling expenses at least ten thousand dollars. The estimates sent us by the American Board for 1885 amount to nine thousand dollars more than ever before. This includes almost no new work; the increase is only the natural growth to which we are pledged. This is a responsibility which we cannot throw aside. We must also plan for requests to come for special emergencies during the year, for new openings that must be seized at the moment, or irreparably lost; so that we are compelled to ask for $125,000 for the absolutely necessary work in the year 1885. It is not needful for us to go into details as to how this work is to be done. Each one who did her share last year knows how she did it. As she looks over the year, she sees how she might have done more; how this and that opportunity slipped by without improvement; how a word here, or a suggestion there, might have been just the stimulus needed to bring some half-hearted sister into earnest work; how a little more self-denial might have doubled her subscription; how a little more effort might have brightened up a meeting or strengthened the hands of some weary one in the foreign field. Of any who have these thoughts we ask, Will you continue your good works for 1885, and add to these the might-have-dones of 1884? If there are those who have done all they possibly could,—and we believe there are such much-to-beenvied persons,— we wish to beg of them, having done all, to stand. Of those who are half-hearted and indifferent, if any such should chance to read this paragraph, we wish to ask, Will you not, for once, carefully consider whether it may not be your duty to take some active part in woman's work for foreign missions? We do not pretend to say it is your duty; that is a question that can be settled only between your conscience and your Lord. We do not believe that any Christian woman would thoughtfully say that “I’m not interested,” or a careless “I don't believe in it” would be a sufficient reason to throw aside any duty. What should we think of a mother who would give “I’m not interested in children,” as a reason for neglect of her little ones? What would we say if a soldier should say, “I don’t believe in it,” in excuse for disobeying his leader's commands. We need not multiply illustrations. We know very well that such excuses would not be received in the ordinary affairs of life. No one would pretend to offer them. All we ask is a sincere, prayerful consideration of the whole matter the condition of women without the gospel what it can do and has already done for them; whether it is the desire of our Lord that they should have it; in what way and by whom it should be sent to them; whether it should be done by a few or by all; who is excused from it, and who is especially called to it; whether it should be donesthis year or a hundred years hence; and, finally, whether it is really a matter that concerns yourself as a Christian woman in this nineteenth century. Now, may we say just a word to those who are faint-hearted— for we believe those with faint hearts are quite as numerous as the half-hearted or the indifferent. Down deep in their souls they believe in foreign missions, and in woman's part in them, but they are easily overcome by obstacles; they shrink from anything that looks like “fanaticism'' or publicity; they wish they could do more, but they think they can’t; they distrust their own powers. How often do we hear, “If I had as much leisure as Miss C., or a quantity of money like Mrs. F., I should feel that I could do something;” or, “If I could talk in a meeting as well as Mrs. H., or lead in prayer like Miss B., or write a fine paper like Mrs. G., I would be glad to do it, but I have no talent for such things;” and many like excuses. Suppose these things to be so. Suppose one hasn't the time, the money, the talent of some one else; is that a reason she should not use what she has 2 A few moments seized from a busy day, or an hour planned for beforehand and obtained with much effort, has twice as much zest in it as time taken from a heavy, aimless day; a hundred pennies given with earnestness and prayer, have much more value than a dollar given carelessly and without thought; a bright piece of information culled from a magazine or newspaper may sometimes have as much effect as an elaborately written paper; two or three petitions from the heart will reach the throne of grace just as quickly as the most eloquent prayer. Let us remember that the few loaves and the small fishes had to be brought to the Master before the multitude could be fed, and that the little lad was just as important in the great transaction as the apostles who gave bread to thousands. Let us comfort ourselves that it is in what we have to give, and in the one who multiplies it, that the power lies—not in ourselves, nor in the way we give it. The greatest boon the human race has ever known, the Christian religion, was in the beginning intrusted to eleven humble men. They taught its principles to the best of their ability, sending them forth to the world, and they have told upon the fate of empires. As we start on another year in the life of our Board, remembering the power that lies behind us, let us take heart and press on as never before; let the success of the past year give us courage; let the dire necessities of fifty million of women and children urge us on; let the cries for help from our missionaries inspire us to new zeal; let us one and all “brace ourselves against our God and lift” with all our hearts and all our strength.

THE quarterly meeting of the Woman's Board of Missions was held in the Chapel of Park Street Church, on Tuesday, November 4th at 3 P. M. After devotional exercises, conducted by the President, the report of the Home Secretary was presented, showing an encouraging growth in the work both at home and abroad. The statement of the Treasurer showed the receipts since January 1st to be from all sources $86,682.64,

A paper entitled “After Many Days,” showing how the patient labors of years, so often seeming to be without results, almost always reap their reward. The subject was illustrated by an account of Mrs. Capron's work in Madura and vicinity, where the first years brought comparatively few results, but where there are now over a thousand women under regular instruction from the workers under her care.

The closing address of the meeting was given by Miss F. M. Washburn, of Marsovan, who gave an interesting account of work in Marsovan among the women in the boarding-school, comparing these labors with those in other parts of Turkey, bringing out the obstacles and encouragements of the one work in the Turkish Empire.

THE annual meeting of the Woman's Board of Missions will be held in Mt. Vernon Church, Boston, on Wednesday and Thursday, January 14 and 15, 1885.