The cares and labours of life often leave the mind dull, and when it is relieved from them, and it must be relieved, let this be remembered, there must be seasons of relief, and the question is, how are these seasons to be filled up? When the mind enjoys relief from its occupations, I say, that relief must come in the shape of something cheering and exhilarating. The man cannot sit down dull and stupid ; and he ought not. Now, suppose that society provides him with no cheerful or attractive recreations; that society, in fact, frowns upon all amusements ; that the importunate spirit in business, and the sanctimonious spirit in religion, and the supercilious spirit in fashion, all unite to discountenance popular sports and spectacles ; and thus, that all cheap and free enjoyments—the hale, the hearty, holiday recreations — are out of use and out of reach, what now will the man, set free from business or labour, be likely to do? He asks for relief and exhilaration; he asks for escape from his cares and anxieties; society in its arrangements offers him none ; the tavern and the alehouse propose to supply the want, what so likely as that he will resort to the tavern and the alehouse? I have no doubt that one reason why our country fell into such unusual intemperance, was the want of simple, innocent, and authorized recreations in it. I am fully persuaded that some measure of this sort is needful, to give a natural and stable character to the temperance reform.