the stately boases the gleam aming ear English fieids are inhabited by this kind of tak

I happened to be reading his morning 29th March) sunne portains If the Lent services, and I came to a pause over the famille vick - And will Him they crucified two theres? Have you ever ocnsidered I speak to you Dwas a professing Christian, wig, in the accomplishment of the numbering mug transgressors," the transpressors dlasen stall bre les especially thieves-not coins er, ss fir se we know, sinners by any gross vidlice!.. De pun diserve how the sin of theft is again and again in listed as the clefy antagonistle one to the law of Christ - Tuis De said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag” („ Judas. And again, though Barabbas was a leader of sedition, and a murderer besides (that the popular election might be in all respects perfect-yet St. John, in curt and conclusive account of him, fastens again on the theft. Then cried they all again saying, Not this man, but Barabbas Now Barabas was a robber." I believe myself the reason to be that theft is indeed, in its subtle forms, the most complete and excuseless of human crimes. Sins of violence usually have passion to excuse them: they may be the madness of moments; or they may be apparently the only means of extrication from

calamity. In other cases, they are the diseased habits of lower and brutified natures. But theft involving deliberative intellect, and absence of passion, is the purest type of wilful iniquity, in persons capable of doing right. Which being so, it seems to be fast becoming the practice of modern society to crucify its Christ indeed, as willingly as ever, in the persons of His poor; but by no means now to crucify its thieves beside Him! It elevates its thieves after another fashion; sets them upon an hill, that their light may shine before men, and that all may see their good works, and glorify their Father, inthe Opposite of Heaven.

I think your trade parliament will have to put an end < to this kind of business somehow! But it cannot be done by laws merely, where the interests and circumstances are so extended and complex. Nay, even as regards lower and more defined crimes, the assigned punishment is not to be thought of as a preventive means; but only as the seal of opinion set by society on the fact. Crime cannot be hindered by punishment; it will always find some shape and outlet, unpunishable or unclosed. Crime can only be truly hindered by letting no man grow up a criminal-by taking away the will to commit sin; not by mere punishment of its commission. Crime, small and great, can only be truly stayed

by education-not the education of the intellect only, which is, on some men, wasted, and for others mischie vous; but education of the heart, which is alike good and necessary for all. So, on this matter, I will try to say one or two things of which the silence has kept my own neart heavy this many a day, in my next letter.

Letter 16.

Of Public Education irrespective of Class-distinction.— It consists essentially in giving Habits of Mercy, and Habits of Truth.

March 30, 1867.

THANK you for sending me the pamphlet containing the account of the meeting of clergy and workmen, and of the reasonings which there took place. I cannot promise you that I shall read much of them, for the question to my mind most requiring discussion and explanation is not, why workmen don't go to church, but-why other people do. However, this I know, that if, among our many spiritual teachers, there are indeed any who heartily and literally believe that the wisdom they have to teach, "is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her," and if, so believing, they will further dare to affront their congregations by the assertion; and plainly tell them they are not to hunt for rubies or gold any more, at their peril, till they have gained that which cannot be gotten for gold, nor silver

weighed fie the prive there f-such bellevers, so preachbig, sad rising to preach otherwise till they are in that attended na will never want congregations, both of wicking men and every other kind of men.

Did you ever hear of anything else so ill-named as the plantim exiled the "Pillosopher's Stone? A tällsman that shall tam base metal into precious metal, nature scknowledges not; nor would any but fools seck after it Bat & talisman to turn base souls into nolle souls, nature has given us! and that is a "Philosopher's Stone indeed, but it is a stone which the builders refuse.

If there were two valleys in California or Australia, with two different kinds of gravel in the bottom of them; and in the one stream bed you could dig up, occasionally and by good fortune, nuggets of gold; and in the other stream bed, certainly and without hazard, you could dig up little caskets, containing talismans which gave length of days and peace; and alabaster vases of precious balms, which were better than the Arabian Dervish's ointment, and made not only the eyes to see, but the mind to know, whatever it would -I wonder in which of the stream beds there would be most diggers?

"Time is money"-so say your practised merchants