California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



cQormons amount of dress-goods. Again 

 ulie hesitated a moment at a little jiuddle, 

 then stepped into, instead or over it. 



I thought, "Why does she this?" An- 

 other glance, and the question was an- 

 swered. She was dressed in accordance 

 with the edicts of Fashion. 



As she passed me, I stole another 

 glance, with this result: I saw a large, 

 well-formed head, a full, round forehead, 

 showing a large and active brain, 

 smooth, even features, and the general 

 appearance of a student. Yet, with 

 these natural gifts and educational ad- 

 vantages, she was a slave! Why was it? 



With this question haunting my mind, 

 I saught an interview with the Empress 

 of Fashion herself. Passing over the 

 introduction and little preliminary re- 

 marks incidental to such a call, I will 

 simply say, I found her genial and oblig- 

 ing, apparently quite willing to answer 

 mv questions. I give our conversation 

 in" full. 



Heporler — What is the extent of your 

 domains? 



Fashion — My domain is the whole 

 earth — the land and the seas alike; — or, 

 as you Americans say, "there is no north, 

 no south, no east, no west." Wherever 

 man is, there are my agents. 



R. — What is your power or authority? 



F. — My power is absolute. There is 

 no higher authority — no court of appeal. 

 Some one has said: "Better be dead than 

 out cf fashion," — using my name figur- 

 atively. This is now generally believed, 

 for the results of failing to comply with 

 my commands are too well understood 

 and dreaded. 



if. — Who are your subjects? 



F. — All mankind, without regard to 

 rank or station. The savage Indian 

 builds his wigwam, paints his body and 

 scalps his victims in accordance with my 

 commands, The millionaire erects his 

 mansion, clothes his person and gives to 

 the poor by the same authority. The 

 heathen and the Christian alike look to 

 me for models of architecture for temples 

 to their gods. 



li. — Does civilization detract from your 

 powers? 



F. — Ob, no; it rather adds to it; for, 

 as civilization advances, wealth increases: 

 and this gives me the key to these, the 

 civilized colonies: they require vaiiety, 

 and it is through their wealth that I am 

 enabled to give it to them. It is with 

 these colonies that I take my greatest 

 pleasure. I delight in varying their 

 dress. The styles of yesterday passed 

 with the day. The pull-back dress and 

 spring-bottom pants, the one-sided hat 

 and long-toed boots I shall soon throw 

 away, and so on throughout time. 



Alter the fair lady had given me her 

 opinion of the effect of her rule, I bade 

 her adieu, my miud filled with many 

 subjects for retlection, which I intended 

 to have included in this article, but it is 

 now much beyond the desired length, so 

 I will leave you to draw your own con- 

 clusions. 



POPULARITY. 



This, that and the other matter are 

 often said to be unpopular. In the 

 same sense, this, that and the other in- 

 dividual are often said to be unpopular. 

 .\Dd, pray, what is popularity? A mere 

 l)>iblile, unless it is used as an influence 

 for some personal ends. 



It often hajipens that the most unpop- 

 ular iiiilividual leaves a valued record. 

 The world, though progressive on the 

 whole, does not show its progress in the 

 footprints of individuals. Nevertheless, 

 individuals are the landmarks, the guid- 



ing spirits through which progress is 

 developed. 



Truth, in its march, has many obsta- 

 cles to encounter; but it is a kind of 

 positive element that supersedes and dis- 

 places error, so sure as truth is good and 

 eiTor is bad. It is only a question of 

 time. 



The linn individual, who plants him- 

 self on the ramparts to do battle for 

 principle, who has no compromises to 

 make with wrong, is goaded and maimed 

 at every turn, till truth forces itself up- 

 permost. 



The most popular class in the world 

 are those who, though they may have 

 opinions of their own, are governed more 

 by circumstances than by their opinions 

 — more by policy than by principle. 

 Hence, the individual of positive and af- 

 firmative character has no negative prin- 

 ciples. In God, or truth, or principle 

 he trusts. To him 



An approviug smile from the wise and uoud 

 Is prelerred to the shout of the multitude. 



He does not seek the honors and emolu- 

 ments of the world at the expense of his 

 own individuality and his own manhood. 

 Not being dependent on others for his 

 thoughts, he is independent in his mode 

 of reasoning. As he reflects his own 

 thoughts in his own language, how not 

 to say things is one of the fine arts to 

 which he lays no claim; and he often 

 says things too blunt for the undecided, 

 and too unpopular for the equivocating 

 or negative miud. Therefore, as a reward 

 for the personal sacrifices he is always 

 making, he trusts to time to vindicate 

 him. His reward seldom comes to him- 

 self j5ersonally; but, like the great Amer- 

 ican statesman, Henry Clay, he feels that 

 "he would rather be right than to be 

 President." But what kind of jihreno- 

 logical organization does it take to make 

 the popular man of the world? The 

 question needs no answer. 



IViORE THAN ONE WOMAN IN 

 THE HOUSE. 



(lEANDMOTHEIi's ADVCE. 



There should be two women in every 

 house, especially the farm house. AVe 

 do not mean by this, gentlemen, that 

 every man should have two wives. Oh, 

 no! But we do mean that friend, moth- 

 er, sister, aunt, grandmother — somebody 

 — should be companionship for the main 

 housekeeper. 



We will take the case of a family con- 

 sisting of six members — father, mother, 

 and four children ranging from one to 

 ten years. They live on a grain frarm. 

 The children are not old enough to do 

 farm labor, therefore help must be em- 

 ployed — from one to three men — making 

 from seven to nine in family. 



How much of sunshine and free air 

 may we conclude this housekeeper en- 

 joys? How much time among the flow- 

 ers? How much time to read and keep 

 posted, so that when company calls she 

 can converse with her husband and them 

 on the various topics of the day? How 

 much time to call out the minds of her 

 children, and instruct them as only a 

 mother can? Perhaps an hour or two on 

 Sunday, provided that then there are 

 only two meals. 



How diU'erent would it be it only some 

 one were with her, to change work with 

 her and allow her to work among the 

 flowers now and then by way of change, 

 or spend a half hour in the poultry yard 

 among the young broods, or in company 

 with the children to go and gather bo- 

 quets of wild flowers by way of diversion 

 — anything to permit the mother now 

 and then to relax her nerves, to throw ofl' 

 restraint, and yet feel that the wheels of 



the household ai'e not clogged the mo- 

 ment her hands cease to labor. Oh! if 

 men only knew how much of sunshine 

 they shut out of their own presence, out 

 of their own domain, by having a weary, 

 tired companion about them, instead of 

 one able to give off vitality to husband 

 and children! 



But vitality cannot be manufactured 

 and cheerfully maintained without the 

 presence of certain elements. Fresh air, 

 sunshine, cheerfulness and rest from care 

 are Nature's greatrestorers. While nine- 

 tentbs of the farmers' wives have been, 

 and are to-day, using up not only all 

 their natural strength, but using addi- 

 tional stimulus to carry on their work 

 — instead of enjoying the situation,the 

 lovely scenery of the country, the free 

 air, the groves and flowers — they find 

 country life a constant wear and tear of 

 nerve force. 



I could write a book on this subject 

 and minor ones connected with it, but 

 will conclude by saying, See to it, O, 

 man of the farm, that there are two 

 women in your household, even if one 

 should be only a Chinaman. Anything 

 to give relief to the tired wife and mother 

 is better than to let her wear out with 

 hard work, anxiety and suft'eriug. But 

 better than a mere servant is a compan- 

 ionable person, a relative or friend, whose 

 service is not only paid for but is sought 

 after and reciprocated in kindness and 

 mutual sympathy and human equality. 



DRIFTING DOWN THE STREAM 

 OF LIFE. 



BY BLANCHE. 



Down the stream of life we are drift- 

 ing. Our boat at first glides smoothly 

 along over the rijiling brooklet; the shin- 

 ing pebbles glitter in its bed; the trees 

 and shrubs, in their robes of green, 

 stretch forth their moss-covered, ivy- 

 mantled arms to shelter and protect: the 

 merry birds twitter among the boughs, 

 while the rising sun drapes the landscape 

 and the stream in beauty's most adorn- 

 ing robes; the over-hanging branches, 

 softly swayed by gentle zephj'rs, drop 

 their brightly-tinted blossoms, which 

 dance and wrestle with the waves, then 

 quickly disappear; here and there a 

 modest lily peeps above the water's edge: 

 all is gaiety, hope and happiness. Pure 

 and uudeiiled as the flowers on the 

 brink, we thoughtlessly sail down the 

 stream. 



The winding, ripi^ling brooklet is 

 changing; gliding away are childhood's 

 happy hours. In youth and manhood 

 we iind ourselves in a wider, deejier 

 stream, surrounded by objects more 

 striking and magnificent — by dashing 

 waves, whistling winds, tumult and con- 

 fusion. One moment we are in fancied 

 security, the next, in the greatest dan- 

 ger; for a while elated by success, then 

 depressed and miserable with disappoint- 

 ment. When shipwrecked, we strive in 

 vain to anchor; — our voyage may be 

 hastened — it. cannot be delayed. Time, 

 the stern boatman, has unfurled the sail, 

 and on we are borne, our joys and our 

 griefs alike left behind. Too soon we 

 feel the chill of winter, and snow-flakes 

 may be seen falling on the golden hair. 

 Wave-tossed, weary and worn, our frail 

 bark bears us on until we hear the rush- 

 ing tide, are launched into the ocean, 

 and wafted over the crested waves to the 

 "better shore of the spirit land," just ns 

 the setting sun of our life-day sinks to 

 rest beneath the waves, painting with its 

 gorgeous tints landscape, sky and sea. 



What Mkn Need Wives rou. — It is 



not to sweep the house, make the bed, 

 darn the socks and cook the meals, 

 chiefl}', that a man wants a wife. If this 

 is all he needs, hired help can do it 

 cheaper than a wife. If this is all, when 

 a young man calls to see a lady, send 

 him into the pantry to taste the bread 

 and cake she has made; then send him 

 in to insi^eet the needlework and bed- 

 making, or put a broom in the young 

 lady's hand and send him to witness its 

 use. Such things are important, and 

 the wise young man will quickly look 

 after them ; but what the true man wants 

 with a wife is her companionship, sym- 

 pathy and love. The way of life has 

 manj' dreary places in it, and man needs 

 a companion to go with him. A man is 

 sometimes overtaken by misfortunes; he 

 meets with failure and defeat; trials and 

 templations beset him, and he needs one 

 to stand by and sympathize. He has 

 some hard battles to fight with poverty, 

 enemies and .sin, and he needs a woman 

 that, when he puts his arm around her, 

 he feels he has something to fight for, 

 and that she, being a true woman, will 

 help him to fight; that she will put her 

 lips to his ear and whisper words of 

 counsel, and her hand to his heart and 

 impart inspiration. All through life, 

 through storms and sunshine, through 

 conflict and victory, through adverse and 

 through favoring winds, man needs a 

 woman's love. His heart yearns for it. 

 A sister's or a mother's love ^will hardly 

 supply the need. Yet many seek for 

 nothing further than success in house- 

 work. Justly enough, half of these get 

 nothing more; the other half, surprised 

 beyond measure, have gotten more than 

 they sought. Their wives surprise them 

 by bringing out a noble idea in marriage 

 and disclosing a treasury of courage, 

 sympathy and love. 



Husbands and Wives. 



HUSBANDS. 



Applclon's Journal says: Ingratitude 

 and indifference sometimes mar the char- 

 acter of men. A husband returns from 

 his business at evening. During his ab- 

 sence, and throughout the live-long day, 

 the wife has some little surprise, some 

 unexpected pleasure, to make his home 

 more attractive than ever. He enters, 

 seemingly sees no more of what has been 

 done to please him than if he were a 

 blind man, and has nothing more to say 

 about it than if he were dumb. Many a 

 loving wife has borne in her heart an a- 

 biding sorrow, day after day, from causes 

 like this, until, in process of time, the 

 fire and enshusiasm of her original na- 

 ture have burned out, and mutual indif- 

 ferences spreads its pall over the house- 

 hold. 



wives. 



Many women have little idea of how 

 greatly they shock the tastes and really 

 endanger the att'ections of their husbands 

 by their unseemly domestic apparel. 

 There is not a man of sense and refined 

 feeling anywhere who would not prefer 

 some simple and chaste adornment for 

 the wife in the morning to anj- extreme 

 of splendor at the evening ball. Let a 

 woman by all means dress brilliantly on 

 those occasions that render it proper. 

 We have no desire to abrige her privileges 

 nor baffle her instincts in this particular; 

 but we claim that it is important for her, 

 if she value her household serenity, that 

 she should give equal heed to her custom- 

 ary domestic attire. The female who 

 goes about the house untidily dressed 

 has no right to the title of woman. She 

 is without thosee marks and indications 

 by which she can be so classified. 



-HousEUOLU Help. 



