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-It should be recommended that, in future, Epsom salts be sold in purple paper *, with printed directions to this effect: that should the article be suspected, it is only necessary to dip the end of the paper into the solution, when, if acid has been improvidently substituted, the colour of the paper will be instantaneously rendered bright red; on the other hand, in a solution of Epsom Salts, it remains perfectly unchanged. This furnishes a test as simple as it is striking, with the advantage of being always at hand when salts are taken, and appears to answer every objection."

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I remain, Sir, very obediently, yours, &c. "JOSEPH WELLS, Chemist, "48, Wigmore-street, Cavendish-square, Oct. 22, 1822."

The change of colour on the paper which our correspondent inclosed sufficiently shewed that it had been dipped in the acid. This test therefore is well worth remembering. Some method ought certainly to be adopted, that the grievous accidents which we daily hear of may be prevented. It has likewise been suggested that a little colouring might be applied to the Oxalic Acid, to give it an appearance different from the Epsom Salts.

There is a very great difference in the taste of these two articles. Oxalic Acid has a very strong, sour, taste; Epsom Salts, as every body knows, has only a mild sort of bitter salt taste. Most people to avoid the disagreeable taste of medicine, swallow a dose all at once; it would surely be better at first merely to take a very small taste of it; any mistake between Oxalic Acid, and Epsom Salts, would then be discovered at once, without danger. This would likewise prevent many accidents which occur by mistaking laudanum, and other poisons, for medicines of the same colour and appearance. Nurses, and persons appointed to give medicines to the sick, should be particularly careful, as accidents are constantly occurring. ED.

"The dark purple paper in common use dyed by vegetable purple, is Litmus paper."

ON SHAVING.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. MR. EDITOR,

You were never more mistaken in your life, than in what you said in your letter about shaving," that it would not please the women." Now, Sir, I can only speak for myself, and I must say, that it pleases me greatly. My husband read it, but took no notice of it to me, and I said nothing to him, but I see that he has profited by it, and so, the less said, the better. The truth is, Sir, that, when my Thomas first courted me, there was not a neater, tidier, better shaven lad in the parish. I was always brought up to like neatness, and this was one of the reasons why I liked Thomas so well. But, since we have been married, Sir, I am sorry to say, that he has not been near so neat as he used to be, and his beard is often so rough, that he does not look like the same Thomas that came a courting to me. knew, I suppose, that he could not have me, if he had not looked pretty tidy, and then, after he had got me, he did not seem to care. Besides, Sir, when a man once gets to look shabby and slovenly, he is apt to get into shabby and slovenly company, and we know that there is no good to be learnt there-but now, Sir, since my husband read your last Number, he has taken to shave himself, and to look quite tidy again; and, as this pleases me, to be sure, he sees I look pleased, and this likewise pleases him, and he seems to like bis home all the better: and so he is kept out of idle company, and extravagant expense. There is more, Sir, in these little matters, than many people think for.

I am, Sir,

He

Your Constant Reader,
THERESA TIDY...

P.S. My husband has seen this letter, and he is willing that it should be sent to you.

December 17, 1822.

ON THE SAME SUBJECT.

MR. VISITOR,

I am much pleased with your discourse on shaving, My husband is a day labourer: but, besides this, he has long been the village shaver; and, to my great grief, every Sunday morning, instead of reading with the children, and getting ready to go to Church, he has got to go to the alehouse, to shave those clumsy fellows that cannot shave themselves. It has, however, been a great satisfaction to me to see that, under the Christian preaching of our clergymen, he has begun to think rightly on religious subjects, and a sermon a few months ago, on the proper employment of the Sabbath, has made him very anxious to give up his old way of employing the Sunday morning. I may say, Sir, he has been very unhappy about it. He sees that it has led him into bad company; he hears conversation unfit for any day, especially the Sabbath, and he can hardly ever get ready in time to be at Church himself in the morning. But then, again, he says, that if he was to refuse to do this work any more, he might keep away some young men from Church who now can go: and then, moreover, be does not like to offend all his old friends and customers. To be sure, this last is no good reason, for we must not do wrong for the sake of pleasing any body. However, Sir, we think that your paper will be of great use in our place, as we hear that the young men are all talking of shifting for themselves now. I am sure I shall

be very glad of it; and it will be much better for

themselves too.

Your Constant Reader,

A FEMALE Cottager.

RELIGIOUS EXPRESSIONS.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor, SIR,

SOME of your readers may, perhaps, recollect that, at one time, it was a pretty general custom to state in the bills announcing the arrival or departure of stage coaches and other conveyances, that they would' perform the journey, "God willing." This practice, however, has been long discontinued, though even now, no vessel leaves her port without these words forming part of every bill of lading, " and so God send the good ship to her desired port in safety." It is to be regretted that this practice is fallen into disuse, since, though used carelessly, and, as a mere matter of form by many, the words might kindle a spark of devotion in the breasts of others, and warn them that they were about to need, in a more especial manner, the protecting providence of God. "A word spoken in season, how good it is!" Some have said that the practice was misplaced, irrelevant, and canting*, (as

* We have a particular objection to this word, when applied, as is very common, by careless persons, to those who happen to think devoutly on religious subjects, Religious canting, we take to mean, a sort of whining expression of religions feeling, when there is no real sincerity and earnestness, and uprightness of heart. In this sense, it is, indeed bad; it is the sin of hypocrisy. But let us not judge another! It is God that judgeth. He searcheth the beart, and it is His to judge, who is a bypocrite, and who is not.

ED.

they term it) but it would appear very different to us, if we rightly considered "how frail we are," and felt that our constant dependence was on a Creator, "in whom we live, and move, and have our being," and who says to all, by the mouth of his servant Solomon, "Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth !" Nothing scarcely is more common than to hear and see people talking and acting, as if all their power of going and coming sprang from, and depended on, themselves alone, but "who is he, that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?" We know that the Apostle Paul, when planning a journey, or mentioning his intention of visiting any place, was in the constant habit of using words similar to those alluded to*, and St. James expressly commands us to throw ourselves more particularly under the protection of the Almighty's providence, and to beg his blessing on our undertakings, when about to travel, or when forming any plans for the future. "Go to now, ye that say, to day or to-morrow, we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow; for what is your life? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if THE LORD WILL, we shall live, and do this or that," James iv. 13, 14, 15.

Though the words "God willing" are no longer on the way-bills of our stages and mail coaches, and though your readers may not now hear them repeated in a coach-office; yet I hope none will leave their home without offering up a humble prayer to God, through Jesus Christ, that" if the Lord will,”

Let your readers turn to the following texts. Acts iv. Acts xviii. 21. Romaus i. 10. Romans xv. 32. 1 Cor. iv. 19.

19.

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