POETRY.

For the American Magazine.

The Home of My Youth.

When I was young, I lov'd to stray Where trout in yonder brook did play, But little thought I e'er should come In sorrow to my native home.

For I was happy then and gay, And spent the summer hours in play; And many a friend, both kind and fair, Liv'd by the stream and lov'd me there

But now I come from wand'ring far, O'er distant seas and scenes of war; And, near the cool and shady grove, I miss the forms that once I lov'd.

I tread the path that, winding still, Leads by the bank and up the hill, And think I hear, from every door, Some voice that I shall hear no more.

The meadow-larks their songs resume, The water-lilies their perfume; The sun breaks out with placid ray, As sweet as then, at closing day;

My father's feet, which trod with mine This humble path in life's decline, Now calmly rest beneath the shade By yonder weeping willow's shade.

The little band who once with glee Here rais'd their cheerful shouts with me, Dispers'd in distant scenes and climes Have long forgot those happy times.

But yet, why grieve thus sad and lone? My path with heavenly flowers is sown ; The Bible, hope and God are mine : Those absent friends I'll soon rejoin.

ENIGMA.-No. 38.

I am composed of 19 letters. My 1, 9, 12, 18, 7, 10, was a celebrated English Poet.

My 2, 2, 5, 8, 12, was a British officer in the Late War.

My 3, 15, 13, 6, 1, 5, 10, was a Judge of Connecticut.

My 4, 12, 9, 17, 18, 7, 10, was an American General,

My 5, 10, 17, 13, was a Queen of England. My 8, 16, 11, was an American General in the Revolution.

My 9, 17, 10, 7, 4, 13, 10, 18, was a Pope of Rome.

My 10, 14, 12, 3, 7, 17, was a celebrated English Naval officer.

My 12, 16, 7, was a Pope of Rome.

My 13, 5, 18, 7, 10, was an American officer in the Late War.

My 14, 19, 6, 5, was an ancient writer.

My 15, 5, 8, 13, is an American historian. My 16, 3, 18, 15, 13, 6, was an ancient Queen.

My 17, 14, 6, 7, was a Roman Emperor. My 18, 15, 7, 1, 5, 3, was an American General.

My 19, 14, 10, 7, was an ancient Philosopher. My whole is a distinguished American Authoress. MARTIN F. TUTUILER.

Seven Islands, Va.

AN EXAMPLE FOR TEACHERS.-Mrs. Wesley was a women of singular talents and rare excellence, so learned that she was able to prepare her sons for the college. She had the chief education of her numerous children. One day her husband, the worthy rector of Epworth, was busy with his learned labor, probably with his Commentary on Job.' Mrs. Wesley was teaching the children in the same room, and had occasion to repeat again and again the same lesson. Mr. Wesley, perhaps a little irritated by his abstruse studies, arose and said, with much feeling, My dear, why do you teach the child the same thing twenty times over ?" She replied with feminine meekness, "Because, my love, nineteen times won't do."

THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE. AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. With numerous Engravings. Edited by Theodore Dwight.

Is published weekly, at the 'office of the New York Express, No. 112 Broadway, at 4 cents a number, or, to subscribers paying in advance, $2 a year. 7 sets for $10. Monthly, in covered pamphlets at same price. Rare seeds sent to Subscribers.

Postmasters are authorized to remit money, and are requested to act as agents.

Enclose a Two Dollar Bill, without payment of postage, and the work will be sent for the year. "The information contained in this work is worth more than silver."-N. Y. Observer.

"It should be in every family in the country." N. Y. Baptist Recorder.

The Methodist Chr. Advocate, N. Y. Courier, &c., &c., highly recommend the work. (Vols. I. and II. bound.)

Every sabbath-school teacher, at least every one who has practised his noble profession in one of our poor city schools, will recognise in this picture a familiar scene. We do not intend to say, that many of our American sabbath-schools are filled with children of so degraded an aspect, such extreme poverty and destitution, as are shown in the assemblage. On the contrary, it is generally allowed, by those of our friends whose opinions we have heard, that we have as yet no considerable numbers of children in any of our cities, who are sunk so low in misery as multitudes to be found in London. But, at the same time, it is admitted, with almost equal readiness, that the number of the neglected and misled is increasing, and that there is extreme need of immediate and active exertions, to be undertaken in earnest, and prosecuted with perseverance, in some manner, and by some means not yet attempted, to secure the country from some of the greatest dangers to which it is exposed.

Vices are in active operation, and their tendency is to degrade character, just so far as they prevail; and every mind affected by their poisonous breath will go on in a course of deterioration, if left to itself, all the while doing its own part to spread the horrid infection. We use here, from choice, terms associated with loathsome and deadly diseases, because we wish to make deep impressions on the feelings of our readers. We wish to see the day dawning, when moral evil shall be looked upon by good men, with the same lively interest which all feel at the appearance of a spreading plague. We wish to see not only crime, but degradation and ignorance, regarded with the same seriousness as the symptoms of the yellow fever, and the cholera. If we could have our will, there would be committees of safety appointed to-day, in every city, town and even village in the Union, to take immediate measures against the extension of ignorance, as well as of immorality; and the most virtuous, intelligent and wealthy citizens. should be foremost in the enterprise. If we had the eloquence of the most irresistible orator, and the attention of the whole nation, we would make them feel one truth, and in a manner never to be forgotten or slighted: that the personal, as well as the public interest of all would

be most effectually secured by the immediate adoption of judicious measures to secure the intellectual, moral and religious training of the children now on the stage, and to extend similar advantages to as many of the adult population as can be reached. The experience of the most successful philanthropists, at home and abroad, should be called to our aid; and the highest honors and rewards should be conferred, by universal acclamation, on those who should show us how to apply their inventions most ef fectually to the great ends desired.

Expressions like these might perhaps have appeared enthusiastic a few years ago, when there were fewer minds convinced of the importance of the subject than now. Thousands of practical teachers have grown up, within a few years, under the benign and extensive system of sabbath-school instruction, who can more or less appreciate the benefits which an universal and sound plan of educating the poor is capable of conferring on the country. One circumstance after another occasionally arises, to show, in some light, the transcendent importance of such an undertaking. On one hand a neglected youth, or a neighborhood abandoned to evil influences, offers something to alarm on another we meet with the happy, but legitimate and indeed necessary effects of good remedies well applied; and thus we are excited by fear or by hope, by pain or by pleasure, to ask again and again the question, is not the country ready to begin?

:

A strong and novel motive is now operating on many of the most decided and experienced friends of the poor in some of our cities. An experiment of the right kind, has been made in London, and others in Scotland, which have already met with signal success. The 'Ragged Schools' of London are what we first refer to; and to those we invite the first attention of our readers, aided by the very just and spirited engraving, which we have placed at the head of our number for this week.

THE RAGGED SCHOOLS OF LONDON.

"It is not more than seven or eight years since the attention of benevolent people in London was called to the forlorn condition of thousands of youth, of both sexes, who, not only in stature, but in wickedness, had grown beyond the reach of common sunday-schools, and

many of whom had become already notorious for crime. There were parts of the city and suburbs of London, in which crowds of these miserable creatures were found. These were justly called 'breeding places for the hulks and jails, too horrible to contemplate.'

As early as 1839-40,.a very destitut district in the vicinity of London was explored, and hundreds of people were found in a state of the most deplorable ignorance and poverty. For their sakes. an evening service was opened, and the most destitute were furnished with suitable garments to enable them to attend. The effort was frustrated by the abusive and violent conduct of vicious youth, who pelted the people and their teachers, as well as the building where they were, with stones and other missiles. It was then thought best to attempt to bring these youth under some good influences. They were already far advanced in criminal courses. As an evidence of this, it is stated that in one of the earliest schools, when the class-book was called over, the following were ancng the replies recorded: John Brown: "Gone to Tothill-fields"" [a House of Correction.] James Smith: Please, sir, he's been to Bow street" [police office,] "and has got a week on the mill," [the tread mill.] George Tompkins: "He's in Newgate, [the chief London prison,] sir." Henry Cole: "Please, sir, he was caught last night, but he'll soon be out."

The evening service being exchanged for an evening school, the scene which the new assembly presented, beggars all description. The teachers could secure no order, and the intervals of silence within the school, were disturbed by the showers of missiles on the roof of the building, by those who were without.

To preserve the public peace, it was necessary to have the police in attendance. Occasionally, indeed, there was a cessation of noise from screams, catcalls, whistles, falling forms, and other strange sounds, but the moment there was an attempt to sing a hymn, many would begin a profane and often indecent song, and all attempt at worship failed.

Not discouraged by these difficulties, the promoters of he school called for aid; and several warm-hearted, self-denying friends came into the midst of this mob-like company, and thus by dividing the labour, and assigning a small number

to the care of each, they seemed to be reduced to some kind of order. Not a session of the school passed however, without some outbreaking of violent rudeness and insult. As illustrative of these proceedings, it may be mentioned that in the midst of the exercises, a boy took out of his pockets a live mouse, with a string made fast to its tail. It was allowed to run away as far as it could, when a general hunt took place. The confusion can easily be conceived. On another occasion much alarm was created, by a 1ghted cracker being thrown on the floor. After one of the teachers had trimmed one of the lamps, the oil can was taken away. On taking his hat to leave the school, he found the contents of the oil can had been deposited in it, to his no small annoyance.

As a specimen of the class of pupils for whose good these trials and insults were endured, we have room but for the following:

A lad was asked his name, which he gave. "Where do you live?" inquired the teacher. There was no answer, but the boy turned his face away. A little fellow in the same class remarked, "Please, sir, he don't lived nowhere!" "Indeed! how is that?" "His father and mother are both dead, and he has had no one to take care of him for two years: he sleeps under carts or sheds, or whereever he can. He was nearly naked, the upper part of his body being covered with a small piece of brown holland. "He always comes down our street at night," observed a boy, "and I give him a bit of my supper, or he'd have none." "That's true," replied another, "and though he's so poor, he keeps himself clean, for he goes down to the river early in the morning, and well washes himself."

Of the girl's schoo we nave statements showing the urgent necessity of similar provisions for them. [Of this school we have an interesting view in our print.] [To be Continued.

Restorations disappoint the loyal. If princes at such times, have much to give, they have also much to gain; and policy dictates the necessity of bestowing rather to conciliate enemies, than to reward friends.-LACON.

Bahia, in Brazil.

Concluded from page 179. "Notwithstanding the severe trial to the olfactories of some thousands of people, which is sure to result from the capture of a whale, yet such an event is a general occasion of triumph at Bahia. Hundreds of people, the colored especially, throng around to witness the monster's dying struggles, and to procure portions of his flesh, which they cook and eat. Vast quantities of this flesh are cooked in the streets, and sold by Quitandeiras. Numbers of swine also feast upon the carcass of the whale; and all who are not specially discriminating in their selection of pork in the market, during the season of these fisheries, are liable to get a taste of the whale, nolens volens.' This whale-fishery was once the greatest in the world. At the close of the seventeenth century, it was rented by the crown for thirty thousand dollars annually. The American whalers occasionally take whales off this coast, but in gencral they find other cruising grounds more profitable.

"From the beach, we ascended a winding path to the Victoria hill, passing by the English cemeterey, which, although small, is delighfully located. The house in which Mr. P. resided was small, but tastefully arranged, with an ample garden in front. Adjoining it, had recently been constructed an addition, which served as a chapel. This room was so arranged as to seat, comfortably, eighty or a hundred persons. The usual number in attendance would average sixty, about half the number of English residents. After our excursion, Mr. Parker accompanied me to dine with Mr. Whately, acting British consul; and thus my first day's visit to Bahia passed away in the most agreeable manner.

"The evening and night I spent with Mr. Foster, acting American consul, at whose house I was kindly invited to make my home. The next morning that gentleman conducted me through the prin cipal parts of the city, which I had not already seen. The almost entire absence of horses and mules in the streets, did not soon cease to appear singular. An unusual number of goats and pigs, was hardly sufficient to supply the lack of the aforementioned animals.

"We entered the chapel of the convents of San Bento and S. Francisco.

The former is barren of ornament; the latter extravagantly profuse. The chapel of the Misericordia was dressed out with hangings and ornaments, in anticipation of some festa. The old cathedral, an immense edifice, which had been constructed with great expense, was found in quite an indifferent state of repair. In a wing of this building, from which may be enjoyed a very commanding view of the harbor, is the public library. The regulations of this institution are similar to those of the national library at Rio. It contains about ten thousand volumes, a large portion of which are in French.. Some valuable manuscripts are also in preservation here. In this immediate neighborhood, are the archiepiscopal palace and seminary, and the old Jesuit college, now used as a military hospital. The latter building, together with the church of Nossa Senhora da Conceicao on the Praya, may also be said to have been built in Europe; at least the principal stone work for them was cut, fitted, and numbered, on the other side of the Atlantic, and imported ready for immediate erection. The president's palace is also but a short distance from this locality. It is a substantial building, of ancient date, located upon one side of an open square.

"Although I intend to introduce, in this connection, some account of my second visit and longer sojourn in Bahia, yet I apprehend the reader will be pleased with a brief sketch of the history of the city, antecedent to further observations. In preparing this sketch I shall, in addition to facts given by Mr. Southey, avail myself of the labors of Senhor Ignacio Accioli de Cerqueira e Silva, whose work, entitled Memorias Historicas e Politicas da Provincia da Bahia, in four volumes, lies before me.

"The writer has devoted several years to the minute investigation of the history of his native city and province, and has detailed the results at great length, and doubtless with accuracy."

[The following is a mere outline of the sketch given by Mr. Kidder.]

"Bahia de todas os Santos, the Bay of All Saints, was discovered in 1503 by Americus Vespucius, who was then voyaging under the patronage of the king of Portugal, Don Manoel. Vespucius car. ried home from the coast of Santa Cruz, as the newly-discovered country was first