summoned them, and they become too strong
for us. If appeals be made continually to a
child's fear, how can scorn of pain or sorrow be
expected, when right deeds have to be done in
spite of difficulties? To cultivate cowardice,
and expect moral courage, is very curious.

The play-ground lias now been open some
months, and it has already done much for the
court. There, at least girls can play in safety,
free from the temptations and interruptions of
the streets. There, many a time last summer
might be seen a group of happy children sitting
out in the bright sunlight, threading beads, or
making wreaths of flowers, or little bags,
pincushions, flags. The place might look forlorn to
most eyes, and it was inconvenient to sit on the
ground; but it was a little kingdom of our own,
where we could play in peace, and learn
gradually to use our fingers for making, not
destroying. Here, too, any lady who wanted to
find out desolate children and give them a little
treat, might always find them. A kite, a doll,
a ball, were sources of inexhaustible delight.

Perhaps our expeditions were as great
sources of pleasure as anything. Small parties
went out to row in the park; and little creatures
went, who had never been in a boat, and had
never noticed the laburnum or hawthorn blossom.
We have gained admittance, too, for
a few children to the Zoological Gardens
sometimes. The ignorance shown is almost
incredible. After riding on the camel, and watching it
a long time, a girl of nine years old asked me
if it were alive! Another child of about the
same age, seeing the little clock-tower over its
house, asked: " Does the camel go up there of
a Sunday to church?"

Soon after the play-ground opened, I took
four girls to Hampstead Heath. At first they
were shy, and said little. They expressed a
great dread of wolves. I reassured them by
giving them an account of the destruction
of wolves in England, and by saying very
positively, in answer to their questions, that I was
quite sure it was long before their mothers were
bora. They then expressed certainty that there
would be bears. " No," I assured them,
"none at all. Yes, I had often been there, and
had never met any bears." Experience is the
only thing upon which these children rely. Their
last fear was, that gipsies would carry us off—
six people at three o'clock of a spring afternoon
at Hampstead! Satisfied at last, they
abandoned themselves to natural enjoyment. The
flowers, trees, animals, all were sources of
wonder and pleasure, as we pointed them
out. For some time I could talk to them and
interest them; at last, wearied, I left them to
talk among themselves. Of the foulness of their
talk it would be impossible to write; of the death
of all sensitiveness, and substitution of the love
of horror for the love of beauty. The least
awful part of it was a description of all the
bodies that had been taken out of the Paddington
Canal when last cleaned, gross descriptions of
their appearance, and gross speculations as to
tlieir histories. The long curved line of trees
in the first glory of gold-green fuliage, showed,
between their as yet thinly covered branches, a
mist of blue distance, at which I sat and gazed;
and somehow the natural beauty made me feel
with a deeper awe the pollution of these young
human spirits. So I have often returned, after
some hours in the court, with so vivid a sense
of the savagery of the people there, that the
commonest civilities among educated people
have seemed to me lovely. I have been even
struck by the graciousness of girls handing
things to one another at table.

The swings which have been erected in the
play-ground by the kind help of friends, have
been sources of constant amusement. The
walls have been whitewashed, and gravel has
been laid down; and though the place still looks
bare, and though the untidy and dirty habits of
the people make it almost impossible to keep it
habitually neat, yet it is like a redeemed land
compared with what it was.

It is not the place here to speak of our tenants
and the alterations in the cottages, for which,
as well as for the entire sum required for the
purchase of the play-ground, we are indebted to
Mr. Ruskin. I must confine myself to the
play-ground. We want fellow-workers greatly. The
work requires to be done by constant personal
teaching and direction. We want people to
teach the children songs; to teach them to draw;
to bring them things to look at. The whole
world of nature is a blank to them. Shells,
flowers, seaweed, the commonest objects of the
country, are new and interesting to them.
Presently we hope they will all go to school; but
when they do, if they come out at four o'clock on
a summer's evening without resources, and
without space, and without guidance at home, the
day's teaching will be counteracted in the court.
One principle we have had carefully to observe
in all our dealings with the poor. Hold back
your hand from gifts of things they expect to
have to provide for themselves. Do so for two
reasons. First, that you may encourage in
them, foresight, energy, and self-control. Add
largely to their savings, if you will; give them
materials, if they will manufacture them; above
all, employ them, if you can. Secondly, if you
will steadily refuse to give, you will drive
yourself and others to face the question, Can a
man live on the wages we pay him? Private
charity may back up for a time a hollow state of
things, as the system of out-door relief in aid of
wages did; it may eat out our manhood and
womanhood, our self-reliance and our
providence; but it cannot make brave, healthy,
honourable citizens. Let us give up the plan of
screwing down our payments for work done,
until a labourer can barely subsist on his wages
while all goes quite smoothly with him, and
stepping in with our charity when we happen to
lie touched by the sight of want.

It is often hard to refuse gifts. Let any one
who resolves to try this hard path be consoled
by the remembrance that it is not by any means
one in which the need of self-sacrifice is
abolished. There remains almost more to be done
when no such gifts are made: the difficulties of
linding work tor those who want it are greater,