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success by any means so likely as by taking our rule for sowing from the leafing of trees. There is a certain kind of genial warmth which the earth should enjoy at the time the seed is sown; and the budding, leafing, and flowering of plants seem to indicate this happy temperature of the earth." To form such a calendar, accurate and repeated observations in different seasons and various districts would be requisite; yet, if it could be once ascertained, it might furnish a universal rule; since, notwithstanding the variations of temperature and diversity of seasons, in every country plants, trees, and shrubs, bud, blossom, and shed their leaves in never-varying progression and regular series.

SCHOOLS FOR THE MOST DEPRAVED OF

THE LONDON POPULATION.

VARIOUS attempts have been made by the friends of Christian education to secure the attendance of the depraved children of the vicious poor, who have been altogether neglected by their parents. In London, thousands of these youthful immortals, of both sexes, are regularly trained up to the commission of crime, as their only source of maintenance. Sometimes they are able to obtain, for a short season, a few of the comforts of life; but, generally speaking, they are ragged, filthy, and in deep dis

tress.

It has long been supposed by many experienced friends of the young, that there is but little hope of securing the permanent attendance of the characters which have been described in our schools. Unaccustomed to discipline and confinement, they soon long for unrestrained liberty, to pursue their wicked and unlawful courses. It is reported, of a class of depraved youths once formed in St. Giles's by a zealous and devoted clergyman, that it often presented a varied and singular appearance, and that the absentees were numerous, from causes the most painful, although the reasons at the time created considerable merriment. When the classbook was called over, the following replies were sometimes recorded. John Brown: "Gone to Tothill-fields." James Smith: "Please, sir, he's been to Bow Street, and has got a week on the mill." George Tomkins: "He's in Newgate, sir." Henry Cole: "Please he was caught last night, but he'll soon be out." Patrick Mahoney: "He's at the tread

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mill." So the poor teacher discovered that a large number of his singular pupils, not having free liberty of "egress and regress," were absentees from his kind but self-denying labours. This school has long since been discontinued.

The Southwark Sunday-school Society, during the life of its venerable patron, the Rev. Rowland Hill, established, in destitute districts, "Fragment Schools." The children were supplied with shoes and a brown holland frock, on Saturday evening, that they might appear tidy on the sab bath. These articles were to be returned on the Monday morning. The friends who superintended these schools were persevering in their exertions, but eventually they were all given up. It seemed as if this part of the population were beyond "the reach of hope.'

In June, 1839, several devoted friends, connected with the Southwark Sunday schools, made an attempt in Jurston Street, Lambeth, for the moral and spiritual benefit of its neglected population. In this neighbourhood, many of the people are most depraved, and there are a large body of uninstructed Roman Catholics. Here many showmen reside, when not travelling to country fairs.

The friends of the Jurston Street school commenced an active canvass in the district; and by April, 1840, from six hundred to seven hundred families were regularly visited once a month. In this work neither time nor trouble was spared. The primary object of the visitation was to impress on the minds of the people the great guilt of neglecting the public worship of God. The difficulty often stated by the people was, that they had no decent clothes in which to appear at a respectable place of worship. This circumstance led the teachers to open the Jurston Street school for an evening service, when a considerable number of the poor attended, evidently disposed to listen to the holy truths of the gospel. The congregation was often interrupted by

"certain lewd fellows of the baser sort." The teachers, however, persevered, and were often seen with a candle in one hand and a book in the other, endeavouring to quiet the unhappy boys who caused the disturbance, but in vain. Some of the devoted men, in passing to and from the school, were severely wounded with stones, and other missiles thrown at them, besides being repeatThe interrupedly pelted with mud. tion of these youths drove away the

among themselves for prayer. The su

little congregation. The teachers, defeated in their primary object, deter-perintendent was continually urging upon mined to do all the good they could to them to go forward, assured of eventual the depraved youths, who appeared pro- success, if they depended on the promises videntially brought under their care. The of God, and displayed among the poor evening service was exchanged for the outcasts that charity "which suffereth evening school. long and is kind.”

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But who can describe the scene? The teachers could secure no order, and the interludes of silence within the school, were disturbed by the showers of missiles on the roof of the building, by many who were unwilling to come within its walls. To preserve the public peace, it was necessary to have the police in attendance, but they could not be held "in terrorem over such an assembly. The friend who was requested to be the leader of the school, endeavoured in vain to secure silence. Occasionally, indeed, there was a cessation of noise from screams, catcalls, whistles, falling forms, and other strange sounds, but the moment there was an attempt to praise, many sung the profane and often indecent song, and all attempt at worship failed. The boys were the occupiers of the school; the teachers were really conquered; and all they could do was, to walk about, and endeavour to prevent mischief. There are many persons in the Christian church, who can have no conception of the selfdenial thus practised. These zealous labourers were willing even to be the servants of the depraved, the obscene, and the malicious, that they might eventually win some of them to Christ. Like the great apostle of the Gentiles, they could say, "being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat."

After many ineffectual attempts to obtain order, the school was often dismissed, the language of prayer being drowned by the discordant sounds of the boys. On many sabbath evenings the same scenes were witnessed, the teachers only being able, by great kindness and perseverance, to obtain an occasional hearing.

The friends soon discovered that they required a considerable accession of teach

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A few details may be interesting to the reader. There were three brothers in the school, named ; they were ragged and dirty, and their countenances indicated the state of their minds. A friend who visited the school, remarked, "One of these boys looks to me to be scarcely human." The school was repeatedly in confusion by a loud shrill whistle, which seemed to be the signal for tumult. It was exceedingly difficult to discover the whistler. He was heard, but not seen, and proved to be this wretched lad, who, curling himself up like a hedgehog, and crawling into a dark spot, indulged in mischief. When he was pulled out from his place of secrecy, he showed, by a hearty laugh, how much he had enjoyed the sport. He was, however, very ready to promise future amendment; but his promises were seldom fulfilled. On one occasion, he was standing in a class, and in a moment he took a back somerset, and descended into a neighbouring class, to the perfect wonder of the teacher. A boy from the clouds could scarcely have excited greater astonishment. The same extraordinary lad, having conducted himself with great impropriety, a friend, with much gravity, directed poor Tom to follow him into another room, that he might converse with him. He instantly obeyed. The teacher led the way; Tom followed, but turning his heels where his head ought to have been, he walked on his hands so deliberately, that almost universal laughter was the consequence. On reaching the place for conversation, Tom hopped on the form, and making one of his knees a kind of pivot, he turned himself round like a windmill, and his head was soon invisible to the teacher. He was once amusing himself by knocking his head violently and repeatedly against the desk: he was begged to refrain, or he would greatly injure himself. He arcbly smiled, and said, "Oh no! I use myself to this, and then if a cartwheel should go over it, (the head,) you know, it wont do any harm." On another occasion, he came to one of the friends, and in a whisper said, "My brother has got an iron bar, and he'll

give some of you a precious whack, if you don't get it from him." The teacher said, "Go, get it quietly away." He went, watched his opportunity, and then, before the teacher had time to interfere, gave the poor lad a violent blow on the head, he fell backwards over a form; the cruel brother then knelt upon him, and soon forced from him the iron bar. The teacher expected a violent tumult; but when the lad arose, there was no tear, no feeling, but finding that he had been conquered, he gave a sarcastic smile, and by his gestures showed his contempt of his conqueror. In these brothers there appears to be no tenderness, no pity, certainly no brotherly love. But what are the parents? They appear to live in drunkenness and sloth, and send out their offspring with the daily instruction,

"Get money, honestly if you can,

But get money."

The elder of these brothers, on one occasion, when the scholars were waiting for admission into the school, contrived very dexterously to throw down a female of mature age, who attended the Girls'-school, and in a moment disappeared with her pocket and its contents. Indeed, it has been discovered, that Tom, in consequence of his great activity in sin was actually paid by some of the boys, to keep up a constant disturbance

in the school.

Another case occurs to the writer. A lad, with a countenance truly ferocious, had completely overcome the kind young man placed in the class. A senior friend observing this, went up to the boy, and took hold of him. The little urchin, pulled at his adult friend so violently, that he nearly brought him to the ground. He succeeded in getting the violent fellow alone, and after some time his mind was calmed. Thinking to gain his heart, the teacher noticed a large scar on his forehead, and remarked, "I'm afraid you have had a severe injury: how did it happen?" " Why I fell out of window," was the reply. "Indeed! how did that happen?" "It was when I was drunk." "Drunk! what, a child like you get drunk?" "Yes; and they took me to the hospital, where I was for a long time." "Who gave you the liquor?" My big brother; Jim's a soldier, and when he gets leave to come home, he makes us all dead drunk with good ale!" Here is a family scene, enough to make all good

men weep.

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Instances of individual trial came before the teachers. A lad was asked his name, which he gave. "Where do you live?" inquired the teacher. There was no answer, but the boy turned his face away. A little fellow in the same class remarked, "Please, sir, he don't live nowhere!" "Indeed! how is that?" "His father and mother are both dead, and he has had no one to take care of him for two years: he sleeps under carts or sheds, or wherever he can. A man in our street let him sleep in the place where he used to keep pigs, but he can't always allow that.' The bereaved lad made no remark, but wept. He was nearly naked, the upper part of his body being covered with a small piece of brown holland. "He always comes down our street at night," observed a boy, "and I give him a bit of my supper, or he'd have none at all." "That's true," replied another, "and though he's so poor, he keeps himself clean, for he goes down to the Thames early in the morning, and well washes himself." These details deeply affected the teacher. The poor orphan wept, and after giving an account of his sufferings, added, "I can say, what few boys can-I've never yet stolen, and the police have never had me in custody."

An instance of painful duplicity may also be mentioned. One evening, five boys were placed with a teacher, all of them stating they only just knew their letters. He was patient and persevering with them; they spelled, and they blundered. He affectionately urged them not to be discouraged. When the school was over, one of the boys drily remarked, "How we've gammoned him!" so?" inquired the teacher: "Oh, we can all read very well," was the reply.

"How

The girls appear to be, in some respects, more depraved than the boys; their teachers having the greatest difficulty in bringing them to obedience. The general language of all is low, and often obscene. The friends who have visited the school, have expressed their astonishment at the extent of depravity they have witnessed. The active and efficient mayor of a large northern town addressed them for a few minutes, but produced but little impression. Mr. Packard, the secretary of the American Sunday-school Union, visited the school, and addressed to the scholars a few pointed and affectionate words, and succeeded in securing their attention; but he added, that, though the teacher of the convict

boys in the gaol at Philadelphia, yet he had never met with young people who appeared so truly sunk in sin, as those in this school. While the writer has been drawing up this account, one of the boys has been tried, for attempting the life of a policeman, and five others have been confined in different county gaols.

At the close of a year from the commencement of this school, a report was presented to the teachers, which furnishes the following painful particulars:"The scholars may be divided into several classes. The first, or more respectable part of them, are the lads connected with, or in the employ of street fruitsellers and costermongers; a second class is formed of those who obtain their living by strolling through the country with the travelling shows. Many of these two classes during the fine weather and fruit season, are absent from the school. The fruitsellers are on Kennington Common, or other public places of resort, while the strolling actor is in the country, engaged in his usual pursuits. At the close of the year, these characters are unemployed, and are found

attending the school for a change. A third class of the youths in attendance at the school, consists of those who seek no other means of living but by plunder. Among those who have been at the school, two are at the present time suffering the penalty of the law, a brother and sister, the former for three months, and the latter for twelve months. Another is now in Maidstone gaol, for stealing a coat, and is known to be an old offender. Two others are lodged in Horsemonger-lane gaol for stealing. Scenes of cruelty and barbarity sometimes occur, even among the female classes. In one class, containing six girls, they quarrelled, and continued fighting, until all their mouths were literally 'filled with blood.'" The Report adds, "The attendance of this latter class is very uncertain; they generally come in gangs, probably at times when they have committed some misdemeanor, to take shelter for a short season, from the hands of justice."

In a future paper, the writer will refer to the mode of teaching adopted in this singular school, and to the results that have arisen.-W. J.

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of the globe contains animals so singular in their structure, or so extraordinary in their habits, as Australia. The account of the birds to which we now invite attention, will tend to confirm the latter part of our statement.

The birds in question are the satin bower bird, (ptilonorhynchus holosericeus,) the spotted bower bird, (chlamydera maculata,) and the great bower bird, (chlamydera nuchalis.) We must premise by observing, that the knowledge we possess of the history of these singular beings of the feathered race, is due to that enterprizing naturalist, Mr. Gould, who personally investigated their habits in their native wilds, and whose splendid work on the birds of Australia needs no comment. From the plates of that work our engravings of the satin bower bird, (see page 136,) and of the spotted bower bird, which will hereafter appear, are copied by permission, but necessarily on a very reduced scale.

The satin bower bird, (cowry of the aborigines of the coast of New South Wales,) is about the size of our jay, or jackdaw. The adult male has the whole of the plumage of a deep shining blueblack, closely resembling satin, with the exception of the primary wing feathers, which are of a deep velvety black, and the wing coverts, secondaries, and tail feathers, which are also velvety black, tipped with a shining blue-black lustre. The iris of each eye is of a beautiful light blue, with a circle of red round the pupil. The female is of a greyish green above, with the wings and tail dark sulphur brown; the under parts are lighter, with a wash of yellow, and variegated with crescent-shaped marks of brown. The young males resemble the females, and acquire, by moulting, the adult glossy black; but not under two or three years. The favourite haunts of this beautiful bird are the luxuriant and thickly-foliaged "brushes," which extend along the coast, from Port Philip to Moreton Bay, the cedar "brushes of the Liverpool range, and most of the gullies and ravines of the great mountain chain, separating the colony of New South Wales from the interior. Hitherto, it is in these localities only that it has been observed.

Though a stationary bird, and not migrating to distant parts, the satin bower bird ranges from one part of the district to another in quest of food, which consists almost exclusively of grains, fruits, and berries. "Independently," says

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Mr. Gould, "of numerous berry-bearing plants and shrubs, the brushes it inhabits are studded with enormous fig-trees, some of them towering to the height of two hundred feet. Among the lofty branches of these giants of the forest, the satin bower bird, and several species of pigeons, find, in the small wild fig with which the branches are loaded, an abundant supply of a favourite food. This species, morever, commits considerable depredation on any ripening corn, near the localities it frequents. It appears to have particular times in the day for feeding; and when thus engaged, among the low shrub-like trees, I have approached within a few feet, without creating alarm. But at other times, I have found this bird extremely shy and watchful, especially the old males, which not unfrequently perch on the topmost branch, or dead limb of the loftiest trees of the forest, whence they can survey all around, and watch the movements of the females and young on the brush below." The male utters a loud, liquid call-note, and both sexes, also, a harsh, guttural noise, indicative of surprize or displeasure. In autumn, these birds associate in small flocks, and frequent the steep and brushwood covered banks of rivers.

The most singular point, however, in the history of this bird is, that it constructs on the ground a bower, or arbour, which is not used as a nest, but as a playing-ground, or hall of assembly, and which it decorates with beautiful feathers. This curious structure was first brought under the notice of Mr. Gould, at Sidney, an example being in the museum of that place; and on visiting the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range, he discovered several of these bowers in their natural situation, as the birds had built them. They are usually placed under the shelter of the branches of some overhanging tree, in the most retired part of the forest, and differ in size, and the quantity of materials used. Their structure is as follows. An extensive, and rather convex floor or base is laid, composed of sticks firmly interwoven together. About the centre of the floor the bower is built, in the form of two parallel walls, at a little distance apart, consisting of slender, flexible twigs and stems, so arranged as to curve inwards, and nearly meet at the top, forming an avenue arched overhead. The arrangement of the interwined twigs is such, that the forks and projections are always presented outwardly, the interior

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