THE IMPOSITION OF INNS.

We should not be wrong were we to substitute a stronger expression for the impositions of inns-"plundering" perhaps is more applicable. Who is there that has travelled through England, that will not willingly join our opinion? The shades of departed pounds, and whole myriads of cousumptive purses, will bear us out with most lamentable outcries. But of all inns in England, those at whose tables stage-coach travellers are, in defence of their gastric organs, obliged to dine, breakfast, sup, lunch, or refresh, are the worst:-perfect vampires. To those who have had the means of visiting such, as travellers-and who has not some time in his life?-we say, do ye rememberor rather can ye forget that stomach and pocket - twitching sentence"Coach is ready, gemmen!" Oh, Mer

cury, thou deity of thieves and travellers, on merely mentioning the attributes of thy subtile host of is, our pen bristles up its feathers "Coach is ready, gemmen!!" Even after a ride of two nights and a dayeight hours, perhaps, without a morsel, you sit down to a dinnertable just long enough to see a slice or two on your plate, and half a slice in your mouth, without either sauce or vegetable, when you are told, unless you instantly stand up, and pay three, four, or five shillings for what you have eaten, the coach must go without you! Had the dinner been ready upon the table just as you came in, you might have had a tolerably fair chance of enough to eat, provided you left politeness out of the question, and, as Pat says, "leathered away like a man:" but how is it? you are calling and calling-waiter here, and waiter there with "Coming, Sir," and "Going, Sir," until at least twenty minutes are gone; five more are employed in putting the dishes to rights, bringing in sauce, vegetables, &c. when perhaps you are arrested in your intentions by the want of a knife or fork: thus out of the half hour allowed to dine, you have five minutes to perform the necessary acts of repletion for twelve hours, and for this you pay-need we tell you travellers? you know it but too well already.

A friend of ours was once obliged to dine at an inn in Wolverhampton, which, for obvious reasons, we leave nameless. The coach stopped at five o'clock, and the travellers were allow ed half an hour. Dinner was not put on the table until twenty minute after the arrival of the coach; it con sisted of a leg of mutton and vegetables; our friend eat as much as time and a moderately capable pair of jaws would allow, and took a glass of brandy and water. The travellers were obliged to stand up unsatisfied, and for this meal our friend was charged five and sixpence!

Now we propose a plan to remedy this evil: but proposing a plan and exciting those to carry that plan into execution who have it in their power, are two different things; however, we will

The

nd so far we shall have done our izet an act be passed to oblige n, hotel, tavern, and publicto have a printed list of their ffixed in the coffee-room. Dannot start: you may not—you required to go by this list, nor ou offend your delicate eyes he sight of it; but let it bc, then, at any plain, homespun, sensort of man may look before he

This would save a world of asant feelings, and many a . We see no possible objection e measure, nor can an honest ord-if he is to be found.

e would substitute a plan for the nt; that is, requesting the names of ose impostors and pick-pockets, let us manage them.

REFLECTIONS, MAXIMS, &c.

(Continued from p. 189.)

3. If all seconds were as averse to ls as their principals, very little od would be shed in that way. 14. The road to glory would cease be arduous, if it were trite and dden; and great minds must be ady not only to take opportunities, it to make them. Alexander ragged the Pythian priestess to the mple on a forbidden day. She exaimed, " My son, thou art invinble," which was oracle enough for im. On a second occasion, he cut ne. Gordian knot which others had vain attempted to untie. Those ho start for human glory, like the ettled hounds of Acteon, must purque the game not only where there is

path, but where there is none. They must be able to simulate and o dissimulate, to leap and to creep; to conquer the earth like Cæsar, or to fall down and kiss it like Brutus; to throw their sword like Brennus into the trembling scale; or, like Nelson, to snatch the laurels from the doubtful hand of Victory, while she is hesitating where to bestow them. That policy that can strike only while the iron is hot, will be overcome by that perseverance which, like Cromwell's, can make the iron hot by striking; and he that can

only rule the storm, must yield to him who can both raise and rule it.

15. Some one, in casting up his accounts, put down a very large sum per annum for his idleness. But there is another account more awful than that of our expences, in which many will find that their idleness has mainly contributed to the balance against them. From its very inaction, idleness ultimately becomes the most active cause of evil, as a palsy is more to be dreaded than a fever. The Turks have a proverb, which says, that The devil tempts all other men, but that idle men tempt the devil;" and Prince Eugene informed a confidential friend, that, in the course of his life, he had been exposed to many Potiphars, to all of whom he had proved a Joseph, merely because he had so many other things to attend to.

16. The excesses of our youth are drafts upon our old age, payable with interest, about thirty years after date.

We

17. Men spend their lives in anticipations, in determining to be vastly happy at some period or other, when they have time. But the present time` has one advantage over every other -it is our own. Past opportunities are gone, future are not come. may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer the tasting of them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age. Let our happiness, therefore, be a modest mansion which we can inhabit, while we have our health and vigour to enjoy it; not a fabric, so vast and expensive, that it has cost us the best part of our lives to build it, and which we can expect to occupy only when we have less occasion for an habitation than a tomb. It has been well observed, that we should treat Futurity as an aged friend, from whom we expect a rich legacy. Let us do nothing to forfeit his esteem, and treat him with respect, not with servility. But let us not be too prodigal when we are young, nor too parsimonious when we are old, otherwise we shall fall into the common error of those who, when they had the power to enjoy, had not the prudence to acquire; and

when they had the prudence to acquire, had no longer the power to enjoy

18. It is better to be laughed at than ruired; better to have a wife, who,like Martial's Mamurra, cheapens every thing, and buys nothing, than to be impoverished by one whose vanity will purchase every thing, but whose pride will cheapen nothing.

COOKERY.

TO ROAST A SHOULDER OF VEAL.

Cut off the knuckle for a stew or gravy; roast the other part for stuffing; you may lard it if you like; serve with melted butter; the blade bone, with a good deal of meat left on, eats extremely well with mushroom or oyster-sauce, or mushroom catsup and butter.

TO ROAST A GREEN GOOSE.

Truss, and singe the goose; lay it down to the fire; dust it with flour, and baste it well with dripping; baste it three or four different times with cold dripping: it will make the flesh rise better than if you baste it out of the dripping-pan. If it is a large one, it will require three quar ters of an hour to roast. When you think it is nearly done, dredge it with flour, sprinkle it with a little salt, and baste it with a small piece of butter, till there is a fine froth, and the goose is a nice brown. Dish it up with a little brown gravy under it.

TO ROAST FOWLS."

Put them down, when ready trussed, to a good fire; singe, dust, and baste them well. A little before taking up, sprinkle some salt and more flour, and baste with a small piece of butter.

TO BOTL FOWLS.

Dust them well with flour; put them into a kettle of cold water, cover it close, and set it on the fire. When the scum begins to rise, take it off; put on the cover, and let them boil twenty minutes; take

them off, cover them close, to keep in the steam, and the heat of the water will stew them enough in half an hour: it keeps the skin wiple, and they will be both whiter and plumper than if they had boiled fast. When you take them up, drain them, and pour over them white sauce, or melted butter and parsley.

TO ROAST YOUNG CHICKENS

When you roast young chickens, only cut off the claws; truss them, and put them down to a good fire; singe, dust, and baste them as above. They will take a quarter of an hour, or twenty minutes roasting.

TO BOIL YOUNG CHICKENS.

Singe them and dust them well with flour; put them in cold water, cover them close, and set them over a slow fire; take off the scum, and let them boil slowly for five or six minutes; then take them off the fire; keep them closely covered in the water for half an hour, and it will stew them enough. Put them on the fire just before serving, to make them quite hot. Pour over them white sauce, as for fowls.

USEFUL RECEIPTS.

TO CLEAN PICTURE-FRAMES, &c. Gilded picture and looking-glass frames, if well gilded, may be cleaned by a soft brusn with hot spirits of wine, or oil of turpentine. Take care how you heat the spirit of wine; it is very inflammable.

TO GILD STEEL.

Pour some of the ethereal solution of gold into a wine-glass, and dip therein the blade of a new pen-knife, lancet, or razor; withdraw the instrument, and allow the ether to evaporate. The blade will be found to be covered by a very beautiful coat of gold. A clean rag, or small piece of very dry sponge may be dipped in the ether, and used to moisten the blade, with the same result.

In this case there is no occasion 10 pour the liquid into a glass, which must undoubtedly lose by evapora

tion; but the rag or sponge may be moistened by it, by applying either to the mouth of the vial. This coatin of gold will remain on the steel for a great length of time, and will preserve it from rusting.

This is the way in which swords and other cutlery are ornamented. Lancets too are in this way gilded with great advantage, to secure them from rust.

TO MAKE BOOTS AND SHOES WATERPROOF.

Boots and shoes may be made perfectly water-proof by the following composition: take 3 ounces of spermaceti, and melt it in a pipkin or other earthen vessel, over a slow fire; add thereto of Indian rubber cut into slices; these will presently dissolve; then add 2 ounces of hog's lard, 8 ounces of tallow; 4 ounces of amber varnish (to be had at most oil-shops); mix together, and, it will be fit for use immediately. Cover the boots.or shoes twice or thrice with this composition with a common blacking brush, and they will acquire a beautiful polish.

PICKLING.

This is the time for pickling gherkins, walnuts, onions, French beans, cauliflowers, cabbage, &c. What a waste of time and money too it is to send out for pickles a few pennyworth at a time, as they are wanted. How frequently has Mrs. Busy exclaimed, "Bless us, what a little bit or cabbage here is for three-pence : well, I declare I will pickle some myself this year; I intended it last, but really my time is so much occupied!" So Mrs. Busy has said this dozen years, always intending and always neglecting; so many things to do, that nothing gets done. Now, Mr. Busy, go to market at once, and order the things which are to be pickled. Get some stone jars, although they are somewhat dearer than the common earthenware; the vinegar and salt will penetrate through the common ware: stone or glass are the only things to keep pickles in: don't take the pickles out with your fingers; it is

not only a dirty trick, but it will spoil the pickle; neither use a metal spoon, as it will spoil it; but get a wooden spoon, and always keep it in one place.

TO PICKLE GHERKINS.

Put the gherkins into a jar, and boil some vinegar; put enough to cover them, add a little salt, and set them near the fire; boil the vinegar every day for five or six days; cover them close, to keep in the steam; then have ready some fresh vinegar, with black and white pepper and ginger; put in the gherkins, and let them simmer very slowly, till they look green; when they are cool, lay them down, and set them in a dry place.

HATS.

At

The general voice of antiquity is in favour of the precept that the head should be lightly covered; and, indeed, the covering which nature has given, seems alone sufficient for its protection, except where the hair is extremely thin, or the head bald. By going uncovered in the open air, if dry, the head is strengthened; but to render the practice perfectly safe, it should be begun at an early age. no age, however, ought a person to go uncovered in sunshine, when the weather is hot, as the consequence may be an inflammation, or some other affection of the brain. Against such accidents black hats afford little defence; for instead of reflecting the heat, they adinit the solar rays to act more strongly upon the head. For people who are much in the open air, hats of a white or any other colour would be preferable. White straw hats are very pleasant wear and if generally worn would give eme ployment to a great many females, which is a matter of great importance, viewed in more lights than one.

STOCKINGS..

Cotton stockings, though now generally worn, are far from conducing to the preservation of health, unless frequently changed. For, when once. filled with perspirable matter, they

do not admit any more to pass through them: but there accumulates a glutinous substance, which obstructs the pores of the skin. Silk stockings, likewise, unless worsted be worn under them, retard perspiration. The same may be said of thread stockings. In fact, no stockings are equal to woollen, in regard to supporting perspiration; but taste and fashion cannot readily adopt what common use has depreciated.

Whatever be the form of clothes, garters and all tight bandages should be avoided, as they retard the circulation, and are likewise injurious to the muscles of the parts to which they are applied.

It is a matter of no small importance to keep the feet warm, without which the blood accumulates towards the head, and there is a sensation of coldness over the whole body extremely prejudicial to perspiration.

ing and evening, is a sufficient dose. When it produces giddiness, it should be discontinued.

The leaves of Stramonium mixed with lard, and allowed to remain up a slow fire for an hour, is a good oint-. ment or linament to rub upon the joints, in rheumatisın.

PUNCH TO CURE A COLD

This remedy, from its agreeable qualities towards the palate, is a frequent one: a more dangerous can-not be. What is called a cold, is always depending upon partial inflammation, and as ardent spirits increase the action of the arteries, the inflammation may extend; and, if in the lungs, may prove fatal. Inslight cases, however, a perspiration induced by the punch may relieve, but it is a dangerous experiment; such a remedy will be always esteemed by a certain class of people, and those will always have an excuse for it. If they get better the next morning, after this dose of delight, they extol to the skies its medicinal qualities and if, on the other hand, they are worse in the morning, they tell you that if it were not for the hot punch which they took the night before, they are sure they would be still worse it not gone altogether!

How fortunate!"It is more dangerous than opium.-A hot drink of whey indeed is a true remedy