friends to add 14s., making a sum of £2. 12s. 9 d. But the girls determined that their sympathy should go further, and having laid out the money in clothing materials, by their industry they made up 24 shirts, 30 shifts, 32 boys' pinafores, and 6 girls' ditto, in all 92 garments. A deputation was again selected from their number, and brought this very generous and useful present down to the school, and in the name of the teachers and chil

dren received through the superintendent

their warm commendation and thanks.

May we not appeal to our young readers and say, Do not spend your money foolishly-remember how the upper classes of Coborn Charity School saved their farthings and clothed some of their suffering fellow-creatures! and shall this not encourage you to do without that which you do not want, and save for those who really do? It ought."

S. T.

THE LITTLE BEGGARS.

Two beggars are at the door, Mamma,

Two beggars are at the door; A beggar boy and a beggar girl,— And the wind is biting, at every whirl, Their feet all naked and sore. O, hasten and bring them in, Mamma, O, hasten and bring them in; And let them sit by this fire so warm, For they have been out in the cold, cold storm,

And their clothes are tattered and thin: And tell them this is their home, Mamma,

O, tell them this is their home; And give them something to eat that's nice,

Of bread and butter a good large slice,
And bid them no more to roam.

For isn't it all too bad, Mamma,

O, isn't it all too bad,

That they must starve, or beg in the street, No cloak to their backs, or shoes to their feet,

While I am so finely clad? It may be God sent them here, Mamma, It may be God sent them here, And looks down from His home in the sky, To watch them and see whether and I you Are kind to his children dear. And will He not angry be, Mamma,

And will He not angry be,

If we let them go in the storm so rough, To perish with want, while more than enough

For them and us have we ?

THE RAGGED BOY WHO TAUGHT HIS KING.

JAMES AMYOT, who died in the sixteenth century, and whose translations of Plutarch rendered him so celebrated, was the son of a small haberdasher. He had committed a fault for which he deserved punishment, and which he well knew he would receive. To avoid this he quitted his home and the village. He was not long in feeling the consequences of his fault; sick, destitute of money, ragged and wretched, without friends to whom he could apply to in his distress, he was met in the plains of Beanee by a traveller, who, feeling for his forlorn situation, took him up behind him to the hospital at Orleans. He was received there, and taken care of until his health was restored, after which they gave him a shilling, and sent him away, commending him to the care of Heaven. He begged his way to Paris, and being ignorant of any trade, he went into the service of some young students who were at college. On his mother learning his destitute condition, she sent him, once a week, by the boot of the coach, that went from Melim, a loaf of bread. As his appearance was rather prepossessing, a lady took a fancy to him, and sent him along with her own children to college. It was now that he found himself in a situation to indulge his learning; and so hard did he study, that he soon left his young friends far behind, and began to acquire some reputation. His studies being finished, he was engaged as tutor to the son of a gentleman of some consideration, and by a train of fortunate events, he became preceptor to the royal family of France; and Charles the Ninth, his pupil, promoted him, and he became the Bishop of St. Auxerre, and was Grand Almoner of France.

"HONOUR THY FATHER AND MOTHER, THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE."

IN the Life of the Rev. Thomas Scott, an account is given of a female servant belonging to his congregation in London, who was taken ill, and of whom, with the assistance of kind friends, he took care for many years. She was thus saved from the workhouse, and made comfortable to the day of her death. And who was this servant girl? She was one who, in early life, spent all her wages as a servant in the support of her aged and distressed parents, who confidently believed that

God would raise her up friends whenever she might need them, and who gave herself, therefore, to the duties which her Bible had commanded.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

A DEAF and dumb boy was once asked "What is truth ?" He replied by thrusting his finger forward in a straight line. He was then asked "What is falsehood ?" when he made a zigzag with his finger."Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." (Prov. iv. 25.) "As for such as turn aside to their own crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of

iniquity; but peace shall be upon Israel." (Psalm cxxv. 5.)

THE TONGUE.

THERE are but ten precepts of the law of God, and two of them, so far as concerns the outward organ and bent of the sins there forbidden, are bestowed on the tongue, (one in the first table, and the other in the second,) as though it were ready to fly out both against God and man if not thus bridled.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?
THY neighbour ?-It is he whom thou
Hast power to aid and bless,
Whose aching head or burning brow
Thy soothing hand may press.
Thy neighbour?-'Tis the fainting poor,
Whose with want is dim;
eye
Whom hunger sends from door to door:
Go thou, and succour him.

Thy neighbour?-'Tis that weary man,
Whose years are at their brim,
Bent low with sickness, cares, and pain:
Go thou, and comfort him.
Thy neighbour ?-"Tis the heart bereft
Of every earthly gem-
Widow and orphan, helpless left:
Go thou, and shelter them.
Thy neighbour?-Yonder toiling slave,
Fetter'd in thought and limb;
Whose hopes are all beyond the grave:
Go thou, and ransom him.
Whene'er thou meet'st a human form
Less favour'd than thine own,
Remember 'tis thy brother worm,
Thy brother or thy son.

Oh! pass not, pass not heedless by!-
Perhaps thou canst redeem

One breaking heart from misery;
Go, share thy lot with him.

THE COCOA NUT TREE. THE blessings it confers are very great. Year after year, the islander reposes beneath its shade, both eating and drinking of its fruit; he thatches his hut with boughs, and weaves them into baskets, to carry his food; he cools himself with a fan platted from the young leaflets, and shields his head from the sun by a bonnet of the leaves; sometimes he clothes himself with the cloth-like substance, which wraps round the base of the stalks, whose elastic rods, strung with filberts, are used as a taper. The larger nuts, thinned and polished, furnish him with a beautiful goblet; the smaller ones, with bowls for his pipes; the dry husks kindle his fires; their fibres are twisted into fishing-lines and cords for his canoes; he heals his wounds with a balsam compounded from the juice of the nut; and with the oil extracted from its meat, embalms the bodies of the dead. The noble trunk sawn into posts, upholds his dwelling; converted into charcoal, it cooks his food; and, supported on blocks of stones, rails in his lands; he impels his canoe through the water with a paddle of the wood, and goes to battle with clubs and spears of the same hard material. The fruitfulness of the tree is remarkable-as long as it lives it bears, and without intermission. Two hundred nuts, besides innumerable white blossoms of others, may be seen upon it at one time; and though a whole year is required to bring any one of them to the germinating point, no two, perhaps, are at one time in precisely the same stage of growth.

THE KIND-HEARTED BAKER.

A BAKER, named Magard, who lived in Lyons, distributed daily a quantity of bread to the poor workmen, and those who were destitute, and who could not bring themselves to solicit charity. The worthy baker took as much trouble in discovering the dwellings and wants of his pensioners, as if he expected to benefit by their custom. He visited those abodes of poverty and wretchedness to carry consolation and succour to many an aching heart; and when the objects of his bounty expressed their gratitude for his favours, his usual reply was, "Away, my friends, with your thanks, I have more pleasure in giving than you can have in receiving!" Such was Magard. One night, as this good man was making his accustomed distribution, he observed from his backshop a man, who, with an unsteady hand, seized two small loaves which lay on the

PHILIPS GARDENS, NEW ROAD. THE Annual Meeting of this school was held in the Music Hall, Store Street, on Wednesday, December 8th. The Earl of Shaftesbury in the Chair.

The Report, which was read by the Secretary, alluded to the severe loss sustained in the removal of their most active and energetic founder and president, the late Rev. H. Hughes. His warm attachment for Ragged Schools and the poor, won for him a name which will never be forgotten. No common effort was necessary to resign themselves to the loss of one whom they had so great cause to respect and love. It was only as they are reminded of the wisdom of Him who is Head over all things to His Church, that they are able to contemplate the loss they have sustained, and at the same time to acquiesce in it with undoubting assurance "that all is well."

The Report then proceeded to state, that the Day School had an attendance of 40 boys. The attendance at the Evening Classes on Wednesday and Friday was 63, chiefly adults. There were two Industrial Schools, at which 18 boys were taught shoemaking and tailoring. There was a Sunday Evening Service, and Religious Instruction was given after the Service. There was also a Provident Fund, a Lending Library, and a Dormitory, which proved valuable auxiliaries to the school. The amount collected in the year was £100, and the balance in hand was 178. 9d. The great difficulty they had to contend with was that of finding employment for the children.

The Rev. J. W. Armstrong, Mr. S. Cave, the Rev. E. Auriol, Mr. Boyle, the Rev. Mr. Garbett, and J. Payne, Esq., addressed the meeting in support of the schools.

DEPTFORD RAGGED & INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. THE Annual Meeting of these schools was held at the Lecture Hall, Deptford, on Tuesday, December 14th. A numerous company of friends took tea together, after which the children were brought into the Hall, and having sung some appropriate hymns, the Rev. Mr. Timson delivered to them a very suitable and instructive address. The children were then dismissed to make room for the many who were occupying every possible standing room. By this time the Chairman, W. S. Chambers, Esq., Q.c., M.P., arrived, and opened the proceedings of the Public Meeting by a practical address.

The Report, which was read by the Secretary, stated that the school, which was commenced in the year 1844, in a small room in Flood Street, and which has been conducted in Duncan Yard for some time past, is now much inconvenienced in its operations for want of room. The Sunday Evening School is well attended, and many are refused admittance, there being no accommodation for them. The Week Evening School, which was commenced in November, 1847, continues to go on very satisfactorily and usefully-several of the children having become greatly improved in

intellect and habits. In the Day Infant School there is frequently an attendance of as many as 80 children, who are selected from the most needy, and they have made considerable improvement in manners and advancement in Scriptural knowledge. The Provident Clothing Fund, and the Tailors' and Girls' Sewing Classes, are continued, and found to be very beneficial. Efforts are being made to obtain more roomy and healthy premises, and an appeal is being put forth to the neighbouring religious public for funds to enable the Committee to accomplish their object, but at present the success is small.

The Meeting was subsequently addressed by the Rev. Dr. Hewlett, the Revs. G. J. C. Duncan, J. Pulling, J. Russell, Mr. Alderman Wire, and W. Gover, Esq. The Rev. W. Lucy and other friends were present to support the object.

ROBERT STREET, NEW CUT.

THE Sixth Annual Meeting of these Schools was held on Wednesday, December 15th, in Hawkstone Hall, Waterloo Road.

Apsley Pellatt, Esq., M.P., presided, and having opened the proceedings of the evening by a lively and interesting speech, in which he addressed the children of the school who were present, the report was read by Mr. E. Evans, which stated, that the Committee, who were chiefly composed of working men, had, by a united effort, succeeded in clearing off the £26 debt, as shown in the balance sheet at the former meeting, and that there remained a small balance in the Treasurer's hands in favour of the school. The Committee expressed an earnest desire to be put in a position to add to their present operations a nightly shelter, to house such as are to be found sleeping in some cart or under a railway arch.

The operations now being carried on, consist of a Day School, the average attendance of boys being 125, and of girls 95. An Evening School, at which 22 boys and 12 girls attend. The Sunday Evening School, which is attended by lads of the worst description, is rendered somewhat inefficient through lack of teachers. There is also a Sewing Class for girls, at which they are instructed to make and mend their own clothes, which is found very beneficial.

The Report then described the children admitted, to belong to costermongers and transports chiefly; some motherless, others fatherless, some without either, and many whose mothers earn a scanty pittance by washing and charing, and who are obliged to leave their children unprotected during the day. In the school there is one Jew and several Roman Catholics, who are now very attentive.

The Meeting was subsequently addressed in a spirited, pointed, and practical manner, by the Revs. Messrs. Brown, Rector of Christchurch, W. Leask, J. Branch, J. F. Sparke, J. Keene, and Messrs. Mc' Crery, Townsend, A. Walker, and W. Ferry, of the Ragged School Union.