them. Another advantage of having the Bible classes in the same room with the other scholars is, that the younger scholars having the elder ones constantly before them, not only are made more orderly, but come to look upon the Bible class as the goal to which they hope to arrive, and consequently they continue their attendance at the school so long as they are able, or until quite grown up, none ever being able to consider themselves "too old for school," whilst they see so many their seniors in regular attendance. Indeed we scarcely ever lose a scholar, except from unavoidable causes, and I should think the average number of years of the attendance of all our scholars is at least FIVE, that of very many amounting to fifteen.

In neither of our Bible classes, which contain respectively fifteen and sixteen scholars, have we any under eighteen years of age, and those attending the first classes in the boy's, and the first and second in the girls' schools, have almost all been confirmed.

We separate our school into three divisions, Bible, Testament, and Elementary, and though of late years we have more that could not read, still in the youngest classes on each side, we adopt the Institute's reading books, and find them very suitable; in the other classes we have an Old Testament Lesson in the morning, following out the Institute's course, and varying according to the progress the class has made; and in the afternoon, a Gospel lesson throughout the school. In the Bible classes, the Gospel lesson is taken in the morning, (so that those who teach it in the afternoon, will have had the benefit of hearing it taught in the morning,) and some advanced lesson in the afternoon when the attendance is larger.

Twice in each year, at Midsummer and at Christmas, our scholars are promoted from class to class, as they may deserve, and as it may be found necessary to keep the classes as nearly as possible equal in point of numbers, and uniform as to the capabilities of the scholars, though we seldom have occasion to remove very many on this

account.

We have adopted the plan of appointing the most regular scholar in each class as the monitor to the class, whose duty it is to assist in keeping order, when the teacher is not present, to take charge of the Bibles, &c., lent for use in the class, and generally to report to the teacher or superintendent any misconduct, and on the whole, I am inclined to think the plan a good one; an occasional tea, or some other little privilege is needed to stimulate the monitors to per

severance.

We have a good library belonging to our school, which the chil dren have free access to on the recommendation of their teachers;

the books are well selected, care being taken to provide such as will both interest and benefit the elder scholars, not exclusively religious, but good moral tales, travels, historical tales, &c., &c., such as young men and women will read to the exclusion of the many base publications of the present day.

Each scholar is provided with a library ticket with ruled spaces, in which to fill in the numbers of the books which he wishes to read, and this he gives up on the Sunday morning with his book; between the morning service and afternoon school, the librarian changes the books, marking through on the back of the card the number of each book as it is given, and the books are delivered to the monitors of each class in the afternoon. This plan is found to answer much better than that of changing the books on a week-day evening.

We have an annual treat for our scholars, which is looked forward to by most of them as the grand gala day of the year. We assemble about seven in the morning, and we generally find that even the latest comers on the Sunday, who find half-past nine too early for them, can get in time on these occasions. We always begin our day with prayer and thanksgiving, and during the many years we have had these treats, we have never but once had an unfavourable day, and I think it is because we have always asked God's blessing upon it. Next we send round the collecting box for the scholars' contributions towards the missionary work, or the sick poor in the district, for inasmuch as the provisions are on the most liberal scale, and the whole expense is defrayed by the voluntary contributions and the collections made by the teachers, and the scholars always seem to have plenty of spare cash on such occasions, we deem it an excellent opportunity of teaching them to "look not every man on his own things, but on the things of others also," and as they have freely received, so they should freely give to those who are not so richly blessed. For the last two years the sum collected on these occasions, amounted to thirty shillings each day, which was sent last year to Lancashire, and this year was distributed to twelve poor sick people in our own district. We usually obtain a spacious field near to a station on the line of railway nearest to our school, and what with currant rolls for breakfast, meat pies, and jam tarts for dinner, fruit for dessert, cake and "solid" milk (as one of mine called it) for the juniors, and tea for the elders, together with swings, rides, and games of all sorts, the day usually passes most happily, and we return to town by nine o'clock. Our rule is to make up our list for the annual treat, a month or six weeks before it takes place, and no children who enter the school after that time are permitted to join it.

We have once a year a tea party for the parents of our scholars, to which both fathers and mothers are invited, when we provide them with a sumptuous tea, after which, for about an hour, we have suitable addresses, and conclude the whole with dissolving views, or some other entertainment, the intervals being enlivened by a piano; and on dismissing them, a new year's address, or other little book is presented to each as a memento. We believe that these meetings are calculated to be very beneficial, not only to the school, but to the parents also, some of whom have acknowledged the spiritual benefit which has resulted to them from what they have heard there, and which has in more than one instance been evidenced by a change of life.

Once a year we have a public examination, not a competitive one, nor yet with any idea of making a display of the more forward children, but inasmuch as we acknowledge that we, as teachers, are responsible to the parents of our scholars for what we teach them, we invite them once a year to hear the scholars examined upon that which has formed the course of instruction in each division during the year. Formerly we held these examinations on a week evening, but of late years we have held them on a Sunday afternoon, as being more convenient for the parents, of whom we have always obtained a very good attendance. There is a great deal in the parents being familiar with the inside of the school room, and I believe that these examinations have the effect of making them take more interest in their children's lessons, in the school generally, and in making them better acquainted with the teachers.

After the examination, a new year's address is given to each child, and the annual prizes are distributed, these latter are given either for punctual and regular attendance throughout the year, or for having obtained a certain number of marks for lessons and general good conduct. We fix a certain standard, and every child who attains to that number of marks, is entitled to a prize, differing in value according to his class in the school; by this means it is open to every scholar to obtain a prize, and one getting it in no way militates against his companion getting it likewise, so that all unholy rivalry is avoided, whilst sufficient stimulus to good conduct remains. Of course our standard is tolerably high; thus each scholar ought to get five marks each Sunday, and to obtain a prize, they must exceed two hundred in the year-only fifty Sundays counting.

In our Bible classes we give no marks, but only keep a record of their attendance, and at the end of the year some nice book is presented by the rector to each one who has attended regularly.

Once a year we have a gathering of old and senior scholars, to

which all who have left the school after having been confirmed are invited, together with their former teachers, and also all the senior scholars in the school who have been confirmed. We are usually enabled to send out about one hundred invitations to those who have left the school and are in service, or married, or living too far away; and those whom we are not able to find know that they have a general standing invitation to our annual tea party, which is always held on the same evening (Easter Tuesday) in each year, and we usually assemble from eighty to one hundred, one half of whom are still in the school, the others being old scholars.

We meet at six o'clock to a sumptuous tea, after which time is allowed for general conversation and inspection of objects of interest, which are borrowed for the occasion, and for singing and music; after which a few suitable addresses are given by the rector, superintendent, and old or present teachers, and at about ten o'clock they are dismissed with the present of a small book as a remembrance; and I know well that this, our Senior Scholars' Tea Party, is very much liked by all, and tends to keep alive the connection between the old scholars and the school; it also results in the return of those who, having left from some cause, are afterwards in a position to resume their attendance. In connection with this senior scholars' meeting we have also a Sacramental service on Easter Sunday evening, the invitation to both going out in the same letter, and we usually muster about forty late and present scholars at the Lord's table on this occasion; and I think that the good effect of this reminder of the duty and privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper, even to those who may not at the time avail themselves of it, and the benefit of recalling to their minds those things which they learnt amongst us in years past, cannot be over estimated. On the anniversary Sunday of our school we also invite as many of our elder scholars as are willing to join the teachers at the Lord's table, and we usually have a goodly number, although we are careful never to use any mere personal influence to induce them to attend.

We have a missionary box placed at the entrance door of our school to receive the contributions of the scholars, and we have a missionary address from the desk on the first Sunday in each month; but we strive rather to induce them "to give themselves to the Lord" first, and to become living missionaries in their appointed sphere of daily duty, than merely to give their money as a work of benevolence, fully convinced that if we succeed in winning them for Christ, His love will constrain them to do the rest; so that our collections are but small, not amounting to £5 in the year in the

missionary box; but then, such as it is, it is freely given, and we trust from a right motive, as no eye but God's sees the gift. Our subscriptions last winter for Lancashire amounted to thirty shillings each Sunday, but this was a "special appeal."

We have, also, a week evening class for our elder scholars, at which writing, arithmetic, book-keeping and such like subjects are taught. They have, also, formed a mutual improvement class amongst themselves under the presidency of our Superintendent, at which they read papers on various subjects which are afterwards discussed. In the summer months this class resolves itself into a Cricket club, and the friendly intercourse by these means fostered amongst them and their teacher tends very materially to confirm his influence over them, and to keep the class together.

I have thus given a very imperfect sketch of our Sunday school and its operations, and it will, doubtless, be expected that a school which has been in operation during so many years should have some results to show. As to our teachers, three of those who were formerly in our school, are now in the ministry; and many have formed connections there which have resulted in (I think I may say) very happy and suitable unions for life. Of our scholars, two of my first boys are now doing well in Australia, and are in constant communication with me, remitting me periodical sums for the use of their aged parents, whom they entirely support; they are now active members of a Committee for the erection of a new Church in Kangaroo diggings, and the one superintends and the other teaches in the Sunday school which they have themselves started. Several other of our late senior scholars are teaching in other Sunday schools, two of my present scholars have the charge of Ragged schools, and many others are employed in them. Some have married from the school, and are happily settled, and some we have laid in the grave "in sure and certain hope of a resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ." And in temporal matters, too, many both teachers and scholars have good cause to trace their rise in the world to their connection with our Sunday school. I am sure that if those who think the Sunday school no longer necessary, or at the best a necessary evil, could but estimate the temporal and spiritual benefits conferred upon teachers, scholars, and their families by its agency, they would rank it, as it deserves, amongst the noblest institutions of our country.

A Teacher.