120 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, \ 
STKAYED away from 
Wliat May l>c Seen in the l»ictnre. 
A little girl lost in the woods ! No wonder the kind 
lady and gentleman who happened to pass that way are 
interested. Every girl and boy who iooks at the beautiful 
picture feels sympathy for the sweet little child who has 
strayed away from home, with her pet kitten in her arms. 
Her face plainly tells us that she knows something is 
wrong; she does not fully feel that she is lost, or she 
would be crying. She is shy of the stranger lady, and 
there is also something in her expression which says, " I 
know I was naughty to go away when mamma told me 
not to leave the door-yard."— How much the artist has 
told in this simple and touching sketch. As we look at 
it we cannot help thinking of the tens of thousands of 
our young readers who are in danger of sometimes for- 
getting that father and mother know best, and of being 
beguiled away like this little child, into ways that will 
at last bring them trouble and sorrow. She cannot real- 
ize that the sun will not always shine so bright, nor the 
flowers look so beautiful, nor every thing be so pleasant 
around her. She thinks not of night and cold and hun- 
ger that must come soon, if she be not restored to her 
home, any more than that wilful boy can now see that 
playing truant from school, disobeying his parents, or In- 
dulging in wrong pleasures of any kind, will end in sad- 
ness and, it may be, in ruin. The thoughtless girl who 
is not content with the simple enjoyments of home, but 
who, in spite of the warnings and entreaties of her 
mother, persists in joining the follies of her gay compan- 
ions " because she can't see any harm in it," should study 
this picture, and remember that there are evils which 
older persons can see, from which they' would save her 
by their counsel.— We have another beautiful picture, 
already engraved for the next month, showing what 
afterward happened to this same little lost one. 
An Ingenious Judoe.— Three brothers were heirs to 
their father's oxen, seventeen in number. By the Ma- 
hommedan law of inheritance, the eldest brother was en- 
ihz American Agriculturist. 
titled to one half, the second one to one-third, and the 
youngest to one-ninth of the whole number. As the ani- 
mals could not be divided without destroying them, the 
subject was referred to the commander of the faithful, 
Ali. The caliph added an ox to the number, and then 
made the division. This gave each brother more than 
his share — the eldest nine, the next six, and the youngest 
two— and still left to the prince the ox which he had added. 
The Saniasary Commission and the 
Scotch Woman. 
The following touching incident illustrates the kind of 
work which is being accomplished by the noble Sanitary 
Commission. A Scotch woman, after nursing her wound- 
ed son until he was almost well, found her money so 
nearly gone that she could not remain with him ; yet 
she could not bear to leave him dependent only upon frie 
ordinary hospital supplies, lest as she said "he shouldn't 
be so well." A kind friend took her to a storehouse to 
procure a few luxuries for her boy. He ordered a supply 
of sugar, tea, soft crackers and canned fruit, then chick- 
en and oysters, then jelly and wine, brandy, milk, and 
underclothing, until the basket was full. As the earlier 
articles nestled under its lids, her face was glowing with 
satisfaction ; but as the later lots were being added, she 
would draw him aside to whisper "It was too much," — "re- 
ally she hadn't enough money ;" and when the more ex- 
pensive items came from the shelves, the shadow of ear- 
nestness which gloomed her countenance grew into one 
of perplexity, her soul vibrating between motherly yearn- 
ing for the lad on his bed and the scant purse in her pock- 
et, until, slowly, and with great reluctance, she began to 
return the costliest, " Hadn't you better ask the price ?" 
said her guide. — " How much is it ?'.' — "Nothing," replied 
the storekeeper. — " Sir !" queried she, in the utmost 
amazement, "nothing for all this?"— "My good woman," 
asked the guide, "have you a soldiers' aid society in your 
neighborhood?"— "Yes, they had; she belonged to it 
herself.— "Well, what do you suppose becomes of the 
garments you make, and the fruit you put up?" She 
hadn't thought,— she supposed they went to the army,— 
but was evidently bothered to know what connection 
there could be between their aid society and' the basket. 
" These garments that you see came from your society, 
or oilier societies just like yours : so did these boxes and 
barrels ; that milk came from New-York ; those fruits 
from Boston; that wine was likely purchased with gold 
from California; and it is all for sick soldiers, your son 
as much as for any one else. This is the kind of work 
done by the United States Sanitary Commission." 
Eccentric Fowls-IIal»itf s of Animals, 
A young reader of the American Agriculturist, Wm. 
Millard, Fairfield Co., Conn., who evidently knows how 
to use his eyes and ears, describes the peculiar ways of 
some of his fowls. One of his roosters is a most attentive 
gallant. He not only scratches about to find choice mor- 
sels for the hens of his family after the manner of com- 
mon roosters, but busies himself in making nests for the 
hens, and when one of them tells the world what a fine 
egg she has laid, he never fails to cackle also with all 
his might, probably by way of compliment for her praise- 
worthy performance. Our young friend lias named one 
of his pullets "the barber," because on rainy days she 
devotes herself to arranging and dressing the top-knots 
of her companions. She is also a very ambitious charac- 
ter, and sometimes leads the flock around with all the 
strutting and peculiar airs of a male bird. Not long 
since, while parading in this manner, she completed the 
performance by trying to crow, when she made such a 
(rightful noise that her companions fled in dismay. Our 
young friends may find much amusement and instruction 
in observing the peculiarities of the various inhabitants 
of the farm-yard. Each animal will be found to have its 
own individual character more or less strongly marked. 
Every farmer knows that some cows are better mothers 
than others ; that some sheep are naturally wild and rest- 
Jess, always lrading the flock into mischief, others quiet 
and orderly; and so with every brute creature. One who 
makes animals a study will soon learn how to control 
them for his own use. This is seen in the mastery of the 
horse, gained by Rarey and others, and also in the won- 
derful power which trainers of wild animals possess. 
A. Remarkable I>o£'. 
Many years ago a jeweller in New-York City employed 
one of his clerks to sleep in the store to protect it from 
burglars. He was usually armed with a pistol, but one 
night for some reason this had been left at his home, and 
on this very night he was awakened by the noise of some 
one at work at one of the rear shutters. He walked noise- 
lessly to the place, and discovered that a burglar was 
sawing' out a hole through which he might put his hand, 
and draw the bolt that held the shutter. Although alarm- 
ed, he did not lose his presence of mind, but carefully 
lifted the window next to the shutters. He then com- 
menced to growl in imitation of a dog, and let off a se- 
ries of loud and furious barks, "Confound the brute," 
exclaimed a voice outside. "No matter," said another 
voice, "go ahead, we can soon fix him." The clerk con- 
tinued his barking, but this did not stop the burglars. Just 
as the hole was completed, and a hand was being thrust 
through, he luckily noticed a large pair of pincers near, 
which he grasped, and as the hand fully appeared he gave 
it a tremendous nip and held it fast, all the while growling 
and whining frantically. " Oh ! oh ! he's fastened me," 
shrieked the burglar, struggling to get loose. But the 
clerk held on with the pincers, and just then a watch- 
man in the street came in sight, the burglar's companion 
ran, and he himself was quickly discovered and secured. 
The clerk's ingenuity thus saved his master's goods, pei- 
haps his own life, and secured to himself a handsome re- 
ward from the owner of the store. 
Two Rogues Instead of One. 
An amusing incident is related of a woman in England 
whose husband, a wealthy man, died suddenly without 
leaving any will. The widow, desirous of securing the 
whole property, concealed her husband's death, and per- 
suaded a poor shoemaker to take his place while a will 
could be made. Accordingly he was closely muffled up 
in bed as if very sick, and a lawyer was called to write 
the will. The shoemaker in a feeble voice bequeathed 
half of all the property to the widow. ""What shall be 
done with the remainder ? " asked the lawyer. " The Re- 
mainder," replied he, " I give and bequeath to the poor 
little shoemaker across the street, who has always been 
a good neighbor and a deserving man"; thus securing a 
rich bequest for himself ! The widow was thunderstruck 
with the man's audacious cunning, but did not dare ex- 
pose the fraud ; and so two rogues shared the estate. 
Never Despair.— With time, patience and labor, the 
plain mulberry leaf at last becomes glossy satin. 
