ENGLISH SUNDAY SCHOOLS. 377 



The first thing which struck me was the illiterateness of the 

 teachers themselves : it is true they could read and write, but that 

 was all, and their manners were rude. The superintendent, a middle- 

 aged man, attended me. I asked what particular religious sect the 

 school belonged to. 



" Oh, Sir ! this is a school afor all denominations ; we takes all as 

 comes." 



" A very liberal course ! and your pupils are, I observe, between 

 six and fourteen years of age, apparently : and pray, my friend, what 

 is your plan of instruction, what do you teach ?" 



" Oh, Sir, we teaches 'em their A,B,C; then a-b, ab, then a-n-d, 

 and till they can read the ready-my-daisy." (Reading made easy, 

 I presumed.) 



" You teach them just the rudiments of spelling then ?" 

 ' Oh yes, Sir, just the ready-my-daisy." 



" And does your instruction end here, my friend, or do you en- 

 deavour to instil into their young and susceptible minds principles of 

 morality ?" 



" Oh yes, Sir, just the ready-my-daisy." 



" Or to inculcate their duty to their parents, brothers, sisters, or 

 masters, or, as far as their intellect will permit, point out some of 

 the first and simpler subjects of your religious belief?" 



" Oh yes, Sir, just the ready-my-daisy, and sometimes the 

 catechiz?" 



I suffered him to proceed, hoping he would tell his own tale in his 

 own way. After having eyed me for a moment, he went on. 



" I suppose as you 're a parson, for you talk mighty like his 

 reverence the rector, only as how he always comes hisself when there 

 are visitors. But you 're may be a stranger as is curious about 

 schools. Well, Sir, I '11 undertake to uphold that there ai'nt a 

 better nor this in all the country. Why, Sir, when I was a young 

 one, there wasn't no such thing, and we little creturs were as igno- 

 rant as heathens ; and now you see they can say their ready-my- 

 daisy like Christians ! It 's a grand thing, Sir ! for I '11 undertake to 

 uphold, that if teaching 'em the ready-my-daisy and catechiz won't 

 make men and women of 7 em, why nothing will ; and so says his 

 reverence." 



" A very good step, certainly ! but their parents, I suppose, follow 

 up this elementary part of education, by teaching them their social 

 duties." 



" Their parents, Sir ! Lord help ye ! why, now I see as how you 

 are a stranger : are you a foreigner, Sir ? (I nodded.) Well, that 's 

 queer ! but their parents, as I was a-saying, cares no more about 

 them than my old hat! they just sends 'em here to have 'em out 

 of the way, that they may run their rigs comfortable of a Sunday." 



" Indeed ! and do your scholars make rapid progress in their 

 studies ? A week intervening between one school day and another 

 would retard their improvement, I should fancy." 



"That's just true, and it's what his reverence says, Sir. We 

 reckon it pretty good if a scholard learns to read the ready-my- 

 daisy in four years; some that are 'cute do it sooner. It's slow 

 M.M. No. 4. 3 C 



