“ It is such a treat to be waited upon,” said 
mama, leaning back in her chair with folded 
hand. “ 11 gives me a lady-of-leisure feeling that 
I have not experienced lor years.” 
“ Fin so glad 1 haven’t got to wash dishes any 
more.” cried* Birdie. shaking back her sunny 
curls to look up at me. “Ugh! it’s such nasty 
work, isn’t it, sister?” 
“ Dreadful, my pet,” 
“ Ah, I know you are laughing at me, but J’m 
quite in earnest. I don’t believe my hands were 
made to paddle in greasy dish-water.” 
“ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with 
thy might," quoted mama, reprovingly. 
But saucy Birdie suggested that if Jkritsju 
Ann were to wash dishes will) all her might, 
there would soon he no dishes left, to wash, which 
set us all to laughing, and then we tell into such 
a cosy, comfortable chat about matters and things 
in general, and enjoyed it so much, that the clock 
tolled out eleven before we imagined an hour had 
passed away. 
The next, morning—it was an October morn¬ 
ing, I remember —golden, glowing,— earth, sea, 
and sky were nut i ant with sunshine, and the lab 1 
bird that warbled over heud was not more joy¬ 
ous than I. as I took the road to Houghton. 1 
had not gone a quarter of a mile when the tramp 
of'horees’ feet arrested my attention, and soon 
after a lady and gentleman on horseback dashed 
by me like the wind. 
be sent for me, and if I did not make my appear¬ 
ance be would come after me himself: and oh 
so many other nonsensical things, that I was 
obliged to consent.; but all the time my old black 
silk stood looking me in the face, (metaphori¬ 
cally. of course,) with a very wretched cast of 
countenance. 
BY J. G. WHJTTUEK 
O.YCK mure, O mountain* Of the North, unveil 
Your brows, and lay your cloudy mantles by ! 
And onrse more, ere the eyes tliat seek ye fail; 
Uplift against the blue walls of tho sky 
Your mighty shapes, and let the sum bine weave 
Its golden net-works iti your bolting woods. 
Smile down in rainbows from your falling floods, 
And on y our kingly brows at. morn and eve 
. Set crown* of lire! So “hall my soul receive 
• Haply the secret of your calm and strength, 
Your unforgoUerl beauty interfuse 
My common life, your glorious shapes and hues 
And sun dropped splendors at iny bidding conic, 
Loom vast through dreams, and stretch through billowy 
length 
From the sea level of my lowland home! 
They rise before me I Last night's thunder gust 
Roared not in vatu: for, where its lightnings thrust 
Their tongues of lire, the great, peaks sewn go near, 
Burned clean of mist, so starkly hold and clear, 
I almost pause the winds in the pin eg to hear, 
The loose rock's fall, the. steps of browsing deer, 
The clouds that shattered on yon slide worn walls 
And splintered on the rocks their spears of rain 
Have set in play a thousand waterfalls, 
Making the duslt and silence of the woods 
Glad with the laughter of the chasing floods 
And luminous with blown -pray and silver gleams, 
While, in the vales below, the dry lipped streams 
Sing to the freshened meadow laud again. 
So, let me hope, the battle storm that heats 
The laud with hail and (ire may pass away 
With its spent thunders at the break of day, 
Like night’s clouds, and leave as it retreats, 
A greener earth and fairer sky behind, 
Blown crystal-clear by Freedom’s Northern wind! 
[Allantic Monthly. 
The two great parlors, the library ami the con¬ 
servatory. were one grand blaze of light,; and 
there was any quantity of beauty and gallantry, 
music, diuipieg and flirting; “soft eyes looked 
love to eyes” still softer, probably, and all that 
sort ol thing. I was there, too. lookinir ver-v insitr- 
1 was there, too, looking very 
niticant, I’ve no doubt, in that everlasting black- 
silk, with a little cobwebby collar fastened with 
a knot of crimson ribbon, and a few geraniums 
in my hair. Nellie appeared delighted to' see 
rne, and introduced me to a number of the 
young people; but. her duties as hostess soon 
called her away, and I was left to the tender 
mercies of a young man with a feeble^ complex¬ 
ion and very weak 1c—limbs, I mean, as I found 
out while dancing with him. J am ashamed to 
say no one else asked me to dance during the 
evening, or took much notice of me, and that 
wretched young man stuck to me like a leech. 
But I got away from him at last and hid myself 
behind an elderly virgin in yellow gauze, whom 
nobody had invited to ‘-trip the light fantastic 
toe,” and who was venting her spile in ill-natured 
remarks about everybody. I occupied myself 
some time in watching Ike gay company; but 
©ftenestmy eyes sought Nellie, who was look¬ 
ing exquisitely lovely in pale-blue silk and 
white flowers, and a tail figure in black that 
looked wonderfully like Mr. Mi-kray. He was 
here and there and eveiy where at the same time, 
it, seemed to me. with a pleasant smile and gay 
word for everybody but me; and how many 
bright eyes followed him! But I grew so tired 
of silting there, and listeningto Miss Spake rib's 
A QUADRUPLE SURPRISE, 
Or what Mrs. Snooks prrsmlc/i to Mr. Snooks on the morn¬ 
ing of the 14 th of February, to make “ glorious summer 
the winter of his discontent. 
Nurse .—“ Ah lm! Mr. Snooks! Here’s a wal- 
antinc for you; and such a walantine os don’t 
come by post, nor by one’s and two’s, nuther.” 
Snooks —“ No—I wish to gracious it did.” 
The former, attired in a 
dark blue habit that set off her slight, graceful 
figure to perfection — a jaunty little riding-cap, 
its snowy plume mingling with the bright curls 
that waved like a golden banner in the fresh 
morning breeze—eye, cheek ajid lip glowing 
with healthful exercise, 1 instantly recognized as 
the beautiful Ellen Houghton, of Houghton, 
with whom I could scarcely bo said to be ac¬ 
quainted. Her companion, a dark, handsome 
gentleman, 1 had certainly never seen before; lie 
was a stranger in the place, thought 1, probably 
a guest of’Squire Houghton. I stood still to 
look after them —they were such a pretty picture 
— and thought of Sir Launcklot and Queen 
Guinevere, and involuntarily these lines came 
into my mind : 
“ As she fli-tl fast through sun and shade, 
The happy winds upon her played. 
Blowing tin; ringlet from Mir in-aid 
She looked so lovely, as she swayed 
Tlio rain witli dainty finger-tips, 
A man had given all other bliss, 
And all his worldly worth for this, 
To waste his whole heart, in one kiss 
Upon her perfect, Ups.” 
11 was later Chan usual when I reached the 
school room, and 1 round a noisy group assem¬ 
bled there, waiting for my coming. In attending 
to them throughout the day, and lending to each 
little neophyte a helping hand up the mighty 
Ilill of Science, I completely forgot the occur¬ 
rence of the morning; but walking homo at 
nightfall, in the soft, shadowy gloaming, I 
thought of the handsome dashing equestrians, 
and half expected to encounter them again. But 
1 was disappointed and met not a soul till I 
reached my quiet sea-side home, where Birdie 
was w aiting for me with her loving kiss, ready 
to t ake my bonnet and shawl, and bring her book’s 
for me to hear her lessons; while mama, equally 
white-created billow’s came leaping and dancing glad to see me, although in a less demonstrative 
like living things, and every night chanted to us manner, sat by me 
anthems grander than ever pealed forth from 
gilded organ In any old cathedral. Wo were 
half a mile from Houghton, and I taught the 
village school in that place for a very respectable 
remuneration. Then, I had from a child the 
fashion of penning dow n my thoughts, in a very 
simple style, 1 presume, and when Birdie grew 
larger, as children have a way of doing, and our 
household expenses increased, 1 gathered together 
some of my brain-offspring and, "witli doubt, and 
trembling,” sent them iu a common-place yellow 
envelop to u publisher in u distant city. 
Well, lie received the poor little things kindly 
and sent me a golden expression of his approba¬ 
tion. Of oourse I w as very grateful, and all that 
sort of thing, but 1 couldn’t help thinking he was 
a person of exceedingly bad taste; however, I 
encouraged him in it, and took to writing a great 
’nights, when all the 
LITTLE JOKERS 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
ALL ABOUT IT 
BY BARBARA G. MOORE 
I have a husband, dear reader, although you 
may be ignorant of that important historical fact; 
and now that, tea is over, the infantry properly 
slapped and put to roost, and my husband, in 
dressing-gown and slippers, is reading the eve¬ 
ning paper— handsome fellow that he is!— I will 
tell you how 1 caino into possession of the article. 
It was the dearest, coziest little home in the 
world, and 1 had paid for it all myself. That 
greatly enhanced its beauty in my eyoa, and I 
never sought its shelter without thanking God 
that we had a home of our own which lie had 
given me strength to obtain. The little home 
was half hidden from view among any quantity 
of trees and shrubbery, and there were wood¬ 
bines and other Creeping things in charming pro¬ 
fusion over the small porch, and a perfect bijou 
of a garden, wherein roses and violets and mig¬ 
nonette flourished like green bay trees, and 
perfumed the air the whole summer long. 
It was very nice, 1 assure you. And then there 
was a long line of white sandy beach in front, 
which was generally, and I may add, correctly, 
supposed to be the seashore, against which the 
And the “dear good mama” bade us a frigid 
“•bon flow*,” and haughtily sailed away. Mr. 
Murray accompanied her to the carriage, and 
then returned to the house, to my great astonish¬ 
ment, and quite coolly declared his intention to 
spend the evening with us. Pretty soon Miss 
Houghton and I were chatting together asfreely 
as if we had known each other for years,—there 
was no resisting her cordial familiarity; while 
Mr. Murray devoted himself to Birdie— the 
bright-haired little puss !—and seemed quite de¬ 
lighted at his success iu provoking her silvery 
peals of laughter. 
Then Jeuusua Ann edged into the room in 
her queer fashion, and laid the snowiest of cloths 
upon the little round table, and arranged there¬ 
upon mama’s dainty, old-fashioned china tea- 
service. Miss Houghton insisted upon siltingat 
the table in spite of per lari a 1 ankle, and with 
Mr. Murray’s assistance was comfortably en¬ 
sconced in (lie arm-chair, looking so very, very 
lovely; and dear mama looked so smiling and 
pretty, and Mr. Murray bo gay and handsome, 
and Birdie so bright and playful; and every 
one partook with such zest, of the fragrant tea. 
snowy biscuit, and marmalade, and appeared to 
enjoy themselves so much, that it 
gay voice exclaimed. “ I’ve caught you, little 
truant! Where are you bound, may 1 ask?” 
“ Let me go,” pleaded I, falteringly. 
<: But that’s just wbat I don’t intend to do. I 
want you to come with rne,” drawing my hand 
through bis arm. There was no resisting him; 
he looked so strong and determined, and I was 
so very, very little, and felt so weak just then. 
He paused at the library door. 
"You are sure you don’t, want to join our 
merry friends who are feasting below?” 
“ Quite Bure.” 
He led me to a sofa and seated himself beside 
me, “How have you enjoyed yourself this eve¬ 
ning?— was Mr. J ones interesting?—and did you 
find Miss Si'ARERin entertaining? You see I 
have watched you, although you did not know it” 
I didn’t answer him; I was afraid my voice 
was not very steady. He looked at me for a 
moment, and then taking my hand, began rat¬ 
tling off a long lingo about his loving me from 
the first moment he ever saw me, and wound up 
with the important query, would I be his little 
wife? 
How angry 1 was! But I found my voice, and 
snatching away my baud, told him just what I 
thought of him for daring to talk so to me when 
he was engaged to Mies Houghton. He heard 
me through very patiently, and then assured me 
so solemnly that he had never regarded Ellen 
in any oilier light than a sister; she had been 
engaged some time to his only brother—and that 
his love for me was sincere as it was unchang¬ 
ing—that I had to believe him; and as I really 
did care a little for him, I gave him my hand and 
promised to bo all he wished. 
Half an hour afterward Ei.lkn came dancing 
in. “Do my eyes deceive me, or is this really 
my demure little friend? Why, dear, you are 
positively beautiful with your crimson cheeks 
and such a brilliant light in your eyes.” Then 
Mr. Murray told her this was to be her little, 
sister, and she kissed me and said the dearest 
wish of her heart was fulfilled. 
We were married one wintry afternoon in 
Houghton Church. The Kev. Mr. Shininglight 
officiated on the never-to-be-forgotleu occasion, 
For Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
PROBLEM FOR THE INGENIOUS. 
Mr, Editor:—T lie following "Problem" was taken 
from an almanac several ye are ago, and we send it to you 
thinking it may be worth reprinting,— G., Mich , 1883: 
"Aw PIT a rno NA W O! MAN Who’s O—LD ear 
the N, WARis. 
BKNF. 
AT, 11T. 11ISST. O NELIES Scab, at Kyo U R G, 
BA, Til Arln. eg, rayc RIE, F And dRYr y 
Hang cl F, ItO I mabus—y. ou REYK sF, O R 
L, 1, Pcto Lit' e less c Wha I Ta V-ail sa, 
Lay Bye Ar—T. H, and e Flo OI Loft Ear S 
lay, a lieg O t T. herp Wliok, Now S BU 
Elf And No W f 8 he’ Tinar Uu O! fye ! 
st. uNrn’d TOe art, hh Are! n, s o me tall 
Erselfy ewe Epi N G PIT eharo K Bro 
fri E. N. dslct Mead, A1) Parish einh 
with her sewing and had a 
hundred things to say in praise of J brush a Ann, 
1 think we were never before favored with such 
delightful weather as wo enjoyed all through that 
glorious month of October. The days were per¬ 
fect; the blue of the sky was so intense, and the 
sea lay like a bed of amber in the light of the 
greak golden sun, while the distant woods were 
an aii flame of crimson, and the far-off hills wore 
veils of the loveliest purple. And then the 
nights 1 when the earth lay like a sleeping beauty 
was quite 
delightful. 
Miss Houghton was our guest for a week, and 
we grew to really love her iu that time, for she 
was all sweetness and nnaffeotation. 1 was quite 
sure Mr. Murray loved her, too, but I did not 
wonder at iL We learned to like him very 
much, also- I tried to be very cold to him, but 
after the first evening my reservogradually melted 
away in his genial warmth, and I was unusually 
gay that week—so mama said—but I’m sure I 
didn’t feel so. Often after hearing Mr. Murray 
read some favorite poem, as he frequently did 
very beautifully, 1 longed to get away by myself 
and indulge in that panacea for all feminine ills 
ft “good cry.” lie spent eveiy evening with 
us during that week—reading, singing, or, better 
still, talking, as 1 never heard any one talk 
before. ITeigh-ho! I am afraid I didn’t write 
much that week. 
One evening he joined me as I left the school- 
house, and accompanied me home. He began 
some sentimental remark,hut I was immediately 
taken with one of my reserved tits, and wouldn't 
talk. 1 didn’t want any of his pretty Speeches— 
he might keep them for Miss Ellen- After 
several ineffectual attempts to draw me into con¬ 
versation, he gave it up in despair, I suppose, 
and strode along by my side in silence. He 
didn't appear to care anything about it, though, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Tie-em-tigut, from an 
for he was unusually brilliant that evening, and adjoining parish. Ellen and her husband, and 
mama and Birdie, were the only witnesses. 
The two latter individuals still reside in the dear 
old home, attended by Jerusha Ann. Ellen 
resides iu a distant city, and is the light of her 
beautiful home and the joy of her husband’s 
heart. And I—ah, I am very happy in the love 
of the noblest heart ever a woman won. 
Once eveiy year we all meet in the little sea¬ 
side cottage, and have a good visit with mama 
and Birdie, and talk over old times, and enjoy 
ourselves very much. And so, dear reader, 
that’s " all about it,” and it’s not much of a story 
after all, is it? 
For Moon's Rural New-Yorker. 
GEOMETRICAL PROBLEM. 
A mau owns a circular farm containg (540 acres, which 
he wishes to divide iu such a manner an to give to each of 
his two sons as I arm a circular farm us possible, and from 
(lie remainder he wishes to give to each of his two daugh¬ 
ters as large a farm iu, possible, which are also to be cir¬ 
cular. How many acres lias each of the children ? and 
how much has he left V 
Union, Broome Co , N. Y., 1863. C. N. Shipman.. 
83*“ Auewor in two weeks. 
to see xneir origin eyes reiiecteu in tin; murmur¬ 
ing deeps below. 0, dear! it was heavenly, but. 
I can’t describe it. Just the time for susceptible 
damsels to fall in love and enjoy (?) themselves 
ar.d I should certainly have done so had there 
been any nice young men around; but there 
wasn’t, and I kept on the oven tenor of my way. 
and-taught and scribbled pretty much the same 
as ever. 
I almost forgot to tell you that the Sunday af¬ 
ter Miss Houghton took her morning ride, 
'mama. Birdie and I attended church as usual 
Our minister, the Rev. Mr. Shining light, was a 
limp sort of a divine, with palo green eyes, a Jong 
nose, and a very peculiar manner of banging the 
pulpit-cushions and sayiug “sinner!” through 
his powerful nasal organ. Ills style was gener¬ 
ally thought, among the Houghton people, to be 
very impressive aud highly affecting; but owing 
to some deficiency in my visual organs, I “could¬ 
n’t see it.” Well, I was trying my beet to be at¬ 
tentive and look solemn during his astonishing 
sermon that morning, when 1 suddenly became 
aware of some queer kind of magnetism, and, 
encountered the rather amused 
deal m my own room o 
household were asleep but me, and the sea was 
doing some very fine things in the musical line 
out of doors. All, those days Jang syne ! My 
little purse assumed quite an Aldermanic ap¬ 
pearance then, and after things had gone on in 
that way some time, 1 conceived the brilliant idea 
of engaging a moid-of-nl 1-worlc to make herself 
generally useful aud highly ornamental about 
the house, and save poor mama a number of 
stops. Sfie (mama) objected strongly when J first, 
mentioned iny brilliant idea; but I so clearly 
demonstrated that by “cutting over” my crimson 
merino for Birdie, and turning my old black 
silk inside out and upside down, and every other 
way which an accommodating old black silk is 
capable of being turned, and 
For Moon's Rural Rural Nevt-Yorker, 
DOUBLE REBUS. 
A town in Connecticut, 
A county in Florida. 
A group of Lintels in tlie Mediterranean. 
A town in Massachusetts. 
A town in New York. 
Aly initial* form a town, 
My tiuols where situated. 
Harmony, N. J., 1863. J. Millbr. 
ANSWERS TO ENIGMAS, &a, IN No. 68L 
Answer to Illustrated Rebus :—Longfellow, Bryant, 
Emerson and Beecher occupy a high niche in the Temple 
of Fame. 
Answer to Miscellaneous Enigma:—The Emancipation 
Proclamation. 
Answer to Decapitations: — 1, Bear. 2, Shovel. 3, 
Bowl. 4, Spain. 6, Goat. 6, 8com. V, Weight 8, 
Tire. 9, Treason. 
wearing last year’s 
bonnet another winter, we could afford the ex¬ 
pensive luxury ol a servant, that inama with¬ 
drew her opposition and consented. 
I searched through tlie village and succeeded 
in finding a youthful virgin alter my own heart, 
with tresses of a feeble bull' color, a squint, and 
a confiding snub nose. Mama and Birdie looked 
dubious when I brought her home, but. I was full 
of faith in Jerusha Ann. and that faith met its 
own “exceeding great reward.” Such a ti.’y. 
trusty, ungrammatical little jewel of a hand¬ 
maiden as she proved herself I Never was there 
another such a Jerusha Ann. That evening 
alter she had removed the tea-things, and we 
throe gathered around the bright fire in our woe 
parlor — writing being prohibited on so memor¬ 
able an occasion — and mama sat in her arm¬ 
chair looking every inch a lady, as she was, I 
reclined on a lounge, witli Birdie on a stool at 
my feet, and the not unmusical voice of our 
kitchen-goddess rose in the soul-stirring strains 
of “Old John Brown” above the clatter of (he 
dishes, we came to the conclusion that wo had a 
great deal to be thankful for, and that “ domes¬ 
tics ” were a delightful institution. 
looking up, 
glance of a pair of dark bright eyes, from Squire 
H oughton’b pew. They belonged to the strange 
gentleman, and by his side, radiant, bewitching 
as ever, was Miss Ei.lkn Houghton. I imme¬ 
diately turned my eyes on the pulpit and kept 
them there until Mr. Shininglight dismissed his 
admiring congregation with a fervent blessing. 
Upon descending the church steps I saw the 
dusky-haired Apollo handing tho fair Ellen 
I into her carriage wit!) lover-like gallantry: then, 
turning suddenly, he flashed me another glance 
from those dark orbs, and touched his hat with 
such an air! 
But I drew myself up as stiff as a small sized 
poplar, and taking Birdie’s hand marched off 
haughty enough. 1 am not quite sure, but 1 think 
there was a half smile on bis lips us he entered 
the carriage and seated himself beside Mbs 
Houghton. Well, it was nothing to me, of 
course: I said so to my6clf as I walked home 
with mama and Birdie, and repeated it to my¬ 
self every time 1 found that young damsel think¬ 
ing of those beautiful eyes. 
MOORE’S EUEAL N£W-YOEKEE 
THK LARGEST CIRCULATED 
Agricultural, Literary and Family Newspaper, 
18 PUBLISHED K7KKY SATURDAY BY 
my heart leap wildly, exclaimed, “Ah,there you 
ore, little one! Como and shake hands. No, 
don’t go into the house; you are not tired, are 
you? Then we will walk on the beach awhile.” 
I believe we walked there half-an-hour or so, 
watching the red sunset fade, out of the western 
sky; and I remember my companion quoted 
some very fine poetry, anil made several striking 
remarks about something or other. At last he 
came to the object of liis call, and presented me Definitions. — Virtue is the free choice of 
with a dainty little billet from Ellen, wherein right; love, the free embrace of the heart; grace, 
that ywung lady stated that she was to give a the free action of the limbs; genius, the free, 
party the next Wednesday evening; would I bold flight of thought; eloquence, its free, and 
come? Mr. Murray was waitingfor my answer, perfect utterance. 
I reflected a moment, and said “No,” very deci- -•- 
dedly. But he entreated «ne so earnestly to The secret of the world is, the tie between 
accept tlie invitation; and said Nellie would person and event. Person makes event, and 
be very angry if I refused; the carriage would event person. 
D. I>. T. HOOKE, BOCHESTEK, N. Y. 
Office, Euion Buildings, Opposite tlie Court House, EuHalo SL 
TA IUI A, JJ\" V'JJYCJS ; 
Two Dollars a Year — To (Tuba ami Agents as follows 4 
Three Copies one year, for Six, ami one free to club 
agent, for $10 Ten, and one free, for $15; and any greater 
number at same rate —only $1.30 per copy. Club papers 
directed to individuals and sent to as many different Post- 
Offices as desired. As we pro-pay American postage on 
copies sent abroad, Sl.K! is tho lowest Club rate Tor Canada, 
and t&A0 to Europe,—but during the present rate of ex¬ 
change, Canada Agents or Subscribers remitting for the 
Rural in bills of their own specie-paying hanks will pot be 
charged postage. 
The 1’ostaox on the Rural Nkw- Yorker is only 3>« cts. 
per quarter to any part of this State, (except Monroe coun¬ 
ty, where it goes free,) and 6% cts. %o any other Loyal 
State, if paid quarterly in advance where received. 
