83 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
l Mahch, 
OUR ABSENT SONS AND BROTHERS— "HOME, SWEET HOME."— 
It would be easy to read the story of the above beauti- 
ful engraving without a word of explanation. The 
" boys " in camp have gathered around the fortunate 
owner of a violin, to while away a leisure hour. Sud- 
denly he strikes upon a tune that touches the tender 
chords in every heart "Home sweet Home!" What 
pictures rise in the memory of each. One thinks of a lov- 
ing mother, a gentle sister, or younger brothers who clung 
to him when he answered his country's call, and could 
only give him up when he safd " It is for my country." 
Another, a stalwart soldier, vainly endeavors to conceal 
his feelings, as he can almost see his wife and little ones 
grouped in the cottage among the hills where he was hap- 
py until duty bade him go forth. None but those who 
have taken part in such a scene can know the emotions 
it awakens. Thousands of our young readers have dear 
relatives in the army. As they look on this picture and 
their hearts are stirred; let them do all in their power 
to cheer and encourage these loved ones. Nothing can 
do this so well as "letters from home." Chaplains and 
others tell us, that the steadiest, bravest and best among 
their men, are those who are continually thus remember- 
ed by their distant friends ; and that many have fallen in- 
to dissipation and ruin because of neglect of those who 
ought to have written. Elsewhere in this paper we pro- 
pose another plan for remembering the soldiers, and we 
earnestly invite all our young friends to heartily join in 
the enterprise. 
Curious l>el>t and. Credit Account. 
A correspondent of the Northwestern Christian Advo- 
cate relates the following anecdote of an itinerant Metho- 
dist preacher in Ohio : At the close of service on one 
Sunday, a gentleman not a church member asked him 
home to spend the night, and when he left in the morning, 
invited him to call whenever it suited his convenience. 
This the preacher often did, as he passed that way on his 
circuit, and one day at the end of the year, offered pay- 
ment for his frequent entertainment. The gentleman 
brought out an account book, where were charged meals, 
lodging, horse-keeping, etc., amounting to near twenty 
dollars. Though surprised, the minister immediately said 
he had not so much money with him, but would call and 
settle before leaving the circuit. " Stop," said his host, 
" let's examine the other side," and then he showed a 
credit of one dollar for every sermon preached in the 
neighborhood, a sixpence for every blessing asked at the 
table, and a shilling for every prayer offered in the family, 
except one where the preacher had knelt on one knee— 
for this the credit was sixpence. The account showed 
three or four dollars due the preacher, which was imme- 
diately paid over, and they parted on the best of terms. 
A Noble Business Ulan. 
A friend relates for the boys and girls of the American 
Agriculturist, the following incident of a gentleman well 
known in the United States, for his useful talents and 
large business operations, but whose name we are not 
permitted to give. During the present war, he made a 
contract with a mechanic to supply him with a large quan- 
tity of tin cans. Not long after this, the price of tin rose 
so much that the contractor must lose money by com- 
pleting the work at the price agreed upon. However, he 
said nothing, but went on delivering the cans. When 
the first bill for part of the cans was received, the employ- 
er called upon him, and said, "I understand you are 
losing money on this job." "Yes," replied the contract- 
or, but I can stand it ; a contract is a contract you know." 
" How much will you lose ?" asked the gentleman. "Oh, 
no matter," was the reply, " I don't complain, and you 
ought not to." "But I insist upon knowing." "Well, 
since you desire it, I shall los'e so much per hundred," 
naming the amount. " Well, sir," said the noble hearted 
man, "You must not lose this, it would not be right, I 
shall add the amount to your bill, and as the price of ma- 
terial may still rise, I will advance you the money for the 
whole nf the contract, which no doubt you can now use 
to advantage." The difference thus paid, to which the 
contractor laid no claim, amounted to $500. That was 
something more than business honesty, it was Christian 
principle carried out in business. The world needs just 
such examples to convince it of the truth of re' 1 " "n ; 
■Sketched and engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
all honor to the few who do thus exemplify the golden rule. 
**OUa Podrida" Amusement. 
Not long since the writer witnessed much merriment 
at an evening party, caused by making an " Olla Podrida," 
as it was called, in the following manner : A slip of pa- 
per was given to each one of the company, and each was 
requested to write an adjective at the top of it. Then 
the writing was folded over backward so as to be out of 
sight, and the papers were all changed by each one pass- 
ing his own to his left hand neighbor. Every one then 
wrote the name of some gentleman, folded it backward 
and the papers were passed on as before. Another adjec- 
tive was written ; then a lady's name ; the name of a 
place; what the gentleman said; what the lady said; 
what the world said , and what were the consequences , 
the papers being folded and passed on to the next per- 
son, after each writing o-f these particulars. Fi- 
nally one of the company read the sentences thus made, 
on all the papers, adding the words marked in italics in 
the example below. As no one when writing knew what 
had been previously placed on the paper, the effect in 
many cases was very comical.- Here is one of the sen- 
tences which was actually written, omitting the names : 
"The leahneh Mr. A. met industrious Mrs. B. in the 
Kitchen." He said " Good news from the army;" She 
said "I hate a coxcomb ;" the world said " We know 
it would be so," and the consequences were, not a suioide. 
As both the lady and gentleman na-med in the sentence 
were present, the joke was received with shouts of 
laughter.— [This is an old play, common in our boyhood 
days, though it may be new to many of our young read- 
ers. It will answer for an occasional diversion, if. not 
allowed to degenerate into nonsense. The usual difficulty 
Is, that in a miscellaneous company, some would-be- 
smart young man spoils the good character of the sport 
by writing out unseemly phrases under the false impres : 
ston that he is doing a witty thing. Children and old 
people may well indulge in innocent recreation, but they 
should take care never to lose their dignity with others, 
nor to lessen their respect for themselves.— En.] 
