1861.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
93 
licve, is never bad to take; but whose mouth would 
not water at the sight of a pie made ot pure cream 
instead of milk ? When our nice butter is not worth 
25 to 28 or 30 cents a pound, wo shall go in for the 
cream pie.—E d.] 
Household Matters in Store. 
About twenty live more good items have been 
contributed for this department, and we will leave 
more room for them in the next number. We hope 
our house-keeping readers will continue to supply 
a good stock of original materials. We expect to 
publish at least one hundred good household arti¬ 
cles this year, or one for each penny paid for the 
Agriculturist. We shall also have something to say 
about the science of cooking, that will, we trust , be 
of practical utility. 
IdDYS & 1 
'fiee Editor with Iiis Tomig Sfceaders. 
A HAPPY NEW-YEAR, 
Yes, many a one, to all our old friends among the 
girls and boys, and to the thousands of now ones 
that have just entered the Agriculturist family. We 
once gave this salutation to a youngster on New- 
Year’s day, and lie rather took us aback for a mo¬ 
ment, by enquiring “ What arc you going to give 
me to make me happy?” You may think that 
rather impolite, as it was, but it carried a good les¬ 
son with it. At the beginning of the year every 
body is ready with the customary greeting; the 
children are up bright and early to “catch” father 
and mother, and their companions, by calling out 
first, “I wish you a happy Ncw-Ycar.” If a stran¬ 
ger from the moon or some other planet should 
visit Earth on that day, he would think, “ what a 
loving people,” but we fear if he should happen in 
at some houses the following week, he might say, 
“ what a set of hypocrites ; they were just wishing 
that all might be happy, but they are doing nothing 
to give enjoyment to any one — each is looking out 
only for himself.” How would it bo at your house ? 
“But, Mr. Editor,” you may say, “suppose you 
take a little of your own preaching, and let us know 
what you are doing to bring about your wish of a 
happy Now-Year to us all.” 
We think our old friends among you will be sat¬ 
isfied of our good intentions, as wo point to the 
boys’ and girls’ columns of the past year, and reply, 
“ We have plenty more left of the same kind ; new 
stories, new pictures, new puzzles, and, best of all, 
new zeal; for we grow to love the 'children’s part of 
the paper more and more; and our new acquain¬ 
tances will, we feel confident, not regret the day 
when father or mother subscribed for the Agrie\il- 
Hir.isfy 
A TRICK THAT DID NOT PAY. 
Many years ago, before friction matches were in¬ 
vented, few persons had seen phosphorus, and it 
was sometimes used to terrify tlio ignorant, by 
making luminous writing with it upon the walls of 
darkened rooms, and for playing various tricks. A * 
young girl who had seen such performances, pro¬ 
cured a small quantity, and while on a visit to her 
friends, rcsolvecl on having some sport with it. 
There were some half a dozen girls together, and 
upon retiring, after the light was extinguished, she 
placed a bit of phosphorus in the palm of each 
hand, and commenced her exhibition, by waving- 
her hands about, showing two bright spots ip mo¬ 
tion, to the great astonishment of tiro rest. Pres¬ 
ently she clapped her hands together to highton the 
effect, when the pdiosphorus took tiro, which caused 
her to scream with pain, and to wildly throw her 
hands about to. extinguish Hie fire. Her compan¬ 
ions supposing it a part of the performance, ap¬ 
plauded highly, and it was not until some of the 
family, alarmed oy tno noise, came in to her relief, 
that her di tress was discovered. She was severely 
burned, and never again meddled with so danger¬ 
ous a plaything—you may add the moral. 
EJsicle Jolasi’s Study—II. 
By Raleigh Truman, 
Mb. Editor.— It would have pleased you, I 
think, to see Uncle John’s surprise wlion I handed 
him the last number of the Agriculturist. We were _ 
seated in the study for a good time, as usual, and 
Susie was just about to ask him how the man got 
so many feathers from the hat, when I took the pa¬ 
per from my pocket. Ho glanced over the pictures, 
then turned to the Boys’ and Girls’ Department, 
and almost immediately exclaimed, “ Well done 
Raleigh; but I must be careful what I say, you’re 
such a faithful reporter.” I thanked him for the 
compliment, and told him that as he could now 
talk to a hundred thousand or more girls and boys, 
I hoped it would increase his pleasure in talking, a 
hundred thousand fold.” At this moment cousin 
Grace hurst into the study without even knocking 
—she is usually very polite—clapped her hands, 
and fairly danced with glee. “ Oh, said she, it was 
so funny! she was so nicely taken in!” Why, 
what’s the matter, Grace,” said we all. “The old 
cat was/poM by her own eyes,” replied she. “ My 
pet mocking bird sat singing in his page, which 
stood near the window. Tito window was closed, 
and a strange cat, which had been prowling about 
our yard, spied him, and thought what a fine break¬ 
fast he would make. She crept along the fence very 
slyly, until quite near the window, and then with a 
spring pounced upon the cage, as she thought, but 
her head came bung against the glass, breaking it 
to splinters. She fell upon the floor with a mc-yoiu, 
gave such a frightened look, and darted away again 
through the broken window, and over the fence, be¬ 
fore I could say ^ spat.’ ” Wo enjoyed pussy’s dis¬ 
comfiture very much, for Grace’s bird is a great fa¬ 
vorite. Fred facetiously remarked that she de¬ 
served the pane in her head. 
“Now about tlio feathers, Unck; John,” said Su¬ 
sie, “for I can’t get them out of my head.” 
The eyes of the spectators were deceived,” re¬ 
plied he, “I have seen the same trick, and Erod 
will remember that during its performance, the 
man went behind a table several times; as ho passed, 
lie exchanged the hat he held, for-another filled with 
feathers. He did it quickly, and at the same time 
managed to divert the attention of the audience by 
talking about some other subject. I have" seen a 
man appear to swallow a sword two feet long, and 
perform many other impossible things. Some cu¬ 
rious appearance; arc produced by contrivances 
made for the purpose. I have jpst received from 
Germany a toy invented thorp, which I shall name 
the “ magic box,” by which very remarkable and 
beautiful tilings arc shown.” 
He opened his hook-case and brought out a small 
green paper box, nearly round, having an opening 
at the fpp and bottom. “Now,” said he, “I will 
put sonro money into it, and shake it up, and you 
will find the box wili arrange it all in the most 
complete order. He rattled the coin for a moment, 
and then placed it under the box on the table. 
“Oh, isn’t that nice?” said Susie, “just look; eight 
ten-eent pieces, a little ways apart, all in a circle.” 
There they wero, we were certain, until Uncle John 
lifted the br>x, and we saw but one coin. “Where 
arc the rest?” exclaimed wo, “That is all,” said 
Undo John. This was hard to believe, but we 
could, by this time, trust Undo John’s word hot¬ 
ter than even our own eyes, “ Now for another 
wonder. Susie, can you draw ?” “ No, sir,” re¬ 
plied she. ‘‘Weil, scribble some marks upon paper, 
no matter how they look, and we’ll place thorn un¬ 
der the box.” So she made a few pencil marks, 
which looked something like a brush hcap badly 
tangted. The box was placed over them, and there 
appeared a regular and beautiful figure, such as is 
used for ornamental bordering ]n printing and en¬ 
graving. Wo were greatly astonished, and still 
more so, when, by slightly moving the box over the 
marks, another handsome design was shown, and 
so on for fiv.e minutes or more, each figure being 
new and beautiful. 
“A magic box, indeed!” cried Fred, “ W.ould'nt It 
be splendid to have such a contrivance for my desk 
at school, where my books arc always playing bide 
and seek; it would straighten them at once.” 
“Will it untangle a skein of silk?” asked Susie. 
Uncle John smiled and said, “we’ll try it; here’s a 
snarl of thread that will answer fpr the experiment.” 
The box was placed over Hie thread, and though it 
was not straightened out exactly, there was pre¬ 
sented the most curious arrangement; as if some 
one had knitted a pattern of the most regular and 
exquisite design. “Wonderful," wo all exclaimed. 
Do, Uncle John, show us the inside of the box, and 
tell ns how it is made. 
[The Editor is very sorry to hayc no room for the 
rest of Raleigh’s report. We have procured a 
“ magic” box, and find it a new and wonderful thing, 
and yet easily made. Look out for engravings and 
a full description next month.— Ed.] 
NEW PROBLEMS FOB VOLUME 20. 
No. 1— Enigma , by a friend of the children, over 
80 years old; forwarded by Milton Doming. 
My native place was in the wood, 
Anc] mother earth my only food; 
I then had life, hut now am deac]; 
No longer by kind mother fed. 
Transmogrified I now appear, 
A thing of use, though looking queer; 
My head is covered, not with Imix’—- 
My tail stands upright in the air. 
I have a thousand useful wings, 
Good housewives all admire these tilings. 
I settle women’s worst disputes; 
For them I fight both men and brutes. 
When desolation was foretold, 
The Prophets mention me of old. 
No. 2 —Illustrated Rebus contains a true staf cment. 
ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS. 
No. 30. Figure Puzzle — (See cut in December No.) 
Answer — The pieces are properly arranged thus: 
No. 31. Enigmatical Story.—Answer —“ Christmas 
and New-Year Holidays.” By numbering each of 
the letters of those words from 1 up to 27 , all the 
words in the story are easily made out. 
Correct answers received to Dec. 7th, and not pre¬ 
viously acknowledged: Wm. L. Raymond, No. 29; 
Jas. Hi. Graybill, 20; A. 8. Kirkmcrc, 29; Katie M. 
Humphrey, 29; Mary M. HalMluy, 29; C. J. Rage, 
29; Jarvis H. Arnold, 20; J. R. McBurncy, 29; 
Franklin Adams, 29; John II. Dony, 29, (thanks for 
your efforts to obtain subscribers); John W. Gib¬ 
son, 29; Carrie; and Sallie Thomas, 29; M. M. Mah- 
loh, 29; E. B. P., and S. L. P., 29; Robert M. Has 1 
brouck, jr., 29; Joseph T. Mason, 29; J. P. Yoder, 
29; Matthew P. Sellers, 29; J. It. Carman, 29; C. 
II. H., 29; Amos M. Peck, 29; J. O. Hatch, 29; M. 
J. Old, 29; Joseph P. Moss, 29; George W. Moffit, 
29; Cornelia C. Oimnington, 31; I-Ielcu A. Holmes, 
31; Haller PI. Bavley, 31; Emma J. Taylor, 31; Jar¬ 
vis PI. Arnold, 31; Minnie St. Clair, 31; Mary E. 
Bishop, 81; Mary W. Shephard, 31; M. PL, 80, 
(thanks for the new puzzle, it may do at some time); 
Jas. IT. Gamble, 31, (enigma accepted with thanks); 
“Young America,” 80, “81; Bella R. Frick, 30, 31 
Charles J. Ladd, 31; II. H. Witmcr, 30, 31; W. YU 
Knight, 30, 31: W. II. Miller, 30; Charles L, Slew, 
ers, 30,31; “Glen Cove,” 30, 81; M. E. Hendricks, 81 
Lodclia L. Powers, SO, 31; James Stewart, 31, 
