California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



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MULTUM IN PARVO. 



BY JIKS. D. C. OUNN. 



S strange as it may at first seom, 

 there is uo truer saj-ing than this 

 ■wise old Latin proverb, which, 

 translated, means "much in little." 

 <i'cP A. truth which is wonderfully illus- 

 trated bj- the workings of nature. ' 



The little stream running by our door, 

 tangling the sunbeams, laughing in glo- 

 rious gleams, is but a drop compared 

 with the grand old ocean, and yet the 

 larger body of water could not exist 

 without the smaller one. 



The tiny seed sown by the farmer pro- 

 duces vast fields of golden corn and wav- 

 ing wheat. 



The diamond is very small, and yet 

 what beauty and brilliance flash from its 

 crystal depths! 



It is only after examining the little 

 flowers filling the earth with beauty and 

 fragrance, and noticing the delicacy of 

 tinting that cau.ses the rose to blush and 

 the lily to whiten, that we realize that 

 man could not create and sustain one of 

 these little beauties. 



History, as well as every day's experi- 

 ence, proves that many wonderful dis- 

 coveries and important results have been 

 brought about by humble means, show- 

 ing that even in little there may be much. 

 Sir Isaac Newton, lying listlessly in his 

 garden, dreamingly looking up into the 

 blue sky, is attracted by the falling of an 

 apple, and anon he gives to the world 

 the laws of earth's attraction or gravita- 

 tion. 



The simple fact of steam pouring from 

 a kettle over the tire awakened thought 

 and research, and to-day we have the 

 mighty steam engine starting the echoes 

 in the silent, sombre forests, or thunder- 

 ing along vast plains and valleys. 



"To do and dare" to accomplish some 

 gi'and and noble result seems to us many 

 times well worth a life of struggle. So 

 considering, we think there lies no glory 

 in the quiet routine of every day life, nor 

 honor in the well doing of humble tasks, 

 and j'et it requires more perseverance, 

 greater diligence, for the accomplishment 

 of these than of acts that are seemingly 

 grander. It needs greater strength of 

 character, more of true human principle, 

 to bear patiently the petty annoyances, 

 the little ills of life, than to undergo 

 some great trouble or sorrow. 



A smile, a kind word, a sympathizing 

 tear, are little things in themselves, and 

 cost us nothing, yet by them how many 

 a desponding and weary heart has been 

 gladdened and sent on its way rejoicing. 

 It was only a thoughtless jest, an an- 

 gry answer, but it turned the soul of a 

 fellow creature from the ways of pleas- 

 antness and peace into the dark, fathom- 

 less river of sin and wretchedness. 



The artless questioning, or simple 

 prattle of a child will often lead upward 

 and onward one upon whom strong and 

 forcible reasoning and earnest appeal 

 have had no ett'eet. 



Many a man has been saved from ruin 

 by the remembrance of a little prayer 

 lisped nightly at a mother's side. 



A tiny shoe, a golden curl, a withered 

 rose, are each and all little things in 

 themselves, and yet what dear, precious 

 memories they may awaken; and how 

 carefully do we treasure them if worn by 

 loved and lost ones! 



In the recollections of a friend it is not 

 the greatest acts, the wisest sayings, that 

 are to us the dearest; but the little deeds 

 of kindness, the IxUle words of love, spok- 



en, perhaps, falteringly, from full hearts. 

 Thus we learn that — 



" Life is made of smallest fragmeuts— 

 Shade and siinshiue, w(irk and iilay; 



So may we, with prcatest profit, 

 Learn a little every day." 



REFORM UNDER CLOTHING. 



BY ONE OF THE MOTHEES. 



De.\e Editok: A March number of the 

 Rural Press contains an excellent article 

 from the pen of "Sister Colby" describ- 

 ing the combination suit for underwear 

 invented by Mrs. C. C. Curtis, of GOG 

 Montgomery street, San Francisco — the 

 same that may be seen advertised in the 

 Agriculturist, which every house- 

 keeper should read. 



It has been my aim, ever since I be- 

 came the mother of girls, to plan out and 

 clothe them without the endless array 

 of garments usually thought necessary, 

 so that they might dress themselves ill 

 the morning as speedily as their brothers. 

 Until the garment in question came un- 

 der my observation, I never found any 

 which combined everything necessary 

 for comfort and convenience. Warmth 

 equally distributed from neck to heels, 

 looseness, with no strictures to keep the 

 arms from being lifted over the head or 

 the chest from expanding to the utmost. 

 Surely Mrs. C. is a public benefactor, 

 and I am happy to know that she is daily 

 in receipt of orders for patterns, which 

 argues strongly in favor of setting forth 

 the desire among thoughtful ones for 

 emancipation from jirevailing customs. 

 I am sure that any sensible woman would 

 feel thankful to be emancipated from the 

 uncomfortable styles of under-clothing, 

 so constraining to breath and move- 

 ments, that our mothers have handed 

 down, even if they do not break through 

 the fashion of exterior dress. And if 

 American women were brave enough to 

 adapt their outer garments to their needs 

 without being severely criticised, there 

 would be one less barrier to health, since 

 those who have tried it declare that the 

 prevailing mode of dress is a great hiud- 

 rouce to locomotion, whether indoors or 

 out, ascending stairs, or stepping over 

 pavements. The walking costume of 

 some years back, when the skirt needed 

 no lifting, was universally admired and 

 thoroughly ajipreciated by the fair wear- 

 ers themselves; still it was permitted to 

 pass out of style. Such a dress, with 

 tiat trimmings instead of the flounces 

 and knife-pleatings now so popular, is 

 recommended for a home dress for those 

 having active household duties to per- 

 form. 



At the sea side, where sea-bathing is 

 one of the summer pleasures, the custom 

 prevails of wearing the bathing dress on 

 picnic excursions or to camping parties. 

 Nothing can be more suitable than the 

 loose blouse, confined at the waist with 

 a leather belt or sash, and pants of the 

 same material, closely fastened at the 

 ankle over a neatly-fitting boot. A long 

 skirt is often worn over this costume, in 

 going and coming, to avoid being con- 

 spicuous, as well as for warmth. The 

 fatigue of walking is very much lessened j 

 by wearing a single skirt, and that so 

 short as to be not a hindrance, as all ad 

 mit who have ever tried it; but then it is 

 so ungiaceful, and trailing skirt^i, falling 

 in folds, are so becoming to lovely 

 womanhood — "even though," says the 

 health reformer, "they entail untold 

 miseiy upon coming generations." 



[We append an extract from Mrs. 

 Carrie A. Colbv's article above referred 

 to.— Ed.] 



EMANCIPATED. 

 I am the happy owner of two new 



dress reform suits, and am, this moment, 

 blessing the clever originator, Mrs. C. C. 

 Curtis, of San Francisco, and if anybody 

 will procure jiatterns, sit down and make 

 one suit, put it on, and not spoil the ef- 

 fect by tight corsets and heavy skirts, I 

 will guarantee that she will trip about, 

 mentally exclaiming, at least, as I did, 

 "Emancipated!" "Eureka!" or anything 

 else that will express the sense of light- 

 ness and comfort that, to me, was an al- 

 together new and grateful experience. 



I had before worn some half-way hy- 

 gienic garments, but here were three in 

 one, waist, chemise and drawers, cut to 

 measure, neat-fitting and altogether ele- 

 gant, such as the most fastidious might 

 not despise. A full suit of flannel first 

 covers the body from neck to heels, and 

 over it is a cotton garment that perfectly 

 fulfills the requirements of the three be- 

 fore mentioned. 



This will be appreciated, first in wear- 

 ing, being quickly put on, and oh, so 

 comfortable; next, in the laundry, wheth- 

 er at home or away in the hands of the 

 "heathen Chinee," and lastly, in mak- 

 ing; for although tucks, ruffles and pufl's 

 may be added, the design of the garment 

 doesn't invite them. 



I remember that "Mary Mountain" 

 made certain strieturee in the matter of 

 having this artile of dress in one piece, 

 but the objection doesn't obtain here, 

 because, good friend.s, (sub rosa), we 

 don't base fleas in Butte county. 



And now having taken myself out of 

 the way as a stumbling block to my 

 neighbors and friends by my good ex- 

 ample, having tested the patterns and 

 experienced, in part, the benefit arisin 

 from them, I am free to maintain 

 every woman who reads this is not guilt- 

 less if she neglects to avail herself of the 

 opportunity now afl'orded her of obtain- 

 ing cheap and excellent patterns of 

 healthful undergarments (unless she al- 

 ready wears those equally good'', and 

 thus saves to herself and friends the 

 remnant of health that the present style 

 of under-wear has left to her. 



Mrs. Curtis recommends that the out- 

 side garment be made of Canton flannel, 

 or twilled cotton, so that it may the bet- 

 ter pay for making, and as I stitched 

 "seam, gusset and baud," I found my- 

 self wondering if it wouldn't be in one 

 respect at least, like the "one-hoss 

 shay," not indeed that it was likely to 

 last "a hundred years to a day," but the 

 inventor had make it "so like in every 

 part, " 



•'There wasn't a chance for a Btitcb to start." 

 So that after good old-fashioned wear it 

 will fall to i^ieces in a heap or mound. 



".\11 at once and nothing first, j 



Just as bubbles do when they burst." 



I remember that a sister inquired, dur- 

 ing the Matrons' meeting at the State j 

 Grange, as we pored over the hygienic 

 dolls' garments, (which were those I [ 

 have been describing in miniature) what 

 we should do with our present stock of 

 underwear. I didn't quite know then, 

 but having found out what I shall do 

 with mine, I give j'ou the benefit of my 

 wisdom. My very best I shall preserve 

 to be exhibited at the Centennial exhibi- 

 tion, 1076, as a relic of the dark ages, 

 which they almost begin to seem already; 

 the rest I shall keep for emergencies, 

 and by all means never make any more. 



I must not forget that I wanted es- 

 pecially to say, that perhaps the reason 

 many have not already adopted this new 

 fashioned underwear, is because they 

 were unable to learn where the patterns 

 could be obtained. 



It would be funny to relate my experi- 

 ence on this score, and if I hadn't there- 

 by realized that others might profit by it, 

 I should hardlj' have written this sketch 



at all. j 



[ In the varied and absorbing matters ' 

 that drew our attention at the State 

 Grange, I failed to secure the address of 

 Mrs. Curtis, consequently, when I got 

 settled down at home again, and desired 

 to use the ijatterns I had so much ad- 

 mired, I was obliged to Cr.st lay Sister 

 Dewey under contribution for the needed 

 information. Sister Carr was next in- 

 I terrogated as being headquarters, in a 

 I certain sense — being the exhibitor of the 

 doll at the Grange. There being several 

 Mrs. Curtises, the right one was at Inst 

 found, when it turned out that a certain 

 Mrs. Dr. C. had charge of the patterns; 

 but on applj-iug to her we were once 

 more referred back to Mrs. Curtis afore- 

 said, for patterns of the required size. 



It did seem a good deal like "red tape" 

 didn't it? or Dickens' "how not to do it," 

 but it really wasn't, at all; and at last the 

 coveted package came by mail, ^^^th a 

 note from the inventor saying she had 

 been obliged to project the patterns upon 

 an entirely new scale. Could it be that 

 I had made a mistake in one of the meas- 

 urement? Yes, surely, in giving the 

 hight in inches I had represented it to 

 be about eight feet. Here was a figure 

 to make the gravest of our ancestors 

 smile. Eight feet tall and '24 inches 

 around the waist! We had a good laugh 

 as the ridiculous picture appeared and 

 reappeared before our excited imagina- 

 tion, and wondered if Mrs. C. didn't think 

 some of the children of Anak had be- 

 bome "matarialized" up here in Butte 

 county. So here follows the kernel of 

 the nut that has required so much crack- 

 ing, to wit: the full address of Mrs. 

 that ' Curtis and measurements required in 

 sending for patterns: 



"Mrs. C. C. Curtis k Co., No. 606 

 Montgomery street, San Francisco, room 

 31. 



' 'The first measurement should be from 

 the highest point on the shoulder seam 

 to just below the knee cap; second, the 

 size around the bust; third, around the 

 waist; fourth, length of waist under the 

 arm ; and fifth, length of drawers on the 

 inside seam to just below the knee." 

 Price of pattern for flannel, 25 cents; for 

 cotton ditto, 35 cents, and 15 cents post- 

 age if sent by mail. 



Now good friends, lovers of humanity 

 and reform, won't yon all give these pat- 

 terns a fair trial and test the virtue of a 

 "sure enough" dress-reform garment. 



[Mrs. Curtis is now making three dif- 

 ferent patterns of underclothing, viz: the 

 "Combination Suit," three pieces, 25 

 cents; "Excelsior," six pieces, 35 cents, 

 and "Close-fitting," ten pieces, 40 cents. 

 Ladies near San Jose can see samples of 

 underclothing and patterns by calling 

 upon the wile of the editor of this jour- 

 nal.] 



GRANDFATHER'S 

 NO. 8. 



LETTERS- 



IXGLKWOOD S BEPLY TO KXTST M.\BY. 



Dear Aunt Mary: I'our very courteous, 

 candid answer to my last letter encour- 

 ages me to further open my mind to you 

 on that subject my heart dwells upon so 

 much. Between us there seems great 

 union of sentiment, and 1 think the soul 

 aflinities to which you allude will be 

 found to be as compatible as are the 

 physical. True, we know little enough 

 what the soul is, separate and distinct 

 from the body. That it continues to ex- 

 ist, I do not doubt, so do not be afraid 

 of ever finding me a mere materialist. 

 We find a vast difference in the condi- 

 tions of people in this world, and who 

 knows but there may be as great a differ- 

 ence in the next? As in this world, what 

 is really essential to our well being de- 



