From Burmah’s shores, from Afric’s strand,
    From India’s burning plain,
  From Europe, from Columbia’s land,
    We hope to meet again. 
  Oh, sweetest hope, oh, blissful hope,
    Which His own truth affords—­
  The hope, when days and years are past,
    We still shall be the Lord’s.

  No lingering look, no parting sigh,
    Our future meeting knows;
  There friendship beams from every eye,
    And love immortal glows. 
  Oh, sacred hope, the blissful hope,
    His love and truth afford—­
  The hope, when days and years are past,
    Of reigning with the Lord.

I am not willing to accept everything done in the annual meeting, but the hearty good will manifested and the pleasant and happy associations enjoyed make it in those respects very commendable.  These brethren are very systematic and orderly in their work.  Some one, who has been designated beforehand, takes charge of the meeting, and everything moves along nicely.  When a visiting brother comes in, he is recognized and made use of, but they do not turn the meeting over to him and depend upon him to conduct it.  The president of the Lord’s day morning meeting and part or all of the officers sit together on the platform.  The following is the order of procedure in one of the meetings which I attended:  After singing a hymn and offering prayer, the brother presiding announced the reading lessons from both Testaments, at the same time naming two brethren who would read these scriptures.  After they had come forward and read the lessons before the church, another hymn was sung, and certain definite objects of prayer were mentioned before the congregation again engaged in that part of the worship.  Two prayers were offered, followed by the announcements, after which a brother delivered an address.  Then the president made mention of the visitors present, and an old gentleman from the platform extended “the right hand of fellowship” to some new members before the contribution was taken and the Lord’s supper observed, a hymn being sung between these two items.  A concluding hymn and prayer closed the service, which had been well conducted, without discord or confusion.

A brother in Wigan gave me a statement of the work of one of the congregations there in the winter season.  On the Lord’s day they have school at 9:20 A.M. and at 2 P.M.; breaking the bread at 10:30 A.M., and preaching the gospel at 6:30 P.M.  At this evening meeting the Lord’s table is again spread for the benefit of servants and others who were not able to be at the morning service.  This is a common practice.  The young people’s social and improvement class meets on Monday evening, a meeting for prayer and a short address is held on Tuesday evening, and the Band of Hope, a temperance organization for young people, meets on Wednesday evening.  The singing class uses Thursday night, and the officers of the church sometimes have a meeting on Friday night.