the COTTAGE COOK: OR, Mrs. Jones's Cheap .Dishes Shewing The Way to do much good with little Money. I Sold by HOWARD and EVANS, IX ln!nc Cl r eaP ^P° sit01 >' for and Religiou'sTnrfb,) Icreat In ' ™* & ,lawk " rs To " » * Country. I 1^^^-^^^^ I entc ^ts at stationers THE COTTAGE COOK; RS. JONES was a great merchant's lady, She was liberal to the poor, but as she was too much taken up with the world,, she did not spare so much of her time and thoughts about doing good as she ought, so that her money was often ill bestowed. In the late troubles^ Mr. Jones, who had lived in a grand manner, failed, and to took his misfortunes so much to heart that he fell sick and died. Mrs. Jones retired on a verynar j row income to the small village of Weston, where she seldom went out except to church. Though a pious woman she -was too= apt to indulge her sor- row; and though she did not neglect toreadanl pray, yet she gave up a great part of her time to melancholy thoughts, and grew quite inactive, She 1 well kiaew how sinful it would be for her to seek a cure for her grief in worldly pleasures, which ^ a way many people take under afflictions, but she was not aware how wrong it was to weep away ^ time which might have been better spent in drymgj the tears of others. , J It was happy for her that Mr. Simpson, the vie ; of Weston, was a pious man. One Sunday ^ happened to preach on the good Samant 1 ^' tion | was a charity sermon, and there was a col le ■ at the door, He called oa Mrs. Jones after cm 9 Lnd found her in tears. She told him she had been Inuch moved by his discourse, and she wept be-, cause she had so little to give to the plate ; for though she felt very keenly for the poor in these* dear times, yet she could not assist them, " In- Seed, Sir," added she, "I never so much regretted Kie loss of my fortune, as this afternoon, when you Bade us go and do likewise" — " You do not," repli- ed Mr. Simpson, "enter into the spirit of our Sa* Kour's parable, if you think you cannot go and do mkzmst without being rich. In the case of the Sa- maritan you may observe, that charity was afforded ■lore by kindness, and care, and medicine, than by taoney. You, Madam, were as much concerned Hi my sermon as Sir John with his great estate; and, to speak plainly, I have been sometimes sur- prised that you should not put yourself in the way of being more useful." H" Sir," said Mrs. Jones, "I am grown shy of the Bor since I have nothing to give them." — " No- Ming, Madam, " replied the Clergyman, " do you call your time, your talents, your kind offices, •thing? I will venture to say that you might do I wore good than the richest man in the parish could ■ by merely giving his money. Instead of sitting ■ re brooding over your misfortunes, which are past doin ofit remedy, bestir yourself to find out ways of g much good with little money j or even with- an V money at all. You have lately studied ■onomy for yourself Instruct your poor neigh- ■ s m it. They want it almost as much as they rich money * You have influence with the few ■ Persons in the parish. Exert that influence. I J/ .^y housekeeper, shall assist you in any thing ■ m di she can be useful Try this tor one year and if you then tell me that you should have bet ter shewn your love to God and man, andbeenj happier woman had you continued gloomy and in active, I shall be much surprised." The sermon and this discourse made so deep impression on Mrs. Jones, that she formed an plan of life, and set about it at once, as ever body does who is in earnest. Her chief aim \{ the happiness of her poor neighbours inthenei; world; but she was also very desirous to promote their present comfort. The plans she pursued wiii a view to the latter object shall be explained ii this little book. Mrs. Jones was much respects! by all the rich persons in Weston, who had toons her in her prosperity. Sir John was thoughtless lavish and indolent. The Squire was over-frupt but active, sober, and not ill-natured. Sir Jo! loved pleasure, the Squire loved money. SirJol was one of those popular sort of people -who $ much praise and yet do little good ; who subscn •with equal readiness to a cricket match or a cM school: who take it for granted that the poor are be indulged with bell-ringing and bon-fires, an J be made drunk at Christmas; this ^imfl being kind to them • but he thought teach them, and madness to think of reron j them. He was, however, always ready togM guinea; but I question whether he Mjfefl given up his hunting and his gaming to have every grievance in the land. On the otheij 1 the Squire would assist Mrs. Jones in any 1 plans if it cost him nothing ; so she shewed fr*M sense by never asking Sir Jokn for ad vie , , j Squire for subscriptions, and by this prudent t ed the full support of both. I 5 I Mrs. Jones resolved to spend two or three days in 3 week in getting acquainted with the state ot the parish, and she took care never to walk out without ■ few little good books in her pocket to give away. •-She found tfiat among the numerous wants she" ■net with, no small share was owing to bad manage- ment or to imposition. She was struck with the fciall size of the loaves. Wheat was now not very ■ear, and she was sure a good deal of blame rested Bith the baker. She sent for a shilling loaf to the Hext great town where the mayor often sent to the Hcer's shops to see that the bread was proper weight «he weighed her own loaf against her country Haf, and found the latter two pounds lighter than I 0U S ht t0 be - This was not the sort of grievance V can 7 to Sir J<*n ; but luckily the Squire was also ■magistrate, and it was quite in his way. He told | he : could remedy the evil if some one would R e a . n '"formation against the baker ■ o»e dropt in on the blacksmith. He was at din- m. She enquired if his bread was good. "Ave you see 'tis as white as | y L W€ ' had t Ut more ofit He re's a six- ' IK1'P U m ' ?ht take k for a Penny roll ! " He Kt to be h ClU 'T l C " b the baker ' and said ' he E she t A T 8ed T" M¥S Jones now toid wa* aid assured if ri h ° W she hatl detected rhe fraud |l, ; o ed r ? that , the evil should be redressed Corn: T,^' Provided he would appear and in- an inf.' , T s ' ud lle with a shocking oath, 'ones, « for ^ roh | P lace > friend," replied Mrs. *to be i« | • . not sc °i"n to abuse the baker #rn to redress Jny"' • n . or to swear ' though you 6 children's bread. Let me tell you, there is no th ing in which you ignorant people mistake more than in your notions about informers. Informing is a lawful way of obtaining redress, and though it is a mischievous and hateful thing to go to a jus. tice about every trifling matter, yet laying an in. formation on important occasions, without malice or bitterness of any kind, it is what no honest man ought to be ashamed of. The shame is to commit the offence, not to inform against it. 1, lur my part, should perhaps do right if I not only informed against Crib for making light bread, but against yon for swearing at him," — " Well, but Madam," said the smith a little softened, i( don't vou think it a, sin and a shame to turn informer?" — " So fajn from it when a man's motives are good," said Mrs. Jones, " that in such clear cases as the present, I think it a duty and a virtue. If it is right that there should be laws, it must be right that they should be put in execution; but how can this be, if people w not inform the magistrates when they see the L broken ? An informer by trade h com monly a knave; a rash, malicious, or passionate informer is a fire- brand, but honest and prudent informers are almost as useful members of society as the judges of the land. If you continue in your present mind on this subject, do not you think that you will be answerable for the crimes you might have prevented by inform ing, and be a sort of accomplice of the villains who commit them ?" "Well Madam/' said the smith, -I now see, plainly enough that there is no shame in turning 1 " former when my cause is good."—- And your *• iive right, always mind that," said Mrs Jon^ —Next day the smith attended, Crib was fine* the usual penalty, hi§ light bread was taken (MSUU3 : it', *M' til I'm and given to the poor. The justices resolved 'hence -forward toinspect the bakers in their districts; ' and ail of them, except Crib, and such as Crib, were llad of it, for honesty never dreads a trial, Thus fad Mrs.' Jones the comfort of seeing how useful people may be without expence; for if she could have given the poor £50, she would not have done Biem so great or so lasting a benefit, and the trua light in which she had put the business of inform- 'j)\ ,et method of - religious instruction on ^ eek tin) r p iriay befsfcf* 1 I i J3 [. that they may be able to get up a small piece If household linen once a-year and provide the la- L ly with stockings, by employing the odds and I ds of their time in these ways. Bat there is a ma- lufacture which I am carrying on, and I know of lone within my own reach which is so valuable." L" What can that be?" said the Squire. "To Cake good wives for working men," said she; lis not mine an excellent staple commodity ? I am leaching these girls the art of industry and good fcanagement. It is little encouragement to an ho- lestman to work hard all the week, if his wages ■re wasted by a slattern at home."— " What have lou got on the fire, madam ?" said the Squire, for lour pot really smells as savory as if Sir John's trench Cook had filled it."— " Sir," replied Mrs. ■ones, I have lately got acquainted with Mrs. White, fchobas given us an account of her cheap dishes, Ind wise-cookery in one of the Cheap Repository |ittle books. Mrs. Betty and 1 have made all her ishes and very good they are, and we have got se- eral others of our own. Every Friday we come iere and dress one. These good women see how It is done, and learn to dress it at their own houses. ■ take home part for my own dinner, and what is left ■ give to each in turn. I hope I have opened their lyes on a sad mistake that they had got fnto,- " that he think any thing is *ood enough for the poor. , I " Pray, Mrs. Betty/' said the Squire, r j oblige me pith a bason of your soup." The Squire found it |ogo.od after his walk, that he was almost sorry he pd promised to buy no more legs of berf, and de- flared again that not one sheep's head should ever |° to his kennel again. He begged his cook might lave the receipt, and Mrs. Jones wrote it out foi 14 her. She has been also so obliging as to favour with m c6py of all her receipts. And as I hate^ fhbn )poly, and see no reason why such cheap n ri.shin-, afrd savory dishes should be confined toH?' parish of Weston, 'I print them, that all other p rishes may have the same advantage. Not onlyth poor, but all persons with small incomes may bee] a | ofthem. " Wfell, madam," said Mr. Simpson, ih came in soob. after, ' ' which is best, to sit down and cry over our misfortunes, or to bestir ourselves to do our duty to the world?" — "Sir, replied Mrs, Jones, " I thank you for the useful lesson you have given me. You have taught me that our time and talents are to be employed with zeal in God's ser. vice, if we wish for his favour here or hereafter, anl that one great employment ofthem, which he re-, quires, is the promotion of the present, and much more, the future happiness of all around us. You have taught me, that much good may be done with little money, and that the heart, the head and the hands, are of some use, as well as the purse," May all who read this account of Mrs. Jones "go and do likewise" RECEIPT I Two pounds of beef, four onions, ten turnips, half a pound of rice, a large handful of parsley, thyme, and savory ; some pepper and salt, eight quarts of water. Cut the beef in slices, and after it has boiled some time, cut it still smaller. The whole should boil gently about two hours, on a slow fire. If fuel be scarce, it may be stewed all night in an oven, and warmed up next day, You may m oatmeal and potatoes* 13 RECEIPT II. Take half a pound of beef, mutton, or pork, cut into small pieces; half a pint of pease, four sliced rflips, six potatoes cut very small* two onions; put them seven pints of water. Let the whole boil > n tly over a very slow fire two hours and a half. /Then thicken it with a quarter of a pound of oat- ieal. After the thickening is put in, boil it a quar- [ r of an hour, stirring it all the time, then season with salt and pepper. RECEIPT III. Take two pounds of salt beef, or pork, cut it into ry small bits, and put it into a pot with six quarts I water, letting it boil on a slow fire for three quar- Hrsof an hour; then put a few carrots, parsnips, or ■mips, all cut small ; or a few potatoes sliced; a Bbbage,and a couple of cresses. Thicken the whole Hith a pint of oatmeal. All these t© be well season* B with salt and pepper. I ANOTHER. ■ Pat three pickled herrings into a stone jar, fill it Hith sliced potatoes and a little water, and bake it Bl it is done. 1 The following soups Mrs. Sparks sold every Sa- jrday in small quantities, a pint of the soup with a it of the meat warmed upon Sunday made a dinner a grown person. An ox cheek, two pecks of potatoes, a quarter of peck onions* one ounce of pepper, half a pound i salt, boiled altogether in ninety pints of water «U reduced to sixty, any garden stuff may be P^wnin, * l f 16 FRIENDLY HINTS. The difference between eating bread new stale, is one loaf in five, ,, atlJ If you turn your meat into broth it will g m u farther than if you roast or bake it. ' If you have a garden, make the most of it, Ab of leek or an onion makes all dishes savory at sfflri expence. If the money spent on fresh butter were spent J meat, poor families would be much better fed than they are. If the money spent on tea were spent on home] brewed beer, the wife would be better fed, the hj band better pleased and both would be healthier. Keep a little Scotch barley, rice, dry peas, aj oatmeal in the house. They are all cheap and don't) spoil. Keep also pepper and ginger. Pay your debts, serve God, love your neighbor, Z, FINIS.