London to John O 1 Groat's. 225 



break this hereditary thraldom to the Beer-Barrel. 

 Another powerful auxiliary to this good work might 

 be contributed in the form of a simple contrivance, 

 which any man of mechanical genius and a kind heart 

 might elaborate. In this go-ahead age, scores of things 

 are made portable that once were fast-anchored solidi- 

 ties. We have portable houses, portable beds, portable 

 stoves and cooking ranges, as well as portable steam- 

 engines. Now, if some benevolent and ingenious 

 man would get up a little portable affair, at the cost 

 of two or three shillings, especially, for agricultural 

 laborers in this country, which they could carry with 

 one hand into the field, and by which they could make 

 and keep hot a pot of coffee, cocoa, chocolate, broth or 

 porridge, and also bake a piece of meat and a few 

 potatoes, it would be a real benefaction to thousands, 

 and help them up to the high road of a better 

 condition. 



What is the best condition to which the agricultural 

 laborers in Great Britain may ever expect to attain, 

 or to which they may be raised by that benevolent 

 effort now put forth for their elevation ? They may 

 all be taught to read and write and do a little in the 

 first three rules of arithmetic. That will raise them 

 to a new status and condition. Education of the 

 masses has become such a vigorous idea with the 



