good; and the situation of the beds as sheltered as circumstances will admit.

GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS.

Gooseberry and currant bushes trained, are very profitable. The fruit ripens a fortnight earlier than on those bushes, of which the branches hang down; it is much larger, and generally more abundant, besides the advantage of keeping the fruit cleaner. I have seen bushes trained in the following manner. Pieces of old hop poles, about four feet above the ground, were driven in about a foot asunder, and the branches were separately and carefully drawn up, and neatly tied to them. The gentleman, in whose garden I saw them, told me he had often used faggots, with the loose wood stripped off, when he could not get hop poles. The sticks in his garden were placed in strait rows, and made a very neat appearance. Less room is required for a plantation, than when the bushes are left in the natural state.

VERITAS.

A VISIT TO THE ALMSHOUSES.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. SIR,

LIVING as we do in a Christian land, and taught to pray as we are, that "all who profess and call themselves Christians may hold the faith in unity of spirit and in the bond of peace," we might justly expect that brotherly love would be the visible fruit of our Christian profession. But what proof does our daily intercourse with the world around us, or our watchful observance of our own hearts, give us of the obedience of those who call themselves Christians, to that most merciful command of our Divine Master, "Love one another?"-a command

evidently tending to our peace and comfort even in this life; for, as the Apostle James tells us, "where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

Reflections of this nature were brought forcibly to my mind a few days ago, on paying a visit to some neighbouring Almshouses. The little buildings had, without doubt, been raised by the hand of charity, in the hope that they would afford a comfortable asylum to the aged and the poor, in their day of need. They were humble in appearance; but, if the contented spirit dwelt therein, peace and comfort might be found within their walls without it, a palace or palace or an almshouse would be alike the seat of misery to its inhabitants. Ahab on the throne of Israel, and Haman in Shushan the palace, may serve to prove the truth of this remark.

The row of almshouses consisted but of four small dwellings, each containing one room only. In the first that I entered, I found an aged widow who had lived there five and thirty years. All around her wore the appearance of outward cleanliness and comfort, but her countenance seemed not the index of a mind at peace with God, the world, and itself. She had, however, I found, experienced many heavy trials, and He who sent them could alone determine in what spirit they had been borne. One thing, however, appeared certain, that relief which is to be found in the kindness and sympathy of our fellow-creatures, had not been sought, and therefore had not been felt by her. When I spoke to her of her neighbours, "I know nothing about them," was her reply; "I have not been within their doors these four years." "But surely that is very unneighbourly," I said, " and, perhaps, I should add, unchristian." "I have my blessed Lord with me,' she replied," and that is enough.” "But we

must shew our love to him," I said, " by keeping his commandments," and he has commanded us to "love one another." "I bear them no ill will,' she added," but I don't wish to see any thing of them I desire to keep myself to myself I find it best to be alone." "But," I replied, "when our blessed Lord sent forth his disciples into towns and villages, he did not tell them to go alone, he sent them forth, we are told, by two and two, that, amidst the many trials and troubles of life, they might help to support, and comfort, and strengthen each other." I then proceeded to speak of other portions of Scripture, all tending to shew "how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." But though my aged companion listened to them very patiently, and acknowledged their truth, I left her with little hope that any good effect would arise from my arguments.

In the adjoining dwelling, I found two women, each more than seventy years of age. They had been placed there together evidently much against their will, and soon gave proof of the sadly disunited state in which they were living. The room was small, but in it they had contrived to place their separate beds, tables, chairs, and other furniture. They took their meals apart from each other, and (as an accidental circumstance discovered to me) the one cautiously concealed from the other any little present which might have been sent to her. But what surprised me more than all, was to see two fires in the one small apartment which they inhabited. The room had but one chimney, but, beneath it, they had contrived to place their two grates at a short distance from each other, and, even at this season of the year, they had two separate fires on which to boil their kettles for tea. As there was not much room to spare, I perceived that the space beneath one of the beds was filled up with sticks and straw, which added not a little to

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the untidy and comfortless appearance of every thing around them." Why have you two fires?" I asked," Because," said one of them, 66 could about it when we had but agree I had a grate put in by the side of her's, and now one, and 60 we can each have a fire to do as we like with." I left them not, of course, without a few words of advice and exhortation. One of them seemed to be well acquainted with the word of God, and her language was scriptural: but-" by their fruits ye shall know them."

I passed on to a third house, in which I found a poor woman who has been quite blind for many years, and who, I have reason to think, is a sincerely pious Christian. She was alone, and ill in bed. Her daughter, who is an attentive and affectionate companion, was gone to London to see some of her other relations, and the young woman, in whose care she had left her mother, did not seem to have been very faithful to her charge. Sickness and solitude had somewhat depressed the poor blind woman's spirits, and she was soon overcome when I began to talk to her. In the course of conversation, I asked her if she had no kind Christian neighbour who could come in now and then and sit awhile with her. "No," she replied, none near me; and to tell you the truth, I don't wish for any of them-I had rather be alone."

In the fourth house, I found an aged paralytic and her daughter, who seemed to be living peaceably together, and I trust they were so; but, after what I had heard from their neighbours, I knew, of course, that they could not enjoy much of friendly intercourse with those around them. And thus it is, thought I, that through the perverseness of our sinful hearts, we cast even the mercies of God from us, and increase the number of human

All our earthly comforts flow to us through the medium of our follow-creatures. What cause

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is this for mutual conciliation, and forbearance, and love! All our earthly trials are the appointment of Him who alone knoweth what is good and needful for us. What cause then to remember that if we cannot bring our condition to our minds, we must labour to bring our minds to our condition! Let us remember too, that "this is not our rest, because it is polluted *;" and that if we would seek to lessen our own miseries, we must strive to lessen those of our fellow-creatures. We must "look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others t." We must be "kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another," even as we hope that "God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us ‡." By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one towards another §.

June 21, 1824.

H.

A SCHOOL BOY'S RESOLVES.

1. Never to quarrel with my school-fellows, but to try to be kind to them, and to do them all the good I can.

2. Never to use any ill words, or to call my school-fellows any names that I know will vex them. This is unkind. I should not like it myself; and I should do to others, as I would wish them to do to me.

3. Never to tell lies, or to use any kind of deceit, but to speak the plain truth, in simple honesty. 4. Never to plague and vex any dumb animals, or put them wantonly to any kind of pain.

5. To think of the name of the Almighty with

*Micah ii. 10.

† Phil, ii. 4.
§ John xiii. 35.

Ephes. iv. 32.