The million-peopled city
Garwood, John
1853
Mr. Sergeant Adams's Eulogy of the Efforts of Ragged School Teachers.
The credit due to the voluntary teachers is very great. And it is a most gratifying circumstance to know that there are 1,657 persons engaged in so arduous a work throughout London. But the Lord has greatly rewarded them in the fruits which have resulted by His blessing from their toils. recently expressed himself in the following terms on this subject:- | |
"The enthusiasm of teachers of is marvellous. I have them occasionally before me, to give characters to boys who have been at their schools, and I thus have practical opportunity of learning what they do. This little anecdote may not be uninteresting. A female, some time ago, came before me as a teacher of an Infant School. She came to give a character to a boy who had been in the school for 3 or 4 months. I said, 'What do you know | |
65 | about this boy of 12 years of age. What has he to do with an ?' 'Oh,' said a person by her, 'my Lord, you are mistaken; she means that that is what she gets her living by, but she is a teacher also of a .' ' What! How many hours are you teacher of the ?' From 9 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon.' 'Then what time have you for teaching the ?' 'Oh, that does not begin till 7.' And the evenings of this woman, after the day had been spent in the wearisome occupation of managing these infants, was spent in voluntarily teaching these poor children. And I should say that, although perhaps that is a remarkable case, yet it is by no means an uncommon one; I never have a teacher of a before me without asking what his occupation is, and I find that their occupations are all of the same character, and that the whole that they do is carried out by the self-sacrifice of time and rest. That a system so supported must produce good effects sooner or later I have no doubt." |