A Thanksgiving.

149

he should offer up continual praise unto thee. The innumerable hosts of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, cherubim and seraphim, thine everlasting armies, do adore thee. Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory to be to thee, O Lord, our great Creator and Governor, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

(Sent by a Correspondent.)

NOURISHING FOOD.

(From a Correspondent.)

"TWENTY shillings will buy potatoes, bread, and bacon for one hundred and twenty poor people, each person having two pounds of boiled potatoes, two ounces of bacon, and four ounces of bread. Money laid out in potatoes will feed the greatest number of people. Next to potatoes, bread will be found to be the cheapest nourishment; and of the meat kind, there is no doubt but bacon will be found the most profitable for economy.

"Thus, if a charitable person wished to give a meal to eight people, he would have only to provide sixteen pounds of potatoes, one pound of bacon, and two pounds of bread, the whole cost of which would not exceed one shilling, and being cooked in his own kitchen, the fire and trouble would be trifling."

Reflections on gifts to the Poor.

We insert the above, just as we received it, without entering into the calculations of the prices, which seem, however, to have been here made without sufficient consideration. We are glad to have an opportunity of introducing any thing that may be good for the poor :-and those who are desirous of

helping them are always glad to know the best means of doing so. Still we must continue our exhortations to the poor, not to trust at all to occasional gifts,- or to a supply of food from others. Every man, whether poor or not, if he would wish to be at all comfortable, must contrive for himself-he must consider what his income is, and he must measure it out accordingly-he must be industrious, and sober, and considerate; if any gifts come, it is well, but these must not be calculated upon: they may supply the wants of a day, or they may be a great help in time of need; and every man who is able should try to help those that are in want. But, if all the property in this kingdom were given to the poor, it would not give them a quarter as much apiece as an industrious man can now earn: it is, in fact, industry that makes the money and a man who sits down and looks for gifts, is the same as a man who sits down, and resolves to starve. People make great mistakes about property. The whole property of this country, of itself, would afford nothing like an income to all the people, if it were divided amongst them-all would starve. The labour of the country, and the arts and manufactures of the country make the money; and this passes over and over again to the people and through the people, and the poor get a great deal more of it than the rich do; but there are so many more of them that it comes to less for each man; and this has always been so, and always will, notwithstanding what any man may say to the contrary. An industrious, sober, prudent man generally contrives to live in comfort according to his station; and, if he has any particular talents to raise himself above the station in which he was born, there is no country upon earth where he has more opportunities of doing this than in England. Half the great fortunes in this kingdom were first made by the industry and the talents of men in humble life: and the laws of this country protect for the son what his

Hint for the circulation of Religious Tracts. 151

father has gained; and that man must be either very ignorant or very wicked, who would try to disturb this wise and just arrangement. But few comparatively can be rich. Contentment, however, and industry and thankfulness, and the fear of God, are better than riches. V.

SIR,

TRACTS.

(COPY OF A LETTER FROM THE BRISTOL MIRROR.)

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

Ir may be useful to some of your readers to know,

may

that a Special Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, has been formed to take immediate steps for endeavouring to counteract the infidel and atheistical principles now so industriously dispersed by the adversaries of the Bible,-by reprinting and preparing for distribution, large editions of books and tracts prepared in former years, and procuring new tracts more especially adapted to existing circumstances. The tracts are remarkably cheap, and I conclude be had or procured on application to any of the district depots of the Society; the great depot being at Mr. Cock's, bookseller, in Fleet-street. As the active circulation of these salutary publications is deserving of general consideration, it has occurred to me that one unobjectionable method of giving effect to the desired object, would be a liberal distribution of some of the Tracts, judiciously selected, at the National Schools. All parents must feel an interest in upholding the truths taught at those establishments; and in what more pleasing and impressive way could they receive a word in due season," than through the hands of their own children, under the immediate sanction of the managing Committees, to whom they are so much indebted for the daily instruction imparted to their families; the course is quite simple and easy, and ensures a wide circulation through channels likely to prove extensively useful in furthering the object in view.

66

Bristol, February 9, 1831.

A CHURCHMAN.

The tracts should be chosen according to the circumstances of the place. A plain tract, shewing the excellence of Christ's religion, and the blessings connected with it, is generally a better guard against infidelity, than one which contains arguments in answer to the unbeliever's foolish objections. We are glad to find that Mrs. Hannah More's beautiful tract, the "Shepherd of Salisbury Plain," is on the list of the

Vegetable Bitters.

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Christian Knowledge Society, as well as many others of the same description. Too much praise cannot be given to the "Religious Tract Society," for its exertions in opposition to the infidels of the present day, by distributing large numbers of the tracts, at the doors of that den of wickedness, the Rotunda.

V.

VEGETABLE BITTERS.

Ir was once jocosely asked "why men should choose to be ill, when there was sage growing in the garden.” Men, however, will be ill, although there be sage in the garden; but yet it certainly is true, that our gardens and fields do contain many herbs which would be of excellent use as preservatives of health. When the stomach is weak and the digestion bad, vegetable bitters, taken regularly, will be likely to prove of great service in giving strength and tone to the stomach. The advantage of camomile is well known, as well as of the root of rhubarb, and many others: among the rest, sage tea has often been recommended, or the leaves laid between two pieces of bread and butter, and eaten at breakfast or at tea-time. This gives warmth and tone to the stomach. The habit of drinking brandy and gin must be left off, or the sage will do no good; in some cases, indeed, a very small quantity of brandy with a little water may be of use as a medicine, when there is nothing like fever. Ginger is an excellent thing. A little ginger put into the tea, and taken twice a day, is as warm as spirits, and has often been known, by perseverance, to have restored a weak stomach to strength,-all spirits being laid aside. In cold weather, a cup of hot water with ginger in it, is an excellent and wholesome cordial.

ས.