thinks of clearing his own eye of the beam before he essays to take the mote from his neighbour's? How many reformers first commence by being themselves reformed, by doing as they declaim? And yet it is a truth at the bottom of all others on this question, that true reformation, whatever may be said of charity, must begin "at home," and in direct proportion to its thoroughness in the individual, is his power of extending the blessing to others, and promoting the cause of human virtue and happiness in the family, the community, the nation, or the world.

The position of a man, in point of intelligence, is indicated by the extent to which he has freed himself from the primitive slavery we have attempted to illustrate; and Education may be defined as the process of his enfranchisement-the means whereby he is enabled

"To turn thought inward, and to fix

Upon himself the point supreme of manhood."

It is equally with the entire race. Civilization is an inward as well as an outward progress, and the outward is valuable only in proportion only as it assists the inward, upon which its possibility and permanency depends. It is a sign of true progress therefore in the present day, that so much of the attention of society is being directed to internal improvement. Everywhere over the land Churches and Associations of men are discovering their deficiences, and at least commencing the attempt to fulfil the duties of the hour and place, whensoever and wheresoever they arise. Once more the discovery is proclaimed, in the works at the head of this paper, that while we have been spending our strength in efforts, too often vain and futile, to raise the heathen abroad, we have been faithless to the claims of our own household, and have allowed a melancholy class of heathen to grow up at home. In a small district of this town, containing little more than 13,000 inhabitants, there are, according to the tables of Dr. Hume, upwards of 9000 persons who attend neither church nor chapel, 932 heads of families who cannot read, and above 2000 children of a suitable age who are "receiving no education." While one in four ought to be receiving education, only one in eleven are doing so! We should rather say attending school than “ receiving education;" for, alas! the education of circumstances cannot be averted from them, and what quality that is, in their case, the police and other records but too strongly testify. We understand that Dr. Hume is now endeavouring to raise funds for the purpose of erecting a church and school in this hitherto neglected district, and sincerely hope that enlightened, pious, and benevolent men of all parties will sink sectarian differences on points of minor importance, and join on the broad and catholic principle of humanity in assisting the attainment of this object. Other districts of the town could be mentioned where the proportion of uneducated and mal-educated is quite as great as it is in the district so elaborately examined by Dr. Hume; and in the best-cared for districts, inhabited by the working classes, it rises so slightly, that we are justified in stating that from 20,000 to 30,000 of the juvenile population of this great community are growing up in a state of comparative barbarism, and worse than barbarism, inasmuch as they inherit vices from which the barbarian savage is free.

Even where some little education is imparted, its quality is so inferior that it can scarcely be dignified with the name. The parent has grown up in ignorance. What can we expect from the child? We have now

to encounter the results of long years of neglect. The adult is helpless; and even were the means provided, which to our disgrace as Christians they are not, we should still require peculiar appliances and agencies to induce their being taken advantage of. And of all possible agencies applicable to this end, that of the Home or "Domestic Mission"-of which an admirable specimen is afforded in the report whose title is given above-is, in our view, one of the best. It is the one most worthy the dignity of a human being. It is persuasive, not compulsory. It presupposes high qualities in the being addressed, and, doing so, educes them. It inflicts no penalties, save those of Providence, following enlighted Reason, and awakened Conscience. It operates through Christian sympathy and love, and is altogether beautiful and ennobling, blessed and blessing. Let but the requisite number of agents, of the right order, be procured, and few other appliances will be necessary beyond the provision of appropriate educational necessaries-teachers and school-rooms for the young, places of worship and instruction for the old-the true priest being already found in the patient and laborious friend whose beaming intelligence, and fraternal love, have already brought light and warmth into so many homes.

Our

We had intended presenting several quotations from Mr. Bishop's report, in illustration of the state of the population among whom he labours, and of the characteristic features of his mission, which is distinguished by some peculiarities from others bearing the same name. limits, however, forbid more than two; the one illustrative of the training given their children by depraved and ignorant parents; the other, of the beneficial results of another of the ameliorating agencies silently but surely, though unhappily to a very disproportionate extent, counteracting the evils of past neglect-Ragged Schools:

"The terrible lot of many children," says Mr. Bishop, "through the vices and ig. norance of their parents, is most deplorable. In the course of my duties, I met with a fearful instance of juvenile depravity traceable to this cause. It was that of a little girl who, though not yet twelve years old, is frequently absent from her home whole nights together, and has several times robbed her parents and their neighbours of money, and of garments. In talking to her mother on the subject, I tried to press home upon her a sense of the responsibilities of parents. In reply, she told me that she and her husband had done all in their power to correct the child, and that they had often beaten her until their arms ached. I told her that I had no faith in beating, and that it was better to appeal to the child's conscience, and impress her with the sinfulness of her conduct. Oh that I have done sir,' was her reply. I have asked her what she thinks will become of her, and told her that her punishment will not be for a day, but for thousands upon thousands of years, and that when she puts her head up that bad man will poke it down again, and make the fire burn blue!' Such was the woman's notion of religious teaching." The following exhibits not only the good effects in general of the schools referred to by Mr. Bishop, but also a beautiful instance of the special benefits which may be conferred on individuals by the affectionate counsel of a judicious and enlightened visitor :

"The good effects of these schools, both on the children themselves, and on their parents, I have had frequent opportunities of witnessing. The complete change in the appearance and manners of many of the poor girls is most remarkable. When first sent, they many of them come ragged and dirty, with tangled hair and begrimed faces; but in a short time, if they remain in the school, their whole aspect is changed; and their personal cleanliness and neatness become so observable, that a casual visitor to the schools can scarcely believe the children to be fitting objects of the Institution. The refining influence on the mind and character of this outward change, who can calculate?

"Several interesting incidents connected with these schools are recorded in my

memoranda. I select the following:-" Catherine M, a poor girl at the Hillstreet School, who follows the employment of a chip-seller, was accustomed to place deposits in my hands; but I observed that instead of taking her receipt card home, she wished the mistress to keep it for her. When, too, I called at the cellar where she lives, and was recommending her mother to deposit in the Provident Society, I noticed that Catherine was anxious I should not mention that she was saving in the Juvenile Bank. This led to my questioning her, when I next saw her at the school as to the cause. She very readily told me she did not wish her mother to know, fearing that she would not allow her to save. 'But where,' said I, do you get the money, Catherine?' 'Oh! it is what I make over, Sir.' How make over?' 'When I take out the chips, mother puts a price on them, which I am to bring back to her; but what I make over I save.' 'But suppose your mother were to ask you whether you had made any over?' 'Oh! then I shouldn't tell her, sir,' she answered with rather a mischievous smile, that betokened a consciousness of sharpness and fun, but not of wrong. I then spoke to her about deceit and lying, with a view of leading her to see, how, in the case supposed, she would be guilty of both. She seemed impressed; the matter evidently presented itself in a new light to her; and with much feeling she said'I'll go home and tell my mother, sir, what I am doing.' This she did; and I am very glad to say, is allowed to continue her weekly deposits. This poor child lives in a very wretched abode, and her mother presents a sad spectacle of despairing poverty and raggedness. But, notwithstanding these unfavourable circumstances, the effect of the new associations to which the school has introduced the girl, has been most gratifying.”

In succeeding numbers we hope to give indications of other social agencies at work in ameliorating the lot of the poor. Of all immediately imperative, a vast extension of the means of education we regard as the chief, and our pages shall be open for the discussion of the various plans for carrying out this which have been proposed. We shall not neglect the other subordinate efforts, however, in Provident and other Societies, in Sanitory improvements, and such like, which society is making. All are working in diverse but concurring ways towards the same end. Our wish is, that all may speed. And when the best shall have been done that society is capable of, there will still be need of patience and perseverance, and unwearied activity. In the words of Mr. Bishop, to whom we beg to express our obligations for his most valuable, able, and interesting report," Vice cannot be uprooted, and virtue implanted; affections cannot be changed, and hopes renewed; the bowed spirit cannot be raised, and peace restored; without long-sustained and earnest efforts, grounded on the faith which is willing to labour and wait,-to sow the seed and leave it to germinate unseen, and pass through its various stages of after-growth, before expecting the harvest."

SONNET.

TO ROSCOE.

If thou has mystic-commune with our souls,
Oh, softly breathe aerial influence,

And urge us on to reach earth's highest goals,

To leave some footmarks ere we vanish hence!
May those young hearts who take thy honour'd name
And 'neath thy waving banner pledge to fight,
With earnest purpose seek the wreath of fame,
And strive for purer, clearer, broader light.
Gentle in nature-beautiful in life,

Yet firm and steady on the up-hill road;
With noble deeds adorning this dim strife,

And over all, a patient faith in God.
Thus aiming in life's secret depths to be
As emanations from the soul of thee!

MARIE.

Architectural Society, 28 W.
Royal Institut., 7 p.m.

The Roscoe Club Con- 30 F.
versazione, 8 p.m.

3 1 2 29 16

Art Union of London, 31 Sat. Oxford Term ends. Moon's first quarter 3 58 4 30 14 6 Subscrip. Lists close.

6h. 58m. morn.

The Roscoe Discussion Class meets every Monday at 8 p.m.-The Roscoe Chess Club every Wednesday at 6 p.m.; and the Harmonic Society on Thursday, at 8, p.m., all at the Club House.

The Mental Improvement Society of the Mechanics' Institution meets every Thursday ut 7 p.m. at the Institution.

Lectures at the Mechanic's Institution every Wednesday and Saturday.

MARCH.

MARCH is the third month of the year; with the ancients it was the first. According to Leigh Hunt, from Ovid, the Romans named it from Mars, the god of war, because he was the father of their first prince. Perhaps the ascription of this month to Mars, by the Romans, was a compliment to themselves; they were the sons of war, and might naturally deduce their origin from the belligerent deity. Minerva was also patroness of March.

Verstegan says of our Saxon ancestors, that "the month of March they called lenet-monath, that is, according to our new orthography, length-moneth, because the dayes did then first begin in length to exceed the nights. And this moneth being by our ancestors so called, when they received Christianity, and consequently therewith the ancient Christian custome of fasting, they called this chiefe season of fasting the fast of Lenet, because of the leneth moneth, whereon the most part of this fasting fell; and hereof it cometh that we now call it lent, it being rather the fast of lent, though the former name of lenet moneth being long since lost, and the name of March borrowed in stead thereof."Lenet, or lent, however, means spring; hence March was the spring month. Dr. Sayer says the Saxons likewise called it Rhed-moneth, a word derived by some from one of their deities, named Rheda, to whom sacrifices were offered in March: others derived it from raed, the Saxon word for council, March being the month wherein wars, or expeditions, were usually undertaken by the Gothic tribes. The Saxons also called it Hhyd-moneth, from hhyd, which means stormy; and in this sense March was the stormy month.-Hone.

The Roman year originally began with March, and was in fact so considered in England before the alteration of the style, the legal year commencing on the 25th of March.

Before 1564, the computation of the French year began from Easter, so that occasionally the same year might comprehend two months of March, Mars avant, and Mars après. If Easter occurred in March itself, the month began in one year and ended in another. The change of computation from the first of January to Easter, in that country, was directed by an edict of Charles IX.

Penny Cyclopædia.

Aries, the ram, is the Zodiacal sign for this month.