This

The

there are now two men, and one woman, in the House of Correction, and one in our Jail, as Lunatics! is a matter, which demands immediate attention. character of our city, as well as the cause of humanity, is concerned in it. I hardly know whether more sympathy is demanded for the poor being, who, in a state of mental derangement, is confined in one of the cells of the House of Correction; or for his family, when they must have the charge of him at home.

7. There are poor families which have known better days, and who, in their poverty, have retained their virtue.

Of this division of the poor, I visit an aged and respected couple, who are principally supported by the industry of two feeble daughters. The husband is too infirm for any but very light work, very little of which is to be obtained; and his wife is suffering under a very distressing, and probably an incurable disease.-I visit another very aged couple, who are both daily employed in the work by which the husband was formerly able to provide well for his family. They now obtain by it a bare subsistence during the summer, and while they are able to work. And in winter, if they have their usual health, they require little other assistance than in obtaining fuel. But sickness brings them at once to an absolute state of want.-Another aged man, who does what he can, generally earns by his work twelve cents a day. Two daughters, however, contribute the fruits of their exertions for his support. But by the labors of the whole family they do but live; and in the winter, they cannot live without charity. In another family of this class is

an infirm mother, who has the charge of seven children. Her husband was once engaged in trade, and possessed enough to inspire some confidence of prosperity and independence. But by a series of events, which were beyond his control, he was brought to poverty. This man's reputation for uprightness has not, I believe, been questioned. But by his best efforts, he finds it very difficult to provide a home and food for his family.

8. There are well-disposed and industrious young husbands and wives, who begin their married life, as they think, with good prospects, who have, however, made little or no provision for a family, and who live very comforta bly till they are visited with sickness. I refer to the families of journeymen mechanics, and of others who depend upon the wages of their daily labors. The ruin of such families may often be followed back to the debts, which were incurred during a time of protracted illness. They are not objects of charity, while they are in health; and they do not look for it. But if not sometimes assisted in the time of sickness, they are in great danger of falling into the lowest class of paupers.

9. There are also wives whose husbands have descrted them; and others, whose husbands have left home to seek for employment abroad, but from whom, after a year, or eighteen months, or two years, no information has been received. The families that are so left are often brought to great want and suffering.

Of this division of the poor, I visit one mother who has with her three children; one, a sickly boy of ten years old, and twin infants of about fifteen months old.Another has five children at home, the youngest of whom is less than a year old.—And another has three young

Each of these families is very

children. destitute.-Another, who is remarkably capable as a seamstress, and quite as industrious, has supported her family till lately, when she has suffered from a long confinement by sickness. Another is the wife of a man, who failed in business, and has absconded. The family consists of this wife, an aged mother, a boy nine years old, who is in a lawyer's office, and two other children, one of whom is two years, and the other ten months old. This family I found in a state of great want and suffering.—And another has struggled through seven years of desertion, till her constitution is enfeebled by labor, and it is with the greatest difficulty that she keeps herself from dependence on charity. And another has five children, to be supported by her own, and the industry of the eldest. They can sometimes earn two dollars a week, one of which, however, must be paid for rent. But work is not always to be had, nor have they always health to do it.

But this detail is carrying me beyond the limits, within which I should confine myself in a report. I will therefore only add on this subject, without giving examples, that there are greatly afflicted parents, some of whom are widows, and some who are very worthy, to whom the greatest kindness which they can receive is, the assistance which they need in the charge of truant, of obstinately disobedient, and vagrant children. The number is large, far larger than would be imagined, of such children in our city. Many of them, though not all, are children of parents, from the corrupting influence of whose conversation and habits, it would have been truly wonderful if their children had escaped uncontaminated. Some of these lads are intemperate; almost all of them

are very profane; and a large part of them are guilty of petty thefts, at the ages of eleven, twelve, and thirteen years. Can there be a better charity, as far as the public, as well as themselves are concerned, than in well-directed and vigorous endeavors for the rescue of these children from the ruin, which, if they are neglected but a little longer, will be inevitable? The School of Reformation at South Boston is doing much for several of this class of lads. But neither all, nor the greatest number

* I addressed a note to the Rev. Mr Wells, superintendent of the School of Reformation at South Boston, in which I proposed to him a number of inquiries respecting that institution. And as he has authorized me to use his reply to my note in any manner which I shall think proper, I gratefully avail myself of the opportunity here to publish the substance of it.

"The School of Reformation was opened on the 21st of September, 1826. I began my services in it on the 5th of November, 1927. Seventythree were then in the school, and eighty four have since been received into it. Since that time, the average number has been about ninetythree. The ages of the children are from eight to sixteen years. The average of their ages is about eleven. Within the time that I have been here, fiftyfour have been apprenticed. Of these fiftyfour, five have been returned as bad boys; four have left their places through disaffection, and have returned here voluntarily; and two have left without returning. The remaining fortythree were, at the last accounts, doing well. Of those recommended as good boys, only one has proved to be bad. Most of them are giving the fullest satisfaction. Three hours and a half of the day are occupied in the instructions of the school room; six in work; and three quarters of an hour are allowed for play in the morning, again at noon, and again at the close of the day. We have two religious services on Sunday; one on Wednesday evening; and morning and evening prayers daily.

"Beside the usual work of the house and garden, the willow basket work, palm-leaf hat making, broom making and tailoring, have been the branches of business carried on. The boys do all

of them, will be sent there. And beside these, there are many others who do not commit offences, which will bring them within the cognizance of law, whose ruin, if they are not stayed in their course, is certain. Is it asked

their own cooking, table work, washing, scouring, chamber work, and all that belongs to house work; so that only one domestic is employed in the house, and she does the work of our private family.

cases.

"Most people imagine, when they see, or hear of bad boys, that they are a worse kind of boys, worse by nature than others. If my observation be of any value on this subject, it is not so; for though at first there be strong sproutings of evil principle and passion to be lopped off, and rank weeds of sin to be rooted up, yet when this is done, we find here as good a stock, and as rich a soil, as in other Some of our boys have been without parents to guide them; the parents of others were unworthy of the name; the parents of some have wished, but knew not how, to restrain their children; and some knew not how to be kind, without the utmost weakness of indulgence; or to be strict, without being severe. These boys fell into the company of idlers, more wicked than themselves; became wild, lawless, and profane; were attracted to the theatre, and led to petty thefts to obtain the amusement to be found there; and were rapidly passing from sin to sin, in the way to irretrievable ruin. But, however bad a boy may be, he can always be reformed, while he is under fifteen years old; and very often after that age; and he who has been reckoned, and treated, as if incapable of anything like honesty and honor, may be made worthy of the most entire confidence. We have sent our boys to the city more than three hundred times, and only three have refused to return regularly. Indeed, they oftener return before, than after the appointed hour. We send them out on business of importance, and commit to them money, and other property, and they have never abused the trust we have thus placed in them. We commit to them keys of the utmost value to us, and but in one instance was there a dishonorable advantage taken; and then it was soon repented of, and a voluntary return to duty followed. Thus, sir, we live together as a family of brethren, cheerful, happy, confiding; and, I trust, in a greater or less degree,