We have before us a neat volume entitled “ Hillocks' Thoughts in Rhymes with an Introductory Sketch by the Rev. George Gilfillan.” ~ Like many of our best Temperance publications, it comes to us through Mr. W. Tweedie, and will form a valuable contribution to the poetry of our movement. The Life of Mr. Hillocks is so admirably written by the Rev. George Gilfillan, that we purpose enriching our pages with it a freedom, for which (if necessary) we will humbly crave the pardon of that great writer oe duw LOOWT Ab 2013 las m

I

“Our friend," says Mr. Gilfillan, "was born at Dundee in the very humblest position of life. His father was a man-of-war's man, who, owing to some injuries inflicted on him by his co-mates or captain, deserted, and had the R. standing against his name, and serving as a pretext for not granting him a pension, although he had returned and paid the penalty previous to the peace. His mother was an excellent and beautiful person, who died when James was twenty-one days. The boy was born on the 7th of April, but, in these non-registering days, the year was not marked, and is now irrecoverably lost. The loss of his mother was his first misfortune. The second was his being put under the care of a wet nurse, who treated him very ill, stunting his stature, and enfeebling his constitution by improper diet, pernicious drugs, and 'cruel inattention. ‹ Some time after, the father of the "mitherless bairn,' married again. The poor child was early set to work, so early, he says, that the feet of the pirn-wheel had to be cut that he might be able to drive it; and he was often thus employed from four in the morning to eleven at night, his father being engaged the while in the thankless work of weaving in behalf of his family. By-and-bye he was sent to school. He went in joy and hope, but found his master a tyrant, one on whose face che says sa smile would have added to the wonders of the world.' Under his reign of terror" he spent three months, and then, chiefly from inability to purchase the necessary books, was sent to the loom He enjoyed, however, opportunities of attending Sabbath Schools, and justly regards them as having materially benefited him in this early days.te Autobiography, which lies before us, a very dis

"He gives in ave, too true picture of a weaver's family, with their

tressing, but, we miserable wages, * sinking by shillings during times of depression, and rising by threepences when trade is brisk," and of his over-wrought and household at Lochlea is, we fear, re They heart-broken chichten is, !!! Ah! the sad picture given by Burns of his father's even now in thousands of poor families, both in town and Country fare poorly, and their life is compounded of the gloom of hermits and the cheerless moil of galley slaves. Often the

of this

5

health, or to we whole were dee family, owing to the father's

of work,

without a penny coming in save

the pittance which the young lad received for his work, and

wrought for twenty-four hours on ends on two or three sometimes

spoonfuls of pease brose,' the house the while filled with a melancholy chorus of the father groaning with pain, in reply to the children crying for food.") 49 From Dundee he removed to Lochee a village two miles offwhere he got a copy of Walker's Dictionary, and a Collection,' and

learned to write, cipher a little, and to study English Grammar. He read in the night, wrote during the meal-hours, and had the rules of Arithmetic and of Grammar fastened to the breast beam of the loom as he wrought. Then he went to an evening class, where he studied Geography, recovered.

a

Geometry, and Compositioner severemation, After his to health, trade failed, and he was in imminent

brought on by

foil,

danger of starvationTodle became soured for a season into an extreme Chartist, as we do not wonder that many of his order twenty years ago were His gaye employment, but no wages

for it, he bein the

"His

1

to toil."

a Secretary without a salary, and at length, in Autumn 1842, in sheer desperation he left the neighourhood of Dundee for another part of the country, to seek 29980 100 vaidino ezoquE that to nobis brother of the earth to give him leave to to His destination was Luthermuir, a weaving village nine miles north of Montrose, situated amidst thick dark firwoods, with some beautiful spots such as Fettercairn, Fasque, and the Burn in the neighbourhood, but itself then a dirty little place, and inhabited by a very poor population. When the Young Weaver' arrived, there was not a in the village, but that night, he tells us, there came two part-loads one for every in babitant and the poor people said that the stranger. blessing, along with him! After residing three has brought God's place, where, he says, the majority of the people were tramps, and the victims of intemperance, he returned to Lochee, and commenced teacher at a place at the top of the Hilltown, Dundee, called Smithfield. Here, beginning with only ten scholars, and amidst a good deal of obloquy and opposition on account of his youth and imperfect education, he soon made himself an excellent dominie. We had the pleasure, in the year 1848, of witnessing the examination of his school, and were much delighted with his affectionate treatment of the children, and with their proficiency and obvious attachment to their master.

in this strange

He

1915 Mr. Hillocks has since taught schools in various parts of the country in the neighbourhood of Alyth, where Sir James Ramsay of Bamff highly appreciated his labours, and gave him a glowing certificate, which he preserves with just pride; in Dundee, and in his old howff,' Luthermuir, and in all these places he enjoyed the uniform esteem of the parents, and in a peculiar manner was the favourite of the children. that winneth souls is wise,' says a great authority, and we venture to parody the expression thus He that winneth children must himself be a child, partaking of many of the finer qualities which make childhood a thing so wonderful, so unique, and almost so divme. It is easy to terrify children—not difficult to cram them with knowledge-but to win them at once to yourself and to the love of learning, is a rare and peculiar, although a simple seeming gift. It was to us, at least, always truly delightful to see our Young Weaver' presiding in what was sometimes called 'The Laddie's School-a child amongst children-leading them, even as Una led by a line her milk-white lamb, by the unseen cord of love, to the green pastures and the still waters of knowledge, and by those ways of spiritual wisdom which are pleasantness and peace. In November, 1851, we had the pleasure of linking Mr. Hillocks destiny to that of his excellent wife, who still continues to be his affectionate and attentive helpmeet, both of them,' he says, 'continuing to bless the day that made then one about Ha eldw odt sene 1-et

"Our friend has diversified his teaching tasks by various literary productions. In these he has had to contend with many disadvantages, springing from his early want of thorough culture, but that he has issued

so many books on such various subjects is highly creditable alike to his industry and abilities His New Writer, when

it

much commended by the press, as an useful and unassumed, was very

production. His Passages from the Life of a Young Weaver' is an exceedingly interesting little book- -a record of his own experiences in early life-and has gone through several editions. His 'Viola,' 'Sophia,' &c., are earnest efforts to elucidate the social questions of the day, and display very considerable faculties of thinking, observing, and writing. And his Poems, now published, partake of much of that naivete, sweet simplicity and child-heartedness which we have attributed to his teaching.

"Mr. Hillocks was sometime connected with a Dundee newspaper, but left it owing to the scurrilous character which, in spite of his remonstrances, it attained. His own writings are all distinguished by a pure and high tone of morality, and his opinions on religious subjects are those of a liberal, but thoroughly orthodox, Christian "w

We append to this interesting Memoir, two of Mr. Hillocks' Rhymes:

THE PLEDGE.A

Since alcohol, a poisonous draught,
By rich and poor is keenly sought,

adjud And quaff'd by many, young and old,

Producing grief and woe untold,-
The cursed cup I'll never take,

binowed Both for my own and brother's sake.be
The cause of God, the good of all, ES
Of those who
those who fall,

Inspire th

the thond Heaven above"

WOTTB Says, "Think and work, and work in love."
In love I've joined the Temperance band, e
To work with zeal, with heart and hand,

W

To pave the way for Gospel truth,
Reclaim the sire and save the youth-

Moniv. Enlist them in the glorious cause or
Of sober joy and Christian laws.

I love to meet the just and good
That's often in a happy mood;
I love to meet the frank and free

ow bur 92. That's good to all and kind to me;

and

heart open

I love the act an honest part?

That loves to

vadedeng anu love the strong and virtuous mind were vithi teďt vi That is to godliness inclined;iw at soul

e goal; -9 minor doum Ansty JoYes, such dear friend I love to meet, 26, et eldsvik A

And such dear friend I'll ever greeti

brey-qule & With such dear friend I'm frank and free,

And such dear friend I find in

thee.

JP65 976, 305 By JOHN TODD, D.Dove (quod mo

Das viri "A certain man drew a bow at a venture."-1 Kings xxii. 34.

The shi

D

an arrow can

galasot eat of equaints synal ow doldw Psabonssd-blic CONTENTS. The man and his bow and arrow. stated. The ship-yard. The wormy stick. The leaky s The result. The child A little mistake. Ship and lives lost. Result. Great fires in the forest. Little boy playing with fire. The spark caught. The mother of Mohammed. The consequence. How is it with these children. What the subject teaches. The child mid not tell a liedi The tongue. Company. Every day. The little stream. The last thing taught by this subject. 264 Hall to out THIS chapter gives an account of a war

and the acorn. The oak. The result. These lathe subject

US 092709 9.11

awar between two king two kingdoms. They were the kingdoms of Israel and of Syria. They fought hard, and shed much blood. Ahab was king of Israel. When going out on the battle field, he put off his kingly dress, and put on such clothes as other menswear,olest they should know him, and should kill him. During the battle, a man-but what ubor his name was, or what his history was, we know not-a man held his bow and arrow in his hand. He thought he would shoot towards the army of Israel. He saw no man at whom he especially desired to aim. Perhaps he paused a moment, and doubted whether he should shoot or not. But the arrow was in his hand, and he put it to the string of his bow. Now, is it any matter whether he shoots or not? He raises the bow to shoot; is it any matter whether he shoots one way or another? Yes; much depends upon his shooting, and which way he takes aim with his arrow. He shoots-the arrow flies -the wind does not turn it aside out of the way-it goes towards a chariot. The person in it wears armour, he is covered all over with plates of iron; at that moment his armour just opens a little at the joints. There, now! the arrow goes in at that little opening. Hark! there is a groan. It has hit the king; it has killed the king. vAhab, the great king, who built great cities, and built an ivory house, and who Icarried on great wars, spresso1 BE 136 03 Perol put to an end killed, and the wa war is by that little arrow, which any one of these children probably could have broken with the fingers in a moment.

much sometimes hangs ings! 97ol!

on

Oh, how

And this is just what I am wishing to show that great results do often hang, or depend, on little things!nk

Two men were at work together one

one day in a ship-yard.

1191 169b love br

9

They were hewing a stick of timber to put into a ship. It was a small stick, and not worth much. As they cut off the chips; they found a worm a little worm, about half an inch long. then or "This stick is wormy," said one; "shall we put it in?”b bna I do not know; yes, I think it may go in It will never be seen, of course, wot a to Lab Lasn alid e si vznodtigil "Yes, but there may be other worms in it, and these may increase, and injure the ship."led ti 992 yom -zasy Jail oe got 0% No, I think not. To be sure, it is not worth mirch,[yet T do not wish to lose it. But come, never mind [the worm, we have seen but one; put it inmd edt 1890 9197 yout wond Dots be The stick was accordingly put ing The ship was finished, and as she was launched off into the waters, all ready for the seas, she looked beautiful as the swan when the breeze ruffles his white-feathered bosom, as he sits on the waters. She went to sea and for a number of years did well. But it was found, on la distant voyage, that she grew weak and rotten. Her timbers were found much eaten by the worms. But the captain thought he would try to get her home. He had a great costly load of goods in the ship, such as silks, crapes, and the like, and a great many people. On their way home, a storm gathered. The ship for a while climbed up the high waves, and then plunged down, creaking and rolling very much. But she then sprang a leakThey had two pumps, and the men worked at them day and night; but the water came in faster than they could pumpsit out! She filled with water; and she went down under the dark blue waters of the ocean, with all the goods and all the people on board. Every one perished. Oh, how many wives, and mothers, and children, mourned over husbands,oando gons, and fathers, for whose return they were waiting, and who never returned ! And this, all this, probably, because that little stick of timber with the worm in it was put in when the ship was built! How much property, and how many olives, may be destroyed by a little wormb And how much evil may a man do, when he does a smally wrong, as that man did, who put the wormy timber into the ship!on eft al

B

9

I wish to have you see this oso clearly that you cannot forget it, because it will be of great use to you, all the way through life, if remembered eyit has adil yıb edi, zoveel vzb sit

In a dark night there was once a ship coming into one of our sharbours.inshe had been to India on a long voyage, and had been gone a year or two. She had a very costly cargo, or load, on board. The captain and all in her were hoping and