advance, promising no more than it realized, I set apart Monday as the additional day every week, for claims distinct from the prison. It was a source of great pleasure for several years, to reserve an hour or two of it to hear a number of girls and boys repeat verses from the Holy Scriptures, which they had committed to memory during the week. The largest number that ever attended was seventy, but at a later period, when Sunday schools were formed in the parish church, and in other places of worship, the number who attended became smaller, and on giving them up, I recommended them to a better advantage.

I had already begun to suffer from the effects of impure air, in the close sick-rooms of the workhouse; but whilst compelled with sincere regret to leave that department, another interesting one was opened to me in the instruction of the workhouse children, to which Monday afternoons were then happily devoted; and in this work I was ever kindly supported by the influence of every successive governor. The children were first taught in a sleeping-garret, but at length, by the kindness of the governor and overseers, a schoolroom was built in the workhouse-yard. The first schoolmaster was an old man, who did not live long. His successor was selected by the governor, as the only competent person to teach reading, but he was not a religious man, and had brought himself to poverty by drunkenness: he was, however, always attentive to my wishes, as to what the children should learn, and gave me a hearty welcome in my weekly visits. After a few years, John Stagg-for that was his name-be

His

came a decidedly religious man, and expressed much thankfulness to God for having been, by his kind providence, placed in that school-room. For several months before his death he suffered much from asthma, and when the difficulty of breathing prevented sleep, and compelled him to sit up much during the night, he would not desert the children in the day, being no longer the mere mechanical teacher, but the affectionate master, and the friend to the souls of the children. natural temper was impatient, and at an earlier period he had been unhappily anxious about the children, but when confined to his bed, and his separation from them entirely effected by the hand of God, and life was closing, he resigned his precious charge to the love of God, and with every earthly care removed, he found rest. It was a privilege to me to see this my esteemed brother in the Lord on his peaceful death-bed ; he there said, "I feel that I am a guilty sinner, but I cast myself entirely on the mercy of God in his dear Son." He was a meek and lowly saint, happy in the hope that the Lord would soon receive him. In witnessing the happy state of his mind, my desire was, that " my last end might be like his."

The next schoolmaster was an old sailor, a man of bad character, and known to be a thief; but there was no choice in our workhouse, for another able to teach reading could not be found. He, Edward Lenny, however, kindly entered into my views as respected the children; and in a few years became a decided believer in the Son of God. He was a man of somewhat grave deport

At a

ment, not of pretence, but of sound mind. future period I heard him say, "In this schoolroom God taught me what I never knew before, that I am a sinner, and that I have mercy in my Saviour." Like the former master, his faith was seen in his holiness of life; his affliction also was asthma, and before being compelled to keep his bed the last week of his life, he could not leave his beloved charge. On the first day of finding him absent from the school-room it grieved me much, for what a bereavement to the dear children was at hand! A little boy led me to the room of the master, who was sitting half upright, because of difficulty in breathing, whilst the back of his head rested against wood; in reaching a fallen pillow, for he had but one arm, and could not assist himself, an expression of compassion escaped me, which he quickly corrected, saying,

Oh, this is nothing! I could bear ten times more than this with God supporting me; how gracious God is !" The high tone of elevation, the strong expression of his countenance as he looked upward, and his manner altogether, was truly grand; well might I feel lowly in the presence of this great man, for such he was. Το the question, whether I could bring him any thing he would like, he replied thoughtfully, after a moment or two, "No, I want nothing; how good the Lord is!" On a sudden, as his eye caught the little boy in tears beside me, he exclaimed, "Blessed child! he loves his master, and reads the Testament to me." I afterwards regretted not having written down at the time some remarkable sentences he spoke, for he was the teacher then.

In his renewed mind there was indeed strong faith and hope; it was the mind of a conqueror : the impression left on my own mind was lasting and precious, for when I remember him, "he being dead yet speaketh." Our dear little pupil, James Lane, did not long survive his beloved friend and master; the boy was about thirteen or fourteen years of age, though seemingly younger, for he was short and deformed; he entered the school about two years before, and soon became interested in the course of instruction pursued. Shortly after the death of Lenny, an attack of consumption confined him to his bed, and there one might see in his pale countenance, a sweet expression of the peace which gladdened his heart; his little books and God's book were before him on his bed, and he spoke of God with love, for being taught by his Spirit, he knew "in whom he had believed." I once asked, "What would you desire, had you your choice; to get well or to die?" 66 "I would die and go to my Saviour," said the meek lamb; and he had his choice, for Jesus the good Shepherd soon called him to the fold in heaven.

The schoolmaster who succeeded Lenny, and the only competent man in many respects, was addicted to drunkenness, from which vice I had not the pleasure to see him reclaimed. In his duties with the children, he was in common points efficient; his temper was good, and he was very kind in forwarding my wishes. May mercy meet him, that he may not be found at last rejecting a Saviour in the preference of sin!

The workhouse school children were formed

into classes. All committed portions of the Holy Scriptures to memory, as well as Watts's Divine Songs, from a short sentence to a number of verses, according to their ability. The weekly day of repetition was happy to them, as well as to myself.

An important advantage was entered upon by the blessing of the Almighty about the last six or seven years of my visits. I prepared from the Holy Scriptures ten sets of questions, answered by texts, on the most prominent Scripture truths, in which all the children ever took an interest which astonished me. They were copied on sheets of pasteboard, in large writing, and hung along the walls of the school-room. I commenced teaching them myself; but on discovering that two girls, about nine or ten years old, had taught what they had learned of me to two of their bedfellows, I proposed to transfer this work to such among them as desired to undertake it, and the plan answered well. Every girl selected her own class, and the boy his, without any interference on my part. Some, in the absence of either time or talent to instruct others, taught themselves ; whilst a few, uniting to learn together, were called a company. From that time, every child who entered the school knew the lessons without being taught by me. It was a cheering sight to see the happy countenances of each of these children, teaching their little pupils for me to hear them on Monday. A few only had been taught to write by the schoolmaster, but all could read my writing on the cards.

On the first Monday of every quarter, all the