Brother W. Holt, his leader, says, that at the class meeting he was always in the habit of praying for his children's conversion; he could not bear the thought of one of them being lost. I trust they will meet their departed father in heaven. Two of his sons and seven of his grandchildren are members of our Society. May his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren prepare to meet their father's God. I have not been able to ascertain what were the means of our departed brother's conversion to God; nor is it of vital importance what they were; the reality of his conversion is the main thing, and that was evidenced by a consistent and pious life. "By their fruits ye shall know them." The river Nile was known for thousands of years before its source was discovered, but nobody ever doubted that it had a source; so our aged brother was known to be a Christian through a long life, though the means of his conversion were not known; but no one who knew him doubted that he was converted. But though the outward means of his conversion cannot now be ascertained, the time of it is pretty well-known. He joined the Methodist Society about the first or second year of this century, so that he was a Methodist above sixty years. When he became a member of the Church of Christ, he was about twenty-four or twenty-five years of age, and was never out of the Church from the time he united himself to it. He left the Conference Methodists when the Wesleyan Methodist Association was formed; but he immediately cast in his lot with the newly organised body. Thus he walked with God above sixty years, and dying in the Lord has left us an example of perseverance. He was a quiet man, one who did not put himself forward much, or make much noise in the world; but some noiseless things are, nevertheless, very useful. The dew which quietly falls on a summer's night is more useful to vegetation than a rattling storm of hail. Not that it would do for all men to keep themselves in the background. The fact is, God makes different kinds of men for different sorts of work. Brother Dixon was regular in conducting family prayer. One of his sons has told me that, when a boy, he sometimes thought him very strict and severe in that particular; but now he sees that his father was right. This is an important duty, and not to be neglected by heads of families; not even the services of the sanctuary, or the social meetings of the church, should prevent us from attending to our family devotions. Our aged friend had an earnest desire to see the new Chapel opened. That favour was granted, and he was able to attend service in it a few times. I remember once or twice overtaking him, as he was led slowly along by one of his sons; but it was evident his race was almost run. He attended the house of prayer as long as he was able, and those who saw him will not soon forget his venerable appearance and devotional aspect. When he was able, he was regular at the week evening means of grace, as well as at the Sunday services. Theirs is a poor cold religion, who are satisfied with merely attending service on the Lord's day. Circumstances may prevent some few from attending the week evening meetings; but if a man have no heart for them, he is more like a walking sepulchre, or iceberg, than a living, loving, happy, warm-hearted Christian. When I used to call to see our brother, at his son-in-law's house, I generally found him calmly trusting in the Lord, though sometimes he was rather low-spirited, which perhaps was the natural sinking of the spirits from age. When spoken to about his Saviour there was a quick response in his heart; the tearful eye and the quivering lip told of the deep feeling within. Mr. Handley, his medical attendant, says, he generally found him in the calm state of mind referred to. Once, about last August, he reminded him that in the natural course of things the end of his mortal life would soon come. The old man said, “Yes; and then he also said, "I shall mount higher and higher, in a chariot of fire." There was a glorious Gospel hope to cheer an old man's heart! Could you say that if you were near your end? His leader says, that his general experience at the class was that Jesus was his Saviour, and in Him did he trust. I saw him the week before he died, and found him much as usual; though in bed, he was able to praise the Lord. One day, the week following, hearing that he was worse, on going up to see him, I found him apparently asleep. I went up again the same evening and found him in the same state of unconsciousness. We knelt in prayer, and commended him to the Lord. During the night that sleep became the deeper sleep of death. The weary wheels of life stood still. That was the night of the 12th of January, 1864. He often said, how glad he would be to go home to glory. He is now at home in his Father's house. May we meet him there. Recent Deaths. DIED at Staincross, in the Barnsley Circuit, December 15th, 1863, ANN, the wife of WILLIAM GEE, who for many years was connected with our Society at Mapplewell. She joined the Church at the time Mr. Sellars laboured in this circuit, in the year 1845. Her end was sudden; she was taken with an apoplectic fit, and died in a few hours; but we have hope of meeting her again where all is calm and joy and peace. JOSHUA BECKETT. On the 25th inst., at his residence, Richmond Villas, Longsight, in his forty-ninth year, Mr. JAMES BENJAMIN VICKERS, of the firm of Vickers and Diggles, Solicitors, Manchester. He was for thirteen years the Circuit Steward of the Grosvenor Street Circuit, of the United Methodist Free Churches, and for thirty-four years filled successively the offices of teacher, secretary, and conductor in the London Road, London Road District, and Hyde Road, Sunday Schools, and was greatly beloved by a large circle of friends. Miscellaneous. A VALUABLE WIFE. THE degraded position of woman in China is well known. Nothing 80 much astonishes a Chinaman, who visits European and American merchants at Hong Kong, as the deference which is paid to the ladies, and the position which they occupy in society. The servants even express their disgust to see ladies take their seats at the same table with gentlemen, wondering how men can so far forget their dignity. A few years ago, a young English mer. chant was accompanied by his youthful bride to Hong Kong, where the couple were visited by a wealthy mandarin. The latter regarded the lady attentively, and seemed to dwell with delight on her movements. When she at length left the room, the mandarin said to the husband, in his imperfect English," What you give for that wifey of yours ?" "Ob," replied the husband, laughing at the singularerror of his visitor, "£400." This our merchant thought would appear to the Chinaman a rather high figure; but he was mistaken. Well," said the mandarin, taking out his purse with an air of business, 66 s'pose you give her to me, I give you £1000." It is difficult to say whether the young merchant was more amazed or amused; but the grave air of the Chinaman convinced him that he was in earnest, and he was compelled, therefore, to refuse the offer, with as much placidity as he could assume. The mandarin, however, continued pressing, and went as high as £1,400. The merchant, who had no previous notion of the value of the commodity which he had taken out with him, was compelled at length to declare that Englishmen never sold their wives after they once came in possession of them— an assertion which the Chinaman was slow to believe. The merchant afterwards had a hearty laugh with his spouse, when he told her that he had just discovered her full value, as the mandarin had offered him £1,400 for her. BRAIN SPECTRES. THE brain makes ghosts both sleeping and waking. A man was lying in troubled sleep, when a phantom with the cold hand of a corpse seized his right arm. Awaking in horror, he found upon his arm still the impression of the cold hand of the corpse, and it was only after reflecting that he found the terrible apparition to be due to the deadening of his own left hand on a frosty night which had subsequently grasped his right arm. This was a real ghost of the brain, which the awakening of the senses and the understanding explained. M. Gratiolet narrates a dream of his own, which is singularly illustrative of how the brain makes ghosts in sleep. Many years ago, when occupied in studying the organization of the brain, he prepared a great number both of human and animal brains. He carefully stripped off the membranes, and placed the brains in alcohol. Such were his daily occupations, when one night he thought that he had taken out his own brain from his own skull. He stripped it of its membranes. He put it into alcohol, and then he fancied he took his brain out of the alcohol and replaced it in his skull. But, contracted by the action of the spirit, it was much reduced in size, and did not at all fill up the skull. He felt it shuffling about his head. This feeling threw him into such a great per plexity that he awoke with a start, as if from nightmare. M. Gratiolet, every time that he prepared the brain of a man, must have felt that his own brain resembled it. This impression awakening in a brain imperfectly asleep, whilst neither the senses nor the judgment were active, the physiologist carried on an operation in his sleep which probably had often occurred to his fancy when at his work, and which had then been summarily dismissed very frequently. A pursuit which had at last become one of routine, and the association of himself with his study, explain the bizarre and ghastly dream of M. Gratiolet. A sensation from the gripe of a cold hand, misinterpreted by the imag ination acting without the aid of the discerning faculties, accounts for the ghastly vision of the other sleeper. A JUDICIOUS REPROVER. THE Rev. John Wesley, having to travel some distance in a stage coach, fell in with a pleasant, wellinformed officer. His conversation was entertaining, but frequently mingled with oaths. When they were about to take the last stage, Mr. Wesley took the officer apart, and after expressing the pleasure he had enjoyed in his company, told him he was thereby encouraged to ask of him a great favour. "I would take a pleasure in obliging you," said the officer, “and I am sure you will not make an unreasonable request." "Then," said Mr. with how little holiness they can rationally expect to enter into the kingdom of God. O fatal and soul. destroying delusion! How long will a holy God suffer such abominable doctrines to pollute His Church, and destroy the souls of men?-Dr. A. Clarke HOW SUFFERING SHOULD BE THE famous oriental philosopher, Poetry. NOONTIDE THOUGHTS. 'Twas noon, high noon, the summer's sun The peasant, wearied, from the field Sought grateful shade in that bright hour. From out my cottage window's shade Across my little garden spot, A murmuring, pebbly brook flowed olear; Its ripples danced along as light As merry childhood, without fear. And as I gazed upon the scene, And sadly viewed my drooping flowers, saw those by the little brook Were bright as at the morning hours, "Ah, yes!" I thought unto myself, "That those who live, in prayerful faith, "And though the glaring beams of sin Religious Intelligence.—United Methodist Free Churches. AUSTRALIA;-MELBOURNE. THE Anniversary Tea Meeting in connection with the above place of worship, was held in the chapel, George-street, Fitzroy, on Tuesday evening last. There was a large attendance. Edward Cope, Esq., presided. Amongst the speakers were the Revs. R. Hamilton, G. Mins, G. Standing, T. A. Bailey, and Mr. Wilkinson. The Secretary (Mr. Nuttall) read the report, which showed that £214 13s. 6d. had been the income of the Trust during the past twelve months, £213 4s. 7d. of which had been expended by the trustees in improvements, &c. The debt on the chapel is £1,051, for the liquidation of which a Committee had been formed to receive subscriptions; and the result was that contributions amounting to nearly £60 had been received. The report then concluded with some encouraging references as to future anticipations. A letter was read from the Rev. Mr. Price, apologising for his nonattendance. The Rev. T. A. BAILEY (pastor of the church), in rising to address the meeting, commented at some length upon Christian liberality, as advocated by Christian authorities; and observed that many people considered that a minister of a church should not interfere with its financial position; and, to a certain extent, he agreed with those that were of that opinion. But, seeing that the administrators of the Gospel of bye-gone years had thought fit to do so, he did not see why he should be more fastidious than his predecessors. Rela tive to the report just read by their worthy secretary: from statements therein set forth, it appeared that there existed 8 debt on the chapel of about £1,000, with a floating debt of £50. Now, it certainly looked a large sum-too large a sum, indeed, to be hanging over the House of God. How ever, it would not do for them to despair because of that, not at all; but forth. with devise some means for its liquidstion. Some, no doubt, entertained an idea that, had certain precautions been taken, this debt might have, in some measure, been prevented; but it was just possible, if those parties who con tracted it were here to speak for them. selves, they would say "Had you been in our place then, we question if you would not have done precisely as we did." It was, however, little use dis cussing the past-the future should re ceive their earnest consideration; and their liabilities be met as quickly as possible. The debt must first be dimi nished, and then destroyed. It would be altogether absurd to look aghast and despairingly over it; for it was not such a mountain-difficulty after all; and if they would only gird up their loins, and set themselves steadily and deter minedly to work, it would disappear as a passing cloud. He knew of an other church in the district, which |