The Cottager's Advice to his Daughter,

UPON HER GOING TO SERVICE.

ON THE DUTIES OF THE SABBATH.

ABOVE all things, I charge you my daughter, to pay a strict regard and reverence to the Sabbath, and remember that it is of divine appointment.

Rejoice, then, at the return of the Sabbath, not so much that you rest from your labour, as I hope you will be permitted to do, but that you have so fair an opportunity of offering your heart to your Maker. The first and greatest object of religion, next to the belief in a God, is to worship him; and the Almighty has declared, that he is pleased with the incense offered by numbers of his rational creatures, assembled for the same purpose, to make joint supplications for mercy for their offences. Go then with gladness to the house of God, and not only worship him, but hear attentively his word from the mouth of bis ministers.

The duty of attending divine worship, being required of all Christians, without distinction of persons, those who take the liberty to dispense with it, and seldom appear at the house of prayer, are generally ignorant and abandoned wretches, who loiter about seeking a miserable diversion of their thoughts, having scarce ever meditated on the being of a God.

It is the crime and misfortune of people in our condition, and perhaps of our betters also, that when we meet to worship God, we do not generally address him with that awe and homage which become rational creatures, and, as we justly style ourselves, miserable sinners.My dear Mary, endeavour to impress your mind with some suitable ideas of his boundless grandeur, and transcendent excellence; and remember that, however faulty

some

some of our superiors may be in their stations, the greater part of us are generally worse in ours, and therefore WE SHOULD MEND OUR OWN MANNERS.

The false notions, joined to the rank hypocrisy of some of the Jews, in our Saviour's days, ran so high, that they pretended to be much scandalized at his doing works of mercy on the Sabbath-day. This he reprehended with severity, leaving us a silent lession, that such employment ought not to be deemed as labour. Works of necessity are also warrantable. But what shall we say of those, who having much time on their hands on this day, when the season will not permit them to walk abroad, employ themselves about any thing, rather than in reading the Scriptures, and pious and instructive books. Alas, how wretchedly do they murder their time!

To be continued.

USEFUL INFORMATION.

ACCIDENTS incident to Children from Fire. A CHILD should never be left alone in any situation where he may be exposed to the destructive element of fire. We daily hear of children that have been burned to death, in consequence of their clothes having caught fire; yet, it is surprising, that the frequency of these afflicting events does not. possess persons with an idea of the most effectual methods of extinguishing the fire. In general, an attempt is made to tear off the burning clothes from the sufferer, which should never be done. The clothing, instead of being torn off, ought to be pressed close to the body, and whatever is at hand wrapped oyer it, so as to exclude the air, when the blaze will go out; for it is the action of the air that keeps it alive, and increases the vehemence. A carpet, a table cloth, a blanket, a cloth cloak, any close wrapper, will instantly extinguish it.

A gentleman of our acquaintance, who lately happened to come into an apartment, where a girl was enveloped in flames, in consequence of her clothes having caught fire, had the presence of mind to take off his coat and wrap it round her;the judicious experiment had the desired effect.

A green baize cloth of a close texture, being woollen and very pliable, we would particularly recommend to those who can afford it, to have constantly at hand in every room where there is a fire; and, as such an appendage is already much in use, in the form of a neat covering for furniture, we presume it cannot be objected to as giving offence to the eye.

Semicircular irons, called guards, should be always fixed up round fire-places, to which children have access.

The accidents from SCALDING, are still more numerous. Children are in continual danger where victuals are cooking; nothing hot should ever be left within a child's reach, otherwise he will very probably pull it over him; in which case, before the clothes can be got off, he may be scalded to death. Children are also apt to carry every thing to the mouth; and a very small quantity of any liquid, boiling hot, will occasion death, if taken into the stomach.

Work to be done in the Cottager's Garden in February. Sow SOW more Pease and Beans, also Radishes, Lettuces, Cresses, and Parsley. Spinage may be sown occasionally to have a supply kept up. A few Onion seeds may be sown about the middle of the month. Prepare ground for Potatoes, Onions, and other roots.

Poetry.

THE HAPPY FIRESIDE.
D EAR Jessie, while the busy crowd,
The vain, the wealthy, and the proud,
In folly's maze advance ;

Tho' singularity and pride

Be call'd our choice, we'll step aside,
Nor join the giddy dance.

From the gay world, we'll oft retire
To our own family and fire,

Where love our hours employs;

No busy neighbour enters here,
No intermeddling stranger near,
To spoil our heartfelt-joys.

If solid happiness we prize,
Within our breast this jewel lies;

And they are fools who roam;

The world has nothing to bestow;
From our ownselves our joys must flow,
And that dear hut our home.

Of rest was Noah's dove bereft,
When with impatient wing she left
That safe retreat, the ark;

Giving her vain excursion o'er,
The disappointed bird once more
Explor❜d the sacred bark,

Tho' fools spurn Hymen's gentle pow'rs,
We, who improve his golden hours,
By sweet experience know,

That marriage, rightly understood,
Gives to the tender and the good,
A paradise below.

Our babes shall richest comforts bring;
If tutor❜d right, they'll prove a spring
Whence pleasures ever rise:

We'll form their minds with studious care,
To all that's manly, good, and fair,
And train them for the skies.

While they our wisest hours engage,
They'll joy our youth, support our age
And crown our hoary hairs:

They'll grow in virtue every day,
And thus our fondest loves repay,
And recompense our cares.

No borrow'd joys! they're all our own,
While to the world we live unknown,
Or by the world forgot:
Monarchs! we envy not your state,
We look with pity on the great,
And bless our humble lot.

Our portion is not large indeed;
But then how little do we need!
For Nature's calls are few:

In this the art of living lies,

To want no more than may suffice,
And make that little do.

We'll therefore relish, with content,
Whate'er kind Providence has sent,
Nor aim beyond our pow'r;

For, if our stock be very small,
'Tis prudence to enjoy it all,

Nor lose the present hour.

To be resign'd, when ills betide,
Patient, when favours are deny'd,

And pleased with favours giv'n:
Dear Jessie, this is Wisdom's part;
This is that incense of the heart,

Whose fragrance smells to Heav'n. We'll ask no long protracted treat, Since winter-life is seldom sweet; But when our feast is o'er; Grateful from table we'll arise,

Nor grudge our sons with envious eyes The relics of our store.