THE POWER OF SMALL BEGINNINGS.

A grim Lion obstructs the paths of ardent Benevolence in its desire to lessen the monster evils of society, and constantly roars “Impossible! Impossible!” Well-disposed Affluence surveys the encroaching waves of destitution and crime as they roll onwards, spreading their dark waters over the face of society, and folds its hands in powerless despair,—a despair created by a false notion of the inefficacy of individual or limited action. “Who can stem such a tide?” it exclaims; “we must have some great comprehensive system. Without that, single efforts are useless.”

Upon this untrue and timid premise many a purse is closed, many a generous impulse checked. It is never remembered that all great facts, for evil or for good, are an aggregate of small details, and must be grappled with in detail. Every one who hath and to spare, has it in his power to do some good and to check some evil; and if all those to whom the ability is given were to do their part, the great “Comprehensive System” which is so much prayed for would arrange itself. The hand of Charity is nowhere so open as in this country; but is often paralysed for the want of being well directed.

Of what individual energy can accomplish in a very limited sphere, we can now afford a practical instance. What a single individual in energetic earnest has effected in the “Devil’s Acre,” described in a former number,^[6] can be done by any other single individual in any other sink of vice and iniquity, in every other part of the globe.

In the spring of 1848 the attention of Mr. Walker, the Westminster Missionary of the City Mission, was called to the necessity of applying some remedy to the alarming vice and destitution that prevailed amongst a large section of a densely peopled community, whose future prospects seemed to be totally neglected. A vast mass of convicted felons, and vagrants, who had given themselves up as entirely lost to human society, and whose ambition was solely how they could attain the skill of being the most accomplished burglars, congregate upon the “Devil’s Acre.” Most of these degraded youths were strangers to all religious and moral impressions—destitute of any ostensible means of obtaining an honest livelihood, and having no provision made for them when sent from prison. They had no alternative but again resorting to begging or stealing for a miserable existence; and not only they themselves being exposed to all the contaminating influences of bad example, and literally perishing for lack of knowledge, but also leading others astray—such as boys from nine to twelve years of age, whom, in a short time, they would train as clever in vice as themselves, and make them useful in their daily avocations.

Nearly ten years’ experience in visiting their haunts of misery and crime, and entering into friendly conversation with them, taught Mr. Walker that punishment acted with but little effect as a check upon criminal offenders; and it was thought more worthy of the Christian philanthropists to set on foot a system of improvement, which should change the habits and elevate the character of this degraded part of our population,—a system which should rescue them from the haunts of infamy, instil into their minds the principles of religion and morality, and train them to honest and industrious occupations. With these great objects in view, a scheme of training was commenced which has since flourished. One lad was selected from the Ragged School, fed, and lodged, as an experiment. The boy had been a thief and vagrant for several years, was driven from his home through the ill-usage of a step-grandfather: the only clothing he possessed was an old tattered coat, and part of a pair of trousers, and these one complete mass of filth. After five months’ training, through the kindness of Lord Ashley, he was accepted as an emigrant to Australia. Finding he was successful, his joy and gratitude were unbounded. A short time before he embarked, he said, “If ever I should be possessed of a farm, it shall be called Lord Ashley’s Farm. I shall never forget the Ragged Schools; for if it had not been for it, instead of going to Australia with a good character, I should have been sent to some other colony loaded with chains.” He has since been heard of as being in a respectable situation, conducting himself with the strictest propriety.

Being successful in reclaiming one, Mr. Walker was encouraged to select six more from the same Ragged School, varying from the age of fifteen to nineteen years; although at the time it was not known where a shilling could be obtained towards their support, he was encouraged to persevere. A small room was taken at two shillings per week; a truss of straw was purchased, and a poor woman was kind enough to give two old rugs, which was the only covering for the six. They were content to live on a small portion of bread and dripping per day, and attend the Ragged School; at last an old sack was bought for the straw, and a piece of carpet, in addition to the two rugs, to cover them. One of them 408was heard to say one night, while absolutely enjoying this wretched accommodation, “Now, are we not comfortable?—should we not be thankful? How many poor families there are who have not such good beds to lie on!” One of those he addressed, aged nineteen years, had not known the comfort of such a bed for upwards of three years, having slept during that time in an empty cellar. Five of those lads are now in Australia, and the other—who had been the leader of a gang of thieves for several years—is now a consistent member and communicant in the Church, and fills a responsible situation in England.

When the experiment was in this condition, a benevolent lady not only contributed largely towards the support of the inmates, but also recommended her friends to follow her example. A larger room was taken; the lady ordered beds and bedding to be immediately purchased: the merits of the system became more publicly known; two additional rooms were taken, and ultimately the whole premises converted into a public institution, known as the Westminster Ragged Dormitory, and particularly alluded to in the article before mentioned.

Since its establishment, there have been one hundred and sixty-three applications. Seventy-six have been admitted from the streets; thirteen from various prisons, recommended by the Chaplains; twenty-three did not complete their probation; four were dismissed for misconduct; three absconded after completing their probation; five were dismissed for want of funds; two restored to their friends; two are filling situations in England; fifteen emigrated to Australia; five to the United States; and thirty are at present in the Institution.

The expense at which fifty-four young persons were thus, between April 1848 and May 1850, rescued from perdition, has been 376l. 16s. 3d., which took two years to collect and disburse. More than double the number of cases presented themselves than could be admitted, and five were obliged to be hurled back into crime and want after admission, for want of funds. We mention this to show what might have been done, had Mr. Walker’s efforts been seconded with anything like liberality.

As a specimen of the sort of stuff the promoters of this humble Institution had to work upon, we add the “case” of a couple of the inmates which was privately communicated to us. We shall call the boys Borley and Pole.

“R. Borley, 14 years of age, born in Kent Street, Borough; never knew his father; his mother died two years ago; she lived by hawking. Since her death he has lived by begging, sometimes got a parcel to carry at the Railway Station; also got jobs to carry baskets and hold horses at the Borough Market; when he had money, lodged in low lodging-houses, near the London Docks and in the Mint in the Borough. The most money he ever got in one day was 9d. He has been in the habit of attending the different markets in London. He has been weeks together without ever being in a bed; he generally slept about the markets, in passages, under arches, and in carts. He had no shirt for the last twelve months, no cap, no shoes; an old jacket and a pair of trousers were his only covering; sometimes two days without food, and when he had food, seldom anything but dry bread; sometimes in such a state of hunger, that he has been compelled to eat raw vegetables, this was the case when he took the fever; he had been lying out in the streets for some nights; he was in such a weak state that he dropped down in the streets. A gentleman lifted him up, took him to a shop and gave him some bread and cheese, afterwards took him to a magistrate, who sent him to the workhouse, where it was found the poor boy had fever, and was immediately sent to the fever hospital. When brought to Pear Street yesterday, he was not a little surprised to find the boy Pole in the school; he would not have known him but for his speech, so much had he improved in appearance. Pole had lived in the lodging-houses with him. He said he has cause to remember Pole. On one occasion he was Pole’s bedfellow, they were both in a most destitute state for want of clothing; neither of them had a shirt, but of the two, Borley had the best trousers; when he rose in the morning Pole was off and had put on Borley’s trousers, leaving behind him a pair that had but one leg, and that was in rags; although yesterday was their first meeting after this robbery, still it was a very happy one! They congratulated each other at the good fortune of being received into such an Institution. Borley tells me that Pole was a dreadful thief. He stole wherever he could; he brought the articles he stole to the lodging-house keepers, who bought them readily. So notorious did Pole become, that before morning he would have stolen the article he had sold or anything else, and sold it to another lodging-house keeper. Thus he went on until he could scarce get lodgings either in the Borough or Whitechapel. Since Pole has been in Pear Street, he has never shown anything but a desire to do what is right. Borley is an interesting lad, and will do well.”

May 16, 1850.

One Mr. Walker, who would begin, as he did, with one wretched boy in each metropolitan district, and in each town throughout Great Britain, would do more to reduce poor’s rates, county rates, police rates—to supersede “great penal experiments,” and to diminish enormous judicial and penal expenditure, than all the political economists and “great system” doctors in the world. But the main thing is to begin at the cradle. It is many millions of times more hopeful to prevent, than to cure.

409Published at the Office, No 16, Wellington Street North, Strand. Printed by Bradbury & Evans, Whitefriars, London.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

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400 rheims, we led them on as if we intended to reins, we led them on as if we intended to

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