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denizens I am not aware- -perhaps by some such as the poor shoemaker, John Pounds, on Plymouth dock used, whose pot of hot potatoes on a cold day used to furnish a bribe by which the boys were drawn within the circle of instruction. The good youths must have had many a fruitless or at least disappointing stroll on the docks and around Hudson and Greenwich Streets, before they assembled the nucleus of what are now very flourishing schools.

And here we find gathered "the stepchildren of nature and fortune, the outcast, the benighted, the brutalised, and the homeless." Surely here we shall find Horace Greeley and some of his brave three thousand, toiling with might and main to raise the motley crowd to the level of the common school. They may be there, but I did not hear of them. Well, but the children are assembled. What shall we call them ? There's much in a name ! Though every knee and elbow testifies that it is a ragged gathering, though every mop-head unconscious of a comb, and many a shirtless neck buttoned round by the collar of a coat big enough for father, proves that they are uncared for, yet "it is not right to have it thus set down."-Ragged school indeed! Which of all those four hundred tatterdemalions would enter your door, in spite of the temptation of a dry seat and warm stove, if you give it such an opprobrious name. Benevolence is ingenious. It will not be balked by any obstacle that can be managed; and so, to publish itself in

the district without offence, it hangs out its cotton placard, on Sundays only, with "THE BOYS' MEETING," in capital letters, for guidance to the wanderers.

Here they come, pell mell! but a composed person meets them at the door, whispers a calm word or two, admits them one by one, and turns them over to another, who seats them. And now look along the benches. Here are four hundred creatures full of grimace, restlessness, trick, and temper, ready to fly to buffets, if but their neighbours touch them. A good man, with fire in his eye and zeal in his heart, tells them a little of Him who made and preserves, and can destroy or save them, and asks the open-mouthed, unintelligent throng to join him in prayer. He directs an attitude and act quite new to them, and seeing them all down on their knees, he closes his own eyes, and addresses a few simple petitions to his reconciled Father in heaven; but when again he looks up, what does he find?-that the occupants of the front seats, out of sheer ignorance and fun, have crept under the benches, till they have actually reached and stood up at the lower end of the room, laughing at their exploit, and as busy as may be, tugging, knocking, and struggling with each other. Oh! hopeless crew! Shall the good man turn you out and resign his attempt? By no means. The ingenuity of benevolence is not so soon spent. He tells them if they will replace themselves, he and his friends will sing for them, and if they like it they may learn to sing

too. The wondering and diverted mob flows back, and distributes itself once more over the seats. The good man recites twice or thrice the words of a single verse, and he and his associates raise a lively tune. We have all heard what it is that music has charms to soothe. It is wonderful, that power. After two or three repetitions of that one verse, one and another takes up the strain, till all the musical ears, which happily are always nine-tenths of any company, have caught it, and are engaged in following the air. Now he has got them interested, their leader will learn the words, we will sing it together," and thus is the point of the wedge inserted. Presently it is driven deeper. "Now, if you will be quiet, I will read you a story, and then we will sing our verse again before we part;" and so perhaps the "prodigal son," or "the man that fell among thieves," is read, and at least a third listen, and the hymn is repeated, the blessing prayed over their neglected heads, and off they go, amused and surprised by the novelty, and chiming the new tune, and newer stanza, as they run.

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They had been some months under training when I saw them-steady and quiet by help of a little admonition from their teachers, who, it was observable, did not venture to exact much mental effort from them. They sung two or three hymns, answered as many questions, listened with tolerable decency to a passage of Scripture and its explanation, and with lively interest to a narrative which

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was related in a way that could not fail to fix their minds. They were steady at prayer, and although I could not but observe that the distributor of the singing-books took a very exact account, lest any should be smuggled away, they were treated kindly and respectfully, and gave kindness and respect in There were many clean faces and smooth heads, and even a few tidy suits of clothes, which doubtless owed their origin to "the Boys' Meeting." Some countenances, bright and beaming, turned earnestly to the teachers, and gave promise of springing from the slough where they were found, not only to respectability in society, but to a home beyond the skies, and to the society of just men made perfect. It was delightful to observe hope sustaining the good men through their labour, and the love and energy with which they were borne forward.

I regret not having thought of the story so as to write it in the graphic manner in which it was told. Its outline is this:-A boy who feared not God, nor obeyed his mother, set out to roam with others on a Sabbath afternoon, several years ago—when the spot on which we were now seated was a green field. The field was enclosed by a ragged paling, with here and there an upright plank. On one of these planks was written in chalk, "Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." The boy observed the words. They smote his conscience-he feared to go on, but was ashamed to tell his companions why he

turned back; so he gradually dropt behind and slipt away. The tale went on, how a kind person invited him to go to church, how he afterwards went voluntarily to school-how he was apprenticed, and pleased his master by his truth and industry-and how at last, taking pity on boys who might not see a chalk text on the paling as he had done, he had now become a Sabbath-school teacher. He left the Boys' Meeting" to draw any inference it pleased; but one might guess the inference was, that the person spoken of was their kind teacher himself.

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As we entered the door of this meeting, two little fellows who were seated on the steps were invited by the visitors to go up to school. They replied, quite civilly, that they would, if they found it suited. "Nay, now, no fear of its suiting-just come with me." "We will see about it." "What need to wait and see about it?-come along now." "We will come if we find it convenient." "But please to go up with me-I am a stranger, you can shew me the door." They arose, and one, pointing, said, "I would go up if it were necessary; but it is the first door, you can't miss it." The quiet independence of the little chaps was a mark of national character. A Scotch boy would have run away, or said something impudent, if he were resolved to refuse. The American had made up his mind, and merely stated it with perfect civility. My curiosity was excited, and by watching I made out their reason. A band of Odd Fellows, with all their

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