(3.) Let us now contemplate the effects of these diligent and self-denying labours. "I have often,' said an old man to me, [Mr. Nickolls, his biographer and successor, after some interval,] at the ringing of the bell on Saturday afternoon, left my plough for half an hour for instruction, and afterwards returned to it again.' And another aged man said, 'Ah! sir, that was a fine team I drove when I was young; but, sir, whenever the church bell rang at three o'clock on Saturday afternoon, I always left my team when at plough, to come to Mr. Bold to be catechized, and then went back again to plough.'" From the same account it appears, that for many years after the decease of this excellent pastor, the parish was distinguished for loyalty, order, sobriety, and a devout attendance on the public services of the Church. In some respects, indeed, our rural parishes were in a happier and healthier moral state than they are at present; but here Mr. Nickolls shall speak for himself: "There were several incidental circumstances that conspired to assist Mr. Bold's success in his ministry. The parish was not then enclosed, but in the open field state, occupied chiefly by little freeholders and agriculturists, who were not either so much employed or so poor as not to afford time for religious instruction. Such of the parishioners as were in good circumstances (none of them were opulent) united with Mr. Bold in promoting parochial harmony, and in accommodating all matters in question without reference to attorneys or law-suits; and except in the case of a discharged soldier who was guilty of robbing, I cannot learn that any felonious act was committed in the parish for half a century. The parish was so fortunate as to have no necessity for many years of poor-rates, and was not oppressed with manufacturers, of which there were not more than two. The enclosure of the open field (not common) obliged the little freeholders to sell out, abridged tillage, promoted pasturage, so that we do not now produce corn sufficient to supply the village; and the stocking manufacture being resorted to for support, the poor-rates are increased from almost nothing to about 300l. a-year. We are crowded with the stocking manufacturers, who take apprentices for the little fee of five pounds, and they become vicious in their morals or by improvident conduct; and marrying without means of support, bring such burdens upon the parish by their families, and distresses when trade slackens, as injure greatly the agricultural interest, especially the lower class of farmers; and with respect to religious instruction, the manufacturing classes of the lower orders are most adverse to the reception of it, except indeed where their employers will interest themselves, and use their authority and money to promote attention to it." Having thus contemplated the character of this worthy man, what is particularly worthy of note is, that this is not an instance of a good pious man, of little knowledge, of little talent, labouring and passing his life among people of his own class (as has been and is the case with many very worthy men, especially in the northern counties); but Mr. Bold was a man who might reasonably and naturally have looked for a more prominent sphere of duty. He was a learned man, a close and constant student; he was particularly well read in the fathers and the earlier English theologians. He was an elegant writer; his style is thought to approach nearer to the purity and simplicity of that of Addison than any contemporary writer. He was also gifted with the graces of elocutionan impressive and eloquent preacher; yet was he contented to count all his talents and acquirements as nought, in order to be made the instrument of leading his humble parishioners in the ways of godliness. He refused preferment when it was offered to him (as it was by the Wigley family), but chose to live and die in the station in which it appeared to him he could best promote the interests of CHRIST'S Church. He wrote several tracts, which were (and may be now) on the list of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. They are all upon the subject which was always nearest his heart,—a frequent and devout attendance on the worship of GOD. The titles are as follows: 1. The Sin and Danger of Neglecting the Public Service of the Church. By a Presbyter of the Church of England. 1745. 8vo. 2. Religion the most Delightful Employment, &c.; with an earnest recommendation of the three great duties of family prayer, of attending daily the public service of GOD, and of frequenting the holy communion with devotion, &c. 3. The Duty of Worthy Communicating. A number of MS. sermons are also said to be in existence, and to be deserving of publication. His admirer and biographer, Mr. Nickolls, has enclosed his grave, and placed over it a tablet, with the inscription, "Let me die the death of the righteous," &c.; and with one more quotation from his memoir, this account shall close :— "When I first came to reside here, the good woman who had attended him when she was very young, also attended me, and placed me in his bed, and in a room he occupied. After airing the bed she retired, but presently returned with a hassock, which placing by the bed-side, she said, Sir, this is the hassock Mr. Bold used to kneel upon.' It was worn into hollows by his knees. Blessed saint! thy poverty and humility are changed to durable riches and glory, thy life transcends my power of imitation; and yet, for the love wherewith I desire to imitate thee, may divine grace, not considering my unworthiness, but the worthiness of Him who was our common Master, make my latter end to be full of peace like thine! I have loved thy memory because thou didst so entirely love Him; I have guarded thy remains from profanation, because they are to be raised in glory; I hope to repose by thee, and when I depart, may it please the Divine goodness to send thee as one of its ministering spirits to smile on me trembling, and assist me to your blessed abode." T. S. (From the British Magazine.) A CHILD IN THE EARTHENWARE MANUFACTORY. THE children most to be commiserated are those called jiggers and mould-runners,' who are employed by the dish, saucer, and plate makers. Each man employs two boys, one to turn the jigger or horizontal wheel, the other to carry the ware from the whirler to the hot-house on moulds. The children thus employed constantly work in a temperature ranging from 100 to 130 degrees. A man frequently makes eight-score dozen saucers in a week, each dozen counting thirty-six pieces; each piece is carried twice to the hot-house, and weighs, mould and bat, 2 lbs. ; but as two pieces are carried at the same time, they count but as one; that is to say, as 4 lbs. each trip. A child carries in the week, reckoning his working hours at seventy-two, 23,040 lbs., or 3840 lbs. each day. In carrying this weight he journeys forty-five miles 1440 yards every week, or seven miles 1120 yards per day. Besides this, he has to mount one, two, or three steps, to place the pieces on the shelves, to wedge the clay in the yard, whilst his master is taking his pipe or his pot; to collect the half-dried pieces from the shelves; to "carries come half an hour or more before his master in the morning, to get coals in and ashes out, and to sweep and make the room ready, and to do any thing else that may be wanted, having probably to walk a mile before and after his work. The men work by the piece, and, whatever the quantity of work to be done, they are usually idle during the early part of the week, seldom resuming their labour from noon on Saturday until Tuesday or Wednesday morning. On "the middle days" they work extra hours to make up lost time. Then the child, instead of leaving off work at six at night, is obliged to continue his labour until nine or ten. "The runner," says John Johnson, a bowl and saucer maker, two pieces to the stove, twice over, to a distance, taking the average of stoves, of from five to ten yards; besides this work, he has at intervals, whilst the man is laking (idling), to wedge the clay in readiness for him, and to run up, in addition, two or three steps to reach the upper shelves, and to collect the saucers from the moulds when sufficiently hardened. Plate running is harder still, as the weights they have to carry are considerable. Many boysmy boys now-work from six o'clock in the morning until nine at night, making fifteen hours a-day, deducting one hour and a half for meals, frequently working the best part of the meal-times; but this depends on the man, as to whether he is forward or not in his work."-From a Parliamentary Report. THE GROWTH OF GRACE. 1. THIS did not once so trouble me That only when we love, we find The love they should bestow. |