AUCKLAND CITY MISSION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2603, 21 November 1865, Page 5

AUCKLAND CITY MISSION.

Wk have beeu furnished with a printed copy of the last annual report of the Auckland City Mission and Children's Home, which we gladly publish, to further the cause of that useful institution. It will be recollected that at the annual meeting it w»3 stated that the want of. funds prevented the circulation of % printed report. ' We have already published the balance sheet :— children's home. From May Ist, 1864, to August 16th/ 1865, 53 children have been taken into the Home. Of these, 20 have been taken by or sent to , their parents ; 3 have iuu away; 3 have died; 1 has gone to live with his sister ; 5 are in situations, under care of Mission ; 21 are now living in the Home.' Average number of children provided for in Home during the whole period, 32. All the children when taken into' the Home were in a destitute and helpless state. As far as practicable, all the children able to .work ,*re employed in various ways about the homo, and, when fit, are sent to situations. Of neceisity, four elder girls are employed iv assisting iv the work of the house : one as cook, one as 'housemaid, one as childieu's nurse, and one chiefly in making' the children's clothes. All the children's clothes are made in the house. The Mission having" been the instrument in our Heavenly Father's hand* of snatching these girls from eternal nun, by leading them to believe in Jesus, they in return work cheerfully, receiving no wages. Children's meals are 1 as follow : — Breakfast at 8 o'clock : Snnday, coffee f and bread and butter; Monday, coffee aud oatmeal porridge with milk and sugar; Tuesday, ditto; Wednesday, ditto ; Thursday, ' ditto ; Friday; ditto ; Saturday, ditto. Dinner at 1 o'clock: Sunday, , csld boiled meat aud bretd ; Monday, soup and potatoes ; Tuesday, meat aud potatoes ; Wednesday, soup and potatoes ; Thursday, meat and potatoes ; Friday, pea soup; Saturday! meat and potatoes. Tea at 44 o'clock : Snnday, bread and bntter with tea ,; Monday, ditto treacle ditto ; Tuesday, ditto butter ditto ; Wednesday, ' ditto trekole ditto ; Thursday, ditto butter ditto ; Friday, ditto butter ditto ; Saturday, diUo treacle ditto. Family worship is conducted every' morning and evening. Some of the children have caused a. very great deal of trouble, especially through running , away ; and to got them back the lowest parts of the city have been searched through at midnight ; the scenes witnessed at such times being such as it would not be proper or prudent to relate. We have,' nevertheless, gieiit cause for encouragement, ten out of the number now under our care being, we believe, truly converted unto God, f while, other* are halting between , two opinions. This iiour 1 chief desire, and for tuiswe ( earnestly, labour, — to win every soul for Christ out, Saviour. Each child taken into the Homers fed, clothed, educated, aud cared 'for temporally, as for as meaiis will peimifc j'bufc we know aU will be in vain, unless each child, lias a personal iuteresfc in 'Christ Jesus. We rejoice to know our Saviour say*, " Suffer little children to come unto me."

PKBACHING SERVICES., , , . i . Sunday morning, atll o'olook; average attendance, < 69 (chiefly children). Sunday evening, at 6$ o'clock ; average attendance, 80. Tuesday evening, at 7i o'clock ; average attendance, 4Q>. <t >, .i . : Tlio attendance at I these, services ii.tteadily in- < creasing, owing chiefly to the vifcics paid' to the ■ house, and also to some of the teacheraugoing out before the time of service, into tho boarding-housei and streets, pressing the men to , comei and ■ hear of ' Jesus. Some who have, we believe, thut been brought '- ' in have given themieives 'up to Jesus, and are tread- 1 ing in the .narrow way. , Also, a band of, young men go out in fine weather, on Sabbath evening*, to hold open-air services iv phancery-lnne, Mills-lane, and; Barrack -street, at each of which an average of 60 persons hpar the .words of everlasting life. •," epeoinl , services iweie held .during the month' of' February, 1865, when a large, number of working men espeojaljy were persuaded to attend. ( The Holy <■ Spirit accompaniod (.lie word spoken, and souls were savcl, ; To, God be all the glory, jjj j

' I i SABBATH- SCHOOL. ' '' < ■ ' Teachers, male, 'lo; female,, 8: Scholars/ boy*/ 80;!givls, 70: infants I , l^. J Average attendance, ; boyi/W'girK !40;! 40; infants, 12.' -' A '\] _, '^ li The teachers ineeb for prayer before commencing the duties of eaoli Sabbath.' J Most;, of ( the ohiicllrea now! attending the school 'have bein in' it' from tho^ beginning, a«i(l l therefore"feel much, attaphid to r thbir' | 'fcea'chor^ who' also meet their 'classeilon^f hurtday evening*. Many 6f the children a'ttemUuglhe'dayschool; 1 being regularly 1 aud J olos^ly; followed /up; ' n ' attend ple»n' and'tidy in' appeiirauce, and ift, every . respeot'muoh improved. 11 About 40 havej as t far, a» their teachers can judge,' pnssed'from death into life.' Thcte^her's mott^iS, " Jr^blass/fov Jesui.";' 1 "", ■ How iwett to intli Mbuto'd the Thrpno ' , , i. , - ' The clais on oarlhl cillbjd my own. - ' ' ,

, ji.f :, P . ; '11,0 Jt . h , Number., of S.n^Ver^g? atteudaribeivi, to ,4 1; a^^^'fldneadiiyj afternoons ejc.<teptfecli"»l) i T|ie children , are .imioh. fitt'ichodjto' t ,tbo,sohdol. r r: 'Singingis^^u'ce of attrition, ftrKjjmocJiepjoi'ed; in ■ Instruction, y given Xi^R<?A^ipg t t r < : ( >vriting,i i* -aHth-i. n) > rtic, ti , f Bmg\ng, ;ji sewiugm^ndiuOCprnQnallyi 'anl.i iP^jocj.nleison ; v Rlio b a,^lvi)rt./Pi.bJjSile**on/;e.Tj«rw t < , l py)rning. )>/ Till,\yithin thp.^ort,two^9loi)t\iß thojiohdJli ton ; a pupil teacher having charge of the iufauts. Owing to oircutnstauoGS ariiiug in My. Oooke's family i he felt it is duty to leave, whioh is very muoh re*

gretted. <The mtntger has, in acnirqucuoe, iuoteated work, having to assist; in the sonqol ocoa-N.8.-^-Ovdif 1 100 children haye beonrfefmed admitt»uc« ob' account of tbrfrpkrejbti' being nbls to pay for their ednontiop. NoohildVati are admitted 'whoSo paurenta can and will ednoaio'ihemj' except under very eculmr circumstance*.

VISTINO. ' Fot? seyaral mouths p*st the borne of each, child in connection with the ichoois' hail beeu visited by 1 Mr, E. 0. Utting." 'limnigb. these visitations taany parent* have Attended li\xQ services at ihe Missioh aud other places of worship. ' At theie visits the vrard of Goil is read, the gospel of Jesus brought^ before ttib peoplo, »nd prayer offered up to God ou their bohialf. The result of our' brother's labours among the humbler classes must be loft ; the Day of Judgment will declare. May the day soon come when rquny earnest labourers for Christ shall go from home to homo, poiutiug pbor sinners to Him who " takoth ( awtvy the sins of tho world.''

BAND OF HOPE. Meetings have been held, for the mo«t part of Mie time, every Monday evening, at half-past seven o'clock, but now they take place every other Monday evening. Attendance, about 120 ; , number of member*, 4 (5, of whom about 70 are adults ; broken pledges, about 80; leaving, we ho|ie, 3G5 with uu broken pledges. We look to the young to stand agninnt the cursed ilrinkitiß customs of this city. Do away with strong ilrink, *nd it will be hard woik to find many poor persons in this city. Friends of temperance, be up and doing.

MOTHKKS MEETINGS. These meetings have been of great benefit to several mothers attending, hut owing to Mrs. W. Fox's departure from Auckland, they have been discontinued, till some lady or ladies are found willing to ake them up.

SAVINGS BANK. The oaly object of starting this savings bank is, to save the boys aud girls from wastiug their money in lollies, cigars, tobacco, &c. About 60 boys and girls have been persuaded to put by their pennies, &c., and in consequence have left off smoking, chewing, And drinking.

WORKING MKN S READISO ROOM. For some months this room was open nightly, but did not meet the want* of the working men in this city, only a fow of whom attended. A rooui is wanted where working men could smoke their pipei and feel at home. Thisjwant wo could not supply ( and, being cramped for accommodation, tlie reading room was closed and converted into a sleeping apartment for children.

WRITING, BEADINfI, AND ARITHMETIC. Classes have been carried on every Wodnosday evening for the teaching of theae branches of education. Average attendance, 50. Teachers are wav ted to assist on this evening, and, when obtained, more of these elder boys and girls enn be gathered from the streets.

TItACT SOCIETT. This branch of the work has been useful in iucliuiug some to Attend the house of God. Many persons oil beds of sickness have been sought out and pointed to Jesus as their only cSavionr. Neatly 1,000 tracts have been circulated and exchanged week by week. Only a few are engaged in this branch of the work. Alany labourers are wanted. "The harvest truly is plenteou3, but the labourers are few."

PRATER MISTING. This meeting kai been held every Saturday evening, commencing at h«lf-past leveu o'clock, to pray for our Heavenly Father's blessing upon the various branches of work carried on solely for His glory and the good of our fellow-sinners. The instruments are weak, nothing of themselves : the difficulties have appeared insurmountable, but we thank God we have proved the blessedness of the promise— ".My grace is sufficient for theo,"