The Cottager's monthly visitor

'I'll tell you what, Sir, I don't know how it is, but I have a great desire to be a Freeholder.'

"I wondered how such a thing as this could come into his head; but he went on-'Yes, I shall never be easy till I am a Freeholder.' Well, some years after that, we met in the street one day, and had some conversation together; he said, 'I am sure, Sir, you will be glad to hear that I have been able to purchase seven acres of land.' I was indeed glad to hear that this industrious man had been so successful; and I saw that he had been acting up to his resolution, and that he was now indeed "A Freeholder.' He had brought this about by industry and good management; he was steady, and thoughtful, and sober; he never spent a sixpence in an alehouse, and he could save three quarters of his earnings, till he had got enough together to buy this estate. It is true, that it was bad land, but by his good cultivation, I dare say it would now sell for twice as much as he gave for it. He has now got a situation, in which he earns enough to live upon, and has his land besides; and he has brought up a family well, and they are now maintaining themselves, most of them being out at service."

Thus we see how a man may better his condition in the world, if he will be industrious, and considerate, and sober. For my part, I would not give a pin to be a "Freeholder," and I am always glad to think that I have neither a vote for county nor for town. I don't like the plague of it, and the quarrels; I would rather be left to myself. But all people are not of the same mind; and I think I have shown the best way for a man to become a Freeholder, if he has a fancy for it. At any rate, we see here the way by which a man may mend his condition in this world, whilst others are talking about different methods which would only make bad worse. If a man is earnestly desirous of bettering his condition in the world, he might as well try the best way; and he may be sure that he will have reason to be thankful for having kept out of all the bad company, and the drunkenness, and the swearing, and the dishonesty, and all the poverty and misery which belong to those who choose the course of idleness and extravagance. Think of the misery in

the family of a drunkard! Look at the comfort in the house of a sober, pious, and industrious man. You will find examples of both, if you look around look around you. Think which ye should imitate.

THE CONTRAST.

V..

It has been well said, "Learn wisdom from the misfortunes of others; and from the consideration of their sins, correct your own." We are all too slow in applying the case of others to ourselves, nay, we are often guilty of applying to our neighbour those reproofs and admonitions which, if brought home by prayer and the aid of the Spirit to our own hearts, might be of inestimable value to our souls. Let not this be your case, reader!

The two following facts we know to be true, and hope their publication may be useful:

In a village of Surrey lived a baker, in prosperous circumstances, and of industrious and respectable character. His family consisted of a daughter, who kept house for him after his wife's death, and two sons, who as they grew up became his partners in the business. The younger of these was diligent, attentive to his customers, and active in his calling. Not so the elder, he married and had three or four children; yet, notwithstanding this additional motive to industry and steadiness, his character was infamous. He was a notorious drunkard, and in the indulgence of this his besetting sin, he squandered the money earned by his father's and brother's honest exertions. His father's life, embittered by his conduct, became a burden to him, and it is to be feared he sought not support where, in domestic calamity, it can alone be found; in a moment of despair he attempted self-destruction, but failed, and survived to see yet greater misery. His unhappy son went on from step to step in wickedness," not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God;" and without this knowledge, warnings will not check, mercies will be in vain to touch the heart of man. One morning the father missed a considerable sum of money, and went in search of his son to tax him with the fraud. He found him in the alehouse, and when he

quitted it he was in a state of perfect intoxication. Thus he was met by a gentleman of the village, who, from the kindest motives, repeated the reproofs he had just heard from his father. But these reproofs produced not the intended effect; stung with remorse, and urged by the depression of spirits consequent on intoxication, the wretched man hurried on to that dreadful deed from which there is no repentance; he was found, soon after, drowned in the river near the village! May all those sinners who read this tale, take warning by its awful conclusion, and repent, and amend their ways. However long they may continue in a life of sin, its sad end is always the same, unless they be warned to "flee from the wrath to come." The wages of sin is death; the second death is eternal.

Let us now look at a very different example, which occurred about the same time, and shows how different may be the minds and conduct of men in precisely the same station and circumstances.

A baker in a garrison town had been in the habit of supplying the family of a sergeant, a married man with four children. The sergeant had been constantly employed for his abilities, though these were unfortunately counterbalanced by his propensity to drunkenness and extravagance. His wife was a woman of most respectable character-had exerted herself to the utmost to maintain her children, and save her husband from ruin. On her account his offences had more than once been passed over; but the discipline of the regiment at last rendered his dismissal necessary. His pension was now all that remained to him, and he had contracted debts which rendered it for a long period unavailing for the support of his family. The baker, to whom he owed seven pounds, went with him to the office where his pension was paid, received the amount of the debt, and going at once to the sergeant's wife, gave the money into her hands, saying, "I cannot take this from you at such a moment; when times are better with you, you will repay me what part of it you please." Not content with this, he has since daily continued to leave bread with her, without a thought of remuneration, for her husband has absconded,

and she is still, notwithstanding the interest taken in her case by all who have witnessed her uniformly exemplary conduct, in great distress. How many, with far greater power than this good baker, fall short of his benevolence! Yet all have opportunities of kindness if they had only inclination to profit by them. And let all who read this story, remember our Saviour's injunction after relating the parable of the good Samaritan, "Go and do thou likewise."

A CHILD'S PRAYER.

LORD! look upon a little child,
By nature sinful, rude, and wild:
Oh! put thy gracious hands on me,
And make me all I ought to be.

Make me thy child, a child of God,
Washed in my Saviour's precious blood?
And my whole soul from sin set free,
A little vessel full of thee.

A star of early dawn and bright,
Shining with thy heavenly light;
A beam of grace to all around,-
A little spot of hallowed ground.

Oh! Jesus, take me to thy breast;
And bless me, that I may be blest:
Both when I wake, and when I sleep,
Thy little lamb in safety keep.

ROADE MEDICAL CLUB RULES.

Sent by S. A.

Object. To enable the labouring classes to insure to themselves medical and surgical attendance, and medicines, during sickness.

Constitution. The Society to consist of honorary and independent members.

Honorary Members.-Treasurer.-Management. An annual subscription of two shillings and sixpence shall constitute an honorary member. The honorary members shall elect out of their number a treasurer, who shall receive all monies for the club, and shall pay the medical officer or officers. The honorary members shall meet the treasurer and stewards once in the year, when the accounts shall be audited, and the stewards and treasurer

be re-elected or others chosen, when such measures as shall seem beneficial to the interests of the Institution shall be proposed, and all matters and disputes be decided upon. The stewards and treasurer, or any two honorary members, may at any other time call a meeting for the settling of any question requiring immediate attention.

Independent Members shall consist of domestic servants, labourers, servants in agriculture or in trades, both male and female, and their children-all persons who subsist by daily labour alone.

Exceptions. No person can be admitted who earns more than nineteen shillings as a day labourer, or ten pounds per year as a domestic servant. No person can be admitted while himself or any of his family is ill.

Stewards. From the independent members one or more persons shall be appointed to act as stewards, the number to depend on circumstances.

Duties. The stewards shall receive the monthly contributions of the members, making at the time an entry in a book kept on purpose, and then to pay the monies so received to the treasurer. The stewards shall have a number of tickets in their possession, one of which shall be given to any person requiring medical attendance. Each member may choose any medical man who will agree to attend them on the following terms:

Class.

1. Every individual without a child 0
2. A widow with one child
3. A widower with one child
And for every additional child)

of widow or widower

4. A man and his wife