Temperance Society; to him he told his story, and expressed an earnest wish to reform. Mr. heard him with compassion, but told him he could hardly believe him to be sincere, as the last time he saw him he was supporting his drunken body against the cottage-door, shouting to all "sneaking temperance fellows to look how much more of a man he was.' "But," Mr. added, "we will try you. I shall be at the meeting this evening, and you must come and enrol your name." Wilkinson went back to his wife, told her of the first step he had made towards his reformation, entreated of her to stay in the miserable cottage one other week, and if he did not, at the end of that time, bring her some earnings, he would not prevent her doing what might be the best for herself and the children. His wife promised all he wished, too happy to be with her children and husband even in their wretched dwelling. Whilst they were talking, the grandmother came in to fetch the eldest girl: she was rather angry when she heard what the daughter had done, for she did not believe Wilkinson's promises. However, she gave her daughter two shillings which she had with her, and said, "if Wilkinson really kept sober to the end of the week she would bring them a loaf.” On this small pittance they were subsisting when I became acquainted with them. I found Wilkinson could not get work, his drunken character being so well known; and there was little chance of their plight being amended. But, as Wilkinson in this emergency did not return to his former habits, I was encouraged to hope the best; and, by speaking to a friend, I got him an occasional job in breaking stones or clearing rubbish from the high road. He was very industrious; and having by degrees established a character for industry and sobriety, he was hired by a neighbouring farmer, and has now been regularly employed by him for eight months." Here my friend stopped in her interesting story, and I said, “I need not ask more-the sight I have just seen of Wilkinson and his children is a sufficient proof how those eight months have been spent, and I trust a sufficient earnest of how all future months will be spent." FRANCES. A SHORT MEDITATION SUGGESTED BY "THE SONG OF LORD, 'tis enough; my fading eye And felt his advent's saving power. I hail the twilight of that day Which once formed, Midian's seer, thy song 1; And now I fain would speed my way, To chaunt its praise with seraph's tongue. I see that light, behold that star, Not as yon seer in days of old ;— I see him nigh, and not afar, And share the blessings of his fold. Yea, light from shades of death shall spring, But who shall see the latter day, Yet would not I on earth delay To see the spreading star so fair; Then let thy servant, Lord, in peace, CAUTIONS. I HAVE been sometimes asked by my Correspondents why I put so many accounts of dreadful accidents in the extracts from Newspapers at the end of each Number, as well as in other parts of it; or how I could suppose that my readers would be amused with these distressing particulars. The answer is, these articles are not intended for the amusement of our readers. If that were our only object, we could easily find anecdotes enough 1 See Numb. xxiv. 17, and Rev. xxii, 16. for that purpose. But, if any of these distressing accounts should act as cautions and warnings, we think that we shall be the means of far more good than could have been produced by the most lively and entertaining stories which we could lay before them. I once rode over to a town about twelve miles from the village in which I was then living; and, in going to call on a poor person whom I had known for some years, I saw some neighbours standing about the door, conversing gravely to one another, and looking very sorrowful. asked what was the matter. I was told that one of the children, a very fine boy about eight years old, was dying, and that the family was consequently in deep distress. I went in, and found the poor mother, with the boy on her knee; he appeared to me to be at the point of death. I was then informed that the cause of this was, that the poor lad had taken up the tea-pot which had been just filled with boiling water, and that his throat and stomach were so dreadfully scalded, that the doctor had given, from the first, very little hopes of his recovery. We have frequently seen accounts in the newspapers of accidents of this nature. Now, if a caution to parents to guard against this danger should be the means of saving the life or preventing the sufferings of a single child, 'we shall think ourselves far better rewarded for the insertion of such a caution, than if we attempted to entertain our readers with the most amusing articles not calculated to answer any good or useful purpose. We have sometimes seen a Cottager, or his wife, drinking out of the spout of a tea-pot; it might be cold tea or cold water:-a child sees this, and imitates what he has seen; and, not being able to see its danger, loses its life by swallowing hot water. An account of an awful death of a drunkard may have been the means of checking a beginner, and stopping him in his way to destruction. An accident happening to a Sabbath-breaker, may have been a warning to many others; and may have led them to see the danger of being engaged in any occupation in which they would be afraid to be called to judgment. 1836.] CAUTIONS. 265 Or if any person has, through ignorance, offended against the law of the land, a hint on that subject may prevent difficulties. With this preface, we give the following cautions, extracted from different newspapers. About six weeks ago a substantial farmer, residing near Chard, Somersetshire, had been transacting business in the neighbouring market town, and re-mounted his horse in a dreadful state of intoxication, when a friend remonstrated with him for venturing to ride in such a state. He replied that" he could ride to hell in a quarter of an hour." Awful to relate, he was found dead on the road, having fallen from his horse at a spot just a quarter of an hour's ride from the town!!-Morning Herald. Intemperance in Sweden.-A German paper states that only forty years ago Sweden consumed but five million bottles of brandy, and that now twenty-two millions are scarcely sufficient for annual consumption. Statistical calculations prove that three-fourths of the crimes committed are to be attributed to intemperance. The population is diminishing. Death from Intemperance and Exposure.-Lately a man died in the workhouse of Shoreditch parish, from the effect, as it appeared, of exposure to the inclemency of the weather, in a state of intoxication. He had been several years receiving occasional relief from Shoreditch parish, but was known as an habitual drunkard. He has been numerous times taken to the Worship-street police-office on charges of drunkenness, and was lately taken before Mr. Broughton, the magistrate, by some of the police, who had found him "drunk and incapable of taking care of himself." Being then told that he must pay a fine of 5s. he pleaded his inability to do so, and after some detention was discharged. The next day, however, he was found by some of the police lying on the ground in Spitalfields. It was stated that he then appeared to be intoxicated. In the course of the day he was removed from the station-house to the policeoffice, but the excitement of the drink had passed away, and left him in a state of paralysis. Mr. Broughton thought from his appearance that he was dying; and, having caused him to be carried into a warm room, saw some wine and water administered to him. The unfortunate man was removed to Shoreditch workhouse, and it was afterwards reported to the magistrate, that he there received such medical and other attention as his situation would admit of, but he died at four o'clock in the morning. On Sunday afternoon, at a beer-house at Stock-cross, in the parish of Speen, Berks, a labourer undertook to swallow four pints of strong beer at four draughts in four minutes. He accomplished his undertaking as to three pints, but failed in drinking the whole of the fourth; the consequence was, he became immediately intoxicated, and was found dead soon afterwards in a barn, whither he had been removed.-Salisbury Herald. On Sunday afternoon, a man who had for some time been working on the Birmingham rail-road at Kensalgreen, while drinking with some of his companions at a public-house in that village, for a wager, drank off half-a-pint of rum at a draught. After sitting for a few minutes, he suddenly fell off his seat in a state of insensibility, and expired in less than half an hour afterwards. An inquest was lately held on board the Bartwood, a collier, in St. Hillier's Harbour, Jersey, on the body of a sailor, who was found dead that morning in his berth on board that vessel. The deceased was proved to be an habitual drunkard; even when found he still held a bottle with brandy, nearly empty, in his hand, from which no doubt the quantity drunk had caused his death. Transportation.-It ought to be universally known, that transportation, which was formerly a light punishment, is now a very dreadful one. The convicts are divided into three classes :-" the first are sent to condemned settlements, where they are imprisoned for life. The second class are compelled to work eight years in chains on the high road. The others are distributed in various parts of the settlement, and are kept in the condition of slaves, but without the imposition of chains." |