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Don't take an inch of land without the means of 

 buying a cow, and of paving your rent — he content 

 rather to work as lal)0urers, in which capacity, if 

 you act in the character of wiUing and honest work- 

 men, you will be sure of a preference, and of being 

 always employed. 



But the fact is, that most young men think them- 

 selves old and wise, and rich enoiigh to marry and 

 farm, and having once got this foohsh notion into 

 their heads, it is next to impossilile to drive it out 

 again. To be sure, if they are very likely chaps, and 

 happen to marry a wealthy ^vidow, or a portioned girl, 

 they may get on smoothly enough, and maintain a 

 family comfortably, even on a very small farm ; but 

 the mistake is, that most young men overrate their 

 means, and think that a very trilling sura quahlies 

 them to marry and farm — nay, some are contented 

 with having the mere marriage money, and trust to 

 a good crop of potatoes for every contingency — (by 

 the way, I dread next shrove-tide, the potatoes are 

 now so plenty) — I wish that you had a little Scotch 

 prudence in this particular ; a Scotchman would as 

 soon think of thrusting his calculating noddle into the 

 fire, as of slipping it into the yoke of matrimony, until 

 by patient industry he had acquired the means of sup- 

 porting a wife and children. Now, I am very far from 

 wishing to discourage you altogether from marriage, 

 which " is honorable in all," but I contend for this, 

 that when you marry without the actual means of 

 maintaining a family, you are doing wrong ; because, in 

 such case, you are bringing distress, and sorrow, and 

 sickness upon your offspring : in short, I wish you to 

 consider consequences. Marriage should he viewed 

 as the reward of frugal industry — as the goal to which 

 the poor man's desire should tend ; Imt at the same 

 time you should be taught to think, that it is a hap- 

 piness beyond your reach, unless you render your- 

 selves worthy of it. You have heard, I suppose, the 

 story of Tim Delany, who having some capital, and 

 wishing very prudently to encrease it by marriage 



