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that starving of the affections which girls generally undergo at school-the mistrust, and doubt, and loss of faith in the integrity and truth of those placed around them, which unavoidably results from the system of suspicion and defiance usually practised towards them are alone sufficient to account for failing health and injured mental vigour. Any warping of the mind in a direction contrary to nature's laws and opposed to truthful reality, acts perniciously not only upon the mind but upon the whole system. Shall we not, then, probably find the causes of the evils mentioned in injudicious training, rather than in healthful mental exercise, and the acquirement of real knowledge? Most assuredly the fault lies in the training to which girls are subjected,—in the purposeless restraints, the mere drill discipline which convert a school into a sort of prison, and the laws by which it is governed into heavy galling chains. Is it possible that young girls should have natures so predisposed to gross evil, that, upon coming to school, all trust, all confidence in them, all belief in their integrity and good faith, is to be withheld—and preparation for the prevention of the most serious faults-guards and checks, limitations and watchings, of every possible kind, are to be the only means available for keeping them correct in principle and in conduct? Through all the dark clouds of ignorance and vice, of suffering and sorrow-of all those temptations, and strugglings, and wrestlings, which no human eye witnesses, the immortal spirit of man rises to vindicate its claims upon our cherishing care and love: and where shall we better bestow this fostering care than upon the tender, susceptible minds and affections of children?

Let the educator look back to the earliest recollections of her childhood; let her remember the happiness of being trusted-the earnest good faith she felt towards those who placed confidence in her let her recal the high and holy feelings which beamed in heavenly brightness upon her soul when the beauty of truth came home to her, as it were, in some little occurrence upon her daily path-let her realise, once again, the blessed time when she looked up to her parents as to angels, free

from even the shadow of a fault, when the possibility of doubt towards any one older than herself had not dawned Supon her and let her seek in these fair remembrances a clue wherewith to understand and to guide the tender minds of children: let her cultivate truth, trust, confidence, affection, and she will find that she wields a power far stronger than any amount of rules and discipline. She will see hearty concurrence with her wishes take the place of submission in her presence, and of disobedience in her absence; she will witness happiness, health, and industry; she will find affection growing round her in an ever-increasing circle; and she may look forward to a wide spread of those moral results to which she has given the impulse, with that happiest of all convictions, that her life will not have been spent in vain.

SUNDAY-SCHOOL SOCIETY OF IRELAND. (Extracts from Speeches delivered at the Annual Meeting of the Sunday-school. Society of Ireland, held in the Rotunda, Dublin, 18th April, 1849.) The Earl of RODEN.-I think it may be some encouragement to individuals placed in the same station of life in which God hath been pleased to place me, just to refer to the circumstances of the Sunday-school over which I have been permitted for so many years to preside. I became first a teacher of a Sunday-school in 1819, and from that period up to the present, with, of course, the exception of being occasionally called away from it by various other duties, I have always been enrolled as one engaged in such an office, and I can sincerely say that the result of that object has fully answered every expectation and desire which the fondest feeling of my heart entertained. Our Sunday-school now consists, upon an average, of about fifty boys and eighty girls. I have the privilege of teaching the head class among the boys, now young men; but in the course of instruction in the school, we are now teaching the children of those who have been taught and sent out into the world from our school; and I could name several,-I know many of them-and there are many of the number whom I am not able to name, but I trust I shall see them where their names shall appear as the fruits of the instruction which they received from the knowledge of that blessed book which is the grand object of Sunday-school teaching,-I could name several of our Sunday-scholars who never received any other instruction but what they derived from the Sunday-school, who are now filling most responsible and high stations in their sphere of life throughout different parts of the country. One or two of them are stewards of gentlemen who repose the greatest confidence in them; others are filling menial offices as servants in

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Verrous circumstance was in that ng of the country. I was reserving ter or fiftea converts ever Sunday when the squire of the marisi tode îl and couk not attend the course of the day and use to go to him in the evening and sit with tan nati, midnight ar n the morning One nigh as I was walking home. about two miles from my house, or a fine starry night, I saw a

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crowd upon the road, and did not know who they were. When I got nearer I discovered they were armed, and when I came still closer to them they drew up like companies of soldiers across the road. Well, I certainly did feel afraid; but I had nothing for it except to walk up to them; and the very moment the head of the gang saw me he cried out, "Oh, this is the minister; he is about his business-let him alone;" and they immediately made an opening for me and allowed me to pass. These unfortunate men on that very night perpetrated a most dreadful murder, and the party were taken up and found guilty. I went to visit them in their affliction, and was really astonished at what I saw. I said to them, "Don't you recollect meeting me that night?" and they, answered, we recollect it perfectly well." "And why," said I, "did you allow me to pass?" Oh," replied they, "no one would think of injuring you. "Why?" said I-and recollect, I was at this time receiving converts. "Oh, sir," said they, "we know that you take a vast deal of trouble with us, and are at a great deal of expence-we know that your object is to do us nothing but good;" but one of them shrewdly observed, "if you made anything by it we would suspect you, but we know you make nothing by it." Well, the captain of this band of men, that was so favourable to me, and would not touch a hair of my head, I found had two children in our Sundayschool; and I am positive, that the impressions which those children produced on the mind of that wicked man were the means of preserving my life.

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The Rev. JOHN GREGG.-The resolution which he held in his hand adverted to the conductors and teachers of the Sunday-school Society, and the work in which they were solemnly and Christianly engaged. It required but little argument to convince those who heard him that much of the usefulness of education depended upon the conductors and teachers. It was admitted that much of the discipline, courage, and spirit of a regiment depended upon the tone, temper, and character of the colonel; and in one's household much of the regularity of the family depended upon the head of it. So in like manner much depended upon the conduct and deportment of the conductors. It struck him that sometimes the conductors of the Sunday-schools did not take as much interest in them as they ought. They did not seem to exert all their powers of mind, and put forth all their resources. In whatever he engaged he did it as well as he possibly could. He did not know whether Dr. Drew was present, but he should say, that even when a boy he loved emula tion-if he were leaping, he wished to leap well-if he wished to climb, he sought to climb well; in the very same way the conductors and teachers of the schools should be anxious to do the most they could. They should conduct their schools as well as the minister preached, as the minister read, and the pastor went about from house to house. The minister should exert all the faculties of his mind when reading, preaching, or visiting his congregation; so should the conductors and teachers of the schools. He thought that the pupils were very sharp; and if the conductor did not take a deep interest in the management of the schools, it was not to be expected that the children would do so. If the conductor had not all the teachers properly in their places, and the teachers the children, it was owing to negligence and inattention. If the conductor were

not at the school before the school began, he was satisfied that the teachers and children would not be present. Generally speaking, the Sunday-school lasted only an hour, or an hour and a half. It was also indispensable that the teachers and conductors should know the kind of mind which each of their pupils had, and the kind of information which the pupils should receive. Sometimes the teachers were not qualified by the information they possessed, or by their manner, to instruct the young people who came under their control. He had often seen the conductors of Sunday-schools going in a great hurry into the school, just as the instruction had begun. He did not think it was good to rush into a place and begin prayer indecorously. He did not think it was right to go into a room, and putting down one's hat, begin at once to say, "Let us pray. ." The conductor should have time to compose his mind, take a view of the school, and see that the scholars were in their places. The more sober and self-possessed they were, the better they would discharge their duty. He also thought that the progress of the society depended upon the manner in which the conductors acted; upon them also rested the increase of the society. They could augment its number directly and indirectly. He read the other day of a Sunday-school which began with nine persons and extended to 1000. He had also read of an individual in Wales who was the cause of increasing the numbers till they reached 150,000. The first teacher was a person named Jones; he was followed by a person named Charles of Bala, whose motto was to expect great things, but be satisfied with anything that the Almighty vouchsafed to bestow upon him. A great deal, with respect to the increase of Sunday-schools, depended upon those who had the conduct of them; and he had to address, on the present occasion, the representatives of 20,000 teachers. While lately reading an account of the condition of the Sunday-schools of America, he was delighted to find that some of the most distinguished senators, judges, and professional men of that country, had deemed it an honour to be permitted to teach the Scriptures in those schools. This example ought to act as an encouragement to the educated men of this country, and convince them that they would be honoured by acting as Sunday-school teachers. He was aware that in some places it was difficult to procure teachers, and even in some parts of Dublin it was not easy to get them. This difficulty only existed in the obscure portions of the city, but the effect of it was to render their classes too numerous to instruct, and consequently not so efficient as they ought to be. Now, if they wished to spread the word of God throughout the land, and to increase the piety of their fellowcountrymen, they must make themselves as useful as possible in their Sunday-schools; and wherever the field of action was too confined, they should look out for other places where they might employ their energies in implanting the truths of the Holy Scriptures in the hearts of the rising generation. He next would address a few words to the teachers; and in the first place let him tell them that it would not be in their power to impart any important or lasting knowledge to the children if they did not previously store their own minds with information suited for their instruction. They could never inform their classes unless they first of all informed themselves; and they would never be informed themselves if they did not read, and think, and consult the right sources of informa

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