em. They will die without food."

My object in this part will be to deal with the Gipsy question in a hard,
matter of fact way, both as regards their present condition and the only
remedy by which they are to be improved. No one believes in the power of
the Gospel more than I do as to its being able to rescue the very dregs
of society from misery and wretchedness; but in the case of the Gipsies
and canal-boatmen they cannot be got together so as to be brought under
its influence. Their darkness, ignorance, and flitting habits, prevent
them either reading about Jesus or being brought within the magic spell
of the Gospel. When once the Gipsy children have learned to read and
write I shall then have more faith in the power of God's truth reaching
the hearts of the Gipsies and producing better results.

The following letter has been handed to me by the uncle, to show what a
little, dark-eyed Gipsy girl of twelve years of age can do.
Notwithstanding all its faults it is a credit to the little beauty,
especially if it is taken into consideration that she has had no father
to teach her, and she has chiefly been her own schoolmaster and mistress.
She is the only one who can read and write in a large family. Her books
have been sign-boards, guide-posts, and mile-stones, and her light the
red glare of a coke fire. I give the letter to show two things; first,
that there is a strong desire among the poor Gipsy children for
education; second, that there is that mental calibre about the Gipsy
children of the present generation that only requires fostering,
handling, educating, and caring for as other children are to produce in
the next generation a class of people of whom no country need be ashamed.
They will be equal to stand shoulder to shoulder with other labouring
classes.

(Copy of envelope.)

"JOB CLATAN
"Char bottomar
"at ash be hols in
"Darbyshere."

(Copy of letter.)

"febury 18 1880.

"Dear uncel and Aunt

"I wright these few li to you hoping find you all well.

"Fanny Vickers as sent you a rose father and Mother as sent there best
love to you I think it is very strang you have never wrote it is Twenty
year if live till may it is a strang thing you doant com to see her She
is st