366 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 9. 
From Store Rooms. —Potatoes, Jerusalem Artichokes, 
: Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, Scorzonera, Salsafy, Red P>eet, 
I Onions, Shallots, Garlic, Rocambole, Chervil, &c. 
From, Forcing Ground. — Sorrel (green), Mint (green), 
Radishes, Asparagus, New Potatoes, Sea Kale, blanched 
Turnip-tops, Rhubarb Stalks, Mushrooms, blanched Chicory, 
Mustard and Cress, French Eeans, Cucumbers. 
Fruit from Fruit Room. —Apples, Pears, Medlars, Quinces, 
I Walnuts, Chesnuts, Filberts, Ac. 
Fruitfrom Forcing Ground .—Pino Apple (at times), Oranges 
(at times, when cultivated), late Grapes, or early Grapes, 
and Strawberries. 
R. Fish. 
RICH, YET POOR. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers." 
A very solemn word is about to be spoken to us all in 
the following awfully affecting narrative. It has been fur¬ 
nished by the same kind hand that has sent so many words 
“ in season; ” but scarcely any circumstances of real life 
have met my observation so heart rending, so terrible, as 
these! 
“ In the middle of a great thoroughfare in a large manu¬ 
facturing town, in the north, may be seen a quaint old 
house and shop, which, like an aged, prejudiced person, 
seems to laugh at modern innovations, and to hold improve¬ 
ments in supreme contempt. For although its more pre¬ 
suming compeers have gradually taken tone from their 
neighbours, as ono after another abandoned its small 
windows, and adopted magnificent squares of plate glass, 
yet the old house still retains its primitive simplicity—a 
large stone step standing at the door way, and two old 
windows, which have occupied the same position for more 
than half-a century, forming its frontage. The real cause 
of its retaining so venerable an appearance, however, is, in 
iact, the tight-handedness of its possessor—a man whose 
father carried on the same business successfully before him. 
“John Scott, until the last year or two, was invariably at 
his post behind the counter; morning, noon, and night, 
might ever bo seen his broad expansive countenance attend¬ 
ing upon his customers, until a looker-on might really 
wonder when and how ho contrived to spare time to satisfy 
the cravings of his appetite. To be ‘ not slothful in busi¬ 
ness ’ appeared to be Scott’s guiding text, to the exclusion 
of every other in the Word of God; for the scraping 
together and laying up of gold seemed to be the aim and 
end of his existence; and money in large quantities he did 
get, and held it, too, with an iron grasp which nothing could 
loosen. No matter what inducement was held out—no 
matter how great the need for charitable assistance—Scott 
was not to be softened into charity. Families to whom he 
was deeply indebted for their assistance in the gathering up 
of his wealth might press upon him cares and the most 
distressing necessities; charitable institutions with bank¬ 
rupt committees might plead the absolute need of imme¬ 
diate help to enable them to carry on their benevolent 
undertakings,—Scott was unmoved; not a sixpence would 
he give ! and yet he was rolling in wealth 1! 
“ Although his fellow-townsmen despised his penurious 
habits, and held him in contempt, yet they still frequented 
his shop, for the articles he sold could not elsewhere be 
procured so good, and were certainly far superior to any 
production of his rival manufacturers. Alas! that this man 
should have forgotten the many warnings of the Word of 
| God, not to make gold our idol; and that he should not 
i have remembered that ‘to whom much is given, from him 
i will much be required ! ’ 
“ But did this accumulation of wealth really add to his 
happiness? Listen to the rest of my story, ye who receive 
liberally, and dispense with niggardliness, and take warning. 
John Scott, to the surprise of his neighbours, was seen less 
lrequontly behind his counters; on busy days even his 
absence was occasionally noticed—questions were asked, 
and unsatisfactory answers were given, without any par- 
: ticular reasons being offered. At last the truth was dis¬ 
covered a kind of diseased state of feeling had gradually 
! b een creeping over him. He began, at first, to express 
I fears that his household expences were beyond what his 
j income would afford—the fear and alarm increased ; he 
next fancied he should become a bankrupt. His friends 
endeavoured to laugh him out of such an absurd idea, but 
the feeling increased, and to such a degree that he feared 
the approach of bailiffs; and at last his fancies carried him 
to such a pitch that he refused to leave his bed, and became 
decidedly deranged in mind upon that one subject. There 
he lies now, a wretched, miserable man—dreading every tap 
at his door as the harbinger of the sheriff’s officer—every 
visit of a fri.jnd as a messenger to convey him to the work- 
house. His business is carried on by his friends, and he is 
never expected to be able again to resume his labours. 
“ Is there no moral in this ? Does it not speak to the 
covetous man in words not to be misunderstood ? Alas ! 
what object is more melancholy—more difficult to meet in 
social life without expressing disapprobation of it—than the 
niggardly man of ample means ? ” 
Readers, it seems almost beyond the power of man to 
speak upon so terrible a history as this! It seems as if the 
narrative itself said everything. But I would beseech you 
to consider how it is with men when they “ fall down and 
worship” the prince of this world! “All these things,” 
saith the devil to the sold, “ will I give tliee, if ”— if only — 
“thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Behold the end, 
the worldly end, of such worship and such service! While 
the very meat is in their mouths, the wrath of God goeth 
forth and slays their enjoyment of it. All is turned to 
wormwood. Like the apples on the Dead Sea shore, the 
mouth that eats them is filled with dust and bitterness. 
Satan, that old serpent, has twined round their hearts, 
crushed their spiritual life, and now leaves them in mockery 
to reap according as they have sown. Oh ! what a portion 
is it when we reap corruption ! 
Here is an instance—an appalling instance—of the vanity 
of riches. Poor John Scott still holds them ; they have 
not been snatched from him; but yet they are lost to him : 
the Lord has blown upon them, and they have withered in 
his grasp; his power of enjoyment is cut off; he. can 
discern them no longer. Solomon says, “ There is a sore 
evil which I have seen under the sun ; namely, riches kept 
for the owners thereof to their hurt.” Fie also says, “There 
is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common 
among men: a man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, 
and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all 
that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat 
thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an 
evil disease.” Indeed it is. 
Poor Scott yet lives, and the day of grace may, therefore, 
not yet be passed. There is “ balm in Gilead; ” there is 
ointment to mollify the deadliest sore; there is a medicine 
that can draw out even the sting of death ! Is he wholly 
dead to things of sense ? Might the Gospel sound still 
touch an unbroken chord in that poor, jangled mind! 
Nothing else can save body or soul; but the healing leaves 
of “the tree of life ” might yet be laid to the soul, and it 
might arise and sing! He who was “ wounded for our 
transgressions, aud bruised for our iniquities,” is ready and 
willing to save; and nothing can so effectually restore a 
diseased and disturbed mind as the soothing and sweet 
sound of Jesus’ message to lost sinners. 
Readers, let us “ beware of covetousness, which is idolatry.” 
Let us “ use riches, as not abusing them ” or they will 
“ pierce us through with many sorrows.” They are God’s, 
and not our’s, even when poured into our lap; we are only 
stewards, and if unjust ones—if niggardly ones—laying up, 
instead of laying out — remember. 
CITY OE MANCHESTER EXHIBITION 
OF POULTRY. 
Although behind many other localities, Manchester 
appears to have determined, when it did begin, to com¬ 
mence in earnest; and when we state that this, their first 
Show, numbered upwards of 900 pens, we may well congra¬ 
tulate the amateurs of the neighbourhood On their first 
success. The meeting was held on the 24th and 25th of 
January, in the “Free Trade Hall,” a place in which other 
sounds than the crowing of cocks were wont to have been 
