XV. A Method of giving little Children Bodily Exer- cise, improving their Minds, and pleasing them at the same time.-Of Singing ... XVII. Various Anecdotes of Infant School Children.... 259 XVIII. Remarks on National and Sunday Schools..... 275 ON INFANT EDUCATION. CHAPTER I. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. "This is a beaten track :-ne'er beat enough, YOUNG. It has long been a subject of regret as well as astonishment to the reflecting and benevolent, that notwithstanding the numerous institutions, for the education and improvement of the poor, which exist in this country, and in defiance of the endeavours of our police establishment and the vigilance of our magistracy, crime should rather increase than diminish. Many persons from this fact have been induced to infer that our Sunday Schools, Parochial Schools, and National Schools, as well as our Bible Societies, and institutions of a similar nature, are of no use whatever; that the country would be just as well without any of them. Absurd as the inference is, I have known more than one or two persons make it; not reflecting, that although these means may not B be sufficient to counteract the cause of crime, or to prevent its evil effects, yet, nevertheless, they must certainly check its progress, and oppose its farther extension; and that, if there be many offenders in spite of these institutions, there would, doubtless, be many more if they were not in existence; to revile or neglect them, therefore, is little worthy of good sense or good feeling. It is not my purpose in the present Chapter to dwell on the existence of crime generally, but of that of juvenile delinquency in particular; neither shall I here stop to point out, or to expatiate on, the remedy for the evil, which it is the purpose of the succeeding chapters to propose and explain. I will, previously to doing so, bring before the eyes of the public a collection of facts, some of which were obtained at considerable personal hazard and inconvenience, shewing the alarming nature and extent of juvenile delinquency. It is said by Dr. Pole, in his Observations on Infant Schools (p. 17), that in the year 1819, in London alone, the number of boys who procured a considerable part of their subsistence by pocketpicking, and thieving in every possible form, was estimated to be from eleven to fifteen hundred. One man whom he mentions, living in Wentworth Street, near Spitalfields, had forty boys in training to steal and pick pockets, who were paid for their exertions with a part of the plunder; fortunately, however, for the public, this notable tutor of thieves was himself convicted of theft and transported. This system of tutorage is by no means uncommon, nor is it confined to the male sex. I remember reading some time back in the Police Reports, of a woman who had entrapped eight or ten children from their parents; had trained them up, and sent them out thieving; nor was it until one of these infantile depredators was taken in the act of stealing, that the affair was made known, and the children restored to their homes. In this case, we see, owing probably to the negligence of their fathers or mothers, eight or ten children, enticed away no doubt by the promise of a few cakes, or other trifling reward, were in a fair way of becoming confirmed thieves, had not a providential discovery of their situation taken place; and we know not how many children may have been won to evil practices in like manner. Facts of this nature, if no other arguments could be adduced, would be sufficient to shew the utility, indeed I may say, the necessity, of providing some means, more efficient than those at present in existence, for the protection and improvement of the infant poor; that they may not thus, from the negligence of their parents, fall into the hands of those evil and designing wretches who make a living by encouraging the children of the poor to commit crimes, of the produce of which they themselves take the greatest part. The younger the children are, the better they suit the purpose of these vile miscreants; because, if such children are detected in any dishonest act, they know well, that few persons would do more than give the child or children a tap on the head, and send them about their business. The tenth part of the crimes committed by juvenile offenders never come under public view, because should any person be robbed by a child, and detect him in the act, he is silenced by the bystanders, with this remark," Oh! he is but à child, let him go this time, perhaps the poor thing has done it from necessity, being in want of bread." Thus the child is almost sure to escape, and instead of being punished, is not unfrequently rewarded for the adventure, as was the case in the following instance. Having had occasion to walk through Shoreditch, some time since, I saw a number of persons collected together round a little boy, who, it appeared, had stolen a brass weight from the shop of a grocer. The account the shopman gave was as follows: He stated, that three boys came into the shop for half-an-ounce of candied horehound, and that while he was getting down the glass which contained it, one of the boys contrived to purloin the weight in question. Having some suspicion of the boys, from the circumstance of having recently lost a number of brass weights, he kept his eyes upon them, when he saw one of them put his hand into a box that was on the counter, take out the largest weight, and then run out of the shop, followed by the other two boys. The boy who stole it, slipped the weight into the hand of one of the others; but the shopman, having observed this manoeuvre, followed the boy who had the weight, who, being the youngest of the three, could not run very fast; he, finding himself closely pursued, threw away the weight into the road, and when he was taken, declared it was not he who took it. The man wished to take the child back to the shop, in order that his master might do with him as he thought proper, but the by-standers, with a charitable zeal which evinced little knowledge, prevented him; one man in particular seemed to interest himself much in the boy's behalf, stating that he knew the child very well, and that he had neither father nor mother. The child immediately took up the plea, that he had no father or mother, adding to it |