Temperance Facts, Anecdotes, and Figures. FROM THE EDITOR'S NOTE-BOOK. I. HOW TO BECOME STRONG MEN. N the summer of 1872 it was necessary to shift the rails on upwards of 500 miles of permanent way on the Great Western line from the broad to the narrow gauge, and there was only a fortnight to do it in. The work to be got through was enormous. About 3,000 men were employed, and they worked double time, sometimes from four in the morning till nine at night. Not a soul was sick, sorry, or drunk, and the work was accomplished within the fortnight. What was the extraordinary support of this wonderful spurt of muscular energy? Weak skilly. To spare every ounce of strength, the men were hutted along the line, and brought with them bacon, bread, cheese, cocoa, etc., to provide their usual meals, at usual times. There was no beer, spirits, or alcoholic drink in any form. A pound and a half of oatmeal and a half-pound of sugar was allowed to each man daily, and to every gang of twentyone men a cook was told off. The first thing done in the morning was to breakfast: and then the cook, with his cauldron, started along the line till water was found convenient, and a fire-place of stones built, and the pot boiled. Oatmeal was then sprinkled into it with sugar, and thoroughly well boiled. The thirsty men liked it exceedingly, and learned by experience the importance of having it well cooked. Here is a very old and well-known agent, cheap enough, and easily procured, capable of imparting "staying power" better, probably, than anything else, which is not employed to anything like the extent it might be with advantage.-The Lancet. (The leading Medical Journal.) II. HOW TO BECOME CAPITALISTS. THE expenditure of the working classes alone in drink exceeds £60,000,000 every year. Every year, therefore, the working classes have it in their power to become capitalists (simply by saving wasteful and pernicious expenditure) to an extent that would enable them to start at least 500 cotton mills, or iron works, or coal mines on their own account, or to purchase at least 500,000 acres of land, and to set up 50,000 families, each with a nice little estate of ten acres of freehold. No one can dispute facts. The working-men of England have the power every year of starting 50,000 of their number with ten acres of freehold as their own, simply by abstaining from strong drink.-Quarterly Review. III. DR. HOOK'S TEETOTALISM; OR, "MY MISSUS AND YOURN." Ir was Dr. Hook's boast, that for more than facturing districts, not for the working classes, thirty years he had "laboured in the manubut with them, in the measures desired by themselves for the improvement of their class, and having for their object the formation of habits of temperance and prudence; and especially that he had worked with them in the cause of rational recreation and of education.' It was with a view to aid this wide and general step in the education of the masses that, late in life, he joined the Temperance movement, and became a pledged teetotaler. He used to tell the story of his change in this direction in the following way: "I had in my parish at Leeds a man who earned 18s. a week; out of this he used to give 78. to his wife, and to spend the rest in drink; but for all that, he was a good sort of man. I went to him and said, 'Now, suppose you abstain altogether for six months.' 'Well, if I do, will you, sir?' was his reply. 'Yes,' I said, 'I will.' What,' said he, from beer, from spirits, and from wine?' 'Yes.' 'And how shall I know if you keep your promise ?' 'Why, Sir, you ask my "Missus," and I'll ask yourn.' It was agreed between us for six months at first, and afterwards we renewed the promise. He never resumed the bad habit that he had left off; and he is now a prosperous and happy man in business at St. Petersburg, and I am Dean of Chichester." THE YOUNG FOLKS' PAGE. The Young folks' page. 1. ARE YOU GROWING P T is three times mentioned that Samuel "grew." What does it mean? Grew tall P grew clever? grew good? In each way I should think he grew. His body grew, his mind grow, his heart grew, his soul grew. Are you growing ? I don't mean only your body; but is your soul, your heart, your mind growing? Would God say that? Can you say, as a man once said—“I am not what I ought to be; I am not what I wish to be; I am not what I shall be; but I am not what I once was." We ought to be always growing, growing in grace as well as in years. Are you growing? -The Rev. J. Vaughan. II. A NEW YEAR'S RESOLVE. GOD says to every boy and girl, "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth": and He promises that all who "seek Him early shall find Him." A good man named Philip Henry resolved, when he was young, to give himself to God: and he did it in these words:-"I take God the Father to be my Chief End: I take God the Son to be my King and Saviour: I take God the Holy Ghost to be my Guide and Sanctifier: I take the Bible to be my rule of life: I take all God's people to be my friends; and here I give my body and my soul to be God's-for God to use for ever." That was 23 III. THE LESSON AT NAZARETH. To thy father and thy mother, Honour, love, and reverence pay; Of obedience such as Thine. Teach me how to please and gladden Then, when years are gathering o'er them, The Bible Mine Searched. BY THE RIGHT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF SODOR AND MAN. JANUARY SPECIAL PRIZE DISTRIBUTION. 2,000 VOLUMES of "THE DAY OF DAYS” ANNUAL, Cloth Gilt, 2s. each. AST year a Friend of Sunday Schools generously bore the entire cost of 1,000 volumes of "THE DAY OF DAYS" ANNUAL, which were given as Prizes for the best answers to our January Questions. The distribution excited great interest, the general testimony echoing the words of the Vicar of one parish, who wrote:-" The offered prize has been the means of stirring up children and parents to a wonderful degree. When all the answers were received I gave an address upon them to the scholars, and afterwards preached in the church on one of the ques tions." We are glad to say that we are enabled to repeat the offer, although in a somewhat different form. The award and transmission of single volumes by post involved serious labour as well as expense; and since each school might well present six or twelvo prizes to the different classes, and it is a good plan to "help those who help themselves," we propose this year that our friends should share the outlay, so that we may double the number of prizes, and send them out in larger parcels by rail. We offer therefore to send, as prizes for the best-written answers to the Bible Questions for January, to any Clergyman or Sunday School Superintendent in the United Kingdom who will award themSix Copies of "THE DAY OF DAYS" ANNUAL, value 12s., for 68. Twelve The Volumes, up to 2,000, will be sent in the order of letters received by £1 4s., for 10s. 6d. MR. CHARLES MURRAY, "HAND & HEART" OFFICE, 1, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, LONDON, E.C. The Clergy localising "HOME WORDS" can have the volumes enclosed in their February parcel. Less than six copies cannot be sent. In no case are the Answers to be forwarded. Each School will award its own prizes. We think, in most parishes, some generous local Friend may be easily found willing to supply the 6s. or the 10s. 6d. as a stimulus to the young to "Search the Scriptures." We do not think money could well be more wisely spent. BIBLE QUESTIONS. 1. HOW was the omniscience of Christ twice mani a tree ? fested, but in different ways, in connection with 2. What man was thought to be Divine from the miraculous power exercised by himself and on himself? 3. The palace roof was the scene of the moral fall of two great kings-who were they? 4. What are God's three great reasons for sending rain? 5. When did God's people tremble by reason of the showers which He sent ? 6. Is it ever unsafe to be on the rock P 7. How was the proverb beautifully illustrated, that a good name is better than precious ointment? 8. Who was specially permitted to enter Paradise before he died? And who directly afterwards? 9. Why was God's anger kindled on one occasion when the people were numbered, and not on another? 10. How was King Solomon's prayer for the stranger answered hundreds of years after the Dedication of the Temple ? 11. Were any of St. Paul's family brought to know the Lord Jesus previous to his conversion? 12. Why does the Preacher say that there is a time to kill, when God says distinctly, Thou shalt not kill? ANSWERS (See Nov. No., page 263). I. Acts ii. 34. II. St. Matt. iii. 17; xvii. 5; and St. John xii. 28. III. In one only, St. Luke xvi. 19-31. IV. St. Mark xii. 17. V. St. Matt. viii. 29; St. Mark iii. 11; St. Luke iv. 34, 41. VI. His prayer for Peter, St. Luke xxii. 31, 32; for His Church, St. John xvii., and for His murderers, St. Luke xxiii. 34. VII. St. James ii. 8. VIII. Acts xiv. 12. IX. 1 St. Peter ii. 25. X. Acts i. 12. |