from Scotland, a cheap and comprehensive pocket companion, called, "The Pious Churchman."

There is a sign of health in all these movements; but far more a sign of life, in the solemn manner in which this Lent (and especially Holy Week) has been observed, not only in London, but in country Churches. Services throughout the day, frequent expositions of the Divine Word, and increased communions, have afforded to many the opportunity of frequent retreat from the cares of the world, opportunities for worship, instruction, and edification. Thus the way was paved for greater Easter joy; and the numbers who, on the Queen of Festivals, received the Communion of the Body and Blood of CHRIST, have been far greater than any former year. This spread of devotion has been universal, in town and country. GOD grant that the intercession then offered for our own branch of the Church, and for the whole state of CHRIST'S Church, may be heard, and answered!

Other matters are pretty much in statu quo. The elections seem the engrossing theme, and we do trust that Churchmen will take care, in spite of political predilections, to support such men as will see fair play given to the English Church, and will assist in the restoration of her privileges.

Abroad the synodical movement has gained ground. The Bishop of Montreal has met the Clergy and laity of his diocese. Of the 51 Clergy officiating in his diocese, 50 were present, and 76 lay delegates. The proceedings appear to have been conducted with great calmness and moderation, and in that spirit which, for the most part, characterises regularly constituted assemblies. The principal resolution come to was as follows :—

"Resolved,―That it is the opinion of this meeting that, in consequence of the want of any law ecclesiastical for the government of the united Church of England and Ireland in this colony, and the acknowledged difficulty of carrying into effect any efficient system of Church discipline, it is imperatively necessary that a body should be formed, with power and authority to frame and enforce laws and regulations for the government, discipline, and internal management of the Church; such powers, however, in no manner to extend to matters of truth, or in any way interfere with, or alter doctrines or forms of worship, and that such body shall consist of Bishops, Clergy, and laity, meeting together in such manner, and exercising such functions and duties as may be hereafter by law authorised.

"Resolved,―That a committee be now appointed and instructed to communicate and consult with the sister dioceses in this province on this important measure, so as to secure their active co-operation in our efforts, and report at a future meeting of the Clergy and delegates now assembled, and that the following be the committee to cooperate with the Lord Bishop in giving effect to the foregoing reso

"lution:-Hon. Judge M'Cord, Major Campbell, Hon. George Moffat, Rev. Dr. Bethune, Dr. Leach, Rev. A. Digby Campbell."

The excellent Bishop of Cape Town, also, before leaving for England, where he has safely landed, held a synod of his Clergy, the results of which have interested us much. The proceedings commenced each day with prayer, and ended with the dismissal prayer, and on the last with apostolical benediction. Most of the questions touched the measures which should be adopted by the Bishop whilst in England, for the better government of the South African Church, and the erection of another Bishopric; and also the instruction of the heathen, religious services for converts, fund for the sick and aged Clergy, the government of the diocese during the Bishop's absence, &c. Before dismissing the synod, the following address was presented to his Lordship:

"

"To the Right Reverend Father in GOD, Robert, Lord Bishop of Cape Town.

Having been called together by your Lordship to express our opinion on several matters of much concern to this diocese, and, in part, connected with the object of your Lordship's intended visit to England, we have felt that it may not be unsuitable to the occasion, and that it will be a source of satisfaction to ourselves, to testify, before we separate, our cordial and grateful sense of your Lordship's consideration, in thus taking us into your counsels.

"More particularly would we beg to unite in a hearty expression of the deep interest we take in the purposes of your Lordship's temporary return to England, and of our humble and fervent hope that it may please the Great Head of the Church to guide and prosper them all to the glory of His Name, and the advancement of His holy religion.

"And, withal, we would desire to add the expression of our personal veneration and regard for your Lordship, coupled with the assurance, that while absent in the body, you shall not be otherwise regarded than as présent with us in the Spirit; and that, meanwhile, our prayers shall not be wanting, that it may please Almighty GoD to pour down upon you the continued dew of His blessing, to preserve, and in His own good time, to restore you among us."

And now, ere we close, one word of sympathy with the great and good Bishop Doane. Never shall we forget the privilege we enjoyed, some years ago, of listening to the fervid eloquence of this esteemed divine, as he discoursed of the glories of the Church of CHRIST. But he is not content with talking. His is an energy of no ordinary character. Whatever his hand findeth to do, he doeth with all his might; witness the lecture in our current number. But, like others, he is not so prudent as energetic. In the establishment of Burlington College, &c., he has depended upon resources which have not been forthcoming, and has therefore made himself responsible for all deficiencies. Terms were con

cluded which contented all the parties interested. But certain persons-ay, and Bishops too-from opposition to the Bishop on theological grounds, have grounded hereon an attack, as unseemly as unjustifiable. The Bishop met the accusers with a characteristic reply, and called the convention together, to lay the case before them. The proceedings were most cheering, and that convention held up the hands of its Bishop. The shafts hurled against him will not harm him. May GoD long preserve him to the cause of Catholic truth he has so well served, and to that Church of which he is so distinguished an ornament!

LONGING FOR SPRING.

ANOTHER day has dawned, and still a train
Of dark and heavy clouds is sweeping by,
With their broad mantle hiding all the sky,
And on, and on pours down the thick cold rain.

Our hearts are sad within us, and we sigh,

Come forth, young happy Spring, and burst thy chains,
Bring back the sunshine, and blue sky again;
Come forth once more, thou sweet breath from on high.
Be still, thou murm'ring heart, cease to repine,

Has not God given thee many a cloudless day?
E'en though sweet happiness no more may shine,
And joy from thee for ever keep away;
Still murmur not, these few short rainy days
Soon shall dissolve for aye, in Heaven's bright rays.

C. T.

Notices to Correspondents.

AN ENGLISH CHURCHWOMAN. Received too late.

DELTA.-We have seen the article in the Christian Guardian, but have not seen the hints on Liturgical Reform, by C. H. DAVIS. From what we have seen of the former, we could make the author answer himself from writings some few years ago. He is not quite the person to review Mr. Baylee, though we are not the defenders of that gentleman.

DOUBTFUL.-We can only say, read both sides, and judge for yourself. The question, as it affects Miss Sellon, is one which we are not going to discuss. How Sisterhoods may be rendered most serviceable to the Church is a fair subject of debate, and on that we have our own opinion, which will be brought forth at the proper time. We do not think that our correspondent is called to the life. We can merely judge, of course, from her own letters.

THE room into which the Vicar of S. Alban's entered, followed by Maude Elliston, was one attached to the schoolhouse, for the special accommodation of his parishioners when they wished to speak to him; and here indeed he spent the greater part of the day, often not returning to his own abode till late at night. Maude, who was accustomed to the luxury and comfort with which prosperous tradesmen like Elliston surround themselves, and who imagined that persons of superior station must necessarily choose to possess a yet larger portion of these worldly advantages, looked with no small astonishment on the extreme simplicity and even poverty of this apartment and its furniture. There was no carpet, and plainly it was not intended that there ever should be one, as the boards were stained of a dark brown colour, which had rather a pleasing effect, and accorded well with the imitation-of-oak paper on the walls. Two high-backed wooden chairs, and a small table, covered with books of devotion, were its only contents, with the exception of an exquisite engraving of the Crucifixion, which hallowed even that bare and lowly room, with its solemn associations of all that is most sublime and divinely beautiful in the history of the universe. The lattice window was darkened by the roses and honeysuckle which twined themselves around it; and Maude felt the subdued light and perfect stillness to be very grateful to the senses. The door was closed, and she was alone with the Priest whom so lately she had seen afar off,-hopelessly distant, as it seemed,— kneeling before the altar of that divine sacrifice.

She was habitually timid with strangers, and yet, strange to say, on this occasion she felt nothing approaching to shyness; all such common sensations were lost in the reverence, amounting to awe, which she experienced in his presence, when she thought on the sacred functions in which he had so lately been engaged, and in the trusting confidence with which his words and manner had inspired her. He had called her "my child," evidently as no

unmeaning title, and it seemed to her, as her heart thrilled to the endearing name, that she could indeed speak to him as to a loving father, who would guide her feeble steps to better paths than those wherein she had been straying in her life-long wandering.

Any credence which Maude might have been disposed to accord to Mrs. Crowther's violent denunciations of the Vicar, and to the long list of horrible but indefinite crimes with which she charged him, was at once and for ever put to flight by the single aspect of that countenance, where the lines of deep and holy thought were tempered by a serenity which the world could neither give nor take away; and the dark, searching eye seemed ever seeking out with earnest love the trials and sorrows of his people, that he might minister unto them.

He began by asking Maude a few simple questions, as to her name, position, and occupations, and very soon drew her on to pour out her whole internal history to him, as her heart had been yearning to do from the moment he had addressed her.

All that we have recorded of her vague, bewildered life was soon made known to him; and the case was too exactly similar to many which had come beneath his notice before, not to be at once understood by him. Many such had the Vicar encountered in his past experience, especially among the middle classes, the secret of whose uselessness and misery consisted in the simple fact, that they had been brought up to ignore, practically at least, if not absolutely in theory, so much as the very existence of the Church of CHRIST, with all the glory of her marvellous riches, and the wealth of life eternal, with which she is replete for ever, as the very body mystical of Him Who is alone the Life. He had ever looked with deep solicitude and pity on those of her baptized children whom he found thus mournfully situated; he felt for them the same compassion that we feel for those, the blind, and deaf, and palsied, whose senses are sealed to the wonders and the glories of the beautiful world in which they are set; the placid sunshine is around them, and they perceive it not, nor feel its reviving influence upon their deadened limbs; whilst in vain the midnight sky unfolds for them its treasury of teeming worlds, or speaks of the future Paradise of purity and light, in its lucid and serene expanse; unheard by them the music of nature's thousand voices, unseen the beauties of her changing landscape,-unfelt the fragrant odours exhaling from her breast; and so, in that spiritual kingdom, the Universal Church, these paralyzed and blinded souls feel not the sunshine of Eternal Love that is for ever streaming on them, nor can look up, into the glorious heaven of their future joys, to hear the voice of grateful praise echoing from the saints above unto the militant below, who answer one another thus from earth to heaven, in the one great chant antiphonal that ceaseth not by day nor night; nor can they see the manifold aspects of that fair beauty,