The loss of his wife, in 1858, was his heaviest blow. Three years more of active usefulness closed his own career. In two years and a half, a successor was found in Rev. Mr. Imhäusser. Mr. Georgi's eldest son, the clergyman of the institution, acted as director in the interim.

Both boys and girls are admitted to this asylum. There are separate houses for the two sexes; but something like family arrangements is aimed at by the appointment of Brothers and Sisters over the groups. From 1819 to 1861, about twenty-two hundred children were supported and trained. From sixty to seventy usually enter, each year. In 1863, the number was as high as two hundred and seventytwo.

Into the busy, practical life of the institution, the gospel is sedulously introduced for instruction, strength, and guidance. Rewards and penalties to some extent are used: bodily punishment is only allowed in cases of impudent, defiant revolt. The love of Christ, as an example of perfect truth and goodness, is the highest stimulus under the blessing of God. Touching proofs of the effect of such endeavors abound in the records and reports.

It proved so difficult to find suitable Brothers and Sisters for the families, that a normal school was opened to educate and prepare them. The Government gave it their sanction; and, in six years, one hundred and fifty well-instructed schoolmasters were furnished to the kingdom, after supplying the wants of the institution, and at a saving to Prussia of nearly thirty-five thousand dollars. Another great gain flows from the fact, that the pupils of such normal classes enjoy practical experience in dealing with the children of this populous asylum, besides all the knowledge and theory of school-teaching common to such classes. Three years of communion with the labors of love on foot at Düsselthal must have lasting, precious fruits in these young men's minds and lives.

Upon being sent out into the world, the utmost pains are taken to secure for the poor children good homes and employers. Mr. Georgi drew up articles of adoption or indenture for the purpose, which most clearly reveal the sagacity,

skill, and excellence of his heart. He found that he could not always depend upon the testimonials of ministers or others, who might not be good judges. Before letting his boys go, he must therefore see with his own eyes those who wanted to take them. An able and trustworthy agent is also employed to travel continually among the children and apprentices already sent out, and among the families or individuals to whom others might be subsequently intrusted. This measure has the desired effect. The director also keeps up direct and uninterrupted correspondence with his former pupils.

The design of the work before us excludes Catholic establishments. Hence no account is given of the French Mettray, or of some other excellent institutions of that communion. Mr. Liefde confines himself to Protestant charities. It is pleasant to observe, however, that some of the best which figure on his pages open their doors freely to Hebrews, Catholics, and Protestants of every name. That is in accordance with the spirit of true, Christian charity. So Oberlin, the great pioneer in all these enterprises, always loved to labor, and was crowned with great success. To our mind, the charm of these charities lies in their belonging, not merely to the Protestant, but likewise to the Holy Catholic, Universal Church of the children of God and the followers of his Son.

In one sense, it is indeed true, that these Protestant charities are well worthy of that title. They are protests against want, woe, neglect, exposure, pauperism, crime, deg radation, and despair, which richly deserve our highest regard and our most profound admiration. The illustrious. founders of them merit the sympathy and confidence of all men, because of their fearless protest against the evils and wrongs of the world, enforced as it is with the hearty endeavors to abate, remove, or prevent them. Such a protesting and reforming phase of religious life and duty we all believe in.

So, too, when our author claims that these noble charities are antagonistic to the vulgar rationalism of the last, and

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the philosophic rationalism of the present generation, we agree fully with him, if he means by such rationalism that defiant criticism of God and all holy things, and that degrading criticism of man and all human interests, which are to be dreaded more than war, famine, or pestilence, for any people or any age. It is easy to see what mischief Napoleon's career entailed upon Europe. It is easy to conceive of even deadlier effects to the manners and morals, to the minds, hearts, and souls of men, from mischief-makers and evil-doers of other names. If the leaders of these great endeavors to stay the fearful flood which threatened to overwhelm our civilization and our Christianity in a common destruction were moved with indignation or horror towards what they conceived to be its cause, we thank them for it.

Are we sure, however, that so they paused or cared to consider it? By no means, if we understand them aright. They saw clearly, painfully enough, the pauperism and sin about them, and the impending ruin of society; and, without waiting to weigh or even ascertain the human causes, they hastened to lay hold of the divine means of protection and recovery. In one of his best sketches, that of Suringar, for instance, and the Netherlands Mettray, our author regrets that he cannot define the religious creed or platform of the founder and his coadjutors in this excellent undertaking, and that their institution does not offer more doctrinal instruction to its pupils. Precisely the contrary of these wishes is what renders all his pictures of these good men and their good works so satisfactory in our eyes. They are all inspired, if we are not greatly mistaken, with religion and humanity. And, in the fulness of this inspiration, they soar far above all denominational distinctions, far away from all party lines. They are too wise and good and great not to be claimed by their fellow-disciples of every name as the highest exponents which the church of our day possesses of the wisdom, goodness, and greatness of the gospel of God and his Christ, for the benefit of mankind. . These volumes are full of instruction also in many other, although less important, particulars. The Family form and

spirit, given so carefully and sedulously to every one of these successful schemes, are very encouraging to all who are endeavoring in our own country, as so many already are, to labor in the same way. The point is too plain in itself, it is too frequently and forcibly presented by our author, and is too fully in accordance with our own experience and observation, so far as it has been our privilege to test it, to be dwelt upon farther.

Another question seems to be entirely settled abroad, which also need not detain us now, although we regret to admit that its claims are almost ignored in America. We have learned how very important it is to avail ourselves of women, as the ministering agents of such charities. But, alas! how little value we have as yet been led to place upon the principle, which prevails so generally in the best foreign institutions, as to the union of boys and girls in asylums, schools, and reformatories! If the work before us should embolden any to adopt this feature in one of our establishments, with due care and under fitting circumstances, we are quite sure it would soon become universal. We hold it to be an indispensable condition of every legitimate family arrangement for these institutions. As such, we are very anxious to see it thoroughly proved among ourselves.

Another very important point for our consideration and imitation is to be found in the general attention paid in the European institutions to the instruction and training of "Deacons" and "Deaconesses," as they style them. As might have been expected, no little opposition has been manifested to the measure. Our author admits the reasonableness of this, if the plan were to end in the establishment of any thing like monastic orders. Indeed, he says very justly:

"The system of separating the office-bearers of the Church into a kind of caste, and of symbolizing their spiritual position by their dress, belongs entirely and essentially to the dispensation of the Law. The Gospel, on the contrary, preaches the universality of our priesthood and brotherhood; it teaches us that all priestly vestments are insignificant, and that every thing which makes a separa

tion between brother and brother, and is an offence and a rock of stumbling, should be forever put away."

That is enough, with this understanding, and the exercise of a little common sense (a quality, by the way, especially and delightfully prominent in these "charities of Europe "). Why should there be any more difficulty or danger in our supplying ourselves with graduates of these philanthropic training establishments than we meet with in graduates of our normal schools or our Protestant theological seminaries? Miss Nightingale was trained, we believe, in part, at one of the Deaconess Houses of the Continent. It did not make a nun of her, or require her to assume the externals of a "sister of charity," a "daughter of mercy," or what not. It might, however, have had much to do with qualifying her for the noble services which lend such lustre to her name, as a sister of our "elder brother," a daughter of "our Father who is in heaven." Who that is at all familiar with the wants of our community, and with the charities which are to cover them, fails to feel what an advantage it would be to have at our command a staff of principals and a corps of assistants, competent and ready for any service of instruction or protection, relief or piety, where their services were required? Can any thing more opportune or useful be devised? Is not society suffering for the want of such sources of supply, more than for any thing else? The founders and conductors of these great charities of the modern Church of the old world wisely proceed upon the ground, that their various private establishments are all superior to official, public institutions. Were Government charged with such departments, we might expect it to make the same provision, in training-schools for a supply of officers. and assistants in its charities, which it does in military or naval schools for the requirements of army and navy. Wherever, in fact, Government assumes the offices of education and religion, normal and theological schools are acknowledged to be desirable and necessary. And, in removing our charities (as all must agree with our European compeers that we