the work too costly and cumbersome. A large and interesting class of materials, embracing anecdotes used in the way of simile or comparison, striking analogies, parables, and the like, has been omitted on the same account.

Many of the anecdotes here presented are, of course, adapted rather to the fireside, the Sabbath-school, and the platform, than to the pulpit; what are adapted to the latter, and what are not, the preacher qualified for his office is qualified to decide.

Many of the anecdotes of this volume have been more or less abridged, and many partly or wholly re-written; thus, the number embraced in such a volume is far more extensive, and the truths they prove or exemplify are, I trust, rendered more clear and distinct to the mind.

All strictly sectarian anecdotes have been avoided.

The writer has introduced no anecdotes which he considered of doubtful or apocryphal character; but in most cases he has not deemed it important to give the original authorities.

ARRANGEMENT, CLASSIFICATION, AND INDEXES.

All anecdotal works which I have met with, two or three excepted, are of a very miscellaneous and jumbled character, and very deficient in their indexes. Thus they are of very little use as books of reference. Unless a person has a very tenacious memory, and has read them carefully, it often costs more time to find some halfforgotten anecdote than it is worth. One great effort of the writer in this work has been to obviate these difficulties; to prepare a book which could be referred to with the greatest possible facility in the illustration and pointing of truth.

Accordingly, the main topics or subjects follow each other in alphabetical order; and when the subject is extensive, and the facts numerous, they are placed under those analytical divisions and subdivisions of the subjects which they illustrate. In addition to this,

copious Topical and Scriptural indexes will be found at the end of the work. Each division of anecdotes is numbered, 1, 2, 3, &c. .; and each anecdote is marked by the letters of the alphabet, (a), (b), (c), &c. In the index anecdotes are referred to in whole classes by the above-mentioned figures, or a particular anecdote is referred to by joining both figure and letter; thus, 20a, 30b, 40d, &c. With a little practice, therefore, it will be easy for one but partially acquainted with the contents of the book to find facts in a moment on any topic or Scripture which the facts can illustrate.

THE AUTHOR.

CYCLOPÆDIA

OF

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS ANECDOTES.

ABSTINENCE, TOTAL, FROM INTOXICATING DRINKS.

1. THE PECUNIARY ADVANTAGE OF few calculations which he wished to

TOTAL ABSTINENCE.

communicate, with the view of showing the pecuniary benefit he had derived during the four years he had been a teetotal member. Previous to that time he had been in the practice of spending on an average, in intoxicating drink, fivepence per day, or 71. 12s. 1d. per annum, which in four years would

(a) “THERE GOES A TEETOTALLER!"-A drunkard assailed a Washingtonian, but could only say, "There goes a teetotaller!" The gentleman waited until the crowd had collected, and then, turning upon the drunkard, said, "There stands a drunkard!-amount to 30l. 88. 4d. He would now Three years ago he had a sum of 800 show how this sum has been expended dollars; now he cannot produce a penny. during the four years he had abstained I know he cannot. I challenge him to from all intoxicating drinks. First, it do it, for if he had a penny, he would had enabled him to allow an aged father be at a public-house. There stands a 31. 5s. per annum towards rent, or, in drunkard, and here stands a teetotaller, four years, 137. Secondly, he had enwith a purse full of money, honestly tered a benefit society, and paid one shilearned, and carefully kept. There ling and sevenpence per week, or 4l. 2s. stands a drunkard!-Three years ago per annum, or 16l. 9s. 4d. for the four he had a watch, a coat, shoes, and years. For this payment he secured the decent clothes; now he has nothing but following advantages:-In case of his rags upon him, his watch is gone, and being disabled from doing his accushis shoes afford free passage to the tomed work by illness or accident, the water. There stands a drunkard; and society will pay him eighteen shillings here stands a teetotaller, with a good per week, until restored to health: in hat, good shoes, good clothes, and a case of death, his widow or rightful good watch, all paid for. Yes, here heir is entitled to a bonus of 91., besides stands a teetotaller! And now, my half the amount paid into the society friends, whether is his case or mine the by the deceased up to the time of his better?" The bystanders testified their death, with the interest due thereon. approval of the teetotaller by loud shouts, Thirdly, it left him four shillings and while the crest-fallen drunkard slunk ninepence per annum, or nineteen shilaway, happy to escape further castiga-lings for the four years, to be expended in books and periodicals. It might fur. (4) A SAVING OF FIVEPENCE ther be added, that when the sum of A DAY.-At a meeting, in Birming-544. had been paid into the society's ham, of a total-abstinence society, the following statement was made by a working coach-painter, who was called in his turn to speak on the subject of temperance. He said he had made a

tion.

funds, no further payment would be required, and the contributor would be entitled to all the benefits before enumerated; medicine and medical attendance were included in the arrangement.

Reader, how much may be done with | have a bigger lump than that on the fivepence a day! other side before long, if you continue another year as the last."

(c) THE BAD LUMP.-The following incident we relate on the authority of an old sailor, who delivered a temperance lecture on board a steam-boat running between New York and New Haven.

"Do you think I shall? Well then, so be it. I will not violate my pledge, for, look here, landlord (pulling out a great purse, with a hundred dollars in silver shining through the interstices), that is my lump which has been growing for so many months, and, as you say, is all in consequence of signing the pledge. This is what you would have had, if I had not signed it; and if I have a bigger one than that for 999 years, I will not go to drinking again!' (d) THE WAY TO PAY RENT.

Having found a man who was divested of all decent clothing, and in a wretched state of health in consequence of drinking, he induced him, amidst the discouragements of the tavernkeeper, at whose house he had found him, to sign the temperance pledge for one year. The landlord prophesied that the man would not keep the pledge a year,-A blacksmith in the city of Philadelor that if he did he would never renew it. As the year was coming to a close, the old sailor called upon the man, and secured his signature again. He signed it for 999 years, with the privilege of a life lease afterward! When the day arrived on which his first pledge expired, he humorously went to visit his old friend the tavern-keeper. "There he comes," said the eager rum-seller; "he will have a great spree now to pay for his long abstinence." When he arrived at the tavern, he complained of a bad feeling at his stomach, and of various evils, among which was a bad lump on one side, which had been grow ing for a number of months. "Ah," said the landlord, "did I not tell you it would kill you to break off drinking so suddenly? I wonder you have lived as long as you have.-Come, what will you take?" and suiting the action to the word, he placed a decanter before him.

phia, was complaining to his iron-mer-
chant that such was the scarcity of
money that he could not pay his rent.
The merchant then asked him how
much rum he used in his family, in the
course of the day. Upon his answering
this question, the merchant made a cal-
culation, and showed him that his rum
amounted to more money in the year
than his house-rent. The calculation
so astonished the mechanic, that he de-
termined from that day neither to buy
nor drink any spirits of any kind.
the course of the ensuing year he paid
his rent, and bought a new suit of clothes
out of the savings of his temperance.
He persisted in it through the course
of his life, and competence and respect-
ability were the consequence.

In

2. TOTAL ABSTINENCE THE ONLY SAFE

GROUND.

(a) THE LAST OF THE MOHEGANS.-The Mohegans were an excellent tribe of Indians, who lived about Norwich, Connecticut. They had a long line of kings in the family of Uncas. One of the last was Zachary; but he was a great drunkard. However, a sense of the dignity of his office came over him, and he resolved he would drink no more. Just before the annual election, he was accustomed to go every year to Lebanon, and dine with his brother governor, the first Governor Trumbull. One of the governor's boys, who heard old Zachary's story, thought he would try him, and see if he would stick to his cold water; so at table he said to