Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-02-10
FURTHER EXTRACTS

FURTHER EXTRACTS
From Foreign Papers received at this Office.
From the EngEshn,a1.]
RELIGIOUS TRACT AND BOOK SoCiEif fof
IRELAND.
On Thursday, an Anniversary Meeting OF this
Society was held at the Meeting House OF the
Rev. DR. Coliver, at Peckham.
The Rev Doctor informed the Society what
they had met about, of which they seemed pre-
viously ignorant. He then said, that Provi-
dence had sent them very bad night; he should
therefore. give them but little talk before he
wished them good night, and told them to
90 home and get to bed. The Doctor then re-
minded the company that they constituted an
ngish-Auxiliary to an irish society, ana
that the London Hibernian, or Anglo'Hiber.
Man, the Irish Evangelical, &c. SC were all
EngIish-Irish Societies. The company SEEM
ed rather COMPOUNDED by those philo.theo-geo-
logical distinctions Of the Doctor.-Mr Tho
rogood, quaker, read the Annual Report vi
the Society. 1t informed the ladies' OF the
wonderful effects Of Mechanics Institutes and
Steam Engines; that the Bible, or the Word OF
God, could now be sent to all generations by
steam, that the Society had raised 69l. to set 1t
going, and that the Lord had put his broad seal
to the labours Of the Society
The Rev. Mr.. Edwards said, that they had
general hospitals and particular ones-one Tor
the eve, one for the ear, one FOR the small poX,
and scores for pregnant women: married and
unmarried; their Society was moral hopltal,
for all classes that would partake of 1t.
Lieutenant Cook, r. N. said, when the Soci-
ety was formed, twelve months ago, he re-
membered what had been his head, his heart,
his feelings, and his failings. AT that time,
the Society consisted of three old ladies-viz;
speaker or secretary, treasurer, and the Sd
old lady formed the committee; the Society Tor
Converting the Jews arose from feeber begin
ninps. 1t consisted, not of three cd women,
but of two old gentlemen, who met by adser-
,isement at Hatchett's Hotel. The Advert
ser's name was Black, and the old man who
met him by the advertisement was named
White; they looked very blue at this bad be-
ginning, but the Society was now green, and
lourishing like the beautiful apple-,ree. The
Peckham Ladies, God bless them, had raised
6oL. in one wear; Pm sure don't know where
they could get it from, but know they came
by it honestly. Some had saved up Their old
rags and sold them; others had contributed
their winnings at cards, aye, half the money
that was lost & won by old ladies at crlbbage,
would buy bibles and prayer-books for 500 rag
eed Irish children, some old ladies' had sold
their old clothes to the Jews. This was laud-
able, it was making the enemies OF Christ con-
tribute to the propagation of his word. There
were 100000 Irish children, ragged and hall
starved, perishing fom cold and hunger, and
the Peckham Ladies had raised 69l. in one year
10 find them in bibles and education. These
starving Irish lads (they called them all boys
in Ireland, up to the age Of thirty,) were so fond
Of their education, that set of them were
once afraid Of not awaking in time for the
Sunday-School, and the deuce-a-bil of clock
was there any where near them. So, what did
they do? They collected, that was their term, a
whole brood of ducks, and putting them into
basket, covered them with linen, and put them
between their beds. AT break Of day, all the
ducks went quack, quack, quack, and up jump
cd the Irish BOYS to read their bibles and 60 to
SUNDAY. school. The owner Of the ducks, mis-
sing his property, went before Magistrate,
who informed the lads if they collected any
more ducks, they should be all ducked in the
poud, whipped at the carts tail. or sent to Bot
any Bay. But the motive Of the lads had been
pure piety, and some had even gone so Tar as
TO say that the quack Of the ducks that morn
ing, had been not of the ordinary or natural
sort, but he believed that to be all quackery
Thus the cac king of geese had saved the Ro-
mans the loss Of their Capitol, and the quack
ing of ducks had saved the Irish boys the loss
of their Sunday schooling. He knew an Irish
child with large head, who being taught by
the Peckham ladies to read the Bible, had in
two years become an excellent accountant, and
ifhe had been taught geometry, he would have
become an excellent inguist-Another child in
arms, had repeated four chapters OF st. Mat
thew, and said he could repeat fifth, only he
had never heare syllable about il. In Dub
lin, the Society had 800 religious books to
sell, but nobody would buy them. The Peck
ham ladies were therefore doing no harm in
Ireland, which was saying more than could be
said for MANY other societies of old ladies.
The Rev Mr.. Eccles said that the Marques
of Anglesea had declared, that if he were 10
fight the Irish Catholics, now was the time;
but for his part, he was only soldier OF the
Lord, and he could fight but one sort OF battle,
.sthe good fgh, of faith" This fight he was
always ready to engage in, either with man or
woman.
The Rev. J. Irons said that he should have
been completely in irons, and without any text
ola speech, had not the Peckham ladies sup
piled him with one, from which, said the speak.
er, Il have felt a holy zeal. and kindling OF all
nv snirtual affections: the text given 10 me by