Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-05

SCENE IN RAGGED SCHOOL
aThe children come st seven in the morning, and
come in rags and not in decent clothes, for that
wouldntdo they would 60 to the pawn shop too soon.
The first thing they do is to strp-DOt 20 be thrash
ed, but washed; and have long bath, as long as
this gallery, and we make them march along il as
slow as if they were attending funeral, and the
consequences is thar they get what many people are
fools enough not to get. delightful BATH What
comes after the bath ? Some Of YOU are dare saw
Seotchmen, and viii understand me. They get
grand breakfast Of porrdge and milk. Then comes
prayer. and portion of the scripture Is read; then
the work Of the school begins. and occupies four
hours of the day the children learn read, and to
write, and TO cipher; and they learn earpenterints
and bOx-making, and shoemaking. They come to Us
at hElf-past seven in the morning and at halfpast
at night we take of their school dress and QFe
them back their rags, and they go home-and the
rags are not worth the pawning. We never keep
child from home unless the house Is an infamous
den of iniquity the parents cruel; we know that
in the bosom Of the child worthless "a the parents
may be, God has planted link of affection. and
what want to do is, to improve and strengthen
that tie; and we have known two instances where
tkese poor children have even carried salvation 70
their homes. But all this lalies and gentlemen re-
qrires expense; must feed and we must clothe
themi it entails the expense Of teaching and housing
few of them; and say they deserve their foster
ing care-they deserve the most fostering prOsee-
ton and help of the government
You will very naturally say, You have told rs
what these ragged boys do in school: nav tell Us
what they do out of school, Well. they Just 90
on well out of school as they do iH-they get on
in way never expected. When they were
getting up banquets to the soldiers of the Crimea,
and to all the grand members Of Parliament, We
thought we'd give banquet to our ragged BARNS
who had fought as great battle as any Crimean
soldiers. and far harder too. All of sudden tho
thing resolved on; all Of szdden the thing was
done We have them, you know-these ragged
school scholars that were-cuftng down the forests
in America; we have them herding sheep in AUS
tralia; we haveIthem in the navy; and-vhat dye
thinks-there was odd thing in this wsy-we had
a competition among bays IN the navy, and the rag
ged school boys carrisd of the highest prize We
have them in the army, too. Just the other day
had in my drawing room one Of my ragged school
scholars. What was he doing thereT you ask
Well he just standing beside very pretty girl,
dressed like a duchess, with crinoline,
and all that. There he was; on his breast he car
ried three medals. He had fought the battles Of
his country in the Crimea; he had gone mp the
deadly march to Lucknow, and rescued the women
and children, and our soldiers there-snd / was
proud of my ragged schoolboy when saw HIM
with his honOrs.
"Well. as said, we resolved to give banquet
we furnished one of our best rooms, and had it
brilliant with gas, and laurel, and ivy, and the
corabeadea holly, sndthe quantity Of tea and tosstl
It isn't to be told We just sent away through Ed
lnburg. and in day we got one hundred and fifty,
all dong for themselves. was master Of the cere-
monies. So heard great rush OF feet-I was
standing At the door, you know to receive my compa-
ny-and could not believe my eyes when saw the
succession Of good-lookng, respectable young men,
and the succession of cOmely, virtuous looking,
happy young women. A girl came up to me snail
ing, and she said. You will remember me- DR..
Guthrie this is my man, and then a great, big,
burly fellow came up, and he said.
You will remember me, Doctor; this is my wife,
And they filed the room. never saw q mere re-
ipectable company. And how they laughed and
sung and we prayed, toO-we prayed and give
hem good advice. ! never spent happier night
lo not in the greatest, noblest house | ever was in
than l spent when 1 entertained my Ragged
school children"