of the district is such, that whoever persists in visiting from house to house, must often return back to his home, with the heart heavy, and the spirits depressed; and nothing can sustain him in the work, but that love of Christ which brought us salvation, and which constrains us to make that salvation known to others. In this district, some years ago, a Ragged School was commenced by a few teachers, in an old shed-not a very inviting place for their work-but, as in other cases, the spirit of their Master enabled them to submit to some disagreeables. It was not long before they found other accommodation, but though better, not very spacious. It was a room in Bere Street, only about eight feet wide and thirty-six long, with a slanting roof, which could be reached by the hand on one side; in fact, it was a long narrow shed, converted into a room. From the narrowness of the room, when full, (and it was often crowded,) there was a difficulty in passing up and down between the children, and upon entering, I have found the atmosphere quite sickening, from so many children-not the cleanest specimens of the human family-being crammed together in so small a space. But the work went on, and by God's blessing it prospered. In 1852 some new school rooms were built, in which there is good accommodation for children of both sexes; besides which, there is a Committee-room, and a sleeping-room for the master. The school is open, morning, afternoon, and evening; the average attendance is over 90. There is, moreover, an Industrial Class for girls, under the immediate direction of the lady superintendent, in the committee-room on Tuesdays and Fridays in the afternoon; and in the same room on Friday evening a Bible class is held for the teachers and others who may wish to attend. I might state instances, where the teaching of this school has, we hope, been blessed; but enough to say, there are evidences that it has been of great benefit to the district, and I believe it only requires additional means to make it more extensively useful; and while in 1851 and 1852 the Church School was closed for want of funds, the Ragged School continued, under God's blessing, to carry on its operations. It is intended, if the money can be obtained, and an appeal is now being made for the purpose, to open shortly a Dormitory in connection with this school. This would be indeed a blessing, when we remember how many destitute children every night, having no bed, lie down upon the bare floor, with only their arm for a pillow; or, what is worse, the case of the wretched outcast, who creeps apart to some dry archway, or obscure corner, for a resting-place; or, overcome by fatigue, sinks down upon the nearest doorstep, and there sleeps through the night, unthought of, and uncared for, except by Him, who is the father of the orphan, who knows every desolate thought, and every aching heart; who spreads above the outcast a genuine and glorious canopy. Let me add, there are in this district but few wealthy inhabitants to whom the promoters of the Ragged School can look for support; but there is among them that desire to glorify God, and that love of Christ, constraining them to make known the Gospel, which brings a blessing on their work. May God speed them, and raise up friends, who will enable them to go on in their well-doing with still greater success! I am, yours faithfully, K. FACTORY EMPLOYMENT FOR GIRLS. To the Editor of the Ragged School Union Magazine. Manchester, 12th June, 1854. SIR,-I have established myself in a great valley in Lancashire, the resident partner and master of a weaving mill, running 400 looms, and employing about 250 persons. The mill is of recent erection, a spot being chosen where labour was redundant; but the demand of so large a number as 250 hands has exhausted the supply. New rows of cottages, however, are rising in different parts of the village, and a population is coming in from the neighbouring villages. And it has occurred to me that some of the better sort of girls (from fifteen to twenty years of age) from the Ragged Schools might be much benefited by transplanting themselves or by being transplanted to this place. I have made inquiry, and find that they could be placed in twos and threes in respectable families about the village; and if the Committee of any school cared to avail themselves of my suggestion, I am willing to make the trial under some such arrangement as the following :—If say two or three girls, to begin with, were sent down, with a decent outfit at the expense of the Committees in London (outfit and travelling expenses would not, I think, exceed 40s. or 50s. each), I would undertake to place them under competent weavers, and to find them board and lodging for six weeks, and advance the money necessary for that purpose; at the end of which time they ought to earn for themselves 48. to 5s. per week each, which must be paid towards their expenses of living until they can earn their own livelihood, I making up the difference. In six months I am told they should have qualified themselves to earn 10s. per week, which is considerably more than is necessary for their support; the excess would be applied to the repayment of the sum advanced, on the liquidation of which their earnings would of course be paid over to them. This gradual ascent to independence would be better than a more sudden one. When placing the girls in the village under the charge of some respectable woman, I should let both parties know that I should expect the woman to look after and control them just as if they were her own daughters; and that if they behaved in any manner so as to justify complaint, I should wish complaint to be made to me. Of course, if the girls should prove unworthy of the favourable chance thus given them, I must be absolved from any further care of them; am sanguine that if the experiment were tried, only such as are thought to be good, steady, clean girls being selected, it would succeed. but I I may mention that the place contains a district church and resident clergyman, a Baptist chapel, a Wesleyan chapel, and another chapel, of what denomi nation I have not heard. Should the experiment succeed, I could take from twenty to thirty hands, perhaps more. I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, HENRY HEALD. [Should any of our School friends wish to communicate with Mr. Heald, who was formerly a member of the Ragged School Union, upon the above subject, they can do so by addressing their letters to the care of Mr. Gent, Exeter Hall. -ED.] TRAITS OF HEROISM.-No. II. THE following anecdote appears to possess so much of the romance of fiction, that, had it not been related upon an authority which could not be questioned, I should hardly have ventured either to receive or give it as a fact. In the bloody days of the French Revolution, when hundreds of our fellow creatures were, after a trial which was but a mockery of justice, hurried to a violent death, a French citizen was on his way to the guillotine, dragged thither by a brutal mob, thirsting for his blood. With the yells of the sans culottes in his ears, surrounded by the savage ruffians who seemed dead to every feeling of pity, what hope was there for the wretched victim? who would be so generous or so insane as to attempt to wrest from the murderers their prey? There was one who dared make that attempt, and that man was a stranger; it is with a thrill of exultation that I write it-that man was an Englishman! Nesham, all honour to his name, an officer in the British navy, was in Paris at the time, and saw the merciless crowd on their way to the place of execution. I know not whether the victim was a friend of his own, whether he was impelled by personal affection, or the chivalric generosity of a noble heart, or the yet higher motive of a Christian philanthropy; but he came forward—a single man, a foreigner—and faced the bloody democrats, strong in his good cause. "This man has never been tried!" cried he; "you shall not drag him to the guillotine, or if you pass on it shall be over my body!" A sudden act of heroism will sometimes strike a chord in the bosoms of the impulsive French, which will produce an effect where elaborate reasoning or brilliant eloquence might be tried in vain. The daring Englishman did not, as might have been expected, perish in the attempt to stem the fierce tide of popular fury-the Frenchman was saved, and the wild rulers of that strange time decreed a civic crown to the gallant Nesham for preserving the life of a citizen! There is something rousing in the story, something animating in the example of our countryman, Nesham. Are there none now in our streets, hurrying to a fate more dreadful than the guillotine? Are not ignorance and vice dragging their thousands and tens of thousands to temporal misery and to eternal death? Up and be stirring! Save at least one citizen, and win a brighter crown than man has power to bestow! They who labour for the glory of the Lord, they who labour in the strength of the Lord, may well rejoice in the promise, "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever!" Notices of Books. Pictorial Pages. London: Houlston & Stoneman, Paternoster Row. ONE of the cheapest and best juvenile serials published in this country. The woodcuts and letterpress are in quality good, and in quantity surpassed perhaps by no other halfpenny periodical. One Hundred Hymns, etc., for Ragged INFANTILE expressions are altered in many of these hymns, with a view apparently to adapt them for the use of youths of fourteen years of age and upwards. The selection is good, and price low. It will, we think, be appreciated by many Ragged School Teachers. There is an index, but it is useless, as it gives the numerical, not the alphabetical order of the hymns. In the next edition it is hoped this will be corrected. Manual of Needle Work. By CORNELIA THIS unique and meritorious little work " work in numbers; but here is the whole complete, forming a volume of nearly 200 pages, and containing upwards of sixty A 1 patterns. Our schools have been too much benefited by the crochet and needle-work labours of our fair friends not to welcome so complete a work as the one before us. We fully believe (we do not of course know, as crochet is no part of our work,) that Mrs. Mee's "Manual" will be highly esteemed by our friends, who so laboriously and beneficially get up Fancy Sales on behalf of Ragged Schools. The Youth's Safeguard against Popery AN excellent and well-timed treatise for The Children's Gallery. TWO WAYS TO DO GOOD. MOTHER, there is a poor boy in the lane, who has no shoes on his feet; may I give him an old pair of mine?" "I do not know, Charles; we must first learn how it is that he has no shoes. What did he say to you?" "Oh, he said he had no shoes; and if I had an old pair that I did not want, he should be glad of them." "" Well, dear, I do not think you my had better give him shoes, for I am not sure that it would be a good thing for him; it might make him idle, and like to beg rather than to work, which would be a bad thing, you know; so you see, by giving him shoes, you would perhaps be doing him harm instead of good. But I will tell you what you shall do. Our man, John, wants a boy to help him in the garden, so if this boy likes to work, John may try him, and he can then soon earn enough to buy a pair of shoes." "But how can he work in the garden without shoes?" said Charles. "He will hurt his feet." "I do not think it will hurt his feet a bit more to work in the garden than to walk in the road, Charles; and if we can teach this boy to work for what he wants, instead of begging for it, we shall do him much more good than if we were to give him ten pairs of shoes, and a coat and hat into the bargain." "Then may I go and speak to John about it?" said Charles. "You are not sure the boy will like to work, Charles." '' Oh, he will be sure to like it, mother, when I tell him that he will get money to buy shoes and all he wants besides." So away ran Charles and spoke to the boy, who said he was quite willing to work in the garden; and then Charles went to John and told him all about it. John was a kind man, and was very fond of Charles, and was glad to do anything o please him. So he soon set the boy to work, and told him that if he was a good lad he might come there to work for two or three months; and that he would be paid four and sixpence a week, and have his dinner besides. Dan, (that was the name of the boy,) had no father nor mother, and he lived with an old man who did not take care of him, but let him run about with bare feet and ragged clothes; so that, although he was not a bad boy, he got into idle habits, and would beg for bread and meat, or for old clothes or money; and now and then he would get a sixpence for holding a horse, or running on some errand, but that was not often. He had been so used to this idle way of life, that he soon got tired of work; and thought it was more pleasant to swing on a gate, or lie down under a hedge and go to sleep; but he did not think, foolish boy! how he was to live when he grew up to be a man. The first day and the next he did very well; but the third day he began to be careless; and as he leaned lazily against the wheel-barrow, he told John he thought it very hard to have to come at six o'clock in the morning, and not leave work till six at night; and he was sure, he said, that no boy in the world would like it; and he did not think he should come there many more days. Now it was a happy thing for Dan that John was such a kind man as he was, for some men would have sent him away, and have had no more to do with him; but John said to himself, "This boy has been badly brought up. He has had no one to put him in the right way; and if he goes back to his old mode of life, he will never do any good. I will save him if I can, for it would be a pity that he should go to ruin for want of a little good advice." Then he talked a great deal to him, and told him what a sad thing it would be if he grew up to be a beggar all his life, which would surely be the case if he did not learn to like work. "You do not know the comfort," said he, "of being able to get an honest living; but when you do, I am sure you will not wish to live an idle life. If you do not learn to work now, while you are young, what is to become of you by and by, do you think? How do you expect to get food to eat, clothes to wear, or a bed to lie upon? Come, my lad, take heart, and work with a good will, and who knows but, in time, you will become a rich man." John spoke so kindly, that the boy thought he would try a little longer; so he went on to the end of that week, and was paid his wages. He had never had so much money in his life, nor had he ever felt so proud and happy as when he went into a shop with the money he had earned with his own hands, to buy a pair of shoes. "I see it is a good thing to work," said he. "If I go on, I shall soon get enough to buy a coat and hat to go to church in." And so he did; and when the winter came, and there was no more work to do in the garden, John spoke to a friend of his, a blacksmith in the village, about Dan, and the blacksmith said he might come to his shop, and he would see what he could do with him. So he went there and made himself so useful, that the blacksmith was glad to keep him employed, and he was there a great many years, and learned the trade, and was one of the best workmen for miles around. At last the blacksmith died, and then Dan took the shop and set up for himself, and got on so well, that he was abie to take a good house to live in; and then he married the daughter of his old friend John, who was a little girl when he first went to work in the garden. Charles also was grown up and married too, and often used to go and have a chat with the blacksmith, and send his horses there to be shod; and he would sometimes say to himself, "It was much better to find him work than to give him my old shoes." Notices of Meetings, etc. GOLDEN LANE. THE Eighth Annual Meeting of this School was held in the School-room, on April 28th. The chair was occupied by Joseph Payne, Esq. The meeting was well attended by the local friends interested in the operations of the schools and the welfare of the neighbourhood. The Report, which was read by Mr. A. Anderson, stated that during the past eight years every year had been marked with some progress, either improvements in the operations of the school, or additions to its educational strength and efficiency. During the past year the Infant and Juvenile School, which had been hitherto conducted by one teacher, had so increased in attendance, varying from 140 to 190, that it was deemed expedient to engage the services of another female teacher to undertake the infant department below, while the more advanced in age and attainments should be instructed by their old teacher in the room in which the meeting was assembled. The alteration had been most beneficial. The Girls' Industrial Class is most efficiently conducted, and exerts a most beneficial influence for good. The number of girls on the books of the Evening School is 160, and the attendance varies from 60 to 110. The children's pence paid into the Clothing Fund amounted to 6. 15s. 1d. The Boys' Week Evening School continues in a prosperous state, notwithstanding the difficulties it has to contend with, arising from the fact that many of the lads, who may be able to earn a few pence in the day and attend the school in the evening, have no where else to go but the low lodging-houses, where the good received is greatly counteracted. Nine of the scholars of this school were successful competitors for the prize of 10s. awarded recently by the Committee of the Ragged School Union. The balance in the Treasurer's hands is £15. NEW NICHOL STREET, BETHNAL GREEN. THE Annual Meeting of the subscribers and friends of the above Schools was held on May 2nd, at the School House. Four omnibuses, engaged specially for the occasion, conveyed a goodly number of friends-residents in the neighbourhood of Islington, and connected with the friends of Union Chapel, by whom the School is mainly supported-to the interesting festival. The rooms were most tastefully decorated with laurels, evergreens, flowers, and ingenious designs, with appropriate mottos, and tables spread with tea, etc., for the guests. At seven o'clock the chair was taken by the Rev. Henry Allon, who opened the proceedings of the evening by a speech, which, while it fully developed the warm and hearty interest that he and his people took in the combined efforts of Ragged Schools, and Ragged Churche, as carried on in the place in which they were assembled, was full of earnest entreaty, that they should not only continue their hitherto generous support, but add increased exertions. success. The Report, which was read by the indefatigable Secretary, Mr. J. H. Lloyd, stated that the past year had been one of unexampled He referred to the impetus given to the work by the munificent gift of Henry Reed, Esq, of 100, at the last Annual Meeting, towards the enlargement of the premises. By this and other liberal donations, including a grant of £30 from the Ragged School Union, accommodation had been afforded for about double the number of children, and rendered the rooms healthful and convenient. The beneficial influences of the Schools upon the neighbourhood are very manifest to those who knew it before the establishment of the Schools. The inhabitants, who at first greatly opposed the efforts of the teachers, now seem to regard them as their best friends. The class of children admitted into their schools are those whose parents, in the vast majority of instances, really cannot, and in a few instances will not, pay for their education. Not less than 700 children of this description are partakers, more or less, of the benefits conferred. Henry Reed, Esq., in addressing the meeting, observed that he felt exceedingly grateful that his contribution at the last anniversary had been put to so good an account, and had resulted in so much good, and felt great pleasure in stating that he should be happy to place another hundred pounds at their disposal, in order to carry on the work, which seemed to be of great importance in so dense and needy a neighbourhood. Mr. Ferry, of the Ragged School Union, stated, that he had frequently visited the schools, and felt great pleasure in bearing his testimony to the efficient manner in which they were conducted, and the great good they had been the means of effecting. He stated, that it had been to him a matter of regret that there was a lack of voluntary teachers, so much so as to require many of those engaged to spend the whole of the Sabbath, that is, to teach three times in the day; and even then the teachers were few compared with the numbers of children attending. He earnestly entreated such as might be present, who could possibly aid by personal exertions, to volunteer. The Meeting was also addressed by the Rev. H. Townley, Rev. J. G.Williams, Rev. W. Tyler, J. Duthoit, Esq., S. T. Williams, Esq., T. Brooke, Esq., and Mr. Jenkin; after which a goodly number of names were forwarded to the Secretary, of persons who had resolved to become subscribers, and several who offered their services as voluntary teachers. FIELD LANE. THE Annual Meeting of this School was held on the 3rd of May. The Earl of Shaftesbury occupied the chair, and commenced the proceedings by saying that he had presided at so many Ragged Schools that he could not be expected to say much that was novel. One thing, however, had lately engaged much of his attention, viz., the duty of aiming at the parents, if we really desired to succeed with the children. This desideratum had led to the institution of those valuable offshoots of Ragged Schools, the Mothers' Meetings, which had not merely rescued many from intemperance and vice, but had taught them the responsibility of the parental relation, and the best means of making their homes clean and comfortable. After all, it cannot be denied, there is much poverty self-caused. For example, how much waste is there in the houses of the very poor? He would therefore suggest, while secular and religious knowledge should not be neglected, the propriety of teaching, by lectures and otherwise, the poor in Ragged Schools how to economise materials, and the best means of rendering their homes wholesome; for by teaching domestic habits it would enable them to turn to better account the week's earnings; and they would be able to remove those evils of uncleanliness |