1869.] 
AMERICAN . V( iRIC ULT UBI ST. 
223 
18'OYS & ©HSILS 3 (KD1H71JEH8. 
StieU to tlie Plow anu the Piano. 
Don't come to the city, my buy. Your chance, in the 
long run, is better where you ore. Hundreds, indeed, 
make fortunes here, but thousands live wearisome and 
even suffering lives in the city. Clerks have larger 
salaries than young farmers, but then their expenses for 
boarding, clothes, and amusements, are so mucli larger, 
that less is saved at the end of the year. Then the temp- 
tations of the city are so strong and so constant that few 
young men resist them. Not many young city clerks, 
even if they avoid bud company, are able early ill life to 
have a home of their own. A young man in the country, 
soon alter his time becomes his own, can secure capital 
enough, with an economical wife, to set up housekeeping 
for himself, and have a quiet, comfortable, and even beau- 
tiful little liome of his own. One of the wealthiest men 
in the vicinity of Boston, who died a few years since, 
said the happiest years of his life were passed when he 
was gathering, very slowly, the beginnings of his fortune. 
When lie married, he mid his wife were worth, each, 
twenty-live cents, and they labored lovingly and happily 
together. This was certainly a very small fortune for 
two to commence upon, hut they were worth hundreds 
of thousands when they died, gathered by economical 
labor. Tiie writer knows an excellent young man in this 
city who is now nearly thirty. He lias long been en- 
gaged to a young lady of fine talents and a good temper. 
It would be a great comfort to both to be married; but 
then, his salary, although quite large, would not support 
them in the style of life to which the young woman has 
been accustomed in her own home. Besides, the posi- 
tion of clerks is very uncertain. By the failure of what 
was considered one of the strongest houses in the city, 
this young man was thrown out of place and salary for six 
months. SticKto the plow then, or to some solid, whole- 
some trade. You will then be sure of a comfortable liv- 
ing. You can earlier have a home of your own, and you 
will be lets exposed to the coustant changes in business, 
which destroy at one blow the earnings of year-. 
How Noah's Asaiiual* are JVIade. 
At the Royal Gardens at Kew, England, are collected 
plants from ull parts of the world, and in a Museum at 
the same place are shown the various things that are, 
made from plants, from the delicate gauze made of pine- 
apple fibre, to large specimens of plank and oilier lum- 
ber. If our young friends were to visit this Museum, 
1.— A BLOCK FOR CAMELS. 
they would find many things to interest them, and among 
the rest, toys made of wood. "Children's toys in a Royal 
Museum:''' Certainly; toys arc very useful things. Those 
who make them earn their living by them, and the boys 
aid girls who finally get them arc amused and often in- 
structed. One of the commonest and most popnlartoys is 
Noah's Ark, which almost every boy and girl knows is a 
Fig. 2. —A BLOCK FOR LA3EB3. 
minute model of the ark with a wooden Noah's family, 
and a large number of pairs of wooden animals, from the 
elepkait down to the smallest;. It is grtat fun to arrange 
these animals iu twos, and make a procession inarching 
into the ark. Older persons have wondered how all 
these animals could be made so cheaply. In the Kew 
Museum some specimens of the wooden manufactures of 
Saxony show the way in which these animals are 
made. The wood for each is turned out of the proper 
shape iu a lathe. It looks like a circular picture frame. 
or moulding— and nothing could look less like one of 
Noah's animals. This circle is then sawed into pieces, 
and, as will be seen by the engraving, each piece makes 
an animal, which only needs a little smoothing up, and 
painting, and to be furnished with cars, tail, horns, etc., 
as the case may be. The upper engraving shows a 
camel, the lower one, a lamb. This was thought sufficient- 
ly curious to be shown in the learned Gardeners' Chron- 
icle, and we borrow the picture for our boysaud girls. 
Appearances against Him ; tin- 
1 nil li in His Favor. 
A New England merchant, doing a large business, in- 
quiring several clerks, a short time since missed several 
articles of value from his store. He determined to watch 
the habits of these young men to discover, if possible, 
which one, if either of them, was untrustworthy. There 
was one of them who appeared particularly active and 
faithful; was the first to come and the last to leave at 
night ; his dress was inferior to that of the other clerks ; 
and he was evidently not particularly popular among 
them. The merchant learned tiiat this young man re- 
mained for half an hour or more after the others 
left, with the door of the store locked. This circum- 
stance awakened his suspicions, and he arranged a plan 
to conceal himself in the store, so that he might discover 
what occurred when the clerk supposed himself'to be 
unobserved. Having sent the young man upon an errand 
just before the hour of closing, he entered his place of 
concealment. The door was locked as usual, at the 
proper time. The clerk at once began to sweep and put 
the establishment in order. While waiting for the dust 
to settle, he was seen to go behind the counter, and tak- 
ing something from under it, place it in the breast of 
his coat. The merchant was now all alive to discover 
what had been taken and what was to be done with it. 
The young man went to the window and sat in silence a 
few moments, apparently examining the package which 
he had taken from his breast. The merchant was not 
left long in doubt. His clerk soon fell upon his knees ; 
lie saw that it was the Bible he had been reading ; and 
now he ottered aloud a simple and touching prayer, for 
himself, his mother and sister, his employer, and par- 
ticularly fora brother clerk, who, he feared, was yielding 
to temptation. After he had finished dusting he left the 
store, unconscious of having hail a human eye upon him. 
It is easy to believe that the merchant was deeply 
affected by what he had seen and heard. This clerk's 
salary was increased several hundred dollars a year, and 
he was given the position made vacant by the discharge 
of another whose criminal acts had been discovered. 
Prairie l^ile tor Invalid twirls. 
BY GRACE PERCrVAL. 
I write this sketch in the hope of arousing one of thos • 
pale, nervous, young ladies who lie on their sofas the 
most of the time, to take more exercise, and, if possi- 
ble, out in the fields, among the birds and flowers. My 
health had always been rather delicate, until we moved 
out on the farm, nearlya yearago, and now I can hardly 
believe that I am the same person, eo great is the change. 
One morning last May papa came in. and finding me re- 
clining on the lounge, asked me if I would not like to 
help drop corn. Never having been accustomed to work 
much, I looked surprised, I have no doubt, at. the propo- 
sition ; but. after considerable coaxing, I at length rathei 
dubiously consented to try the experiment. So after 
arraying myself in a short ealico dress, thick shoes, 
and large straw hat, we set out for the field. Our way 
led through a meadow of brightest green, spangled with 
dew, and embroidered with beautiful wild flowers. The 
field was situated on a knoll, and commanded a wide 
view of the surrounding prairie. I felt like shouting 
aloud, every thin? looked so lovely, that bright May 
morning. But there was the corn to drop ! and I was soon 
busily engaged in this very romantic occupation. I did 
not become quite fascinated with it; though I fear my 
mind was more intent on some day-dream, suggested by 
that lovely scene, than upon my work. But that evening, 
when I tat down to the supper table, I felt that the day's 
work had done me good, and I was refreshed in mind and 
body. I resolved to take a walk every day, and be out in 
the open-air as much as possible. I have never had any 
reason to regret keeping that resolve. Will that invalid 
young lady for whoa? benefit I am writing this listen toa 
word of advice? If you can. make your home in the 
country; take an interest in out-door work and rural 
AlSBatfeUft, tack w walking, ridinj, bathing, and many 
others I might mention. A tlower garden is a very pleas- 
ant place for exercise, while keeping it iu order and en- 
joying its products. Every thing is lovely in the country I 
There are murmuring brooks, shaded by handsome trees, 
soft, velvety meadows, and beautiful birds and flowers, all 
leading your soul from the contemplation of things terres- 
trial up to Nature's Ood.und the glories of a celestial home. 
What's the difference between an overcoat and a baby ': 
An overcoat is what yon wear (were), a baby what you was, 
Answers to Problem* au«l 1'iizztes. 
The following are answers to the puzzles In the May 
number, page 1S3. No. 343, Yours (ewers). No. 344. 
Be sure you are right, then go ahead. The following 
have sent correct answers: Isaac N. Millikan, Walter P. 
Ferguson, George A. Jacobs, Addie M. N., D. L. Mor- 
rison, A. J. Vincent, Frederick Pfister, 1*. A. Sellers, Mil- 
ton Snyder, D. II. B., Robert S. Marshall, Mira M. Wal- 
ker, Daniel Lees (3), James A. Sunford (3), Ella Lathrop, 
J. V. Oren, Mrs. J. V. Oreu. 
Motto of market gardeners : " Let us have peas." 
The first time little Billy S. noticed the thunder, he 
said, "Mother, they are scouring up in heaven." His 
mother said, " How do you know, my child f" He re- 
plied, " I hear 'em moving the chairs about." 
IXerw Puzzler to l>e Answered. 
No. 314. I?ebits.— \ hint for gossipers tu heed. 
Nfo. S45. Puzzlk Picture —Jap* 
many are there ? 
e ;e Juggh rs. How 
no sub- 
