ABSTRACT
Temperance Coffee-Houses, as may be readily supposed, owe their existence to what is called the “temperance movement;” and, though not in every respect what they ought to be, have done much good. They are not now confined to large cities, but may be found in almost every town of any note, increasing the stock of simple pleasures, and aiding in the diffusion of general information amongst the people; for no coffee-house can be kept up for any length of time without newspapers, magazines, or reviews – which form, indeed, a leading feature in their economy. But it is matter of some regret that such establishments do not, in general, possess those conveniences, and that amount, or at least appearance, of respectability, which belong, as if by prescription, to an English inn, the comforts of which have been sung by more than one of our poets.
