Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 574

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Report of the Morrison Education Society.

OCT

five times as heavy as upon the rest, for the breach of it, making the monitor of the week the collector of the fine, and directing that the sums should be paid over to me, at the end of each week, and the amount thus raised, be laid out in books, as the nucleus of a school-library. At first the fines were very numerous, and the week- ly sums large, but so rare has it become now for any boy to speak in Chinese, that they have dwindled down to almost nothing.

The fact speaks for itself, and is its own encomium, while the effect of this measure on their part, has been to render their acquisi- tion of English much more rapid. It is a happy circumstance in the school that the largest and oldest pupil in it, is the most exemplary in all his conduct. He was not so when he came here, but from being a thievish, deceitful lad, he has become honest and upright. From being like all his countrymen selfish in the extreme, he now exhibits both in words and actions a strong desire to do good to others. From being an idolater, ignorant and superstitious, he re- fuses to worship any but the true God, and has suffered sore trials already from his heathen friends, trials that I am persuaded would have shaken the resolution of many better fortified by early education than himself. His change of character first began to appear in De. cember of last year, when with a swelling heart and tearful eye, he brought back to me some 26 volumes that he had stolen from Mr. Morrison and myself, although no one had accused him of the theft, nor even suspected him, for the books had not been missed, and would probably have never been called for. This act of self-crimi- nation, the most convincing evidence of a sincere desire to repair the injury he had done to others, was the beginning of a course of life that has been irreproachable without exception to this day, and there is every reason to hope that it will continue to shed light upon the circles in which he shall move hereafter. In short, if the Mor- rison Education Society should suspend its operations now, it would not have been established in vain, for good has been done that can- not be undone.

I could wish that the friends of education would save me the trou- ble of being so particular and lengthy in my annual communica- tions to the trustees, by troubling themselves occasionally to visit the school, and inspect it personally. It would stimulate the pupils to greater exertion on their part, and assure those who toil in seclusion to instruct them, that others are interested in their success. I would recommend to the trustees, to consider whether an annual public examination would not further the interests of the Society in