NASEBY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 65, 25 July 1874, Page 8

NASEBY.

To the Editor of the Tablet.

DxAB Sib, — As some information regarding St Patrick's School at Naseby may be interesting to many Catholic readers of your valuable paper, I trust you will be so kind as to give publicity to the following. On Friday last I was engaged in the quarteily inspection of the Catholic school in connection with St. Patrick's Church, subjecting tho children to a close and even severe examinatioo in their several studies, The answering of the scholars in the various classes was eminently satiafactory. The careful and painstaking inspection to which the school was subjected proved unmistakably the excellent supervision and the great ability of the teacher. I was very pleased with the order anci good management, united to the proficiency of the children. Frou what I saw of Mr Sproule's capabilities, I willingly award to hiir , through your columns, my humble meed of praise.

There were 45 children on the school-roll, of whom 38 were i i attendance on Friday last. Though not at all surprised that >] i Sproule's efforts to establish a first-class school are meeting with tbo success they deserve, the Catholic community of Kaseby should still be desirous of seeing the school far better attended. I may mentio i that the writing was clean and finished, the arithmetic, tables, an-, book-keeping excellent j the answers in grammar, history, and gee graphy satisfactory j the reading smooth and polished, emphasis an^' intonation perfect ; the spelling good. The school hours every da^ are from half-past nine a.m. to twelve noon, and from one to fou o'clock p.m. : vacation on Saturday. Several Protestant children o! the different denominations of this town are attending the school The subjects taught are reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, book keeping, geography, history, grammar, composition, and all th . branches connected with a commercial education.

Dear Sir, — Allow me also to give here a word of advice to many of my fellow Catholics. To the want of a truly religious education, are to be attributed much of the crime and pauperism so destructive to faith. Through it prejudices are fostered, and religious indifference increased. Religious education implants virtuous habits and correct ideas of duty towards Almighty God and man. No child grows up without being educated ; if he is not educated in a school or at home , be is educated in the street; if he is not instructed by competent, moral, and religious teachers, then he is by companions olddr tha-i himself in wickedness. Ignorance and vicious training are the parent? of all kind of crimes, and criminals destroy wealth instead of producing it, and become a heavy tax on society, both directly and indirectly. In order to makesecular instruction truly good and socially useful, the holy Catholic Church tells us that it must be fundamentally religious. I do not simply mean by this that religious instruction should hold .its place in secular education, and that the Catholic practices should enter into it ; for a population is not religiously educated by such petty and mechanical devices. It is necessary that txue education should be given and received in the midst of a religious atmosphere, and that Christian impressions and religious observances should penetrate into all its parts. Keligion is not a study or an exeroise to be restricted to a certain place and a certain hour : it is a faith and love which ought to be felt everywhere, and in which, after tnis manner alone , can exercise all its beneficial influence upon our minds and our lives. Excuse the haste of this, being so busy with mission work, and believe me, with respect and regard, very obediently yours, Emmanuel Roter, Catholic Pastor. Naseby, 13th July, 1874,