Ragged Schools. BIRMINGHAM. (To the Editor of the Temperance Chronicle.) MY DEAR SIR, A few days ago, I found amongst my temperance papers, an autograph memoir of Edward Smith, who died about eight years since. He was the first secretary of the Nottingham total abstinence society, an office he filled for several years, with great ability, zeal and diligence, he also became a consistent member of a Christian church. At an early period of life, he had been a most useful character in instructing the young, and as a village preacher, but from his oftrepeated statement, he fell by the hands of his kind friends, who gave him ale, wine, and spirits, with the mistaken idea of supporting his strength under his arduous labour and fatigue. When made a drunkard, he was, of course, banished from the church, and became a lost and depraved being; he was so reduced in circumstances, as to be compelled to apply for relief to the parish, and was sent to break stones on the high-way. He was mercifully rescued from his lost state, by the agency of the Nottingham total abstinence society. The following paragraph from his very interesting memoir, has led me to suppose that he and his wife were the originators of the 'Ragged School,' then designated, the Good Samaritan School.' Yours, very sincerely, Nottingham. menced by myself, my first dear wife, and a young man, who lived sometime at my parents' house. It originated from the circumstance of our seeing so many ragged, bare-foot children, stolling about the streets. We received upwards of 100 children the first sabbath, and in a short time, we had 500 or 600 boys and girls, anxious to enjoy the blessings of a sabbath school instruction. I understand it is still in a very prosperous state, and as the children improve in their appearance, they are recommended to and received into other schools, to make room for the more destitute. 'I remember about Christmas, 1821, we brought these poor, forlorn, looking children to Bond street, when the Rev. Mr. Gray, of Chipping Norton, preached a sermon for them, from these words, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost," and I shall never forget the im pression made, when the children in their rags and tatters rose, and sung a hymn, composed for the occasion, two verses of which I will transcribe. "Are we too wretched for relief, O no, your sympathy direets 'We were in the habit of inviting the parents of these children to come to the room, in the evening of the day, and we used to address them on things which accompany salvation. Sometimes we were obliged to take the forms into the yard, and speak in the open air, the room not being large enough to contain the vast concourse of people.' 'There is at Birmingham, a school established for the reception of poor children, whose destitute appearance forbids their In fifteen ragged schools there admittance into other schools. It were lately found two hundred is called 'The Good Samaritan and forty-nine children, who had School.' This school was com- never slept in beds ! great things for us' whereof we are glad; let others engaged in the same blessed work 'thank God and take courage.'-SPES. instance of conversion had occurred in my class. Instead of abandoning my post, I set myself to ascertain what might be the cause of the absence of any decided tokens of the divine approbation. THE MORAL DIGNITY OF SABIt appeared to me that as teachers we had, in our collective capacity at least, been sadly negligent in the matter of prayer. I have much faith in the efficacy of fervent and united supplication. Having little, indeed no hope of being enabled to stir up my brethren to the exercise of this important duty, I determined to make a vigorous effort to establish a prayer meeting in my own class, to be maintained by the scholars; it was a bold step, for not one had yet appeared prayerful, but it was taken in humble dependence on the divine blessing. At first two young men only, and with much timidity, engaged. I have learned not to despise the day of small things, a few drops sometimes precede a refreshing and abundant shower. We met fortnightly, God smiled upon us, amid occasional difficulties we pressed onwards. I allowed no one to be present besides myself and scholars. The class in a little time assumed a promising appearance-instead of relaxing we became more earnest-from once a fortnight we now held our meetings weekly, at the close of the sabbath after the evening service; the result is this-we have now a band of seven praying young men, two having given decided evidences of being partakers of the grace of life,' now sit down with their teacher at the Lord's supper; three others appear to have undergone a divine change, and will probably ere long be proposed as candidates for church fellowship; two or three more have been evidently impressed with the importance of personal religion. And while we exclaim with heartfelt gratitude, 'The Lord hath done BATH SCHOOL TUITION. How varied and conflicting are the views entertained by different classes of the community, respecting the position of that noble ornament of Christian philanthropy and zeal-the sabbath school. Many regard it in no higher, light than as an institution calculated to hold in check the vices of our rising youth, and, for a time, throw around them a restraint in the indulgence of those wayward passions, which, like a hidden fire, smoulder in the human breast. And this is the ground on which the 'moralist' regards the sacred school house as a necessary appendage to the existing institutions of our land. Others again, view the sabbath school as an institution eminently fitted, in course of time, to elevate the intellectual perceptions of the human race, and mould the mind to those noble acquirements offered at the shrine of science, literature, and art. And in consonance with this view, the 'man of letters' regards the sabbath school enterprise, as adapted to usher in a loftier standard of national intelligence. But how far beneath the real bearing, and intrinsic value, of this noble enterprise, do such estimates as these appear. The individual whose mind is moulded from above,' takes a more expansive view of the moral dignity of sabbath school tuition. Viewing it in its near, as well as in its more distant bearings, he sees in it an inseparable relationship to the highest, dearest, interests of the human race-a relationship not merely to their moral and intellectual position, but more especially to the vast and unchanging realities of their future lot. He views man in the solemn relation of a candidate for immortality—a being, the fire of whose existence can never be extinguished; and the sabbath school as the source from whence issues the bright, unfading light of heaven, to direct the wanderer on his journey through the dark, intricate paths of life. He regards man as a Voyager on the sea of time, freighted with a soul, whose value arithmetic can never calculate, and bound to the far distant shores of immortality; and the sabbath school as a beacon reared by the friendly hand of Christian philanthropy, to light up his passage through the trackless waste, and point him to the distant haven of repose. Quitting the bounds of time, the Christian plants the solemn issues of the sabbath school enterprise, in the region where 'mortality is swallowed up of life.' Beyond the fading scenes of earth, he sees unfolding themselves in the changeless realities of another world, the results associated with the instructions of the sabbath school. And in this view, how affecting is the position of the teacher of the young! Nor is this estimate of the relative importance of sabbath school instruction too finely drawn. Its intimate connection with the immortal destiny of the human race, becomes every day more and more apparent; but the full tale of its bearing on that solemn state, eternity alone must reveal. What a weighty and momentous position then, do the teachers of our sabbath schools sustain! How fearfully solemn is that work in which they are engaged! Fellow teachers! let us endeavour to realize our position. The office we sustain both in relation to the church and the world, is one of solemn moment, and well should we ponder the fearful responsibility which it entails. Speak we of science, of literature, of art! What are they? or what their mightiest evolutions compared with the sublimer themes unfolded in the page of inspiration? Astronomy may conduct the wandering mind through the trackless regions of immeasurable space-it may lead the human intellect beyond the bounds of this terrestial sphere, to wander in amazement amid those countless hosts of glittering orbs which crowd the azure vault of heaven; but it cannot penetrate beyond those revolving spheres, or conduct the immortal spirit to that region where the Eternal' dwells. Navigation can guide the mariner in his voyage over the dark and deep blue ocean, and the faithful magnet point out his devious course, but it cannot inform him how he may cross in safety the narrow stream which divides between the living and the dead-the Jordan of death. Geography can teach the situation of the sphere on which we dwell, its population and extent; but it cannot dart one ray of light across the bounds of time, or impart one single beam of knowledge respecting that celestial country, where are those boundless rivers of delight, and those pleasures which endure for evermore. No! fellow teacher, it is yours to furnish what all the combined resources of earthly wisdom, (unaided from on high) must ever fail to discoverto teach to the rising youth entrusted to your care, the sublime science of our holy faith. This, this alone can conduct the soul to immortality and endless life; and yours it is to place it before the youthful mind, and press it on the reception of the youthful heart. O, let us ever remember, that, upon the manner in which those duties are discharged, depend the immortal interests of those who constitute the objects of our charge! Who then can trifle with such fearful issues? S. S. The Young Men's Class. of an innkeeper. SELF-MADE MEN. - Columbus was a weaver. Franklin was a journeyman printer. Massilon, as well as Fletcher, arose amidst the humblest avocations. Niebuhr was a peasant. Sixtus V. was employed in keeping swine. Rollin was the son of a cutler. Ferguson and Burns, Scottish poets, were shepherds. Æsop was a slave. Homer was a beggar. Daniel Defoe was apprenticed to a hosier. Demosthenes was the son of a cutler. Hogarth an engraver of pewter pots. Virgil was the son of a baker. Gay was an apprentice to a silk mercer. Ben Johnson was a bricklayer. Porson was the son of a parish clerk. Prideaux was employed to sweep Exeter College. Akenside was the son of a butcher; so was Wolsey. Pope was the son of a small merchant. Cervantes was a common soldier. Gifford and Bloomfield (the poets) were shoemakers. Howard was apprenticed to a grocer. Halley was the son of a soap-boiler. Richard Arkwright was a barber for a number of years. Belzoni was the son of a barber. stone was the son of a linendraper. Blacklock was in a distressful state of poverty. Buchanan was a private soldier. Butler was the son of a farmer. Canova was the son of a stone.. cutter. Catherine of Russia was born a peasant. Captain Cook began his career in the merchant service as a cabin boy. Curran was the son of poor parents. Sir Humphrey Davy was the son of a carver. Dodsley was a stocking weaver. La Fontaine was the son of an overseer of woods and forests. Milton was a schoolmaster. Parkes was the son of a small grocer. Pizarro was never taught to read when young, but employed to keep hogs. Pollok was the son of a carpenter. Allan Ramsay was the son of a miner. Raffaelle was the son of a peasant. Richardson was the son of a joiner. Shakspere commenced his career poor, and as a menial. Stone worked as a gardener, and taught himself to read. Kirke White was the son of a butcher. The most eminent of God's servants in ancient and in modern times, were taken from the middle and lower ranks of life. Here is hope indeed for the fine lads of Sunday schools! BAD HABITS.-Have you any bad habits? Conquer them. It is hard, we know, but it will be harder still to grow permanently old-to suffer in body and mind, and perhaps kill yourself by degrees. Thousands have within a few years past overcome the power of temptation to drink ardent spirits. It was like cutting Black-off the right hand, but they persevered and conquered. For worlds you could not induce them to return to their old habits. Have you no bad habits to conquer? Do you smoke or chew tobacco ? Break the chain at once. From this time resolve never to puff a cigar or chew a cud of tobacco. It is a bad habit and is offensive to many-especially to women. Whatever your habits are that are really bad, have strength and courage to conquer them. Let your voice and your example, wherever you are, speak for virtue and truth. Let your influence be ever exerted for the best good of others. This cannot be done unless you reform your habits and conquer every bad propensity. Drake was the son of a shepherd. Hunter was apprenticed to a carpenter. Falconer was the son of a barber. Haydn was the son of a poor wheelwright. Herschel was the son of a musician. Johnson was the son of a bookseller. Lawrence was the son |