from its foundation, at the head of the come before them, and record a silent fancy hosiery business. and conscientious vote, with exclusive regard to the national weal. His diligence in attending to his duties would have been exemplary in a younger man. Whenever the fate of any important measure was likely to be decided, he was sure to be at his post, watching the pro ments introduced into it, and ultimately taking part in the division, however protracted and exhausting the sitting. On his retirement from parliament, he quitted almost entirely public life, and enjoyed as he deserved the otium cum dignitate. Unmistakeable symptoms of a failing constitution reminded him that the goal of life was nearly reached, and that it was desirable to economize his vitality and strength, by avoiding as much as possible public excitement." It was not wonderful that a man so distinguished for estimable qualities of mind and heart, should meet with honour from his fellow-citizens. In 1837 he was elected councillor in the first municipal election under the reform act, ingress of the debate, and the various elewhich office he soon rose to the rank of alderman, and in 1843 to that of mayor of his native town. While he held this office the queen passed through Leicester, and during her residence at Belvoir Castle the mayor was a guest of the Duke of Rutland. Here he associated with such men as the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel; and the former, meeting him on the castle terrace at an early hour in the morning, entered into a lengthened conversation with him, made inquiries respecting his personal history, and, on being told the principal facts of it, he laid his hand familiarly upon his shoulder and congratulated him, and remarked that he also had raised himself by his own energies. The duke was subsequently more than once heard to refer to this conversation, and to express himself in terms of admiration and respect for the chief magistrate.-"Seest thou the man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings." But yet further honour awaited him at the hands of his fellow-citizens, by whom he was unanimously chosen to represent them in Parliament in the year 1848. "The political views of Mr. Harris were what may be termed in the proper sense-liberal opinions. While he boldly and consistently advocated progressive reforms in every department of the state, he was averse to extremes, considering that political privileges, gradually obtained, are more properly used, more firmly held, and more likely to endure, than those which involve sudden and sweeping constitutional changes. For the past generation of reformers he would have gone too far; for the present generation he would have gone perhaps not far enough. He belonged to that class of Members of Parliament more distinguished for their usefulness than for their public appearances and brilliant speeches; men of independent minds, who exercise their strong manly thought upon the various measures which Nowhere did Mr. Harris appear to so much advantage as in the bosom of his own family. The light of his life "shone with a bright and steady lustre in the domestic circle. His behaviour in the presence of his children and relatives was becoming the Christian parent, and the profession of the holy religion of Christ. Like the patriarchs of old, he had erected in his house, as soon as ever he settled in domestic life, an altar for God, from which the incense of morning and evening prayers invariably ascended. No pressure of business was ever allowed to interfere with those seasons set apart to God and to his own spiritual affairs; but by rising early, and by a suitable apportionment of his time, he was able to bring into the arrangements of the day his sacred as well as his secular duties. Although his life was one of incessant activity, arising from the claims of a large business, and the public position which he filled during the latter part of his life, yet he did not neglect the cultivation of personal and domestic religion. His stated periods of retirement for the purpose of meditation and private devotion were known to all the members of his family, and the greatest care was manifested by them not to interrupt his quiet communion with his own heart, and with the Father of spirits. He constantly sought the divine blessing upon the work of his hands, and never undertook any matter of importance without prayer; and although he always maintained his ground in business, yet there were times of commercial distress, during which he felt the need of all the support his principles could afford." He was neither without reverses in his business nor afflictions in his family; but be resorted in them all to that heavenly support through which the Christian is enabled to triumph over outer ills. number of characteristic anecdotes of this most eloquent preacher are woven into the narrative, some of which, we suspect, are not generally known; and they go far to render this one of the most interesting portions of the book. "On one occasion, when affairs had But Mr. Harris was too large-hearted taken an unfavourable turn, he came to confine his sympathies within one home one day apparently much troubled. branch of the Church. The missionary His pious and excellent wife, observing spirit, so early characteristic of the Baphis distress, inquired into the cause. He informed her that his stock-taking was tists, shone forth in him; and among just completed, and revealed a state of schemes of home interest, he may be said the balance-sheet by no means satisfac- to have taken an active part for fifty tory. Another year like this,' he added, years in all movements designed to proand all will be swept away.' And have mote the religious interests of his native you laid the matter,' she immediately asked, 'before the Lord ?' Then, remind- town and country. ing him of that Providence which clothes the grass, paints the lily, feeds the ravens, and is especially careful of those who wear the image of Christ, and are devoted to His service, she urged him not to distress himself, but to commit his case into the hands of Him who had hitherto watched over him. He at once retired to his private room, and unbosomed his cares at a throne of grace, and shortly after appeared again at his fireside with a countenance free from the lines of sorrow, and with a mind tranquillized and braced for the future conflict of life. It may be also observed, that the clouds which hung over his prospects immediately broke and disappeared, and his business went on with its wonted success." He carried his religion into business, besides, by conducting it in every department in accordance with the rules of Christian duty. A generous interest in the condition of the men employed under him was displayed throughout his whole career. Happy would it be for our country if as strong a sense of responsibility and stewardship prevailed universally in the minds of masters and employers, as in this instance. He was, from the period of his conversion, connected with Hervey Lane Baptist chapel, blessed at an earlier period with the ministrations of Dr. Carey, previous to his going forth as the first missionary of modern times, and during a great part of Mr. Harris' connexion with it, with those of Robert Hall, between whom and Mr. Harris there subsisted a deep sympathy and warm friendship. A When health failed, he looked forward, in a state of mind resigned and cheerful, to his latter end; and after affording abundant evidence, by his patience, his confidence, and his hope, of the blessedness which the change would confer upon him, on the 2d of February 1854, his spirit serenely passed to the abodes of the redeemed. "Help, Lord, for the godly ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men." "No man ever won so high position by fairer means," was an expression which, with kindred others, might have been heard passing from lip to lip in the vast concourse of between 2000 and 3000 persons who attended the funeral of the departed citizen. May it be spoken over the graves of not a few of the readers of this paper with life before them, and the choice undecided whether they shall follow his steps and share his glory, or make fatal shipwreck of their principles, their promise, their character, their career, and sink, unhonoured and unlamented, in the wave on which they might have ridden triumphantly into the quiet waters of eternal blessedness. G. C. Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb; Nor pain, nor grief, nor anxious fear, I. A CHRISTIAN HERO.-COLONEL SHADFORTH, 57TH REGIMENT. We have no detailed record of the career of this gallant and lamented Christian officer. We cannot, however, refrain from inserting the following letter as we find it in the newspapers : CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, June 17, Nine P.M, "MY OWN BELOVED WIFE AND DEARLY BELOVED CHILDREN.-At one o'clock to-morrow morning I head the 57th to storm the Redan. It is, as I feel, an awfully perilous moment to me, but I place myself in the hands of our gracious God, without whose will a sparrow cannot fall to the ground. I place my whole trust in Him. Should I fall in the performance of my duty, I fully rely in the precious blood of our Saviour, shed for sinners, that I may be saved through Him. Pardon and forgive me, my beloved ones, for anything I may have said or done to cause you one moment's unhappiness. Unto God I commend my body and soul which are His; and should it be His will that I fall in the performance of my duty, in the defence of my queen and country, I most humbly say, Thy will be done.' God bless you and protect you; and my last prayer will be, that He, of His infinite goodness, may preserve me to you. God ever bless you, my beloved Eliza, and my dearest children; and if we meet not again in this world, may we all meet in the mansion of our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ. God bless and protect you; and ever believe me, your affectionate husband and loving father, "THOMAS SHADFORTH." Her Majesty, with that anxious consideration for those who have suffered in her service which has always distinguished her, has already signed a warrant, granting a pension of £200 a-year to Mrs. Shadforth, and has intimated, that she will take advantage of any future opportunity which may occur to manifest her appreciation of Colonel Shadforth's services. Colonel Shadforth had an hereditary connexion with the 57th, his father, who was severely wounded at Albuera, having served in it for thirty-two years, and two of his brothers being also officers in the same regiment. 11. FRUITS OF FRENCH EvangeliZATION IN THE CRIMEAN ARMY. The following letter, which has recently appeared in the Swiss paper, La Feuille Religieuse du Canton de Vaud, affords a most interesting and encouraging proof of how the divine blessing often rests on those humble and unpretending labours in which the pious and earnest Protestants of France are accustomed to engage : "In June 1853, in the south of France, while a pious young woman was gathering mulberry leaves for silk-worms, her attention was drawn to a troop of soldiers passing, two of whom, (Joseph Mand James N,) apparently overcome by heat and fatigue, stopped a moment and entered into conversation with her. One of them having inquired whether she was a Protestant, she answered, I am, and a Christian too,' which was the beginning of a religious conversation. 'We are too young,' said Joseph, 'to think of these things; it will be time to do so when we get old.' And how do you know whether you will ever be old?' said the woman. She then asked whether they ever read the Bible, and upon their answer in the negative, offered them two religious tracts which she had in her pocket, not, however, without requiring a positive promise that they would read them. They took leave, and followed their corps. "Eighteen months had passed away, when, in the course of last winter, two young soldiers knocked at the door of the young woman's cottage, where she was sitting alone; and finding that she did not recognise them, one of them said, You will at least recognise these little books,' and handed over to her the two tracts. The sight of them explained all, and her eyes filled with tears. It was our ardent wish,' pursued the soldier, 'not to sail for the Crimea without having seen and thanked you. As our corps was to follow this route, we expected to meet with no difficulty in the accomplishment of our object, when it was suddenly decided that the corps should take another direction. We had reason to fear that our captain would not allow us to go out of our way and come here; but we prayed, and the Lord so inclined the captain's heart that he granted our request at once, without even a question or a remark. We might also not have found out your house, or not have met you at home, but God has answered every one of our petitions.' "Then came the account of their conversion; how they had read the two tracts over and over again; had lent them to many of their comrades; had bought New Testaments, the perusal of which had accomplished the work of grace in their hearts; and how, notwithstanding the opposition and mockery of many, there were now eight of their comrades in the habit of meeting to read and pray together. The pious joy of the woman, the happiness of their short intercourse, the seriousness of the last farewell, after having knelt down together before God, can be better imagined than described. "The next time the young woman heard about them, it was by a letter received, not from themselves, but from one of their friends, whom they had brought to the knowledge of Christ. That letter is so interesting, that I send you a translation of it, only a few sentences being omitted: "CRIMEA, February 9, 1955. "What do you think of our long silence? Can you believe we have for gotten you? No, certainly, that is impossible; but we have had so much to go through, that we could not find a moment's respite to write. This very day I am sitting on the ground to write my letter, to be alone; and I have no other table than the hymn-book that I have inherited. I am so cold that I can hardly hold my pen; but I will do my best that you may be able to read. "I have sad news to give you; I say sad for me; for, as regards my friends, they are rather joyful. And they will also give you sorrow to hear; for I judge of your affection by the marks of your charity towards my friends, who are now enjoying the rest prepared for the people of God. "There they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them." Joseph M died on the 3d of February, of dysentery; James N obliged to stay out on so cold a night that he died frozen, four days after his friend. was "I think you will read with interest some details on their death. You have, no doubt, remarked in Joseph's language his zeal for the truth. During the voyage, he said, "I hear a voice within me telling me to speak to these friends." When we came to Marseilles the weather was very bad. We remained there two days; and as we went on board, priests came to distribute medals to us. Joseph refused to take one, whereupon the other soldiers blamed him. "No," said be, "we must be faithful in little things as well as in great ones;" therefore, when his turn came, he answered the priest, "Thank you, sir, I have one." "But even if you have one already, it does not matter; it was not given to you with the same intention." "I beg your pardon, sir, mine can do for all the circumstances of life;" and in saying this he took out of his pocket a New Testament. "Ah!" said the priest, "so you are a heretic? With men like you, little would be done in Russia?" Our officer, attracted by the priest's words, came towards us, and having inquired what was the matter, he told Joseph he would make him take the medal. "He has," said the priest, "a dangerous book about him." "I know not if the Word of God is dangerous," immediately answered Joseph; "but one thing I know, that my eyes were shut, and it has opened them, and given me peace." The priest then went off, smiling with pity; and, seeing that he could answer nothing, the officer remained near us. "But," said he, "is it true you will not have the medal ?" "No," said Joseph, "they give everything here except the one thing needful." "Well," said the 66 officer, "after all, we are capable of judging in some things. Lend me the book that has so much alarmed him." Joseph gave him his book with pleasure, saying, May God deign to bless the reading of it to you, as He has done to me." I hope the Lord will answer us, for our officer still reads the Gospel attentively, and he has forbidden the soldiers who are under his orders to insult us. "A short time after our arrival here, Joseph fell ill, and his illness only lasted three days. He had dreadful sufferings to undergo. I could only visit him occasionally for a few moments, and that even by protection. "The short time I remained near him, I was always edified by his patience and resignation. He spoke of those new heavens and of that new earth where righteousness will dwell. The night before his death he called me louder than he had done before, and said, "I think I am going to die; God's will be done. You must write to my poor mother. How afflicted she will be! But the Lord will comfort her. I ask it with all my heart. Tell her from me I die happy. Oh! I also wished I could have returned to B- that fine country, where, for the first time I heard about the good news that is to-day my joy and my happiness! But I am going to see a country more beautiful still. The Lord bless this dear sister and her family! I wish you knew her. I always fancy I see her speaking to us. You must write to her, won't you?" and I promised him to do it. He was exhausted by what he had said: he seemed to rest for a moment, and then added, "How I wish I could see my mother!" I was obliged to leave him at about eleven o'clock in the morning on the day of his death. When I came back later into the tent, he seemed to enjoy the presence of his Saviour, but could speak no more; however, he warmly pressed my hand, and a few minutes after bis soul went to meet his God. "In the midst of all these afflictions, we still have to give thanks to God, that He has put it into the hearts of devoted Christians to leave their own country, their relatives and friends, to come and be witnesses of His mercy and of His forgiveness. The hardest hearts are touched by it. When one hears them read the Bible, they seem to be angels come down from heaven to snatch souls from eternal condemnation. "I had not the satisfaction of seeing James N; but another friend was beside him when he died, and told me he had expressed his joy at going to meet his friend. Since they are gone, it seems to me as if I were soon going to meet them as well. May the Lord prepare me for a death like theirs! Oh, do not forget to pray for this great army; recommend us to the prayers of your dear pastor, and ask him to recommend us to the prayers of his flock. "Adieu! I have still two years of military service before me; but if ever I get leave to go home, I will go and see you. The Lord bless you and keep you!'"-News of the Churches. ETERNAL FELLOWSHIP IN HEAVEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO MINISTER TO SUFFERING CHRISTIANS WHILE ON EARTH. THE anticipation of eternal fellowship with a Christian brother or sister in heaven should encourage us to minister to them lovingly and patiently while they are suffering on earth. There are bodily sufferings endured by many a saint of God, which are very trying for flesh and blood to witness, or to alleviate by personal attendance and assistance. Very terrible and humiliating is the usage which disease, the child of fallen man, gives to the poor body! It often so smites it with wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores, that it becomes even here such a sepulchre of death, that the soul gets ashamed of it and wishes to leave it. But it may be the will of God that for many years the spirit shall be clogged with the "vile body;" and so mysterious is this temporary bondage of the undying mind to what is doomed to enter the loathsome grave, ere itself can enter its own fair and beautiful home, that it is often much enfeebled by it, becomes peevish and easily fretted, cast down to the earth, and covered with a shroud of sadness. Now, what will more encourage love to tend a Christian thus suffering,-to bear with so much that is painful to the senses, trying to the heart, and it may be to the temper-than the faith which sees |