/ / "We Help those who try to Help Themselves." A PLEA INDUSTRIAL BRIGADES, AS .\DJU.\XTS TO RAGGED SCHOOLS, DAVID HARRIS, F.S.S., Edinburgh. IHE OBJECT URGED— lO AID DESIirUTE LADS 10 GAIN A LIVELIHOOD, AND PREVENT THEM FROM FALLING INTO THE PAUPER OR CRIMINAL CLASSES. " Blessed is that man who has an idea which he thinks will benefit his fellows." Goethe. G L A S G O AV : PRINTED BY DUNN & WRIGHT, 47 WEST NILE ST. [works — too STIRLING ROAD.] 1873. Out in the snow, By winter night o'crtaken, (3n the cold step he sits, his liead bent low, By all but God forgotten and forsaken. For help he calls To God, his heavenly Father, Whose eye beholds one sparrow when it falls, And notes a boy — a starving boy — much rather ! Out in the snow. No home, no hope, heart-broken, A lonely lad, — ah ! whither shall he go ? Where find a friend, or hear a kind word spoken ? AT THE HOMES INDUSTRIAL BRIGADES, EST.VBLISHED (oR SOON TO BE ESTABLISHED, IT IS IIOI'Ed) IN ALL OUR LARGE CITIES. ' Do you hear the children weephig, O my brotliers, Ere the sorrow comes with years? Tliey are weej)!!!^; in the play-time of the others — 111 the country of the free. And well may children weep before you. They are weary ere they run ; They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory, Which is brighter than the sun ; They know the grief of man, without liis wisdom ; They sink in man's despair, witliout his calm Tliey are slaves, without the liberty in Christendom ; They are martyrs, by the pang witliout the palm ; They are worn, as if with age, yet unrelicvingly — The blessing of its memory cannot keep ; They are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly — • Tliey weep — shall we let tliem weeji ? " "l UiUC ''X^^ THE WANDERING EOY. " When the winter wind whistles along the wild moor. And the cottager shuts on the beggar his door ; When the chilling tear stands in my comfortless eye, Oh, how liard is the lot of the Wandering Boy ? ' The winter is cold, and I have no vest. And my heart it is cold as it beats in my breast : No father, no mother, no kindred have I, For I am a parentless Wandering Boy, ' Yes : my father and mother were summoned away. And they left me to hard-hearted strangers a prey ; 1 fled from their rigour with many a sigh. And now I'm a poor little Wandering Boy. ' The wind it is keen, and the snow loads the gale. And no one will list to my innocent tale : I'll go to the grave, where my parents both lie. And death shall befriend the poor Wandering Boy." H. KiRKE White. INDUSTRIAL BRIGADES. HAVE somewhere read of an artist being so struck with the innocent beauty of a Uttle child, that he sketched the face. ^^i To this picture he had given the name of " Innocence ;" and as years rolled on, he became anxious to paint a companion picture, to represent " Vice." With this object he visited the prisons con- nected with the criminal courts, and at last, in Newgate, he found a prisoner of mature age so branded with iniquity, that he at once resolved that this should be his model. The picture was finished and hung side by side with the one of the little laughing-eyed boy, when, to his amazement, he discovered that the man and the boy were the same individual. All who are engaged in the work of refomiing or preventing boys from falling into crime, will agree that, however innocent the child may be, without proper training there is no depth of iniquity to 5 . • which, as a man, he may not sink. It appears to me that the pre- sent dread of "shooting Niagara," of the power of the "lapsed masses," as they are called, should make us more earnest in every way to carry out the idea which first gave birth to the reformatory movement. On every hand we have evidence that the evil is spread- ing ; and, if not checked, great evil will ensue. The passing of the "Crimes Prevention Act," and the "Habitual Criminal Act," are proofs of the increasing danger feared from the criminal classes. It was but the other day that the mayor of one of our large cities called a public meeting to consider w^hat should be done to reclaim the lawless boys of that city; and in almost all our large towns and cities the same question is forcing itself upon the attention of social reformers. We believe that these boys are more sinned against than sinning ; for, Nnth the rearing and example they have, it would indeed be wonder- ful if they did become decent members of society. I quote from the Saturday Revieiv as to their condition : — " So with these street Arabs. It is not because they are not at school that they are half-naked, wholly thievish, blaspheming little blackguards. They are what they are, because they are born under the influences which did not allow them to become anything else, — because their parents swore and thieved, — because they prefer idle- ness to work, and beer to wages. Send these boys in a body to a school where there are no others, or only a few others, and you will have a miniature reproduction of their fathers' boozing ken. You may save five per cent., perhaps, for a cleaner and better life, but the majority will be what they are now, — the same half-naked, half- savage, dirty little rascals. If you want to change the class radically, take them as soon as weaned, exile them for ever from the wretched hovels of their birth, clothe them, feed them, and then send them to school. But what beneficent patron, what paternal state, is going to adopt 30,000 infant children in one town, appropriate them, feed, clothe, and teach them ? And if so trained, how would they support themselves?" These outcasts, born perhaps upon a lodging-house floor, or even upon the street, — deserted at the very first chance, — kicked about by the poor-law officials, who just give them food enough to keep life in them, but teaching them nothing, is it surprising that they acquire vicious habits from the adult paupers ? Looking upon the police as their natural enemies, — cast adrift upon the wide, jostling world, homeless and friendless, to become " city Arabs," with their hand against every one, and, as it seems to them, every one's hand against them, — no wonder "That the judges have then- work, and the lawyers wag the tongue, And the gaolers and folictm^n are the fathers to the young." Our ragged schools are noble steps to a better state of things. I take it that the first link of our chain of philanthropic effort, in the attempt to reclaim or save the vicious youth of our land, is forged in the ragged schools, and the last completed in the reformatories. I urge in this paper what I regard as a still further extension (or link if you please) — viz., Industrial Brigades as adjuncts to, but in no sense superseding the efforts that already have been put forth with the same end in view ; and, at the outset, allow me to say that, so convinced am I of the importance of this movement, that I earnestly hope an Industrial Brigade will be, ere long, connected \vith every ragged school, reformatory, and every workhouse in the kingdom. The peculiar feature of Industrial Brigades is well put in the motto we have adopted: "We help those who try to help them- selves." For helpless cases other charities must come in. We think that the sooner a boy can be made self-reliant, the better for his future good conduct, and the greater chance of saving him from a career of crime. It may not be quite out of place for me to describe the class of material we have to work upon. Destitute boys; orphans, or worse than orphans. (One boy was admitted lately, the father having poisoned himself; another — both parents had died of cholera.) Many never knew either father or mother. Some were deserted whilst l>dng ill in the Infirmary ; ille- gitimates in plenty ; thieves, and sons of thieves ; sons of soldiers ; bad cases after having passed through the reformatories ; children of tramps ; others there are whose only fault is their poverty ; Sunday- school boys not quite hardened in sin ; waifs of all sorts brought by missionaries and Bible-women. Sly, filthy, ragged, and wretched ; but whilst all this and more, we must never forget that they are huma?i. Properly treated, there is many a bright jewel (a black diamond, it may be) in the dark soil ; and why should it not be ours to bring them to the light, that they may be fitted one day to shine in the Saviour's crown ? Those who know the class will wonder not that our streets are so bad, but that they are no worse. Most of the boys now in the Brigade Homes were once home- less, friendless wanderers, who laid their heads by night in whatever nook or stairhead they could find, and some of them, to satisfy the 1 cravings of hunger, were ready (and hardly restrained by fear of consequences) to steal as opportunity served. It is a sad delusion to think that before entering the home these lads received no teach- ing. In every close and garret the educational process was and is going on, inuring the young in habits of criminality, teaching them to be pests of society, and fitting them to be the inmates of a jail. There are still upon the streets of our city (and we cannot see the wisdom of the ostrich policy of shutting the eyes and declaring we cannot see that which half an hour's walk would discover to either resident or stranger) scores of poor friendless boys, scrambling for a livelihood, and only making street occupations, such as they are, a cloak to cover a life of dishonesty. I would urge the plan of Industrial Brigades — the details of which I am about to point out — as a further step in connection with our ragged schools ; for, as a rule, the boy is sent adrift from them just at that age when he needs most some exercise of authority until he acquires the power of self-government, and is able to earn sufficient to maintain himself entirely and honestly, and I would also urge it as an efficient remedy for the evils which are so glaring in our present workhouse system. I do not by any means hold up the Edinburgh Brigade as a perfect model. The movement was experimental, but five years' of experi- ence have more than confirmed the theory. The Industrial Brigade partakes partly of the character of an industrial school, and partly of a night refuge and oia Poor Boys' Club under proper supervision^ where the boys may find a place resembling a comfortable and happy home. Such an institution trenches no doubt very closely on the ground already occupied by ragged schools ; but the fact that veteran advo- cates of these latter are among the founders and friends of the former, furnishes some assurance that there is little likelihood of any conflict arising with regard to the peculiar sphere intended to be occupied by Brigades. It is true that, while the main feature of ragged schools is educational, some of them at least partake of an industrial character ; but it is obvious that the latter feature of these institutions must necessarily be of a very circumscribed nature, and not at all adequate to the number of young people attending the schools. It will probably be found that in most, if not in all ragged schools, in- dustrial occupations are represented merely by tailoring and shoe- making, which are more likely to be beneficial to the institutions themselves than to the lads when they are cast upon the world. 8 Ragged schools also arc intended more for children ot a tender age than for those of more advanced years who will be fotuid in the homes of the Industrial Brigade. • Then, again, when boys leave the ragged school to become apprentices, some of them are not unlikely — from the absence of proper supervision and discipline — to lapse into previous bad habits. There is, it is understood, some oversight usually taken of these lads when they quit school ; but if they have not good homes, that oversight on the part of the school managers must be more or less of a loose description. From the nature of the case it cannot be otherAvise; and the consequence probably is, that a large percentage of these children, from the evil associations into which they subsequently fall, are ultimately lost to virtue and gained to vice.* And it is just at this point that Industrial Brigades come in as the " missing link "' in that chain of charity towards the destitute and degraded youth of our large towns and cities, which should be a more prominent feature than it has yet become in the "good works "' of Christian men and Christian churches. The pressing need for some such adjunct to our present efforts is clearly shown in the number of boys who, after having gone through our ragged schools, are afterwards committed to refoniiatories. The master of one of the latter assured me that one out of every five of the boys under his charge has been in a ragged school. We have, fur- ther, the startling fact, that whilst the proportion of youths of ages from fifteen to twenty form not quite one-tenth of the population, they are guilty of nearly one-fourth of the crimes committed. The need of such work we have in the fact that there are 7000 youths annually added to our criminal population. Ragged and industrial schools are doing their utmost, along with the reformatories, to reduce the number. Colonel Jebb, in his evidence before the House of Lords Committee, stated that if there were any suitable agency for giving them help when the period of their discharge arrived (thus prevent- ing them from being again surrounded by their old associates), they might find work and be disposed of in this countrj-. He further adds, " I think, in the disposal of boys, a certain num- ber might be got rid of if people would find places for them.'t The very thing that we purpose to do by means of an in- * One such case we were compelled recently to refuse for want of room. Tiie boy lias since been guilty of liousebreaking, and sentenced to seven years' hard labour. + Private benevolence cannot accomiili^h this for Street /in;^-. fluential Board of Directors associated with the management of the Industrial Brigades. May not the Industrial Brigade be made a part of the outlet question? To cast these poor boys adrift is the wrong way. "No one will employ me," they truly say ; but if we bring to bear on the boys' behalf the kindly influence of some employer of labour — if need be, give the guarantee required for his honesty : be the patron, and then see the change. The Rev. Sydney Turner says, " Place him, after proof and training, in new and better circumstances, and you will see no more of his delinquencies." From the experience at Mettray we have the weighty words, " that employ- ment and kindly surveillance will save the boy." After five years' eftbrt in connection with the Edinburgh Brigade, it is most gratifying to find, from the statistics of Governor Smith, of the Edinburgh Calton Prison, that results have been noticeable in the decrease of the number of youths committed to prison between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. JUVENILE CRIME IN EDINBURGH, Return of the number of juA'eniles committed to the prison of Edinburgh in the twenty-six years ended 30th November, 1872 : — No. under No. 14 and Dates. 14 years of under 16 age. years of age. Year ending 3otli Nov.. , 1847, . .. 260 . — <( (I 1848, . .. 193 . •• 552 « ii 1849, . .. 149 .. .. 440 u a 1850, ., .. 61 ., .. 361 u ii I85I, ., .. 56 ., .. 227 n a 1852, .. ■• 57 •■ .. 270 li ii 1853, .. .. 117 .. ,. 295 (( (I 1854, .. .. 103 .. - 253 (( a 1855, .. .. Si .. : 142 (( u 1856, .. • 137 .. • 134 Year ending 31st Dec. , 1857, .. . 92 .. • 130 a u 1858, .. 71 .. . 138 (I il 1859, .. . 56 .. . 130 a u i860, .. . 84 .. . 78 II mon. end. 30th Nov., I86I, .. . 81 .. • 76 Before the establishment of Ragged Schools in the City, P 10 No. under Dates. 1 4 years of age. Year ending 30th Nov. , 1862, . .. 52 . u a 1863, .. 50 . (( (( 1864, .. 56 . « (( 1S65, •• 57 • « i( 1866, .. C4 .. (( (( 1867, ... 76 . (( (( 1868, .. 52 . (( « 1869, .. 47 • (( « 1870, .•• 57 • « « 1871, ... 51 . (( « 1872, ... 46 . For purposes of comparison in these later years he increase of calculated. No. 1 4 and under i6 years of age. , S9 70 ■ 73 , 91 97 , 84 , 76 , 76 , 104 102 . 80 The management of Industrial Brigades should be, where possible, associated with that of the ragged and industrial schools ; and, with this view, it would be well that one at least of the directors from each of the schools in the city or to^^^l should be also a director of the Industrial Brigade. This would do away with anything like a sect or clique organization. The other directors should be chosen by the subscribers at the annual meetings. In the management of the home there should be as little of officialism as possible — our idea being that, within certain limits, there should be a good deal of liberty, but no licence. It is indeed a great and difficult task, but not quite hopeless ; for if once Ave could cut off the criminal supply by any means, it would then be easy work — For the best way to thwart the father of lies, Is, as soon as we can, " cut off the supplies." What is there to hinder, either with or without state aid, the whole matter being dealt with in a comprehensive manner, and by the plan of Industrial Brigades, or homes for destitute struggling boys, established in all our large cities, make those who have either slipped through the other agencies in operation, or who merely need a helping hand, pay at least in part, out of their earnings, for their transfor- mation into honest working men ? No questions should be asked, on admission, as to their religious creed ; on the other hand, we would not ignore religion ; but while we would teach no catechisms or anything II sectarian, we would have God's word read, and worship conducted morning and night by the superintendent. The whole success of the Industrial Brigade depends upon the superintendent being the right man in the right place. I would describe the needed man as one who, in addition to giving attention to the details of the home, and directing and advising the boys, would instruct them in the simple elements of education. He should be a man of decided Christian character, who would take more than an ordinary interest in training up, out of such materials. Christian citizens, — one whose whole heart is warm with the love of Christ, and who would seek to direct these lads to the only place where real peace is to be found — at the Cross. The experience of the Mettray Reformatory and the Rauhe Haus have shown convincingly that the claims of the reli- gion of Christ must be recognised if we would hope to effect any permanent good. We consider this essential to success ; for without religion (as was said by the late Duke of Wellington) we should simply have a nation of " educated devils," train them how we may. On one occasion Whitfield was engaged to preach the annual sermon of the Foundling Hospital in London. He was in very weak health and not able to preach. He stood up and read out the words, " I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying. Lord when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink ? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee ? " Then shall the Lord answer and say, " Inas- much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Whitfield paused, and looking round at the galleries crowded with the foundlings, and pointing with his finger round at them, said, as he sat down, "There they are." On behalf of the destitute boys of Great Britain, we would repeat the words, saying, " There they are " — asking the Christian public to re- member, that *' there is that scattereth and yet increaseth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth only to poverty." In Edinburgh and Scotland we are proud of our ragged and in- dustrial schools ; and long will the honoured names of Dr Thomas Guthrie and Dr William Robertson, and of ex-Sheriff Watson of Aberdeen, be remembered in connection with them ; but, with all the good accomplished, we had in Edinburgh, five years ago, a state 12 of matters startling indeed. Particularly at the Waverley Railway Station, there were scores of poor friendless boys scrambling for a livelihood, — selling matches and carrying parcels at the best^ and at the wojst making these but a colourable pretext for picking pockets. A mass of squalid beggary and youthful depravity in the worst state of ragamufifinism ; a festering sore and nuisance in the midst of modern Athens and its refinement. In starting the Edmburgh Home, as a mere temporary expedient to provide the means of paying for food and lodging, they were at first organized into a Shoeblacking Brigade.* But though a beginning, it was merely a beginning. The lads could not possibly remain long * The following lines appeared in one of tlie Edinburgh Newspapers of this start :— THE SHOEBLACK BRIGADE. " Weel, grannie, there was nae tobacco to spin This morn whaur I howpt a bit trifle to win, And the bohbks hae cried doun the match-sellin' trade. And little at horse-haudin' is to be made ; Sae I vvi' vexation could grutten ootricht To think. I should bring ye nae bawbees the nicht, When 'twas my guid luck to meet Jamie Dillap — Yon callan ye thocht aye a pushin' wee chap. " ' Man, Dawnie,' cried Jamie, ' here's stunnin' news noo ; I've juist pairted wi' Curly an' Sawnie M'Clew, Wha bouncin'ly tell me their fortune is made. For they've been ta'en on in the Shoeblack Brigade. "Twad seem that some big anes had met an' agree't To try an' tak some o' us Uds aff the street. An' mak' us shoeblacks — an' they're wantin' a lot — Sae, Dawnie, let's afF tae their office like shot.' " Awa' to the office we skirted wi' speed To see an they ony mair laddies micht need. And the manager, seemin' to fancy our looks, Spak kindly ; and, writin' our names in his books, Speered wha we belangt tae ? had e'er we dune ocht ? Wi' wha, an' at what sort o' bizness we'd wrocht .' — A' whulk bein' answered, he'd trust us, he said ; Syne fitted us out for the Shoeblack Brigade. "He gied us our tools, and appointed our stance. And bade us march aff to our duty at ance ; An' though my stance be na the best i' toun. It isna the warst ane, I wager a croun. at this occupation. They must either have more regular employment, or they would inevitably have relapsed into that association with the criminal and vicious classes from which an attempt had been made to extricate them ; and as one by one they showed anxiety for improvement, permanent situations were provided for them. One of our rules, that " If a boy will not work, neither shall he eat," soon made each eager to obtain work, and continue to enjoy the privileges of the home. As soon as we had firmly established our reputation with employers, there no longer existed any difficulty in obtaining places for the boys, indeed, we could find employnient for twice the number. We clothe, feed, educate, and lodge the boy, until out of his earnings he can do it for himself. All are treated alike, whatever the sum of their earnings ; those who can do so, pay 4s a week toward their expenses. We give the plainest description of food, as we think it would be wrong to treat the boys better than others of their class usually fare. The cost per head per day for food is 5 }{d. The clothing we supply is of strong, plain material ; the allowance — two suits a year, with boots. Each boy must attend week and Sabbath schools, so that the great obstacle to their obtaining work (not being able to read or Avrite) is speedily removed. It will be observed that in the Industrial Brigade we get at once a regular weekly remuneration from the boys' labour ; and, what I urge as a most important matter, he does not mix with other boys as a "speckled bird," and can thus more easily get merged into the general population as an honest, hard-working man. Labour has always been found the best preventative of crime — a most important consideration in aiding his ultimate reclamation. Already, in five years, the Edinburgh Industrial Brigade has succeeded in taking I brushed like a hatter, and yesterday's rain, The streets makin' glaury, did add to my gain ; And though it was late ere to vvark I gaed there. Ere gloamin' I polished my twenty-twa pair. "An' grannie, I polished them aff a' sae clean. That in them our Tarn micht his shadow hae seen ; An' had I my brushes an' bleck here the noo, I'd gar your auld shoon look as bonnie's when new. Some gentlemen. Curly says, whiles gie them mair Than's charged — tliat's a penny for brushin' ilk pair, O whilk our kind manager gies us our ivkecl ; For to get a' our winnins we couldna expeck." 14 from the streets over looo boys. The larger portion of these arc known to be doing well, several having made small deposits in the Savings Bank. So encouraging, indeed, have been the results that we have enlarged our premises, that we may comfortably accommo- date 100 boys with bed, board, and school-room. The satisfaction of knowing that so many have been plucked from a life of vice, and trained in some sort to one of decency, amply repays the labour and expense of the work. As to the expense. The economy of the scheme most strongly recommends it. It has been proved that from ;Q\ to ;^8 per head, in addition to the boys' earnings, will pay the entire cost, ivhcreas £20 to ^28 is the ordina>y cost in some reformatory establishments ; ^8 a year is a moderate sum indeed for the parochial authorities or for Government to provide, if local benevolence won't do it. One important branch of our scheme I have left unnoticed until the last. (The case that more especially called my attention to the subject was that of a boy from one of the ragged schools, who had left, and was earning 4s 6d a week, — too little to keep him decently. To eke it out, he had procured employment as a waiter on Saturday nights at a public-house, receiving is 6d for doing the unenviable work. ) We admit such boys as these as lodgers, and, without regard to the smallness of their earnings, provide for thfem until such time as they can pay a just equivalent, or entirely maintain themselves, and then leave the home. The change upon the boys themselves by Brigade life is won- fully marked. They enter starved, pinched, and miserable; but soon the cleanliness, comfortable clothing, and good food, constant work, and kindly care of the superintendent and matron, do their work effectually; and I challenge any home to produce happier faces than those in the Edinburgh Industrial Brigade.* As might be expected, we have had some cases of theft after admission; they were at once committed to a reformatory as an example to the others. At first great difficulty was experienced in getting the boys to remain at their places of work ; but a simple plan of reward was hit upon, — that of giving a shilling as a prize to every boy remaining in the same employ three months, (if during that time there is no cause * A gentleman wlio saw tliem cUirIng the first week, and then not until twelve months afterwards, expressed his astonishment tliat, whereas they used to look wretched and miserable, they were now '• perfectly happy." 15 of complaint against him.) That inducement is now unnecessary and has been discontinued. We have found it better to discontinue admitting boys from a distance. We found restless Arabs in the habit of moving be- tween Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and presenting them- selves and gaining admission at homes of this description in these places, — a practice we have recently checked, by agreement with the various shoeblack superintendents, to send back any Edinburgh applicants, the same being done as regards boys who come to us from other towns. We have never been at a standstill from the want of funds — often at a low ebb ; but just at the right time God has sent in the needed amount. With such an example as Miiller's Orphan Home at Bristol, none having faith in God need fear that He will send the means wherewith to carry on such a work ; for has He not said — " Inas- much as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me?" As incentive to work, let us not forget that others are bidding for these boys. Who bids for the destitute children ? " We bid," said Pest and Famine, " We bid for life and limb ; Fever, and pain, and squalor. Their bright young eyes shall dim. When the children grow too many, We'll nurse them as our own ; And hide them in secret places. Where none may hear their moan." " I bid," said Beggary, howling, " I bid for them, one and all ; I'll teach them a thousand lessons — To lie, to skulk, to crawl. They shall sleep in my lair like maggots. They shall rot in the fair sunshine ; And if they serve my purpose, I hope they'll answer thine." " And I'll bid higher and higher," Said Crime, with wolfish grin ; " For I love to lead the children Through the pleasant paths of sin. They shall swarm in the streets to pilfer, They shall plague the broad highway. Till they grow too old for pity. And ripe for the law to slay. i6 " Prison, and hulk, and gallows Are many in the land ; T-were folij/ not to use them. So proudly as they stand. Give me the little children, I'll take them as they're born. And feed their evil passions With misery and scorn. " Give me the little children. Ye good, ye rich, ye wise ; And let the busy world spin round, While ye shut your idle eyes. And your judges shall have work. And your la-wyers wag the tongue ; And the jailers and policemen Shall be fathers to the young. " I and the law, for pastime. Shall struggle day and night ; And tlie law shall gain, but I shall win. And will still renew the fight. And ever and aye will wrestle. Till law grows sick and sad ; And kill in its desperation. The incorrigibly bad. " I, and the law, and justice, Shall thwart each other still ; And hearts shall break to see it, And innocent blood shall spill. So leave, O leave the children ! To ignorance and woe. And I'll come in and teach them. The way that they should go." " O shame ! " said True Religion, " O shame ! that this should be ; I'll take the little children, I'll take them all to me. I'll raise them up with kindness From the mire in which they've trod ; I'll teach them words of blessing, — I'll lead them up to God." We quote a sketch wTitten at the time of the first " general meet- ing " of Arabs in Edinburgh. On November the 4th, 1867, a general invitation to Street Arab I? boys was issued to meet for "tea and cookies." Fifty-seven re- sponded to the invitation ; and the gentlemen who waited on them had practical proof of the saying, that " One half of the world does not know how the other half lives " — a state of matters was brought to light, astounding even in these days of house-to-house visitation. It was ascertained for a fact that no less than thirty of these poor fellows were moving about the Waverley Station alone, eking out a miserable existence in the worst state of ragamuffinism, living amongst ihe arches and waggons. Their rags, miscalled clothing, did not cover their nakedness ; and although here and there appeared a face which bore the marks of having been half washed in honour of the event, yet filth was the dominant condition, whilst their persons and clothes were covered with vermin. More than one head bore evident token of having been operated upon by the jail barber. Merry Irish faces were seen side by side with low cunning ones, "looking the thanks they did not speak," as they surveyed the lumps of currant loaf provided for them, large enough to give them, as they said, "a tightener." As a means of reducing this mass of commotion to something like order, the boys were asked if they could sing ; — and "Happy Land" was suggested. "No," shouts one; "we dinna ken it." Presently a shrill voice announces "Jolly Dogs" as the favourite. The announcement was followed by a burst of laughter. Silence being procured, a quiet voice proposed " Around the Throne of God in Heaven," which was attempted to be sung. At least one pair of eyes was wet with tears, as Sabbath school memories were recalled. After a few words of prayer, short and suitable, the boys "set to" and soon made a clearance. A few words of hearty wel- come and encouragement to the boys were then given, their names and addresses taken down, and some general information as to resi- dence and parentage ascertained. Seven of the boys had to be pro- vided with a night's lodging, being literally homeless and houseless. They had spent the previous night either on stairs, or in the manure boats on the canal, which seem to be a favourite shelter for these poor wanderers. A large proportion were orphans; most of the remainder liad only one parent, and that one drunken and wordiless. From amongst a number of opinions greatly valued I quote the following : — The Right Honourable Lord Polwarth, of Mertoun, St Bos- wells : — " I can only say that this subject Avhich has been brought i8 before us is, in my opinion, one of the most important that we can be called to consider. I cannot say how pleased I was when the invitation, which was sent out by Mr Harris, came into my hands. It was a suljject which had been, not in his mind only, but in the minds of sundry others with whom I myself was acquainted ; and I cannot but think that, when we find different minds being brought to consider the same subject, without any one knowing that the others are thinking about it, there is a higher hand directing us, and leading our eyes to see the want, and our hands to go forth to supply the want. I think we may be disposed to go straightforward in this work, and for this reason, as we have already heard most elo- fjuently put before us, that, if we are not going straightforward, others are working diligently. I hope that, without being in any way ego- tistical, I may speak of these boys, because I know a little of them. I have had some of these very boys at the railway station in my own hands, and they have gone back again ; and I am not ashamed to say they have gone back, because it is an exceedingly difficult matter to keep hold of them, and I am always glad, when the net is thrown out, when it catches some, though not all of them. There area number of boys in the town who require to be taken in hand at once. Some of the boys at the railway station have parents who can support them. I know one boy whose father and mother have money, and the father is quite willing to educate his boy, but he cannot get hold of him. That boy is very clever. He goes about playing the fife, and earns a livelihood in that way; but he is a sharp boy, and was mentioned to me by a policeman in the Cowgate. I know other cases where the parents would be able to pay something towards getting their children trained, if they could be got hold off; but it is not so very easy to get them and to keep them. *' Now, I cannot help thinking that these boys, sharp and clever as they are, may be made almost, if not entirely, to support themselves. I do not think that much money will or ought to be required to carry out this scheme ; because a great many of these boys are big and stout, and will find work which will yield them sufficient money to pay for their own board, provided that the food, clothing, and lodging are all of the simplest character. In going forward with this work, we ought to be as economical as possible. We hear about retrench- ment and about concentration of the charities of the city ; and it may be very wise to make a new arrangement of these charities, with which, I confess, I am not very conversant ; but whatever is done in 19 this movement, should be done with the utmost economy. These boys have been accustomed to nothing but the hardest usage ; and to give them the commonest house, and food, and clothing, is to bring them into a palace. They are delighted when they get it, and it has a great effect upon them. I quite agree with the Chairman as to the importance of keeping these boys at home ; but there are difficulties in the way of doing this. One class of the boys have parents with whom they live ; but there is another class who have parents, but do not live with them ; and there are some who have no parents living. One little boy told me, when I asked him if his parents were alive, that his mother was dead and his father was in the Crimea. That boy was a sharp, clever little lad, doing well. One boy came out to me in East Lothian, where I have some boys who work on a farm. Employment might be got for these boys by making them errand boys for shops. I believe many shopkeepers would be glad to have a boy to run messages. That was mentioned to me by a lady who takes a warm interest in the movement. As to the ultimate disposal of the boys, I think an emigration scheme is one which would be most successful. There should also be a fund provided for apprenticing boys, where that can be done ; but many of the boys we find loitering about the town are boys who have been occupied at some trade — perhaps never regularly apprenticed — but who have been at a trade, and in some way or another have been thrown out of employment, and are running about doing nothing. I do hope that this meeting will not delay beginning to carry out the scheme. If the boys who are to be the objects of our care were very young boys, which most of them are not, they would require to be supported ; but, in the greater number of cases, the boys are able to earn very nearly their own livelihood. I am only stating my own experience within the last two years of these boys in Edinburgh, and in another country town ; and all I say is, that, with careful manage- ment, and judicious employment of their labour, these boys may be made even now to support themselves almost entirely. (Applause.) ** I do hope, gentlemen, that you will go forward in this matter to- day. I do earnestly hope that you will see in it Christ's work, and that He is really calling us to begin at once. By all means let us consider it carefully, think it over, and see exactly what is to be done. But it seems to me quite clear that there is no great difficulty in going forward ; and I am ratlicr of the opinion which was mentioned in Mr Harris's circular, that instead of asking for large subscriptions at 20 first, and making it a public thing, wc should begin by asking a few friends privately. I think that in that way sufficient money might be collected for the purpose. The amount of money which will be re- quired depends on the number of the boys, and on the size of the premises which may be occupied. Suppose we were to begin with the boys at the railway station, who are now running about blacking shoes, selling matches, and carrying parcels ; that would be a small number to begin with, and the number would gradually increase. I think it would be best to begin with a small number, and clothe them with decent, wami clothing, and provide them with a home. I trust you will see that there is no great difficulty in the matter, and there is certainly none as regards funds. I have had a little experience in providing food and clothing for these bo}s ; I know a little what it costs, and what the boys can earn ; and I think you will be able to carry on the work successfully. I wish you all God speed in the matter, and I shall be most happy to gi^■c \"0u any assistance in my power." (ApplauseJ At the Annual jNIeeting, 1S70, The Right Honourable Lord Polwarth, President of the Edin- bm"gh Industrial Brigade, in his introductory remarks, mentioned that the institution was yet comparatively young. He remembered of the institution being started in the year 1867, and he was sure that for the measure of prosperity which had been vouchsafed to the work they had reason to be thankful. The name of the Brigade put its character before the public. He wished that its principles were more widely known throughout the country, and that the institution received more general support. But a few years ago there was in Edinburgh a vast number of boys whom the Ragged Schools scarcely touched, for they were usually above the ages of the boys who could be admitted to the Ragged Schools. Since its inauguration the Brigade had rescued 3 60 boys (i S 70) from crime and assisted in replac- ing them in respectable society, and this refuted the statement that the Brigade was either an indigent or an indolent institution. Surely shrewd Scotchmen would understand that police rates and prison rates were no mere trifle, and there could be no doubt that by rescu- ing these lads from the ranks of crime they would keep down these rates. He ventured to say that the community at large — that the 2i citizens of Edinburgh, whether they had taken an interest in this association or not, and the country at large, owed a debt of gratitude to the society. More than that, they ought in all honour to contri- bute far more largely than had hitherto been done for the support of the institution, seeing that it had undoubtedly aided in reclaiming poor wandering lads, and also in keeping down the police and prison rate. He did not think he was overstating the matter when he drew tlie attention of the public to the fact that over 360 boys had been rescued, who certainly would not have benefited the town without some help. There was something very touching at the sight of poor Avayward, wandering lads. There was crime, there was vice, and there was misery and wretchedness ; but w^hose fault was it ? It was said, look at the mass of drunken fathers and drunken mothers. That was all too true. INIany were the evil influences which sur- rounded these poor young creatures. There were few who helped them, and many who tended to hurt them. The eye of the Christian could not but look with pity on these poor lads, and his heart greAv Avarm as he might think or say that the same condition might have been his had his lot been cast otherwise tlian it was. Parents (he said), think of your children and little boys, how they might run about the streets as many are, their parents being dead, homeless and helpless ! It might have been so with you or your children. Surely Christian pity would be stirred up when they thought of those poor lads and try to do something. They might feel thankful for the measure of success which had attended the work. As to the prin- ciples on which the Brigade was instituted, first and foremost, when they commenced the work, they wished to do so in dependence on God, They had no faith in irreligious reclamation. They believed that for the rescue of the lost the power of the Gospel was the greatest that could be wielded — (applause) — and that to put the Bible in a secondary place would be a vast mistake. One other thing which they wished to keep in mind was that they should certainly striA-e to do all they could to make the lads help themselves. They had a strong anti-pauperisation feeling. One thing they earnestly Avished, Avas to teach them to be working men, and to teach them to help themselves; and in no small degree had the lads done so. Then don't let them forget the lads — hoAv much they had helped in the Avork. It Avas to their credit and lionour that those lads had helped in their OAvn way to contribute tOAvards the mainte- nance of the institution — thus helping one another, 71ie amount of 22 money earned l)y the boys would be found in the report, and one thing he Avished to draw attention to was the smalhiess of the amount paid to tlie boys. Tlic highest rate of wages was 4s 6d a week. He did not mean for a moment to say that the masters took advan- tage of the boys, or that their wages were too low ; but he wished to call the attention of the public to the fact that the lads were for the most part engaged in learning skilled trades as apprentices, and that they will be the gainers ultimately by earning higher wages than un- skilled labourers, when their apprenticeship is over; and not a few of them would themselves return, to a considerable extent, the money which was advanced for their help in the days of their youth. He was persuaded a great many of the boys would feel it to be a point of honour to contribute to the society. Then they would have funds coming in from the veiy class which they were now seeking to raise. It might be waste ground they were working on now; it might look a hopeless task to be grubbing at the thorns and thistles. There were tough roots of vice in many hearts, but get them out, and where thistles grew they would have beautiful crops. But there Avas something nobler still. It was when the evil heart was rooted out and bad practices were taken away that these lads became honest and faithful workmen. There was a reward to gladden the heart, and surely good interest for the money laid out. (Applause.) The society had not been so liberally supported during the past year as they might have expected. He felt, if he could make his voice heard by every citizen in Edinburgh, they would lay it to heart and feel that a penny given to this would be a pound saved otherwise, that there would be a stronger and deeper feeling as to the duty of contributing to this and other similar societies. Their balance was not on the right side. He hoped that it would be speedily changed. They did not ask a large balance in the bank, but they asked a real place in the hearts of the people. They asked that the society should have a deep root in the hearts of the citizens of Edinburgh, and that they should take a real heartfelt interest in it — not that they should give it a ^{^5 or ^10 note and be done with it, but that with watchful eyes they should notice. His Lordship then referred to the necessity for action being taken to increase the building fund. The l)lace was overcrowded to such a degree that it was dangerous for the health of the lads. And should it be said that there was to be no more room for lads homeless and destitute ? Surely not. Could the city of Edinburgh afford to pay a couple of thousands of pounds ? 23 Could the gentry in the city and others in the country round about give two thousand pounds to build a home for homeless lads ? He was sure they could, and he trusted they would. They did not want to put up expensive premises, but just such a building as would be a comfortable home for loo poor lads. He could not close his re- marks without referring to the death of one who took a deep and warm interest in the Industrial Brigade — one who had passed from them like a ripe sheaf of corn, to be gathered into the garner. He referred to Admiral Sir 'William Ramsay. They felt thankful that he was permitted to labour with them in the last years of his life ; and the removal of such men from amongst them was an urgent call on those who were left to be more earnestly faithful while it was day. In concluding, the chairman expressed the sympathy of the sub- scribers, with Mr Rattray and others engaged in the active work of the society. There was no work in which they were engaged that might more fully and deeply take hold of their hearts and sympath}', and he hoped that henceforth it would have a deeper hold upon the P9pulation of the city. The Right Honourable the Earl of Derby, at the annual meeting of the Manchester Industrial Brigade, in moving the first resolution, said : " I was asked some weeks ago to attend this meeting and to move the first resolution. It is always a pleasure to me to come to Manchester, and especially for a purpose of this kind. (Hear, hear.) But before I agreed to undertake the honourable duty which I was asked to perform, I thought it only right to ascertain for myself, so far as I could, what were the principles upon which this Industrial Home (Brigade) was established, and what was the system upon which it was carried on. You don't require to be told that there are many insti- tutions which, however benevolent in intention, are, from mismanage- ment, anything but beneficent in result. (Hear, hear.) Nor will it be a new thing to you to hear that a charity mismanaged and abused not only does no good, but may in many cases do a great deal of harm. The result of such inquiry as I have been able to make has been to satisfy me that the Home was fully deserving of your support; and I shall try, in very few and very plain words, to tell yoii why I think so. You must not expect from me anything that is very new, even if I had not been anticipated in the substance of much that I have to say by the report you have just heard. Novelties, where you ha\e to deal with \'ery old and very simple 24 subjects, are generally paradoxes; and all I hope or intend to do is to put before you a few plain focts about which there is no dispute, and to ask you to draw from them one or two inferences about which I think you will feel no difficulty. This Home was opened about three years ago. It occupies what were formerly four houses, which have been permanently secured for the use of the charity, and thrown together; and you have heard that the total number of lads who ha\-e come under the care of the Institution is something between 130 and 140; that 75 of them are inmates at the present time; and that the number of those inmates might be considerably increased if the accommodation was equal to it. I have been this morning on a visit to the premises, and I can bear witness that, although there is not one particle of superfluous ornament ; although everything is for use and nothing for show ; and although I must fairly admit that our inmates are packed a little more closely than we might perhaps think desirable if our means were altogether unlimited, still there is everywhere, above and below, perfect and scrupulous cleanliness — (hear); — there is plenty of fresh air— at least, of air as fresh as you are ever likely to get in a great manu- facturing town — ("hear" and laughter); and there is plenty of good and wholesome food. The first c^uestion one naturally asks is. Do the objects of this charity require such help as you are trying to give them ? Do they require it in this form ? And is there any agency already existing which would deal with such cases as these are ? On that last point I can ansAver with confidence. There is none. Re- formatory Schools, as we all know, are only for those lads who have brought themselves under the law ; they may be — generally they are — very little to blame ; the fault is generally much more that of their elders than their own. Still the discipline of those schools is intended only for such lads as have shown by their conduct that they are on the way, if not removed from actual influences, to be- come members of what we call the criminal classes. Industrial Schools again are doing a useful and valuable work. They provide, taking England and Scotland together, for above 9000 children ; but, as many of you know, they are limited by law as regards the ages of the boys whom they receive, and for tJie class 7vith whom "nw /ia7