Enquire Within Upon Everything: To which is Added Enquire Within Upon Fancy ...

PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.

If there be any among my Readers who, having turned over the pages of “ ENQUIRE WITHIN," have hastily pronounced them to be confused and ill-arranged, let them at once refer to THE INDEX,* and for ever hold their peace.

The INDEX is, to the vast congregation of useful hints and receipts that fill the boundary of this volume, like the DIRECTORY to the great aggregation of houses and people in London.

No one, being a stranger to London, would run about asking for “MR. SMITH.” But, remembering the Christian name and the profession of the individual wanted, would turn to the DIRECTORY, and trace him out.

Like a house, every paragraph in “ ENQUIRE WITHIN" has its number,-and the Index is the DIRECTORY which will explain what Facts, Hints, and Instructions inhabit that number.

For, if it be not a misnomer, I am prompted to say that “ENQUIRE WITHIN” is peopled with thousands of ladies and gentlemen, who have approved of the plan of the work, and contributed something to its store of useful information. There they are, waiting to be questioned, and ready to reply. Only a short time ago, the facts and information now assuming the conventional forms of printing types, were active thoughts in the minds of many persons. Their fingers traced those thoughts upon the page, for the benefit of whomsoever might need information. We must not separate the thought from the mind which gave it birth; we must not look

upon these writings as we should upon the traces left by the snail upon the green leaf, having neither form nor meaning. Behind each page some one lives to answer for the correctness of the information imparted, just as certainly as where, in the window. of a dwelling, you see a paper

* The Index will be found at page 357.

directing you to “ENQUIRE WITHIN," someone is there to answer you.

Old Dr. KITCHINER lives at No. 45; Mrs. HITCHING lives at 202; Mrs. CHILD lives at 1805; Mr. BANTING at 1663; Dr. STENHOUSE at 1670; Dr. ERASMUS Wilson at 1594; Dr. SOUTHWOOD SMITH at 1638; Dr. BLAIR at 1957; M. SOYER at 1064; Dr. BABINGTON at 2163; Dr. CLARKE at 2140; a Doctor lives at 451; a GARDENER at 224; a ScHOOLMASTER at 168; a DANCING MASTER at 124; an Artist at 2296; a NATURALIST at 2085; a MODELLER at 2102; a Cook at 972; a PHILANTHROPIST at 1287; a LAWYER at 1359; a SURGEON at 767; a CHESS PLAYER at 57; a CHEMIST at 632; a BREWER at 2014; and so on.

Well! there they live-always at home-knock at their doors -ENQUIRE WITHIN, NO FEES TO PAY!!

We have taken so much care in selecting our information, and have been aided by so many kind friends in the production of our Volume, that we cannot turn to any page without at once being reminded of the GENEROUS FRIEND WHO ABIDES THERE.

To some extent, though in a far less degree, we have been indebted to the authors of the following useful books. In the first place we must express our chief obligations to “Dr. KITCHINER'S COOK's ORACLE;” to “The Cook,” in “Houlston and Wright's Industrial Library;" "THE SHOPKEEPER'S GUIDE," "THE WIFE's Own COOKERY,” “HOME TRUTIS FOR HOME PEACE,” “TIE PRACTICAL HOUSEWIFE," and to several of the Volumes of the “ REASON WHY" SERIES.

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