OSWALDKIRK. 



The schoolmaster receives his salary of 15/, by 

 quarterly payments, and educates for this sum 15 

 free scholars of the township of Oswaldkirk. Mr. 

 Francis Hill is the present master ; who is allowed 

 to instruct other children of the village, in addition 

 to the free scholars. Average amount of scholars 25. 



Old Hall, Rectory, &c. Oswaldkirk hall, the 

 property of Thomas Porter Banner, Esq., and the 

 late residence of the Rev. Francis Simpson, is now 

 unoccupied, and rapidly going to decay. Its situa- 

 tion is beautiful, the house large and commodious, 

 and the gardens neat and tastefully laid out ; but 

 all within is solitary and desolate ! How painful 

 is it to a lover of rural retirement, to observe so 



of the churchwarden, which the poor are too apt to en- 

 tertain ; it brings him too in contact with the lowest 

 of his parishioners- shews him their wants convinces 

 them of his interest in their welfaresproduces recipro- 

 cal good- will and mutually kind feelings. 



lam aware of the sentiments of a great wiiter (Dr 

 Chalmers in his Civic Economy of large Towns,) but his 

 reasoning appears to me peculiarly applicable to paro- 

 chial relief, or, such weekly distribution, as in Scot- 

 land forms a substitute for it, and not to a solitary instance 

 of merely annual occurrence. 



The plan here recommended for adoption, may be cen- 

 sured by some as troublesome; but surely when we 

 consider our responsibility as ministers, both to God and 

 man, and the glorious example set us by him, who went 

 about CONTINUALLY doing good, when we consider the 

 duties imposed upon us by our ordination vows, as well 

 as the calls of humanity ard Christian charity, we shall 

 not grudge a few hours annually devoted to so benevo- 

 lent a purpose. Let the experiment but once be tried, 

 and then " the blessing of him that was ready to perish," 

 the happy faces, and the grateful acknowledgements of 

 all, will convince us that ' to distribute and to do good' is 

 uot only well pleasing to Hod. but carries iu itself its owo. 

 reward. 



