Jolly Barman: "Can't do it. Don't know him."

Ragged Boy: "Why he gets drunk here every Saturday night."

Jolly Barman: "Oh, does he, my little dear, then 'ere's a nice long 'un, with a bit o' wax at the end."

Drunkards are the fathers of a ragged generation, and it is rather remarkable that Lord Shaftesbury, the truly illustrious patron of ragged schools, should still withhold his personal adherence from a movement which is pre-eminently adapted to destroy the occupation of the Jolly Barman, and exalt that of the Wise Teacher. I may also express my surprise that Punch should so clearly depict the evil habits of the drunkard, and yet hold up the teetotaler to the contempt of the world.

Parents often ask-What shall we give our children? The reply is simple. Do not give them strong drink. Give them pure water. Give them ripe fruits. Give them wholesome food. Give them warm and beautiful clothing. Give them pictures, musical instruments, plenty of choice books, trips into green woods, and many a loving, blessed, holy word. Let us give them these, and

"The humblest homes of England

Shall in proper time give birth
To better men than we have been,
To dwell upon a better earth."

POETRY.

THE COLD-WATER BOY.

Hurrah, for a splash!

Come, give me a dash,

With the water all clear and cold;

It makes me so bright,

So active and light,

'Tis better than silver and gold.

Oh, what should I do,

Dear mother, if you

Never wash'd me so sweet and so clean?

Come, give me a splashing;!

It is so refreshing,

All the day I would like to stay ins

I never would cry,
Nor halloo-not I-
Unless 'twere for joy and for glee;
I love the good splashing,

And plunging, and dashing:
Hurrah the cold water for me!

THE HOME OF EARLY YEARS.

I remember, I remember,

The house where I was born;
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn.
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day;
But now I sometimes wish the night
Had borne my breath away.

I remember, I remember,

The fir-trees dark and high;
I used to think their sunny tops
Were close against the sky.
It was a childish memory;

But now 'tis little joy,

To know I'm further off from heaven
Than when I was a boy.

Thomas Hood.

AIDS TO LECTURERS.

SAVING AND TEMPERANCE.—The result of the education of the "very poor," based on the Holy Scriptures, is strikingly seen in connection with one school in London. In ten years there have been distributed 3249 copies of the Word of God, 711 copies of Uncle Tom's Cabin, 54 Prayer Books, a large number of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Holy War, Richmond's Annals of the Poor, &c. A working class of girls, who were allowed to purchase the requisite materials at half-price, have in ten years made up 1596 garments, and in the same period above £4000 has been deposited in the Penny Bank from 4000 depositors. Will not the wealthier readers of the Messenger encourage and exhort the labouring poor around them to avail themselves of Penny Banks and Post Office Savings Banks?

Will not the way be thus prepared for the Gospel, and for temperate, happy, and holy homes! Are not the improvident habits of the poor mighty barriers to the minister, the missionary, the male and female district visitor, to all earnest lovers of souls? Yes; the "destruction of the poor" (for time and eternity) "is," their self-inflicted " poverty." Now let the contrast be marked in one authentic instance out of many in a London district. A man, who was once a terror to his family and neighbours when intoxicated, was induced by his child to promise to make a small deposit. His wife said "His promise is nothing—would that I could rely on it!" Saturday night came, a small amount was deposited; the public house was not visited as usual, nor has.it been since. He still deposits, and is a sober, steady man. He is anxious for books from the school; and the last application made by his daughter, who is a scholar, was, "Father wishes you to recommend him a book, but it must be religious. Father is always reading, and he never goes out of an evening. He has read the Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan's Holy War, the Dairyman's Daughter, and Anxious Inquirer, all of which I have had from the school."-Correspondent of British Messenger.

PURE IMPORTED LIQUORS.-It is a well-known fact that the city of New York has eleven large establishments devoted to the manufacture of champagne wine. The bottles are labelled as if from France, and it seems a profitable investment, as these eleven establishments turn out more of the sham article than all France produces of the real. What fools are to be found always -when may we hope to have a failure of the liquor trade? Never, until the fool crop fails first. Nevertheless, it is the duty of the wise to do what they can for the many foolish.

SELLING DRINK TO YOUNG BOYS.-At the Eastern Police Court, Glasgow, John Dalziel, spirit dealer, 93, Kirk Street, was charged with having sold spirituous liquors to four boys under the age of 14 years. The circumstances of the case, we understand, are as follows. The policeman on the beat was told by a woman that her son was in the habit of going to Dalziel's shop and getting drink there, and she wished to put a stop to this. On inquiry, however, the policeman found that this boy, when he did go there, was taken in by his father, so that nothing could be said on that score; but during the time he was looking after the matter, the policeman found eight young boys, none more than 14, and several not 11 years of

age, seated in a room by themselves with ale, &c., set before them, and all busily engaged in playing dominoes. On investigation, it appeared that the liquor had been bought by four of the boys, and for supplying them with the drink Dalziel was, as before stated, brought before the Police Court. The Baillie considered the offence to be a grave one, and fined Dalziel in the sum of £5.

ADULTERATING WINE OF ANCIENT ORIGIN.-In England we have early notices of the practices. Edward III., in a letter to the mayor of London, complains of the adulterations of the wine-merchants:-'They do mingle corrupt wines with other wines, and are not afraid to sell the wines so mixed and corrupted at the same price as they sell the good and pnre, to the corruption of the bodily health of those who buy wine by retail.'

ODD FELLOWS' BEER MONEY.-An Odd-Fellow, at Leicester, having been charged with a sum of money for beer, refused to pay, and, by the advice of the editor of the Alliance News, wrote to Mr. Tidd Pratt on the subject. The opinion of this eminent authority was, that the beer money could not be added to the member's arrears. Other members of the same lodge, who are not Teetotalers, have refused to pay anything for beer in consequence of the opinion referred to; and it is not improbable that, in the end, the public-house will be deserted, and the business of the lodge transacted at some place where the members will not be expected to pay for any intoxicating drinks. It is certainly rather ludicrous to compel the members of a friendly society, which was established and is maintained for the purpose of encouraging prudent habits, to meet at places devoted to the sale of the great predisposing cause of extravagance and crime. The great body of prudent men who constitute the secret orders, and other similar associations, would do well to get rid of this incongruity, and encourage thrift without tempting to its opposite. The Threepenny Magazine.

Too FAR!" Why," said a physician to his intemperate neighbour, "don't you take a regular quantity every day? Set a regular stake, that you will go so far and no farther." "I do," replied the other, "but I set it down so far off, that I get drunk before I get to it,"

A WARY MUSQUITO.-A musquito was observed by a negro to alight upon a gentleman's nose which was fiery red and blotchy, from the effects of drink. The insect almost immedi

diately flew off again, and the negro was unable to restrain the exclamation, "Aye, good, bless your heart, you no stand there long 'cause you burn your foot."

CONNUBIAL CHASTISEMENT.-On my way to worship one Sabbath morning, I came upon a woman most unmercifully beating a man with a potato beetle. There leaned the poor wretch against the wall, apparently quite unconsious of the injury he was receiving. On my saying 'Stop, stop; this is not work for a Sabbath morning,' 'Stand aside, sir,' said the incensed woman, while she uplifted the instrument of chastisement for another blow Stand aside; is he no my lafu' married man?' Aware of the risk of interfering with opposing powers, I judged it best to take her advice.-Rev. Wm. Reid.

TO MAKE BEER SMART.-To give beer a cauliflower head beer heading is used composed of green vitriol, alum, and salt. Alum gives likewise a smack of age to beer, and is penetrating to the palate.-S. Child.

A PICTURE.

By JAMES HILLOCKS.

There sits a father with a sweet smile of joy,
With gladness he looks on his young noble boy,
And there is the lov'd mate, his hope and his pride,
With a babe in her lap and one by her side—
A picture of beauty, of grace, and of love-
'Tis the nearest approach to the joys above;
How lovely is woman when faith and hope meet-
No form more charming, no flower more sweet!

THE FLEEING DEER.

By the Rev. A. WALLACE.

Bob and his little brother Bill were walking one day through a village on their way home from fishing in a famous stream for perch and trout. They were young in years, but they were old abstainers, for they had never tasted whisky in their lives.

'I say, Bill,' said Bobbie to his brother, 'what can be the meaning of that sign-board there, swinging at the public-house, with a deer in full speed painted upon it?'

Bill looked thoughtfully at the sign for a few moments, and then said, 'I don't know, Bob, unless it be to teach you and me a good lesson, and that is to flee as fast as we can from the public-house."