320 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 23. 
monstrances were offered on the subject by friends, who 
felt the peril so strongly as to induce them to take that 
liberty. But all in vain. To France she was sent; and 
from France she returned, improved in person and manners, 
but deeply injured in mind. The childish tastes and cha¬ 
racteristics were confirmed and strengthened, and the fear¬ 
less, unabashed child, was grown into the daring, self-willed, 
unscrupulous girl. 
Lady B- became paralytic. A sudden stroke disabled 
her for some time; but though she never fully recovered 
from it, she was for some years tolerably comfortable, and 
met with marked and unwearied kindness from many 
friends. It is a wonderful thing to observe how gracious 
the Lord's dealings are with the creatures lie has made, 
even those who know Him not, or defy Him to His face. 
He has compassion on the work of His hands—“He re- 
memberetli that we are but dust”—and while He spares 
His rebellious children to live their allotted days, He feeds 
and clothes them, and grants them a thousand mercies, 
which they receive either as the consequence of chance, or 
as coming from the hand of man. Sir Charles and Lady 
B- were eminently proofs of this gracious dealing. 
Their strokes and chastenings were heavy and severe—but 
there was mercy mixed with all, which, though it made the 
pitying love of God so plainly manifest, shed no ray of light 
upon the darkness within. One family of kind hearts and 
plentiful means were raised up to cheer and soften the 
closing trials of poor Lady B-. They persuaded Sir 
Charles to remove altogether to their house, with his wife 
and daughter, and make it their home. They provided 
every comfort for the invalid, and nursed her with unre¬ 
mitting tenderness and care ; and thus, amid poverty, priva¬ 
tion, sickness, trouble and anxiety, a haven of worldly rest 
was provided for the perishing body, while it lingered on 
the brink of a dark and tremendous eternity. 
During the illness of his wife, Sir Charles carried on his 
favourite amusements without molestation; and when she 
was settled in the hands of kind friends, he was still more 
unshackled. Towards the close of her life—for some 
months, in fact—he was kindly and unremittingly attending 
the sick-beds of two ladies, the wives of those at whose 
houses he had visited most intimately, and between whom 
he had made most deliberate mischief. His medical skill j 
was unrivalled; his kindness and interest for each and all j 
extreme; and the gratitude called forth by his friendly exer- ' 
tions, deep and sincere. Amidst all this, nothing could 
exceed the misrepresentations, falsehoods, and slander car¬ 
ried on by this unhappy, dark-minded man. This may seem 
to some of my readers a sketch of an improbable character, 
but it is too true. AVe often meet good and evil so strangely 
mixed up together as to baffle us for a time; yet it is 
scarcely possible to imagine any one so deceptive as this. 
What seemed kindness was but its counterfeit; for while 
he ministered to the wants and sufferings of his friends, or 
those he seemed benevolently to assist, he injured and de¬ 
famed them. Oh, what a mystery of iniquity is the heart , 
of man! Where there is light and grace, we may well ' 
confess that it is “deceitful and desperately wicked;” but | 
where darkness overspreads it, and Satan reigns triumphant, 
what language can describe the abominations that are 
therein! 
It is not often that men’s minds descend to the small 
concerns of life. Their evil deeds take a wider range, and 
deal with larger objects; but Sir Charles was puerile, un¬ 
manly, and creeping, in his wickedness. His mind was bent 
into a narrow compass, and the evil of his heart busied itself 
with trifles. If it is possible to make the way of sin offensive 
in the eyes of sinners, it is when its objects and pursuits are 
small and contemptible—when its aims and ends are weak 
and unworthy of a reasonable being. Sin is always the 
same in the eye of a pure and holy God; but shades and 
features differ, and variously affect the opinions of men. It 
is useful to observe the workings of evil in the heart and life, 
in every variety. We may gain clearer views and a deeper 
insight into the “chambers of imagery" within our own 
unclean breasts; and who does not require a fuller and 
clearer knowledge of himself? 
{To be continued.) 
THE FIRST EXPERIENCE OF A COCHIN 
EATER. 
Having been obliged, from motives of poultry - yard 
economy, to deliver over to my cook two Cochin cockerels, 
I confess it was with sundry misgivings that I saw them 
make their appearance on the dinner-table, so much having 
been said against them as “ table birds." However, there 
is nothing like experience; and I must say that these birds, 
although fast advancing beyond “ the days of chickenliood," 
being nearly seven months old, proved fully equal to any 
fowls I have ever eaten of the same age, and were in quality, 
white, juicy, and by no means tough, or strong in flavour, 
even to the legs, which were not darker in colour than those, 
of other fowls of the same age. Nor were they, in ap¬ 
pearance, the ungainly things some have described them as 
being, even without that favourite (in my opinion injudicious) 
practice of crushing the breast-bone being carried out on 
them. These birds were of a dark cinnamon colour, and 
weighed respectively, lbs., and 5^ lbs., “ out of their 
feathers," and were taken from where they were running 
with others to the place of execution. The laying properties 
of the Cochin fowl being so well established, I need say 
nothing on that head ; but as opinions differ about their 
fitness for the table, I feel that I should bo showing some 
want of taste, if, after having tasted these birds, I did n»t 
attempt to do justice to their merits ; and I must say, that 
as far as my experience goes, I am led to believe, that if not 
quite so symmetrical as Dorkings, yet that, if only due care 
be taken in selecting for your stock short-legged and 
compact birds, they will be by no means of the awkward- 
squad kind when on the table; and I do further believe, that 
their adversaries, who have cut them up so unmercifully, 
have not had the pleasure of cutting up birds of this kind. 
—It. O., Edinburgh. 
MILDNESS OF THE SEASON. 
There were gathered, January 8th, in the open garden 
here (south coast of Cornwall), Picotees, Verbenas, Fuchsias, 
Rhododendrons, Veronica speciosa, and Andersonii, Roses, 
Mignonette, and Salvias. It is, indeed, a charming winter 
climate, but unfits one for winter expeditions elsewhere.— 
w. w. w. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
DIOSCOREA BATTATA. 
“Will you kindly oblige me, and probably many of your 
readers ; or ask that prince of gardeners and sensible 
writers, Mr. Errington, to do so, by giving us some account 
of the new Chinese Tuber (Dioscorea japonica*) to which 
Mr. E. alludes in his article on Potato growing in The 
Cottage Gardener? I should much like to have a bona 
fide statement as to its eligibility, or otherwise, so far as is 
known, as an esculent for our soil and climate; and also 
if tubers are to be procured at a less price than 10s. for four. 
—War. Oust Gwynne, M.D.” 
[R. Errington begs to inform Dr. Gwynne that he is per¬ 
fectly ignorant of the real qualifications of the Dioscorea 
Battutas; knowing little more than what has been conveyed 
to the public through the medium of the advertisements. 
It is always extremely desirable that somebody should 
encourage the introduction of new things, especially if 
likely to become of general utility; hut at the same time, it 
is well to bear in mind the severe ordeal they will have to 
undergo when they assume to rival or supersede such in¬ 
valuable roots as the Potato. To amateurs, perhaps, more 
than any other class of society, may we look for a patient 
trial of such things. In the admirable price current of 
Messrs. Rendle and Co., of Plymouth, seedsmen, &c., we 
see it is advertised, and the price affixed.] 
INARCHING VINES. 
“ I have a vinery 100 feet long, which I planted three 
* It is Dioscorea Battata; the D. japonica is a different species. 
