provided and remunerated according to a suitable scale, these schools must depend, so far as the machinery of teaching is concerned, upon the personal efforts of the clergyman and other friends to the cause of education who may be disposed to volunteer their services. It may sometimes happen that a tolerably efficient teacher can be found willing to devote a few evenings in the week to the superintendence of an evening school, and the writer remembers having met with an instance in a country village where an intelligent excise officer was employed, after his ordinary daily avocations, as teacher of the evening school, the clergyman having engaged him for the office at a moderate stipend. But it is not often that such a person can be readily found, and therefore it is most desirable that some other more certain means of supplying suitable teachers for evening schools should. be provided. About two years ago the attention of the London Diocesan Board of Education was directed to the subject, and it was agreed that pecuniary aid should be furnished from their funds towards the establishment of evening schools in the metropolitan districts. The grants made for this purpose included assistance towards making up the salary of a teacher who should be engaged during the morning or afternoon in the elementary day school, and afterwards in the evening school. From the London Board the matter passed under the consideration of the Committee of Council, whose views are embodied in a letter from the Secretary, entitled Evening Schools for the Labouring Classes,' and published in the volume of Minutes for the year 1851-52. In this letter it is stated that the Committee will assist in the formation of evening schools for young persons, where such schools are attached to existing day schools, by allowing the usual augmentation grant to a certificated teacher, on the understanding that he shall

be employed during no more than the morning or afternoon in the day school, in addition to the charge of the evening school.

It was proposed by the London Board of Education that the evening schools assisted by them should be confined to young persons between the ages of twelve and seventeen. The limits within which pupils are to be admitted must depend mainly on local circumstances. In some places it may be advisable to exclude adults, but in most cases it appears reasonable that the schools should be open to all those above a certain whose age occupations preclude them from obtaining instruction during the daytime.

The subjects of instruction should resemble as much as possible those to which the pupils have been accustomed at their day school. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are those which most readily suggest themselves. The reading lessons may include history, geography, grammar, &c. Occasionally familiar conversational lectures may be given upon those sciences which bear upon every-day life; such, for example, as the properties of steam and the structure of the steam-engine, or of electricity in connexion with the electric telegraph. Mechanics and mensuration are also very suitable subjects of study for those pupils who have received in an elementary school instruction sufficient to enable them to understand such subjects. Religious instruction must be left in the hands of the parochial clergyman: it should be undertaken for at least one hour during the week. But the Bible ought not to be used as the class reading-book, for reasons which have been already stated in a previous part of this work.

Evening schools are generally opened about the beginning of October and closed at Easter. During the

summer months it is found that the majority of pupils manifest a preference for out-door employments and amusements; and it is better to close the school altogether than to keep it open only for the few who would be inclined to attend. Three or four evenings at most are quite sufficient for adult instruction,- -an hour and a half being devoted each time to actual study. In most instances seven o'clock appears to be the most suitable hour for opening, when a quarter of an hour will be consumed in prayers and preparation for the lessons. The time from past 7 to past 8 may be divided into three periods of half an hour each; afterwards an additional of an hour will be expended in prayer and singing, and the business of the evening may then be concluded by 9 o'clock.

The subjoined Time Table is constructed according to the division of time which is generally adopted in town schools:

The charge for admission to evening schools must, of course, vary according to circumstances. It is sometimes as low as a halfpenny per night, and occasionally as high as sixpence a week. In very rare instances these schools are opened gratuitously, but where the

scholars can afford to pay, if only a mere trifle, they should be required to do so.

With regard to the methods of instruction most suitable for evening schools, little need be said here. The teacher must himself judge how far the plans recommended for children in day schools may be applied to pupils of a more advanced age. Some modification of those plans will no doubt be found generally necessary, and less of the severe discipline of ordinary school-work will be required. As much scope as possible should be afforded for individual exertion, and, with a view to this, every scholar should be allowed to work in arithmetic, or in any other suitable subject, by himself, and from his own book of examples, permission being given him to refer to the master when in need of any explanations.

The success of an evening school (and the remark we are about to make will apply perhaps with equal force to other schools also) will depend more upon the hearty good will and earnest endeavours of those who are concerned in its operations than upon the methods which may happen to be pursued. Method is, after all, only the means by which we hope to arrive at certain results. The true end of all education should be the inculcation of such principles as will conduce to the religious and moral well-being of the young; such as will lead them to perform their duties towards God and their neighbour zealously and heartily, "as unto the Lord, and not unto men." Let the teacher therefore duly estimate the importance of his sacred office-let him keep constantly in view the objects for which he has to labour; and he can scarcely fail to be inspired with true ideas and just notions of the art of teaching.