66 "half a pound of rice, two quarts of skim-milk, and "two ounces of brown sugar." "Well," said the Doctor," and how many will this dine ?"-" Seven "or eight, sir.” Very well, and what will it cost?""Why, sir, it did not cost you so much, "because we baked it at home, and I used our own "milk; but it will not cost above seven-pence to "those who pay for both. Here, too, bread is sav❝ed." 66 Pray, Sarah, let me put in a word," said farmer White: "I advise my men to raise each a large "bed of parsnips. They are very nourishing, and 66 very profitable. Sixpenny worth of seed, well "sowed, and trod in, will produce more meals than "four sacks of potatoes; and what is material to you "who have so little ground, it will not require more " than an eighth part of the ground which the four "sacks will take. Providence having contrived by "the very formation of this root that it shall occupy "but a very small space. Parsnips are very good the "second day warmed in the frying pan, and a little "rasher of pork, or bacon, will give them a nice "flavour." Dr. Shepherd now said, " as a proof of the nourishing quality of parsnips, I was reading in a his"tory book this very day, that the American Indi ans make a great part of their bread of parsnips, though Indian corn is so famous; it will make a little variety too." A Cheap Stew. "I remember," said Mrs. White, "a cheap dish, "so nice that it makes my mouth water. I peel some raw potatoes, slice them thin, put the slices into a deep frying-pan, or pot, with a little water, an ❝onion, and a bit of pepper. Then I get a bone or ❝two of a breast of mutton, or a little strip of salt "pork, and put into it. Cover it down close, keep "in the steam, and let it stew for an hour." "You really get me an appetite, Mrs. White, by your dainty receipts," said the Doctor. "I am "resolved to have this dish at my own table. I could "tell you another very good dish, and still cheap"er," answered she. "Come, let us have it," cried the Doctor. "I shall write all down as soon as I get home, and I will favour any body with a copy of "these receipts who will call at my house."-" And "I will do more, sir," said Mrs. White, "for I will put any of these women in the way how to dress "it the first time, if they are at a loss. But this is "my dish: 66 "Take two or three pickled herrings, put them "into a stone jar, fill it up with potatoes, and a lit "tle water, and let it bake in the oven till it is done. "I would give one hint more," added she; "I have "taken to use nothing but potatoe starch; and "though I say it, that should not say it, nobody's "linen in a common way looks better than ours.” "The Doctor now said, "I am sorry for one "hardship which many poor people labour under, I "mean the difficulty of getting a little milk. I wish "all farmers' wives were as considerate as you are, "Mrs. White. A little milk is a great comfort to "the poor, especially when their children are sick; " and I have known it answer to the seller as well as "to the buyer, to keep a cow or two on purpose to "sell it out by the quart, instead of making butter "and cheese." Sir," said farmer White, "I beg leave to say "a word to the men, if you please, for all your ad"vice goes to the women. If you will drink less gin you may get more meat. If you abstain from the "ale-house "ale-house, you may, many of you, get a little one-way beer at home." "Aye, that we can far"mer," said poor Tom the thatcher, who was now got well. "Easter Monday for that-I say no more. "A word to the wise." The farmer smiled, and went on "The number of public-houses in many a "parish brings on more hunger and rags than all the "taxes in it, heavy as they are. All the other evils put together hardly make up the sum of that one. “We are now raising a fresh subscription for you. "This will be our rule of giving. We will not give "to sots, gamblers, and sabbath-breakers. Those "who do not set their young children to work on “week-days, and send them to school and church on Sundays, deserve little favour. No man should "keep a dog till he has more food than his family If he feeds them at home, they rob his "children; if he starves them, they rob his neigh"bours. We have heard in a neighbouring city, "that some people carried back the subscription "loaves, because they were too coarse; but we hope "better things of you." Here Betty Plane begged, with all humility, to put in a word. "Certainly," said the Doctor, << we will listen to all modest complaints, and try to redress them."-"You are ❝ wants. 66 66 66 pleased to say, sir," said she, "that we might "find much comfort from buying coarse bits of beef. "And so we might, but you do not know, sir, that we could seldom get them, even when we had "the money, and times were so bad."-" How so, "Betty?"" Sir, when we go to butcher Jobbins, "for a bit of shin, or any other lean piece, his an66 swer is, You can't have it to-day. The cook at "the great house has bespoke it for gravy, or the "Doctor's maid (begging your pardon, sir,) has just "ordered it for soup. Now, sir, if such kind gen tlefolks were aware that this gravy and soup nót "only consume a great deal of meat, which, to be 66 sure, those have a right to do who can pay for it; "but that it takes away those coarse pieces which "the poor would buy, if they bought at all. For, "indeed, the rich have been very kind, and I don't "know what we should have done without them." "แ "I thank you for the hint Betty," said the Doc. tor, " and I assure you I will have no more gravy "soup. My garden will supply me with soups that are both wholesomer and better; and I will answer for my lady at the great house, that she "will do the same. I hope this will become a ge"neral rule, and then we shall expect that butchers "will favour you in the prices of the coarse pieces, "if we who are rich buy nothing but the prime. In our gifts we shall prefer, as the farmer has told 66 you, those who keep steadily to their work. Such as come to the vestry for a loaf, and do not 66 46 come to church for the sermon, we shall mark; "and prefer those who come constantly whether "there are any gifts or not. But there is one rule "from which we never will depart. Those who "have been seen aiding, or abetting any riot, any "attack on butchers, bakers, wheat-mows, mills, "or millers, we will not relieve; but with the quiet, contented, hard-working man, I will share 66 my last morsel of bread. I shall only add, though "it has pleased God to send us this visitation as a punishment, yet we may convert this short trial "into a lasting blessing, if we all turn over a new "leaf. Prosperity had made most of us careless. "The thoughtless profusion of some of the rich "could only be exceeded by the idleness and bad management of some of the poor. Let us now "at last adopt that good old maxim, every one mend 66 one. And may God add his blessing!" The |