TRUE BENEVOLENCE REQUIRES WISDOM AND FIRMNESS. WE visited that very magnificent hospital, La Salpêtriere. I will spare you, however, all the fine things that might be said about it, and only give you a little anecdote, which occurred while we stood looking into the open court, where the imbecile and the mad are permitted to take their exercise. A stout girl, who looked more imbecile than mad, was playing tricks, that a woman, who appeared to have some authority among them, endeavoured to stop. The girl evidently understood her, but with a sort of dogged obstinacy persevered, till the nurse, or matron, or whatever she was, took hold of her arm, and endeavoured to lead her into the house. Upon this the girl resisted; and it was not without some degree of violence that she was at last conquered and led away. "What dreadful cruelty!" exclaimed a woman, who, like ourselves, was indulging her curiosity by watching the patients. An old crone, a very aged and decrepid pensioner of the establishment, was passing by on her crutches as she spoke. She stopped in her hobbling walk, and addressing the stranger in the gentle voice of quiet good sense, and in a tone which made me fancy she had seen better days, said "Dreadful cruelty, good woman? She is preventing her from doing what ought not to be done. If you had the charge of her, you would think it your duty to do the same, and then it would be right. But, dreadful cruelty!' is easily said, and sounds good-hearted; and those who know not what it is to govern, generally think it is a sin and a shame to use authority in any way." And so saying, the old woman hobbled on, leaving 6 * An Hospital for insane persons in Paris. me convinced that La Salpêtrière did not give its shelter to fools only.—(From Mrs. Trollope's " Paris and the Parisians.") H. This anecdote displays a failing of human nature, which prevails much more extensively than those who are not in the habit of reflecting, can be aware of. If, in our own case, violence is done to our inclinations, or suffering befal us, we seldom think of the fatherly hand from which the correction comes-the wisdom and benevolence which dictate it, or the holy and happy end to which it may serve. We forget how many things God thus prevents us from doing, which ought not be done, and which, if done, would lead to our present and eternal sorrow and destruction. There is, too, one class of our readers to which we would particularly recommend the reading of this anecdote-namely, to those fathers and mothers, who are sometimes too ready to listen to all the complaints which their children bring them against their school-master. One boy will tell his mother that he was punished for nothing—another, that his master is partial, and favors other boys, which causes him to be at the bottom of the class. In short, many stories are told, and the parent, too fondly and readily receiving them, agrees with the child that the master is very cruel. The boy is thus encouraged in disobedience, and the parent, perhaps, cares little about it, so long as only the master is plagued with the boy's troublesome habits, or other bad dispositions. But, by and by, this disobedience, thus encouraged, begins to display itself at home, and then the parent is loud in complaints against the misery of having disobedient children, and, perhaps, the father is excited to punish them with violence instead of taking time, and using temper to mitigate the evil, which, but for the mistaken kindness of the parents, would never have been allowed to grow to such a head. They find out, when too late, that it is very easy to say the master is cruel, but not so easy to remedy the evil consequences of letting young persons " do that which ought not to be done."-(Ed.) POETRY. "By the grace of God, I am what I am."-1 Cor. 15. 10. No holy thought springs in my mind, No seed of goodness there I find, Thou didst sustain me in the days Of helpless infancy, Thy guidance through life's devious maze The trials of my after lot Were by thy wisdom given, From year to year, as time rolls by, But, Lord, too often have I slept, O! I have need of chastening still, Direct me, chasten, and controul, Be gracious to my struggling soul, (Metrical Exercises by H. B. King.) No. 95.] [Vol. IV. THE PENNY SUNDAY READER. EDITED BY THE REV. I. E. N. MOLESWORTH, RECTOR OF ST. MARTIN'S, CANTERBURY, AND ONE OF THE SIX PREACHERS OF CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL. ST. MARTIN'S CHURCH, CANTERBURY, IN WHICH CHRISTIANITY WAS FIRST EMBRACED BY A KINGS SHALL BE THY NURSING FATHERS AND THEIR QUEENS THY NURSING MOTHERS.-Isaiah xlix. 23. CANTERBURY: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED, EVERY WEDNESDAY, AT THE OFFICE OF THE KENTISH OBSERVER. AND OF ALL BOOKSELLERS, LONDON AGENTS-MESSRS. RIVINGTON'S, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD. Just Published, price 3s. 6d. THE PULPIT POCKET COMPANION, AND LITURGICAL MANUAL OF GENERAL DEVOTION. The aim of this work is principally to assist the Clergy, in the selection of a collect, or prayer, from the Liturgy, harmonizing with the subject of the sermon, before which it is read. For this purpose, analphabetical reference to the variety of topics, which abound in the petitions of our beautiful and comprehensive Liturgy, has been prepared. But the copiousness of the table of reference, will render it also generally useful to the private aspirations of the devout layman. Few are the desires, the hopes, the necessities, the fears, the sorrows, the feelings of piety and faith, gratitude and admiration, for which he may not there find expression in language unrivalled in comprehensiveness and conciseness, dignity and simplicity, pathos and sobriety. *Vols 1, 2, and 3 of the PENNY SUNDAY READER, for 1835, may now be had of all booksellers, price 2s. 9d. each, neatly bound in cloth, with the wood-cut of St. Martin's Church, Canterbury, printed on the cover. It should be noted that these volumes though dated 1835 and 1836, form manuals of Sunday reading, adapted to every year. C. W. BANKS, PRINTER, ST. GEORGE'S STREET, CANTERBURY. |