nation because his friends and companions are to be found in the middle, or even in the lower ranks of society? If so, how many of our present clergy would 'Droitwich" think unfit for the sacred office they fill? The "refined and educated intelligence" most suitable for the office of assistant-deacon, is that spiritual intelligence which "Presbyter" has described as the necessary qualification for a candidate for holy orders. Nay there would be some gain in the very lowness of the connections, as was clearly shown in the two deeply interesting papers " On Attaching the Middle and Lower Orders to the Church," at pages 43 and 125 of your first volume.

The third query is—" Have not schoolmasters already more devolving upon them than they can well and satisfactorily discharge? Are not the duties of schoolmaster in our parochial and national schools far too heavy?" I must here beg to refer "Droitwich" to the practice of most of the grammar schoolmasters, who not only labour in their schools during the week, but have two, and sometimes three services to perform on a sabbath-day, besides the occasional duty during the week. I know a clergyman, the master of a grammar school, who has to attend his school duties during the week, and on the sabbath morning has about four miles to walk to his church, where he has, unassisted, two full services to perform; after which he has to walk home again. This he has done for the last ten or twelve years. But, to bring the matter within our own body, how many of our national schoolmasters, in addition to their school duties, fill other offices; for instance, that of clerk at the church with which they are connected, as I do myself. Many, too, are obliged to take private pupils or keep evening schools, or to have recourse to employments of still greater drudgery, in order to eke out a scanty subsistence. If, then, the grammar schoolmaster can fill the offices of schoolmaster and clergyman, and the national schoolmaster those of schoolmaster and parish clerk, &c., &c., could not the latter individual fill the offices of schoolmaster and assistant-deacon to his parish minister? It is a point, too, not to be omitted, that if you increase the respectability and authority of the schoolmaster, you decrease his school labours; for obedience to his commands will be in proportion to the degree of respect he is held in, not only by the children under his care, but also by the parents and neighbours.

His fourth query-"Is it proposed to create a fund to offer the schoolmaster a larger amount of income, and a more honourable sphere of labour? or, in what way is it intended to offer inducements 'to many' to undertake the office of schoolmaster, particularly those who are in every way most fitted for it?"-brings us to a most important branch of educational economy-the salaries of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses. How can we expect to have a well educated and respectable race of teachers in our national schools, whilst the salaries are so miserably poor. If we compare the salaries of teachers with the wages of the mechanic, or even the common day labourer, we shall find the teacher not unfrequently the worst paid. How often do we see advertisements for "a national schoolmaster and mistress, man and wife, well trained and qualified, with good testimonials," &c., where the joint salary is stated to be £60, aye £50, and even £40 a year! Take

At £1 a

Suppose

now a carpenter; he will have from £1 to £1 4s. a week. week he will have £50 a year, allowing two weeks' holidays. his wife to be a dressmaker, one of the lower class in her trade, who go out to people's houses to do their work; she will have at least 1s. a day and her food. We will allow but 2d. for her breakfast, 3d. for dinner, 2d. for tea, and 2d. for supper; that is equal to 9d. per day, which added to her wages will be 1s. 9d. per day, or £26 a year, allowing for holidays ; this, added to her husband's wages, gives an income of £76 a year. But take, as another instance, an under-gardener, or even a farm servant; his wages will be from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per day, with beer, and sometimes bread and cheese morning and afternoon. Allowing 4d. per day for beer, cheese, and bread, and his wages only at 2s. per day, he will be receiving equal to 2s. 4d. per day, or 14s. per week, equal to £35 a year, allowing two weeks' holidays. Then suppose his wife to go out as a common charwoman, she will have 1s. per day and her food; her food will be worth 9d. per day, or, as before, £26 a year, making a total of £61 a year for their joint salaries; whilst the joint salaries of a schoolmaster and schoolmistress, who are required to be well educated and of good character, is only £40 a year, with, perhaps, a small house worth £5 a year more.

The small sum of £30 a year would be sufficient for the office of assistant deacon, whilst it would require three times that sum to employ a curate for the same clerical duties; and this small sum would enable the schoolmaster to keep up that respectability which is indispensably necessary for the office of schoolmaster, if we are to do any real good by educating the poor. They must be taught to respect their schoolmaster as well as their parish minister, or education will be almost fruitless. The mere teaching children to read and write ought not to be our aim; we must teach them their duty to God and their neighbour; to submit themselves to their governors, spiritual pastors, and masters; to order themselves lowly and reverently to all their betters; in short, we must teach them 'habits of industry, the exercise of every social virtue and affection, added to the spirit of godliness," or our labours will be worse than useless.

What respect can we look for from a child, who has been accustomed to see us treated by our committees just in the same manner as the children in the school are treated? It is said, "there is no rule without exception," and I am most happy in being able to bear testimony to the many honourable exceptions in this case. Yet I cannot but think that a "Surrey Schoolmaster" has been most fortunate, if he has hitherto always found that "in school" his will is law." What good can we expect from our labours, so long as the parents of the children under our care are allowed by our committees and school managers to come to the school, and, as they term it, give the master or mistress "a good blowing up," and tell us to our face, in the presence of the children, that they will have us before our betters," (meaning the committee), and this, too, because we have been carrying out the committee's own rules. Let the national schoolmaster, as a distinguished prelate said lately, be considered (and, in order to this, made), subordinate officers of the church-let them be treated with due respect by the clergy and

"

school committees- give them the means of keeping themselves and families respectable, and we shall soon find that the parents of the children will respest them, and that the children will reverence and obey them; the schoolmaster will be able to do more good than is being done under the present system, and he will also be able and willing to perform the additional duty which the office of deacon would bring upon him."

In your number for February, Droitwich objects to the ordination of certain schoolmasters, because they are already "overworked,”—because "the duties of rightly imparting a sound education to the young, comprehends a sphere of usefulness within itself, beyond which the best efforts of the mind or body cannot be extended,"-because "no single mind or body is capable of any degree or kind of usefulness beyond what is comprehended in the duties of a christian teacher;" and yet he very charitably would much prefer seeing clergymen becoming schoolmasters, than schoolmasters, under any circumstances, becoming clergymen;" as if a clergyman had more than one body or mind, or was capable of enduring more fatigue and hardships than another being. If a clergyman could perform the duties of priest and schoolmaster, I hold that a properly qualified schoolmaster could do all that is proposed. As the ordained schoolmaster is not expected to preach or write sermons, or to entirely relieve the minister from the superintendence of the school, his only additional duties would be to assist in reading the prayers, &c., visiting the sick and needy, and assisting in the administration of the sacraments. Now, as the schoolmaster has generally to attend church with his scholars when there is service, it would be as easy for him to read the prayers and lessons for the clergyman, as to make the responses with the rest of the congregation; and as he feels it his privilege to receive the holy communion, it would not be very laborious for him to assist in the administration, when necessary. Droitwich" asks,

Does he (the schoolmaster) never visit a parent at home, and endeavour to exercise such an influence as may re-act upon the pupil?" "Does he never attend the sick or dying bed of those who are his peculiar charge?" If he is to visit the parishioners, to inquire after the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children, would it greatly increase his labour to make the same inquiry respecting themselves? Could not the schoolmaster, in such cases, be of use to inform the clergyman of the wants of the sick and needy, and assist him in the distribution of those charities he may have at his disposal. If schoolmasters were ordained ministers of God, they "would have a much clearer apprehension of the nature and dignity, not of their new, but of their old functions," and would feel themselves much better prepared and qualified for the important duty of visiting even a child in its dying

moments.

A short time ago one of my scholars was reported sick. I called to see him, and found him in a low feeble state; he was much pleased to see me, but seemed even more pleased to answer my questions respecting Christ and his hopes of salvation, should it please God to take him then. His mother, whilst tears rolled down her cheeks, told me that he was already resigned and willing to depart, and that he had told her

he had already a good hope that he should go to Jesus. He sank rapidly, and one morning his father called upon me, and said his son wished to see me once more before he died. I immediately went to see him, and found him in the agonies of death. He was pleased again to see me and tried to speak, but it was too late. I asked him if he would like me to pray with him (or rather to read the appropriate prayers), when he again tried to speak but could not. The awfulness of the occasion reminded me that I was not the proper person to perform so sacred a duty, and I again asked him whether he would rather I or the minister prayed with him, as I was not an ordained minister of God; he expressed by his actions and looks that he preferred the minister, and when I set out to fetch him, the boy's looks and expressions of pleasure were such that I shall not soon forget them. The minister immediately attended, and the boy died at night. Now, Rev. Sir, how much better qualified should I have felt myself for preparing that child for his awful, but to him happy change, had I been an ordained minister of God? Though the child was pleased when I proposed praying with him, it was evident he was more pleased when I proposed calling in the minister of the parish; and this, because I have always felt it my duty to teach the children committed to my charge, that the medium through which we are to receive the blessings of God, is his regularly ordained ministers-St. John, ch. xx, v. 23. Acts, ch. viii, v. 14, 17. St. Mat. ch. xvi, v. 18, 19. 2nd Cor. ch. iv, v. 7.

In conclusion, I would, Rev. Sir, with all due respect to our clergy, ask "Droitwich" one question :-Are the clergy, speaking generally, better qualified to undertake the office of national schoolmaster, than the national schoolmaster is to take the office of assistant deacon to his parish minister?

I am, Rev. Sir,

your

obedient servant,

A NATIONAL SCHOOLMASTER. *

HINTS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF A SUNDAY SCHOOL.

[The reader will perceive that this paper was not written with a view to publication. It will sufficiently explain its own history.-ED.]

THE great object of a sunday school is to lead the children to heaven. We must accomplish this by means, and as I believe the Established Church to be the instrument appointed by our Saviour, I should therefore try to lead the children through it. But my aim would be to make the children see that I was trying to lead them to heaven, and I should endeavour to attach them to the church, by making them feel that the instructions of the church were the means of bringing us all into a more holy state-a state more fitted for heaven. Therefore I should be anxious to preserve in the school a quiet steady sober tone,

* [Many of our readers will be glad to hear that a second national schoolmaster has gone out to a distant colony, with the prospect of admission into Deacon's Orders, and that some more will probably be sent out shortly.-ED.]

rather than to give them any very extended portion of information. I should try to make the scholars think of their own advancement in holiness, school holiness, if I may use the term, rather than school proficiency; to make them understand that behaving ill in church is more offensive than not having learnt their weekly task: both are wrong, but to approach God with irreverence seems a more direct offence against him. On this principle I would not allow the children to take places at a sunday school.

As to the mechanical management of the scholars.

There must be one superintendent, who must always be there in person, or by deputy. The superintendent should be above the middle age, of quiet regular habits, apt to govern, one who will be obeyed, but will consult the wishes of both the scholars and teachers.

There should be a teacher to about every seven children, more or less, according to circumstances. The superintendent will have no peculiar class, but may occasionally supply the place of an absent one. In large parishes the clergyman will more effectually act as a visiter than take any office, but this too will be regulated by circumstances.

The same teacher will generally carry on the same class of children, as far as may be, from their entrance into the school, to the time of their leaving it. The teachers and scholars then become more attached to each other, and if teachers can visit the homes of their scholars, they will gain a much greater influence over them, and effect more good.

It is of the utmost importance that the scholars in the same class should be nearly equal to each other in their intellectual attainments; for otherwise the best instruction given to one is wearisome to another, and not understood by the third. The arranging of this is the chief work of the superintendent, and a meeting for the purpose of making the necessary changes should take place at least once a quarter. This renders it necessary that the superintendent should be practically acquainted with every class, and the instruction given in it. The teachers must report as to the relative progress made by the several scholars. Thus, on the day of meeting, out of the seven scholars, one is found to be so far beyond the others that their progress is retarded, while another is equally behind their fellows. The superintendent must judge where to place these two thus removed, and try to supply their vacancies by children freshly admitted into the school, or from those who are removed under the same process from some other class. This requires judgment and experience, and should never be left to a deputy. From what has been said, it is I think obvious that the classes had better not be numbered, but called by the name of the teacher, lest the removal of the scholars, on account of intellectual qualities, should dispose the children to attach more than a due value to them. They are very valuable, they are great talents committed to our care, we cannot conceal their importance; but we need not add to the weight which our heavenly father has assigned to them.

In order to give individuality to the classes, each teacher should have an absence book for it (I know of no better than the Manual for the Sunday School Teacher, by the Rev. J. Hull, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, price 6d.), and a bag containing a set of all the