This is no delusive way of accounting for the matter,—it is a solution which experience and observation have taught and

established. I have
traced the progress of delinquency, in actual life, from its earliest stages,—from the little trembling pilferer of the apple-stall, not more than four
or five years old, to the confirmed thief of nine or ten years—who had been in gaol three or four times, and was as proud of his dexterity in
thieving, and hardihood under punishment, as he could have been of the most virtuous accomplishment, or the most becoming fortitude. The
infant thief, conscious of shame, and trembling with fear, will tell you on detection, that "Tommy," or "Billy," some older associate, set him to do it;
you let him go: he joins his companions, who laugh at the story he tells, ridicule him for his fears, praise him for his dexterity, and rejoice in his
escape. It will be very easy to imagine how, under a course of such treatment, the young offender so soon dismisses both shame and fear; and
learns to forget everything but the gain and glory of his crimes.

It is no small matter of credit with older thieves—(by older thieves I still mean boys of nine or ten years old)—to have under their tuition two or
three pupils. I have seen in my walks as many as seven or eight sallying forth from the alleys in the neighbourhood of Spitalfields, under the
command, as it were, of a leader, a boy perhaps not more than nine or ten years old. I have watched their plans, and have noticed that it was
usual to send first the youngest boy to attempt the theft—perhaps the object to be obtained was only a bun from the open window of a pastry-
cook's shop; if he failed, another was sent, whilst the rest were lurking at the corner of some court, ready to flee in case their companion was
detected; and I have sometimes seen, that after all the rest had failed, either from want of skill, or the too great vigilance of the shop-keeper, the
boy who acted as leader has started out, and by a display of superior dexterity, would have carried off the prize, had it not happened that some
one was thus purposely watching his conduct. When detected, if an old offender, he will either look you in tire face with the greatest effrontery
and an expression of defiance, or he will feign to cry, and tell you he was hungry, has no father nor mother, &c.; though frequently, on further
inquiry, I have found the whole story to be false.

Alas! there is one class of children, with whom I know not how to deal, I mean those without the natural protectors. The man can for a more
trifle get rid of all responsibility, though in general, most able to bear it, the woman has the dead weight, which often proves the destruction of
her offspring, and herself, suicide and murder are the first-fruits frequently to her, but she loves her offspring, and perhaps he who deceived her,
and for both their sakes fights the battle against fearful odds; for a few years at least, she will not last long, at length she sinks! she dies! where,
oh! where! is the guardian for her child! Reader, there are many thousands of such! What becomes of them? But there are other mothers of this
class, more ignorant, have less of feeling, no education, no training, they advance from bad to worse, until they have five or six children, here are
circumstances for children to come into the world grievously against them. What becomes of these? To avoid painful details I will answer the
question, they become a pest to society, each a demoralizer of others, living upon the public—as tramps, begging impostors, thieves, teachers
of thieves, and cost the country more than five times their number born under other and better circumstances. God grant that spiritual light,
philosophical light, and scientific light united, may enable us to find the remedy!
The two grand causes of juvenile delinquency, we have seen then, to be the evil example of parents themselves; and the bad associations which
children form at an early age, when, through neglect, they are suffered to be in the streets. In the first instance, the parents of the children are
wholly without excuse; in the second, though in some cases we may blame them, in others we cannot justly do so; but must admit, as an
exculpation, the unfortunate circumstances of their condition in life.

It would be easy to shew, by a multitude of instances, the evil effects produced on children of a tender age by street associations. But I think
enough has been said to convince every reflecting mind that it is highly necessary that we should interfere in behalf of children so situated; and
I shall conclude the present chapter by some remarks on the various habits and practices of the poor classes, which have at least an injurious
tendency on the character of the rising generation.

As children are such imitative beings, I cannot help making a few observations on the tricks which are usually introduced into our pantomimes.
It is well known that those of the clown form a principal part of the entertainment. It is also equally well known, that the pantomimes are
particularly designed to amuse children, for which reason they are generally represented during the Christmas holidays, If, however, they were
merely intended to amuse them, they who have introduced them have, perhaps, gained their object; but what kind of instruction they afford, I
shall here attempt to shew. I do not recollect to have seen a pantomime myself without pilfering being introduced under every possible form,
such as shop lifting, picking pockets, &c. &c. Can it then be for a moment supposed improbable that children, after having witnessed these
exhibitions, should endeavour to put the thing into practice, whenever an opportunity offers, and try whether they cannot take a handkerchief
from a gentleman's pocket with the same ease and dexterity as the clown in the play did; or, if unsuccessful in this part of the business, that
they should try their prowess in carrying off a shoulder of mutton from a butcher's shop,—a loaf from a baker,—or lighter articles from the
pastry-cools, fruiterer, or linen-draper? For, having seen the dexterity of the clown, in these cases, they will not be at a loss for methods to
accomplish, by sleight of hand, their several purposes. In my humble opinion, children cannot go to a better place for instruction in these
matters, or to a place more calculated to teach them the art of pilfering to perfection, than to the theatre, when pantomimes are performed. To
say that the persons who write and introduce these pieces are in want of sense, may not be true; but I must charge them with a want of
sufficient thought, right feeling and principle, in not calculating on their baneful effects on the rising generation, for whose amusement it
appears they are chiefly produced. Many unfortunate persons, who have heard sentence of death passed upon them, or who are now suffering
under the law, in various ways, have had to lament that the first seeds of vice were sown in their minds while viewing the pilfering tricks of clowns
in pantomimes. Alas! too little do we calculate on the direful effects of this species of amusement on the future character of the young. We first
permit their minds to be poisoned, by offering them the draught, and then punish them by law for taking it. Does not the wide world afford a
variety of materials sufficient for virtuous imitation, without descending to that which is vicious? It is much easier to make a pail of pure water
foul, than it is to make a pail of foul water pure. It must not be supposed that I wish to sweep off every kind of amusement from the juvenile part
of society, but I do wish to sweep off all that has a pernicious tendency. The limits which I have prescribed to myself will not allow me to enter
more at large into this subject; otherwise I could produce a number of facts which would prove, most unquestionably, the propriety of
discontinuing these exhibitions.

A conversation which I once heard between some boys who were playing at what is called pitch-in-the-hole, will prove the truth of my
assertions. "Bill," said one of the boys to the other, "when did you go to the play last?" "On Monday night," was the reply. "Did you see the new
pantomime?"—"Yes." "Well, did you see any fun?"—"Yes, I believe I did too. I saw the clown bone a whole hank of sausages, and put them into his
pocket, and then pour the gravy in after them. You would have split your sides with laughing, had you been there. A.B. and C.D. were with me,
and they laughed as much as I did. And what do you think A.B. did the next night?"—"How should I know."—"Why," replied the other, "he and
C.D. boned about two pounds of sausages from a pork shop, and we had them for supper." This conversation I heard from a window, which
looked into a ruinous place where boys assembled to toss up for money, and other games. This fact alone, without recording any more, is
sufficient to show the evil of which I have been speaking. And I do most sincerely hope that those persons who have any influence over the
stage, will use their utmost endeavours, speedily, to expunge every thing thus calculated to promote evil inclinations in the minds of children,
and vicious habits in the lives of men.

It is not impossible that scenic exhibitions might be made a most powerful means of instruction to the young, and tend to promote virtue and
happiness, as well as be a means of rational amusement, but as they now exist, their extirpation is desirable.

As I have had much experience from being brought up in London, I am perfectly aware of the evil impressions and dangerous temptations that
the children of the poor are liable to fall into; and therefore most solemnly affirm that nothing in my view would give so much happiness to the
community at large, as the taking care of the affections of the infant children of the poor.

There is, moreover, a practice very prevalent among the poor, which does greater mischief than the people are generally aware of, and that is,
sending their children to the pawnbrokers. It is well known that many persons send children, scarcely seven years of age, to these people, with
pledges of various sorts, a thing that cannot be too severely condemned. I know an instance of a little boy finding a shawl in the street; and
being in the habit of going to the pawnbroker's for his mother, instead of taking the shawl home to his parents, he actually pawned it and spent
all the money, which might never have been known by his parents, had not the mother found the duplicate in his pocket. It is evident, then, that
many parents have no one but themselves to blame for the misconduct of their children; for had this child not been accustomed to go to such a
place for his parents, he would never have thought of going there for himself; and the shawl most likely would have been carried home to them.
Indeed, there is no knowing where such a system will end, for if the children are suffered to go to such places, they may in time pledge that
which does not belong to them; and so easy is the way of turning any article into money, that we find most young thieves, of both sexes, when
apprehended, have some duplicates about them. Those persons, therefore, who take pledges of children (contrary to the act of parliament,
whether they know it or not,) ought to be severely reprimanded; for I am persuaded, that such conduct is productive of very great mischief
indeed.

Taking children to fairs, is another thing which is also productive of much harm. At the commencement of the first school, seventy or eighty
children were frequently absent whenever there was a fair near London; but the parents were afterwards cured of this, and we seldom had
above twenty absentees at fair-time. Several of the children have told me that their parents wished to take them, but they requested to be
permitted to come to school instead. Indeed the parents, finding that they can enjoy themselves better without their children, are very willing to
leave them at school.

It is a difficult matter to persuade grown persons of the impropriety of attending fairs, who have been accustomed to it when children; but
children are easily persuaded from it; for if they are properly entertained at school, they will not have the least desire to go to such places.

I cannot quit this subject without relating one or two more very bad habits to which children are addicted, and which are, perhaps, fit subjects
for the consideration of the Mendicity Society. As it is the object of that society to clear the streets of beggars, it would be well if they would put
a stop to those juvenile beggars, many of whom are children of respectable parents, who assemble together to build what they call a GROTTO;
to the great annoyance of all passengers in the street. However desirous persons may be of encouraging ingenuity in children, I think it is doing
them much harm to give them money when they ask for it in this way. Indeed it would appear, that some of the children have learned the art of
begging so well, that they are able to vie with the most experienced mendicants. Ladies in particular are very much annoyed by children getting
before them and asking for money; nor will they take the answer given them, but put their hats up to the ladies' faces, saying, "Please, ma'am,
remember the grotto;" and when told by the parties that they have no money to give, they will still continue to follow, and be as importunate as
any common beggar. However innocent and trifling this may appear to some, I am inclined to believe that such practices tend to evil, for they
teach children to be mean, and may cause some of them to choose begging rather than work. I think that the best way to stop this species of
begging is, never to give them any thing. A fact which came under my own observation will shew that the practice may be productive of
mischief. A foreign gentleman walking up Old Street Road, was surrounded by three or four boys, saying, "Please, sir, remember the grotto."—"Go
away," was the reply, "I will give you none." To this followed, "Do, pray sir, remember the grotto." "No, I tell you, I will give you nothing." "Do, sir, only
once a-year." At length, I believe, he put something into one of their hats, and thus got rid of them; but he had scarcely gone 200 yards, before he
came to another grotto, and out sallied three more boys, with the same importunate request: he replied, "I will give you nothing; plague have you
and your grotto." The boys however persevered, till the gentleman, having lost all patience, gave one of them a gentle tap to get out of the way,
but the boy being on the side of the foot-path fell into the mud, which had been scraped off the road, and in this pickle followed the gentleman,
bellowing out, "That man knocked me down in the mud, and I had done nothing to him." In consequence, a number of persons soon collected,
who insulted the gentleman very much, and he would certainly have been roughly handled, had he not given the boy something as a
recompence. He then called a coach, declaring he could not walk the streets of London in safety.

Those who know what mischief has arisen from very trifling causes, will, of course, perceive the necessity of checking this growing evil; for this
man went away with very unfavourable impressions concerning our country, and would, no doubt, prejudice many against us, and make them
suppose we are worse than we are.