The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-17 00:00:00

" I.—Does avarice make people unhappy?
" P.—Yes, very unhappy ; for the miser vexes and pains
himself, troubles his neighbour where he can, and makes
riches his god."
From the Children's Friend I extract the fol-
lowing :
" A mother was once going on a, small country excur
sion. The journey was not long, but she had to pass
through a few villages. Her little daughter Regine was
with her. In the first village the road was narrow and
dirty. Mother and daughter wore shoes and stockings,
which they did not wsh to soil. The mother could pass
without much dirtying herself; but she was unable to do
this and carry over the child. Near at band was a maiden
keeping cows. As soon as she saw the travellers she ran
to them, took little Regirie in her arms, and carried her
wife into the dry. Question.—Do you not think that this
action was worth friendly thanks?'"

Such is the spirit of the two principal elementary
bcoks generally used in Germ Any, to teach that
most important of all things for the happiness of
man—the proper manner to conduct himsell.
Such too is the sort of religious and moral instruc-
tion given ta the whole population of Germany by the
instrumentality of their national schools. It is nearly
uniform and universal ; it has been so carried on
for many years. The eruption of the French did.
not stay the good work, and many improvements
date from the period when they were overrunning
the country, and Germany was harassed by inva-
sion. Our clergy have been secure, and have been
rich, and they have done nothing of the kind; the
whole resources of the State have been at their com-
mand, and they have left the people in the most re-
volting ignorance ; yet the Church of England is
the poor man's Church, just as a bandit is a tra-
veller's friend, who first takes away all his property
and then protects him in a cavern. The clergy,
too, are the poor man's friends : yes, as the planters
are the friends of the negroes ; -they extort from
them the utmost labour, and give them of wealth
and instruction enough to keep them in working
condition, and to kill every wish to improve their
knowledge. The universal system of instruction es-
tablished and maintained in Germany by a poor
clergy, frequently exposed to the ravages of war, is
by contrast, a disgrace to the clergy of England,
who, with ample means, have done nothing like it
in England.
_ _

We will add to these observations a little ex-
tract from a tour in Holland by one of the authors
of Chambers' Journal, which is just now going
the round of the press, and which comes very ap-
proptiately to make our narrow-minded sectarians
of the Church and the Methodist Chapel heartily
ashamed of themselves, if their overweening self-
conceit have not extinguished within them the
possibility of believing themselves wrong The
master of the Tusschen school was a particularly
agreeable and intelligent person, who showed the
highest pleasure in exhibiting the progress of his
pupils and explaining the plans upon which he culti-
vated their latent energies. HaVing seen all that was
necessary, I, as usual, questioned him on the
subject of religious. instruction. He answered, that
he took every occasion of enforcing the principle.of
religious and moral obligation, when such a theme
was appropriate, in the exercises on words and sen-
timents in the lessons ; but that no catechism or
religious words formed a part of the course of in-
struction. The following conversation now ensued
between us, through my excellent interpreter :
" Where are your pupils taught the doctrines and
other essential matters in religion ?" " All are
taught these things by the clergymen to whose con-
gregations their parents belong." " How is this
managed ?" " Two hours a week are allowed
fur their attendance at the clergymen's
houses or churches ; but I don't inter-
fere in the matter, I leave parents to manage these
affairs with their priests." "Do you know how
the children in the schools are divided into sects ;
that is, how many in each ?" " 01), no, I never
inquire of what religion a child is when it is sent to
me ; indeed, I cannot help feeling surprised how
you should ask such a question." I told him I
was governed by no idle curiosity in asking these
questions, that I was much gratified .in observing
the fervent piety and orderly manners of the Dutch,
and therefore was interested in the manner of
their religious education ; and that if he had no
objections I should like to ask the children one after
the other to what religious party they belonged.
-This was good-humouredly agreed to. Selecting
the. first form in front, he began at the topmost
boy, and, bidding him stand up, asked him in a
hindly.way what religion he was of. The child ut-
tered the word ‘. Romsch ;" the next said, Re-
formaire," and 'SO did the third : the fourth was a
Jew ; then followed Mennonite (Baptist) and Lu-
theran—and so on ; there was a mixture of all sects
as far as we went. "I am now perfectly satisfied;
I see that there is a thorough mixture of all sects
in the school. But may I ask if they ever taunt or
abuse each other on account of their religion ?"
" No," replied the teacher, " they never to my
knowledge do such a thing ; in all my experience I
never heard of such a thing."