A SUPERINTENDENT OF THE OLDEN DAYS, 
for opening a bottle ; he cut off the wax, stuck a table 
fork firmly into the cork, put a knile between the 
prongs, and eased it round, until the cork got a little 
above the mouth of the bottle ; he then got a silk 
pocket handkerchief, slightly damped the end of it, 
which he rolled tightly round the projecting cork, and 
as he twisted round the handkerchief the cork moved 
round with it, always moving a little upwards, until 
it came out with a pop. Mr. Kenneth then poured out 
about a glass full, drank it off, and felt very onuch 
refreshed. Nothing more need be said, further than that 
on his getting up next morning ; he felt very unwell, 
and unable to go out to work. He thought a “mp” 
would set him up, and examined the bottles, but 
strange to say, they were all empty; there was none, 
not a drop. He did not like to ask “ the boy, ” as 
it might not have been him — in fact, he began to sus- 
pect he must have polished them off himself, but 
felt rather confused, having no very distinct recol- 
lection on the subject. Just then the neighbour looked 
in, to see if he could borrow any rice, as usual, and as a 
matter of course, of course, the carts were long past due, 
and must turn up in a day or two, a remark which had 
been passed for or during the last fortnight, but still 
they had not turned up, not the least signs of any such a 
very unusual occurrence. He looked hard at Mr. Kenneth 
and said, “Kenneth you have broken your promise, you 
have been drinking ?” He replied, “I have been having 
a little liquor, but 1 have not broken my promise. My 
promise was, 1 would send for, or keep no liquor in the 
house. But I never promised not to drink it, if any 
one chose to make a present and set it down on the 
sideboard, and he explained the whole circumstances 
of the case.’’ The neighbour said, he hardly thought he 
was justified in accepting the present of liquor ; he 
could easily have explained to the people ; that he had 
given up taking any, and it was no present at all ; 
being a present that was of no use to bim at all — 
not only of no use, but a positive evil if he did 
use it. He thought any canganie of the meanest 
capacity could understand this reasoning, and it would 
also have had the beneficial effect of preventing them 
bringing any more, for it was very evident they brought 
it, under the impression that it would be the most 
acceptable present they could offer to master. But 
even if he did, from motives of policy (?) accept of 
the present, why drink it ? He could just have un- 
corked the bottles, and poured out all their contents; 
no doubt it was not worth much, just cheap rubbish, 
dangerous under any circumstance to use. “ Well,” says 
Kenneth,”—! never— the idea, the wasteful extravagance 
of some folks pouring out liquor, good or bad. Catch 
me wasting anything. I’m not that sort of man, 
