WORKING MEN'S HINDRANCES. drink in proportion to their population. One of these has 800 public houses and beer shops, and a population of less than 70,000- -one of such houses to twenty families! Now is it reasonable to expect that we shall become a well-fed, wellclothed, and well-educated people, whilst we furnish such astounding facts as these? But we must remember that the money paid for drink itself is not all the cost of drinking habits. There is the time consumed in drinking. Many thus waste a whole day in a week, and then call it Saint Monday! 52 days in the year! Two months' wages absolutely lost! A practice just as sensible as it would be for an employer of labour to burn or destroy in some other way a sixth part of his yearly production. Nay, the comparison is, in one sense, unequal, for that employer might be able to spare such a proportion for the gratification of his folly, without abridging his domestic comforts; but let the families and homes of the Saint Mondayites prove whether they can continue their practice, and lay claim to the possession of ordinary humanity and intelligence. It is certain that whatever may be the advantages high wages are capable of placing within the reach of working-men, none will ever find their way to such houses as these. Domestic comfort does not depend so much upon the amount of money earned, as it does upon the manner in which whatever may be earned is spent. A large employer of labour was surprised to find that many of his indifferent workmen were better off with their 18s. per week, than several of his best hands who could earn 30s. One reason was, that many of these hands, as soon as they had earned a few shillings, went to squander them in drink, and thus wasted time and money together; whilst the others, in order to secure their smaller amount, were compelled to labour throughout the week, and thus were preserved from temptation; another was, that in one class were to be found men who aimed at promoting the comfort of their families, whilst in the other many could be pointed out who cared for nothing but their own gratification, and seemed to work only that they might drink. It is rather remarkable that some of these barterers of domestic happiness for the beer-barrel are very eloquent, in their way, upon the necessity of what they call " progress!" Now it is certain that if there are any amongst us who are doing their best to keep us just where we are, these pot-house WORKING MEN'S HINDRANCES. "reformers" are the men. Our measure has been too often taken from the standard of these gentry, who having made up by noise what they have lacked in brains, have unfortunately attracted sufficient attention to be regarded as the representatives of those who alike abhor their practices and repudiate their pretensions. It is certain that if we desire to raise ourselves in the social scale, this vice of intemperance must be eradicated from us-— at all events it must cease to be as general as it now is amongst our class. We cannot advance many steps up the ladder of progress, if we are to drag a parcel of sots with us. No more of us must become like them, and they must be made sensible of their folly. We must next notice, as prejudicial to our progress, A Disregard of the High and Holy Principles of the Christian Religion. That there really should be a lurking antagonism to the Bible, on the part of any working-man, is surprising. If ever any book had a right to command our sympathies on the score of its advocacy of justice-its denunciation of those who use their wealth not to bless but to oppress-its direct sympathy with the cause of "the poor and the needy "-that book is the often-abused, but ever-triumphant Bible! One great blunder of our class has been its confounding the grand and holy teachings of Christianity, with the practices of some of its professors. It is high time to lay aside this weakness, for no lesson do the sayings and doings of men teach more plainly than this-judge principles by their real excellence, not by the doings of those who profess them. It is easy to put aside Christianity on account of the inconsistency of its professors; but let it not be forgotten that those who thus excuse themselves, do, in their way, honour the religion, the claims of which they strive to evade, for they assert its purity in giving their opinion of what its professors ought to be. There is one institution connected with that religion, which establishes its claim to the especial regard of working menthe appointment of one day in seven as a time of rest from labour. Now it is certain that but for Christianity, the obligation of such rest would never have been recognised. It is right, therefore, to ask, If there had been no sabbaths, where WORKING MENS BINDRANCES THI would have been our sabbath schools? and, If there had been no sabbath schools, where would have been many a workingman, who to their instrumentality is entirely indebted for an education which has materially advanced Kis position in life? Whilst there are some who denounce the sabbath as a rem nant of puritanical cant, and as a check upon the nation's indus try and the growth of its wealth; others, well knowing that the divine command to rest harmonizes with the human want of rest, would divest the day of all which would imply gratitude to its Giver, and have it regarded as a good opportunity for men to seek their own pleasure and gratification. Now it is high time for working-men to look seriously at this matter, for, disguise it as some people may, the direct tendency of all this indifference to the origin of the sabbath is to deprive us of fifty-two days in the year, and to present them as an offering to mammon. There is not a man of us who would not wish his children to possess the same and even greater advantages than himself; why then tolerate the smallest chance of their having to devote every day of the week to how to get a living! Let us firmly resolve to hand down to theth, inviolate and in tact, the right to a day of rest. But we are mainly regarding the religion of the Bible as a means of temporal benefit to our class. Let us Look at its still higher claim upon our attention as creatures gifted with immortality. It comes to us, asserting our need of God's mercy as breakers of His laws, and at the same time places that the mercy within our reach. It reveals to us God's love in sending his Son into the world to die for its redemption; and whilst it urges us to consider the shortness of time, it invites us to a happy eternity. Now, it is quite certain that whilst to every class these are glad tidings," they deserve an especial welcome from us. It is for us to rejoice that the very lowest upon earth may receive a welcome admission into heaven-that the poorest here may be the richest there-that the trodden down of men may be elevated of God. Let us not forget that on earth the Re deemer especially identified himself with our class; for he choose, as his immediate associates, not the wealthy nor the mighty, but plain working-men. Well might the common people hear him gladly! So ought we to receive his message, however others may disregard it. POETRY.-ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. Poetry. GERMAN WATCHMAN'S SONG. NEIGHBOURS, hark, and hear me tell, | Six days' work the world we see,— One hath struck upon the Bell. CHORUS. Earthly friends from harm can't guard us, God will watch and he will ward us, Neighbours, hark, and hear me tell, To tell us what our Saviour said. bread. Neighbours, hark, and hear me tell, Six our working days should be. Neighbours, hark, and hear me tell, Neighbours, hark, and hear me tell, Neighbours, hark, and hear me tell, Anecdotes and Selections. MARTIN BOOS was a popish priest. This account of his own conversion is very simple. "In 1788 or 1789 I visited a sick person, who was respected for her deep humility and exemplary piety. I said to her, 'You will die very peacefully and happily.' 'Why so?' she asked. 'Because you have led,' I replied, such a pious and holy life.' The good woman smiled at my words, and said, 'If I leave the world relying on my own piety, I am sure I shall be lost. But relying on Jesus my Saviour, I can die in comfort. What a clergyman you are! What an admirable comforter! If I listened to you, what would become of me? How could I stand before ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS. the Divine tribunal, where every one must give an account, even of her idle words? Which of our actions and virtues would not be found wanting if laid in the Divine balances? No; if Christ had not died for me, if he had not made satisfaction for me, I should have been lost for ever, notwithstanding all my good works and pious conduct. He is my hope, my salvation, and my eternal happiness."" This opened the priests eyes, and divine grace changed his heart. BILNEY, THE MARTYR, had been a zealous papist. He almost killed himself by austere and severe penances. At length he met with a copy of the Greek New Testament of Erasmus. He opened it his eyes caught these words: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." He laid down the book and meditated on the astonishing declaration. "What? St. Paul the chief of sinners, and yet St. Paul sure of being saved?" He read the verse again and again. Oh, assertion of St. Paul, how sweet art thou to my soul!" he exclaimed. "I also am like Paul, and more than Paul, the greatest of sinners. But Christ saves sinners. At last I have heard of Christ." There followed a wonderful transformation. An unknown joy pervaded him; his conscience, until then sore with the wounds of sin, was healed; instead of despair, he felt an inward peace, passing all understanding. "Jesus Christ,' 66 66 66 exclaimed he, 'yes, Jesus Christ saves." "I see it all," said Bilney; my vigils, my fasts, my pilgrimages, my purchase of masses and indulgences, were destroying, instead of saving me. All these efforts were, as St. Augustine says, a hasty running out of the right way." ONE YEAR OF LIFE.-Who can estimate so important a portion of human life as a year? How many of your precious days, dear reader, have been wasted? How many years have been irretrievably lost, so far as respects the great duty of human life? Life, at the longest, is but short, and that which was short at the first has only been reduced by your passing-shall I say ?-wasted years? Wasted, they have been worse than wasted-if they have not been devoted to the great object for which they were given, to glorify God on the earth, and to prepare to enjoy Him for ever in heaven. Have ten or fifteen years passed? then so much the less time remains to you. Have thirty? have forty ? Oh, how rapidly is the span reduced! Have we ten-have we twenty-have we forty left? Who can count upon forty? Forty years hence, and most of those who are now moving amid the busy scenes of life, will be awaiting the morning of the resurrection. We stand, as it were, on a little bank of crumbling sand, washed by the waves on every side. Every wave leaves our foothold less secure. Every flying hour, every closing day, every revolving year, leaves the number less. Time, loiter as we may, lingers not. And though we may neglect |