PERHAPS it may not be thought unfuitable to the fubject propofed in the Supplement of your laft volume, under the title of "The Economy of Charity," to suggest a hint refpecting what are commonly called "The Ways and Means:" the railing of which, at the prefent time, will undoubtedly require every aid. In the best times, it must be confeffed, Economy well becomes the profeffors of religion but in thefe, to us unexampled days of diftrefs, it will not, I hope, be deemed unreasonable, if they be expected to deny and restrict themselves the ufe, not only of what are usually esteemed fuperfluities, but also of conveniencies, and even neceffaries; that they may thus "bear each other's burdens, and weep with them that weep :" it is prefumed, that even to those who only make pretenfions to humanity, it will be more gratifying to feed the hnngry, to clothe the naked, and to vifit the fick and diftreffed in their afflictions, than to indulge themselves with any thing that may be difpenfed with; and a benevolent mind will, no doubt, cheerfully attend to every hint that may tend to anfwer fuch an end.—Suppose. then, by way of outline, that, exclusive of their ufual beneficence, to meet the prefent exigencies of the poor, thofe perfons who drink wine were to abridge themfelves of only one glafs each day, which is equal to a pint a week, and if rated at only one fhilling and fixpence the pint, the amount of the fame for the year is 31. 18s.-Perhaps fome retrenchment may be alfo made in the fupplies of their tables, fay only to the amonnt of two guineas for the year, and by wearing their apparel rather longer than ufual, probably a faving of another guinea might be added: and in further aid (as it could not be injurious here to look forward) might not a few journies to the country, and efpecially the intended excurfions in the enfuing season to watering places, be put off at least one year, or till the times bear a more favourable afpect; it is likely that, upon the lowest estimate, we might add to the account in that particular, five guineas for each perfon. The liberal will eafily improve fuch hints, while another defcription will endeavour to object, perhaps, that it is impracticable, and particularly as it relates to clothing, that it would defeat the purpose by injuring trade, and eventually the poor manufacturer; but let it be recollected, it is not proposed to make these savings that they may be hoarded in a coffer, or lent upon ufury; in fact, a transfer only is proposed, and trade upon the whole will be as much, if not more promoted by fupplying the poor from fuch favings, with coarse garments to wear, or blankets to cover them, as by manufacturing for the higher ranks in life a fuperfine coat, a fuperb carpet, elegant filks or muflins, and expenfive lace. Poffibly it might help the generous in the difpofition of what they devote to charitable purposes if they had a fpecific plan, which in moft cafes is very ufeful, if not neceffary to the proper performance of any defign; by it they could act with more certainty, and perhaps it might be adopted with utility to their general benevolence. What is here of fered is intended only as an example, as it refpects what, it is hoped, will be the extraordinaries of the year, it has in fome measure been tried and acted upon, and, is now fubmitted by a friend to the poor, and, Your humble fervant, riage, &c. but exclu five of lofs to business therefrom, waste at home, &c. 25. By relief to a minifter; wife ill; 7 chil dren; falary 10 under 601. per ann. 26. By two families almoft starving 28. By two ditto. pocket expenfes, car-10 100 Jan. 1. 1801. By a 0 14 0 1 10 26 poor man very ill, o Our Correspondent has been very moderate in his estimate, or we conceive he might have added several items to his savings; as for instance, in excursions of pleasure, public dinners, entertainments for company, coachhire, &c. &c. and among his articles of charity, he might have included benevolent societies for visiting the sick, Sunday schools, religious tract society &CEDITOR. A CORRESPONDENT in your laft fuggefted a plan of Economy by which perfons in the middle ranks of life may be enabled to do good by very moderate savings without an enlargement of their expences. The plan is good, and will, I hope, be acted upon by many. At the fame time, as man is fo perverse a creature, as always to run into extremes, I am fearful that even this excellent idea may be abused, and my fufpicion has been encreased by the fol lowing circumftance : My neighbour, Mr. Saveall, is a very affiduous tradefman in the watch branch, who has by economy and application to business, in better times than thefe, faved a decent property; and as the love of money commonly encreases with the opportunities of gain, he has grown more and more parfimonious as he has fucceeded in business, till he has acquired the above appellation. I met with him the other night at my next door neighbour's, Mr. Goodman, who takes in your Magazine, and this piece lying on the table introduced a converfation on the importance of economy, as affording the means of benevolence. In the course of chat we learned from Mr. Saveall the following particulars of his generofity, and the means employed, as he faid, to enable him honestly to afford it. Mr. S. who till lately, never, I believe, indulged a thought of giving, has been excited by the good example of his neighbours to fubfcribe to our parish Soup Establishment, befide actually giving fome little donations in private inftances of fickness and distress which have come under his observation; but in order to do this he confeffes he has been obliged to fpare in other particulars. It was not in his power to fave in wine, becaufe he did not allow himself any; his clothes are never more than decent ; and his table admits of t; very little retrenchment, as you would foon find, Mr. Editor, if you had the misfortune to dine at it; and as for a watering-place-nothing but the bite of a mad dog would fend him thither. His favings are therefore of a different na ture, Hem. By abatement in the wages of his maid fervant £. s. d. Item. By 6d. per week deducted from the errand Item. By dealing with a cheap baker, and buying bread under the affize Item. By abatements in the prices of workmen employed in bufinefs, 2s per week 0 10 O 160 5 4 0 £860 A little truck with this new plan of economy, I took the liberty to enquire on what principle he could require abatements in bufinefs, or in fervants wages, when times were fo extreme ly hard, and whether he did not expect to lose his fervants? «Oh! no, "faid he, very coolly, "my old woman is not every body's money now, and as fhe cannot do fo much work fhe has no reafon to expect fo much wages.-My boy I took out of the country: he has no friends, and if he leaves me he muft ftarve. As to work-people, half a loaf is better than no bread, and our branch is fo very dead, that people strive to under-work one another, and I have a right to employ the cheapeft.""It may be fo, Sir," faid I; "but does it not fhock your humanity thus to opprefs the oppreffed, and grind the faces of the poor?" "To be fure, Sir," faid Mr. Saveall, "it is not altogether the thing and I could not be fatisfied with myself, if I spent my money in extravagance or vice: but, Sir, as I mean to confecrate these savings, or at least the greater part of them, to chari table and pious ufes: this, you know materially alters the cafe."—"True, Sir-it makes it ten times more-and is as acceptable to the Lord, as the price of a dog, or the hire of a whore in facrifice." I need hardly add, Mr. Editor, that Mr. S. and I foon parted; but I fear he is not the only man that does evil that good may come ;-and you know what the Apostle fays of fuch characters. HOMO. SIR, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. To the Editor of the Evangelical Magazine. HAT thousands and ten thousands in this land are pe rifhing for lack of knowledge is an awful truth, and little attended to. We feel, and justly, for the present neceffity of the poor, and every hand is open to furnish them with food to fupport the dying body. Yet man, in the best fenfe, "liveth not by bread alone, but by every word which "proceedeth out of the mouth of God." How great a famine, and more fatal in its effects, than that of bread and water, prevails in the prefent lack of the word of the Lord, the pure and precious Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift, those who have fenfes of fpiritual difcernment only can perceive. To them the cry is great, and they awake to the help of their miferable and perifhing fellow-creatures. Hence the bleffed efforts which have of late been made to carry the light of truth into the darkened corners of the land, where the fhadow of death and ignorance is fpread over the inhabitants. The enmity and oppofition which these philanthropic efforts have produced is well known, and the intention of putting fome barriers in the way of thofe, who humanely and compaffionately are seeking thofe poor fouls whom no man careth for, avowed. But the Lord will, I trust, disappoint the devices of all, who would be hinderers of his word. The confideration of this was forcibly impreffed on my mind by the following account, which a gentleman in company related, and which I fhall give you, as near as I can recollect, in his own words. "I was one day last season out a shooting with the minifter of the parish, and having occafion to quit our horses to beat fome contiguous ground, we called a boy that was near to hold them, with a fine open countenance, about fifteen years of age. Mr., the parfon, on difmounting, asked the boy, Do you know me? No, fir. How old are you? I believe fifteen. Don't you ever come to church? No. Have you never been there? Yes, when I was christened, I believe, and when Farmer R- was buried; but I did not go into the house; I only faw the man with a great smock frock at the grave. Have you any parents? Yes. Have |