d for it, glad to pick up
sticks for firing, and often steal it from fences, &c. in their
necessity, and the gift of wood is to them a charity, as well as
that of coals. Why should aught that could he made of use, be
wantonly destroyed? It is contrary to Scripture; it is in
opposition to common sense.

Respecting the well preserved eggs of Scotland; though _S.S._ is
probably aware of the circumstance, yet some of your readers may not be,
their sale in England (and indeed I have understood America) brings her
in no inconsiderable profit. In this country they arrive, and I have my
account from an eye-witness, in large deal boxes, most curiously packed,
relying solely on each other for support; since, set up perpendicularly
on their ends, with no straw, heather, saw-dust, or any other material
to fill the interstices between them, the fate of every box of this
fragile ware depends, during its journey and unlading, on the safety or
fracture of a single egg; but such is the nicety and compactness of
their packing, that rarely, if ever, an accident occurs.

M.L.B.

* * * * *

PRICE OF TEA.

(_To the Editor_.)

As I have been a subscriber to _The Mirror_ from its commencement, and
very frequently refer to its pages with much pleasure and profit, I hope
I may be allowed to correct a statement made in No. 541, p. 222, under
the article _Tea_. It is said that the profit of one pound to sell at
7_s_. is 2_s_. 2_d_.

_s. d._
Thus, cost price 2 5
Duty 2 5
Profit 2 2
____
7 0

In all retail houses of any respectability in the Tea trade, I am sure
that Tea costing 2_s_. 5_d_. at the sale is never sold above 6_s_. per
lb. and in five out of six shops of the above description 5_s_. 4_d_.
and 5_s_. 6_d_. is the utmost price demanded for such Tea. I and my
family have been in the trade, in one house, considerably more than half
a century, and I can assure you, that from 6_d_. to 8_d_. per lb. is the
present retail profit upon Tea sold at the East India Company's sales,
under 3_s_. per lb.

S.

In reply to this note, the authenticity of which we do not question,
we can only refer the writer to our distinct quotation from "the
evidence of Mr. Mills, a Tea Broker, before the House of Lords.' In our
15th volume, No. 414, p. 104, the proportion of p