Henrietta Heller.

THE missionary spirit is the spirit of enterprise. It is in direct antagonism to the base and selfish part of our nature. It is content to endure fatigue, to encounter danger, to sacrifice the comforts of home, parental care, and solicitude, and the association of friends: it minds not hunger and thirst, disease and even death, in the prosecution of its purpose. While others, in seeking foreign lands, trade and barter, and so increase their wealth, the missionary leaves his own land with but one object—that of giving, not of receiving. He sees before him nations ignorant, because they have never been instructed. His life-object is their instruction; he literally obeys the command to "go out into all the world," and his sole business and object is to declare "the truth as it is in Jesus."

"From Greenland's icy mountains,
From India's coral strand,
Where Afric's sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sand;

From many an ancient river,

From many a palmy plain,
They call us to deliver

Their land from error's chain."

But not only there, thousands of miles away, but here, in our own land, or in the lands that

own allegiance to our Queen, where the English language is spoken and civilisation is acknowledged, the missionary may find objects for his zeal-the ignorant who know not the truth, who live" without God and without hope in the world."

Henrietta Feller was such a missionary. Born at Lausanne, Switzerland, of one of the noblest families, she had the advantage of a superior education and of those accomplishments which entitled her to hold a prominent place amongst those who were estimated for their literary culture and social refinements. Early in life she was united in marriage to M. Feller, a magistrate of the city, who was highly estimated and valued for his personal excellencies by the inhabitants, and whose independent means enabled him to surround his home with every comfort and elegance. A lovely little girl was given to them, doubtless in answer to their earnest prayers and wishes. To instruct this child became the cherished duty of Madame Feller, in the hope that as years rolled on it would become a companion and solace for life's declining days. But this was not to be; Providence had otherwise ordered. This cherished child, ere the days of girlhood had passed, was called away, leaving its parents broken-hearted and alone. And then, in a few years, Madame Feller was called to follow to the grave her loved husband. It was hard

thus to part, yet she had the joy of knowing that his end had been peace, and that his hope was bright and full of glory. Madame Feller, who up to this time had been devoted to her child and husband, now resolved to find in every creature lacking care and culture an object of interest. Her sympathy for the igno

rant and uninstructed should not be bounded by clime or country; all with whom she came in contact should have claims upon her; they should be to her as those having the demands of relationship, and united to her by the close ties of friendship. She would not be satisfied. either by quietly waiting until opportunity was presented for works of goodness, she would seek for opportunity; and in order to do this the more effectively she resolved to become a missionary, and carry to others the Gospel that had been to herself a source of so much joy. With this object, in 1835, she proceeded to Montreal to join two of her friends who had gone to Canada with the intention of opening a missionary school. The people amongst whom she elected to reside were described as "a degraded race, wanting the common necessaries of life, without instruction, ignorant of the Bible and of the love of God to man, living in the most stupid indifference and insensibility, and dying with scarcely a hope or thought of eternal life." With Madame Feller's resolved purpose she was little moved by the openly expressed doubts and dislikes of those to whom she desired to minister. It was her business, so she believed, to spend her life in their instruction; their objection and opposition was proof of their need of instruction, and only the more confirmed her in her intended life's dedication. The assistance which she had at the first received from M. Olivier and his wife was soon withdrawn; they were compelled, owing to illness, mainly induced by the opposition which they had met with, to leave Montreal. But Madame Feller had determined on her course. Death might end it but while life was given her nothing should make her swerve or sway from

British authorities offered her not only protection for the future, but also to punish those who had taken part in banishing her from Canada, if she would consent to appear against them. She responded cheerfully to return to her labours, but she refused to witness against those who had injured her. "I came to Canada,” she said, "to do good to all, so far as I have the ability to those who injure and persecute, as well as to those who love and aid me. What these poor people did, they did in ignorance. I pity and forgive them, and only desire the opportunity of doing them favours."

That was the spirit of the true Christian missionary. It had the effect of "heaping coals of fire" on the heads of her enemies; they could not do otherwise than admire and respect one who could have done them harm, and yet sought only to do them good. It was following the example and reducing to practice the precepts of Christ. It was demonstrating before the eyes of those she desired to teach the lessons practically she was wishful they should learn. The result was to increase the number of those attending her school, to augment and spread her influence, and to obtain for her character, even by those who objected to her mission, esteem and respect.

Near the end of 1836, Madame Feller was induced to remove to Grand Signe, a settlement about twenty miles from Montreal, where she immediately opened a school. The next year, when the Rev. Mr. Gilman, pastor of a Baptist Church in Montreal, visited her, he found her holding her school in a barn, which was in such a tumble-down condition that it was open to the wind and rain, while she herself was residing in a small garret.

This devotion and abnegation of self impressed him so favourably that he resolved to make exertions to procure her a more suitable building in which to hold her school. The inhabitants of Montreal, to whom he appealed, as well as the inhabitants of various towns in the United States, cheerfully responded with liberal contributions, so that funds were soon obtained, and the new building, so much needed, commenced. The "Mission House" was, when completed, much larger than it was first intended, so that Madame Feller was enabled considerably to widen and expand her scheme of usefulness. In addition to teaching some three hundred scholars, Madame Feller was induced by the success which had attended her efforts to embrace within the building a Normal Institution for the training of thirty young men, French Canadians, as teachers, colporteurs, and missionaries. A similar department was subsequently added for females, with like objects, Madame Feller having, through all her efforts, ever had one prominent object-teaching every child in Canada to read, and then placing a Bible in every home, so that the child might be a missionary to its parents, and declare the word of life-the word of salvation-which might, happily, lead to the adoption of that life which is eternal, and which never fades away.

Such were the objects and such the desires of this pure-minded woman. Her success was not accomplished without the passage through difficulties which would have cowed and subdued any less resolved and resolute woman.

The

result has been so much power, strength, and discernment as few, without her trials, ever attain. She has thus been enabled, not only to carry out her original intention of founding a