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No surly gaolers now his steps surround,
But kindly guardians pointing out the road
That leads alike to virtue and to GOD.
Such is Mettray. He dwelt there five long
years.

But well employed, how short each day
appears!

From bad he changed to good; from weak to strong.

At length it came, the hour hoped for so long, The hour which even there still seemed so sweet,

The hour of liberty; entire, complete.

The very master chosen. It was not ease That Joseph sought; when some unknown disease

Fell on the boy; the seeds, perhaps, were

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Stretched on the bed of sickness he is laid;
Sisters of Mercy, ever prompt to aid
The wretched, bathe his brow of livid hue,
And his pale cheeks with pitying tears
bedew;

Praying kind Heaven the sufferer to
restore;-

The prayer is heard, and Joseph breathes

once more.

The weary days of convalescence past,
His comrades gladly welcome him at last.
Once more at Mass his accents doth he raise
To Heaven in humble worship-grateful
praise;

When, like the thunder in the distant storm,
The tocsin sounds! Silent the child en form
Their ranks; they march, with calm, deter-
mined will;

They reach the spot; their courage and
their skill

Rescue the lives, the fortunes, which the
flames

Had threatened to devour! How many names
Deserve record! But 'mid the heroic band
Foremost in daring doth young Joseph

stand.

Exhausted with fatigue, with sudden pain
He sinks, this time never to rise again.

He died at eighteen years-that age so
bright,

When life seems one long day-dream of
delight;

Showing the future like a magic strand,
With golden fruit all ready for our hand.
The ecstasy the youthful bosom knows
When, like a brimming goblet, it o erflows
With hope and joy,-when happiness

appears

A debt of heaven due to those gladsome
years,

He never knew! His life was rent away
Just at the moment when a brighter day
Dawn d on his fate; just as his heart began
To feel, to know the duties of a man.
Upon his tomb, where many a blossom fair
With its soft perfume fills the summer air,
There bends the Angel of repentant love-
And Mettray counts its martyr too above.

At page xxiii. of our last RECORD will be found the Report of the Calder Farm Reformatory for 1857. We have lately received a copy of the "System of Marks, Diet, and Time Tables," used in the school, and we place the document before our readers, believing that it will be found of very considerable importance in aiding those in Ireland who are about to establish Reformatory Institutions.

SYSTEM OF MARKS.

THE behaviour of each boy is estimated every day in the Three Departments of

1.-Labour

MARKS.

Very Good.........5

II.-Schoolwork

Good.....

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III.-General Conduct

Very Bad.........0

and recorded in a book kept for each department, by the number of marks attached to each degree.

Hence, for the six working days, each boy may obtain, as a maximum, 30 marks in each department, or 90 in all.

On Sunday, there being neither labour nor school-work, the marks for general conduct are doubled, giving 10 as a maximum for .that day.

The maximum of marks for the week is therefore

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The number of marks gained by each boy, gives an expression for his conduct by way of per centage.

The number gained by all, divided by the number of boys, gives a like expression for the average conduct in the House.

The boys in each House are divided monthly into two parties called Sides, as follows:

The whole system is based on the daily marks, and its success depends on those marks being assigned in exact proportion to the real merit of every day's conduct. High marks should not be given to any boy as a matter of course, for then he would soon come to regard them as a matter of right, and think himself injured if they were withheld.

That the boys may clearly understand the real import of the marks, the following full statement is hung up in the School Room:

I means BAD.

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5,

EXPLANATON OF MARKS.

INDIFFERENT (thoughtless or careless).
MODERATE (not deserving praise).

GOOD:—that is, a boy readily and willingly does all that
is required by the rules of the School :-

VERY GOOD:-that is, he not only observes the rules, doing all which is clearly his duty, but does it cheerfully, and shews some thoughtful anxiety for the general good of the School, by endeavouring to prevent others from doing wrong, and by assisting the Masters to the utmost of his power.

For Mode of keeping Register of Marks, seen Appendix, Table II.

Excluding the General Monitors, the two boys who had the highest marks during the preceding week, become Heads of Sides for the month ensuing.

Each of the two, beginning with him who has the highest marks, chooses, in turn, boys to form his Side, till all are included in one or the other.

When the number of boys is odd, the last boy being rejected by both Sides, goes to the Second Table for the month.

The Head Master in his discretion may make the number of boys to be chosen, odd or even, by placing, if necessary for that result, the boy with highest marks at the First Table without competition. The marks gained by all the boys on each Side, being added up at the end of every week, the Side which has the highest aggregate, has the First Table during the week following."

But any boy, though on the gaining Side, who has not at least 20 marks for labour, 20 for school, and 25 for general conduct, is excluded from the First Table.

On the other hand, any boy who has earned a total of 90 marks, though on the losing Side, is admitted to the First Table.

The object sought in giving the First Table to the aggregate marks of a Side, instead of to the individual marks of each boy, is, to induce boys to endeavour to keep each other right, as they profit by the good conduct of others, and lose by their miscon duct.

The admission to the First Table of any boy whose marks reach a certain high standard, removes the sense of unfairness which was felt by boys whose conduct having been very good, were yet excluded from it by the misconduct of others.

The exclusion of a boy on the gaining Side, who falls short of a certain standard in each department, prevents boys who are grossly negligent from enjoying privileges due entirely to the merits of others.

Thus excluding the extremes of good and bad, the community of interest helps and encourages the intermediate class of those who both need and deserve it.

The object of the division by Sides is :

To eliminate, as much as possible, the inequality which is more or less inevitable, in the assignment of marks by different masters, or by the same masters to different boys:

To accustom boys to choose their companions among the well-dis. posed, rather than those of the opposite character.

The Head of a Side generally consulting with the boys first chosen as to whom he shall choose next in turn, the order in which they stand on the list of the Sides, in an indication of the opinion which the boys entertain of each other. A useful index to the character of a new comer is often thus obtained; boys having very quick perception of each other's character, and having opportunities for judging which the Masters have not.

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MONEY REWARDS FOR LABOUR.

As the boys must look forward to gain, in their future life, their wages by their labour, a money value is also given to the marks for

Labour.

For this purpose the boys are divided into Three Classes, according to their strength and ability for labour.

Boys in the First Class gain Id. for 10 Marks.

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Each boy is credited with the amount thus gained in a book called Savings' Bank Book, of which he has a copy, and debited by fines for disorder, damage, &c., and money which, in the discretion of the Head Master, he is allowed to spend.

COMPENSATION MARKS.

In case of a boy's sickness, Compensation Marks are given, so that he may neither lose in credit, nor his side in the aggregate of marks, through his absence from School or Labour, from a cause involving no demerit. They are estimated according to the average of his conduct for the previous month, and are placed to his credit in the list, but have no money value.

EXTRA MARKS.

In the longer days of Summer, task-work is given where practi cable, and for over-work extra marks are given for Labour. These are not reckoned in the weekly list, but their money value at the same rate as other labour marks is carried to the credit of the boy in his Bank-Book.

DISORDER MARKS.

Negative marks may be given to any boy for disorder that is, slovenliness in person, or clothes, or other minor breaches of good order. These are deducted from the sum of his good marks, at the end of the week.

They subject him to a money fine, reckoned in the same way as the rewards for Labour, according to his class for Labour, and as they are exhibited in the weekly list, become a disgrace.

THE MONITORS.

The Monitors are appointed and removed by the Head Master, in his discretion.

As the general conduct of the boys depends much on the General Monitor, he is paid according to their conduct as represented by the average per centage for the whole House:-d. for every 1 per cent. above 75.

A General Monitor has always the First Table without competition. Temporary Monitors may also be appointed for labour, or School teaching.

When a Monitor teaches in School, he is paid for school work, 1d. for 10 marks as assigned by the Schoolmaster.

The marks of Labour Monitor when so employed, have a double money value.*

QUARTERLY REWARDS.

Rewards may be gained by the boys, individually and collectively in each house, according to the following scale :

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Any boy whose average marks for the quarter shall be less than 65, will not be allowed to share the holiday.

The average of 80 in 100 is equivalent to 4 in 5, which in the daily marks is Good, and therefore represents general good conduct for the quarter.

This brings a reward in money, on the principle that, though a boy must not look to be rewarded in school, or in life, for acts of good, moral conduct, but only for services rendered, yet, that the character which is the result of good conduct continued for length of time, has a material value.

Yet, the granting such rewards being a mere act of grace, and their withdrawal no hardship, they are made dependent on the general conduct of the House as represented by the general average; that each boy may feel his interest not only in maintaining his own conduct good, but also that of every other boy; and be led to realize his responsibility not only as an individual, but as one of a body in which the members should have the same care one for another: and whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."-1 COR. xii. 25, 26.

On this principle, competitive rewards are for the most part excluded; because when they are given, the gain of one is the loss of another, and a boy becomes interested in another's being worse than himself. Thus they tend directly to selfishness and jealousy. The exceptions are

1st. The competition for the First Table. In this case, the competition being not between individuals, but two bodies, a wholesome

* See disposal of Labour Marks, Appendix, Table 2.

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