Punch (67.1874)

98 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [September 5, 1874.

A LUNAR OBSERVATION.

Old Sailor {to Parties looking through his Glass). “Distance o’ the Mewn from the Earth, Twenty-Four Millions o’ Miles!”
Country Excursionist {standing by). “ Lauks ! wh’heaow ever can they Tell that, Sir?”

Old Sailor. “ How can we Tell? Bless yer Life, ’cause we’ye Measured it to a Hinch, Sir! !”

THE REDHILL HARVEST-HOME.

“ The Harvest-Home of the Philanthropic Society’s School for the Re-
formation of Boy Criminals, was held yesterday at the farm school at Redhill.
N ot a hoy of the 304 who are at present at school but is a convicted felon ; in-
deed, a boy must have been twice convicted before he can be received into the
School. Since the establishment of the School 2,394 hoys have been admit-
ted, and 2,089 have been discharged, of whom 1,032 have emigrated. In the
four years ending the 31st of December, 1871, 317 boys were discharged, of
whom 192 emigrated. Further facts go on to state that over 90 per cent, of
these boys were never again convicted of crime, and were heard of afterwards
as doing well. About 8 per cent, of the number lapsed back into their old
courses, and of two or three no tidings were afterwards heard. Of the 8 per
cent., however, that were re-convicted, one-fifth had recovered their charac-
ter, and were living honestly when last heard of. The principle on which
the School is carried on, and by which these excellent results are obtained, is,
as the sketch states, by employing four great instruments—religious influ-
ence, personal kindness, exact justice, and constant employment.”—Daily
News, Aug. 27.

England hath garnered the rich crop hy God’s great goodness given,
And now in Harvest-Home uplifts her thankful hands to heaven;
But a more special blessing crowns one Harvest-Home—Redhill,
Whose crop is raised from prison-seed and gutter-Arab drill.

Here Faith and Love the long year through, toil on, ’twixt eve and
morn,

In the face of doubters’ sneering and unbelievers’ scorn,
t r°H the seed the prison sends them a wholesome crop to grow,

Let the blades seem ne’er so starveling, and their earing ne’er so
slow.

For well they know soul-seed must grow, if not for good, for ill;

So. they set to hoe and harrow and spud with strenuous will:
a ,aQk> and weeds he rank, hut sourest ground will drain,

And damp will dry, and weeds will die, and then sow wholesome
gram I

So have they drained, and harrowed, and crushed, and cleansed, and
tamed

This stubborn soil of souls run wild, and natures unreclaimed ;

Till for the darnel of ill-deeds, the kecks and burrs of crime,

Comes up the golden growth of good, in the Lord o’ the Harvest’s
time.

Then of all English harvest-homes through all our laughing land,

Is none that asks more lifting up of thankful heart and hand,

Than this of Redhill and all farms that Redhill’s labour share,

Spite of ill weeds, to sow good seeds, and rear, and bring to bear.

Our Railway Relations.

Sir Edward Watkin, in connection with a threatened abandon-
ment of the workmen’s early trains on the South Eastern line be-
cause they don’t pay, talks big of ‘‘The Great Railway Interest,
which has done more than any other interest for the welfare of the
nation.” “Done” is an awkward word—with more meanings than
one. But in Sir Edward’s sense of the word, this tall talk is out of
place. “ Railway interest ” may he “ great,” but the Shareholders
would like it greater, and to make it greater is Sir Edward’s one
aim as the head of a Directorate. The attitude of a public benefactor
is one thing, and that of a Railway Director strenuous for the in-
crease of dividends another; and between the two we may fairly
ask, “What kin?”

By the Request of Sir Wilfrid Lawson.—The supporters of
the Permissive BiU wiU be known in future as members of “ The
Good-Temperance Society.”

An Old Song for Hew Savants.—“ O dear! What Can this
‘ Matter ’ Be f ”