and would have deceived any who were not. She was then sounded as to her willingness to assist in the Doctor's escape, if she were well rewarded; after some consideration, she assented to play her part in the scheme, which was simply this: that on a day agreed upon, the Doctor's irons having been previously filed, she should exchange dresses, put on the Doctor's gown and wig, and occupy his seat at the reading-desk; while the Doctor, suddenly metamorphosed into his own female domestic, was to have put a bonnet on his head, to have taken a bundle under his arm, and to have walked coolly and quietly out of the prison. It was thought that this plan would have been crowned with success, if the Doctor himself could have been persuaded to accede unto it; but he had all along buoyed himself up with the hope of a reprieve, and, like that ancient general who disdained to owe a victory to a stratagem, so neither would the Doctor be indebted for his life to a trick. The event proved that it was unfortunate that he should have had so many scruples on this occasion, and so few on another. To the Editor of The Economist. SIR;-In your publication of last week, I read with pleasure your caustic and just observations upon Mr. Cotton's sermon to Fauntleroy. It was, certainly, more like a charge from a judge to a jury, than the words of divine consolation, and the reverend castigator of the fallen, exhibited more of the lash than the cross. In the hour of death-and more particularly of such a death as the criminal suffered-the divine promoter of our holy religion is bound to sweeten, not embitter the dregs of life. If Mr. Cotton's observations upon the enor mity of the crime were meant to set forth example to the prisoners assembled, he should have recollected that this indefinite good was attained only by harrowing up the already broken-heart of an expiring man. I trust, Mr. Editor, your remarks, as well as those made by the editor of "The Pulpit," will be the means of directing Mr. Cotton to a serious consideration of the matter, in order that he may avoid such error in future. CLERICUS. CHRISTMAS WAITS. For some time previous to Christmas, it is a common practice for itinerant musicians to go round playing their instruments at midnight: this is called the waits. The idea is derived from the angels that waited or attended upon the birth of Christ. In imitation of these, shepherds, in ancient times, used to usher in Christmas with carols and music. A HINT TO GRAZIERS. At this season of the year, when cattle are frequently fed upon turnips, it sometimes happens that a piece sticks in the throat of the animal in the act of deglutition, threatening, and frequently producing, suffocation. A table-spoonful of sweet-oil poured down the animal's throat will almost invariably give immediate relief. ANNALS OF GULLING NO XXXI. To the Editor of The Economist. PLATED POTATOES. SIR;-One of the objects of your publication being the exposure of deception, I hand you the following recent occurrence, hoping that it may meet the eye of those for whom it is intended, to apprise them that the trick is not unobserved. A friend of mine sold, a short time since, two ships' cargoes of excellent potatoes, from Jersey, to a salesman in one of the principal markets for that article, with the understanding, that he re but served to himself the privilege of supplying a few of his own immediate friends with any quantity they might be disposed to take, upon the same terms. The difference between the wholesale and retail price being considerable, I gladly availed myself of the offer, and ordered two sacks, in full expectation of having some very excellent potatoes; but what was my surprise and disappointment, when, upon opening the first sack, to discover, that, instead of a superior article, I found them, without a single exception, to be all faulty, refuse potatoes, such as had been sorted and thrown aside for an infe rior purpose; and, to hide the deception (they having been washed), fresh earth was sifted over them, and afterwards wetted, to give them the appearance of their original state; it was done in so liberal a way, that the potatoes were completely cased with the mould, so that it was only upon a close inspection that you could ascertain the quality; and after spreading them out to dry, they deposited, at least, a peck of dirt, independent of what adhered to them afterwards. Many of them were rotten and putrid, such as hogs would have turned their olfactory nerves from. Such was the quality of the potatoes substituted and sent in lieu of the best champions, the parties retaining for their own benefit those which they had pledged themselves to furnish, and by which, most likely, they were realizing double what they gave for them. The transaction is 80 dishonourable, that it would, I conceive, be a want of duty to pass it by unobserved: it may, perhaps, prove a useful hint for some of your readers, and will serve to admonish those who have practised the deception; though I should hope there are not many in the trade who would sell their credit upon such paltry terms.-Your's, &c. road, and considering it would be to my interest to acquaint the neighbour hood with it, I wish to be informed, through the medium of your valuable publication, whether I shall be dub bed a guller, if, after commencing business, I post all over the parish large hand-bills descriptive of an extensive robbery on my premises, instead of advertizing through the regular channel of the newspapers. I am of opinion that such a scheme would answer two purposes-it would certainly bring my new establishment into more general notice, and might probably induce the sympathyzing part of the public to step forward to the relief of so unfortunate an individual. But I dare not venture on this new method of advertizing without your sanction. What I propose is a bill something like the following: "To Boot and Shoe-makers, Pawnbrokers, &c. Whereas, on Sunday evening the shop and premises of CHRISTOPHER CUNNING, Blackfriar'sroad, was broken into, and upwards of 1,000 pairs of Wellington and jockey boots, and from 1,000 to 2,000 pairs of men's shoes, stolen therefrom. As it is not improbable that many pairs may be offered for sale or pledge, it is necessary to notice, that the soles were stamped with a most correct likeness of St. Crispin. A reward equal to half the value of the property recovered will be given on conviction of the burglars." observing how she ate her cheese; the qualities of a woman might be tolerably well judged of by her pudding. One who knows not how to make a pudding, is unfit for the wife of a man in middling circumstances; wherefore, young maidens who would wed, betake yourselves with speed to the study and practice of this delightful art, and, in furtherance of your praise-worthy design, we will render you every assistance in our power. "There is reason in roasting an egg," says an old proverb, there is patience in making a pudding, might be added. Puddings are of divers sorts black-puddings and white-puddings, bread-puddings, batter-puddings, and rice-puddings; but of all puddings at this season of the year, commend us to plum-puddings. The ingredients for a plum-pudding are as follows: raisins, currants, suet, eggs, flour, milk and spice: first, of raisins-those from Valencia are the best; they are sold retail about 9d. the pound; these should be clean washed, picked, and stoned; currants, the best come from Zante, an island in the Grecian Archipelago; they are now selling at 1s. the pound; these should be washed over and over again in several waters, and carefully inspected, that no dirty or extraneous matter is mixed therewith. The suet must be cut fine; it has been remarked, that suet chopped too fine, or an egg beat too much, becomes poison: chop away, fair reader, you cannot chop the suet too fine, or beat your eggs too much. When a plumpudding is cold, the fat ought to be seen sparkling in it like the particles of iron in a stone of granite. The raisins stoned, the currants washed, the suet chopped, the eggs well beaten, take half the milk, which mix with the eggs by beating together again; a wooden fork is the best adapted for this purpose; then, by degrees, stir in the flour, then the suet and fruit, adding the remainder of the milk: grated nutmeg and powdered ginger should be distributed through the whole mass, which must be mixed together very thick; some add to this candied lemon-peel, very finely shredded, some wine, and others brandy; these, however, are expletives; the latter especially is wasteful, as the spirit will be destroyed in the boiling; if used at all, pour a little over the pudding when brought to table; the proportions in which the preceding ingredients are to be used, are as follows: a pound of flour, a pound of suet, a pound of currants, a pound of raisins, eight eggs (only using half the whites), a tea-spoonful of powdered ginger, and half a nutmeg grated; the pudding being thus far prepared, get the pudding-bag or cloth; take care it be very clean and not soapy; dip it in hot water, and flour it well; tie it rather loosely; be sure the water boils when the pudding is put in, and it must be looked after every now and then, to prevent its sticking to the bottom of the copper or pot; but this last evil may be prevented by screwing a hook in the inner surface of the copper lid, and attaching the pudding by a thick string thereto, with a small piece of stick also fastened to the string below the hook, for the greater convenience of removing it, or by placing a stick transversely across the copper, to which the pudding may in like manner be suspended. A plum-pudding of the above-named quantities, will require five hours boiling, and so in proportion of one of larger or lesser size. And now, fair damsels, despise not our advice, nor set it down as derogatory to make a pudding. If we may believe the old song, royalty itself hath been thus employed— "In good king Arthur's days, To make a bag-pudding. The queen she made a bag-pudding, And stuck it full of plums, The king and queen did eat of it, And the whole court beside, And what they could not eat that day, The queen next morning fried.” MINCE PIES. To make mince-pies in small tin dishes, you must butter your dishes well; then put a little thin crust in the dish; lay fine sugar at the bottom; then put in the minced meat, prepared as directed last week, with a very small quantity of finely-chop-^ ped citron; squeeze a little lemonjuice over it, and cover it with a well-beaten puff-paste, made in the proportion of a pound of butter with a quartern offlour, or a quarter of a pound of butter to one pound of flour. Some use neat's-tongue, minced fine, mixed with the ordinary mince; if you do this, parboil a fine neat'stongue, skin it clean, and mince it very fine; or the inside of a sirloin of beef will answer, well prepared in the same way. If, however, meat is used, the quantity of fruit must be increased. USEFUL RECEIPTS. DOMESTIC MEDICINE. CURE FOR COUGHS. A cupfull of horehound-tea in the morning is good in old coughs, but not in recent affectious. A STOMACHIC AND LAXATIVE One drachm of tincture of rhubarb, one of tincture of senna, and one ounce of water: mix, and take it in the middle of the day. TO REMOVE THE MOST INVETERATE WARTS. A bit of impure potass, or capis infernalis, moistened, should be gently rubbed on the surface of them a few minutes, so as to leave a kind of whitish pasté upon them; over this should be applied a strip of stickingplaster, which must remain on for weck: if the warfs be not then nearly gone, apply the potass again. TO MAKE PUMPKIN OIL. From the seeds of the pumpkin, which are generally thrown away, an abundance of an excellent oil may be 'extracted. When peeled, they yield much more oil than an equal quantity of flax. This oil burns well, gives a lively light, lasts longer than other oils, and einits very little smoke. It has been used on the continent for frying fish, &c. The cake remaining after the extraction of the oil, may be given to cattle, who eat it with avidity. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. The Pamphlet by G. P. Boyer has come to hand.. A. Zy shall be inserted. A Country Clout's request soon. We shall be glad of E. H. P.'s promised communications. A General Index to the First Volume will soon be published. 'Amber varnish may be, had at any of the colour shops in Queen-street, but copal varnish will answer the purpose. We have received the hint respecting Savings Banks, which we will attend to. Communications (post_paid) to be addressed to the Editor, at THE PUBLISHERS, 55, Paternoster Row, London, T. C. Hansard, Pater-noster-row Press. |