Receipt for Mothers.—

A sensible woman, of the doctor's acquaintance (the mother of a young family) entered so far into his views upon the subject, that she taught her children from their earliest childhood to consider ill-humour as a disorder which was to be cured by physic. Accordingly, she had always small doses ready, and the little patients, whenever it was thought needful, took rhubarb for the crossness. No punishment was required. Peevishness or ill-temper and rhubarb were associated in their minds always as cause and effect.

—Southey's Literary Pastimes.

Luck.—

Rev. H. W. Beecher says, in one of his lectures: “I may here, as well as anywhere, impart the secret of good and bad luck. There are men, who, supposing Providence to have an im-placable spirit against them, bemoan in the poverty of a wretched old age, the misfortune of their lives. Luck for ever ran against them, and for others. One, with a good profession, lost his luck in the river, where he idled away his time a-fishing, when he should have been in his office. Another, with a good trade, perpetually burnt up his luck by his hot temper, which provoked his employers to leave him. Another, with a lucrative business, lost his luck by amazing diligence at everything but his business. Another, who steadily followed his trade, as steadily followed his page 310 bottle. Another, who was honest and constant at his work erred by perpetual misjudgment—he lacked discretion.—Hundreds lose their luck by endorsing; by sanguine speculations; by trusting fraudulent men; and by dishonest gains. A man never has good luck who has a bad wife. I never knew an early rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest, who complained of bad luck. A good character, good habits, and iron industry, are impregnable to the assaults of all the ill-luck that fools ever dreamed of. But when I see a tatterdemalion, creeping out of a grog-shop late in the afternoon, with his hands stuck in his pockets, the rim of his hat turned up, and the crown knocked in, I know he has had bad luck—for the worst of all luck is to be a sluggard, a knave, or a tippler.”

Dr. Forbes and Total Abstinence.—

Let us say, however, in limine, that whilst taking upon ourselves the advocacy of these doctrines, we by no means wish to identify ourselves with all that has been written and uttered by the disciples of the total abstinence system, * * * . We think it right fearlessly to state, that we cannot with them affirm, that we consider alcohol in all its forms to be nothing else than a poison. We cannot conscientiously go the length of denying that under any circumstances, whether of health or disease, the administration of alcohol can be justified. We believe that if the whole world could be really temperate in the use of fermented liquors, there would be no need of abstinence societies. But we advocate their principles, because sad experience has shown that a large proportion of mankind cannot be temperate in the use of fermented liquors, and that nothing short of total abstinence can prevent the continuance, in the rising generation, of the terrible evils which we have at present to deplore; because experience has further shown that the reformation of those who are habitually intemperate cannot be accomplished by any means short of entire abstinence from fermented liquors; and because experience has also proved that this reformation cannot be carried to its requisite extent without the moral influence of the educated classes. Such influence can only be afforded by example. There is no case in which its superiority over mere precept is more decided and obvious than in this—‘I practise total abstinence myself,’ is worth a thousand exhortations; and the miserable failure of all the advocates who cannot employ this argument should lead all those whose position calls upon them to exert their influence (and who are they who do not possess some means of thus doing good!) to a serious consideration of the claims which their duty to society should set up in opposition to their individual feelings of taste or comfort.

—British and Foreign Medical Review.

The Ettrick Shepherd.—

He said one day, coming in from the field, ‘I have received ill news.’ As the Ettrick Shepherd was no bearer of evil tidings, some anxiety was manifested by his partner in life and others present. ‘It is not much after all,’ he continued, ‘but only that stupid bank is broken, and I have a good many of the notes; but neither would I regret this, were it not that I the other day paid these poor fellows, who have been labour-page 311ing hard, late and soon all the summer to me, with the notes, and they are not worth a farthing to them. There is nought for it but just to send for them and pay them with other money.’ One said he thought the law would not oblige him to do so. ‘I never heed the law of the land,’ said the shepherd, ‘in such cases. We have two laws for-bye this, and that a good deal nearer hand home, as well as that they are a very great deal cheaper—we have the law of God and the law of humanity, and I cannot rest satisfied till this matter be righted.’ The matter was righted accordingly, the Shepherd saying, that it was better for him than for them to take chance of the unsubstantial money, for he got his far more easily than they got theirs.

—Hogg's Weekly Instructor.