and white handkerchief; and many a grateful father spared his linen waistcoat and bettermost hat, to induce his grownup son to attend; for it was a rule with which Mrs. Jones began, that she would not receive the younger children out of any family who did not send their elder ones. Too many made excuses that their shoes were old, or their hat worn out. But Mrs. Jones told them not to bring any excuses to her which they could not bring to the day of judgment; and among those excuses she would hardly admit any except accidents, sickness, or attendance on sick parents or young children.

Subscriptions.

Mrs. Jones, who had secured large subscriptions from the gentry, was desirous of getting the help and countenance of the farmers and trades-people, whose duty and interest she thought it was to support a plan calculated to im

prove the virtue and happiness of the parish. Most of them subscribed, and promised to see that their workmen sent their children. She met with little opposition till she called on farmer Hoskins. She told him, as he was the richest farmer in the parish, she came to him for a handsome subscription. "Sub"scription!" said he, "it is nothing "but subscriptions, I think; a man had "need be made of money."-"Farmer," said Mrs. Jones, "God has blessed you "with abundant prosperity, and he ex"pects you should be liberal in propor"tion to your great ability."— " I do "not know what you mean by blessing,”

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said he "I have been up early and "late, lived hard while I had little, and "now when I thought I had got forward "in the world, what with tithes, taxes, "and subscriptions, it all goes, I think." -"Mr. Hoskins," said Mrs. Jones, "as to tithes and taxes, you well know "that the richer you are the more you 66 pay; so that your murmurs are a proof

"of your wealth. This is but an un"grateful return for all your blessings." "You are again at your blessings," said the farmer; "but let every one work "as hard as I have done, and I dare say "he will do as well. It is to my own "industry I owe what I have. My crops "have been good, because I minded my ploughing and sowing." “ O,

"farmer!" cried Mrs. Jones, "you "forget whose suns and showers make 66. your crops to grow, and who it is that giveth strength to get riches.

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But

"I do not come to preach, but to beg." Well, madam, what is the subscrip "tion, now? Flannel or French? or "weavers, or Swiss, or a new church, "or large bread, or cheap rice ? or "what other new whim-wham for get"ting the money out of one's pocket." "I am going to establish a Sunday school, farmer; and I come to you "as one of the principal inhabitants of "the parish; hoping your example will spur on the rest to give."-"Why,

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then," said the farmer, "as one of the principal inhabitants of the parish, I "will give nothing; hoping it will spur "on the rest to refuse. Of all the foolish inventions, and new-fangled devices to "ruin the country, that of teaching the '. poor to read is the very worst."-"And I, farmer, think that to teach good principles to the lower classes, is the most likely way to save the country.

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Now, in order to this, we must teach "them to read."-"Not with my con"sent, nor my money," said the farmer; "for I know it always does more harm “than good.”—"So it may,” said Mrs. Jones, "if you only teach them to read, "and then turn them adrift to find out "books for themselves*. There is a

It was this consideration chiefly, which stimulated the conductor of the Cheap Repository to send forth that variety of little books so peculiarly suited to the young. She considered that by means of Sunday Schools, multitudes were now taught to read, who would be exposed to be corrupted by all the ribaldry and profaneness of loose songs, vicious stories, and especially by the new

"proneness in the heart to evil, which it is our duty to oppose, and which I

see you are promoting. Only look "round your own kitchen; I am asham"ed to see it hung round with loose songs and ballads. I grant, indeed, it "would be better for your men and

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maids, and even your daughters, not "to be able to read at all, than to read

such stuff as this. But if, when they "ask for bread, you will give them a "stone, nay worse, a serpent, your's is "the blame." Then taking up a penny book which had a very loose title, she went on." I do not wonder, if you "who read such books as these think it "safer that people should not read at "all." The farmer grinned, and said,

It is hard if a man of my substance 66 may not divert himself; when a bit of "fun costs only a penny, and a man can

influx of corruption arising from jacobinical and atheistical pamphlets; and that it was a bounden duty to counteract such temptations.