178 
T1IE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 8. 
ancl intimating ber intention of returning that afternoon. 
Her master strictly interrogated the messenger, and ascer¬ 
tained, to his great mortification, that she was really well. 
Indignant at the discovery, he sent a,message which most 
probably had the effect of alarming poor Jane; for in the 
evening her mistress was greatly astonished at the arrival of 
a cab containing Jane and her sister, and was still more 
astounded by their peremptorily demanding Jane's boxes. 
Her mistress inquired what all this meant (the husband not 
being at home), and Jane, alas! was too ready to tell an 
untruth to obtain her ends. She replied, that a sister lay 
dangerously ill; that she could not leave her; that her life 
was of more consequence than her situation; and that she 
must leave at once. The truth was, she feared that her 
master would have taken very decided steps against her, and 
she dreaded to meet his face. Her boxes were placed in the 
cab, and away she drove, never again to see her mistress’s 
face. This departure took place one Saturday evening. 
“ It is but justice to her parents to state, that they did not 
hear of her absence from her situation after the allotted 
time (for she had taken up her abode with her sister, instead 
of seeking her father’s home) until too late to interfere; and 
her father then wrote her a very faithful letter, pointing out 
the injury she was doing to herself, as well as bringing dis¬ 
grace upon the whole family. The wedding, it appeared, had 
not taken place, for some reason or other, and Jane re¬ 
mained with her sister until the following Tuesday, when her 
mother was surprised to see her walk into the house. Jane 
1 complained of being ill; hut her mother, vexed and angry, 
took but slight notice of her, until she again complained of 
being very ill. As most mothers would do, her heart then 
softened, and she gave her some simple medicine and sent 
her to bed. The next morning she was still poorly, but not 
sufficiently so to justify the attendance of a doctor until the 
middle'ef the day, when she complained of a sore throat, 
and really seemed so very unwell that medical advice was 
sent for. A little delay took place, and, as the doctor entered 
the door, poor Jane’s spirit fled! This was only just one 
i week after leaving her situation in the full exuberance of 
! health and strength, filled with delight at the idea of the 
approaching wedding! The peculiar circumstances of the 
J case became known, and reports were whispered about that 
she had taken poison. Her friends, indignant at the slan¬ 
der, took no means to contradict it, The funeral was fixed, 
and was on the point of leaving the house, when an officer, 
armed with authority from the coroner, whose ears the report 
had reached, forbid the interment until an inquest had been 
hold. The distress and anguish of the parents may readily 
be conceived; but the funeral, of course, was postponed 
until a post mortem examination had been made, when the 
medical man discovered that poor Jane had died of scarlet 
fever and bronchitis (a complaint of the throat), and that 
the latter disease had affected the throat so materially, that 
the probable cause of her sudden and unexpected death was 
suffocation.” 
Readers!—this is a simple statement of plain facts; but 1 
fear some of them take place hut too often in the lives of 
young, unsteady women in service. If any such should read 
this narrative, let then) bless and adore the undeserved 
mercy of God which has hitherto spared l/iem. And let 
those who have as yet been preserved from such outward 
sin, “take heed, lest they fall.” 
Jane Markham’s sin found her out. The very lie was 
returned into her bosom ; for the illness slie falsely pleaded 
came in reality upon her; and she had neither time to re¬ 
pent, nor suspicion that her end was so near. Disobedience, 
oh! what evil follows in its train ! From the fall of Adam it 
has carried a curse with it. A falsehood must screen it; lie 
upon lie follows; and we see, as in this striking narrative, 
that death sometimes closes the scene. Had Jane Markham 
obeyed her master and mistress, kept her pledged word, and 
returned at the appointed time, we have every reason to be¬ 
lieve her life would not have been endangered. Fever might 
never have attacked her; and even, if in the providence of 
God, it had done so, she would have been under the eye of 
■care and caution, and proper steps would have been taken 
before it was too late. As it was, her own sin destroyed her. 
I would earnestly press this striking narrative upon all 
young people, but especially upon the class to which poor 
Jane belonged. It may point their attention to the Eye that 
watches all they do, and to the Word which says, “Ven¬ 
geance is mine, I will repay.” And let us all remember, 
that if disobedience to earthly parents and masters is so 
heavily punished, what will be the recompense for disobey¬ 
ing the least command and precept of our Father and Master 
in heaven ? Yea, let us remember this. 
ASPARAGUS HOLDER. 
I send you a sketch of a little contrivance 1 was led to 
make, in order to avoid the trouble of collecting several 
small bunches of Asparagus into one large one;" and the 
difficulty that sometimes attends the tying them together, if 
they happen to be short; and also the frequent nuisance 
i that arises from the heads being scattered about on the 
j ground if the bass is not good, and, as it often does, breaks. 
It is possible the same plan may have occuved to others, 
or a better plan ; but not having seen one of any kind, I 
send yon this, which you can notice in your valuable journal 
if you think it worth while. 
It is, as you will see by the sketch, an oblong box, stopped 
at one end, against which, inside, the heads of the Asparagus 
rest, and therefore the bunches are always level. 
The bass lies in the groove at the bottom of the box, the 
ends hanging down each side; the groove, is made so that 
if the bass breaks a fresh piece may be inserted without 
J removing the heads. 
By using this, much trouble would be avoided in numbering 
the heads by the market gardeners, as they might be thus 
sold by girth instead, as boxes made of the same size must 
contain an equal quantity of vegetable.— G. Montague, 
Swaffham, Norfolk. 
DISEASES OF POULTRY. 
INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS. 
The rapid alternation of cold northerly with warm south¬ 
erly winds, has recently given rise to an unusual number of 
cases of inflammation of the lungs; and I have hadmany very 
valuable birds, from some of our most celebrated breeders, 
under my inspection. 
The symptoms of the disease are, in the first instance, 
the evident drooping of the patient, followed by a difficulty 
and rapidity of breathing; the only disease with which it is 
