SUNNY HOURS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 390, 3 August 1889, Page 8

SUNNY HOURS.

Thoie's many a ifst on the road of lifo If we only stop to take it, And many a hope from tho better land If the careworn heart woul I wake it. To the sunny foul thuti* full of hope And whose beautiful trust ne'er faileth. The grass is gieon and the skies are bright, Though the winter storm prevailoth. Better to hope, thoush the clouds hang low, And to keep the eyes sf ill lifted, For the sweet blue sky will soon poep through When the ominous elond- nve iftcd. There was never a niglu without a day Nor an evening without a morning, And the daikest hour, the pioverb goes, Is the hour before the dawning. Bettei to weave in the vroh of life A bright and golden filling, And do God's will with a ready heart And hands that ate swift and willing, Than to snap the dehente silver threads Of our curious lives asunder, And then blame Fate for the tangled ends, And sit in grieving wonder

We notice by a lute Melbourne papei that :i Bill was being ciiculated by the Minister of Education to tiinencl the W\v relating to education, whk-h may be of interest to some of onrrca iers, us showing what reforms are being considered in other colonies. The Bill proposes to lower the age vi) to which childien are required to attend school from 15 to 13 years, the object being to allow boys to proceed to manual woik at an e.ulier age tlim is at present possible. Authoiity is taken to increase compulsory attendance from 30 hchool days to 40 days poi quarter In this way a boy will have more woik done in seven yeais of school attendance extending from the time he begins his education at six years until he leaven at 12, than in the nine yeais he has now to attend, which is fiom 6 to 15 years. A provision is included that a child who has attended, for 30 days in two consecutive quarters need not attend 40 days in the quarter. This innovation is introduced to permit country children to assist their parents in farm or garden woik at the paiticular seasons when their aid is urgently required. Power is taken to meet a want, complained of by Roman Catholic authorities, that their children are not placed on the same footing as the State school children, who can obtain certificates at 12 or 13 years, and so, subsequently, be available for work. The certificates to be granted to privatelytaught children are to be given after examination bv the public inspectors.