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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 301, 21 December 1874, Page 4

Gmerat Improvement— George Campbell, 1; Esther Hingston, I; James Williams, 3. Captain Rough said that he had offered a special prize for history, as he thought that was a study with which the boys should be well acquainted, as it would show them that io all countries and ages there had been men and women who wero ready to sacrifice themselves and their property for tbe good of their country. He would like those whom he was addressing to think that (his beautiful country in which they were placed was their country, and to love it dearly, and be prepared to serve it faithfully. He wished to see a growing spirit of patriotism that would lead them, though they could not all be heroes or heroines, to lead honest and industrious lives, and to be ready at all times to be useful to their country, for if this spirit were displayed by its inhabitants it could never become unhappy or unprosperous. He had much pleasure in presenting his priza to Walter Hibble. The Bishop of Nelson hoped that those who had been so fortunate as to obtain prizes would read thora carefully. The Committee had displayed great discrimination in their selection, and it would be a pity if the books were put away on shelves, and looked upon as mere ornaments. In alluding to what had fallen from Captain Rough, he would quote the well-known lioea — Breatheß there a man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said This is my own, my native land ! Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned, As home his footsteps he hath turned , From wandering on a foreign strand ? If such there breathe, go, mark him well, For him no Minstrel raptures swell; High though his titles, proud his name, Boundless his wealth as wish can claim; Despite those titles, power, and pelf, The wretch, c mcentered all in self, Living, shall forfeit fair renown, And, doubly dying, shad go down To tbe vile dust, from whence he sprung, Unwept, unhooored, and unsung ! In those words were breathed the spirit of the advice given to them by Captain Rough. He was glad to believe that such a feeling existed in tbis colony. He had at home met young New Zealanders, who, delighted as they were with all that they saw in England, with her enormous wealth and numberless attractions, still feit that it occupied only the second place in their hearts, the first being retained by New Zealand. He hoped they would all thoroughly enjoy their holidays, and if there were some among them, as no doubt there were, whose consciences whispered to them that, during the past year, they had not done all they could to turn to the be-jt account the advantages they possessed at school, he trusted they would not stifla that small voice, but would let it incite them to renewed endeavors when they met again for work. He would ask them to join in giving three hearty cheers for his Honor the Superintendent, who had taken so prominent a part io the afternoon's proceedings. The invitation haviog been heartily responded to, Mr Hodgson said that the present was not a suitable timefor fault-fioding, which he would reserve for a future occasion. Just now he would say nothing but what was favorable. While examining the Town Schools during the last fortnight he had been so struck with the improvement of the children iv several respects that he could not deny himself the pleasure of telling them wherein tbey had done particularly well. In the first place, they were far more orderly than formerly, The task of an examiner could never be an easy one, bat it was in the power of those examined to lighten that task considerably by a general alertness and promptitude of attention, by answering readily when speech was required, and above all by holding their tongue when silence was wanted. For their cheerful co-operation with him this year in the work of examination he begged to thank them. Again, he found -a marked improvement in their reading. Good readers were even yet by no means as plentiful as cherries, but they were moro plentiful than formerly; and he attributed (his good result, partly at leesf, to the k-eo aud very general spirit of emulation excited throughout the Provincial schools by the reading pr zes offered by the Central Board" He hoped the Board would see its way to offering similar prizes this year, as he was convinced that the small gum required could not be laid out to greater advantage. As to tha writing, he was plea-sed to find, after looking over bun Ireds of copybooke, that the children (with two or three exceptions) were striving hard to acquire the clear, round, | commercial style of writing aimed at in our provincial schools, a style neither dif-figured by flourishes, nor marred by affectations— -the kind of hand, in short, by means of which nine-tenths of the business of the world was being carried on. He could assure them that if they would only perfect themselves io this 8 yle of penmanship tbey would earn th* approval, not only of himself— ibat wis but a small matter— but of their teoeberß, their parents, and their employers, in whatever occupation they might hereafter be engaged. Cheers having been given for Captain Rough and for tho teachers, a pre-

sentation of an ornamental book-case* by some of the boys of the^Bridge-street School, was made to Mr Smith, accom panied by the foilowing note :—«' Dear Sir—We beg you will accept this small present as a token of our respect and gratitude. We are, Sir, your affectionate scholars." (Signed by P. Hodgson and 11 others). !