was the real Den of Thieves. All the buildings in this valley came, in some way, under his control, and were occupied by an army of thieves and robbers subject to his orders. The sidewalks had trap doors set in them; and whenever a man, supposed to have money, passed, suddenly the trap sprung and he fell into a cellar where he was instantly seized and strangled to death, and his body with a stone attached, was conveyed through the great sewer into the Thames beyond discovery. So many were robbed and murdered in this way, and so difficult was it by law to break up the Den, that finally a righteous mob assembled in great numbers and tore every house down and there the "the Ruins" are now, with perhaps a hundred arches beneath them just high enough for a person to crawl into on all fours. These now are the only homes of hundred of wretches of both sexes and of all ages. They sleep in these filthy holes by night, and saunter forth from them by day to steal and commit other villanies.

The sun was just setting as we entered upon this open space these Ruins. The blocks of brick buildings in the distance that surround this terrible sink of wretchedness, appear to be abandoned by their owners, the windows are broken in and they are evidently occupied by the infamous of both sexes. Near the centre of one of the dilapidated blocks is a portion that appears to be glazed and kept in repair. This furnishes the Rooms for the Field Lane Ragged School. On its exterior walls, some pot-house politician, opposed to the Free Trade doctrines of the present Government, has written, in chalk, "Free Trade and Starvation !" In crossing the valley from the west to the eastern side where this School is, we pass

ed amongst the ruins, and looked into the arches which are the only homes of great numbers of men, women and children in rags, herding promiscuously together. The Ragged School is collected from these arches and the surrounding buildings, and consists of parents and old people, as well as haggard boys and girls. It was this very place that excited the philanthropy of Lord Ashley, and here the first Ragged School in London was established. There are now nearly one hundred such schools in the city, giving instruction, on the average, to sixteen thousand ignorant, debased and wretched beings.

We were cautioned to keep our clothes tight about us and our pockets guarded whilst amongst the scholars of the school; for most of them were professed pick-pockets and thieves. A sentinel guarded the outside door, through which we entered on a ground floor-literally, on the ground floor. On the left, a door opened to the dormitory and Night Refuge on the basement, and in front was a flight of rough stairs, up which we ascended to the great hall — like a barn-in which the Ragged School was in full operation. There were about five hundred pupils, and fifty teachers present. And such a sight my eyes never beheld before never desire to see again. The room was filled with little rough stalls, like square pews, on three sides of which were seats occupied by a class, with the teacher in the midst. Samaritan women had charge of the females, and devoted men, of the males. Most of the pupils were children from six to fifteen years of age;

but

some, I noticed, were gray headed men and women -objects almost too frightful to approach as if they were human beings. The rafters of the roof appeared over head, and the room was about seventy-five feet long by

sixty wide, as we paced it. The stairs came up at one end and at the other were closets, a library case, and a desk, for a chaplain. Over these was a gallery which was filled with women probably all harlots. The building was lighted with gas, and was comfortable; but the pupils were literally in rags, blotches and half covered with vermin. The discipline of the School was strict; but we noticed that those not immediately engaged by the teacher in his work of instruction, were watching the pockets of visitors, grinning ghastly smiles at each other, or doubling fists in other's faces. Such a scene of ignorance, degradation and wretchedness I never had begun to dream of before.

On the walls were hung plain pictures, and handbills with Scripture texts in large letters staring the scholars in the face at every point. I took my pencil and copied off the following, which I thought appropriate to the place : "He shall gather the lambs in his arms;" "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance;" "Be. sure your sin will find you out;" "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord;" "Swear not at all;" "If sinners entice thee, consent thou not;" "Speak not evil one of another;" "Search the Scriptures;' "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy;" "Every word of God is pure;" "Thou, God, seest me;" "The eyes

of the Lord are in every place;" "Thou shalt not steal;" "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ;" "The wages of sin is death;"

"I

love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me;" "Love one another." If the pupils never get any more of the Bible than they find on the walls,

they will find enough to redeem their characters and to make them wise unto salvation.

Besides our party who went in together, we found, as visitors there before us, a Mr. King of Providence, R. I.; also a doctor from Ohio, formerly of New Hampshire, and two Boston gentlemen. Besides these there were several lady visitors. The name of the Superintendent is Mounstephen; that of his principal Assistant, to whom we were indebted for attentions in the School, and who called on us at our lodgings afterwards with pamphlets relating to the establishment, was Rev. Mr. Ray a dissenting clergyman of an excellent spirit.

I interrogated children as to their conditions, hopes, prospects, &c. One, I recollect, I asked, "Where do you live?" "In the arches." "Do you get enough to eat?" "Not more than once a day." "How do you get that?" "I earn it." "How do you earn it?" He hesitated-I renewed the question; he finally answered by saying, "By finding things that are not lost”

- meaning, by stealing. I talked with the old men, but they seemed to have few ideas above brutes; all they came to school for was to get lodgings in board pens for the night, and the six ounces of bread allowed them in the morning. This, indeed, I fear is the principal motive that brings any to the school. I noticed one woman, the most hideous looking creature I ever saw, looking over the gallery upon the school below-herself a scholar in the women's class above. On being shocked at her appearance, and asking Mr. Ray who and what she was, he took his pen and wrote my inquiry-"Sarah Thompson, a prostitute; aged twenty-six years; mother been dead fourteen years;

down the following in answer to

father ten months; has been twenty-four times in the County Prison; ten times in City Bridewell; twice in Brixton Prison; once in Horsemonger's Lane Jail; once in Maidstone Prison; has been a prostitute about six years; was run over by an omnibus, squeezed out one eye; broke the bridge of her nose; broke both shoulder blades, and otherwise internally injured her she is yet a prostitute."

The school exercises closed at 9 o'clock, by an address from a City Missionary, a prayer by the Superintendent, and singing by the teachers and others. The Superintendent then told all that had homes, to go home. Some left, but many remained. These were marched in companies down stairs to the dormitory in the basement, of which we spoke at the entrance. We went down with them to see them disposed of for the night. The floor of the room was laid in double tiers of narrow rough board stalls, like uncovered coffins, the feet of both tiers coming together, and the heads slightly raised. There was no bed or straw in these boxes; the lodgers had to lie on the bare plank bottom, with a coarse blanket rolled up at the foot, to be drawn over the body in repose. As each entered, he presented his ticket awarded him in the school, and drew his berth accordingly. Each took his station there, and awaited orders. There was no undressing-the rags on the body were as good to lie in, as to wear about town.

An adjacent room is for the female scholars. Another room is for daily ablutions, a warm and cold water bath, and another is for washing clothes; but when this is done, the wearer has to stand in another room naked, till his or her clothes are washed, dried and ironed, ready for use.