does not open them. Every such letter is
opened by the girl to whom it is addressed,
who reads it first, in the Superintendent's
presence. It never happens that they wish
to reserve the contents; they are always
anxious to impart them to her immediately.
This seems to be one of their chief pleasures
in receiving letters.

They make and mend their own clothes,
but do not keep them. In many cases they
are not for some time to be trusted with such
a charge; in other cases, when temper is
awakened, the possession of a shawl and
bonnet would often lead to an abrupt departure
which the unfortunate creature
would ever afterwards regret. To distinguish
between these cases and others of a
more promising nature, would be to make
invidious distinctions, than which nothing
could be more prejudicial to the Home, as
the objects of its care are invariably sensitive
and jealous. For these various reasons their
clothes are kept under lock and key in a
wardrobe room. They have a great pride in
the state of their clothes, and the neatness of
their persons. Those who have no such pride
on their admission, are sure to acquire it.

Formerly, when a girl accepted for admission
had clothes of her own to wear, she was
allowed to be admitted in them, and they
were put by for her; though within the Institution
she always wore the clothing it provides.
It was found, however, that a girl
with a hankering after old companions rather
relied on these reserved clothes, and that she
put them on with an air, if she went away or
were dismissed. They now invariably come,
therefore, in clothes belonging to the Home,
and bring no other clothing with them. A
suit of the commonest apparel has been provided
for the next inmate who may leave
during her probation, or be sent away; and
it is thought that the sight of a girl departing
so disgraced, will have a good effect on those
who remain. Cases of dismissal or departure
are becoming more rare, however, as the
Home increases in experience, and no occasion
for making the experiment has yet arisen.

When the Home had been opened for
some time, it was resolved to adopt a modification
of CAPTAIN MACCONNOCHIE'S mark
system: so arranging the mark table as
to render it difficult for a girl to lose
marks under any one of its heads, without
also losing under nearly all the others.
The mark table is divided into the nine following
heads. Truthfulness, Industry, Temper,
Propriety of Conduct and Conversation,
Temperance, Order, Punctuality, Economy,
Cleanliness. The word Temperance is not
used in the modern slang acceptation, but in
its enlarged meaning as defined by Johnson,
from the English of Spenser: " Moderation,
patience, calmness, sedateness, moderation
of passion." A separate account for every
day is kept with every girl as to each of
these items. If her conduct be without
objection, she is marked in each column, three
—excepting the truthfulness and temperance
columns in which, saving under extraordinary
circumstances, she is only marked
two: the temptation to err in those particulars,
being considered low under the circumstances
of the life she leads in the Home. If
she be particularly deserving under any of
the other heads, she is marked the highest
number—four. If her deserts be low, she is
marked only one, or not marked at all. If
her conduct under any head have been, during
the day, particularly objectionable, she receives
a bad mark (marked in red ink, to
distinguish it at a glance from the others)
which destroys forty good marks. The value
of the good marks is six shillings and sixpence
per thousand; the earnings of each
girl are withheld until she emigrates, in order
to form a little fund for her first subsistence
on her disembarkation. The inmates are
found, without an exception, to value their
marks highly. A bad mark is very infrequent,
and occasions great distress in the
recipient and great excitement in the community.
In case of dismissal or premature
departure from the Home, all the previous
gain in marks is forfeited. If a girl be ill
through no fault of her own, she is marked,
during her illness, according to her average
marking. But, if she be ill through her own
act (as in a recent case, where a girl set
herself on fire, through carelessness and a
violation of the rules of the house) she is
credited with no marks until she is again in
a condition to earn them. The usual earnings
in a year are about equal to the average
wages of the commoner class of domestic
servant.

They are usually brought to the Home by
the principal Superintendent in a coach. From
wheresoever they come, they generally weep
on the road, and are silent and depressed.
The average term of probation is about a
year; longer when the girl is very slow to
learn what she is taught. When the time of
her emigration arrives, the same lady accompanies
her on board ship. They usually go
out, three or four together, with a letter of
recommendation to some influential person at
their destination; sometimes they are placed
under the charge of a respectable family of
emigrants; sometimes they act as nurses or as
servants to individual ladies with children, on
board. In these capacities they have given
great satisfaction. Their grief at parting
from the Superintendent is always strong,
and frequently of a heart-rending kind. They
are also exceedingly affected by their separation
from the Home; usually going round
and round the garden first, as if they clung to
every tree and shrub in it. Nevertheless,
individual attachments among them are rare,
though strong affections have arisen when
they have afterwards encountered in distant
solitudes. Some touching circumstances have
occurred, where unexpected recognitions