Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-11-11

the establishment of religious schools. The fol-
lowing letter shows some of the difficulties she
met with.
81 was told we should meet with great oppo-
stion if did not try to proptiate the CHIEF des-
pot of the village, who is very rich and very
brutal; so ventured to the den OF this monster,
in country as savage as himself, near Bridge
water. He begged would not think Of bring
ing any religion into the country; IT was the
worst thing in the world for the poor, for 1t made
them lazy and useless. In vain represented
to him, that they would be more industrious as
they were better principled, and that, for my
own part, | had no selfish views in what was
doing. He gave me to understand, that he
knew the world too well to believe either the
one or the other. Somewhat dlsmayed 10 nno
that my success bore no proportion to my SUBJ
missions was almost discouraged from more
visits; bnt | found that friends must be secured
at all events for if these rich savageS set their
faces against u.s. and influenced the poor peo-
ple | saw that nothing but hOStllltles would en-
sue; so made eleven of these agreeable visits;
and as improved in the art of canvasslng, had
better success. Miss Wherefore would have
been shocked, had she seen the petty tyrants
| whose insoence | stroked and tanned, the ugly
children praised, the pointers and spaniels
careSSed, the cider | commended, and the VINE
swallowed. After these irresistible batteries,
| inquired of each if he could recommend me
! to a house; and said that | had little plan
which 0ODeu WOuu SeCuIC lhSll vi SHot Us hohi
being robbed, their rabbits from being shot,
their game from being stolen, and which might
lower the poor-rateS. lfeffeCt be the best proof
of eloqnence, then mine was good speech; Tor
gained at length the hearty concurrence of the
whole people, and their promise to discourage
or favor the poor in proportion as they were at
tentive or negligent in sending their Children
Patty, who is with me, says she has good hope
| that the hearts of some of these rich poor
wretches may be touched: they are as ignorant
! as the beasts that perish, intoxicated every day
before dinner, and plunged in such vices as
| make me begin to think London virtuous
| place."
The passage was written in 1889. Thirty
four years elapsed, and she was among the
scorners OF the Schoomaster. The age had
outgrown her.
| sour poor are now to be made scholars and
| PHILOSOPHERS. | am not the champion OF lg-
! norance; but | own am alarmed at the Vlo-
| lence of the contrast. Even our excellent
| c. seems to me 10 refine too much but my
friend r. is an Ultra Of the first magn-
tude The poor must not only read English,
but ancient history and the sciences are TO be
| laid open to them. Now, not TO inquire where
would they get the money, ASK where would
a aboring man get the time2 Time is the for
| tune Of poor man: and as to what they would
gain from Grecian history,-wty, they would
| learn that the meaneSt citizen OF Athens could
determine on the merits OF a tragedy oil Eu-
ripides; to do which, they must always i've IN
| a PLAYHOUSE as indeed they almost always did;
they were such critics in language as to detect
foreign accent to a great philosopher, &c; and
vet history does not speak of a more turbulent
unmanageable, profgate people.
Ifyou are not quite tired of me and my senili-
ties will proceed to few facts to illustrate my
theory Not only in the great national schools,
I ttN., tfrt rnttn
threepence week, hear Of the most ridicu-
lous instances of the affectation of literature
poor little girl of this stamp was in my room
| one day when gentleman was sitting with me-
| He asked her what she was reading at school.
"Oh, Sir the whole circle Of sciences" IN
deed said he that must be very large work!
| No Sir, it is very small book, and had 1t
! for halfa crown My friend smiled, q lamented
that what had cost him so much time and money
was of such easy attainment | asked little
girl a servants child the other day, what she
was reading, and if she could say her Cate
chism? 90 no, Madam am learning Syntdr."
What am going to add, you will think an eX,
aggeraton, if not IN invention but II Is llleral
fact. girl in the next parish being asked what
she learnt answered. learns geography, and the
hearts and senses"
Sin many schools, | am assured, writing and
accounts are taught on Sundays. This regu-
lar apprenticeship to sin. He who is taught
arithmetic when boy, WILL when man, open
his shop, on a Sunday, Now, in my poor judy
ment, ali this has a revolutionary as well as If
religious tendency; and the misfortune is, that
the growing utraiSm on the side OF learning,
falsely so called, will irritate and infame the old
bigotry which Rugged absolute ignorance as
hidden treasure, not to be parted with; while
that sober measure of Christian instruction
which lies between the two extremes, will be re-
jected by both parties"
Who would have expected to find CObbeH
and Hannah Moore maintaining the same opn-
ion respecting the ineapediency of educating the
poor?
A few anecdotes shall close.
Precocious Priacecrett.-"Ihave since dined
with Bryant at Mrs Montagu's, and We are be-
come great friends. He bears his faculties so
meekly,' and has such simplicity of manners,
that take to him as did to Hermes Harris,
whom every body must regret, that had the plea
sure and advantage Of knowing him. Only Bry
ant is the pleasanter man. He told me an
amusing aneCdote of one of the little Princes
He had been that morning to Windsor to
present his book. He was met in the ante