Prizes! Prizes! 
W E change the prize offers for the 
present as follows : On October 
21, we will pay $2, $1 and a year ’s sub¬ 
scription to The R. N.-Y., for the best 
three short articles on any subject sent 
us between now and that time. After 
that, the same contest will be held every 
two weeks, until further notice. 
CONDITIONS. 
The articles may be jon any subject 
whatever—grave or gay, poetry or prose. 
They may be original or taken from 
other publications ; but iu every case, 
the fullest credit must be given. They 
must not exceed 50 lines in length. 
The prizes will be awarded to the 
articles which, in the opinion of the 
editors, are most helpful in power, sug¬ 
gestion and moral to the readers of this 
department. 
We do not want long essays or sermons, 
but bright, forcible and suggestive notes. 
No person may take prizes two succes¬ 
sive periods. 
First prize, $2 in cash. 
Second prize, $1 in cash. 
Third prize, The R. N.-Y. one year. 
There is a great cry about the com¬ 
petition resulting from women entering 
the fields of labor, and dire prophecies 
have been uttered as to the results sure 
to follow. We have received an article 
on “Women in Business Life” written 
by a 15-year-old girl, in which she advo¬ 
cates higher education, and the greatest 
development for women. She meets this 
question of competition, and settles it 
in a way worthy of an older head. We 
invite the attention of any grumblers to 
this clever remedy for the evil sure to 
follow woman's suffrage, etc. “Educate 
the women, and if they get ahead of the 
men, educate the men." This young 
woman possesses ability which may, in 
a few years, seat her in the editorial 
chair of the leading humorous publica¬ 
tion of the Twentieth century. 
■* 
We read, some time ago, an incident 
in which a young man showed kindness 
to a little stray kitten in the street. 
The writer insisted that a man who 
would show kindness to an animal in 
such a way, could not fail to make a 
good husband. We thought at the time 
that the woman who waited for such a 
man, might become weary and skeptical. 
However, among the abundance of cats 
and men in New York, we have met with 
one rebuke to our own skepticism. We 
were the eye-witness to one of the noble¬ 
men who make good husbands, interced¬ 
ing for a helpless cat who was at bay 
waiting iu terror the assaults of two boys. 
“ Hoys, haven’t you anything better to 
do?’ said he. “No, we haven’t anj 7 - 
thing better to do,” they answered im¬ 
pertinently. But the courage of cow¬ 
ardice would not sustain them in the 
presence of the defender, and they turned 
away, while grateful pussy escaped. 
And we were happy ; we had escaped a 
doubt. 
HOME CULTURE. 
“And the plea that this or that man has no 
time for culture, will vanish as soon as we desire 
culture so much that we begin to examine 
seriously our present use of our time.”— Matthew 
Arnold. 
T HE present month will see a great 
class of students, outnumbering 
any to be found at even our largest col¬ 
leges, beginning work as members of 
the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific 
Circle. One who has never tested by 
actual experience, the benefits to be 
derived from following a carefully ar¬ 
ranged course of reading, can have no 
idea of its superiority over even the 
conscientious perusal of equally good 
authors selected without reference to 
any plan. The Chautauqua reading 
course is a well-arranged scheme for 
home study, each subject leading to an¬ 
other till, at the end the student may 
well be surprised at the gain he has made, 
at the vantage point attained, and the 
outlook over the world. For every par¬ 
ticular wherein it falls short of a four 
years’ course at an ordinary school, 
there may be urged as many points where 
it has the advantage over them. Habits 
of self help, concentration, increase of 
will power, dominion of the mind over 
the lower faculties—where is the alma 
mater who can boast of graduates who 
have made greater gains along these 
lines than have the recipients of the C. 
L. S. C. sheepskin ? But all this is the 
incidental gain. 
That definitely offered the Chautauqua 
student this year, is a better knowledge 
of our own land, this being the “Ameri¬ 
can year.” Study of the growth and in¬ 
dustrial evolution of our nation, and an 
outlook over our literature, being sup¬ 
plemented by readings upon kindred and 
other subjects as presented in the 
monthly magazine, and an examination 
into the nature of man as a “ thinking, 
feeling, doing’’ entity. 
What better preparation for the duties 
of the franchise could a busy person 
hope to secure than is offered by yiis 
look into what we are, and of what sort 
of a nation we are a part ? Women who 
hope to one day be voters, and men, old 
and young, who wouldnot be hoodwinked 
by persuasive orators or have their 
opinions formed for, and thrust upon, 
them can, surely, by pursuing the course 
this year, make a fair start toward a 
better understanding of civic affairs. 
No one is out of place in the Chautau¬ 
qua ranks, young and old, poor and rich, 
the well educated who would keep up 
systematic effort, and those who lament 
lack of early advantages for study, are 
all working together there. “ i have 
just learned, in my 25th year, how to 
study,” said a young woman who was 
taking hospital training to be a nurse. 
Having once left school, few people go 
back to their books after the 25th birth¬ 
day, which is an immense pity because 
they cannot otherwise have an idea of 
the increase in mental capacity a few 
years have bestowed. Things unin¬ 
teresting and almost unintelligible to 15, 
it gives 25 delight to work into and see 
the principle of. 
As to the expense of this home study 
course when compared with what is paid 
for lessons in music, painting, or any of 
the arts, it is very small, and when con¬ 
trasted with school expenses, shrinks 
into a mere trifle. Though it is desirable 
to own, for future reference, the books 
with which one has made one’s self 
familiar, where economy is necessary, 
two or even three people may uni^e in 
purchasing the $5 worth of books, and in 
subscribing to the $2 magazine, borrow¬ 
ing and lending according to an arranged 
plan. Where it is possible to form a circle, 
this plan can scarcely be followed, but 
it has given satisfaetory results where 
readers were isolated and money 
scarce. 
It is not necessary to rise to any 
heights of lofty purpose and resolve, no 
real study is required, the books being 
pleasantly written, and by no means 
heavy in style. Try it for a year, but 
be sure to send in your name and identify 
yourself as far as you can with the class. 
Remember that the class begins October 
1, and that, though a little spurt of speed 
at first will do no harm, but rather warm 
one up to the work, a feeling of dis¬ 
couragement is prone to settle upon 
those who feel themselves far behind. 
p. T. PRIMROSE. 
CLARA'S VENTURE. 
ERE, Clara, is something that I 
received to-day, that will inter¬ 
est you more than me,” said Mr. Douglas 
as he handed his daughter a small pam¬ 
phlet. 
“Oh, thank you, father. Why! it is 
a catalogue of bulbs ! How I wish I 
might have some ! Bulbs are so sure to 
bloom !” 
“ Perhaps you can have a few this 
winter : but you know money is rather 
a scarce article with us just now,” said 
Mrs. Douglas, who loved flowers as well 
as her daughter. 
“ Why don’t you earn some money 
yourself?” questioned brother Will, who 
found many a way of earning an honest 
penny, as he said. 
“ I wish I knew how,” sighed his 
sister, opening the catalogue, which 
held her attention the rest of the even¬ 
ing. All at once a plan for earning 
money seemed to stare at her on every 
page ; but being of rather a cautious 
nature, she decided to wait until morn¬ 
ing before laying her plan before her 
mother. 
Mr. Douglas was a farmer living a 
short distance from town, and Clara his 
only daughter, 19 years of age, lived at 
home. Though in fairly comfortable 
circumstances, there was but little 
money to spend on luxuries. 
Morning came and found Clara surer 
than ever that her plan was a good one. 
While she and her mother were doing 
up the morning’s work, Clara unfolded 
her plan. At first, Mrs. Douglas did not 
think the plan feasible; but Clara pre¬ 
sented so many plausible arguments, 
that she soon won her mother to her 
way of thinking. “ Then I've your con¬ 
sent, so half the battle is won,” cried 
Clara laughingly. 
“ Yes, 1 quite agree with you now, 
and with your father's consent, you may 
try your luck this afternoon.” 
“1 feel sure that he will agree with 
us, so I’ve no fear on that score.” 
There was no greenhouse in the vil¬ 
lage, and Clara’s plan was to go among 
her friends and take orders for bulbs. 
She found that by purchasing them by 
the quantity, she could get them for a 
comparatively small sum. As she antici¬ 
pated, her father gave his consent, and 
agreed to furnish the money with which 
to order the bulbs. Will also volun¬ 
teered to help her by printing anything 
she wanted. Before she finished her 
canvassing, she gladly accepted his offer. 
That afternoon, Clara started forth. 
She had determined to give the town a 
thorough canvass. She found nearly 
every one she called on willing to order 
at least one bulb All her experiences 
were not flowery by any means ; but 
being of a determined disposition, she 
allowed such things to worry her as 
little as possible. She spent the month 
of September in canvassing ; then as the 
ground seemed to have been pretty well 
gone over, she decided to make out her 
order. Several women said that they 
would buy if Clara would start the bulbs 
for them ; this she agreed to do, each 
one furnishing her own pots. She 
charged three cents a pot for this labor. 
The firm from wh’ch she ordered had an 
established reputation, so she felt con¬ 
fident that her customers would receive 
their money’s worth. The seedsmen in 
question were the ones of whom her 
father had purchased his garden seeds 
for years. 
The order was at last made out. The 
bulbs came in due time. Clara not only 
had a fine collection for herself, but $10 
in cash as well. When the bulbs were 
delivered, she gave, with each collection, 
a card printed by Will, on which were 
given full instructions as to the treat¬ 
ment of the bulbs. These statements 
she copied from the catalogue. As bulbs 
may be planted from September to 
December, and some kinds even later, it 
will not be too late for others who would 
like some pocket money as well as flow¬ 
ers this winter, to follow her plan. 
NELRIE ANDREWS. 
A FARMER'S WIFE. 
( Concluded.) 
NE day, Mother Wagner ran over to 
the little house across the way. 
Alice was turning the barrel churn 
steadily ’round and ’round, while with 
one hand she held a copy of The R. N.-Y. 
which she was reading. 
“ There, mother,” she cried, as she 
saw Mrs. Wagner; “I’m so glad to see 
you. I know the butter is just here, and 
1 want to show you how pretty it is.” 
“ But, child,”said John's mother, “you 
will have to churn awhile longer ; the 
butter is not gathered yet.” 
“No,” insisted Alice, “just let me 
show you ” ; and from the bottom of the 
churn, she drew the rich buttermilk, 
holding a small strainer before the bowl 
to catch any particles of butter. Then, 
bringing a pail of cold water from the 
well, she poured it into the churn, re¬ 
placed the cover, and slowly turned it a 
few times. Drawing off this water the 
same as before, she repeated the wash¬ 
ing twice, in the same manner, using 
cold well water each time. 
“ Now for the salt; I allow 1% ounce 
to the pound, and sprinkle it in the 
churn, on the butter, before it is gath¬ 
ered. Then I turn the churn over several 
times, to work the salt through as much 
as possible.” 
Mrs. Wagner looked doubtfully at the 
yellow mass, which was now put into a 
large butter bowl, but said nothing, 
while Alice worked it just enough to 
make it solid, and remove all surplus 
brine. Then getting a jar which was 
perfectly clean and cold, she packed it 
solidly, and placed a clean cloth, with a 
little salt sprinkled over it, on the top. 
“There,”- said Alice, “that goes to 
Mrs. Newton. She wishes to try some 
of my butter, and I shall charge her 25 
cents a pound.” 
“ She never will pay such a price, 
Alice, though your butter certainly looks 
as nice as any I ever saw,” said Mrs. 
Wagner candidly. “ And so little work ! 
I’ve a mind to have one of those churns 
the first time father goes to town.” 
“Do, by all means,” said Alice. “What 
is the use doing such hard work, when 
one can get the same results so much 
easier? But come and see John's gar¬ 
den,” she added, as she opened the door. 
“ We cannot begin to supply the demand 
for our early onions, beets, lettuce and 
radishes ; and see what a nice lot of peas 
are coming on ! Last night, I picked my 
currants after the sun got low, and Mrs. 
Granger wants them all, at 10 cents a 
quart. We shall have more garden stuff 
another year. John expects to have a 
nice lot of early potatoes ; he planted 
five acres in April, you know. We sat 
by the fire evenings, and stormy days, 
for two-weeks, cutting them in pieces— 
two eyes to a piece,” and Alice laughed 
gayly. 
“ I'm glad you are industrious, and try 
to help your husband, my dear,” said 
the old lady. “ I must confess, I felt 
some troubled about John’s marrying a 
school teacher, and now you both have 
so many new notions, I’m anxious to see 
how you will succeed.” 
“ We are sure to be a grand success, 
John and I ; never doubt it, mother !” 
“ I almost believe you will, child, you 
are so enthusiastic.” 
“ Why, that’s just it ! One has to be 
enthusiastic to make a success at any¬ 
thing ; and I am bound to like farming, 
and to make farming like me,” said 
