lue to the nation. I refer to the moral influence it
exercises among us. If many hundreds of lives are annually saved by our
lifeboat fleet, does it not follow, as a necessary consequence, that
happiness and gratitude must affect thousands of hearts in a way that
cannot fail to redound to the glory of God, as well as the good of man?
Let facts answer this question.

We cannot of course, intrude on the privacy of human hearts and tell
what goes on there, but there are a few outward symptoms that are
generally accepted as pretty fair tests of spiritual condition. One of
these is parting with money! Looking at the matter in this light, the
records of the Institution show that thousands of men, women, and
children, are beneficially influenced by the lifeboat cause.

The highest contributor to its funds in the land is our Queen; the
lowliest a sailor's orphan child. Here are a few of the gifts to the
Institution, culled almost at random from the Reports. One gentleman
leaves it a legacy of 10,000 pounds. Some time ago a sum of 5000 pounds
was sent anonymously by "a friend." A hundred pounds comes in as a
_second_ donation from "a sailor's daughter." Fifty pounds come from a
British admiral, and five shillings from "the savings of a child!"
One-and-sixpence is sent by another child in postage-stamps, and 1 pound
5 shillings as the collection of a Sunday school in Manchester; 15
pounds from three fellow-servants; 10 pounds from a shipwrecked pilot,
and 10 shillings, 6 pence from an "old salt." I myself had once the
pleasure of receiving twopence for the lifeboat cause from an
exceedingly poor but enthusiastic old woman! But my most interesting
experience in this way was the receipt of a note written by a blind
boy--well and legibly written, too--telling me that he had raised the
sum of 100 pounds for the Lifeboat Institution.

And this beneficial influence of our lifeboat service travels far beyond
our own shores. Here is evidence of that. Finland sends 50 pounds to
our Institution to testify its appreciation of the good done by us to
its sailors. President Lincoln, of the United States, when involved in
all the anxieties of the great war between North and South, found time
to send 100 pounds to the Institution in acknowledgment of services
rendered to American ships in distress. Russia and Holland send naval
men to inspect--not our armaments and _materiel_ of hateful war, but--
our lifeboat management! Franc