: gy c~s£‘C‘s -Sw a-j 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
Plistdiatuois. 
THE MOTHER’S LAMENT. 
And tliou art dying now, 
My own sweet babe ; 
Death’s band is on thy brow, 
My hopes to shade. 
Scarce bents thy little heart, 
Thy pulse is low; 
Yet beautiful thou art 
In life’s last throe. 
Thy sparkling eyes no more 
Emit their light; 
Soon to a brighter shore 
Thou’It wing thy flight. 
Oh! smile once more on me 
Ere thou depart; 
And may that last smile bo 
Calm to my heart. 
Thy flutCring spirit tries 
Its bands to break; 
To sever earth’s cold ties, 
Its leave to take. 
List I ’tis an angel’s voice 
Calls thee away; 
Say, couldst thou have a clioioe, 
Here would’ft thou stay ? 
Hethinks thy spirit-view 
Discerns above 
Scenes of a holy hue, 
Where all is lovo. 
The dew of Death doth rest 
On thy fair head; 
Still is thy guileless breast, 
And thou art dead 1 
’Tis hard with thee to part 
In life's young Spring; 
The unchecked tear will Btart, 
Its grief to bring. 
Thou wert my all, (fair child 1 
My only one! 
Yet pure and undefiled 
Death hath thee won. 
And now, dear boy, farewell 1 
I yield thee up, 
Though bitterness doth swell 
My brimming cup. 
[Boston Transcript,. 
DESULTORY PARAGRAPHS. 
(Continued from page 97, this volume.) 
Trifles Reveal the He art. —There is, af¬ 
ter all, something iu the fate of those trifles 
which friends bestow upon each, other that is an 
unfailing indication of the place the giver holds 
in the affections. I would believe that one who 
preserved a lock of hair, a simple flower, or 
any gift of my bestowing, loved me, though no 
show was made of it; while all the protestations 
in the world would not win my confidence in 
the sincerity of one who set no value on such 
little things. Trifles they may be, but it is in 
such that character and disposition are oftenest 
revealed. 
xxn. 
Occupation Wanted. —The want of “some- 
tiling to do” in which the mind is interested, is 
one of the deepest wants of our human nature. 
He who lias no occupation, bodily or mental, 
wherewith to employ himself, is like a dwelling 
where disquiet and unrest riot, and trample, 
inakingthat the abode ofdesolatiou which would 
otherwise be the home of peaceful happiness. 
XXIIL 
The Joy of Jot Giving. —“ Imparting pleas¬ 
ure is like putting money at interest,”—it bene¬ 
fits both lender and borrower at once. And 
no one can be long and truly happy unless 
others sympathize in and share that happiness. 
The purest friendship is the most unselfish in 
its nature. It will labor—aye, suffer alone and 
uncomplainingly to procure the happiness of the 
beloved one, “ and verily it hath its reward”— 
its abundant reward. 
XXIV. 
Judge Not. —Who can unfold, even to his 
own heart, all the motives that influence and 
direct his conduct ? Who can unravel the 
mysteries of his own W ill, —as well acquaint¬ 
ed as he must be with its secret workings,— 
and say by what he was decided to this course 
or the other ?—what called up that train of 
thought, or broke it so suddenly for a different 
one ? Yet how much easier it is than to give 
correct judgment of what dwells in our neigh¬ 
bor’s heart! blind as we must be to its hidden 
impulses, dark as ever are, to mortal eyes, the 
consequences which are to follow. 
xxv. 
Indettnitkness and obscurity often make 
trifling things of vast importance, or seemingly 
so; for we are awed by what we do not un¬ 
derstand. 
xxvi. 
A Plea for Poetasters. —So much poetry 
—so many poetasters, male and female—have 
called forth a mingled strain of ridicule and 
lamentation in many quarters; but in this age 
of toiling reality there is little danger that the 
imaginative faculty will be indulged to any 
hurtful extent. So let those who can, (and 
those who think they can, will try of course,) 
“pour the free tide of song;” it will awaken an 
echo in many a sympathizing heart—and many 
a silent soul will rejoice iu the expression of 
what it has almost thought, but failed to clothe 
in words. And youth, too, is some excuse for 
those who 
Would coin the lioart in words to purchase fame ; 
for who would then consent to sink away 
quietly into “dull obscurity,” without an effort 
to be known and honored—one effort, ere the 
heart becomes hardened and the ambition 
quelled by repeated failures in the attempt by 
soaring to attract the attention of the every¬ 
day world? 
XXVII. 
Begin Enjoying Now. —To anticipate is 
pleasant; but in order to enjoy, we must begin 
now;—must find, as we pass along, all the flow¬ 
ery places, the happy thoughts, the sunny 
scenes, we may,—for these constitute the poetry 
of common life,—these fill the rills of refreshing 
that murmur along the monotonous plains of 
life. To enjoy all these, and to anticipate if 
we may, still higher and purer joys, is the creed 
and the practice of the happiest. 
xxvm. 
Disappointments should teach us to expect 
little from the uncertain and unknown, and to 
suspend, as far as practicable, anticipating what 
time and opportunity alone can reveal.— b. 
AN INGENIOUS COMPOSITION. 
The following article showing the necessity 
of punctuation, was picked up a few fluys since 
in the street, and handed to us for publication: 
Punctuation.— 
The Girl is either good or had, 
And which I wish to know; 
May genii, with punctilious hand. 
My Punctuation show. 
She is an experienced girl in vice and wick¬ 
edness she is never found in opposing the. work- 
era of iniquity she can delight in the downfall 
of her neighbors she can never rejoice in the 
prosperity of her fellow creatures she is always 
pleased when the poor are in distress she "is 
always ready to assist in destroying the peace 
and happiness of society she takes no pleasure 
in serving the Lord she is uncommonly dili¬ 
gent in sowing discord among her friends and 
acquaintances she takes no pride in laboring 
to promote the cause of Christianity she has 
not been negligent in stigmatizing all public 
teachers she makes no exertions to subdue 
her evil passions she strives hard to build up 
Satan’s Kingdom, she lends no aid for the sup¬ 
port of the Gospel among the Heathen she 
contributes largely to the friends of the evil 
adversary she pays no attention to good ad¬ 
vice she gives great heed to the devil she will 
never go to heaven she will go where she will 
receive a just recompense of reward. 
P. S.—If in reading the above, you put a 
semicolon at the end of every word iu small 
caps, the character of the person will appear 
to be that of a good girl; but if you place the 
semicolon at the end of every word in italics, 
and leave out one of the first mentioned, you 
will make her one of the very ivorsL 
FIRST AND LAST DUEL IN ILLINOIS. 
Ford’s “ History of Illinois,” recently pub¬ 
lished at Chicago, gives the following reminis¬ 
cence: 
The year 1820 was signalized by the first 
and last duel which was ever fought in Illinois. 
This took place in Belleville, St. Clair county, 
between Alphonso Stewart and William Ben¬ 
nett, two obscure men. The seconds had made 
it up to be a sham-duel, to throw ridicule upon 
Bennett, the challenging party. Stewart was 
in the secret, but Bennett, his adversary, was 
left to believe it a reality. They were to fight 
with rifles; the guns were loaded with blank 
cartridges; and Bennett, somewhat suspecting 
a trick, rolled a ball into his gun, without the 
knowledge of the seconds, or of the other par¬ 
ty. The word to fire was given, and Stewart 
fell, mortally wounded. Bennett made his es¬ 
cape; but two years afterward lie was arrested 
in Arkansas, brought back to the state, indict¬ 
ed, tried, and convicted of murder. A great 
effort was made to procure his pardon, but 
Governor Bond would yield to no entreaties in 
his favor, and Bennett suffered the penalty of 
the law by hanging, in the presence of a great 
multitude of people. This was the first and 
last duel ever fought in the state by any of its 
citizens. The hanging of Bennett made duel¬ 
ing discreditable and unpopular, and laid the 
foundation for that abhorrence of the practice 
which has ever since been felt and expressed 
by the people of Illinois. 
OCEAN GRAVES. 
The sea is the largest of the cemeteries, and 
its slumberera sleep without a monument— 
All grave-yards, in all other lands, show some 
symbol of distinction between the great and 
small, the rich and the poor; but in the ocean 
cemetery the king and the clown, the prince 
and the peasant, are all alike undistinguished. 
The same wave rolls over all—the same requi¬ 
em sung by the minstrelsy of the” ocean sings 
to their honor. Over their remains the same 
storm beats, and the same sunshines; and there 
unmarked, the weak and the powerful, the I 
plumed and unhonored, will sleep on, until 
awakened by the same trump, when the sea 
will give up its dead. I thought of sailing- 
over the slumbering but devoted Bookman, 
who after a brief but brilliant career, perished 
in the President—over the laughter loving 
Power, who went down in the same ill-fated 
vessel, we may have passed. In that cemetery 
sleeps the accomplished and pious Fisher; but 
where he and thousands of others of the noble 
spirits of the earth lie, no one but God know- 
eth. No marble rises to point out where their 
lushes are gathered, or where the lovers of the 
good or wise can go to shed tears of sympathy. 
Who can tell where lie the tens of thousands 
of Africa’s sons perished in the “ middle pass¬ 
age?” Yet that cemetery hath ornaments of 
■ Jehovah. Never can 1 forget my days aud 
nights, as I passed over the noblest of ceme¬ 
teries without a single monument.— Giles . 
Those who have had the most forgiven 
them should be less addicted to slander. 
Duty, faithfully performed, opens the mind 
i to truth. 
' In difficulties be patient, and overcome them 
i by perseverance. 
conducted by a —E. 
LET THE HEART BE BEAUTIFUL. 
So the heart, the heart is beautiful, 
I care not for the face, 
I ask not what the form may lack 
Of dignity or grace; 
If the mind be filled with glowing thoughts 
And the soul with sympathy, 
What matter though the cheek be pale, 
Or the eye lack brilliancy. 
Though the cheek, the cheek is beautiful. 
It soon may lose its bloom, 
And the lustre of the eye be quenched 
In the darkness of the tomb : 
But the glory of the mind will live 
Though the bloom of life depart. 
And oh 1 the chann can never die 
Of a true and noble heart. 
The lips <Jiat utter kindly thoughts 
Have a beauty all their own— 
For gentle words are sweeter far 
Than music's softest tone; 
And though the voice be harsh or shrill 
That bids the oppressed go free, 
And soothes the woes of the sorrowing one. 
That voice is sweet to me. 
A PRETTY THOUGHT. 
The night is mother of the day, 
The winter of the spring; 
And ever upon old decay, 
The greenest mosses cling. 
Behind the cloud the starlight lurks. 
Through showers the sunbeams fall; 
For God who loveth all his works. 
Has left his hope with all. 
trims- 
State of New York, wedged in between France ed of the present situation and prospects of 
and Germany. It has never had an indepen- your republican friends, who have crossed the 
dent existence, until within a few years, having waters. We are very pleasantly domiciled 
previously served as a sort of ballast or make- with one of the Professors of the College here, 
weight in the affairs of Europe, being transfer- a gentleman whom we find an intelligent and 
red from one power to another, as circumstan- agreeable companion, and under whose instruo- 
ces might seem to demand. About twenty-five tion we are making rapid progress in French, 
years ago, the Belgians, who had been for Every thing around us is new and strange, but 
some time under the dominion of Holland, re- T must reserve any further descriptions for an- 
volted and determined to have a king of their other letter, as my sheet is already full. 
own. They first offered their crown to the Due Believe me, ever your affectionate 
de Nemours, a son of Louis Philipfe. He Minnie. 
declined the honor, and they then turned their - • 
attention to Leopold, prince of Saxe-Cobour g) SIGOURNEY ON W OMAN’S RIGHTS, 
at that time ic.-iding in England, and widower That intellectual and exemplary lady, Mrs. 
of the Princess Charlotte, whose untimely Sigourney, thus beautifully discourses on Wo- 
death had wrung the heart of the young hus- man ’ s Eights: 
band and shrouded a nation in gloom. Their There is much clamor in these days of pro¬ 
proposals were accepted ,and soon after Leo- gress, respecting a grant of new rights or an ex- 
ror.D espoused in a second marriage the old- tension of privileges for our sex. A powerful 
est daughter of Louis Philippe. This lady moralist has said, that “ in contentions for pow- 
... , . , . . . T er, both the philosophy and poetry of life are 
died about two years since, leaving Leopold dropped trodden down.” Would not a 
with three children, the Duke of Barbant, heir still greater loss accrue to domestic happiness, 
to the throne, and now about nineteen years jand to the interests of well-balanced society, 
old; the Count of Handers, and the Princess should the innate delicacy and prerogative of 
Charlotte, a young lady of 14 or 15. Leo- w °man, as woman, be forfeited or sacrificed ! 
, , V. tt- , . -r, . “ I have given her as a helpmeet, said the 
pold is uncle to Queen Victoria and to Prrnce Voice that cannot err, when he spake unto 
Albert both. He is also connected with the Adam, in the cool of the day, amid the trees of 
royal family of Portugal, and during the past paradise. Not as a toy, a clog, a wrestler, a 
summer the Duke of Brabant has contracted prize-fighter,—no, a helpmeet, such as was tit¬ 
an alliance with the house of Austria, by mar- tin ° for man to desire ’ aad for woman be ” 
* come. 
lying the daughter of the Arch-Duchess So- Since the Creator has assigned different 
phia. Apropos to this marriage, I must tell spheres of action for the different sexes, it is to 
you some amusing incidents which have been be presumed, in His unerring wisdom, that 
related to me, and which will gratify your Re- there 13 work enou S h in each department to 
publican feeling, b 7 showing that Princes and 
I nncesses are but flesh and blood after all, if He has made one the priestess of the inner 
subject to the same infirmities as less favored temple, committing to her charge its unreveal- 
mortals. ed sanctities, why should she seek to mingle 
The Duke of Brabant is nineteen years old, in warfare that may thunder at its gates or 
as I told you above, ivhile his young wife is by pr i de or curiosity, or glowing words, to 
but seventeen. She is represented as being an barter her own Eden? 
amiable girl, possessing no particular beauty of True nobility of woman is to keep her own 
person, or dignity of carriage, but excelling in s P kere > an( ^ to adorn it; not like the comet, 
, ,. ,. • ,, mi i. daunting and perplexing other systems, but as 
horsemanship and m pamting flowers. She has , he pur | sta| . ^ is ” he flrst t » light ’ the d 
also a keen sense of the ludicrous, and her un- and last to leave it. If she share not the fame 
conquerable propensity to laugh has occasion- of the ruler and the blood-shedder, her good 
ed some rather ridiculous scenes. The mar- works, such as “ become those who profess 
riage was first celebrated in Austria, and the godBness, though they leave no deep “foot- 
, .,, , . in i pnnts on the sands ol time, may find record m 
young Duchess, with her retinue, passed through [ he ,, Lamb - S Book of Life .» 
Tirlemont, on her way to Brussels. The loyal Mothers! are not our rights sufficiently ex¬ 
citizens were all assembled at the railroad sta- tensive—the sanctuary of love, the throne of 
tion to do honor to the bride of their young the keart > the “ moulding of the whole mass of 
Prince, and the Burgomaster made her a com- mind and its dn3t formation?” Have we not 
.. , power enough in all realms of sorrow and sui- 
phmentary speech, and presented her a bouquet, fering-over all forms of ignorance and want 
The Duchess had great difficulty to restrain —amid all ministrations of love, from the cra- 
her risibility during the speech, and when it die-dream to the sepulchre? 
came to the presentation of the bouquet, she ^ us ke conte nt an( I diligent, aye, grate- 
-graspadl it. with the neatest precipitation and ful aa d joyous, making this brief life: a hymn of 
lmmeoiately covered her month with her hand- uo discord, and whose melody is eternal, 
kerchief to prevent an explosion of laughter. _ , „ __ 
“Fetes” were given in all the principal cities CAN LOYE EXIST WITHOUT JEALOUSY? 
of Belgium, in honor of this marriage, and the - 
newly wedded pair were present at these fes- knE following, by Ai.lie "V ernon, is submit- 
tivities. At Namour, the Archbishop, one of ^ od to tbe criticism of our readers: 
the principal dignitaries of the kingdom, made C ALL the meeting to order, Mr. President, 
TO COUSIN KATEY. 
Communicated thro’ Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
EPISTLE FIRST. 
Introduction —European ideas of Americans; Anecdotes 
in point —Belgium; the Royal Family, and sprig.* of 
Mobility; Amusing incidents—Love and Marriage among 
Kings, Princes and Princesses—The writer’s new home, 
etc., etc. 
Tirlemont, Belgium, Jan., 18&4. 
Dear Cousin Katey:—I fancy this letter, 
with its foreign post-mark, will be received with 
some surprise. Who, think you, is your Bel¬ 
gian correspondent? None other than your 
humble cousin, Minnie, who has so often ex¬ 
pressed her intention to see Europe, and to 
learn French, and who is at present in a fair 
way of accomplishing both these designs.— 
Even so, Katey ; we have already flitted across 
the ocean, rushed through England, railroad 
speed, steamed over the North Sea, and finally 
brought up iu this little city, where we are 
ddrisg away at Fv“n*?* Has husk, ap¬ 
proved style. 
Metbiuks I hear you exclaim,- “'WEit, 
studying French in Belgium /” You will per¬ 
haps be as much astonished to learn that the 
Belgians speak French, as some Europeans are 
to discover that Americans speak English .— 
An English gentleman, with whom we fell in 
company in the cars, on the great railway be¬ 
tween Liverpool aud London, who appeared 
very intelligent, and had been quite a traveler, 
in his own country, on learning that we were 
Americans, seemed somewhat surpiised, and ob¬ 
served—“ But you speak English very well!” 
We met at the hotel here a Belgian gentle¬ 
man of considerable literary pretensions, who 
professed extravagant admiration of “ Uncle 
Tom’s Cabin,” which he had recently been 
translating from French into FlemislL He 
was delighted to learn that we were country¬ 
men of Harriet Beeker Stowe, as he called 
her, having never before met a person who 
could lay claim to that title; but he, too, was 
quite astonished to learn that Americans spoke 
English. 
Very many people here fancy that America 
! is an uncivilized country, almost out of the 
habitable world, and by the term American, 
they understand nothiug more or less than an 
American Indian. Only a few days ago, a 
woman of Tirlemont on being told that I was 
an American, exclaimed, “ What, is she one of 
the savages? I thought they were all noirs 
comme le diable!” There is a “ Pensionuat,” 
or boarding school, here, kept by the Sisters of 
“Notre Dame,” where are two American girls, 
studying French. One of the principal teach¬ 
ers of this school acknowledged, that before 
these girls came, she supposed America, with 
the exceptions of a few towns upon the sea- 
coast, was au almost unbroken wilderness.— 
Are not such disparaging ideas of our great 
Republic enough to reduce any patriotic Amer¬ 
ican to despair? I have sometimes amused 
myself by imagining a pompous fourth of July 
orator, when lie had finished his bombastic dis¬ 
play of eloquence, suddenly transported into 
the heart of some European country. I fancy 
that he would soon come to the conclusion that 
we are not yet at “ the top of all creation.”— 
“ Alois reveuous a nos moutons,” as the French 
ridiculously say, whatever may be the subject 
upon which they chance to be talking. 
If you, cousin Katey, are as ignorant with 
regard to Belgium, as I was before coming 
here, you will not object to being enlightened 
a little. On this charitable supposition, I will 
proceed. Belgium is a little three-cornered 
Kingdom, about one quarter as large as the 
CAN LOYE EXIST WITHOUT JEALOUSY? 
The following, by Allie Vernon, is submit- 
; the principal dignitaries of the kingdom, made C ALL the meeting to order, Mr . President, 
,, ,. n , , . . and put the question to vote. XV hat is the re- 
a speech to which the Duke responded extern- sult f -The-Noes’ have it ”-I thought so. 
poraneously. During his remarks, he found People may talk about true love being incapa- 
himself at a loss for a word, and was obliged ble of jealousy, but take my word for it, such 
to make quite a pause before he could recover talk is all fudge. You might take love and 
the thread of his discourse. The Duchess, who P uri fy and clarify and treble refine it, and it 
stood by his side, was so much amused by his ing to it; after alL Fo / my p ^ x ^ ouldl ? t 
embarrassment as to laugh outright. At Liege, give this shocking bad pen I am trying to 
after a ball which had lasted till one or two write with, for the devotion of a man who 
o’clock in the morning, the Mavor commenced was n’t a little jealous of me. 
reading a long address, wliicli he had prepared ,„. 1 , do ; ‘ CE f r h j?, b ? ins 50 
„ ° ° r pL tv . ^ tichy that Id tremble in my gaiter boots 
for the occasion, lhe Duchess was standing, ever y time a good looking masculine addressed 
with a maid of honor on each side, but a little me, but I’d rather not have him so docile as to 
in the rear. These ladies, fatigued with danc- kave him look on with perfect indifference, 
ing and with previous ceremonies, began to v< Lilst 1 flirted with all the interesting individ- 
, , ,, -K i , , ... , uals who entered the circle of my acquaintance, 
nod, and the Duchess amused herself by pull- Somebody says that “jealous people are peo- 
mg first one and then the other, by the skirt of p l e of small intellects.” That somebody has in- 
j the dress, while she shook with laughter to see suited me. Not that I mean to say my intel- 
! them start But enough of the childish follies astourulingly large, but I do believe it’s 
i nf the Dnehesa. She has recent.lv heen snerul- °f the medium size > and 1 am Jealousy-person- 
! of the Duchess. She ha3 recently been spend- 
■ ing some time with Queen \ ictoria, and it is if i should be within seeing distance of my 
• to be hoped, that her matronly cousin has giv- beloved when he was playing the agreeable to 
en her some lessons in the art of maintaining some divinity, my cheek would flush at the 
roval dignity, otherwise she will make but a sorry )’ er y ) irst smile he gave her. Lhe first words 
J J np npi* wan n arm PATKinAvomd Inc- 
n J he addressed her, would add considerable lus- 
Queen when called upon to fill that station. tre t0 m , eyes-if he took her hand, my heart 
There is a rumor that Leopold has some in- would beat a tremendous tattoo—and if he 
tention of abdicating in favor of his son. It kissed her, it is my private opinion, publicly ex- 
is said that he wishes to marry again, and that P resse< L that they d both be saluted with a 
, , “smack little expected, and as httle wished 
his choice has fallen upon a person, whose rank f or r 
is not sufficient to warrant her being raised to What! am I going to treasure up glances 
share the throne. If this were true, it would that are lavished upon others? Am I going 
not be the first time that the little blind god to listen to the music of a voice whose tones 
has triumphed over all considerations of rank a * ^ fandliar to 9 othe A sh f 1 ‘ aIeS + a ! \ he stndns 
and power; but men are not usually so disinter- kisses from lip ° s that yield their sweets to every 
ested in their love affairs at the age of sixty, so passing butterfly? 
we maybe permitted to doubt whether this Not I! I believe jealousy is as necessary to 
rumor has sufficient foundation. There is also ^ ove as bread and butter is to the comfort of a 
some matrimonial gossip afloat, with regard to thre * >’ ear , old cbdd ’ ? r a looki ”jS S la ^ to a 
, _ . _ ° r _ f prettv girl. “ I hem s my sentiments, and 
the 1 nncess Charlotte. It seems that the the courageous youth who dares to storm the 
young Infanta of Spain has taken a short leave citadel of my affections, must take care not to 
of abseuee, before assuming the reins of gov- rouse “ the green-eyed monster,” or else put up 
ernment, for the express purpose of using his " dtb ^ ie terrible consequences, 
own eyes in the selection of a wife, lie is now ’ ‘ ^ ‘ ’ 
in Brussels, and the loyal Belgians fancy he will . , A Lo ™“ encloses within itself an nn- 
. B J . fading and eternal Eden. Hope is like a bad 
not be abie to resist the attractions ol their c i ock> forever striking the hour of happiness, 
young Princess, whom they represent as very whether it has come or not 
beautiful aud engaging. Heigh-ho, Katey! - - -*- — ■♦- — *- 
so wags the world! Even Princes and Prin- Beauty is a great gift of heaven—not for the 
cesses do not seem to find any thing better to P ur P°f ° f fcmale , vanity; but a great gift for 
, . . one, who loves and wishes to be loved, 
do than to get married. _ , , _ 
But I fancy you have heard enough about 
royal personages, and would like to be inform- 
Goyern thy life and thoughts, as if the whole 
world were to see the one aud read the other. 
