I 
340 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
momentous stop in spiritual life. He carried about witb 
him for many years a condemning coneience and “ an alarm 
of war” in liis heart, that disturbed his rest, and which he 
vainly endeavoured to quench and get away from. He 
knew he had “ to repent, or perish !” Oh ! what a knowledge 
is this ! Readers, mark, for your own warning and instruc¬ 
tion, this simple, but stupendous truth, for it belongs to all 
men —mark the cry that rang through the soul of a respec¬ 
table, well-conducted, hardworking young man. “ 1 knew 
I had to repent, or perish!” It seems to me that this one 
fact, this one short sentence, embraces all knowledge; 
takes in at once the whole scope of human life ; and embo¬ 
dies eternity! It sets before us at one glance the sum 
and substance of every thing; and places in their right 
light every thing within, and without, and around us. Oh ! 
that every living soul might be brought to know this solemn 
truth. 
The perplexities arising from this first conviction are so 
simply and naturally told by poor John Henry himself, that 
I will here give an extract from one of his letters in after 
life, to the lady of the Rev. Richard Johnston: “ I was 
j born in April 16th 1822. I lived in sin for many a year, 
j breaking the Sabbath, telling lies, disobeying my parents, 
I still growing worse, but still I knew 1 had to repent, or 
perish; but I thought it was in my power to turn at any 
J moment I thought convenient, so I put it away to New 
j Year’s-day. When that time came, I was worse than ever. 
: I then thought on Easter Sunday, or some other set time ; 
but when that time came, I thought I had not a good or 
convenient opportunity, or was not prepared enough; so I 
waited for a convenient season, still growing careless. It 
was not till about the 23rd August, 1845, I think that day 
was on Saturday; upon this day I had no great concern for 
my soul; however, I wanted to know if there was any in the 
same case as myself; so I went to Cookstown on the 23rd, 
and went into a bookseller’s shop. I enquired if he had any 
of God's dealings with sinners? He said, he thought not; 
and looking for some, he showed me one entitled “ Russel’s 
seven Sermons.” I bought it, and read some in it that 
night. I thought it delightful. The next day was Sunday, 
Iread.it carefully. I found I was a sinner; I began to 
pray for pardoning mercy; and on Monday, Tuesday, 
Wednesday, Thursday, and part of Friday. During this 
time I was crying for mercy, still seeking deeper, and 
thinking that my sins were too great to be pardoned ; and 
having none to comfort me or to point me to the Lamb of 
God that taketh away the sins of the world, despair began to 
seize upon me; convictions fastened deep upon me; Iliad 
no rest day or night; I thought I would die in this awful 
state of mind, and be buried where repentance and pardon 
are not to be found. This consideration made me seek still 
deeper. It was of God’s tender mercy here that I did not 
put an end to my life; but I did not know how to depart in 
such a state, knowing it would alarm my parents and others. 
I thought of enlisting myself as a soldier ; and then, think¬ 
ing this would hurry my death, and I would then have no 
more opportunity of turning, I thought on a plan ; this was, 
to go to the Rev. Mr.-, to see if he thought there was 
any mercy for me; and if he thought there was none, I 
would then leave my country; but I tried to tbink if I 
could steal over unnoticed; so I thought, if I had any of my 
clothes out that I would need, as I was working alone, I 
j could do so. On Thursday I stole my clothing out to an 
out-house, so as to go on the next day, Friday. However, 
on Friday morning I was caredess about going, but then all 
that was in our house went away about some work, and I 
was left alone. I then fetched in my clothes, and threw 
them on a table; I stood still, thinking of the good oppor¬ 
tunity, but still afraid to go. I stood for some time thinking 
whether it tvere better to go or not; my thoughts all left me, 
and then I found a voice speaking to my members, and 
' speaking strongly inwardly, saying, ‘ Go to thy minister, 
and ask him, and he shall tell thee the way! ’ ” 
These were the workings of an awakened mind; these 
were the striviugs of the Spirit against the rebellious heart 
of the natural man. Many have felt the same ; many are 
feeling the same now; and to each class, the continuation of 
this deeply interesting narrative will be preciously acceptable. 
Happy, thrice happy, doubly blessed, are they who have 
such a minister as the Rev. Richard Johnston to go to for 
August 3. 
instruction and comfort in their dark and trying hours of 
doubt and ignorance! 
Readers! if you have never felt that you must “ repent, 
or perish,” look to yourselves speedily. Sound the depths of 
your hearts without loss of time. You are among shoals 
and breakers, and rushing before the storm, upon a shore 
that will wreck your souls for ever! 
PROFITABLE POULTRY.* 
This practical little work would command our favourable 
notice, even if the author were unknown to us, because it 1 
bears upon every page passages which testify that the writer 
is anxious to disseminate nothing but useful information. 
He writes only about such kinds of Poultry as may be kept 
with profit to the proprietor; and of those kinds he says no 
more than their proprietor may know advantageously. 
Mr. Tegetmeier, having good anatomical knowledge, has 
thence brought fresh light upon the disputed purity and 
merits of the so-called Brahma Pootra, and this is his testi¬ 
mony :— 
“ Brahma Pootras. —In the first edition of this book I 
inserted the description, from actual observation, of a pair 
of these birds that had been sent to this country from the 
United States, by Dr. Bennett, who claimed to be the ' 
original holder of the variety, and I left the question as to I 
their being a distinct breed an open one ; since that article I 
was published a more extended experience and the opportu¬ 
nity of making anatomical examinations of very many speci¬ 
mens, have led me to form a decided opinion respecting 
their origin and true character. 
“ All the Brahmas that have come under my notice, and I 
have made a point of seeing as many as possible, have been 
of either one or the other of the three following varieties, 
namely:— 
1. Grey Cochins. 
2. Cross bred Cochin and Dorking. 
3. Cross-bred Cochin and Malay, or Chittagong. 
“ That the best of these birds are nothing more than grey 
Cochins, is proved by the fact that they have been 
frequently imported from Shanghae with the buff birds, ever 
since the latter have been introduced, and I know person¬ 
ally that the descendants of grey Cochins, which were thus 
introduced into this country before the name of Brahma 
was ever heard of, have taken prizes as Brahma Pootras ; 
the circumstance that those presented to the Royal Aviary 
were sent over from America as grey Shanghaes would alone 
be sufficient to settle the question. As to the name which 
has been given to these birds, there is not one tittle of evi- i 
dence to prove that they ever cameirom the region of the I 
Brahma Pootra river, which, in the lower part of its course, j 
is within one hundred and fifty miles of Calcutta, running 
through territory which has long been in the possession of , 
the British; further from its mouth it flows through the 
country of Assam, to which some years since the East India j 
Company sent two most observant naturalists to report on 
the natural history of the region, and had any such remark- j 
able fowls existed it is scarcely credible that they could have \ 
escaped observation. A further and even more conclusive [ 
proof, if one were needed, may be found in their anatomical ; 
peculiarities ; it is a fact, universally recognized by compar¬ 
ative anatomists, that the distinguishing characters of nearly 
allied animals arc most strongly marked in the bones of the 
skull than in any other part of the body; if the skull of a 
Cochin be examined there will be found in the frontal bone, 
exactly under the base of the comb, a deep narrow groove 
running from before backwards, this remarkable structure is 
peculiar to these birds, being found in no other variety what¬ 
ever, and is as strongly marked in the first named variety 
of so-called Brahmas as in the bull' Cochins. 
“ When it was found that grey birds were realising large 
sums, every mode of raising them was put in practice; 
single grey Cochins were mated with buff, and the progeny, 
when of the desired colour, were sold as Brahmas; in other j 
cases buff Cochins were paired with light Dorking hens, and ; 
* “ Profitable Poultry ; their Management in Health and Disease.” I 
By W. B. Tegetmeier. New Edition, greatly enlarged. Darton and 
Co., London. 
