judgment. Another evil resulting from this, is the crime which so frequently attends it; for it should be remembered, that while alcohol casts over all the nobler attributes of our nature the mire of sensuality and sin, it excites the baser passions to ungovernable fury, as criminal reports will amply prove. We have the authority of a high official for stating, that seventeen out of every twenty, or more than four-fifths, of the prisoners in the jail he governs, came there through drink; while that eminent man, Mr. Justice Talfourd, declared with his latest breath, that drunkenness was the immediate cause of nearly all the crimes that came before him; thus leaving a solemn protest against the drinking customs of our country, and bearing irresistible testimony to the fact that drink is the fruitful source of crime. The tree that yields such fruits as those enumerated must be essentially bad, and ought to be exposed, that it may be avoided. Nothing, perhaps, causes such lamentable degradation as the indulgence in these stimulants. How many parents can bear woful testimony to the total perversion of youth! Their fondest hopes have been blighted; and those to whom they had looked for comfort in their old age, have presented nothing but a compound of the demon and the brute. Some may object to this as strong language, but any one who knows the world will acknowledge that we are justified in using it. With these things in view, we ask, What could be more beneficial to the public at large than a wellconducted movement, seeking to prevent these dire results by training the young to avoid the cause from which they spring? In Saltaire (the property of Titus Salt, Esq.) there is not a single public-house allowed; the result is, that only three cases of crime have occupied the attention of the magistrates from that town of 5,000 inhabitants. The churches and chapels are well attended, and every good work is in full bloom. The movement is beneficial also in increasing the number of prohibitioniste, who are trying to destroy the drink trade, and aid other towns in obtaining the same blessings that Saltaire at present enjoys. The Band of Hope seeks to occupy the youthful mind before Satan gets possession of it; takes him untainted and uninitiated, and forms in his very heart the conviction that drink, and the traffic in the same, is an evil, a curse, and a snare; and as the young are more susceptible of impressions than when, in after years, they are harassed by the deceitfulness of the world, the promoters of the cause embrace the opportunity to speak "a word in season" to the inexperienced ones, urging them to restrain all improper desires, and encourage all virtuous sentiments. Let Bands of Hope multiply and flourish, and then, in the next generation, ragged schools, clothing clubs, and similar societies could be easily dispensed with. But while the great lesson taught is total abstinence, it is by no means the only one. Industry, perseverance, obedience to parents, love to the Bible, &c., are among the topics of discourse at the meetings.

Again, Bands of Hope are beneficial as auxiliary to the Sabbath school. The Rev. J. P. Chown, of Bradford, says he regards its

operations with devout thankfulness to God for the good that has been wrought by its agency, and the most ardent assurance that it will yield results in the next generation that are now little thought of. It brings young persons together on the week-night for engagements more cheerful than would be otherwise furnished and if they cannot get cheerfulness amidst pure associations, they will probably be led to seek it in impure. Another good result is, that it saves the young from the temptations through which others have fallen, and preserves to the community those who otherwise might have been lost. Intemperate parents are sometimes reclaimed by their children becoming abstainers. A little fellow came one evening to the house of the secretary of a local Band of Hope in company with his father, whom he had induced to come for the purpose of signing the pledge; and nothing apparently could exceed the joy of the lad as he saw his parent affix his name to the decla ration, and leaving the place, I trust, a wiser, and ultimately to become a better man.

The beneficial effects of these institutions are being now generally recognized and seen in the fact that the press, which once ridiculed, now begins to commend them; the Church, which looked upon them with suspicion, as introducing something in place of the Gospel, now regards them as in harmony with the teaching of that Gospel, and her ministers are continually coming over to aid them by their eloquence and zeal. Nor should we forget to name with honour those who have bravely and consistently advocated the cause, among whom were good Joseph Sturge, John Angell James, and many other well-known persons. As the fruit of their labours, we may expect the dawn of a better era, when the moral impurities which have ever marked the track of the drinker throughout our world shall be cleared away, and crime and poverty be reduced to a minimum. Righteousness alone can truly exalt a nation, and the aim of the Band of Hope movement is to remove the great obstacle which has for ages hindered the progress of righteousness.

I have now endeavoured to show that intoxicating drinks are the bane of the community, a hindrance to all moral, social, and religious advancement; that the object of the Band of Hope movement is to save the young from the withering influence of these destroyers. A few years hence, and the youth of to-day will be filling responsible positions in the world, and wielding a power that must tell largely, either for evil or good. And if, by the instrumentality of Bands of Hope, the young are preserved from surrounding temptation, and trained to love virtue and truth, the societies producing such results must be a national blessing.

Imperfect as this article is, I sincerely trust it has placed the conclusion beyond doubt, that Bands of Hope, as at present consti tuted and conducted, are generally beneficial.

E. T.

NEGATIVE ARTICLE.-I.

To every careful student of history it must be apparent that there are many theories and doctrines which, viewed in the abstract, appear worthy of general adoption, and yet, whenever reduced to practice, they have invariably failed to accomplish the desired end; and if we mistake not, the writers of our own social history will be compelled to include in this category the theories which led to the formation of Bands of Hope, unless, indeed, these associations are enabled to show that they have accomplished a much larger amount of good than we as yet can give them credit for. It was certainly a grand chimera of our temperance friends when they imagined that in this matter, "as the twig is bent, the tree will grow," and indulged in some illusory hopes of reforming the world by inaugurating this new crusade against their old enemy, King Alcohol.

It appears that, despite the strenuous exertions of our friends to stem the tide of intemperance by means of paid lecturers, sensation orators, and highly-coloured novels, they discovered that the consumption of alcoholic beverages continued to increase in a larger ratio than the population; and almost hopeless of the reformation of the adults of the community, they began to devote more time and attention to the juveniles, with a view, we presume, of converting them en masse to their peculiar creed; and, under the influence of this brilliant idea, originated those juvenile temperance societies now known as Bands of Hope. We are asked to consider whether the influence of these institutions has beeu, on the whole, beneficial; and while we readily admit that much may be said in their favour, we shall endeavour to show that the evils connected with them, as at present constituted and conducted, more than counterbalance any good result they may have effected. We find that Bands of Hope usually exist in connection with Sabbath schools, and are formed somewhat after this fashion:-Some few of the teachers become converted to teetotal principles; and naturally anxious to extend their benefits to all with whom they have any influence, they convene a meeting of the juveniles, at which the most eloquent of the converts endeavour to impress upon their auditory the advantages of total abstinence, the evils of drunkenness, &c., ad lib.; and finally wind up with an earnest exhortation to the juveniles to sign the pledge, and thereby protect themselves from all the evils which flesh is heir to. The youngsters are, of course, captivated by the novelty of the proposal, and join almost without exception; whereupon a Band of Hope is forthwith formed, and holds its fortnightly or monthly meetings, as the case may be.

For the edification of those of our readers who have not had the privilege of attending these meetings, we will endeavour to describe one, and to ascertain the amount of instruction and amusement the "men and women of the future" are likely to derive from such a

source.

Towards eight o'clock on a wintry evening, we approach the large

and well-lighted schoolroom in which the members of the aqua pura Band of Hope hold their monthly meetings. As we ascend the stairs, we are jostled and pushed about in a style which shows that the young hopefuls have not been taught to regard courtesy as a cardinal virtue, but at length we effect an entrance, and find ourselves in the presence of some hundred juveniles of both sexes, varying in age from seven to seventeen, some of whom, to judge from their personal appearance, only cultivate an external acquaintance with aqua pura on very special occasions.

The meeting has not yet commenced, so, in the interim, the audience are amusing themselves in various ways. Some of the elder boys are grimacing at the girls opposite; others are whistling, singing, or hooting, as their fancy dictates; while the more favoured portion are discussing the merits of oranges, tarts, and other refreshments. As we near the desk or rostrum, we perceive the conductors are about to open the meeting, having secured partial silence by giving out a temperance hyinn, which is sung with much spirit to some such tune as "Wait for the Waggon," or "I wish I was with Nancy." A prayer is then offered up, and the business of the evening is fairly afloat. Some of the members oblige with recitations, others sing, and another portion, having formed a "drum and fife," or "brass band," perform a little instrumental music. Addresses are also delivered on temperance principles, but owing to their monotonous verbosity and wearying prosiness, the infliction is usually accompanied by a continuous shuffling of feet, and other signs of impatience, and often comes to a premature conclusion amid general disorder; but if all goes on well, the proceedings terminate about ten o'clock, with the singing of another temperance hymn- this time an outrageous parody, almost amounting to a blasphemous burlesque upon some popular psalm or hymn; and the juvenile abstainers are dismissed until their next meeting, but will probably continue to roam the streets for an hour or so, to the great discomfort of the neighbours, and the imminent peril of their knockers and bell-ropes; and we have heard of some complaints in which it was proved that the conduct of an inebriated tavern rabble was orderly in comparison with that of some members of Bands of Hope.

We shall be glad to learn what good even the most sanguine of our friends expect will result from such meetings as the one described above; and will now proceed to point out one or two of the evils which impress us as most important.

First. We are of opinion that the promoters of this movement ought not to induce the juveniles to pledge themselves to abstain for an unlimited period, seeing that they do not fully comprehend the importance of the matter.

Secondly. We believe that the meetings are productive of more evil than good, and that the nonsensical twaddle with which the children are bored will decidedly prejudice them against the cause when they arrive at more mature years.

Thirdly. We hold that a large portion of their literature, and more especially their hymnology, is an outrage upon good taste, and does them infinite discredit.

Lastly. We find that it is the exception, and not the rule, for the juveniles to adhere to their principles in after years.

Did time and space permit, we might offer many other reasons for our scepticism in this matter; but for the present, these must stand as our apology for daring to doubt the beneficial tendencies of Bands of Hope, as at present constituted and conducted. TIB.

The Essayist.

PRACTICAL HINTS ON STUDY AND SELF-FORMATION. BY ONE WHO HAS TRIED AND SUCCEEDED.

I. INTRODUCTORY.-To give advice is one thing, and the gift is easily made; to follow the advice is another, and a widely different thing. It is proverbial that some persons who are niggardly in the bestowment of other gifts are profuse in tendering advice, especially where it is not desired. Indeed, if everybody were to follow the advice given by everybody else, the direst confusion would result. Perhaps it is safe to conclude that ninetenths of the counsels and recommendations mutually given and received are not carried out. If A. asks the opinion of B. upon a given subject, the probability is that A.'s mind is already made up, and that his private intentions will be fulfilled, whatever B. may say. So, if B. tenders his opinion unasked for by A., the chances are that A. will resent it as intrusive; and if he had before resolved on adopting the course now suggested by B., he will change his determination on the instant.

Let another fact be connected with this. Men purchase wisdom by experience, and occasionally the purchase is a costly one. This is a law in the existing order of things. A child learns to walk after, and partly by means of, repeated falls. The knowledge of the properties of heat and cold, and of the taste of things pleasant and repulsive, is obtained, slowly and painfully, by experience. One who through error of judgment has brought upon himself disappointment and trouble, may be desirous to warn others who are in danger of committing similar mistakes. Kind parents do their utmost to screen children from youthful follies and vanities; but the old adage proves true about old heads on young shoulders. Here and there one will be guided and warned by the experience of his seniors, but the generality of young people choose to purchase wisdom by their own experience.

These facts must be accepted just as they are.

A healthy mind