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R  U  R  AL  N  E  W-YO  R  K  E  R 
HOPE  FARM  NOTES 
“Silent  Companions” 
The  Reading  Habit. — Now  that  Win¬ 
ter  is  surely  headed  our  way  the  old  prob¬ 
lem  of  passing  through  lonely  hours  comes 
up  once  more.  Iu  every  country  homo 
there  will  surely  be*  lonely  periods  during 
the  next  six  months.  Jn  spite  of  tele¬ 
phones  and  cars  and  church  and  social 
gatherings  there  will  he  times  when  mem¬ 
ories  and  terrors  will  Come  creeping  out 
of  the  house  walls  to  haunt  us.  The 
creak  of  the  frost  in  the  timbers,  the 
roar  of  the  storm  outside,  the  cold  star¬ 
light  on  the  hills  or  the  black  night 
through  which  the  neighbor*.*  light  dimly 
shines  will  put  the  lonely  spirit  Upon  us 
in  spite  of  all  our  power  to  prevent  it. 
The  daughter  went  back  to  college  last 
week.  She  lias  put  herself  into  every¬ 
thing  in  our  household  this  Summer,  and 
we  missed  her.  It  was  rather  a  chilly, 
dark  night,  and  I  had  my  lire  roaring. 
The  children  went  off  to  bed  and  the 
house  grew  very  still.  As  I  was  writing 
in  came  Mother  to  sit  iu  the  big  chair 
under  the  light.  She  tried  to  read  the 
daily  paper  hut  soon  she  laid  it  aside  and 
said,  with  a  deep  sigh: 
"Thr  ho  a  no  seems  very  lonely  io-nlghf !" 
She  looked  into  the  fire  for  a  while  and 
then  seemed  suddenly  to  remember  some¬ 
thing.  She  went  upstairs  smiling  a  little 
and  when  I  went  later  she  was  reading 
in  a  very  familiar  old  hook — so  busy  with 
silent  companions  that  the  house  was  no 
longer  lonely. 
Book  Friends. — I  do  my  best  to  en¬ 
courage  the  children  to  read  good  hooks. 
I  try  to  have  them  find  silent  companions 
in  black  and  white.  They  select  human 
companions  as  they  grow  along,  and  I 
know  full  well  that  old  friends  of  youth 
and  school  days  are  host.  And  so  the 
silent  companions  which  we  get  out  of 
books  through  the  reading  habit  stay  by 
you  all  through  life  and  they  are  the  com¬ 
panions  to  carry  you  through  these 
lonely  hours  which  are  ahead.  I  hear 
good  men  and  women  say  they  want  their 
children  to  read  nothing  but  hard,  solid 
facts — the  practical  things  of  life,  Such 
people  say  that  poetry  and  history  and 
classic  fiction  or  bright  humor  are  worth¬ 
less  trash.  Fan  a  man  milk  a  cow  to  bet¬ 
ter  advantage  or  plow  a  straight, er  fur¬ 
row  or  make  more  money  on  a  horse 
trade  by  reading  Longfellow’s  poems  or 
“The  Vicar  of  Wakefield,”  or  one  of 
Thackeray’s  stories?  I  think  there  are 
times  when  the  spirit  to  he  found  in 
such  literature  would  give  a  farmer  th  * 
vision  and  peace  of  mind  needed  to  rise 
above  his  troubles  and  do  his  work  bet- 
ter.  I  can  hardly  think  of  a  man  who 
excels  at  raising  fine  fruit  or  splendid 
cattle  or  any  other  superior  produce  who 
does  not  carry  poetry  and  imagination 
around  with  him.  I  think  the  poetry  and 
the  finer  fiction  help  to  mellow  and  ar¬ 
range  the  facts*.  I  probably  road  as  much 
about  manures  and  fertilisers  and  soils 
ns  anyone,  hut  I  mix  such  reading  up  with 
other  kinds.  After  a  study  of  phosphoric 
acid  or  microbes  I  turn  to  Dante  or 
Shakespeare  or  Milton.  Then  I  can  go 
hack  to  the  fertilizers  and  bacteria  with 
a  surer  grip.  All  may  not  feel  that  way, 
but  I  think  knowledge  is  best  packed 
away  in  layers.  Happy  is  he  who  can 
take  silent  companions  out  of  great  hooks 
and  have  them  sit  with  him  through 
lonely  hours.  They  are  there  within  the 
pages.  We  know  they  are  great  because 
through  years  and  centuries  the  world, 
which  delights  in  destroying  the  un¬ 
worthy.  Avil)  not  let  them  die. 
Affliction,- — The  greatest  test  for 
friendship  does  not  come  when  skies  are 
blue  and  every  prospect  is  rosy  Avitli 
hope.  All  companions  are  glad  to  walk 
with  you  at  such  times.  The  true  test 
comes  when  life  is  dark  and  lonely  with 
depression.  Then  the  hateful  and  malig¬ 
nant  terrors  come  whispering  their  impish 
doubts  in  your  ear.  Then  your  fair- 
weather  friends  depart,  for  they  do  not 
relish  a  struggle  with  those  imps  of  doubt 
and  trouble.  At  that  time  what  glory  it 
is  to  have  the  sileut  companions  at  your 
side.  They  come  trooping  out  of  history 
through  the  pages  of  your  books — 
great,  beautiful  characters,  some  from 
actual  history  and  others  from  the  brain 
of  the  poet  or  novelist.  They  are  yours — • 
your  friends  and  companions  who  sit  with 
you  through  the  lonely  or  painful  hours 
and  snstain  your  soul.  For  “os  a  man 
thinlceth  so  is  he!"  Your  hard  facts  and 
all  your  practical  studies  may  come  to 
you  in  your  lonely  trouble,  but  they  are 
as  helpless,  awkward,  tongue-tied  com¬ 
forters  Avho  know  not  what  to  do.  The 
silent  companions  avIio  come  out  of  poe¬ 
try  or  history  at  your  call  are  friends  of 
the  soul  and  know  how  to  comfort  you.  I 
know  all  about  this  and  therefore  I  would 
give  all  children  the  reading  habit  as  one 
of  the  most  precious  gifts  of  life. 
Hospital  Life. — I  knew  two  women 
Avho  went  to  the  hospital,  where  they  lay 
for  weeks  on  beds  of  pain.  "YN'itli  one  the 
lonely  hours  passed  like  oue  long-drawn- 
out  scoaa-1  at  life.  When  she  came  out  her 
body  was  healed,  hut  the  evil  spirits 
Avhich  had  controlled  her  thinking  had 
printed  a  hateful  expression  upon  her 
face.  She  had  no  mental  companions 
worth  listening  to.  There  was  nothing  in 
her  life  of  joyful  sacrifice  to  sit  with  her 
through  lonely  hours.  The  other  woman 
lay  through  her  long  trouble  with  a  pa¬ 
tient,  smilug  face  which  was  the  wonder 
of  all  who  watched  her.  When  at  last 
she  walked  out  of  the  hospital,  it  seemed 
as  if  she  had  passed  through  fire  iu  which 
all  the  meaner  tilings  of  life  had  been 
burned  away.  For  she  lay  there,  not 
alone — but  surrounded  by  sileut  com¬ 
panions  who  came  tvalkiug  out  of  the, 
past,  in  through  the  door  of  memory  to 
comfort  her  in  her  trouble.  Xhe  had  read 
of  them — lived  with  them,  and  they  came 
hack  to  her.  That  woman  has  told  me 
law  in  her  hard  life  as  housekeeper  these 
silent  companions  came  to  her  humble 
kitchen,  until  she  did  not  realize  that 
her  hands  were  in  the  dishwater  or  the 
washtub — because  ns  she  worked  with 
them  her  life  was  glorified. 
Xruim.KSS  Yet  Seeing. — I  knotv  a 
number  of  blind  and  deaf  people  avIio  bit¬ 
terly  resent  their  affliction.  Some  of  them 
talk  of  suicide  to  me,  and  others  rail  at 
the  bitter  injustice  of  life.  Iu  each  such 
ease  I  try  to  learn  what  these  people 
1  :,a  e  in  the  way  of  silent  companions.  As 
a  rule  tln*.A  read  but  little  before  afflic¬ 
tion  fell  upon  them.  They  1'ked  to  talk 
ordinary  gossip  or  “haA’O  a  good  time,” 
and  rather  resented  the  idea  of  reading 
strong  books.  Thus  they  never  became 
acquainted  with  the  silent  companions 
Avhich  live  in  the  pages  of  what  men  call 
classics.  Nothing  comes  to  them  in  lonely 
hours  to  fight  against  the.  mean,  hateful 
spirits  which  buzz  like  flies  around  the 
Aveary  brain  of  the  afflicted.  Yet  I  knoAV 
blind  and  deaf  people  Avho  go  about  their 
life  and  AA’ork  with  a  joyful  heart.  They 
do  not  wear  their  affliction  like  a  galling 
yoke,  but  they  rise  above  it  into  higher 
ground.  And  they  are  led  up  out  of 
lonely  hours  by  those  same  silent  com¬ 
panions,  Avho  come  to  teach  them  joy  and 
gratitude.  You  see  life  is  at  its  main¬ 
spring  a  matter  of  spirit  rather  than  flesh 
and  bone.  We  harden  our  muscles  by 
labor — avoII  or  ill  directed.  We  ripen 
and  melloAV  the  spirit  by  association  Avitli 
the  silent  companions  of  thought.  Does 
it  not  stand  to  reason  that  he  who  reads 
the  books  which  cannot  die,  may  have  a 
finer  choice  of  these  silent  companions 
than  he  Avho  never  acquired  the  reading 
habit? 
Good  Books. — I  xvish  I  could  make 
you  all  see  this  Avith  me  as  Winter  comes 
on !  I  AA’isli  avo  could  all  realize  the 
power  and  strength  which  lie  in  good 
books.  I  call  them  silent  companions,  for 
that  is  just  Avhat  they  prove  to  he  in 
time  of  trouble.  There  are  lonely  hours 
ahead  of  us  all  this  Winter,  and  the  com¬ 
panions  Avhich  share  those  hours  with  us 
Avill  pretty  much  decide  A'- hat  life  is  iO 
he,  because  they  Avill  make  our  thoughts 
for  us.  Let  me  make  ihe  thoughts  of  a 
household  and  I  Avill  tell  you  just  what 
that  household  is  coming  to.  Can  you 
not  get  hold  of  some  of  these  silent  com¬ 
panions  this  Winter?  k,  av.  c. 
A  Fireplace  Under  Difficulties 
We  had  many  pleasant  days  on  our 
trip  to  California  last  Winter,  but  the 
best  day  of  all  was  the  day  avo  drove  out 
to  the  Tesuqua  Indian  Reservation, 
northwest  of  Xante  Fe,  N.  M.  The 
Pueblo  is  built  around  a  square,  and  the 
houses  are  as  clean  as  the  cleanest  white 
folks’  houses,  but  the  fire  places  are 
Avluit  took  my  eye.  All  I  noticed  were  iu 
October  21,  191C. 
the  corner  of  the  room,  with  a  hood  of 
adobe,  the  same  as  the  house,  but  all  had 
the  wood  standing  on  end,  which  made 
such  an  impression  on  me  that  I  wanted 
a  fireplace  of  our  own,  and  I  have  told 
many  about  the  Indian  way  of  making 
the  fire  with  the  wood  standing  up.  All 
that  I  haA'C  talked  with  since  I  told  them 
about  it  enjoy  making  their  fire  that 
way  and  we  never  think  of  making  a  fire 
any  other  way.  It  is  especially  inter¬ 
esting  to  boys,  for  there  is  such  a  va¬ 
riety  of  combinations  possible.  I  like 
green  sticks  to  set,  oil  the  side  of  the  fire 
against  the  back,  the  largest  sticks  be¬ 
tween  the  green  sticks  against  the  back 
of  the  fireplace,  and  the  firewood  in  front. 
As  the  small  avoch!  in  the  center  burns  the 
green  sticks  come  together  at  the  top 
and  make  a  red-hot  Avigwam.  Sometimes 
for  a  variation  I  put  a  big  green  stick 
on  top  of  the  t WO  standing  at  the  sides, 
and  keep  the  dry  wood  in  the  center. 
My  Avifo  had  always  wanted  a  fireplace. 
A  built-in  dresser  in  the  chamber  kept 
us  from  building  a  chimney,  and  the 
steam  heater  in  cellar  was  under  Avhere 
we  wanted  the  fireplace,  but  one  night 
when  I  could  uot  sleep  I  thought  out  a 
fireplace  and  it  is  n  success.  If  I  had 
had  as  good  foresight  as  hindsight  I 
would  have  a  better  fireplace.  Tin* 
chimney  in  the  house  from  the  boiler  in 
the  cellar  is  five  feet  from  where  we 
Wanted  the  fireplace.  We  have  an 
NJ/_>xXi4-incli  flue  from  the  fireplace  hor¬ 
izontally  into  the  chimney,  and  a  built- 
in  sideboard  Avitli  drawers  at  the  bottom 
and  doors  to  the  cupboard  at  the  top, 
through  which  runs  the  flue  to  the  chim¬ 
ney :  nothing  but  the  fireplace  and  side¬ 
board  Avilli  Avide  mantel  in  sight.  I  tell 
folks  it  is  a  ucav  patent  smoke  consum¬ 
er  fireplace  and  it  puzzles  them  all  until 
the  door  is  opened  sliOAving  the  built-in 
flue.  We  enjoy  it  so  much  the  fire  has 
not  been  out  since  avo  started  it  when 
the  fireplace  was  dry  enough  to  fire  up. 
The  fireplace  is  quite  a  big  one,  of  dark 
red  Roman  bricks,  which  are  long  and 
thin.  l%x  1x12  in.  with  black  mortar.  The 
hearth  is  of  brick  edgeways,  three  inches 
above  the  floor  level.  For  a  foundation 
we  have  heavy  iron,  from  an  old  canal 
bridge,  that  rests  one  end  on  the  parti¬ 
tion  Avail  in  the  cellar  and  the  other  end 
is  on  a  railroad  rail  supported  by  iron 
posts  Avhich  clears  the  steam  boiler  nice¬ 
ly.  One  mistake  is  that  the  big  damp¬ 
er  frame  inside  the  fireplace  sticks  over 
from  one  to  tAvo  inches  which  makes  the 
smoke  come  out  in  the  room  sometimes 
unless  the  fire  is  endwise.  Wo  have  the 
fireplace  in  the  dining  room  and  thus  en¬ 
joy  it  all  day  and  get.  much  more  enjoy¬ 
ment  out  of  it  than  avo  Avoultl  were  it  in 
any  other  room.  No  one  could  buy  it  or 
steal  it  unless  avo  could  get  another,  but 
were  I  to  build  another  would  have  the 
fireplace  24  inches  deep  instead  of  18, 
and  tAvo  feet  high  instead  of  214  feet, 
and  there  should  never  be  any  projection 
inside  for  smoke  to  hit.  CLARK  ALLIS. 
Fighting  Peach  Borers 
Xow  comes  the  time  when  nearly  every 
i 'ey  brings  us  letters  from  people  who 
sire  worried  about,  their  peach  trees. 
They  find  a  hunch  of  gum  on  the  trunk 
of  a  tree  just  above  the  ground,  and  in 
many  cases  the  leaves  have  begun  to 
crumple  and  turn  a  little  yellow.  When 
ibis  gum  is  found  the  trouble  is  usually 
due  to  borers.  Examine  the  gum,  and  if 
you  see  fine  chips  or  suAvdust.  mixed 
through  it  you  may  be  sure  that  the  borer 
is  at  work.  This  is  the  worst  insect  en¬ 
emy  of  the  peach  tree,  far  more  to  be 
dreaded  now  than  the  San  Josfi  scale. 
We  have  often  described  this  insect,  yet 
always  at  this  season  there  is  a  demand 
for  information.  The  eggs  are  laid  by 
the  moth  usually  in  July  in  our  latitude. 
This  moth  deposits  tin*  eggs  on  the  bark 
or  in  little  crevices  at  the  lower  part 
of  the  trunk  dose  to  the  ground.  These 
eggs  batch  in  due  time,  and  the  little  bor¬ 
ers  appear.  When  large  enough  they 
begin  holing  or  chewing  down  from  the 
bottom  of  the  trunk  toward  the  root,  aqd 
as  tin  y  grow  they  work  harder  than  ever. 
We  have  found  over  30  of  them  in  one 
trunk,  and  if  left,  alone  they  Avill  finally 
kill  the  tree.  The  most  effective  remedy 
is  digging  or  cutting  the  borers  out.  We 
scrape  off  the  glim  and  find  the  hole  Or 
burrow  going  down  toward  the  root. 
Following  this  aa  il h  a  wire  or  sliarp- 
bladcd  knife  avc  come  upon  the_  hover, 
dig  him  out  and  kill-  him.  This  is  hard 
and  tedious  work,  hut  is  the  surest  way 
of  operating.  Where  there  are  hut  a  .few 
trees  the  gum  un  ,v  be  scraped  off,  a  little 
hole  scooped  out  around  tin*  trunk,  afd 
boiling  water  poured  in.  This  will  get 
most  of  them.  A  smear  or  spray  of  thick 
lime-sulphur  solution  around  the  base  of 
the  trunk  Avill  help,  but  the  surest  remedy 
is  to  dig  the  borers  out. 
A  Fireplace  at  a  New  Mexico  Indian  Reservation 
