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Gould not be fold, and it fuited the farmer to 

 pay in kind: but even that is better than not 

 employing the poor at all. The poor in Scot- 

 land are employed in fpinning, &c. and they 

 make their own clothing in the winten 



The poor in England, in time of harved, go 

 a-gleaning, which in fadl is little better than 

 going a-flealing ; for, when they gather corn 

 amongd flocks, the temptation is almofl too 

 flrong to refrain from taking from them— a 

 very bad example for children. When inured 

 young to thefe petty thefts, it has a material in- 

 fluence on their condudl during life. The firft 

 time a man does a difhonourable or unjuft 

 deed, he feels uncomfortable : but cullom will 

 make it eafy to him. Now, it will become ra- 

 ther natural for the reaper to leave fome corn 

 when his v/ife and children are gleaning after 

 him upon the very land he has reaped ; and 

 his wife and children are allowed to glean, be- 

 caufe he is a reaper — a very juft caufe why they 

 fhould not. This cuftom ought to be abo- 

 li(hcd ; as it prevents the women in England 

 from becoming reapers at is. or is, 6d. per 



day 



