248 FaJJoion with regard to Tea. 
frequently hurried from it in purfuit of other amufements. 
You have abufed the ufe of this drug in a double capacity ; 
iirft, by fuffering it to become fo vulgar an entertainment ; 
and next, by playing at cards, inftead of discoursing over 
your cups, abolishing the primitive eflablifhment, and the 
only good of tea-drinking. I wifh the old cuftom was re- 
flored, provided fome other liquor were introduced in its place, 
of which I Shall fay more hereafter. In the mean while give 
me leave to obferve, that whilft fo great a portion of time is 
appropriated to reft, cards, the diverfions of the theatre, the 
table, and sometimes to the care of domeftic affairs, none of 
my acquaintance, that I know of, except two or three old 
gentlewomen, ever retire to their clofets, as our grandmothers 
often did. 
Tho’ you fair patriots Should not form a body, I hate the 
word party, Strong enough to fupprefs the ufe of tea, I wifh 
fome part of the afternoon, fuppofe only half an hour, were 
devoted to reading the scriptures : this was once thought a 
matter of some confequence. It might be wifhed indeed that 
thofe ladies who have, and thofe who have not read the bible 
fince they were children, or thofe who never read it at all, 
would tax their time, and read one chapter before tea, in the 
afternoon, with the fame attention as they pray before tea 
in the morning. Upon my word I am Serious; I mean exa&ly 
what I fay : ’ tis a miferable thing not to be Methodists in any 
fenfe, but that of regularly living in a perpetual dissipation; 
for this Seems to be a wilder enthufiafm, with regard to pre- 
sent pleafures, than theirs with refpedt to future joys ; and of 
the 
