ON THE ABERDEEN INDUSTRIAL FEEDING SCHOOLS. 53 



classes, men and women depending on daily toil for daily bread, contributed 

 no less than £250 !— and when some of them were asked why they contri- 

 buted thus liberally to support a school at which their own children would 

 not be scholars, the reply was, " Before this school was opened we were 

 afraid to trust our children a moment out of doors alone and unguarded, for 

 they were exposed to learn, and did learn, all manner of mischief; but now 

 the school has cleared the streets of the little vagabonds who corrupted 

 them, and we are not afraid to let our own children out, and therefore we 

 subscribe to the school." 



This honest practical testimony to one gcod result, and that not the imme- 

 diate object but the indirect effect, of the school, is invaluable, and at the time 

 was felt to be most encouraging. 



During the first year the total number of names placed on the roll was 159, 

 of whom 18 were soon dismissed as unsuitable, 34- deserted, or were removed, 

 by their parents, 26 got into employment, 7 into other institutions, and at 

 its close 74 remained on the roll, of whom 43 were boys and 31 were girls. 

 Of these, 



25 were from 3 to 7 years of age. 

 36 „ from 7 to 10 „ 



11 „ from 10 to 13 „ 



2 above 13 „ 



Thirty- four of those in attendance at the end of the year had been admitted 

 during the first month, and of these, 2 could read, and 8 knew the letters at 

 admission ; and by the end of the year 23 could read tolerably, and 24 could 

 read a little. 



Their religious instruction had been utterly neglected ; few of them had 

 ever entered a church. Before the close of the year they were all in the 

 practice of attending church accompanied by the teachers, and received care- 

 ful religious instruction every day, but especially and very fully on Sunday 

 evenings. The attendance became very regular, and, what was especially 

 satisfactory, very few of the children were convicted of any offence. The 

 good food procured the attendance, and the twelve hours spent in school 

 feft little opportunity to commit crime; thus commencing the abandon- 

 ment of bad, and the formation of good habits, before any principle could be 

 instilled. 



The value of the work done was very small, but the police authorities most 

 judiciously paid the salaries of the teachers, and the managers of the Soup 

 Kitchen gave the use of their buildings without rent; so that the only outlay 

 from the funds of the institution was for food, and for a partial supply of 

 clothing, which was absolutely necessary. The average cost per head for the 

 first year was £4. 



This has proved the most valuable of all the schools ; it at once attacked 

 the evil at its fountain-head, and the fruits speedily appeared in the almost 

 total cessation of street begging, and the gradual diminution of juvenile 

 vagrants and offenders. 



After a time the police authorities and the Soup Kitchen managers with- 

 drew their support, and they acted wisely in so doing ; the school has ever 

 since been supported by voluntary contributions ; its proper name is " The 

 Juvenile School of Industry," but in Aberdeen it is best known, from its 

 locality, as the Sugar House Lane School. 



The number in attendance varies from 50 to 70 boys and as many girls. 



