pearing on the monuments, as existing in Egypt. So that from the review of the past we may well look forward with confidence to the future. Had Moses not been guided by a spirit of unswerving veracity, he could not have stood, as he has done, the test, which in the wonderful providence of God has been

brought to bear upon his narrative, and which has only established his claim anew to our implicit faith and unsuspecting confidence. Nor is it conceivable, that what has so remarkably proved him a faithful historian, should issue in convicting him as a weak and erring chronologist.

"While some affect the sun and some the shade, Some seek the palace, some the hermitage, Their ends as varied as the roads they take, our taste as travellers led us to hospitals, schools, and churches. To meet with establishments whose object is to remedy the ills that flesh is heir to, and pause at spots where "the salt of the earth" is accumulated in its legitimate office of correcting and preventing the putressence of moral corruption, is instructive and improving. Scenery, however beautiful, cannot fill the heart. Alps, however magnificent, may leave the moral being untouched. Yet, Father Rhine, in his ceaseless pursuit of his one great object, to bury his majestic flow of waters in the bosom of the ocean, suggests solemn thoughts of eternity. To the meditative mind it is somewhat of an escape from the crowded deck of a steamer, or the prolonged ceremonial of a table d'hote, to find one's self in an hospital or a school, and to observe the same springs in operation for doing good in other countries, as those which work so powerfully at home.

It is my design to describe what came under our observation of this class, in a recent journey on the Continent of Europe, beginning with "the School for Deaconesses at Kaiserswerth on the Rhine." The reason for giving this institution the precedence is, that others which may be mentioned are not required in this country, or that similar ones are already carried on, while such as this deaconess school, which are

much wanted, and might be of essential advantage, are entirely unknown.

Kaiserswerth is the name of a small village on the east bank of the Rhine, about an hour from Dusseldorf. The village is clean and orderly, but very ancient in its houses, and still more so in the aspect of its church and manse. This circumstance the more fixes the attention of the traveller on a new street running at right angles to the old one. All the buildings in it are peculiar, and piece on but awkwardly with the old manse, whence they spring. The Rev. Th. Fliedner is pastor of this small parish, and has found full occupation for his benevolent energy in the institution of which he is the founder.

We unwittingly made our visit of investigation on the great anniversary; a day for school examinations, for inspecting the hospitals, and for setting apart, for the exercise of their functions, wheresoever they may be called, such deaconesses as have satisfactorily passed through their period of training. The whole place was therefore in its best attire. Windows bright, walls newly coloured, and every here and there, where an arch or a peg to hang a wreath upon could be found, active and tasteful hands had transferred the garden's autumnal treasures of flowers to the various chambers of the dwellings. In a room on one side of the street, the floor was covered with

beds for the repose of visiting schoolmistresses and deaconesses who had returned to enjoy the day with their former associates; while, on the other, the hall with its table of many covers, and the savour of good food from the kitchen, indicated that the mother was on that day to entertain her children. In short, it was a gala day—the day of all the year when many acquisitions are brought to light, and for which many a studious preparation is made. As all were engaged in the examination of the orphan school, we had leisure, while waiting, to observe the characteristic furniture of the manse parlour, where, according to the fashion of the country, the pale sand crackled under our feet. There hangs a portrait of Mrs Fliedner, the honoured and most useful coadjutor of her husband. She has been a fitting mother of that institution, of which he is the father. Having given out all her strength to it, she was in her prime translated from the land of labour and anxiety to the land of eternal rest.

Near her is placed, in meet companionship, a portrait of our Mrs Fry, whose experienced eye took in at once, with much delight, the utility of the whole institution. On the same wall appears a portrait of Mr Fliedner's mother, a venerable widow of a former pastor, whose lovely Christian bearing we had occasion to respect and admire, having made her acquaintance in a distant city. She had reared a large family for the Church, and suffered many hardships while her country was the scene of French warfare, being long separated from her husband, uncertain of his safety, and moving from place to place with her young children, at times at a loss for a lodging and all necessary provision.

Opposite to these portraits are engravings of some of the Protestant Reformers, amongst whom appear Luther and Calvin; and in a corner a cupboard with a glass door, furnished with books for sale, chiefly such as are employed in the schools or report their condition. Also the noble set of Scripture prints which was prepared for the institution, but which is now to be found in many seminaries for the be

nevolent instruction of the young in Germany and Prussia.

Presently an amiable and gentlemanly man, who apologised for his imperfect English, came and guided us to the school-room, in which an intelligent teacher was calling forth the attainments of his pupils. The audience, if we might guess how it was composed, consisted of Mr Fliedner's co-presbyters, the physician, a few personal friends, the teachers who were that day visiters to the school where they had themselves been trained, and as many of the deaconesses as could be spared from their regular avocations.

Here, too, we had a glimpse of an aged but very lively person, whose name we failed to retain. His outward garb would indicate that he belongs to the Society of Friends. He told us he is a native Swiss, but resides in Amsterdam, and said, somewhat in the mood of "narrative old age," that he is a philanthropic cosmopolite, and can speak a great many languages. He holds office, under what king we did not learn, as inspector of prisons and hospitals. From what passed, this seemed to be far from his first visit to Kaiserswerth. the curiosity of the assemblage, and it is probable that this description may bring him to the mind of some of our readers, as he is well known among lovers of his species.

He was

The orphans under examination are many of them the children of pastors and schoolmasters. They looked more vigorous and hearty than most children of their age do in Germany, and are receiving good, sound education, which will fit them to help both themselves and others in future life.

We were led from the school-room to the dormitories, and found each containing six small beds, and one larger. The deaconess, who occupies the larger bed, is regarded as the mother of these six children, and fills that office as to washing, clothing, medicating, and instructing them, just as a real mother ought to do. Each bed has a drawer which draws out at its foot, containing all the little tenant's property, and on the opposing wall is

hung a tin basin, jug, and tooth-brush for the use of each. The deaconess soon feels attachment to the orphans spring up in her bosom, while she also feels responsibility about their neat and healthy appearance, proper demeanour, and attainments of all kinds. We next saw the delinquents' shelter, and two women in charge, one an older, sensible, firm-looking person, whost post is probably never changed, and another younger, her pupil. They showed us with some satisfaction the needle-work they had taught to a set of lowering-browed, unpromising looking females, who, like their peers in Scotland, gratify their curiosity by side-peeps, but never look you fairly in the face. From the educational system of Prussia, it rarely occurs that reading requires to be taught to adults. The senior deaconess spoke mildly and sensibly of some intractable, two or three runaway, some reconciled to friends, some restored to society, and acquitting themselves well in service. In short, it was a fac-simile of poor humanity, and the uncertain results of benevolent effort at home. These women sleep in small apartments, which fill one side of a long gallery--each contains a bed, a stoo!, and a box, and in the midst of them is the room for the deaconess, who is, by means of her open door, enabled to observe all movements, and prevent all communications on the subject of past transgressions. The delinquents are shut into their night-rooms.

In the infant school department, we did not observe anything differing from what is to be seen in the best schools of the same style elsewhere, unless we might mention an extensive frame of pigeon-holes, each numbered to indicate the proprietor, and occupied by pieces of bread. Thus the little people are furnished with their vormittag brod and their vesper brod—supplies which in that country are deemed indispensable between meals by almost all classes. In this Normal school have been trained teachers who are now engaged in managing the infant population over a great part of Prussia and Germany.

We have already with us similar

charities to all the above, and our normal training is a very successful imitation of that in the Prussian dominions. We have now, however, reached the point in our investigation of Kaiserswerth, about which we feel most solicitude, as it is the point where we met with the very provision which for years we have seen to be wanting in our own country—that is, the training of deaconesses as sick-nurses.

We crossed the little street, and entered on the opposite side, the hospital, a handsome building entirely of recent erection, in a pretty extensive and neatly-laid out garden, where we observed some patients of all ages— the children at play or carried in the arms of their tender-looking nurses— the adults resting on benches in the sun, for the day was cool, or moving feebly as their reduced strength enabled them.

Our guide, whom we here discovered to be chaplain to the hospital, led us first into the apothecary's room, where we saw two sensible energetic looking women compounding medicines after the prescription of the physician. They are licensed by government, serving a regular time to the acquisition of this important branch of knowledge, and are always on the spot to watch the effect of their administrations. The place is fitted up like a druggist's shop at home. We forgot

to enquire if the counter within whose railed off quarter the chief apothecary stood, is rendered necessary by the shop being frequented by the villagers, which seems probable. The other deaconess was working at a mortar. From this place we passed to the kitchen, and saw the huge apparatus necessary for feeding such a family, and the extra supply required on that festal day, when their family was greatly increased. The plans for keeping food in that warm country, the cleanliness and beautiful order of the larder and laundries, indeed of every corner, was quite remarkable, and the ventilation so perfect, that even when we ascended to wards occupied by persons in bed, or resting on the long benches, who looked very ill, the atmosphere was tolerably fresh and agreeable. Our con

ductors dropt here and there a good word to the sick as we passed. In the male wards a part of the attendance seems to be done by men, but each has its quota of deaconesses who have their own charge and responsibility. In one chamber we found five women who had joined the establishment a few days before, who were engaged in learning the useful art of cutting out clothing under two instructors. There was something touching in the ward of sick children, where we saw many eyes beaming tenderness, and many hearts exercising all the maternal instincts, albeit not mothers. Some who were very sick formed for the time the sole charge of one deaconess, while three or four might be intrusted to the care of another. In addition to minute watchfulness over the body, there is, as they can bear it, an endeavour to occupy the memory with suitable hymns and passages of Scripture, and to engage their minds on subjects that lead them to glorify God by honouring and loving Him in the days of their youth. The chaplain was acquainted with each face, and its owner's little history, and tried to draw out a little repetition of their small store of Scripture learning. In this, however, he was not very successful, partly because they were at the conclusion of their dinner, and partly because they were pre-occupied by the sight of strangers. One could not but remark the useful discipline which such employment must be for the young women who are engaged in it, or fail to observe the loving patience with which one or two met the feverish fractiousness of their nurslings.

The office of these "sisters of charity," (in the best sense of the word they are so), which elevates them above the cominon sick nurse, and engages them in concerns that touch on eternity, is that of reading the Scriptures to the sick and aged, and dropping a word of consolation into the languid ear, while they minister to the bodily wants. This they are authorised and expected to do, so that, instead of doing it by stealth, as a pious sick nurse may do in our hospitals; or, instead of railing on the poor sufferer who cries out in concern

I

for his soul's health, as an impious one has sometimes been known to do, they breathe balm while they turn the pillow, and speak of the way of reconciliation while they endeavour to lull pain. Barmherzigen Schwestern, in the true sense of that emphatic title, they soothe the distressed-they speak of sin and the fountain opened, without speaking of penances or confessional, and teach to adore Him who laid down his life for the perishing, without interposing crucifixes, or Mary, or saint, or angel. They are by the bed in the midnight hour, and can seize the moment of coolness and clearness to speak to the afflicted- -a moment which neither chaplain, nor medical man, nor friendly visiter, may be so happy as to hit upon; and, while they are forbidden to be preachers, their living actions, their Christian bearing, and their faithful advices, are calculated to drop like balm on the wounded spirit, and have, in many cases, accomplished good which we may justly call incalculable, for its consequences are eternal.

After examining the excellent arrangement of the sick wards, we found ourselves in the chapel. It is placed at the lower extremity of the long range of building, and so crosses the end of four wards, two on the first, and two on the second story, the door of entrance to the chapel being placed in the centre. Each ward has a folding door of glass in the side of the place of worship, by opening which the Word of God can sound along even to the remoter beds. On communion occasions, the pastor is accustomed to convey the elements into these wards, so that many a fainting soul is thus refreshed, which, in any other circumstances, would be denied the privileges of the house of God. There are, on one side of the chapel, seats where the feeble can recline, and some with muslin curtains, behind which the unhappy or unsightly can find shelter. In this small, but sacred, place of worship, at three o'clock on that afternoon, October 5th, were the deaconesses, whose term of training was satisfactorily come to a close, questioned before the congregation with respect to their willingness to devote themselves to the work of mercy for the next five