delivered to those who have been baptized: after the address the natives deliver exhortations, as on Tuesday evenings. Saturdays are always wholly appropriated to the preparing of food for the Lord's-day. The children's school is under the superintendence of Mrs. Threlkeld, while Mr. Williams meets a large class of adults every morning at the chapel, to catechise them on those portions of the Scriptures which have been translated. We have often been surprised and delighted at the intelligence and religious knowledge which the people discover on these and other occasions. In point of intellect we consider the Tahitians equal to the English, and in religious knowledge inferior to few.

"All the people in the island, excepting about two hundred, have been baptized. When baptized, they then become candidates for the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. About two months previous to our arrival at this station, a few of the baptized made application to the Missionaries to be formed into a Christian church. Their request was complied with, and they were formed into a church, deacons were appointed, and the Lord's Supper was administered.

It happens in this, as in all the other islands, that there are some loose and profligate characters, who disapprove of the purity of Christianity, though they assent to its doctrines. There is not a family in this island that has not family-prayer morning and evening. At nine o'clock every night a bell-man goes through the whole settlement; this is the signal for all persons to retire to their houses. A watch, consisting of a few persons, then sits, and continue to perambulate the place all night, every hour crying, "All's well."

"It has afforded us great pleasure to witness the affection and confidence in which the Missionaries and their pious wives are held. Their opinions are regarded as oracles. They are consulted on all occasions, and on all subjects. They are men of good talents, sound judgments, and ardent piety. The happiness of the people in both worlds, is the object which they keep in view; and the improved condition of the settlement is such as to afford the most convincing proof, that the preaching of the Gospel is the most direct and efficient means of promoting both religion and civilization.'"

THE

[No. 67.

EVANGELICAL RAMBLER.

ON THE DIFFERENT PROPENSITIES AMONGST THE CHILDREN OF THE SAME FAMILY.

"Woman! what, woman enslave her own sex? No! it cannot be !"

"It is so."

"What woman?"

"The mantua-maker! Here are the fetters of my captivity, (exhibiting the undischarged bills,) which I will now go and break asunder, and never more will I consent to wear them." Page 10.

London:

PRINTED FOR FRANCIS WESTLEY, 10, STATIONERS' COURT, AND AVE-MARIA-LANE.

ON THE DIFFERENT PROPENSITIES AMONGST THE CHILDREN OF THE SAME FAMILY.

"Young women who accustom themselves to be lavish in matters of personal decoration, casily proceed to think, that so long as they restrain their expensiveness within the limits of the resources supplied by their parents and friends, they are not chargeable with blame on the subject. If they pay their bills punctually, who is entitled to find fault?"" Gisborne,

IT has often been a subject of speculation amongst us, whether the varieties which are apparent in the human character, may be traced up to the different methods which have been employed in its formation, or to some inherent peculiarity in the constitution, and propensity of the mind. That education and example will have a material influence over it, no one can doubt; but they do not operate with the uniformity of an established law of nature, as we have known the most opposite characters rising out of the same family. To account for this, unless we suppose that there is some inherent propensity in human nature, which gives to each person an individuality of original character, would be extremely difficult, if not impossible; as we should naturally expect a uniformity of result, where the same process is observed, unless there be some latent cause preventing it. Hence some of the most improved systems of education which prevail amongst us, make provision for a difference in the style of instruction, and in the mode of treatment, to accord with the natural temper, and inclination of the pupils; supposing, that by such a judicious arrangement, their moral and intellectual improvement may be more effectually secured.

But how often does even this method fail of accom. plishing its intended effect; as we see the children of a large family presenting a diversity in their taste-their disposition-their habits-no less striking than they could have done, if no wisdom or discretion had been employed in their cultivation. Meekness and irritability -a condescending amiability, and a proud hauteur-a placidness and tenderness of disposition, and a violence and resentment of spirit—a love of display, and a native

1

modesty which withdraws from public notice-a passion for some individual pursuit, and a restlessness which no object can fix, are the moral lights and shadows, which often fall on the members of the same family, giving that variety of hue and finge, which bears some analogy to he inferior productions of nature.

Mr. and Mrs. Holmes laid down a few maxims for the government of their conduct, from which they never swerved, which were to attach their children to their home, to encourage them to place the utmost degree of confidence in their parents, and to cultivate the purest affection for each other. By the adoption of these maxims, they displayed their good sense, and parental regard; as it is uniformly found, that when a child outgrows his love for sacred home, he has lost the sheet anchor of his safety; that if he have not free and unbarred access to his parents, he will conceal from them the secret purposes of his heart; and that if he feel no peculiar interest in the society and welfare of the other juvenile branches of the family, he will cherish a jealous and envious disposition, not more destructive of their domestic happiness than his own.

opening

They had often, when speaking of the excellencies which so finely budded on the character of some of the children, expressed their regret, over the unpromising appearances of others; yet indulged the hope that they would outgrow their "flaws unseemly," and when arrived at the maturity of judgment, would display not only the strength of reason, but the beauty of virtue. As they advanced from childhood to youth, and from youth to riper years, they gradually developed the peculiarities of their tempers and dispositions, which were so dissimilar, that no uniform mode of discipline could be adopted, with any chance of proving bencficial. As Mr. Holmes had so much of his time occupied in his commercial affairs, while his children were young, the chief responsibility of their education devolved on their mother, who feeling anxious to discharge the trust reposed in her, availed herself of all the information which she could acquire. The following paragraph which she met with in a favourite author, gave her an insight into the art of a judicious management. It inspired her with a good hope, respecting those of her

family, who appeared the most unpromising, because the most untractable and wayward. "A discriminating teacher will appreciate the individual character of each pupil, in order to appropriate her management. We must strengthen the feeble, while we repel the bold. We cannot educate by a receipt: for after studying the best rules, and after digesting them into the best system, much must depend on contingent circumstances; for that which is good may be inapplicable. The cultivator of the human mind must, like the gardener, study diversities of soil, or he may plant diligently, and water faithfully with little fruit. The skilful labourer knows that, even when the surface is not particularly promising, there is often a rough, strong ground, which will amply repay the trouble of breaking it up; yet we are often most taken with a soft surface, though it conceal a shallow depth, because it promises present reward and little trouble. But strong and pertinacious tempers, of which perhaps obstinacy is the leading vice, under skilful management often turn out steady and sterling characters; while from softer clay a firm and vigorous virtue is but seldom produced. Pertinacity is often principle, which wants nothing but to be led to its true object; while the uniformly yielding, and universally accommolating spirit, is not seldom the result of a feeble tone of morals, of a temper eager for praise, and acting for reward."

It is often remarked, that children arc men and women in miniature, and it must be admitted that as they grow up to their full stature, they in general throw out in more visible expression, the excellencies and defects of their juvenile character; but when they are submitted to the operation of extraordinary causes, they sometimes undergo an entire transmutation, and become new creatures. The most hopeless turn cut the most valuable those who have inflicted the most pungent sorrow, ultimately become the source of the purest joy; while the promising have faded in the spring-time vigour of their virtue, and those who have been endowed with the most commanding talents, have brought down the grey hairs of parental anxiety with sorrow to the

grave.

The eldest sons of this family, who succeeded to the business when the father retired, were brought up under