ment of the lads for an hour in the tillage of the acre of land which Dr. Lee leased to the establishment, and the manner of disposing of the annual proceeds of their spade-husbandry; while on the page following is an account of the festival given to the boys and girls in Hartwell Park every month of August, with the awards bestowed on merit by Dr. and Mrs. Lee. But, in parading the scholastic doings, to teach the young idea to shoot, it may be proper to submit the answers to a dozen questions which I put to Mr. John Dickins, our present parish-clerk, who governed the school from 1820 to the autumn of 1854, when he retired on account of failing health, and Mr. George Woodman "rules in his stead":

What was the average number of your boys in summer and in winter, and one year with another?

The school attendance is very irregular. From 40 to 50 in the winter; but in the summer some of the biggest boys were taken out to work, which perhaps might reduce the number to 30, or thereabouts. Those who went to work came in again in the winter, except they got constant employment.

To this Mr. Woodman adds, that in 1860 he had 40 for the winter months; namely, 14 scholars at two pence per head, and 26 at a penny; and in summer 11 at two pence and 9 at

a penny.

Can you refer to any roll or list, so as to inform me how many you have had at various times?

I have no list that I can refer to, but I can say that for the first seven years I had upwards of 70 boys in the school in the winter season; but they were not all of Stone and Hartwell, as I was allowed to take any boys that wished to come from other parishes at 4d. per week.

On this head Mr. Woodman observes-At one time I had 50 scholars, and once they were reduced so low as 6: at the present time there are 28.

How long did the boys come to you for; or how long did they continue their attendance ?

The time of entering was at the age of from 5 to 7 years, and their names remained on the books to 10 or 11, and even longer, according to circumstances, as they were often in and out. Thus some might be only a few weeks and others three or four years, according to who they are and who they belong to; but the school was always open whenever their friends chose to send them.

What was the first form of their coming to you; that is, who authorised their entry into the school?

They entered by ticket from any of the heads of the parishes. It was never made any difficulty of; and in many cases the parents come with their children to the master to arrange matters with him. The entries are encouraged at all times.

What are the hours for school attendance, and what stipulated holidays were allowed you?

The school-hours are from 9 o'clock in the morning to 12 or noon; and from 2 in the afternoon till 5 (now 4). Cannot say that any particular holidays are allowed; but the school is usually closed one month in the harvest for the boys to go a-gleaning the corn-fields, and the parents take them when they go a-stubbing the beanfields. They are also given a week at Christmas, two days at Whitsuntide, and a day for Dr. Lee's annual school-festival.

Did any of your scholars read other books in school-hours besides the New Testament?

Yes. The first class read the Bible and Testament, and the second class Ostervald's Abridgement of the Bible, with other books supplied to the school. Both classes read from the Testament. every day, as well as the day of the month in the Psalms alternately. Small tracts were not read as class-work.

In the regular course, about how much did each boy read daily?

As the boys read in classes I can only say that half an hour was the time allowed for the reading-lesson in the morning, and the same in the afternoon, and all the other lessons were worked by time. Each scholar read a verse apiece throughout the chapter.

How often, and how much, did your boys write; and in what manner?

The first class wrote one copy in their copy-books and one on their slates in each afternoon, besides cyphering and saying tables half-an-hour each. Some of the best of the second class wrote half a copy each time.

When did you think proper to allow the boys to begin with arithmetic? When they got into the second class, so that that depended on their aptitude; there they were grounded in Addition and Subtraction in their simple forms, and they learnt Addition and Subtraction tables. The boys generally liked this.

At what age did you expect them to know all the Multiplication-table, and be conversant therein ?

When they got into the first class; there they learnt Multiplication, Division, and Reduction, and tables for the same rules. They were usually prepared to enter into the first class at from 7 to 10 years of age, and it was a matter of emulation among them.

How far did your best boys advance in arithmetic ?

Only Multiplication, Division, and Reduction, generally in the first class; but I had several

boys that could go through Simple and Compound Interest, and a few have gone as far as Fractions, and some had mastered Compound Addition. This was all that we were expected or required to teach.

Had you plenty of stationery? and how were books, slates, slate-pencils, paper, pens, and ink supplied?

The stationery was as much as the school required. The boys paid a penny a week, which Mr. Lockhart received, and he supplied the school with all that was wanted excepting copy-books, which the boys had to find themselves. These were furnished by the master, and paid for on delivery.

Such was the Parnassian road opened up for this neighbourhood, and even now it is being well trod; but, as I have already said, the system is about to undergo a sweeping alteration, with what success-as to conferring the greatest happiness to greater numbers-remains to be seen. The future plans I am unacquainted with, and therefore at present can only give the gentle reader an elevation and ground-plan of the new schools as handed to me by Mr. Bonomi, though; as yet, they are only half-built; to which I have added my daughter's drawing of the humble and doomed establishment. (See Plate I.)

Thus far the Stone and Hartwell School; but, before quitting the subject, it may be en règle to add a word or two upon juveniles and reformatories, even though our strictures may not be deemed complimentary to certain unpaid magnates of Dogberrian bias in this and other counties, as exemplified in their treatment of the involuntary destitution of tender years. Some of these little unfortunates may have been hardened against the principles of meum and tuum from lurking in the haunts of the unemployed; but the majority have yielded to the grinding force of want, and pernicious example. I therefore unhesitatingly assert, that the summary convictions of children between five and eight years of age, as reported in our provincial papers, and commitments for matters which, however offending against law, can hardly be considered crimes, must be held in the unchristian light of justice without mercy. Nay more;-I am convinced that the immuring of outcast boys, on