for he exposes his good name, which is rather to be chosen than great riches, to their cruel and malicious tongues.

I suppose almost all men have, at one time or other, been traduced in some way or another. Some one says, "To suffer scandal is the tax which every person of merit pays to society." If this be the case, let no one feel too keenly the evil speeches of others, for although a scandal-monger can never be a person of merit, the object of his scandal may be. It will be found, as a rule, that those who attack most virulently the character of their neighbour, are those who have no good character of their own to maintain.

In conclusion, let me beg of all my readers to think very seriously before saying of another anything that may injure his reputation. If you are sure that your brother has done wrong,, you have a rule for action laid down in the Bible: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." If this injunction were carried out among all who profess to be Christians, the name of "tale-bearer" would be a thing of the past, and "scandal-monger" would soon be an obsolete term.

Evil habits are easily contracted, and none more easily than this of evil speaking; but oh, as you love your peace of mind, as you love your reputation, as you love anything that is pure or holy, or of good report, let me beseech you to guard against it. It is gall and bitterness to those against whom it is used, and poison and death to those who practise it; for God's Word says that, "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish."

"The world with calumny abounds,
The whitest virtue slander wounds;
There are whose joy is night and day
To talk a character away;

Eager from rout to rout they haste,
To blast the generous and the chaste,
And hunting reputations down,

Proclaim their triumphs through the town."

R

Lost, Six Cottages.

A FEW WORDS TO WORKING MEN.

ATHER unlikely things to be lost," says the reader; "I can understand a child, a ship, or an animal being lost; but that six cottages all in a row should be lost is hardly credible."

So said the neighbours who lived near the cottages. So said the tenants, when it was rumoured that they were not to pay any more rent to their late landlord. "I tell yer what," said one woman among a group who had assembled in No. 1 garden to discuss the subject, "I don't believe but what somebody has been and robbed him of them, if they are lost; and if he comes to my cottage for the rent, I'll break his head with my frying-pan."

Loud laughter followed this threat, which ceased when another woman, looking very grave, said, "Well, I don't know exactly what my Jack meant; but he said, 'I heard that the landlord had swallowed his cottages.'"

"Don't know what he meant?" said a stout woman, with her arms folded over her breast; "don't you remember that old Giles swallowed his windmill and five acres of land, and don't our husbands swallow a lot of money that would make us better homes, and help us to clothe the children ?"

"Ah! you are right, Mrs. Crossley," exclaimed several voices, "and well we know it."

"Well, we shall soon know," said another, as the women separated; "somebody is sure to come for the rent."

If the tenants could have looked into their late landlord's house that morning, and have seen his broken-hearted wife in a corner, and the men who were removing the furniture to a van, they would not have doubted the statement that had been made by several persons about the cottages. There are but few men who do not know that every effect has a cause. The loss of six cottages, with pretty gardens in front, was an effect which few men would like to expe

rience, though thousands love that which caused them to be lost to the late owner.

John James was a master carpenter, and resided in a town in the county of Kent.

Through industry and sobriety he was able in ten years to purchase six cottages on the outskirts of the next town ten miles away. Soon after he had received his title-deeds, and a few weeks' rent, a new inn called the "Bells" was opened opposite his own house, and a supper was given by the landlord, to which John was invited, where it was announced that a jovial meeting for artisans would be held every night, and the carpenter promised to attend them. He not only kept his promise at night, but often visited the inn in the daytime when other men were at their work. His love for drink increased every week, and he soon obtained the name of "thirsty John." Each week he did less work, and treated with indifference and neglect those who would have employed him; but he soon found that there were more carpenters than one, and that the rent of the cottages, after the taxes were deducted, would not keep his home and pay his drink account, so, unknown to his wife and neighbours, he mortgaged his property, purchased a few things for his house, paid a few pounds to tradesmen, and then slowly squandered the remainder. He was now to experience what the oldfashioned Book declares, that "the way of transgressors is hard."

He became feeble and unable to work, even had he wished to do so. The fact, too, that he owed large sums to tradesmen, who had given him credit on account of his possession of the house property, made him drink more to drown his care, and proved the old adage to be true, "He that goes borrowing, goes sorrowing."

His ill-health and the drink caused him to use such foul language that one of the habitual loungers at the "Bells" told him to "wash his dirty mouth," which he did; but it was with strong drink. At last the crisis came. In a drunken fit he told some people he had mortgaged his property.

Very soon after the tradesmen's bills were sent in, and he could not meet them. It was soon proved that he was a bankrupt. His cottages were sold, so was his furniture, and even his bed was taken from under him. He was received, with his wife and one child, into the house of a relative, where he died.

When these facts became known to the tenants, the stout woman suggested that a board nailed to a post should be put in front of the cottages, with these words painted on it, "Lost, six cottages through drink." But is this all that John James lost? Alas, no. He lost peace of mind, which he had when he was in the path of duty, and attended a place of worship on the Sabbath. He lost his self-respect, his connection, his reputation, his home, his love for those things that belong to a man's peace; but worse than all, he lost heaven, for he died a drunkard, and God hath declared, "No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of heaven." Well might the wise man write of strong drink, England's curse, "at last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.”

Working men, you see the havoc strong drink is making in our country. So terrible are the results of drinking that the attention of judges and legislators have been called to it. A working man who drinks can save but little, if anything; but more often it causes men and women to contract debts which they can never pay. It is the boast of an Englishman," I pay my way;" but no working man's family can keep "out of debt and out of danger," if there is a beer and spirit score to settle on Saturday night. It has often been proved that drink does not nourish. A working man must have solid food, not liquid, unless, like beef tea, barley water, or cocoa, it contains a solid.

A workman loses three ounces of flesh a day, and only good solid food can replace this loss. Strong drink is the cause of many men's profane language. Why should not a working man be a gentleman? And is it not ungentlemanly to swear? The swearer is a curse to society. We

Drink robs men of their Sabbaths.

What man who has

been drinking during the week feels inclined to go to the house of God on the Sunday?

It robs them of the inclination to read the Bible, to pray, or to study the evidences of the truth of the Christian religion. Be not deceived, working men, there are those abroad who would rob you of your rest and opportunity for public worship, and unfit you for the hard work in the week, by persuading you that the day is given for pleasure, and therefore you may travel on the Lord's Day for miles to see museums and other sights. But nothing is said about returning weary and tired, and unfitted for Monday's labour, with the Divine command ringing in the ears, "Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath day."

But worse than all there are those who would make you believe that the world governs itself by its own laws; that it has no Lawgiver; that the blind forces of nature have produced the intelligence, the beauty, the design, and the adaptations with which the world abounds; that man is no better than a beast, and that death is an "eternal sleep." Oh, shun the atheist, the deist, the fools that say in their hearts "There is no God." Shun them as you would a serpent. Listen to what the great Founder of Christianity said, "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." Would you not wish your children to walk in the right path? Oh teach them the fear of the Lord.

Do not despise the sublime teachings of the Bible. "Say unto the righteous it shall be well with him." "The wages

of sin is death." "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1

1 I Timothy i. 15.