MORAL TRAINING OF LABOURERS. 77 



locality dotted far and wide with the cottages of a rapidly 

 increasing population, encamped like sentinels around the 

 new church,, we observe with pleasure the healthful and 

 ruddy countenances of the children, and the neat appear- 

 ance they everywhere present, even on working days. Each 

 happy troop bears about it ample evidence that the parents 

 are stayers at home. 



When the present steward first began his duties, the 

 number of workmen in the quarries amounted only to 300 : 

 at the present time they exceed 2,000, and during the life- 

 time of Mr. Smith, not one of them had ever been taken 

 before the magistrates for dishonesty. Such a fact speaks 

 volumes : it is a signal contradiction of the reproach 

 often uttered, that kindness to the poor meets with no 

 return : it redounds to the honour of the employer who 

 rewarded in the manner above mentioned the industry of 

 his workmen, and to that of the men, who thus profited 

 by the advantages held out to them. It is a pleasing sight 

 to behold the groups of labourers on the mountain-side at 

 dinner-time ; scarcely a man of them all but has in his 

 brawny hand a newspaper or other periodical wherewith 

 he jwiles away his time until his hour of rest has elapsed. 

 Intelligence has made ample strides in these remote regions. 

 Mr. Smith's principle of education always was, to prepare a 

 youth for the position in society he was to fill on attaining 

 manhood. He had the child of his labourer taught his duty 

 to God and man, and gave him sufiicient learning to 

 enable him to discharge both duties efi&ciently ; but he 

 always held, that the superfluous knowledge with which 

 children are crammed in the present day, only tends to fill 

 their minds with ideas unsuited to their station in society, 

 and to render them discontented with their condition. 

 This theory he reduced to practice. The elements of a 

 Christian education he furnished to his little colony in 

 schools, built upon his estate, and provided with teachers at 

 his own expense. Not satisfied with this, he built a church, 



