girls. An acre and a half of ground at the rear of the schools has been laid out in fifty allotments, of two poles each, with a master's garden of thirty poles. In these the boys are employed in practical gardening every Tuesday morning, from half-past ten to twelve, and every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from half-past four till half-past five. There is a flower border of fifteen poles. from which they are instructed in floriculture, &c.; thus making a total of 135 poles under cultivation.

"The produce of the respective gardens is either sold for the benefit of the boys, or taken home for the parents' use. The total amount of the gardens belonging to Class I. amounted, in 1851, to £18. 38. 4d., averaging 188. 2d. per boy.

"A commodious workshop has been erected, adjoining the boys' school, for the other industrial employments, and the numbers are, six boys employed in carpentering, seven in painting and glazing, and six in shoemaking, in which branches they are instructed three times a-week, all (with the exception of one hour on Wednesday) out of the ordinary school-time.

"In addition to this, each boy has a book in which he is taught to enter the expenses, time, and materials of his several occupations, and on the other side the produce of them; thus early instilling into them habits of care and providence, which will be a great help to them in after-life.

"The industrial girls are employed in their department during the whole of Tuesday morning, from six till half-past twelve, and during an hour or two on each week-day, in the intervals of school-time. This consists in washing the blouses and pinafores worn by the boys, girls, and infants; and the towels and other cloths used in the schools, as well as some of their own clothes. They also make bread, and on washing-day, assisted by the mistress, cook their dinner and prepare breakfast, They are instructed in the practice and art of various branches of cookery, household work and needlework; and are well versed in the manuals on those matters."

"This school was opened in 1849, and the ground attached (177 poles) was divided into sixty-eight allotments,-viz., fourteen of four poles, twenty-three of three, twenty-one of two, and ten of one. These allotments are let to the best boys at 6d. a pole; the boys in the first class are allowed to have four poles, in the second three, in the third two, in the fourth and fifth, one pole a-piece.

"When a boy leaves school he is required to give up his allotment; his crops are valued by two of the senior boys, and his successor pays him the full price. Every Wednesday afternoon is devoted to gardening; this is found to be sufficient, as most of the boys come after school-hours. Every encouragement is given them to do so; their work over, there is an excellent playground (148 feet by 108,) in which they amuse themselves till dark.

"I inquired this morning if any boy could tell me the value of his last year's crop; several hands were instantly held out. I send you a few of their answers. Two boys, holders of four poles, had kept

account of what they had sold. Wheeler, the boy selected yesterday as a candidate for the office of a pupil-teacher, had sold 16s. worth of vegetables, and the other, Freeman, one of the pupil teachers, 18s. worth; three brothers, having seven poles between them, had made 248.,-one having two poles produced his book, and I found he had made 11s. 6d. He tells me that his whole family took great delight in keeping this account. Several boys had made 12s., others, 10s., and one little fellow, the holder of one pole, sold 38. worth of beans; this account I had from his father. I need scarcely say the gardens are very popular both with the boys and their parents; at this time I have a number of applications for the allotments as they fall vacant.

"We hope shortly to be able to take more ground for the boys. All are taught gardening. Each boy is allowed to take another with him, and the gardens belonging to myself and the school-mistresses are entirely cultivated by the boys.

"The way in which the school is supported shows how much the parents in the town and neighbourhood appreciate the instruction their children are receiving; the numbers are rapidly increasing, and the school payments have nearly doubled within the last six months, and the general conduct of the boys has been highly satisfactory.

"Considerably more than a hundred strangers have visited the school and gardens during the past year.

"An account will now be kept of everything grown in the gardens, and at your next visit we hope to be able to lay before you the income and expenditure for the year. It is proposed to plant small fruittrees, as raspberry, gooseberry, and currant, in the gardens during the autumn, and to build a tool-house and piggery.

"(Signed) EDWIN J. RAWLINS, Master."

"MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS."

PAUSE on these words awhile; and if ye be

Of this world's wise and great, who think they may

Alone and unassisted find their way

Across the waters of life's troubled sea;
Put not your trust in this, but rather pray,
As if ye feared to stumble; then shall ye
Low at your SAVIOUR's feet, on bended knee
Resting, your weakness feel, how firm His stay.
But if ye be of that meek loving band
Who never think they half can do His will,
Fear not, ye tender-hearted ones, His hand,
Although it seem far off, is with you still:
Ask all ye need of God for His dear sake,

And ye shall feel new strength each onward step ye take.

Notices to Correspondents.

IGNORAMUS will please to supply us with her name and address. Received-A Simple Story from

Fidrs.

C. T.

B. S. will find the information wished for in Mr. Newland's Series of "Lectures on Tractarianism."

THE old proverb, that "misfortunes never come single," was brought very forcibly to Maude's recollection on the following morning, a proverb, by the way, whose almost unfailing accuracy might be very easily explained, by simply substituting the word "blessings" for that of "misfortunes;" for surely this were the fitter term for these strokes from a loving FATHER'S Hand, whereby the cruel chains are loosened, that bind us to this world's false joys, and cause that soul to cleave unto the dust, for whom the very Paradise of GOD is appointed as a home. And rightly consistent is it indeed with a FATHER's tender care, that these salutary blows should be repeated again and again, one after another, till, even as the chains fell from S. Peter when the angel smote him, the last riveting bonds are broken, and the "soul is brought out of prison,"-out of its bondage to all earthly wishes and desires,-into the glorious liberty of the one hope that never faileth.

It must, however, be confessed that, suffering as Maude was from the events of the previous night, the tidings which met her now looked very like a misfortune, although, in confirmation of what we have just said, it was not very long before she learnt to give thanks, from the very depths of her heart, for both these apparent trials which had come upon her.

She had opened the outer door, in order to go to Church next morning, when she met the postman on the steps, with a bundle of letters. She took them from his hand, and laid them on the hall table for her father, when, to her great astonishment, she perceived that one was addressed to herself. This was a very unusual occurrence, for poor Maude had no friends or companions like most persons of her age; and Charlotte, who occasionally thought proper to enliven the dulness of the paternal mansion with triumphant descriptions of her own superior position and circumstances, always addressed these charitable missives to her mother or Fanny. Moreover, the small, marked

handwriting, full of character and decision, was very unlike her sister's elaborate pothooks.

Maude would not stay to read it in the hall, however, for her curiosity could not overcome her dread of a certain glance which the Vicar was wont to bestow on any unfortunate individual who was so misguided as to be too late for the service; a glance not given in the Church, for there nothing ever seemed for a moment to distract his attention from the solemn duties he was performing, but afterwards, when he passed his people in the churchyard. It was always in vain that the unhappy laggard tried to bury himself in the great holly-bush that stood near the Priest's door: he was sure to meet a calm,. peculiar look, which invariably produced the most vehement resolutions to be out of bed before the very chimney-sweeps were awake in future; and for the remainder of the day his only relief would be in bethinking himself of all manner of startling alarums, and scientific jugs of water, which should overturn themselves upon him as he slept, and constrain him to get up.

Poor Maude had once experienced this on a sleepy November morning; and so now, taking her letter with her, she went quickly down the street, preferring to read it as she walked. She turned first to the signature, and started with utter surprise when she saw the name of "Emmeline Damer." A fear that something had befallen Charlotte quickly replaced her momentary pleasure, however, and in this she was not mistaken. Miss Damer wrote in her mother's name, and stated that the little Angela, her sister, had for some time past been alarmingly ill, and Charlotte had been obliged to sit up with her several nights; in the course of this time she had caught a bad cold, which had now assumed an inflammatory appearance, and she was considered to be in considerable danger. Mrs. Damer was therefore anxious that some of her own family should come to nurse her, and Charlotte herself had begged that Maude might be the person sent for, as she knew well enough that Elliston would never consent to her mother coming, as her presence was indispensable for his comfort, and the due regulation of his household; whilst she herself did not feel any desire to have the giddy Fanny installed in her sick room. In fact, the recollection of Maude, the patient, quiet sister whom she had so much despised, came back to her in very pleasant contrast to the supercilious lady's maids, who were much too "grand" to bestow proper attention on the poor nursery governess, when she was so aggravating as to fall ill, and leave her work to be done by them as well as their own.

Miss Damer concluded by requesting that Maude would come without delay; and as she read the summons, her heart sank within her, for the one thought that presented itself was that of S. Alban's, the beautiful Church, the holy services, and her

precious intercourse with the Vicar,-how was she to leave it all? But the next moment her better judgment reminded her that it were indeed sadly to misuse these blessed privileges, if she clung to them at the expense of other duties for the time more urgent. But then were these duties more urgent? She was half inclined to doubt it, when she remembered the preparation for her first Communion to be begun that day,—then Nelly—Henry— and Maude, who once had thought that life had neither a duty nor an interest for her, knew not where to turn first, in the multiplicity of cares and occupations that presented themselves.

But happily it was not for her to decide the question; the Vicar would read the letter, and tell her what to do. So she quietly walked on to Church, where she not only arrived in very good time, but where she was enabled, by means of a strong determination, to keep her attention as perfectly fixed on the service, as if no such person as Emmeline Damer existed. When it was concluded, the Vicar called her into his room, and she put the letter into his hand without saying a word; for it was part of the system at S. Alban's that everything should be done with as little talking as possible. Strange to say, the Vicar had succeeded in training even the women of his flock to observe this rule, and to practise an almost monastic silence in all affairs connected with the parish. Many of them (including now Maude Elliston herself) were habitually engaged in good works, under his direction, and on the principle of implicit obedience to him; but in admitting them to so high and holy a privilege, he had made them perfectly understand that he was resolved to expel entirely from his parish that spirit of open-mouthed and essentially feminine "charity," which feeds its gossiping propensities and miserable vanities on the sacred afflictions of the poor, and which is but too common in many of our English parishes, especially when the incumbents and curates thereof rejoice in an unlimited number of daughters, and a regiment of self-governing district visitors.

The Vicar read the letter as silently as she gave it to him. "Sit down," he said, at last, when he had concluded; and Maude gladly obeyed, knowing that this order intimated that he had a great deal to say to her.

"I am sorry that your sister is ill," he continued ; "but for yourself I think it a providential circumstance that you are thus called away. You will go to Damerhurst to-day?"

Maude looked up hastily, and a half smile passed on the Vicar's face as he met her glance.

"Yes, it is possible that it may be good for you to leave even S. Alban's at this particular time," he said. "Was not that what you were thinking?"

"I did fancy it just happened so unfortunately," she answered