schools, will combine with the ragged-school statistics to point to orphanage as an indirect cause of juvenile delinquency. It has been calculated that there are 700 orphans committed to the prisons of our country every year; that there are 2,000 committed of those who are deprived of one of their parents so that there are nearly 3,000 annually left without their natural guardians to guide them into the paths of duty, and to instil into them the practice of virtue. This is a fearful picture, which ought to excite the deepest sympathy in the minds of Christian philanthropists. It will be found that, to some extent, the same evils which obtain in the Metropolis and the larger towns prevail everywhere. The street is the nursery of the penitentiary and the gaol; the street supplies food for the hulks, the penal colonies, and the gibbet. If, therefore, it be a meritorious thing to act on behalf of the poor prisoner, the convict, and the malefactor doomed to die, it is not less laudable, and far more hopeful, to deal with the infant population from which the supply is derived. As the parents abandon their children, or die off, and they themselves grow up from childhood to early manhood, they find their way to spend the time that hangs heavy on their hands at the theatres, dancing-rooms, and other places of vicious resort, where gambling, drunkenness, and debauchery become their principal employment. Once initiated, they soon become indoctrinated in the higher mysteries of sin; and thus they go, step by step, from bad to worse, till their education in blackguardism be finished. Our object, then, in stating these facts is to fix the attention of our readers upon this multitudinous and mournfully neglected class of society. If aid come at all, it must come from without; and the only class that can be appealed to with success are those who know the truth, and who are under the influence of Christian charity. Such persons-capable of taking into consideration the whole being, as comprising both soul and body, and the whole course, as comprising both time and eternity—can alone sympathise with the condition of these miserable outcasts. While there is no species of Christian philanthropy so hopeful, there is none that can be carried on at so small a cost. Even the poorest locality is capable of instituting operations for the rescue of these children. All that is wanted is, that persons of Christian principle, zeal, and discretion, should take the matter up. Let them not fear that they will be left unsupported. Such is English societyto its praise we speak it-that no really good cause, rightly set about, ever fails for want of succour. In one light, children are a public trust; but the public has long been indifferent to its duty. That which has been felt to be everybody's business has been somehow felt to be nobody's business, and hence the thing has been deplorably neglected. This is a matter in which the Legislaturé can do but little, corporate bodies not much more, and even parishes have seldom been success ful. They have found food and mature death-then surely we ought shelter for the neglected; they have not to delay setting before them restrained them in a great degree God's appointed method of preparfrom street training and street trans- ing both old and young for evergression; and they have taught them lasting happiness. the alphabet of knowledge, and, it may be, dosed them with the Church of England Catechism; and even this is a vast improvement upon the normal condition of these poor neglected ones. But there is a far more excellent way,-a way which has been beautifully exemplified in several cases in the Metropolis. The work is one alike of piety and philanthropy, and its importance is so great that it can scarcely be overestimated. Between two and three fifths of the population of the country are entirely among the juveniles. The population of Ireland under twenty years of age is about half, and those of England, Wales, and Scotland, somewhat more than two fifths of the whole population. A fourth of the population of England and America is on the average between the ages of five and fifteen. This is a momentous fact. But apart from the consideration supplied by mortality, the fact of the brief period in which our labours in that direction are practicable ought not to be lost sight of. The little hour of seed-time soon passes away; and the golden season once gone, all further endeavours are comparatively worthless. This class of the human race, on simply numerical grounds, has great claim upon the attention of every lover of his country, and every Christian citizen. But number is not the only consideration. Death adds emphasis to figures. The number of souls passing to the grave during infancy amounts to nearly thirty of all the deaths that take place! In connection with the facts already stated, one serious consideration is this: if a course of life be theirs in which vice is permitted to add to the trials of existence by incurring the wages of sin-a pre The wants of our youthful population require, not only something comprehensive, but simple and compact. Every plan must aim, not only at the relief of the orphan and friendless and exposed child, but to cultivate among the lower classes a spirit of self-education and moral training. It appears on the surface of the matter, that, while the result of any judicious system of preventive and reformatory character will be not only temporal, but also spiritual good, the promoters of the scheme for the express benefit of the juvenile classes must be animated with motives of a higher character than expediency or pecuniary saving to the community. While our primary object in stating the facts set forth in this Letter is to invoke the compassion of our more influential readers on behalf of the neglected and perishing, a second object-all but primary-is to prompt the general reader, especially the parent, above all things to attend to the intellectual and spiritual culture of his household. No matter how simple may be the fare, if it only be nourishing; no matter how plain or how patched the clothing, if it simply serve the purpose of health. Let the inward man be adequately nourished, and in due season he will doff his rags, and replace them by broadcloth. In the race of life everything, under Providence, turns upon intelligence and character. The Counsel Chamber. DOMESTIC SERVANTS. one of God's own making—it is the Family. A primary object of study, therefore, with every good and wise man, ought to be the Domestic Constitution. As are families, so are the states which they compose; and whatever makes for the improvement of the family, to that extent makes for the improvement of the state. The foundation of all national strength and greatness is laid at the domestic hearth. Let families be the dwelling-places of light, love, THE present is a day of artificial | being overlooked. This society is societies, beyond any previous period of England's history. Everything is done, or attempted to be done, by organizations. By this means, human wealth and human power may be augmented to an indefinite extent, and deeds achieved which, but for such organizations, it had been impossible to perform. This principle was all but unknown to the ancients. Among them, the whole of society was a state, whether great or small,—a horde, a tribe, or an empire: those organizations, how-truth, justice, honour, and piety; let ever, such as they were, wielded by despotic hands, were frequently employed with great power for evil. But in our times, such organizations -the creation of the spirit of freedom-are mainly employed for purposes of good; for the promotion of knowledge, science, and literature; for the advancement of the interests all living, labouring, boarding, and of humanity amongst all classes of sufferers, and the furtherance of the interests of religion amongst all kindreds, tongues, and peoples. The principle, however abused, is eminently good, and to be reckoned among the greatest discoveries of modern times. lessons and examples of the love of God and the love of man be ever and anon communicated there, and there is no fear for the wreck of nations. When we speak of the family, however, we do not mean merely the children, but the company domestic lodging under the same roof. In former times, this was carried to an extent nowhere now visible. One of the worst tendencies of modern society is to sever completely between the employers and the employed. To a vast extent, particularly in towns and cities, this is inevitable; it is impossible to prevent it. Such a state of things is cold But there is another, not an artificial, but a natural society, the claims of which are in danger of and unnatural, and the result is to Well were it for all gentlemen who have butlers, if they had such a man as our author. We vouch for it, he is by far a better butler than was the butler of Pharaoh. In this little work he discusses the importance of the class of persons thus employed, with their responsibilities, general character, and advantages, adding some excellent chapters on the improvement of such advantages, and on "the good and faithful servant." To this he also adds a valuable essay on Masters and Servants. After this we have a disquisition on Secular Duties, which contains a great deal of excellent sense. As the best service we can do the worthy author in the way of bringing his book into notice, and as the best service we can do a class for whom we enter loosen the best bonds of society. Domestic servants, as a class, constitute, as the Census shows, a prodigious multitude; and their importance to society can scarcely be over-estimated. They hold in their hands the peace and the comfort of families, and the welfare of the rising generation, to an extent which it is impossible to calculate. These servants, to a large degree, are a highly respectable as well as important class. They discharge momentous duties; and it is not to be forgotten that they have privileges as well as duties. While their employers, then, are alive to their own rights in relation to their servants, it is proper they should be equally alive to the rights of the servants in relation to them. On both sides, rights and duties are reciprocal. Complaints are extensively preva-tain the highest respect, we shall set lent of bad servants, and there can be no doubt that, to a large extent, they are well grounded; at the same time, it must not be assumed that there are no bad masters and no bad mistresses. There are, doubtless, imperfections, and occasionally faults, on both sides. It will, we think, nevertheless, be generally allowed, that good masters, as a rule, produce good servants; while the converse of this holds equally true-good servants go far to make good masters. But our object, on the present occasion, is to introduce to our readers a pretty little book, which has lately come to our hands, entitled, "Hints to Domestic Servants, addressed more particularly to Male and Female Servants connected with the Nobility, Gentry, and Clergy; by a Butler in a Gentleman's Family." forth the substance and marrow of this useful dissertation: "With the best feelings for their welfare, both temporal and spiritual, will endeavour to give such advice as my past experience and observation convince me is needed. It is by no means my desire to make an undue exposure of the faults of servants; my principal object in writing this little work is, to draw their attention to the one grand question, How stand matters between God and my soul?' a question little thought of by servants generally, but one which highly concerns every one seriously to consider. The present chapter, however, will treat principally of matters relating to the work in which, as servants, they are engaged. "The first thing I would recommend is, CLEANLINESS. No person will make a good servant who is not habitually clean, clean in person and in work. Nothing is more offensive to a lady or gentleman than to have a dirty slovenly servant about them, male or female. In a nobleman's or gentleman's house there can be no excuse for this. It is an old adage, 'Cleanliness is next to godliness. Is he or she clean in person and work? is generally among the first questions asked when the character is applied for. It is easy to judge of the cleanliness of persons by the manner in which their work is done. A clean person will do all his work well. "But in order to this, it is needful TO GET UP IN GOOD TIME, which is the second thing I would suggest and strongly urge. It is almost a thing impossible for servants to be clean in person or in work, if they do not rise early. Their work generally, in the morning, has to be done by a stated time, which, if they are late in rising, must be hurried over, -consequently, it is not done well. Then very soon complaints are made, and they frame some excuse in order to justify themselves; but the truth is, they were late in getting up. It is too well known to need comment, that late rising throws servants be hindhand most of the day. They cannot arrange their work, nor do it either well or by the proper time; and you know that punctuality is a great recommendation in servants. "It would be difficult, if not impossible, for me to fix an hour as a rule, for servants to rise, that would apply equally to all, because of the variety of pursuits, and the different habits of the gentry; but in each family there is commonly one general routine of duty,-so that when servants know their work, they should arrange it, and rise sufficiently early to have it easily accomplished at the proper time. Very gay families, in London, are often late in going to bed; they are, of course, late in rising the next morning. Families following business generally retire earlier. Servants should, however, in all cases, strive to be up early in the morning, and establish a habit of early rising. 66 Early risers have time to reflect upon the goodness of the great Being who blesses them with health and strength, and the numerous comforts of life; and those who fear God will bow the knee to him before they leave their bedroom, and thank him for his past mercies,-will ask for blessings for the future, and for wisdom to guide them in all the duties of life. It very grievous to know that by many this great duty is entirely neglected, especially where two or three occupy one room. But why should that be an hindrance to prayer? Are we infidels? Can we prosper in our duties without God? And is not our soul of more value and importance than the whole world? Besides, sincere and earnest prayer to God in the morning is the best preparation for the right discharge of our secular duties. It gives a balance to our passions-a steadiness to our purpose-a vigour and cheerfulness to our minds, which can be derived from no other source; and enables us to do more, and to do it better, than we otherwise could. But how can they perform this duty, when they will not rise from their beds till they are quite obliged to go to their duties, which they must then hurry over or neglect? The consequence is, their homage to their Maker, and their duty to their master, are both shamefully neglected. This is a great failing in servants, old and young, male and female. How little is thought of the amount of time wasted in bed. One hour gained by early rising each day would make more than a fortnight in the year; and a great deal of improvement may be gained in two weeks. "It is often seen that one evil follows another. Owing to the above failing, continual complaints are made; ill-feeling shows itself; no one has time to do a good-natured act for another. This reminds me of some tracts I read a short_time ago, entitled, 'It is not my Business,' and 'Do your own Work.' They exhibit the ill-nature of servants to one another, with many unkind speeches, such as 'It is not my work;' 'I have no time to help you;' 'I have got plenty to do;' Do your own work." This is owing |