1863.] TEACHING THE UNEMPLOYED, 269 



with us, and had to leave through continued ill health;* (2) In 

 teaching at the City Road and Rusholme Road Institutes for 

 the Unemployed Operatives ; (3) On Sundays, at Bowdon, in 

 taking the place of the Rev. A. Dewar, also prevented from 

 attending to his Home Mission duties through ill health ; and 

 (4) in prosecuting my Natural History researches at all avail- 

 able times. Finding the Rusholme Institute in very bad order, 

 and the Committee not knowing to whom else to apply for 

 aid, I accepted their request to become the Honorary Superin- 

 tendent for three months. To this Institute I now devote 

 nearly the whole of my time. There are about two hundred 

 men, some highly respectable, others among the worst in 

 Manchester, who receive two meals a day, and attend school 

 four hours. Evening recreation is also provided. Every man 

 in the township who receives relief from the Committee is ex- 

 pected to attend the school. My work is very difficult and 

 fatiguing, but is, I hope, useful." He dated from Grosvenor 

 Street, to which he had removed, and asked assistance for his 

 poor. 



His generous aunt Mary had sent him ^50 (for himself), 

 and had divided among us a little property, of which she gave 

 up her life-interest : but apparently she regretted that he was 

 sinking money instead of earning it ; for he wrote : " I am 

 sorry that you and many other of our friends do not see with 

 us in the matter of our three-months' gift to the operatives. 

 To Minna and me, the thing seems perfectly straightforward. 

 We are spending so much money in work for which I am 

 peculiarly fitted, and doing probably far more good than twice 

 the money given to the Relief Fund. While we are living in 

 the midst of hundreds and thousands of the best class of our 

 thrifty mechanics, who have now consumed the whole savings 

 of a lifetime, and find themselves on a level with the worst 

 drunkards, it is but a slight sacrifice, if I give (say) ^25, which 

 means £1 a year from future income, to teach them, just at 



* See "Travers Madge, a Memoir — The Lancashire Distress." Travers's 

 utter disregard of the common rules of health was very trying to his kind 

 hostess. 



