The child's complaint.

lanthropist, sees the deteriorating process thus carried on. He is affected with a sense of the misery around him. And, before he sets about the benevolent enterprise, he either mystifies what is plain to the corruptor, or allows himself to be discouraged by the most extravagant notions of the nature of the obstacles in his way.

In connection with the juvenile portion of the community, one thing is obvious, that, from the absence of a fair field for innocent and youthful sports, they are forced to such scenes and pleasures as are in other classes confined to the adult. Where is the play-ground for the poor child? He must not play with marbles on the pavement; he must not drive the hoop in the streets; fields are forbidden grounds, and commons are everywhere enclosed. The marbles endanger, or inconvenience the foot passengers; the hoop frightens the horses, and the bat and ball would break panes of glass. What is the child to do? Excitement he must have, and, if you will not be at some trouble to provide it, under circumstances compatible with virtue, either he will have it at your cost, or the gold thirst of the vicious will contrive to indulge the, at first, natural desire, and in time, the debasing appetite. In large towns we find parks for the people, becoming daily of greater moment. Why should we not open squares, as play-grounds under an efficient gate-keeper, or manager, for the children of the poor? Let there be a shop, or shops, to furnish the innocent gratifications of children, conducted by the family of the gate-keeper, who would soon draw a sufficient remuneration from this source, a toy-shop, or sweetmeat-shop, to make it worth the while of a superior order of tradesman, to undertake the responsibilities of such a position. Are there not at our fairs such as are held at Camberwell and Greenwich, contrivances to gratify the poor children of the streets? If the "penny gaff" and the "twopenny hops," can be supported

by this class of children, surely popular play-grounds, thrown open to the exclusive enjoyment of our street-children, would furnish enough to purchase at the child's depository, to support one or more individuals as superintendents or gate-keepers. In this chapter we have already referred to the cricket-field, opened for the children employed by the candle company in Lambeth. The happiest moral as well as physical results have been seen to flow from rational recreation under the control of a highly religious mind. At the risk of censure for repetition we recall the words of Mr. J. P. Wilson:-"I look upon the cricket game as one of the very happiest parts of all that we have been doing, and have never had any misgivings about inducing our boys to take to it (which at first, sometimes needs a little persuading), and to give up a deal of their spare time and attention to it. . . . . In speaking of the bodily benefits derived by the boys from it, I do not at all mean that these are the only ones; on the contrary, any one observing our first-class boys in one of their matches, their entire freedom from rudeness of conduct or language, in fact, their really gentlemanlike behaviour towards each other, will feel that the moral training quite keeps pace with the physical. . . . I think the mixing of the boys and myself with the men in the cricket-field and gardening, produced much good and kindly feeling among us all, and has made many work together in the factory during the winter as friends, who felt almost as strangers before."

Now, as we have excluded children from the only places Restitution. in which they could enjoy themselves, are we not in justice bound to make some compensatory provision? If the cricket-field has ensured the happiest results, we have not the slightest doubt but that the formation of public playgrounds in suitable localities, the situations chosen for our ragged schools, where children might assemble for childish sports, would ensure some of the highest benefits. We

An example.

would not plead for popular amusements, as the affording of pleasure to the sons of toil. All relish not the pleasures of pleasing. We would advocate the cause on grounds of policy as a preventive measure, as an expedient necessitated by the natural tendency we find in some to enjoy themselves at our expense, even as we have lived merrily without thought or care for them. We have heard of a teacher who knew both his trade and human nature, observing "that, for the purposes of moral training, he valued more the time he spent with his pupils at their games than that which was spent in the school-room." *

A Mr. Stone, lecturer on chemistry, some time ago, opened an amateur workshop in Manchester, in which, on the payment of a trifling charge, young people may have access to all that is requisite to the exercise of their ingenuity. In the neighbourhood of such a play-ground, or within the enclosure, let similar establishments be formed. If the shops lining our arcades are profitably occupied, because of the direction given to the traffic by such a structure, surely toy-shops and amateur workshops, depositories for juvenile literature and clothing, would spring up. This would be further encouraged by suitable accommodation being afforded by a building association taking up the matter into their hands. Instead of the demoralizing coffee-houses and sweetmeat-shops (described in page 35), which are under the management of those whose object is to decoy children, such places would supply the means of innocent recreation, and eventually lead to the suppression of those pest-houses of juvenile corruption.

In concluding our notice of this important sphere of philanthropic enterprise, we may remark that it would be advisable to have distinct associations to carry out the

"Social Evils," p. 76.

various objects described in the foregoing pages. We have building associations, model lodging-house societies, loan societies, and great educational societies: what is to prevent our starting an association to agitate the essential question of a reform in our popular amusements and juvenile recreations? Let a prize be offered for the best essay on the subject, to elicit inquiry, to awaken thought, and to guide public opinion.

We have given, on page 10, a sketch of two little girls. Let the reader, who doubts whether some provision for the recreation of the juvenile portion of the community in our larger towns be urgently called for, consider those Let it be remembered that the examples cited are not, by any means, exceptions.

cases.

Play is essential to the child, as relaxation is imperative to the adult. We have prohibited amusements for our own convenience. Are we not in common justice bound to recompense children for their loss?

Indifference to their wants entails upon us no slight responsibility. We may not forget the denunciations of Him who on earth would not suffer "the little ones," to be "despised." "Woe unto you also for ye lade" children "with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burden with one of your fingers.”*

*Luke xi. 46.

CHAPTER V.

Lycurgus.

THE GAOL-ABORTIVE AND RUINOUS.

"Commonwealths and good governments do nourish virtue grown; but do not much mend the seeds: but the misery is that the most effectual means are now applied to the ends least to be desired."-LORD BACON.

§ 1. AMONG the many remarkable laws of that most remarkable man, Lycurgus, was that which designed the eradication of those evils, which, in special connection with our youth, we are anxious to see expelled from the country. "He found," says his interesting biographer, "a prodigious inequality. The city [Sparta] overcharged with many indigent persons, who had no lands, and the wealth concentrated in the hands of a few." He "determined, therefore, to root out the evils of insolence, envy, avarice, and luxury, and those distempers of a state more inveterate and fatal-I mean poverty and riches."

It would not be pertinent to the scope of this essay, to inquire into the merits of the question, How far our "prodigious inequality" is the cause of "distempers" of all most "inveterate and fatal" to the English state. Without the faintest sympathy with the communist or socialist of the age, we may admit, that social inequalities of condition, without ameliorating and corrective influences in operation, are, doubtless, the proximate cause of mendi