COPPER. The copper coinage of England arose a thousand years later than silver. Queen Elizabeth had a great dislike to copper money; but she suffered a pattern to be struck as the pledge of a halfpenny. But no coinage of copper was struck till 1672, when halfpence and farthings of that metal were made public money. The penny was struck in the time of George III. In 1860, the penny, halfpenny, and farthing was changed from copper to bronze. MINNIE CHITTY (aged 13), Standard V.

Froyle School, Alton, Hants.

I certify that this was fairly done.

G. L. VEAL.

The following are the names of the writers of the best papers in the Senior Division:

CLASS I. (AGE 15.)

Isabella Hawksey, St. Mary's School, Oldham,

CLASS II. (AGE 14.)

1. R. A. Farnworth, Longsight.

2. F. G. Cotching, Toddington Wesleyan Day School, Bedfordshire.
3. Annie Chappell, Froyle School, Alton, Hants.

4. M. E. Clarke, St. Paul's Girls' School, Southwark.

5. Catherine Halkyard, St. Mary's Schools, Oldham.

6. W. H. Halliday, Broadwindsor N.S.

7. Isabella Rutherwood, St. Cuthbert's School, Gateshead.

8. Richard Whitton, 8, Lucy Tower Street, Lincoln.

9. Louisa Elliott, 2, Cheapside, Market Harborough.

CLASS III. (AGE 13.)

1. W. E. Godfree, Barton School, Wisbeach.

2. Albert Garland, 66, Oxford Street East, Liverpool.

3. Julia Clark, St. Paul's School, Southwark.

4. Richard Lambert, Wesleyan School, Colne, Lancashire.

5. Cecilia Hawksey, St. Mary's School, Oldham.

6. Jonathan Isherwood, Oak Street, Tyldesley.

7. Wilfred D. Stones, Meanly Street, Tyldesley.

CLASS IV. (AGE 12.)

1. Harry Rowbotham, Moravian Boys' School, Dukinfield.
2. Ada Chappell, Froyle School, Alton, Hants.

3. Mary Grice, St. Cuthbert's School, Gateshead.

4. J. Ellwood, North Town School, Aldershott.

The following are the names of the two competitors who have written in the best manner, having regard to their ages, the poem on "The Burial of Sir John Moore."

1. WILLIAM PLENDER, age 10 years, Chapel Street Academy, Stalybridge. Dear Sir,-1 certify the enclosed penmanship to be the work of the boy whose name it bears. JAMES KNIGHT, Schoolmaster.

2. MARY JONES, aged 8 years, Smallwood N.S., Lawton, Stoke-on-Trent. Smallwood N.S., Lawton, Stoke-on-Trent, 5th Aug., 1872. The enclosed papers have been written by the children whose names they bear. WM. ELLIS, Master.

The following are the names of the writers of the best papers in the Junior Division:

CLASS I. (AGE 11.)

1. William Richardson, Wesleyan Day School, Melsonby.
2. Charlotte E. Whitton, 8, Lucy Tower Street, Lincoln.

3. Julius Jacobs, 66, Oxford Street, Liverpool.

4. Edward Rawlinson, Sunningdale School, Windsor.

5. J. T. Wilkinson, 7, Walnut Street, Waterloo Road, Manchester.

6. George Chitty, Whitby's Blue Coat School, Chichester.

7. Annette Sporg, Sunningdale School, Windsor.

8. William Searle, Whitby's Blue Coat School, Chichester,

9. Francis Bailey, British School, Gildersome.

10. Caleb Ashworth, Dean Mills British School, Halliwell, Bolton.

CLASS II. (AGE 10.)

1. John Dodson, Dean Mills British School, Halliwell, Bolton.

2. J. E. Bygate, Derby British School.

3. Thomas Ellis, Smallwood N.S., Stoke-on-Trent.

4. George Richardson, Wesleyan Day School, Melsonby.

5. William Croxton, Smallwood N.S., Stoke-on-Trent.

6. A. F. Slater, Fern Cottage School, Fairfield, near Buxton.

7. J. B. Booth, St. Oswald's Schools, Durham.

8. Jessie Williams, St. Paul's Schools, Southwark.

9. Mary A. Holliday, British School, Gildersome.
10. G. Hodder, Sunningdale School, Windsor.

CLASS III. (AGE 9.)

1. H. J. Cross, Cottenham British School, Cambridge.
2. Charles Alstead, Holy Trinity Free School, Liverpool.
3. Mary Simpson, St. Mary's School, Oldham.

4. R. Fairhurst, Wigan Union School.

5. George Proctor, Smallwood N.S., Stoke-on-Trent.

6. Sam. Dilworth, Holy Trinity Boys' School, Halifax.

7. Hannah Oldham, Croft Street School, Hyde.

8. Eliza Ann Potts, Croft Street School, Hyde.

9. Walter Brownjohn, Froyle School, Alton, Hants.

10. Samuel Street, Mirfield.

CLASS IV. (AGE 8.)

1. Thirza Hole, Trewsteignton Girls' School.

2. Caroline Norbury, Smallwood N.S.

3. Frank Hodgson, Wesleyan Reform Schools, Bradford.

4. Z. H. Pringle, Aberdour Parish School.

To our Correspondents.

THE master of a school writes to us-"I have been very pleased with the different numbers of the Young Scholar, and use it as a class reading book in my school. I consider the reading of the scholars in those classes in which it is used has considerably improved since its introduction.”

Several compositions on Biblical subjects have been sent to us, but we can only undertake to examine and classify those papers sent to us on the questions which are set for the monthly examinations.

The poem on the rat running away with the candle, which has reached us from Ireland, is more suitable for a periodical of higher pretensions than the Young Scholar.

THE YOUNG SCHOLAR.

OCTOBER, 1872.

Lay Sermons.

No. 8.-ON POETRY.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report-if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.-Philippians iv., 8.

E are very anxious that our young scholars should read and learn good poetry. A verse of poetry will often linger in the memory years after it is learnt, and may exert a mighty influence for good. But to do this we must be sure it is good poetry.

The apostle, in the text, tells us how to judge everything, poetry included. Things that are honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, we are to think upon. We therefore want to find a volume of poems that are honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.

We have not to search far to arrive at so precious a collection of poetry. It is to be found in the writings of William Wordsworth. A man that feared God and loved Nature, his poems

are beautiful, reverent, intensely natural, and therefore simple and easy. Some of his poems can charm the mind of a child of five, and yet furnish deep thinking for learned philosophers. There is not one of our readers that does not know some poems written by this great and noble man. There are, "We are Seven," "Lucy Gray," ," "The Idiot Boy," and many others, that have been the delight of children ever since they were published.

We therefore advise our young scholars to adopt William Wordsworth as their favourite poet. They will find his writings full of noble lessons, that will help them on in the great struggle of life, and tend to make them better children and better men. They should read the poems of Milton, the plays of Shakespere, and the works of other distinguished poets; but the book that will do them the most good is that containing the poems of William Wordsworth.

Some people think Byron a great poet, and admire his writings very much. If Byron's poetry were all destroyed, however, the world would not be a loser. Many people think it would rather be a gainer than otherwise. But the writings of Wordsworth harm no man. It is a dreadful thing for a man to die, leaving works behind him making men wicked, and wretched, and miserable; and we believe that for the evil they do such men will be punished at last. Wordsworth, who lived in the fear of God, considered this, and wrote to make men wiser and better; to teach them how to live in a happy and wholesome manner.

If you can therefore educate yourself to admire Wordsworth's poetry, you are thinking, as the apostle advises you, on what is honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. You may not appreciate them at once; but if you continue reading them day by day you will soon like them, and find them pleasant and wholesome companions all the days of your life. How beautifully Wordsworth makes the little girl tell the brother and sister's death!

"The first that died was sister Jane.

In bed she moaning lay

Till God released her of her pain,
And then she went away.

"So in the churchyard she was laid,
And when the grass was dry,
Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and I.

story of her

N the passage there was standing a decent, clean, goodnatured looking woman, with two huge straw baskets on each side of her. One of the baskets stood a little in the way of the entrance. A man who was pushing his way in, and carried in his hand a string of dead larks hung to a pole, impatient at being

stopped, kicked down the straw basket, and all its contents were thrown out. Bright straw hats, and boxes, and slippers, were all thrown in disorder on the dirty ground.

"Oh, they will be trampled upon! They will all be spoiled," exclaimed the woman to whom they belonged.

"We'll help you to pick them up, if you will let us,” cried Paul and Anne; and they immediately ran to her assistance.

When the things were all safe in the basket again, the children expressed a great desire to know how such beautiful things could be made of straw; but the woman had not time to answer them before the postilion came out of the parlour, and with him a gentleman's servant, who came to Paul, and clapping him upon the back said, "So, my little chap, I gave you a sovereign for a halfpenny, I hear; and I understand you have brought it back again. That's right-give me hold of it."

"No, brother," said Anne; "this is not the gentleman that was reading."