THE FARMER^S MAGAZINE. 



4&1 



panions, [hardened perhaps in crime and villany, con- 

 sidering themselves mere migratory beings, with now 

 little or no religious character, no sense of Sabbath 

 duties or Sabbath observance, and nondescript in 

 feelings, habits, and views, instead of the upright, handy, 

 diligent, skilful, trustworthy servants of which we talk, 

 but take so little pains to produce. All this well de- 

 serves our attention. Happy would it be if masters and 

 mistresses would conscientiously discharge that which 

 is their bounden duty, by exhibiting a lively interest in 

 the character and condition of all those in their employ, 

 and so arrange their time and business that every mem- 

 ber could attend the public service of the sanctuary, 

 remembering that — 



"A Sunday well spent 



Brings a week of content, 

 And health for the toils of to-morrow; 



But a Sabbath profaned, 



Whatsoever be gained. 

 Is a certain forerunner of sorrow." 



And what an effectual check to the demoralization in 

 our parishes would it be, if the admirable plan of board- 

 ing, lodging, and maintaining yearly servants on the 

 farm where they are employed, as so lucidly expounded 

 in this room by our valued member, Mr. Marshall, of 

 Riseholme, Lincolnshire, were more generally extended ! 

 Nor will our training or influence be complete, unless 

 and until we introduce and adopt amongst the sons of toil 

 in our parishes, hardy, manly games, and out-door amuse- 

 ments and pursuits, calling into exercise almost every 

 muscle of the body, cultivating quickness of eye, dexterity 

 of hand, and powers of endurance in the whole 

 frame. Yes, I say, let us promote all games of skill, 

 and discourage all games of chance — not thinking it be- 

 neath our notice or our station to join heartily with our 

 people in their innocent manly recreations, and thus 

 prove that public concourse does not necessarily mean 

 public revelry, nor games necessarily imply idleness. 

 But however defective may be the condition of our lads, 

 that of our female population is, I grieve to say, unhap- 

 pily, far worse. Many of the serving-maids of the pre- 

 sent day go to perdition through the foolishness of their 

 educators. They have no knowledge of housekeeping 

 or of the duties of maternity, and are alike unfit to make 

 good wives as good servants. They have a dangerous 

 and ensnaring love of dress and outward show ; they can 

 eagerly devour wretched literary trash, while they are 

 unable, perhaps, to mend their own clothes, incapable of 

 plain needle-work, cottage economy, and cooking. It 

 is to this extreme ignorance of domestic management on 

 the part of many wives that much of the misery and 

 want of comfort in many families is to be traced ; and 

 numerous instances might be mentioned of the confirmed 

 drunkard and beer-house frequenter attributing his 

 habits of dissipation to a wretched home. Here, again, 

 however, the females are more to be pitied than to be 

 blamed, as the fault lies with those who have taken no 

 pains in early life to instruct them in domestic duties, 

 or to make them better members of society. I particu- 

 larly recommend for our adoption what has been found 

 eminently useful, viz., an arrangement in every parish 

 for receiving in rotation the elder girls of the school into 



the house on the Saturday, or some day in the week, and 

 letting the kitchen, laundry, and each department of the 

 household work be the schooling for service in this the 

 much-needed School of Industry. This may be seen in 

 operation in the admirable school established by the 

 illustrious Sovereign of these realms, in Windsor Park, 

 where the females are instructed in the arts of domestic 

 economy, and taught and required to perform every de- 

 scription of household work under a most efficient mistress. 

 Then, as to the abodes of the working-classes, how 

 much do they injure themselves, and how much have 

 they to answer for, who compel their labourers to un- 

 dergo such physical exhaustion, and to journey such dis- 

 tances to and from their work, instead of delighting to 

 give them a decent cottage with an adequate garden, and 

 every comfort, upon the farm where the labour is ex- 

 pended, so that they might be able to indulge those 

 instincts of decency, cleanliness, order, tidiness, com- 

 fort, and economy, which are the natural characteristics 

 of the British people ! And what a national disgrace is 

 it, that we should witness in some districts of our country 

 efforts to prevent the erection of dwellings for the wants 

 of the local population, and the demolition and decay of 

 others at present existing, in order to escape their 

 just liability, and shift it from their own district 

 to others ! Again, I say, it is a national disgrace 

 to see so many of our people compelled to occupy 

 tenements or habitations (sometimes at an enormous 

 rental) in which there is no possibility of the classi- 

 fication of the sexes, or conveniences for the common 

 decencies of life, causing sickness and disease to the 

 living, and sending new-born generations to an early 

 grave. Every person requires a supply of ten cubic 

 feet of air a minute — that is, a quantity twice the 

 bulk of his own body ; and how can this be obtained in 

 many of the existing dwellings of our labourers ? With- 

 out a decent and well-ordered home, the best education 

 will be ineffectual to prevent physical sufi'ering, filthy 

 and vicious habits, improvidence, lawlessness, reckless- 

 ness, intemperance, and crime among our working- 

 classes — such evils proving one of the greatest drains 

 upon the country's energies and power. I call upon all 

 owners of property, in the name of civilization, hu- 

 manity, and public decency, to put an end to scenes 

 which are a scandal and a reproach to the community ; 

 and would remind them, that no property can be held 

 securely for private gain at the cost of such a national 

 and public wrong. This is what I mean by an im- 

 proved education for the labourer, and what is due, to 

 and from the present position of the British farmer. 

 And if the sentiments which I have advanced are in 

 unison with your own ; if you believe that good instruc- 

 tion is useless without good education, but that good 

 education is impossible without good instruction ; if you 

 feel that the immortal, because the moral glories of the 

 British empire, are worth preserving ; if you feel con- 

 vinced that judicious education and knowledge are now 

 the best means of expanding our industry, promoting 

 our own benefit, preserving our freedom, and consoli- 

 dating our power ; if you deem that he is a shallow 

 and presumptuous inan who would attennpt or affect 



