CURRENT LITERATURE.
Faith-Work ; or, the Labours of Dr. Cullis in Boston. By the Rev. W. Boardman. (Isbister.)—Dr. Cullis is a physician in Boston, U.S., who has devoted himself and his means to works of charity, on the principle of implicit dependence on the help of God. He has, it seems, a large practice, and he devotes all the proceeds of it, after deducting the expense of his own living, to the institutions which he has founded. These institutions are a Home for Consumptive; a Home for Children, and a Home for Deaconesses ; and it is proposed to add to them a Home for Cancer Patients and other Cottage Homes for Children. The Home for Consumptives is, to judge from Mr. Boardman's description, an admirably contrived building, provided with all the comforts of a house of the best class. The chapel, adorned, we are told, with splendid glass windows, all of them free and unsolicited gifts, is arranged with special ingenuity. "All the rooms on each side on bath floors open directly into it so that those who are able to walk have only a few steps to take to the comfortable settees in it while, through the, doors left open, the voice of worship, whether in reading or speaking, prayer or song, penetrates and is heard by those too weak to leave their beds." The details of Dr. Cullen's work are, of course, very. much like those which those who have heard of Mr. Miiller's Homes at Bristol are already familiar with there. Two questions seem to have perplexed the founder's mind for a while, and both have been answered to his satisfaction. Was it right to buy land without funds in hand to pay for it? Yes; because the money could be secured on mortgage. Was it right to publish any account of the institution? Could this be done without transgressing the cardinal principle of the work, that help was not to be solicited ? Here, again, the answer was, that such publication seemed to be but giving due honour to Him whose work it was. Dr. Cullis's scruple; however, induced him to put his journal into the hands of another person to edit. Hence the appear- ance of Mr. Boardman's name on the title-page. Of course, it is easy to ridicule the entries in this journal ; there are passages in it which few will be able to read without a smile. But in this present writer's judgment, it is singularly interesting and touching. Here is a specimen, which might be matched with hundreds of others :— "At noon, as I needed money to pay a bill, I asked the Lord to send me twenty dollars for that purpose. In less than ten minutes a letter was delivered at the door, which on opening I found to contain fifty dollars, with the followiag written on a card, 'For the new building, and may the Lord reward thee; How my heart swelled with gratitude to God for his blessings. I was not surprised, for I expected an answer to my prayer. Yesterday a basket of beautiful grapes was left at the door of the Home. To-day, when the basket was called for, the Matron inquired who they were from. 'It is no matter about the name,' was
the reply, 'it is a small gift, but it is the first time our vine has borne, and these were all, so we thought we would send them here.'" Those who believe in the efficacy of Prayer have been challenged to show material results. May they not point to such results as those?
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