The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-04 00:00:00

HOLBORN THEATRE.

On Saturday evening, the proprietor and lessee, Mr. S.
Parry commenced his winter season with the greatest pos-
sible eclat. The great attraction was a new sporting
drama by the manager, entitled " Odds," and although
the piece bears some resemblance to " Flying
Scud," yet there is sufficient novelty about it
to make it highly attractive. We, of course,
hav'e a race horse which wins, despite all the scheming of
blacklegs to the contrary, and then the great sensation
effect is a robbery in an express train. The scene is
altogether wonderfully well done ; there is the train
apparently rushing onward at the rate of 50 miles an hour,
with carriages lighted up and occupied, and the robbing
is seen to be attempted in one of the first-class compart-
ments. The villain of the piece attempts to throw
his victim from the carriage, but he meets the fate he
intended for another by being attacked by a fellow pas-
senger in the adjoining carriage. The audience were
delighted with the clever scenic illusions, and the act drop
descended amidst a perfect hurricane of applause. There
is also a very pretty representation of Canterbury
Steeplechase ; and, taken as a whole, "Odds " must be
pronounced a perfect and genuine success. Miss
Foote sustained the leading part very ably, and Mr. Par-
selle, Mr. Holstone, Mr. Danvers, and Miss Kate Bishop,
each supported their parts with great spirit and effect.
The house was crowded in every part, and Mr. Sefton
Parry had to appear personally, and bow his thanks for
the favourable reception his piece had met with.

The winter session of the medical schools of the
metropolis was commenced on Saturday by the delivery
of inaugural lectures at three of the hospitals—namely,
St. Thomas's, Guy's, and St. Mary's, Paddington.

NEW SURREY THEATRE.--This theatre, certainly
one of the finest in point of size, commodiousness, and
embellishment in the metropolis, opens on Saturday next,
the Bth of October, under the management of Mr. E. T.
Smith. Three new pieces—a farce, a sensational drama,
and a burlesque—are announced for the opening night.
A numerous and talented company of old favourites and
new aspirants for popular favour form an attractive pro-
gramme, and from the well-known spirit and experience
of Mr. Smith, we have no doubt a brilliant and prosper-
ous career lies before him.
BREAKFAST.—EPPS'S COCOA.--GRATEFUL AND COM-
FORTING.—The very agreeable character of this preparation has
rendered it ageneral favourite. The Civil Service Gazette re-
marks :—" By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which
govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a
careful application of the fine properties of well-selected cocoa,
Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately
flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctors'
bills." Made simply with boiling water or milk. Sold only in
tin-lined packets labelled—JAMES EPPS & Co., Homoaopathi
chemists, London.—Advt.

THE BISHOP OF PETERBOROUGH .

EDUCATION AND TEACHERS' WORK.

Dr. Magee, Bishop of Peterborough, presided last week
at a large and influential meeting, held at the Assembly
Rooms at Leicester, and presented the prizes to the school-
masters and mistresses, and scholars who had been success-
ful in the late (first) Leicestershire Diocesan School
Inspection. His lordship prefaced the distribution by
saying that the motto of all school work was mentioned in
the report, and was " Diocesan Encouragement of Con-
scientious Work." To some there seemed a contradiction
of expression in the term, and there were severe and, per-
haps, economical moralists who, with a desire, no doubt,
to save their pockets, told them that conscientious
work needed no encouragement, and that those who
worked for conscientiousness should have no lower
motive put before them. To this view he could not agree,
as the work was a conscientious one—an exceedingly diffi-
cult one—and therefore should receive encouragement.
They knew Who said that the least work done in His name
and for His sake should have a reward. Of course the
highest reward in this world was the approval of a man's
own conscience. Their presence that day was a great en-
couragement to that experiment of diocesan school inspec-
tion, and in his own uame, and that of the inspectors, he
heartily thanked them. The work of a school needed all
encouragement, and so did the inspector, who encountered
a good deal of hard labour, while his position was a diffi-
cult one. He needed encouragement as he went to the
schools with the rewards in his hands, and told them that
upon the result of their labours depended whether they
got the prizes or not. Then the schoolmaster needed all
encouragement. He could not imagine any occupation
that was at times so very depressing and wearing as that
of a schoolmaster, for there was after all so
little to shew as the result of the work. There was
toil and weariness in teaching the same thing, and dinning
the same words into inattentive ears ; to stand in the
same place seeing the little one that he took an interest
in passing away from his hands. Though he watched
person after person rise in life the weariness of his duty
remained just the same, and, therefore, all the en-
couragement they could give the teacher was well be-
stowed. Speaking to those who were present to receive
encouragement that day from the Church, they were in a
position, he said, of unspeakable responsibility; it was
nothing less than that they were laying their hands upon
the springs of a nation's life—the whole future of this
kingdom. Is was not its material prosperity, although
that could never be long severed from national
morality, but to the schoolmaster was largely intrusted
the decision as to what the future should be. Their
profession became day by day more honourable and
more important and influential in the State. The
time had long gone by when a man was chosen to be
the schoolmaster because he was the oldest and most
decent cripple in the place, and not perhaps the most
sober man. (Laughter.) The time had gone by when
the dame who had the rheumatics was tucked up in a
corner of a room with
•a few children to keep them out of
the way of their parents, which was the most school train-
ing they received. (Cheers.) The master and mistress
must be up to their work, and the necessity of their being
so became more and more plain. One of the effects of
the new Education Bill would be to make them more
efficient, and shew them who we're fit for the work and who
were not—it would shew them all their weak points, which
he was sure all who had their heart in the work desired to be
shewn. He could not exaggerate the importance of a
teacher's work. They should be thankful for the inspec-
tion because it was a great help to them, and an encourage-
ment in their work, if they succeeded in winning the prizes,
and if they did not win their learning would be a help
to them on the next occasion. As to the children,
they were there to be encouraged in their work. If
they did not think that the schoolmaster was often
tired of teaching and training them as he was sure they
were often tired of being taught. (Laughter.) The work
that they did was a most important one, and was the
greatest possible benefit to them ; they should have a
thoroughly good education, however troublesome or trying
it might be for them to loin. They must not be tired,
and they must spare no exertions in making themselves well
educated citizens of this Christian kingdom. The work of
the schoolmaster could not be done unless they helped. No
schoolmaster could teach in spite of a child, and if the
children chose not to learn they could set the schoolmaster
or mistress absolutely at defiance. There was an old saying
that " the rod makes the scholar," but he did not believe
that they could make a scholar by violence. (Cheers.) In
proportion as they made up their minds that they wished
to learn so they would get on ; and in order to get on they
wanted encouragement, and encouragement was to lead
them to some higher and better work. Every step they
gained tended to make them useful and happy members of
families and good citizens. As to the successful workers,
he was glad they had been successful. As to the unsuc-
cessful, every one could not get the prize, but all got a
prize. If they had not the prize they had got a prize in
the knowledge and learning they had acquired in the
study—they had the prize of being earnest workers—the
prize of industry, energy, and perseverance, which would
outlast all other prizes, which would be of use in after life.
For such he therefore congratulated them. As to those
who had not worked hard, he would only say that he hoped
they would increase their efforts, and that they would
diminish the number year by year.
His lordship then distributed the prizes, after which Sir
Henry Halford, Mr. W. U. Heygate, M.P., the Vener-
able Archdeacon Fenn, and others congratulated the
committee and inspectors on their success, and the meet-
ing terminated with a vote of thanks to the right rev.
prelate for his address.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE

The Government have determined to enrol a limited
number of seafaring men in the second class of Naval Re-
serve. They must be between 18 and 20 years of age, not
less than sft. sin. in height, and must at least have had
three years' service at sea as ordinary seamen or ap-
prentices. Second-class Reserve men will be required to
take 28 days' consecutive drill each year, during which
period they will be rated and paid as ordinary seamen of
the Royal Navy. They will receive a retainer of £2105.,
and a suit of uniform clothing annually. Second-class
Reserve men are eligible for promotion to the First-class
Reserve.

The Homeward Mail understands that, in consequence
of the state of affairs on the Continent, it is in contempla-
tion to send the ironclad monitor Abyssinia to Aden, there
to be stationed. It is also rumoured that a new monitor
will be built for the defence of Bombay.
The half-yearly inspections of regiments, corps, and de-
partments have commenced at Aldershot.