Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-07-07

The small city of Gloucester, England,
seated on the left bank of the Severn, has
passed into history rs the honored place
| where the first pin was made and the first
Sunday school was gathered. Robert
Raikes was q citizen of that town. In
letter written by him in 1888, he says his
first school was gathered among the pin
makers. 1t was entirely by accident.
Some business leading me one morning
into the suburbs of the city, where the
lowest of the people, who are principally
employed in the pin manufacturing, chic
| ly dwelt, | was struck with concern at
seeing group of children, wretchedly
ragged, at play in the streets. | asked an
nhabtant whether those children belonged
to that part of the town, and lamented
their misery and idleness. 'Ah, SIR said
the woman to whom | was speaking,
could you take view of this part of the
town on Sunday you would be shocked
indeed; for then the street is filled with
multitudes of these wretches, who, released
| from labor on that day, spend their time
in noise and riot, playing at chuck, and
cursing and swearing in II manner so hor
rid as to convey to any serious mind an
idea of hell, rather than Of any other
place. This conversation sug-
gested to me that it would be at least -
harmless attempt. if it were productive of
no good, should some plan be formed to
check the deplorabe PROCLAMATION of the
Sabbath. l then inquired of the woman
if there were any decent. well.dsposed
women in the neighborhood who kept
schools for teaching to read. l presently
was directed to four. To these | applied,
] tn
receive as many children as | could send
them on the Sunday. whom they were to
instruct in reading, and in the church cat
Il shilling for each days employment"
Robert Raikes was no ordinary citizen
in that ancient riverside town. From his
father he inherited the Gloucester Journal.
the only periodical published at that time
in wide district; and he brought to it
learning and tact, and for forty-tive years
he made it the medium of general intelli-
gence and the advocate of every good
cause. In some degree he anticipated the
benevolent tolls of John Howard, and
sought out the prisoners in their wretched
Jail life. AS early as 1868 he made i'm ap-
peal in his Journal on their behalf, and
announced that benefsctions for their
use will be received by the printer of this
Journal" even if they are but the boil
ings of pots and the sweepings of pan
tries" He often gave these wretches'
sums of money from his own purse, and
such small contributions as the kindly dis
posed put into his hand. In 1913, John
Howard visited the Gloucester jails and
dined mt Mr. Raikes' table, and bore the
following testimony to the value of his
hosts prison labors I'm September the
felons were pitiable objects indeed-half
naked and almost famished. In December
their appearance was much altered. Mr..
Raikes and other gentlemen took pity on
them, and generously contributed to their
feeding and clothing. Mr. Raikcs contin-
ues his unremitting attention to the prs-
oners." For years he gave the wide inllu
ence of his Journal to the prison reform
movement that had been SO nobly espoused
and urged by Howard.
1t was through the same medium that
he brought before the public the Sunday
school cause. In letter written in 1887
to Mrs. Harris, in which he refers to the
movement as my project for civilizing
the rising generation of the poor,." he
wrote, ." made public to the world the
scheme of Sunday schools in my paper of
Nov. Sd, 1888" For three years he had
given his heart and hand to the cause in a
private way, and when at length he had
no more doubt of the power and promise
of the project, he published it abroad, and
the idea at once sprang into great favor.
He often wrote it up in his paper; his
correspondence concerning it became very
extensive; by invitation he contributed
articles in its elucidation and defence to
several publications besides his own. His
aim was to make the cause national, and
it may be said he came near realizing his
aim. Alike into the royal palace and the
poorest cot in the land did his idea find its
way. 1t seemed to fly as on the wings of
the wind, and to find the people every
where waiting for it. The king and queen
were we'll awakened by its novelty and
evident fitness to carry aid to their most
needy subjects. and her majesty sent for
Mr.. Raikes to visit her at Windsor, and
tell her all about his "pous design for
blessing the children of the poor."-ReU.
Sumner Ellis, in the Christian Leader.