NOTES FROM ROME.

THE DEATH OF A BROTHER.

473

The church at Via Urbana has lost a member by death-the first that has left the little company for the better world. His name was Luigi Fallugiani, and he was the custode of the church. He was a faithful servant, and we feel his loss. He was always ready to do anything to oblige, and if in any point of duty he failed, he listened most readily to our gentle reproof, and promised amendment.

He assisted me to pack up some Testaments on the evening of October 15th in preparation for a tour I was to begin next morning. He said he felt poorly, and Mrs. Shaw gave him a cup of tea, &c., which comforted him. I said to him, "Luigi, if you feel poorly in the morning, do not come here, but stay in bed, and perhaps a day of rest will be beneficial." He thanked me, and said, "Good night," I remarking "that I hoped on my return to find him quite well." Those were our last words.

What was my grief and surprise on being informed, the moment I set foot in Rome five days afterwards, that poor Luigi was dead and buried. He went home and took my advice, but pernicious fever came on, and the poor fellow died, without even a visit from Sig. Bertola, no one suspecting, not even his wife, that he was so ill. In my absence and the illness of Sig. Bertola, Dr. Taylor kindly read and prayed at the grave, and Mr. Eager lent various kind services.

Luigi, like most Italians of his age, had had an eventful career. He had worked at many trades, had been in the wars, in which his brothers were killed, and at one time was employed in the secret postal service. His custom was to

be sent ashore from the steamer into a port, having letters fastened up in the linings of his clothes. He was searched, and of course nothing was found on him. He went to a certain lodging where he left his clothes, putting on others provided for him having letters stitched in, in the same manner. This was how news was transmitted in the time of the Pope and the Bourbons.

A BAPTIST UNION FOR ITALY.

For a long time we Baptists in Italy have thought and talked of union among ourselves. Divided as we are, we seem and are a feeble folk, and there are those who are not slow to seize every opportunity to make us realize the fact.

At length, after much discussion, the union is formed, and it remains to be seen how many churches-we hope all-and how many individuals will join it. At present, our statute or basis of union, subject to modifications by the general assembly, has been agreed to by Mr. Wall, Dr. Taylor, Messrs. Eager, Landels, Walker, and myself. The first named is elected President, the second Vice-President, the third Secretary, and the Treasurer is the writer of this note. The statute will soon be sent out to those whom it may concern. It is too long for me to give here, but as may be supposed, it provides for the perfect independency of each church, and nothing can be done by the union to interfere with each church's autonomy.

An interim committee is chosen, of nine persons, in Rome, which will shortly meet and decide when and where the first general assembly is to be held.

It is proposed to unite our forces in works of evangelization, and it is hoped that we may soon have a journal of our own. I suppose that, united, we shall form one of the largest, if not the largest denomination in Italy-a fact that will be startling to some people.

A TRICYCLE WANTED.

I have sometimes met with persons who felt a desire to help the mission, but preferred to do something particular. To such persons I could suggest half a dozen ways of using well their money. Among other things very desirable is a tricycle. I often wish I had one so that I could with it visit places not too far from Rome, with Testaments and Tracts. It would be a veritable gospel chariot, and help greatly in the work of evangelization. Perhaps some friend of the mission has one that he no longer wants? A kind friend in England offered a sovereign towards one more than a year ago, and I doubt not, his offer holds good yet. Who will have the honour of presenting us with this help? If it were capable of being taken to pieces casily, and if two could ride in it together, it would be all the more useful.

The Mission-its Friends and its Funds.

WE have recently received several letters of an encouraging character, and shall rejoice if the same generous spirit should spread among our friends generally.

A widow writes:-"I have subscribed half-a-guinea to the Mission, and shall in the future have much pleasure in forwarding a guinea. I hope the enthusiasm at the missionary meetings in Leicester will be followed by a large increase in the subscriptions."

A son of the above writes:- "I am anxious to subscribe to the Mission; and as I do not belong to a General Baptist church, think it would be best to send the money direct to you. You can put me down for two guineas.'

A friend writes:-"We have a box we put the Lord's money into. I have emptied it, and found £3 11s. 2d., and have sent you every penny besides what I have in my purse. He maketh my heart soft.' Put it down, self £1 1s.; wife £1 1s.; children £1 9s. 2d."

An old and valued friend in London writes:-"I am reminded that the time has arrived for my payment towards Mr. Shaw's Mission Station in Rome, viz., £12 10s.; but as the work is so urgent, we beg to enclose £20; the £7 10s. will be found useful for evangelistic work in Rome.

"Having read Messrs. Pike & Heberlet's appeal in the November Observer, we have much pleasure in sending £10 towards the Book Room and Preaching Station in Sambalpur, and pray that the Lord may greatly bless all these efforts. There is no merit in our giving money to help in the cause of Christ— it is a great privilege; all is His, and we are only in trust for a few years. Our brethren and sisters who go abroad to the work are the brave ones, and those of us who stay at home are in simple duty bound to sustain them. I trust that Christian hearts, warmed by the love of Christ, may be constrained to send help."

We trust that others-in thinking over their privileges, their obligations, and their opportunities, together with the necessities of their fellow-creatures-may be constrained by the love of Christ to do likewise. "For God loveth a cheerful giver."

Notes from my
my Diary.

BY THE REV P. E. HEBERLET, OF SAMBALPUR.

We

THE Sower went forth to sow, and the seed fell on ground of many kinds. have spoken the word of life to men of many minds, and among others to "Boiragees"- the passionless," as they delight to term themselves. I believe there may be some sincere seekers after truth among men of this class-mistaken souls striving to make themselves approved unto God-but it has not been my good fortune to come across any. The specimens I have seen have been all of that insufferably vile parasitical genus which clings to the body of Hindoo society, sucking out the blood with terrible earnestness, and says not at any time, "It is enough." It is a marvel to me how the people can suffer themselves to be imposed upon by these vile wretches, whose shallow disguise it is not hard to see through, and some of whom with marvellous impudence lift the veil off their own hearts at times, and allow us a glimpse of the corruption that reigns within. Of this sort was a young man I came across one evening that I went down to a Bhagabat house, where the common people gather to hear the shastra of that name read, and to chat, particularly the latter. A great strong fellow-I had seen him going about previously, intent upon filling his belly with the fruit of other men's labours-came in and set himself down in a corner where there was some provision for cooking, as one at home. I learnt afterwards that he had been putting up there for some months. One of those present put the question, "What is sin ?" I was going through the

NOTES FROM MY DIARY.

475

commandments in reply, but when I got to the seventh the man in the corner interposed, “That a sin! Not at all;" and commenced an argument; but the general voice on my side silenced him, and he went on quietly to eat what the persuasion of his sanctity had induced his dupes to give him. I mentioned the matter to Mr. Pike, who brought it forward in conversation with some babus who instanced these devotees as examples of what the Hindoo system could effect in the way of holiness. They would not credit the statement; but as it happened the very man put in an appearance just then, seeking a gift; and when Mr. Pike referred the matter to him he impudently re-affirmed his argument. His boldness, however, shut up the purses that had no doubt been often opened to him before, and he went empty away for once.

On another occasion I went on to a large platform in front of the principal temple, where I saw some of these men with their ash-besmeared bodies and plaited hair sitting at ease after their day's wandering. A crowd speedily gathered round to listen to the talk they knew would follow. It did not take much to expose their ignorance; and when I pressed the question as to how forgiveness of sins was to be obtained, one of them gave the remarkable answer that in order to secure pardon of sin, it would be necessary to go and commit some atrocious crime! The reproach this would bring upon one would atone for sin and requite the debt of the soul to God! Hath not the god of this world blinded their eyes? I turned this statement to account by appealing to the bystanders, and warning them against the speaker. He assuredly had sin upon his soul, and according to his own theory might endeavour to atone for it by some outrage upon them or villainy in their homes. All this disposed the people to listen attentively as I pointed out the one only Way.

I have mentioned a Bhagabat house. There are several at Sambalpur. They are meeting-places for the men, where they sit chatting and smoking 'ganja," or hemp, the narcotic effects of which become apparent after a very few whiffs. The Bhagabat was being sung as I sat by the doorway of one of these houses one evening, but not one of those present appeared to be paying any attention-each in his usual tone conversed with his nearest neighbour on all sorts of topics. I should say that the people I have seen at these places belong chiefly to the lower castes, as fishermen, etc. Some of the merchants and wealthier people, as a work of merit, sometimes employ a brahmin, learned in the shastras, to come and read a book. The reading is held in the evening, and on into the night. The reader sits in an open verandah fronting the road, garlanded with flowers, and whosoever will, stops to listen in the open roadway, which I have often seen blocked up by a large gathering of attentive hearers sitting closely packed together.

Our books have been as scattered seeds; and one day seeing the place where one had fallen, I marked it down in hope. Some little boys sat conning their lessons for the morrow, and on going up to see what it was they read, I found one of our tracts put up with their other books. The day after I met the father of these boys, and in argument with me he said, "I am too old to change, but," pointing to his children, "these are learning; they will mind your teaching by and by."

Notes and Gleanings.

THE ORISSA CONFERENCE was to commence at Cuttack on November 4th. THE REV. J. G. PIKE, after ten years of faithful service, is, in accordance with the rule of the Society, and with the approval of his brethren in India and the Committee in England, about to return to England on furlough. The passage for himself and family is taken in the British India Steamer "Dacca," which was to leave Calcutta about Nov. 24, and is due in England early in January.

MISS LEIGH, after a furlough of about two years, was to leave for India in the British India Steamship, "Navarino," on Nov. 27. She is, as is generally known, an agent of the "Society for Promoting Female Education in the East," and for ten years has rendered valuable service in Orissa. In the next Observer we hope to refer to Miss Leigh's work in England, farewell services, and departure for Cuttack.

Mission Services.

THE following is a register of Mission Services held since the publication of the last list :

Had we space, interesting details might be given in connection with the above services. At Stoke-on-Trent, owing to efforts to clear off the chapel debt, the amount raised was several pounds less than last year; but a friend got up in the meeting and said that he was authorized to state that the amount would be made equal to the usual sum. At Barton the juvenile service was held as usual on the Monday afternoon. To the number of nearly three hundred the scholars came from various villages, distant from two to six miles. At the afternoon meeting the lists of contributions were read, missionary hymns were sung, and addresses given; after which nearly four hundred scholars and friends partook of tea. About Tarporley there is this peculiarity. There, instead of having adult collectors, the friends bring their contributions and pay them over to the local Secretary, who an hour before the missionary meeting commences, is in the vestry to receive the offerings thus brought. In adopting such a plan, no wonder Tarporley should almost head the list of contributing churches. Bring an offering and not wait until somebody has been to beg it, or fetch it—is the teaching of God's word. And were this plan prayerfully and conscientiously adopted, not only would all our funds be greatly augmented, but God would, in accordance with His promise, open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing.

Contributions

Received on account of the General Baptist Missionary Society from October

Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by W. B. BEMBRIDGE, Esq., Ripley, Derby, Treasurer; and by the Rev. W. HILL, Secretary, Mission House, 60, Wilson Street, Derby, from whom also Missionary Boxes, Collecting Books and Cards, may be obtained.