Sir Benjamin Brodie's Suspension Triangle, will find its way into the bed-room; at all events the time children can spare from their lessons might, I should think, be better employed. But this occupation is not confined to any age, from the little creatures whose tiny fingers can scarcely manage a needle, to the aged lady, whose days on earth are drawing fast to a close, worsted work-worsted work is the resource of all. I am far from desiring to pass an unqualified censure upon it as an amusement, especially in the case of the old, as it may be pursued without much trouble or thought; or upon those occasions where, on an evening passed in the family circle, social kindness requires the book and every other selfish occupation to be laid aside, and when more useful and homely employments could not be allowed to find their way into the drawing room; but I think it would be well for the Christian ladies, for whose use I presume your magazine to be intended, and by whom, I presume it is chiefly read, to consider whether this mode of spending time is not carried to a blameable excess, superseding much that is good and much that is desirable. I will only briefly advert to two points, which I think might be profitably considered in relation to this subject. First, the employment of time; I know it will be said, 'We must have some amusement:-people cannot be always thinking or reading.' All very good-but urge it as one of the great objections against worsted work, as at present pursued, that it does not take the place of an amusement, but of a serious occupation. I will put the question fairly to the reader, Can you say that you do not, and never have devoted more time to it, than, as a Christian, you consider yourself fully

entitled to give up to the purpose of your own amusement? If you are a genuine admirer of worsted work I doubt whether your conscience will clear you on this charge: at all events, it is a consideration not lightly to be passed over, as the short time which is allotted to us here is a part of that stewardship of which we must surely give an account.

The next point to which I would slightly allude is money: I entered once the apartments of one of the most fashionable warehouses for the disposal of these commodities, a perfect palace of patterns-floss silk and german wool, &c. it struck me how large the sums expended upon these articles must be, to render such a display either profitable or possible; the generality of women, among the middling classes, can command only a limited sum of money to be expended upon superfluities; such being the case it may bear a thought how far this money might not be better employed, even supposing it was still used to procure amusement in any other allowable manner though I much doubt whether, as in the case of the employment of time, these sums, if correctly cast up, would not greatly overbalance their due amount. I do not mean, of course, more than can be properly afforded, but more than a Christian lady ought to have devoted to such a purpose.

However, in these few remarks I am desirous rather of urging the subject into the consideration of those whom it may concern, than of producing arguments in support of my own opinion. If any of my countrywomen are angry, I entreat their forgiveness; but this sort of work, in the course of about five or six years, seems to have proceeded from modest little urn-rugs and kettle-holders to ottomans, screens,

slippers, chair-backs, rugs, and even carpets: from the floor, doubtless it will creep up the walls, and some new stitch will enable our contemporaries to compete with the now faded beauty of the curiously wrought tapestry, which adorns some of the antique chambers in England's old castles, leaving their descendants to wonder at their folly, as I was wont to do at that of our predecessors. Nay, it strikes me, that as the whole of the hangings representing the history of the Spanish Armada were destroyed in the burning of the house of Parliament, the ladies of England will be able to devise a similar ornament, for the walls of the future senate house. Should the size of such a work surprize you, my dear madam, I must tell you that it is common for the different parties to contribute to the same performance, each working her own share separately.

Hoping, by a proposition so tending to the renown of worsted work, to propitiate those whom I may have displeased, believe me to remain, dear madam, Your most obliged,

Q. Q. Z.

Review of Books.

A PROTEST against the introduction into Great Britain of any system of National Education not based upon the revealed word of God. L. and G. Seeley.

It is of great importance that all classes of Christians should be fully apprized of what is really intended by those who are labouring to establish among us a national system of education, recommended by a plausible exterior, and eagerly promoted by a numerous and active party, who spare no pains in pursuit of their object. This pamphlet is in the form of a sermon, preached by the Rev. Henry Hughes, A.M. well known as a faithful minister of the Established Church in London, and as the secretary to the London Hibernian Society. He has given a clear, simple, bold development of this favorite scheme; and as we earnestly desire our friends to be put on their guard against lending any sanction to the meditated mischief, as they might unadvisedly be drawn in to do, we recommend it strongly to their perusal.

6

The main point avowedly aimed at by the projectors, is a total separation of religious from secular learning to accomplish this they present to the public two alternatives-either to exclude every kind and degree of scriptural instruction during the regular hours of teaching, leaving it to such of the children as may choose it, to listen to those who may volunteer their services according to the various creeds of the parents, after school hours; or to prepare such a book of Extracts,' from the Bible, as cannot possibly give offence to any person, be his notions what they may. To illustrate the good effects of the latter plan, we will give, not a view of our own, or a remark of Mr. Hughes', but a bona fide quotation from the evidence of the Rev. Mr. Wood before a committee of the House of Commons. Mr. Wood is a Socinian teacher: he says, 'I am always on my guard to see that neither the master nor any of the older boys introduce any Trinitarianism or Calvinism into the school; and I am equally anxious on my part never to introduce any thing that can be considered peculiar to Unitarians.' Again: Mr. T. Crossley, master of the Borough Road School, examined before the same committee, gives this beautiful instance of pure liberalism: A Jewish child has objected to reading the word CHRIST; in such case we have allowed him to pass it.'

This, we think, will be enough for most of our readers; but as Mr. Hughes gives a farther insight into the device, and shews the methods by which its framers and supporters are seeking to entrap the unwary into an acquiescence in their scheme, we repeat our advice to read the pamphlet, or sermon; and we think nine shillings would not be misapplied in pro