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HALLELUJAH FROM THE desert.

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Wrapped in our plaid, we

we arrived, at 1 a.m., at Tel-el-Mahuta. stretched on the sand. At an early hour I met our beloved brother, Andrew M'Lean, and in this wilderness he proved to be a gateway to Goshen, steaks and coffee in the desert! He read your last to me, his soul was refreshed, and together we prayed. You and yours, with all, were not forgotten. In the afternoon this branch hospital was to move forward. Jamie, Andrew, and I, mounted on a truck, puffed off to Kassassin. Andrew fed and housed us in his tent until the Highland Brigade came up, and you may know we had a grand time of it. On the night of our arrival I met a grand soul, a doctor, SurgeonMajor- Andrew, he, and I retired to the plain, and there we surrounded the Lord's throne.

The enemy

"So much for the marching. Not for us, however. were near, only nine miles off, in a stronghold, entrenched. And this place had to be taken. We went to see Andrew, had a drink of Bay tea from him, and together prayed; and Jamie and I joined the army moving to the front. Marching slowly, and with great caution, we moved forward, halting several times. Once for two hours we, in the dark, lost the Highland Brigade; and at early morning we found we were in rear of the Artillery. At the first streak of dawn we were standing in front of the enemy's stronghold. Five minutes before that I believe the enemy had no idea we were on them; the generalship was grand.

"At 4.55 a.m on the 13th, the battle of Tel-el-Kebir began by the enemy. They fired three musketry shots, and in a moment's time the most terrific fire opened. The whole line of entrenchments were one sheet of flame, rifle bullets flying like a shower of hail, and shell in abundance, going whizzing over our heads. Well it was for our dear men that the enemy's fire was directed high, or the Highland Brigade would have been swept into Eternity. The Highland Brigade advanced to the charge, pipes playing. One good cheer, and the trenches in five minutes were ours. In some places the trenches were twelve feet deep and twelve feet wide, but they were taken in grand style.

66 'During this awful fire, we were under it. However, we read the 23rd Psalm, and we pleaded that our God would in mercy cover the heads of onr dear men. Our first work was to take two wounded men of the Artillery to the rear out of the range of fire. We did all we could to help them. We told them of the love of Jesus and prayed. Brother, it was a real position in the midst of death-and it was my birthday, a memorable one to me! We then removed to the front, and

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A STORY OF DELIVERANCE.

very soon we were in the midst of dead and dying. One poor lad, shot through the body, looked up and groaned, 'Oh, Gordie !' I replied, 'Jesus loves you, brother.' He answered, Aye, it's just Jesus.'

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"For several hours I was passing from one to another giving drinks and speaking a word to soothe and help. Several of our Christiar lads were taken home in a chariot of fire, and several were severely wounded. One dear lad told the doctor, 'Dress my comrades first; they are not ready to die and I am.' Dear noble fellow! Such is the Gospel.

66 The poor Arabs were not forgotten. We gave them a drink, and pointing up we said, 'Allah.' They were deeply grateful. Now, dear brother, this is the place for a living Scripture reader. We rejoice that the Lord sent us out here to work for Him. We slept soundly on the field all night, and the next morning we read Psalm cxxi., sang Psalm xxiii., and prayed. And here we are now in a palace at Cairo, the war over, and the prospect of again, and that soon, fishing for souls in auld Scotland. We desire that in your meetings special thanks may be returned for our preservation. Love to your wife, a kiss to the wee darlings, and a brother's love to all the King's Own at the School of Musketry; and at the Soldiers' Home at Sandgate.-Your brother in the King's Service.

"G. P. M." (Army Scripture Reader).

A STORY OF DELIVERANCE.

[The following is translated from a German religious paper. The writer is a "pastor of Colmar. Our readers may have read of the disaster-an almost unparalleled one-in which hundreds perished. Many will be surprised to read of the gathering taking place on Sunday, but in Germany the feeling amongst Christians on Sunday travelling is not what it is amongst us, and Sunday is generally the day chosen for gatherings of the kind. The level of the feeling on the question is, however, being raised.-Note by Translator, S. M. N.]

NE of my congregation, Daniel N., a Colporteur of the British and Foreign Bible Society, came to me to-day to tell me with great emotion of the wonderful deliverance from death which he and others had had on their Sunday night journey. "Sir," he began, "I am spared, and I and my twenty-two fellow members of the Young Men's Christian Association might have been lying, like so many others, in our coffins, or as helpless cripples in the hospital at Freiburg!"

Deeply stirred, we clasped each others' hands and spoke but one word, "It is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.'

A STORY OF DELIVERANCE.

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After we had composed ourselves, I begged my friend to give me an accurate and unvarnished account of the event, which I now pass to others for the strengthening of their faith.

"On Sunday afternoon (Sept 3) twenty-three of the Y.M.C.A. members of the Colmar branch, headed by Pastor S., from Munster, went to a Christian Conference in the pretty town of Freiburg. There we spent a delightful afternoon over the Word of God, with other brothers and sisters who had assembled from many places. Quickened in soul and body we started on our return journey, after having been commended to the safe and loving keeping of our God in song and prayer. An immense crowd here gathered at the station, mostly from Colmar and Alsace, who had taken advantage of the cheap train to make the day's excursion. What a din, noise and tumult broke the stillness of the Sabbath evening while all were settling into the carriages! Altogether the train contained 1,400 persons.

"At last the train slowly moved out of the station with songs and shouts. We, too, sang and raised our voices in a hymn of praise to the glory of our Lord. This had marked us, and others had avoided our carriage, so that there were only our own twentythree in it. Our pastor remained behind in Colmar.

"Now we were off, and soon our singing ceased, and we began to talk over our happy day. But soon we anxiously looked out at the darkening sky, over which flashes of lightning were gleaming faster and faster. The rain rattled fiercely against our windows, and the fearful thunderstorm broke over our heads. But we sat under the care of the Highest, and we comforted ourselves over this, and rejoiced in it, even when the thunder and flashes became more terrible, rolling and lightening almost without intermission. With fearful rapidity our train shot through a wood near Hugstetten, six miles from Freiburg. How awful an accident would be in such dense darkness in a storm like this, and the train going at such a pace!' Such anxious thoughts lay unspoken on our lips, when an accident did happen, equalled by nothing in the forty years of railway history in Germany.

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Suddenly we felt a frightful shock, and then another, and then our carriage was lifted above the rails by mighty force; it bent to the right and then to the left, and fell slowly and gently on its side clear off the rails. We within lay some under the seats, some on top of one another. 'Lord Jesus, help! Lord have mercy !' we cried to Him who saves from death. And behold! the promise of our God held true, that 'before they call I will answer.' The angel of the Lord had encamped around us, so that death could not touch us, and not one was even hurt. One

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brother who lay uppermost saw the door was open (who had opened it, securely fastened as it had been ?) and climbed out. Then he helped the next one out, and in a few minutes all our twentythree stood whole and unhurt outside. With one voice our thanksgiving was raised to Heaven through the storm to Him who had so marvellously delivered us. Our hearts were bursting and we could only cry with tears, 'Our Lord has done this, it is the arm of God which has been glorified.'

"But what a sight lay round us, or rather what a sound, for it was only by the lightning we could see horrors such as we never saw before. Our carriage was the only one, the eighth from the engine, which had fallen beyond the rails; those in front had been crushed up together, a chaos of wreck, mingled with corpses and wounded people. The carriages behind were in as fearful a state of destruction. Before us and behind us death and disaster. Oh, who knew the total of pain and misery! But even amongst these broken carriages the grace of God had rested and saved, and the destroying angel was not allowed to touch; for instance, a little boy sat unhurt between his dead parents, and many another was as wonderfully preserved to His glory and honour. Yet only the eighth carriage in the midst of the wreck lay uninjured and not a hair of our heads was hurt. Was it not marvellous ?

"We ran to help our poor fellow-travellers, and did what we could, but it was very little among such a crowd. Amongst them we heard many a cry of faith or for mercy. One badly injured girl cried, 'Jesus, I leave Thee not, and Thou wilt not leave me.' A young man cried in agony, 'Lord, let me not die in my sins!' Oh, how the silent tongue was loosened now, all testifying that there is but One on whom to call in such an hour, only One who can help in death. Man needs an anchor to which he may cling, ONLY ONE is firm enough. Only the Lord of the Light can kindle such a light that even a storm like this cannot extinguish! (Is that Anchor yours? Is that Light yours?)

"Far on in the night help from Freiburg arrived with doctors and stretchers. Then we hastened on foot in the darkness back to Freiburg, which we had so happily left a few hours before. The pastor S. met us at the station, who had been awakened by the arrival of the fearful news, and was impelled by love to come and look for us. He greeted us as those who had risen from the dead. We could not speak, our hearts were too full, and silently our hearts met and praised. So we hastened home, His rescued ones, giving Him thanks for His goodness to the children of men and declaring His works with rejoicing."

THEY CALLED THEE AN OUTCAST.

"THEY CALLED THEE AN OUTCAST."

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T

BY SOPHIA M. NUGENT.

HEY called thee an outcast!"

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Few words tell as shortly and completely as these do, what is the thought of many in our land about Ireland. Too hopeless! too bad! An Outcast, indeed, beyond the pale of improvement; and so the sorrowful country becomes an Outcast " from even the thoughts of many, and they forget that the reason why the poor country has become what it is, is that the Bible has been hidden from it. Whereever God's Word has free course there is loyalty to our Sovereign as well. Will you not again strengthen those spots where the song of the Lord is taught? Our little orphan friends at the two nurseries in the wild West are in your hearts, surely. You are in their hearts and thoughts, they owe warm beds to you! and the matron writes so gratefully of the joy it is to see them at night now, under the warm blankets which you, readers of LIVING WATERS, sent them last winter. Both the boys and girls are a joy to their faithful friends who have given up their lives to care for them; and both teachers and pupils are devoted to each other. One lad who was brought up there, lately sent £40 to the dear mistress, either for herself, or for the use of the Orphanage. She generously gave the whole of it to the Orphanage.

Among the girls what do you think is the reward of well-learned lessons and good conduct? It is to have more lessons in the evening with the matron, for the grand aim is to become a "teacher."

Now what shall we do for them this Christmas? I have found out something! It is new winter clothing; and as our readers made them all warm for the night last year, I have a suspicion that they would like to make them warm for the day this year. Am I wrong? But what will it cost to clothe nearly 100 children in strong, warm garments, which will stand the wear and tear of rough farm work, and not suffer all the year from the wild Atlantic storms which sweep over their homes? I have been asking, and have found out that the girls want 100 yards of serge at 1s. 9d. a yard, and 90 yards of flannel at 1s. a yard. The boys are much more expensive, because their out of door labour needs more durable clothing, so that they need 100 yards of material at 5s. 6d., and calico lining besides, 200 yards at 3d. And strong hand-knit socks, come to about 1s. 6d. a pair, of which two pair last them a year. But who makes them? A tailor has to make the larger suits, and the little ones are made in the house. Will you add it all up? I will not! but only say that 15s. will on an average clothe one child. I wonder if when you add it up, any one will say, "How absurd to think we could provide all that." But could you provide one yard of serge, or one pair of socks? And last year, I asked the Lord of the gold and silver for £100 without telling you, and He sent it, and some over, by your hauds. And my Lord is as rich this year as He was last year! And I

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