Think, read, observe. In the manifold action 
and thought and achievement of the world of 
mankind, you need never lack subjects to 6tudy, 
or objects which call for the perfecting touch of 
improvement. In the world of nature you may 
learn to converse with God himself; inspire your- 
eelf with Ills ideas, and obtain free access to the 
inexhaustible fountains of truth, beauty and hap¬ 
piness which he has created. l. w. 
Ann Arbor, Mich., 1866. 
Dear Rural With your permission, I 
should like to say a few words through your 
columns for the benefit of George IL Powers, 
(Bachelor,) of Hamlet, Mercer county, Ill. I’m 
a married woman, consequently have no “ de¬ 
signs" on our bachelor, and therefore I am not 
afraid to speak of the imperfection* that are 
painfully apparent to any one who has read 
“Leaves from the Country, No. 1,” as it ap¬ 
peared in the Rural of March. 
In the first place he informs us that he is a 
bachelor, and tulla ns that he is good looking, 
or at least the girls tell him so, which proves 
beyond a doubt that he is extremely wiln, and 
also that he U vastly pleased with flattery, 
especially from the “girls," who, no doubt, 
are making fun of him. Next he tell* ua again 
that he ia a bachelor, as if fearful that we should 
forget it,—although a person of the least dis¬ 
cernment would know that from the “style." 
And he says he is a “first-rate fellow,"—there 
the egotism, which la so apparent from the tone 
of the whole “leaf,” la plainly proved. Then 
he thanks Goo that he is single, with uo “ wife 
to support, or squalling brats to thrash," which 
looks very much like selfishness and crabbednees. 
1 am afraid that if there was a wife In the case, 
ahe would get a small share of “ support; " In¬ 
deed it looks doubtful whether she would get 
any at all. Then he boasts bis privilege to 
“spit on the carpet," and "black the fender 
with muddy boots,”— all of which says “sloven" 
Then he seems 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
TO THE END. 
oore'e Rural New-Yorker. 
PRING HERALD. 
Written for 
THE 
Fuhnt thing a baby i?, 
Curious little creature; 
Funny Is Its llttle phia. 
Comic every feature. 
Helpless thing a baby is; 
Tiny hands uplifting 
O'er the troubled tide of life 
Into which ’tls drifting. 
Mystery a baby is— 
Memories of heaven 
Still must hover in the soul 
Such a short time given. 
Solemn thing a baby is. 
Since it xpast inherit 
All the loss and gain of life, 
All the sin and merit. 
Funny, holpless, mystic, sad— 
Let me tel) you, Freddy, 
Half the good and sweet of life 
Is the getting ready. 
Yours the sunshine—take It all 
While you're weak and tiny, 
By-aud-by the days that come 
May not be so shiny. 
[Mcaminer and Chronicle , 
There is a passage in the life of Abraham, as 
recorded by the sacred historian, which furnishes 
an example of trust in God and perseverance in 
a course of fidelity to Him, worthy of the careful 
consideration and imitation of every one who 
wishes to be His child. He was called ,to leave 
his country, his kindred and his father’s house; 
yet he promptly obeyed, notwithstanding the 
difficulties lying in his way, aud the fact that he 
must go out “not knowing whither he went" 
—“ and into the laud of Caoaau ho came," 
There were difficulties In his’way, but he was 
faithful to the end. 
Those who have not entered upon the service 
of God quite generally form erroneous views 
with regard to the nature of Christian life. The 
Christian is On a journey,—seeking a better 
country, that Is, a heavenly. It cannot be dis¬ 
guised that there are difficulties connected with 
such a life. Everything iu home, friends or 
kindred, that tends to hinder one in the way to 
God, Is to be left behnld ; and, while it is easy 
to live a life of partial or entire conformity to 
the world, it requires perseverance of a high 
type in order to be faithful and secure the end 
of a holy life. Yet God requires nothing to be 
given up but sin, or that which leads to it. If 
the Christian church would make its standard 
of qualifications and duties sufficiently low, 
there are comparatively few who would remain 
without its communion. But the danger has 
always been, not that the standard would be too 
high, but that it .would fall below that of the 
Word of God. It i3 as necessary now as it was 
in the days of the Saviour, to “strive ” in order 
to “enter in at the straight gate." There are 
many who often have ardent desires after a 
Christian life, but they do not enter upon it on 
account of the difficulties in their .way; and 
there is another larger class of whom St may be 
written as Paul wrote of the Galatians—“Ye 
did run well; who did hinder yon that ye Bhould 
not obey the truth ? ” 
Two persons, Just entering upon mature life, 
were numbered with the people of God, and 
gave promise of useful lives. In one hour of 
temptation both sinned and fell. Years have 
passed away; their footsteps still fall together, 
but they wander from the fold. They failed in 
firmness and persererance, and in the view of 
the faithful Christian, all their lives are blighted. 
u Lead u« not into temptation, but deliver us from 
evil," is a prayer which every Christian needs 
often to utter. A young husband and father had 
neglected God. Death entered his home as an 
angel of mercy, and his loved child was tom 
from his embrace. “ GOD has con>c very near to 
me," he said, and HOught to turn his steps to 
Him, and in tears asked to be numbered with 
His people. A little further on he neglected 
first one and then another duty, and permitted 
things of trilling and transient, Importance 
to lead him to unfaithfulness to bis God. 
“ The heart fa deceitful above all things, and 
desperately snicked ; st>ho can know it f " One 
formed a determination to “ take up hi* cross " 
and follow the Saviour, but turned back on 
account of the Influence and opposition of those 
who rejected the grace of the Saviour and 
denied Him in their lives. One engaged in the 
cause of Christ, and promised to run well, but 
after a time allowed the cares of this life to 
absorb his attention, and turned away from 
Christian perseverance, committing the folly of 
laying up hU treasures on earth ImMead of in 
Heaven. A young lady had the courage to con¬ 
fess Christ before men, but the enticing pleasures 
of this life led her to unfaithfulness to Him, 
forgetting that the purest, sweetest and most 
lasting happiness that can be secured In this life 
Is found in the service of the world's gracious 
Redeemer. To her was lost the beauty of Chris¬ 
tian life. 
There are many causes, besides those of which 
I have given Intimations, that lead to unfaithful¬ 
ness to God. The great tempter “goeth about 
as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 
Dear friend, whom would you be like—those 
whom I have given as examples, or Abraham 
and others who by faithfulness have secured the 
everlasting rewards of the holy ? Compare the 
short lived trials and hindrances in your way 
with the “eternal weight and glory to be re¬ 
warded." Do not allow anything in time to 
separate you from the love of God here and the 
felicity of His presence in the world to be. 
Secure the devotion of a faithful life. Be true 
to the Saviour—n*tvr unfaithful to Him. “ He 
that shad endure to the end, the same shall be 
saved." “ Jf any man drawback, my soul shall 
have no vleasure in him." a. t. k. c. 
8ino, robin, aing! 
Dusky brown herald of blossoming Spring! 
From the shorn boufh let thy sweet notes be heard, 
Dear as in summer v-oods, courier bird; 
As a loved friend fnjm a land far away, 
Thus do we greet twee this warm sunny day— 
Slug, robin, sing 
Sing, robin, sing! 
Close to oor homes fold thy messenger wing 1 
Then In the light or some morning serene, 
Forests shall hang out their banners of green, 
And the bine violets look up to the sky, 
By the lone stream where the pale lilies lie 
Sing, robin, sing! 
Bing, robin, sing) 
Trill me a lay of the odorous Spring! 
Bright though she smiles, she is fickle as fair, 
Shower and sun woo her loveliness rare; 
Soft fall* the sunshine around ns to-day, 
Calling tip Incense of flowers on our way; 
Sing, robin, sing! 
Bing, robin, sing! 
When the dark storm hovers close on thy wing; 
Qarol to Him who, enshrined in the cloud, 
Uuleth in love though the thunders are loud, 
Teaching our bi-art* by thy tender refrain, 
Sweet eongs of faith in our sorrow and pain— 
Bing, robin, sing! 
YOUTH AND AGE 
Youth may be amused as much as it will, and 
grow wiser and better every day with age. Youth 
ia the most inclined to love and cleave unto the 
myBtcrious, while age Is more sedate and thought¬ 
ful. The truth of many maxims of age gives too 
little pleasure to be allowed till it is felt. Dr. 
Johnson says: —"Age seldom faila to chauge 
the condnct of youth. We grow negligent of 
time in proportion as we have lesa remaining, 
and suffer the last part of life to steal from us iu 
languid preparations for future undertakings, 
or slow approaches to remote advantages, in 
weak hopes of some fortuitous occurrence, or 
drowsy equilibrations of determined counseL 
Whether it be that the aged, having tasted the 
pleasures of man's condition, and found them 
delusive, become less anxious for their attain¬ 
ment, or that death shocks them more as it 
advances npon them, and they arc afraid to 
remind themselves of their decay, or discover to 
their own heart* that the time of trifling is 
past.” He that would pass the latter part of his 
life with honor and decency, must, wheu he Is 
young, consider that ho shall one day be old, 
and not forget to remember, when he is old, 
that he was once young. 
For Moore'* Rural New-Yorker. 
SOME ONE TO COME HOME. 
as plainly as I can write it. 
much pleased at the thought of breaking the 
tcacupB and saucers, from which we might infer 
that our bachelor is wasteful. 
Lastly, he winds up with some would-be 
sublime remarks on the dignity ef a bachclor- 
lifo. But, poor man, he E«id too much and 
proved that even he was dependent, in some 
measure, on a woman, though that woman is 
not hi* wife, but “ my liouskceper, Jane Aka." 
We pity her exceedingly, though perbapB our 
pity Is thrown away, for aho may bo a indy who 
can “ boo her own row," eveu with onr bachelor 
to deal with—and that mny be where our 
friend’s idea of an “unlucky broom” arises. 
But wc must take onr leave, trusting that hone 
of our lady friends wiJi peril their happiness so 
far as to marry our bachelor, unless fully con¬ 
vinced that hi* writings belie his character. 
Wheatland, Clinton Co., Jowa, 1866. Mabt. 
DY MRS. U. N. LINCOLN 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
HINTS TO YOUNG WRITERS. 
Fanny Fern writes a pleasing page on 
“ Something to come homo to," which is sug¬ 
gestive of another traiu of thoughts to me ou 
the subject,— Some One to come home. 
It is the stimulant of a woman’s life, the 
clixer of her existence, to know she has some 
one to come home—that the chosen of her heart 
is one noble aud brave, honest aud virtuous, one 
too, who is worthy the welcome a true wife 
gives,—worthy the caresses of pure, sweet chil¬ 
dren, and faithful to the vows so sacred and sO 
BOlemn. It’s the salvation of more than one 
heart,—this embodiment of nobility in a com¬ 
panion. 
Some one to come home, who, us he passes 
up the crowded street, stops to buy a tiny 
bouquet for the waiting wile, —not expensive, 
perhaps, but rich in fragrance and elegant in its 
simple beauty. Trivial indeed this may seem to 
many, yet to more than one wife dearer than 
gold is so slight a gift as this. The wife may 
have pinned a “fresh rosebud" in the button¬ 
hole of her husband’s coat as he went forth to 
business in the morning. She may have pre¬ 
sented him with a fresh handkerchief with the 
image of ills favorite dog embroidered In the 
corner, and think yon not she would eagerly 
6tretch out her hands for some token of remem¬ 
brance at night and feel stimulated to new effort 
for him who did not quite forget her? Some 
are too dignified to desire to be treated so much 
like children ; but it’s not me, I do assure you. 
I imagine now the bouquet put in a tiny vase, and 
placed on the tea-table, to the satisfaction of 
both husband and wife, and the delight of the 
children. 
Then the long quiet evenings at home; God 
bless the man who gives his wife the preference 
and the pleasure of his company, and the little 
ones a frolic with papa. I see him now down 
on the carpet “playing elephant." I see the 
fat, chubby arms about his neck,— the little 
dimpled hands clinging fast to hi* curls,—I hear 
the ringing, gushing, bubling laughter, and up 
springs the Broadway merchaut., without losing 
his dignity, either! Again, God bless him who 
so far forgets self as to sacrifice his pleasure at 
the club room aud saloon for the wife, who oth¬ 
erwise would he left alone, and who moreover 
forgets them so thoroughly does he enjoy the 
evenings at home. 
1 picture to myself a thousand homes, with 
all the appendages of wealth to make them home 
like, and those too, with only simple comforts, 
and I sit by the window aud watch as somebody 
walks leisurely “up street." I see the weary 
look in the eyes of the wife, as no kindly word 
greets her — only a gruff, “ What’s the fuss 
uow?" or something similar. I see the shy, 
sorrowful faces of the children as some sharp 
word rings out, and they turn away from the 
father, whom they cannot please. The evening 
meal is eaten in silence, and the “so-called" 
The Art of Writing (composition, we mean,) 
is an exceedingly valuable accomplishment. Ab 
a part of the education of every person nothing 
is of more Importance than the ability to think, 
speak and w rite readily and well. These three 
qualifications really depend one on the other. 
They should be developed together. That is, a 
person should cultivate a well ordered, thinking 
mind, and he will naturally express himself in 
speaking and writing with ease, and to the point. 
Many are good at. expressing their thoughts with 
the pen who are bnt indifferent or bungling in 
their oral communications. Good, sound, ready 
and accurate thinkers are perhaps the rarest of all. 
To be able to talk or write well it is quite 
necessary to have Ideas. These, and facility of 
expression, depend not more on natural apti¬ 
tude than on the habit of reflection and matured 
observation. Young or inexperienced writers 
usually find much difficulty In inditing their 
early compositions. Christopher North, in 
one of his humorous papers, gives a somewhat 
amusing account of a young pupil who bad been 
assigned a lesson in letter writing—about the 
most difficult species of composition, by the 
way. This pupil was under the tuition of h 
maiden aunt, who gave him pen, ink and paper, 
and a seat in a solitary room with the command 
to indite an epistle to herself. The young stu¬ 
dent spent several hours thus imprisoned—the 
blauk sheet spread out before him with “ ap¬ 
palling whiteness" — his mind becoming more 
confused every moment. He only succeeded in 1 
penning the superscription, “Dear Ant," His 
teacher was, of course, suitably enraged upon 
ascertaining the result of his labors, he having, 
as she said, occupied himself for two hours 
“only to call his aunt a pismire." 
Learning to think and express one’s thoughts 
well is both a habit and an art. An active, 
thinking, matured mind ought always to be able 
to express something worih reading or listen¬ 
ing to. Bnt beginners should not he discour¬ 
aged If they fail in their first attempts, or If they 
find themselves barren of ideas, and consequently 
of language. Let such make themselves ac¬ 
quainted with some particular subject. Let 
them study it well and above all get really and 
deeply interested In it. This thinking, writing 
and speaking in earnest is the secret of success— 
the spring of all true eloquence. “Out of the 
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." 
The orator and the poet must be horn with in¬ 
spiration before they can utter words to charm 
Or electrify manklud. Therefore we say to 
the young who are being forced through the 
THE SECRET OF BAD LUCK, 
Tns secret of had luck in our opinion, lies in 
bad habits or bad management, much more than 
in accidental circumstance*. Generally those 
who complain most of Dame Fortune’s frowns, 
are those who have done the least to merit her 
smiles. A writer of much experience in the 
world says; “ I never knew an early rising, hard 
working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, 
and strictly honest, who complained of bad 
luck. A good character, good habits, and iron 
industry, are impregnable to the assault* of all 
the ill luck that fools ever dream pt of. But 
when I sec a tatter-dcmalion creeping out of a 
tavern late In the forenoon, with his hands stuck 
in his pockets, the rim of his hat turned up, and 
the crown knocked in, I know he has bad bad 
luck—for the worst of all luck is to be a slug¬ 
gard, a knave, or a tippler." 
A CONNUBIAL SERMON 
A connubial little sermon, from the text, 
“Be happy as you are," is thus preached by a 
contemporary print:—“Wife and mother, arc 
you tired, aud out of patience with your hus¬ 
band's and your children’s demands npon your 
time and attention V Are you tempted to speak 
out feeliugs to that faithful, but, perhaps, some¬ 
times heedless or exacting husband of yours f ot¬ 
to scold and fret at these sweet and beautiful 
ones? Do you groan and say, ‘What a fool I 
was to marry and leave my father’s house, where 
I lived in case and in quiet ? ’ Are you, by rea¬ 
son of lhu care and Weariness of the body which 
wifehood and motherhood must bring, forgetful 
of, and unmindful for, their comforts and their 
Joys? O, wife and mother! what, if a stroke 
should smite your husband and lay him lowf 
What if your children should be snatched from 
your arms, nnd from your bosom ? What If 
there were no true, strong heart for you to lean 
upon? What if there were no toft, little inno¬ 
cents to nestle in your arras, and to love you, or 
receive your love ? How would it be with you 
then? Bs patient and kind, dear wife; be un¬ 
wearying and long-suffering, dear mother; for 
you know not how long you may have with you 
your best and dearest treasures—you know not 
how long you may tarry with them- Let there 
be nothing for you to remember which will 
wring your heart with remorse if they leave you 
aloue; let there be nothing for them to remem¬ 
ber but sweetness and love unutterable, If you 
arc called to leave them by the way. Be patient, 
be pitiful, be tender of them all; for death will 
step sooner or later between them and yoh. 
And 0! what would you do, if you 6hould bt 
doomed to sit solitary and forsaken through 
years aud years? Be happy as you are, even 
with all your trials; for believe it, thou wife of 
a true and loving husband, there is no lot in life 
so blessed as thine own. The present is all yon 
can enjoy ; use it well. 
CHANCE CHIPS, 
I believe even the best things are not equal 
to their fame. 
To a physician whom one would not trust 
with a bank chock, a man will often trust with 
hi* life. 
What an absent-minded man was he who, ou 
falling into the river, Bank twice before he recol¬ 
lected that he could swim. 
Heaven drops little fragments of itself here 
and there along our way, by way of assurance 
that heaven aud love are one. 
Of all the actions in a man’s life, his marriage 
does least concern other people, yet of all actions 
of his life it is most meddled with. 
The first institution vouchsafed to our race was 
the Sabbath; the next, marriage. So give your 
first thought to heaven, the next to your Wife. 
Beautiful was the reply of a venerable man 
to the question, whether he was Btlll in the land 
of the living: — “ No, but I am almost there." 
Wuat is the difference between a piece of 
honey-comb and a black eye V One Is produced 
by the laboring bee,and the other by a be-laboriug. 
Explanations are bad things. You best 
preserve your dignity by avoiding them. The 
character which cannot defend itself is net 
worth defending. 
Punch says: — “A Yankee baby cratfls out of 
hie cradle, take* a survey of it, invents an im¬ 
provement, and applies for a patent before he is 
six months old." 
Mant persons look upon themselves as strug¬ 
gling to benefit the world, when, in fact, the 
world looks npon them as struggling only to 
benefit themselves. 
“ Well, farmer, you told us your place was a 
good place for hunting; now we have tramped 
it for throe hoars and found no game." “Just 
so. I calculate, as a general thing, the less game 
there is, the more hunting you have." 
A lady in the bookstore of Tieknor <fc Fields, 
Boston, saw a copy of “ Every Saturday ” on the 
lable, and Inquired if it was published monthly 
or semi-monthly. She was the same party who 
asked the Siamese Twins if they were brothers. 
Two duellists having exchanged shots without 
effect, one of the seconds interfered and proposed 
that the parties should shake hands. To this the 
other second objected as unnecessary, “for," 
said be, “their hands have been shaking this 
half hour.” 
A French nobleman, who had been satirized 
by Voltaire, meeting the poet soon after, grave 
him a hearty drubbing. The poet Immediately 
flew to the Duke of Orleans, told him how he 
had been used, and begged he would do him 
justice. “Sir,” replied the Duke, with a sig¬ 
nificant smile, “it has been done you already! ” 
“He that indulges himself in ridiculing the 
little imperfections and weaknesses of his 
friends, will in time find mankind united 
against him. The man who sees another ridi¬ 
culed before him, thongh he may, for the pres¬ 
ent, concur in the general laugh, yet, iu a cool 
hour, will consider the Bame trick might be 
played against himself. 
Mothers.— Some one has said that a young 
mother is the most beautiful thing in nature. 
Why qualify it? Why young? Are not all 
mothers beautiful? The sentimental outside 
beholder may prefer youth In the pretty picture; 
but I am inclined to think that sons aud daugh¬ 
ters, who are most intimately concerned in the 
matter, love and admire their mothers most 
when they are old. How suggestive of some¬ 
thing holy and venerable It is, when a person 
talks of his “dear old mother!" Away with 
your mincing “mammas," and “mammas" 
suggestive ouly of a fine lady, who deputes her 
dutieB to a nurse, a drawing-room maternal 
parent, who' io afraid to handle her offspring for 
fear of spoiling her tine new gown! Give me 
the homely mother, the aims of whose love are 
all-embracing, who is beautifnl always, whether 
old or young, whether arrayed in satin or mod¬ 
estly" attired in bombazine. 
So You Might Have Been..— Au eminent 
divine, remarkable for the devoted piety and 
spotless purity of his character, was heard to 
say that he never read or heard of a crime in his 
life, no matter how henious, without feeling an 
Inward consciousness that under certain condi¬ 
tions of education, training or association, be 
might have committed the same crime himself. 
The same feeling must have been experienced 
more or less by all reflecting, enlightened men; 
and yet—and yet, how little charity there "is in 
the worid. 
When the earthquake occurred at San Fran¬ 
cisco, a lady who was engaged in washing an 
infant of very tender age, ran screaming into the 
street. She stood on the sidewalk for some 
time swinging Something in her hand, which at 
first was taken for a dressed chicken by the 
bystanders, but which began to speak for itself 
iu language which placed it at once in the cate¬ 
gory of a different class of animated nature. She 
was holding it by the foot, head downward, and 
had forgotten all about what she had in hand. 
Sufpobb Christianity obliterated from the 
efficient causes of the world’s progress, wh*t 
arm is strong enough to urge ou the car of 
human civilization ? What wisdom sagacious! 
enough to guide mankind to the goal of theic 
destiny ?__ 
There is ope God, and there is one Chrtel 
We can as little expect a new Saviour as a ne) 
God. Given once, given forever. 
The Alphabet. —The following verse contains 
all the letters of the alphabet, aud may be used 
as an exercise for young children in tracing the 
letters: 
“God gives the grazing ox his meat, 
And quickly hears the sheep’s low cry. 
But man, who tastes hia finest wheat, 
Should joy to lift his praises high. 
