C H E A P R E P O K I T O R Y 
 
 T H £ 
 
 ^f'r TO PLENT'T; 
 
 O R, T 11 £ 
 
 SECOND PART of TOM WHITE. 
 
 Sold by J. MARSHALL 
 (PR r NTER to the REPOSITORY for Mo- 
 
 ral and Religious Tracls) No. 17, Queen Street 
 Chpapiide, and No. 4, Aldermary Church-Yard 
 and R. WHITE, Piccadilly, LONDON. 
 
 By S. HAZARD, at BATH: and by all Bookfeljers, 
 Newfmen, and Hawkers, in Town and Country. — 
 Great Allowance will be mad?, to Shopkeepers and 
 Hawkers. 
 
 , PRICE THREE HALFPENCE. 
 
 Or 6s. pel. per 100, 35. 9d. for 50. and 2s. 3d. r t %r JK 
 
 ■ \ Entered at Stationers BalL ] 
 
( 3 ) 
 
 THE 5 * 
 
 WAY TO PLENTY; 
 
 OR, THE 
 
 SECOND PART OF TOM WHITE. 
 
 TOM WHITE, as we have fhewn in 
 the firfh part of this hiftory, from 
 an idle poft-boy was become a refpe&able 
 farmer. God had bleffed his induitry, 
 and he had profpered in the world. He 
 was fober and temperate, and, as was the 
 natural confequence, he was a&ive and 
 healthy. He w T as induftrious and frugal, 
 and he became profperous in his circum- 
 ftances. This is in the ordinary courfe 
 
 A 2 of 
 
i 4. ) ' 
 -of Providence. But it is not a certain and 
 neceflary rule. God makcth his fun to 
 Jhine on the jujl and the unjuft. A man 
 who ufes every hone ft means of thrift and 
 induftry, will, in moft cafes, find fuccefs 
 attend his labours. But ft ill the race is 
 not always to the fwift, nor the battle to 
 the flrong. God his fometimes pleafed for 
 wife ends, to difappoint all the worldly 
 hopes of the moft upright man. His corn 
 may be fmitten by a blight. His barns 
 may be confumed by fire. His cattle may 
 be carried off by diftcmper. And to thefe, 
 and other misfortunes, he is as liable as 
 the fpendthrift or the knave. Succefs is 
 the common reward of induftry, but if it 
 were its .conjlan.t reward, the induftrious 
 would be tempted to look no further than 
 the prefent ftate. They would lofe one 
 ftrong ground of their faith. It would 
 fet afide the Scripture fcheme. This world 
 would be looked on as a ftate of reward, 
 inftead of a ftate of trial, and we (hould 
 forget to look to a day of final' retri- 
 bution. 
 
 Farmer White never took it into his 
 head, that becaufe he paid his debts, 
 worked early. and fete 3 and ate the bread 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 of carefulnefs, he was therefore to come 
 into no misfortune like other folk, but wa$ 
 to be free from the common trials and 
 troubles of life. He knew that profperity 
 was far from being a fure mark of God's 
 favour, and had read in good books 9 and 
 efpecially in the bible, of the great po- 
 verty and afflictions of the bed of men. 
 Though he was no great fcholar, he had 
 fenfe enough to obferve, that a time of 
 public profperity was not always a time 
 of public virtue; and he thought that what 
 was true of a whole nation might be true 
 of one man. So the more he profpered 
 the more he prayed that profperity might 
 •not corrupt his heart. And when he faw 
 lately figns of public diftrefs coming on, 
 'he was not half fo much frightened as 
 feme others were, becaufe he thought it 
 might do us good in the long run; and 
 he was in hopes that a little poverty might 
 bring on a little penitence. The great 
 grace he laboured after was that of a 
 
 o 
 
 cheerful fubnaiffion. He ufed to fay, 
 that if the Lord's Prayer had only con- 
 tained thofe four little words Thy will 
 be done, it would be worth more than 
 the biggeft book in the world without 
 them. A 3 Dr. 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 Dr. Shepherd, the worthy Vicar, (with 
 whom the farmer's wife had formerly lived 
 as noufekeeper) was very fond of taking a 
 walk with him about his grounds, and he 
 ufed to fay, that he learnt as much from 
 the farmer as the farmer did from him. 
 If the Doftor happened to obferve, I am 
 afraid thefe long rains will fpoil this fine 
 piece of oats, the farmer would anfwer* 
 46 but then, fir, think how good it is for 
 the grafs." If the Doftor feared the 
 wheat would be but indifferent, the farmer 
 was fure the rye would turn out well; 
 When grafs failed, he did not doubt but 
 turnips would be plenty. Even for floods 
 and inundations he would find out fome' 
 way to Juftify Providence. " Tis better, 5 ' 
 laid he, " to have our lands a little over- 
 sowed, than that the fprings fhould be 
 dried tip, and our cattle faint for lack of 
 water." When the drought came, he 
 thanked God that the leafon would be 
 healthy; and high winds, which fright- 
 ened others, he faid ferved to clear the 
 air. Whoever, or whatever was wrong, I 
 he was always fure that Providence was 
 in the right. And he ufed to fay, that a 
 man with ever fo fmall an income if he 
 had but frugality and temperance, and* 
 
( 7 1 
 
 eaft off all vain defines, was richer thail 
 a lord who was tormented by vanity 
 and covetoufnefs. When fie faw others 
 in the wrong, he did not however a- 
 hufe them for it, but took care to avoid 
 the fame fault. He had fenfe and fpi- 
 rit enough to break through many old 
 but very bad cuftoms of his neighbours. 
 " If a thing is wrong in itfeif," (faid he 
 one day to farmer Hodges) " a whole 
 parifh doing it can't make it right. And 
 as to it's being an old cuftom, why if 
 it be a good one I like it the better for 
 being old, becaufe it has had the (tamp 
 of ages, and the fanftion of experience 
 on it's worth. But if it be old as well 
 as bad, that is another reafon for mv 
 • trying to put an end to it, that we may 
 not imflead; our children as our fathers 
 have miffed us." 
 
 The R00 F-RAIS ING. 
 
 SOME years after he was fettled, he 
 built a large new barn. All the work- 
 men were looking forward to the ufual 
 holiday of roof-raihng. On this occa- 
 fion it v/as a cuftom to give a dinner to 
 the workmen, with fo much liquor af- 
 ter it that thev £Ot fo drunk, that thev 
 
 not 
 
wot only loft the remaining half days 
 work, but they were not. always able 
 to work the next day. 
 
 Mrs, White provided a plentiful din- 
 ner for roof-raifkig, and gave each man 
 his mug of -beer. After a hearty meal 
 they began to grow clamorous for more 
 drink. The farmer faid, " My lads, I 
 don't grudge you a few gallons of ale 
 merely for the fake of faving my liquor, 
 though that is fome confideration ; but 
 I never will, knowingly, help any man 
 to make a be aft of himfelf. I am re- 
 folved to break through a bad cuftom. 
 Yoa are now well refrefhed. If you will 
 go cheerfully to your work, you will have 
 half a clay's pay to take on Saturday 
 night more than you would if this af- 
 ternoon were wafted in drunkennefs. For ( 
 this your families will be the better: 
 whereas, were I to give yo'u more liquor 
 when you have already had enouutu I 
 fhould help to rob them of their bread. 
 But I wifli to fhew you, that I have your 
 good at heart full as much as my own 
 profit. If you will now go to work, 
 J will give you all another mug at night 
 when you leave off. Thus your time 
 
 will 
 
will be faved, your families' helped, and 
 my ale will not go to make reafonabie 
 creatures worfe than brute beafts." 
 
 Here he flopped. " You are in the right 
 on't, Mafteiy' faid Tom the thatcher; 
 " You are a hearty man, Farmer," faid 
 John Plane the carpenter, " Come a* 
 long boys/' faid Tim Brick the mafon ; 
 fo thev all went merrily to work, for- 
 tified with a good dinner. There was 
 only one drunken furiy fellow who 
 rcfufed, thai was Dick Guzzle the 
 Smith. Dick never works above two 
 or three days in the week, and fpends 
 the others at the Red Lion. He fwore, 
 that if the farmer did not let him have 
 as much liquor as he liked at Roof-Raif- 
 ing, he would not ttrike another ftroke, 
 but would leave the job unfinifhed, and 
 he might (jet hands where he could. 
 Farmer White took him at his word, 
 and paid him off direftly : glad enough 
 to get rid of fuch a fot, whom he had 
 only employed from pity to a large and 
 almoft ftarving family. When the men 
 came for their mug in the evening, the 
 farmer brought out the remains of the 
 cold gammon; thev made a hearty fuppcr, 
 
( io.) 
 
 and thanked hini foniaving broke through 
 . a fboiilh caftoni, which was afterwards 
 much left off in that parifh, though 
 Dick would not come into it, and loft 
 ihoft of his work. 
 
 Farmer White's labourers were often 
 complaining, that things w T ere fo dear 
 that they could not buy a bit of meat. 
 He knew it was partly true, but not en- 
 tirely, for it was before thefe very hard 
 times. One morning he ftept out to fee 
 'how an outhoufe which he w 7 as thatch- 
 ing went on. He was fuprifed to find 
 the work at a ftand. He walked over 
 to the th.-tcher's houfe. " Tom," laid 
 he, " 1 defire that piece of work may 
 be finiflied dire fitly. If a fhower comes 
 my grain will be fpoiled." 64 Indeed, 
 Mafter, I Allan 't w 7 ork to-day, nor to- 
 morrow neither," laid Tom. ** You for- 
 get that 'tis Eafter Monday, and to morrow 
 is Eafter Tuelday. And fo on Wednes- 
 day I (hall thatch away mafter. But 'tis 
 hard if a poor man who works all the 
 year may not enjoy thefe few holidays. 
 
 " Tom," faid the farmer, " when 
 thefe days were firft put into our prayer-j 
 
 book. I 
 
( 11 ) 
 
 book, the good men who did it. lit- 
 tle thought that the time would corac 
 when holy day fhould mean drunken-day. 
 How much doft think now I fhall pay thee 
 for this piece of thatch ?" " Why you 
 know matter you have let it to me by the 
 great. I think between this and to-mor- 
 row night, as the weather is fo fine, I 
 could clear about four {hillings, after I 
 have paid my boy. But thatching does 
 not come often, and other work is not fo 
 profitable." " Very well, Tom; and how 
 much now do you think you may fpend 
 in thefe two holidays " Why matter, if 
 the ale is pleaf&nt, and the company mer- 
 ry, I do not expeft to get off for le Is than 
 three (hillings. " " Tom, can you do pounds, 
 ! ihillings, and pence ?" " I can make a 
 little fcore matter behind the kitchen door 
 with a bit of chalk, which is as much 
 as I want." 66 Well Tom, add the four 
 ihillings vou would have earned to the 
 three you intend to fpend, what does that 
 make ?" " Let me fee ! three and four 
 make feven. Seven (hillings matter. " 
 " Tom, you often tell me tha times are fo 
 bad that you can never buy a bit of meat. 
 Now here is the coft of two joints at once ; 
 to fay nothing of the fin of watting time 
 
- c m ) 
 
 .and getting drunk." 1 never once 
 thought of that," faid Torn. " Now Tom," 
 faid the farmer, " if I were you, I would 
 ftep over to Butcher Jobbins's, v buy a 
 fhoulder of mutton, which being left from 
 Saturday's market you will get a little 
 cheaper. This I would make my wife 
 bake in a deep difh full of potatoes. 
 I would then go to work, and when 
 the dinner was ready I would go and 
 enjoy it with my wife and. children; you 
 need not give the mutton to the brats; 
 the potatoes will have all the gravy, 
 and be very favory for them." " Aye, 
 but I've got no beer mafter, the times are ( 
 fo hard that a poor man can't aiTord to 
 brew a drop of drink now as we ufed to 
 do." 
 
 (C Times are bad, and malt is very dear 
 Tom, and yet both don't prevent your 
 throwing away feven {hillings in keeping 
 holiday. Now fend for a quart of ale, as 
 it is to be a feaft : and vou will even then 
 be four fhillin^s richer than if vou had 
 gone to the publick houfe. I would put 
 by thefe four (hillings, till I could add a 
 couple to them; with this I would get a 
 bufliel of maltj and my wife fhould brew 
 
 it 
 
I *3 ) 
 
 it, and you may take a pint at home of a 
 night, which will do you more good than 
 a gallon at the Red Lion." " I have a 
 great mind to take your advice, mailer, 
 but I {hall be made fuch fun of at the 
 Lion ; they will fo laugh at me if I don*t 
 go." Let thofe laugh that win, Tom." 
 " But mafter, I have got a friend to meet 
 me there." " Then afk your friend to 
 come and eat a bit of your cold mutton at 
 night, and here is fix-pence for another 
 pot, if you will promife to brew a fmall 
 calk of your own/' " Thank you, maf- 
 ter, and fo I will; and I won't go to the 
 Lion, Come boy, bring the helm, and 
 fetch the ladder." And fo Tom was upon 
 the roof in a twinkling. 
 
 The SHEEP SHEARING. 
 
 Dr. Shepherd happened to fay to Farmer 
 White one day, " that there was nothing 
 he difliked more than the manner in 
 which fheep-fliearing and harveft-home 
 were kept by feme in his parifh. What, 
 faid the good Do&or, juft when we arc 
 bleft withihefe natural riches of our land, 
 the fleece of our flocks; when our barns 
 are crowned with plenty, and we have 
 
 B reaped 
 
( m ) 
 
 reaped the fruits of the earth in due fea- 
 fon; is that very time to be fet apart for 
 ribaldry, and riot, and drunkennefs ? Do 
 we thank God for his mercies by making 
 ourfelves unworthy and unfit to enjoy 
 them?" . 
 
 " I thank you for the hint, fir,'* faid 
 the farmer. " I am refolved to rejoice 
 though, and others Ihall rejoice with me; 
 And we will have a merry night on't." 
 
 So Mrs, White dreffed a very plentiful 
 fupper of meat and pudding; and fpread 
 cut two tables. The farmer fat at the head 
 of one, confifting of fome of his neigh- 
 bours, and all of his work-people. At the 
 other fat his wife, with two long benches 
 on each fide of her. At thefe fat all }he 
 old and infirm poor, efpecially thofe who 
 lived in the workhoufe, and had no day of 
 feftivity to look forward to in the whole 
 year but this. On the grafs, in the little 
 court, fat the children of his labourers, 
 and of the other poor, whofe employment 
 k had been to gather flowers, and drefs 
 and adorn the horns of the ram, for the 
 farmer did not wifh to put an end to any 
 old cufton5 ? if it was innocent. His own 
 
 children 
 
( *5 > 
 
 children ftood by the table, and he gave 
 them plenty of pudding, which they car- 
 ried to the children of the poor, with a 
 v little draught of cider to every one, 
 
 This feaft, though orderly and decent, 
 was yet hearty and cheerful. Dr, Shep- 
 herd dropped in with a good deal of com- 
 pany he had at his houfe, and they were 
 much pleafed. When the Doftor faw how 
 the aged and the in^rm poor were enjoy- 
 ing themfelves, he was much moved; he 
 fhook the farmer by the hand, and faid* 
 
 But thou, when thou makeft a feaft, 
 call the blind, and the lame, and the halt; 
 they cannot recompenfe thee, but thou 
 fhalt be recompenfed at the refurre£lk>n 
 of the juft." 
 
 " Sir," faid the farmer, " 'tis no great 
 matter of expence, I kill a fheep of my 
 own; potatoes are as plenty as blackber- 
 ries, with people who have a little fore- 
 thought. I fave much more cider in the 
 courfe of a year by never allowing any 
 caroufing in my kitchen, or drunkennefs 
 in my fields, than would fupply many 
 fuch feafts as thefe, fo that I fhall be never 
 the poorer at Chriftmas, It is cheaper 
 
 B 2 to 
 
 / 
 
1 
 
 { 16 ) 
 
 to ma£e people happy, fir, than to make 
 them drui-i'k. The Doftor and the ladies 
 condefcended to walk from one table to 
 the other, and heard many merry ftories, 
 bat not one profane word, or one in- 
 decent foifg ; fo that he was not forced 
 co the painful neceffity either of reprov- 
 ing them, or leaving them in ang^r. 
 'When all v/as over they fung the fixty- 
 fifth pfalm, and the ladies all joined in 
 it, and when they got home to the vi- 
 carage to tea, they declared they liked 
 it better than any concert, 
 
 The HARD WINTER. 
 
 IN the famous cold winter of the pre- 
 fent year, 1795, it was edifying to fee 
 how patiently farmer White bore that 
 long and fevere froft. Many of his 
 Theep were frozen to death, but he thank- 
 ed God that he had ftill many left. He 
 continued to find in-door work that 
 his men might not be out of employ. 
 Mrs. White was fo confiderate, that j-uft 
 at that time fhe leflened the number of 
 her hogs, that fhe might have more 
 whey and fkim milk to aflift poor fa- 
 milies. Nay, I have known her live 
 
 on 
 
C 17 ) 
 
 on boiled meat for a long whik toge- 
 ther, in a fickly feafon, hecaufe the pot- 
 liquor made fuch a fupply of broth for 
 the fick poor. As the fpring came on, 
 and things grew worfe, (lie never had 
 a cake, a pye, or a pudding in her houfe; 
 though fhe ufed to have plenty of thefe 
 good things, and will again I hope when 
 the prefent fcarcity is over; though fhe 
 fays fhe never will ufe fuch white flour 
 again, even if it fhould come down to 
 five (hillings a bufheh 
 
 All the parifli now began to murmur. 
 Farmer Jones was fure the froft had 
 killed the wheat. Farmer Wilfon faid 
 the rye would never come up. Brown 
 the maltfter infilled the barley was dead 
 at the root. Butcher Jobbins faid beef 
 would be a (hilling a pound. All de- 
 clared there would not be a hop to brew 
 with. The orchards were all blighted, 
 there would not be apples enough to 
 make a pye; and as to hay there would 
 be none to be had for love nor money. 
 " I'll tell you what," faid farmer White, 
 " the feafon is- dreadful." The crops are 
 unpromifing juft now ; but 'tis too early 
 to judge, Pon't let. lis make things 
 
 B 3 worfe 
 
. C i* ) 
 
 ^WQtfe than they are. We ought to com- 
 fort the poor, and you are driving them 
 ;£6-defpair» Don't you know how much 
 God was difpleafed with the murnvurs of 
 his chofen people ? And yet, when they 
 were tired o{ manna he fent them quails ; 
 but all did not do. Nothing fatisfies 
 grumblers. We have a promife on our 
 fide, that there (hail be feed time and 
 karveft time to the end. Let us then 
 hope for good a day, but provide againft 
 an evil one. Let us rather prevent the 
 evil before it is came upon us, than 
 fink under it when it comes. Grumbling 
 can't help us. Activity can. >Letusfet 
 about planting potatoes in every nook 
 and corner, in cafe the corn JJiould fail, 
 which however I don't believe. Let 
 Us mend our management before we are 
 driven to it by aftual want. And if 
 we allow our honeft labourers to plant 
 a few potatoes for their families in the 
 head lands of our ploughed fields, or 
 other wafte bits of ground, it will do 
 hs no harm, and be a great help t© 
 .them." 
 
 The farmer had many temptations to 
 ; feud his corn at an extravagant price to 
 
 a certain 
 
( *9 ) 
 
 a certain fea port town; but as he 
 knew that it was intended to export it 
 againft law, he would not be tempted to 
 encourage unlawful gain ; fo he threfhed 
 put a fmall mow at a time, and fold it 
 to the neighbouring poor far below the 
 market price. He ferved his own work- 
 men firft. This was the fame to them as 
 if he had raifed their wages, and even 
 better, as it was a benefit of which their 
 families were fure to partake. If the 
 poor in the next parifii were more dif- 
 treffed than his own, he fold to them 
 .at the fame rate. " For," faid he, " there 
 is no diftinftion of parifhes in heavei** 
 ,and though charity begins at home, yet 
 it ought not to end there.'* 
 
 He had been ufed in good times now 
 and then to catch a hare or a partridge, 
 as he was qualified. But he now refold- 
 ed to give up that pleafure. So he part- 
 ed from a couple of fpaniels he had ; 
 for he faid he could not bear that \m 
 dogs fhould be eating the meat, or the 
 milk which fo many men, women, and 
 children wanted. 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 The WUITE LOAF. 
 
 ONE day, it was about the middle of 
 la ft July, when things feemed to be at 
 the deareft, and the Rulers of the land 
 had agreed to fet the example of eating no- 
 thing but coarfe bread, Doftor Shepherd 
 read, before fermon, in the church their 
 public declaration, which the magiltrates 
 of the county fent him, and had alfo 
 figned themfelves. Mrs. White of courfe 
 was at church, and commended it migh- 
 tily. Next morning the Doftor took a 
 .walk over to the farmer's, in order to 
 fettle further plans for the relief of the 
 parifh. He was much furprifed to meet 
 Mrs. White's little maid Sally .with a very 
 fmall white loaf, which fhe had been 
 buying at a (hop. He faid nothing t® 
 the girl, as he never thought it right to 
 expofe the faults of a miftrefs to her 
 fervant; but walked on, refolving to give 
 Mrs. White a fevere lefture for the firft 
 time in his life. He foon changed his 
 mind, for on going into the kitchen the 
 firft perfon he faw was Tom the thatcher 5 
 who had had a Jad fall from a ladder; 
 hh arm, which was flipped out of his 
 jleevej was fwelled in a frightful manner* 
 
Mrs. White was (landing at the dreffer 
 making the little white loaf into a poul- 
 tice, which fhe laid upon the fwelling ia 
 a lai;^Lclean old cloth, 
 
 " I afk your pardon, my good Sarah," 
 faid the Do£tor, "I ought not, however 
 appearances were againft you, to have 
 fufpe&ed that fo humble , and prudent a 
 woman as you are, would be led either 
 to indluge any daintinefs of your own* 
 or to fly in the face of your betters, by 
 eating white bread while they are eating 
 brown. Whenever I come here I fee 
 it is not needful to be rich in order to 
 to be charitable. A bountiful rich man 
 would have fent Tom to a furgeon, who 
 would have done no more for him than 
 you have done; for in thofe inflamma- 
 tions the moll fkilful furgeon could only 
 apply a poultice. Your kindnefs in dref« 
 fing the wound yourfelf, will, I doubc 
 not, perform the cure at the expence of 
 that three-penny loaf and a little hog's 
 lard. And I will take care that Tom fhall 
 have a goad fupply of Rice from the Sub- 
 fcription." " And he fhan't want for fkim 
 milk,"^aid Mrs. White, and was he the beft 
 lord in the land., m the ftate he is i% a difh 
 
C 2 * ) 
 
 of good nice milk would be better for 
 him than the bcaft meat. 
 
 ST* PARISH MEETING. 
 
 On the tenth of Auguft ihe veftry held 
 another meeting, to confult on the beft 
 method of further aflifting the poor. The 
 abundant crops now cheered every heart. 
 Farmer White, had a mind to be a little 
 jocular with his defponding neighbours* 
 Well, neighbour (ones, faid he, all the 
 wheat was killed, I fuppofe. The barley 
 all dead at the root. Farmer Jones look- 
 ed fheepifh, and faid, to be fure the crops 
 had turned out better than he thought., 
 Then, faid Dr. Shepherd, let us learn to 
 truft Providence another time.. 
 
 Among other things, they agreed to 
 fubferibe for a large quantity of rice, 
 which was to be fold out to the poor at a 
 very plow price, and Mrs. White was fo 
 kind as to undertake the trouble of felling 
 it. After their day's work was over, all 
 who wifhed to buy at thefe reduced rates 
 were ordered to come to the farm on the 
 Tuefday evening. Dr. Shepherd dropped 
 in. at the fame time, and when Mrs, White 
 
 had. 
 
' ( 23 ) 
 
 had done weighing her rice, the Doftor 
 fpoke as follows : 
 
 " My honefl friends, it has pleafed 
 God to vifit this land with a fcarcity, to 
 which we have been little accuftomed. 
 There are fome idle evil minded people 
 who are on the watch for public diftrefifes, 
 not that they may humble themfelves un- 
 der the mighty hand of God, (which is 
 the true ufe to be made of all troubles) 
 but that they may benefit themfelves by 
 difturbing the public peace. Thefe peo- 
 ple, by riot and drunkennefs, double the 
 evil which they pretend to cure. Riot will 
 compleat our misfortunes, while peace, 
 iriduftry, and good management, will go 
 near to cure them. Bread to be fure is 
 uncommonly dear. Among the various 
 ways of making it cheaper, one is to re- 
 duce the quality of it, another, to leflen 
 the quantity we confume. If we cannot 
 get enough of coarfe wheaten bread, let 
 us make it of other grain. Or let us mix 
 one half of potatoes, and one half of 
 wheat. This laft is what I eat in my 
 own family. It is pleafant and whole - 
 Ibme, Our blefled Saviour ate barley 
 
 bread 
 
Si; . < %M ■ ; f ! 
 
 bread you know, as we were told in the 
 laft month's Sunday Reading of the Cheap 
 Repofitory, which I hope you have all - 
 heard ; as I defired the mafter of the Sun- | 
 day fchool to read it juft after evening j 
 fervice, when I know many of the parents j 
 are apt to call in at the fchool. This is a I 
 good cuftom, and one of thofe little books 
 ihall be often read at that time, 
 
 Ci My good women, I truly feel for 
 you at this time of fcarcity ; and I am go- 
 ing to {hew my good will, as much by 
 my advice as my fubfcription. It is my - 
 duty, as your friend and minifter, to tell 
 you, that one half of your prefent hard- 
 fhips is owing to bad management. I 
 often meet your children without fhocs 
 and ftockings, with great luncheons of 
 the very whiteft bread, and that three 
 times a day. Half that quantity, and ftiil 
 lefs if it were coarfe, put into a difti of 
 good onion or leek porridge, would 
 make them an excellent breakfaft. Many 
 too -of the very pooreft of you eat your 
 bread hot from the oven; this make , the 
 difference of one loaf in five; I afuue 
 you 'tis what I caqnot afford to do* Come 
 
f 25 ) 
 
 Mrs. White, you may affift me a little, 
 I am not very knowing in thefe matters 
 myfelf; hut I know that the rich would 
 be twice as charitable, if the poor made 
 a better ufe of their bounty. Mrs. White 
 do give thefe poor women a little advice 
 how to make their pittance go further 
 than it now does. When you lived with 
 me you were famous for making us nice, 
 cheap difhes, and I dare fay you are not 
 lefs notable now you manage for your- 
 
 f Indeed neighbours, faid Mrs. White, 
 what the good doftor fays is very true, 
 A halfpenny worth of oatmeal or groats, 
 with a leek or onion, out of your own 
 garden, which cofts nothing, a bit of fait, 
 and a little coarfe bread, will breakfaft 
 your whole family. It is a great miftake 
 at any time to think a bit of meat fo rui- 
 nous, and a great load of bread fo cheap. 
 A poor man gets feven or eight (hillings 
 a week; if he is careful he brings it home. 
 I dare not fay how much of this goes for 
 tea in the afternoon, now fugar and but- 
 ter are fo dear, becaufe I fhould have 
 you all upon me, but I will fay that too 
 v ' ' . muck 
 
 C 
 
_( 26 ) 
 
 much of this little goes even for bread, 
 from a notion that it is the hardeft fare. 
 This at all times, but particularly juft 
 now, is bad management. Dry peafe to 
 be fare have been very dear lately ; but 
 now they are plenty enough. I am cer- 
 tain then, that if a (hilling or two of the 
 feven or eight was laid out for a bit of 
 coarfe beef, a fheep's head, or any fuch 
 thing, it would be well beftowed. I would 
 throw a couple of pound of this into the 
 pot, with two or three handfuls of grey 
 peas, an onion, and a little pepper. 
 Then 1 would throw in cabbage, or tur- 
 nip, and carrot ; or any garden fluff that 
 was moft plenty; let it ftew two or three 
 hours, and it will make a difh fit for his 
 Majefty. The working man fhould have 
 the meat; the children don't want it, the 
 foup will be thick and fubftantial, and re- 
 quires no bread. 
 
 RICE MILK. 
 
 " You who can get fldm milk, as all our 
 workmen can, have a great advantage. 
 A quart of this, and a quarter of a pound 
 t)f the rice you have juft bought, a little 
 
 bit 
 
t 27 ) 
 
 bit of &ll-fpice, and brown fugar, will 
 make a dainty and a cheap difh." 
 
 6C Blefs your heart!" muttered Amy 
 'Grumble, who looked as dirty as a cinder- 
 wenchu with her face and fingers all daub- 
 ed with fnuff; " rice mil k indeed ! it is very 
 nice to be furefor thofe who can drefs it, 
 but we have not a bit of coal ; rice is of 
 no ufe to us without riring." " And yet," 
 faid the Do£tor, " I fee your tea-kettle 
 boiling twice every day, as I pafs by the 
 poor-houfe, and frefh butter at eleven- 
 pence a pound on your fhelf." " O dear, 
 •fir," cried Amy, u a fewfticks ferve to boil 
 the tea-kettle." " And a few more," faid 
 the Do6tor, " will boil the rice milk, and 
 give twice the nourifliment at a quarter of 
 ■the expence." 
 
 RICE PUDDING. 
 
 " Pray Sarah^ faid the Doftor, " how 
 did you ufe fo make that pudding my 
 children were fo fond of ? And I re- 
 member when it was cold, we ufed to have 
 it in the parlour for fupp.er." " Nothing 
 more eafy," faid Mrs. White, " I put 
 
 half 
 
half a pound of rice, two quarts of 
 (kirn milk, and two ounces of brown 
 fugar." " Well," faid the Doftor, " and 
 how many will this dine ?" " Seven or 
 eight, fir." Very well, and what will it 
 coft ?" Why, fir, it did not coft you fo 
 much becaufe we baked it at home, and 
 I ufed our own milk; it will not coft 
 above Jfeven-pence to thofe'who pay for 
 both. Here too bread is faved." 
 
 u Pray, Sarah, let me put in a word," 
 faid farmer White. t; I advife my men 
 to raife each a large bed of parfnips. 
 vThey are very nourishing, and very pro- 
 fitable. Sixpennyworth of feed, well 
 lowed, and trod in, will produce more 
 meals than four facks of potatoes ; and 
 what is material to you who have fo 
 little ground, it will not require more 
 than an eighth part of the ground which 
 the four facks will take. Parfnips are 
 rery good the fecond day warmed in the 
 frying-pan, and a little rafher of pork 
 or bacon will give them a nice flavour." 
 
 Dr. Shepherd now faid, " as a proof 
 -of the nourifhing quality of parfnips, I 
 
 was 
 
t 29 X 
 
 was reading in a hiitory book this very 
 day, that the American Indians maks a 
 great part of their bread of parfiups, 
 though Indian corn is fo famous: it will 
 make a little variety too." 
 
 * ; i remember," faid Mrs. White, - u a 
 cheap cliih, fo nice that it makes ray 
 mouth water. I peel fome raw potatoes, 
 flice them thin, put the dices into a deep 
 frying-pan, or pot, with a little water, an 
 onion, and a bit of pepper. Then I 
 get a bone or two of a breaft of mut- 
 ton, or a little ftrip of fait pork, and 
 put into it. Cover it down clofe, keep 
 in the fteam, and let it ftew for an 
 hour." 
 
 4C You really get me an appetite, Mrs*- 
 White, by your dainty receipts," laid 
 the Dotlor. M I am refolved to have 
 this difh at my own table." ;; I could 
 tell you another very good difh, and 
 it ill cheaper," anfwered fhe. " Come, 
 let us have it," cried the Doftor. u I 
 fhall write all down as foon as I gef 
 home, and I will favour any ; bodv wirh 
 a copy of thefe receipts who will caii 
 
( 30 | 
 
 at my houfe," " And I will do morey 
 Sir/' -faid Mrs. White, "for I will put 
 any of thefe women in the way how to 
 drefs it, the firft time, if they areat a 
 lofs. But this is my difh. 
 
 '* Take two. or three pickled herrings, 
 put them into a fione jar, fill it up with 
 potatoes, and a little water, and let it 
 bake in the oven till k is c me. I would 
 give one hint more," added fhe ; " I 
 have taken to ufe nothing but potatoe 
 ftarch; and though I fay it, that fhould 
 not fay it, nobody's linen in a common 
 way looks better than ours*" 
 
 The Doftor now faid, u I am forry 
 for one hardfhip which many poor people 
 labour under, i mean, the difficulty of 
 getting a little milk. I wifh ail fanners' 
 waives were as confiderate as vou are, 
 Mrs. White. A little milk is a great 
 comfort to the jH>or, elpecially when 
 their children are nek. And I have 
 known it anlwer to the feller as well as 
 to the buyer, to keeo a cow or two on 
 purpofe to fell it out by the quart." 
 
 " Sir," 
 
f 3* ) 
 
 " Sir," faid farmer White, 66 I heg 
 leave to fay a word to the men, if you 
 pleafe, for all your advice goes to the 
 women. If you will drink lefs Gin you 
 may get more meat. If you abftain from 
 the alehoufe you may many of you get 
 a little one-way beer at home." " Aye, that 
 we can Farmer," faid poor Tom the 
 thatcher, who was now got well. " Eafter 
 Monday for that — I fay no more, — A 
 word to the wife." The Farmer fmiled 
 and went on. " The number of public 
 houfes in many a parifh brings on more 
 hunger and rags than all the taxes in it, 
 heavy as they are. All the other evils 
 put together hardly make up the fum of 
 that one. We are now raifing a frefli 
 fubfcription for you. This will be our 
 rule of giving. We will not give to Sots, 
 Gamblers, and Sabbath-breakers. TKofe 
 who do not fet their young children to 
 work on week days, and fend them to 
 fchool on Sundavs, deferve little favour. 
 No man fhould keep a dog till he has 
 more food than his family wants. If he 
 feeds them at home they rob his chil- 
 dren ; if he ftarves them, they rob his* 
 neighbours* We -have heard in a neigh- 
 bo urine 
 
C 3* ) 
 
 bearing city that fome people carried 
 buck the fubfcription loaves becaufe they 
 were too coarfe ; but we hope better 
 things of you." Here Betty Plane beg- 
 ged, with all humility, to put in a word, 
 w Certainly," faid the Doftor, " we will 
 Hften to all me.de ft complaints, and try 
 to redrefs them. You were pleafed to 
 fay, fir, 5 ' faid {he, " that we might find 
 much comfort from buying, coarfe bits of 
 beef. And fo we might, but you do not 
 know, fir, that we can feldom get them> 
 even when we had the money, and times 
 were not fo bad." " How fo, Betty ?" 
 6i Sir, when we go to butcher Jobbins 
 for a bit of fhin, or any other lean piece, 
 his anfwer is, b You can't have it to-day. 
 The cock at the great houfe has befpoke 
 it for gravy, or the Doctor's maid (beg- 
 ging your pardon, fir) has juft ordered 
 it for foup.' Now, fir, if Inch kind gentle- 
 folks were aware that this gravy and 
 foup, not only confume a great deal of 
 meat, (which, to be fure, thofe have a 
 right to ufe who can pay for it) but that 
 it takes away thofe coarfe pieces which, 
 the poor would buy, if th-ey bought at 
 allj I am fure they would not do it. 
 
C 33 ) 
 
 For indeed the rich have been very kind, 
 and I don't know what we fliould have 
 done without them. 
 
 " I thank you for the hint Betty," faid 
 the Dofclor, " and I affure you I will have 
 no more gravy foup. My garden will 
 fupply me with loups, (drat are both 
 wholefontfer and better. And I will anfwer 
 for my laxly at the great houfe that {he 
 will do the fame. I. hope this will be- 
 come a general rule, and then we flnHb 
 expeS that the butchers will favour you 
 in the prices of the coarie pieces, if rve 
 buy nothing but the prime. In our gifts- 
 we fhall prefer, as the farmer has told: 
 you, i hole who keep fteadily /their 
 work : Such as come to the vefirv for a. 
 loaf, and do not come to church {or the 
 fermon, we fhall mark; and prefer thofe 
 who come conftantly whether there are 
 any gifts or not.. But there is one rule 
 from which we will never depart. Thofe... 
 who have been feen aiding or abetting any 
 Riot, any attack on butchers, bakers, 
 wheat mows, mills, or millers, we will 
 not relieve. With the quiet, contented, 
 hard-working man, I will fhare my laft 
 
 morfe! 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 morfel of bread. I fhall only add, that 
 though it has pleafed God to fend us this 
 vifitation as a punifhment, yet we may 
 convert this fhort trial into a lafting blef- 
 fing, if we all turn over a new leaf. Prof- 
 perity had made mod of us carelefs. 
 The thoughtlefs profufion of fome of the 
 rich, could only be exceeded by the idle- 
 nefs and bad management of fome of the 
 poor. Let us now atlaft adopt that good 
 old maxim, Every one mend one. And 
 may God add his bleffing!" 
 
 The pe3ple now cheerfully departed 
 with their rice, refolving, as many of 
 them as could get milk, to put one of 
 Mrs. White's receipts in pra&ice that very v 
 night; and a rare fupper they had. 
 
 I hope foon to give a good account 
 how this parifh improved in eafe and 
 comfort, by their improvement in fru- 
 gality and good management. 
 
 Z. 
 
 THE END. 
 
%'isT Bay are PUBLISHED, 
 
 Price an Halfpenny each, 
 
 2S. 3d. per 100. — 50 for is. 3d. - 25 for $d. 
 The Carpenter ; or, the Danger of Eril Company 
 A New Hiftory of a True Book, in Verfe 
 TJrue Stories of Two Good Negroes 
 Hufbandry Moralized, or Pleafant Sunday Reading, 
 
 for a Farmer's Kitchen, Part I. 
 Wonderful Efcapes from Shipwreck 
 The Apprentice's Monitor, or Indentures, in Verfe, to 
 
 be hung up in Shops 
 Fable of the Old Man and the Bundle of Sticks 
 Providential Detections of Murders, by H.Fielding,Efq # 
 The Roguiih Miller, or nothing got by Cheating, a 
 
 True Ballad 
 The Market Woman, a True Tale, in Verfe 
 The Gin-lhop, or Peep at a Prifon, in Verfe 
 The Horfe Race. 
 
 Price One Penny each. 
 4s. 6d. per 100—50 for 2b. 6d. — 25 for is. 6cL 
 I Hiftory of Thomas White the Poftilion 
 The Two Shoemakers 
 
 Life of Wm. Baker, with his Funeral Sermon, by the 
 
 Rev. Mr. Gilpin 
 The Two Soldiers 
 
 Pricb id. \ eachj or 6s. od. per 100—50 for 3s. ad* 
 
 25 for 2s. 6d. 
 Watts's Hymns for Children, complete, with Prayers 
 
 I 15* Great allowance will ig mad* to Shopkeepers and Hawkers 
 
 I A Variety of entertaining Hiftories in Profe and Verfe, 
 I . will continue to be publifhed Monthly, at the 
 CHEAP REPOSITORY - Some good Book, fit for 
 Sunday Reading, will be fold every Month. As all 
 thefe Books will be neatly printed in the fame Size, 
 they will, if ditched together) foon make a valuable 
 md cheap Volume, 
 
 I 52 13 
 
On the \Jl of June was publijlicd, ! 
 
 Trie Shepherd of . Sal* (bury Plain. Part II. — The 1 
 Beggarly Boy, a Parable,— and Wild F.obert*, 
 a Ballad. . 1- 
 
 The good Mother's Legacy — Daniel in the Lions' 
 Den,— and the Newcastle Collier, a Ballad, 
 
 _ ; On the of Augnjl, , ' ! 
 
 |%if,$ on the prefent Scarcity. — The Ka : ppv 'Wa« I 
 fermara. — The Plow-boy's Dream. a' 'Ballad, j 
 —and the Riot, a*Baliad. I 
 
 ' ' "' 0k the \[l of September , 
 
 Noah's Flood.-— The Second Part of Tom White i , 
 or the Way to ' Plenty, — and ~ Dame Andrews, 
 a'Ballad. ' . : . 
 
 On the if of Sober, \ 
 The Har veil Home — The Two Farmers, Part L 
 —and the Honed Miller, a Ballad. . > 
 
 • On the if of November, 
 
 The ' Parable of the Vineyard.— The Two Farmers, J 
 
 Part XL and the African Woman's Lamenta- 
 
 tion, a Ballad. 
 
 • v On tJie vft ff December, I 
 
 The Troubles of Life.— Sorrowful Sam, — and 
 The Merry Chrifhmas and Happy New Year 
 a Ballad. -' I 
 
 A^d other Pieces on a fimildr Plan, on the tfi of 1 
 
 every Months