so long neglected; and yet, if
we did not take them, they would, we had great reason to fear, very
shortly sink under their position. Trust in God decided the matter. We
received all four, hoping that, by God's blessing, they would be thus
rescued from sinking under their circumstances. The eldest of the four,
a boy of above nine years old, was for the first evening or two so weak,
that he could not walk up stairs to the dormitory without stopping. This
disappeared, after he had had the food of the New Orphan House for a few
days; and now all the four are so greatly improved, that they do not
look at all like what they were on April 26th, 1855. I have so minutely
entered into this one case out of very many of the kind, which have come
before me in connexion with the Orphan work during the last 20 years, in
order to show how deeply important it is to care for such destitute
Orphans, to rescue them, humanly speaking, from misery or premature
death, to say nothing now with reference to their spiritual welfare,
which is paramount with us.

Besides the two who died out of the 387, we were obliged to expel one
from the establishment. This boy was admitted on Oct. 4, 1849. He was
then not quite eight years old; but though so young, it was soon found
out that he was old in sin, for he was a confirmed liar, thief, &c. He
gloried in it among the other boys, and told them that he had belonged
to a juvenile gang of thieves, before he had been admitted into the
Orphan House, that he had often stolen from the ships iron, brass, &c.,
and sold it. We thought at first that he spoke thus merely in the way of
boasting, but it proved but too true, that he was experienced in such
matters; for twice he ran away from the Orphan House, carrying off
things belonging to the other children. Moreover, he could pick locks,
&c. We received him back twice, after having run away, hoping that, by
bearing with him, admonishing him, speaking to him privately, praying
with him, and using a variety of other means, he might be reclaimed; but
all in vain. At last, having borne with him, and tried him for five
years and four months, he was solemnly, with prayer, before the whole
establishment, expelled, if by any means this last painful remedy might
be blessed to him. Yet we follow even this poor young sinner with our
prayers, and hope that yet the Lord may show him his evil ways, and give
us even now joy concerning him, as we have had before in a similar
in