will lose his respect, if he knows how, by his abilities and his earnestness, to preserve that respect when he is engaged in earnest things.

The more you study your children, my dear reader, the more interesting will your whole business become to you. The instruction which we are engaged in giving will, after a time, become old to us and lose its novelty. But our children never become old in this sense, and therefore it is that I can treat a subject in the school for the fourteenth time, and yet always find something novel and interesting in it; for I find new children. If you are duly inspired with this spirit of observation during all the hours of instruction, you will also realize in your own daily experience the truth of the old proverb, that "We never teach without learning."

SCHOOLS FOR THE CHILDREN OF FARMERS AND
TRADESMEN.

THE subject of the following letter is a very important one, and we have great pleasure in calling attention to it. The letter is addressed to one of Her Majesty's Inspectors, and the school described has received the patronage of the writer's Diocesan, the Bishop of Chichester, by whose advice and sanction the case is made public.

"Westbourne Vicarage, Emsworth, March 30th. "DEAR SIR,-When you examined our middle school, you said that such an establishment in a country parish was a new feature in our national education; I am inclined to think that it is a new feature, and as I fully believe that the late advances made in national education have rendered it a very necessary one, I cannot do better than give you a description of it, with an account of the causes which led to its foundation.

"You will see that there are no very great difficulties to be overcome, that the maintaining such a school as our's requires no greater outlay than farmers and tradesmen are very willing to waste on the inefficient little schools to which they generally send their children—and, that, as the parish of Westbourne is rather disadvantageously situated than otherwise, there is no reason why such establishments may not be set up anywhere and everywhere in England.

"Westbourne is a large agricultural parish, in the neighbourhood of a small sea-port (Emsworth). It contains a population of two thousand, much scattered, and is almost entirely without resident gentry; not only are the landowners for the most part non-resident, but the lands are divided into small parcels, in many cases mere investments. The tenants are generally holders of from two hundred and fifty to six hundred acres, and some of them are engaged also in the coasting trade. Under these circumstances it may easily be conceived that I had great difficulty in raising funds sufficient to keep the National Schools in an efficient state. When, two years ago, I was endeavouring to interest the tenants on the subject, I was met by the question, 'Why should we pay to give our labourers' children a far better education than we can by any possibility get for our own?' This startled me at first, but on investigation, I found it to be, in many cases, literally true; in very many instances the children of the farmers were worse educated and worse informed than the children of their own labourers. And not only is it so, but a little consideration will show us that it must be so. The great

demand for National schoolmasters, and the remunerating prices which are now frequently paid for their services, have drawn away men of talent from that particular class of schools at which the children of these people are educated. Men prefer the certainty and respectability which is now beginning to belong to a National schoolmaster's position, to the precarious subsistence which they used to derive from their own unassisted efforts. The number of competent men filling such situations was never very great, this cause has of late very much reduced it, and the vacancies thus occasioned begin now to be filled by men of an inferior stamp. So that while a labourer's child receives instruction from a well-trained schoolmaster for a penny a-week, his own master paying one, two, or three shillings, can with difficulty command the services of a very inferior teacher.

"I conceive, that in our endeavours to promote the education of the poor, we-that is we, the clergy of England, and we the National Society-have positively and substantially injured the middle classes, and that we are bound to make them reparation.

"As soon as I was myself fully convinced of this, I called my parishioners together, and explained it to them. I shewed them then how the evil might be remedied if they would but combine together. I told them that with fifty pounds for the first outlay, a school fit for the instruction of their children might be supported for 100l. a-year-that if they would supply me with the necessary funds, and would trust me with the arrangement, it should be done at once. Before the assembly broke up I had 150l. in my hands, with full permission to arrange the matter for them as I thought best.

"I went immediately to the Bishop, and explained to him my views, requesting him to accept the office of visitor to my proposed school. To this his Lordship readily consented, giving me every encouragement to proceed. "I next consulted with the Principal of St. Mark's College, who promised to look out for me a fitting schoolmaster, and who, three months afterwards, sent me down one of his earliest students (Mr. Glass) whom he had withdrawn from a school at Manchester for that purpose. By the Principal's advice, I limited my school in the first instance to twenty boys; that number being quite as many as one man could look after satisfactorily-always intending, if opportunity offered, to attach an assistant to the establishment and to

increase its numbers.

"The salary that I agreed to give the master was 707. a-year, with either a house or 107. for lodgings; the rent of the schoolroom is at present 87., and I pay 27. 10s. to a person for cleaning it; this leaves 97. 10s. for coals, ordinary school-books, pens, and paper. I should say that this is not sufficient, and that a person attempting a similar school should not calculate it upon less than 110l. a-year.

"To raise this sum the twenty boys pay 17. 5s. each, a quarter in advance. A caution money of 27. 5s. is paid on entrance, and this, diminished by five per cent. per annum, they receive back on leaving.

"I was unwilling to take the whole responsibility on myself; I have therefore formed the parents of the scholars into a sort of Committee of Management, whom I call together at the end of every quarter, not only to inspect the progress of their children by way of examination, but also to suggest what particular studies would best suit the different trades or professions for which their children are destined.

"To-morrow is the end of our fourth quarter, and I copy the subjects for examination, as this will give you the best idea of the course of study which I have chalked out for them ::

"Bible Scriptural Knowledge-Scriptural Geography-CatechismReligious Instruction-English History-Geography, Historical, General, and Mathematical-Grammar and Etymology, with writing from dictation—

Arithmetic up to Fractions, Decimals and Square Root-Algebra, up to easy Equations, Simple and Quadratic-Mechanics, easy parts of Tate's Mechanics -Latin, first part of Arnold's Exercises-Vocal Music-Drawing.' *

"I intend during the next year to proceed to Trigonometry, so far as is necessary for land surveying by triangulation-drawing will be carried out into architectural drawing, and if possible, mapping and planning-and with those to whom it is likely to be useful, navigation will be begun; in preparation for which subjects, a beginning has been made with Euclid.

"I have been thus minute in describing my school, not only because, as I said before, I think we are bound to compensate the middle classes for the injury we have unwittingly inflicted upon them, and see that at least they are not in a worse condition than their workmen, but also because I find that the establishment of such a school goes far to solve a very difficult ecclesiastical problem, How are we clergymen to get at the middle classes?' With the higher classes we associate by birth and education; with the lower, by custom and habit, as a matter of duty: but, though it is no less a matter of duty with the middle class, and though in fact they need our ministrations quite as much as do either of the extremes, it is the universal complaint, that the clergyman can find no subject in common with them: and in truth, that portion of his parish is generally the most neglected. Here is a startingpoint, here is a point of common interest to set out from; and from such a beginning, it is a matter of no great difficulty to improve the acquaintance as far as may be necessary.

"For these reasons I look back upon my last year's work with feelings of satisfaction, and write these observations to you, in hopes that among those whom you will meet in the course of your duty, there will be found some to whom they will be found useful and interesting. Yours truly,

"HENRY NEWLAND.

"To Rev. H. W. Brookfield, Privy Council Office, Whitehall."

"APPENDIX. With a year's experience to guide me, I should say that the best working school would be one containing thirty boys, with a master and assistant: in that case the master should have 707. a-year and his house, the assistant 351. and lodgings with the master: a school works much better with an assistant who takes charge of those classes which are preparing their lessons, and is able to answer questions and give explanations, without interrupting the master, who is engaged with the class actually under examination. At the same time, this provides against sickness or casual absence: should the school be under Government inspection, it ought to have a pupil teacher also. "One object which Mr. Brookfield had in view, in making his special Report, was to obtain the appointment of a pupil teacher from Government, seeing how well the school was able to train one. This I feel certain he will not be able to effect at present, if from no other cause, at least from this, that we are at present limited to twenty boys, whereas the Government minimum is twenty-five, and however much they may approve of us, they cannot afford to establish such a precedent. This, however, opens another plan; twentyfive or twenty-six boys, with a master and an articled pupil teacher, would work very well: we might increase our numbers to this, and, as our present lodgings are somewhat of the straitest, we might devote the extra 30%. so raised to a building fund."

"Since the date of this letter, Land-surveying has been added to our list of subjects, and the boys are now able practically to measure an easy field by the usual rough method of chain and cross staff. Our fresh subjects for the next quarter are, the measurement of timber and valuation of bricklayers' and carpenters' work. I hope at some future time to introduce a more scientific and accurate method of surveying; Mr. Glass is quite capable of teaching it, but in all these things we are sadly put to our shifts for want of instruments."

SCRIPTURE LESSON.

LUKE II. 40-52.

CHRIST THE EXAMPLE OF THE YOUNG.

Who is the person spoken of in mies should not then even desire their this verse?