to benefiting sublantially the human race? 
Wluit a Icbsou for our sons and daughters 
to learn. Fordoes it not plainly tell them,— 
If you elevate your lives and talents to 
science an honorable mention will not be 
awarded you, but write a lie, or learn to re¬ 
tail stale jokes, and your fame is secured ? 
But thanks to the Rural Nev£-Yorker, 
and the rural Press in general, our children 
are learning who to honor and who to des¬ 
pise. I would not say aught against the 
great names mentioned in your city contem¬ 
poraries’ list, but there are a few of them 
MEN WHO WIN WOMEN, 
A MORNING SONG, 
fbtftocr 
BY It. B. DA V EXPO It T. 
God has so made the sexes that women, 
like children, cling to the men; lean upon 
them as though they were superior in mind 
and body. They make them the suns of 
systems, and their children revolve around 
them. Men arc gods, if they but knew it, 
and women are burning incense at these 
shrines. Women, therefore, who have good 
minds and pure hearts, want men to lean 
upon. Think of their reverencing a drunk¬ 
ard, a liar, a fool or a libertine I 
Morn throuRh tho shadowy trees — 
Her netted lattice — softly peepn, 
With gentle breath ; und to! n breeze 
Laden with honeyed suiolls 
Evoni out tho fair East strolls 
While yet each dreaming blossom softly sleeps! 
AGES OF AMERICAN AUTHORS, 
NEW PUBLICATIONS 
Will you allow an old fanner to scold a 
little in the Rural’b columns? In almost 
every paper received in the past ten days I 
have noticed a list of American authors 
and their ages. I certainly do not know' the 
object sought by the compiler of such a list, 
but if he desired to insult the greater por- 
IHrrcttonx lor Cooking' in II* Hariou* 
Brane/u* (Henry Carey Baird, No. 406 Walnut 
street, Philadelphia,)—Is the title of a work by 
Miss Leslie. In the preface Miss Leslie re¬ 
marks, "Let all housekeepers remember that 
there Is no possibility of producing - nice dishes 
without a liberal allowance of good ingredi¬ 
ents,"—her recipes, which are many, various 
and full, are in keeping: with the foregoing 
doctrine; and although admirably adapted to 
elaborate and fashionable cookery, would need 
considerable pruning to suit tho simpler and 
more healthful tastes of country people, or even 
those in towns who have hygienic notions. The 
book contains many excellent hints and sugges¬ 
tions, and most housekeepers will find it well 
worthy of a place in their directory. Although 
her rocipesabound in a profusion of condiments 
and “ melted butter," we trust our readers have 
been so thoroughly convinced of the pernicious 
effects of such ingredients a* to intelligently dis¬ 
criminate between the good and bad. 
And all the cloudless East 
is full of glowing, rosy light, 
Waking from slumber bird and boast - 
Anil the clour dreamy ulr 
Is full of visions fair, 
And glowing gUtdnuss ut the end of night 1 
nut thy soft breath, fair one, 
Is Bwoetor than tho breath of dawn; 
There needs nn glow of rising sun 
To light thy lovely face. 
And with their nameless grace, 
Tliino. eyes are sparkling as the dew-gomined luwn I 
tones for 
LOVE’S MIKACLE 
Sonsr* nr r.if*. (NowYork: Charles Scribner 
& Co.)—Royal in purple and gold is this holiday 
volume. It is tho llrst part of a re-issue of 
"Folk Songs,” published several years since, 
and is to bo followed by " Songs of the Heart,” 
“Songs of Nature,” and " Songs ol Homo.” it 
is the very perfection of book-making excel¬ 
lence. Its thirty illustrations are from designs 
by the best artists, and In spirit happily accord 
with the subjects illustrated, while they add 
rare beauty to the hook. The poems are mainly 
worthy sueb a setting, being selected from many 
sources. Of the hundred given wo could choose 
perhaps a score more to our taste; but tastes 
differ. Six autographs, — those of the Bkown- 
tnc.s, Longfellow, Hood. Willis and Stod¬ 
dard,— add an unusually interesting feature. 
CHAPTER I. 
The children went laughing and singing 
down the village, the clouds began to pile 
up in the West lor tin* coming sunset, anti 
the first flush of spring beauty tinted the hills 
and the woods with a peculiar radiance. 
As they stood in the grove—Annie Linn 
and Charles Manson—tho rush of the river 
below, and the voices of the children from 
the road, mingled together like the buss and 
soprano of some exquisite melody; but if 
they heard it at all it was with that, impa¬ 
tience which comes over one when happy 
sounds break in upon restlessness and trouble. 
She had come down there to bid him fare¬ 
well—not from any girlish desire for a quar¬ 
rel w hich should end In a pleasant reconcili¬ 
ation, hut from a settled conviction of the 
necessity of the step, which, once taken, must 
be irrevocable. 
They were both young. A year before 
they had been, for a short time, engaged; but 
all that Imd long since been broken oft', and 
this last, interview was a great deal worse 
than useless, though perhaps without it 
neither could have brought their minds to 
regard that hook in their lives as forever 
closed. 
Charles Manson was the eldest, son of a 
widow. He had been a spoiled, handsome 
boy—1 am afaid he was a wayward, reckless 
young man—just one of those young fellows 
whom everybody likes, and whose agreeable 
qualities and faculty of making friends prove 
their own greatest snore and temptation. 
I should have made one exception when I 
said everybody liked Charley ; Mr. Linn had 
detested him from his boyhood. lie was 
close-listed, grim, had toiled incessantly all 
his life, and could not understand why any¬ 
body should expect an existence at all dif¬ 
ferent. 
Now, as a boy, Charlie would not work, 
except to gain some special object. I [<• hated 
a farmer’s life, and was determined to go to 
college. lie had accomplished that by dint 
of sacrifices on his mother's part—those few 
words tell the story of her life—and consid¬ 
erable labor on his own He played tutor 
during the vacations; a distant relative help¬ 
ed him, and so he had gone on. 
But, alas 1 during the last year of Ids 
course everything changed. Charley made 
the acquaintance of an entirely different set 
—young men of fortune and expensive hab¬ 
its, whom he ought to have avoided—and 
1 1 is natural disposition did Lhe real. He left 
college very suddenly—good-natured people 
said ho was expelled—and lhe next the vil¬ 
lage heard of him he was in London, but 
whether in business or not no one could tell. 
Before lie came home, old Mr. Linn dis¬ 
covered the engagement existing between 
him and Annie, and with his usual peremp¬ 
toriness, broke it off at. once. Charley wrote 
her scores of reproachful letters, which her 
father coolly burned before her eyes. Then 
a long silence—the terrible stories of his bad 
habits and dissipation. 
Nobody ventured to question the widow, 
for she was one of those women whom even 
villago gossip did not care to approach with 
their affected sympathy and ill-concealed 
curiosity. As she sat in her place at church 
people noticed how, week after week, the 
smooth hair gained an added tinge, of gray, 
and the patient lines around her mouth deep¬ 
ened with hidden anxiety and trouble. 
Annie met her but seldom, and then there 
was but little conversation between them, 
never a w r ord concerning tho subject which 
filled both their hearts. Mr. Linn had for¬ 
bidden any intercourse between the families; 
but the widow had known him too long not 
to understand the truth and exonerate Annie 
from all blame in the matter. 
Old Linn loved money. If Charley had 
been as steady as a young Solon, he would 
not have given him his daughter. It was 
convenient that the young man offered him 
a reasonable excuse for the course he pur¬ 
sued. Annie held her father in great awe. 
She had inherited the feeling from her 
mother, who, ten years before had faded into 
her grave, perhaps glad that, for once, she 
, could do something in peace and quiet. 
Packard'* Monthly lor January is before 
us, enlarged in size, improved in appearance, in¬ 
creased in value and price. Packard has a 
field of his uwu, which he is try mg to cultivate 
in his own way and with tools of his own inven¬ 
tion. Every-Day Life and the Lives of tho Mon 
and Women of Yesterday and To-day, furnish 
material enough with which to enrich his pages 
without the aid of Action. Novels find no place 
in this magazine; but events stranger than fic¬ 
tion do. Packard's is ft live monthly. It deals 
promptly and vigorously with current events. 
1 1 . a tfee is in).-.tilted literary snobbery. Its salient 
toature is its good, honost common sense, which 
secures tilt? discussion of all live topics with 
frankness, ability and decency. It merits a wide 
circulation, especially among t lie young men and 
women ol’ Lhe country. 
.Vole* in Eng'land and Hah/. (Now York; 
G. P. Putnam & Son.)—Written twelve years 
ago, these " Notes,’’ by Mrs. Hawthorne, are 
fresh as though penned yesterday, and arc sure 
Of a hearty welcome by many. They are unlike 
travelers' notes in general, beingcouilned almost 
entirely to descriptions of minsters and abbeys 
in England, and art galleries in Italy. Their 
chief charm,—for they are truly charming,—lies 
in their simplicity of style, and their frank un- 
ulfectcdness in criticism. Mrs. Hawthorne is 
an enthusiastic lover of art In all its forms, and 
in these familiar “ Notes” she allows the render 
to share fully in her pleasure. Sotno personal 
reminiscences have now even a deeper interest 
than when first penned, and aro touchingly 
tender. 
COSTtJMiC JPjATJS'rLNA 
tion of our people he could not have accom- tlia 
plished his purpose more thoroughly. n0 j 
I. am a plain cultivator of the soil, but I wri 
. „ 1 reading books for lioi 
than thirty years, and I can assure “G 
SOYS.-(See Page 815.) 
it If a man would have a woman do him 
ih homage he must be manly in every sense; a 
i- true gentleman, not after the Chesterfield 
i© school, but polite because his heart is full of 
'e kindness to all; ono who treats her with 
"s respect, even deference, because she is a 
woman; who never condescends to say silly 
things to her; who brings her up to his 
level, if his mind is above hers; who is 
never over-anxious to do right; who has no 
time to be frivolous with her. Always dig¬ 
nified in speech and act; who never spends 
too much upon her, never yields to tempta¬ 
tion, even if she put it in his way; ambi¬ 
tious to make his mark in the world, 
whether she encourages him or not; who is 
never familiar with her to the extent of be¬ 
ing an adopted brother or cousin, who is 
not over-careful about dress, always pleasant 
and considerate, but always keeping his 
place of tho man, the head, and never losing 
it. Such deportment, with noble principles, 
good mind, energy and industry, will win 
any woman in the world who is worth win¬ 
ning. 
have been buying and 
more 
you that my combativeness was somewhat 
ig over the list of names 
referred to, and observing that almost every 
author who has written upon scientific and 
other subjects that interest, instruct and 
benefit tho rural population of our country 
was omitted. Why was the name of II. S. 
Ran dall, LL. D, omitted?—a man who lias 
reduced sheep husbandry to a science, and 
whose books are in almost every farmer’s 
library where the English language is known. 
In a literary point of view his hooks will 
compare favorably with any author’s named 
in tho list. 
I. have only to glance at the books upon 
my library shelves to sec how our favorites 
have been slighted. Half a century ago 
wrote John Turkey,— still a halo old man 
doing duty in your city; and do not all 
these ponderous volumes on botany entitle 
him to a high place in the roll of honor? 
Ami his co-laborer, Dr. Asa Gray, Professor 
ol Natural History in Harvard University,— 
has he not also done something as an author 
worthy of mention? Every school girl and 
boy, and their parents, feel thankful that 
such a man lives to point out the beauties 
that grow upon every hill-side and valley 
iron) Maine to California. Where is the name 
ot Downing, and that enormous volume 
just Issued from tho press,—a work that con¬ 
tains tho concentrated labor of a lifetime ? 
Will our compiler of this special list of 
names point out any one of them who, 
through his writings, has done so much for 
the elevation, enlightenment and substantial 
prosperity of our people as this one man 
Downing ? 
Are not the names of Dr. J. A. Warder, 
F. R. Elliott, J. J. Thomas, P. Barry,' 
Peter Henderson, A. S. Fuller, S. B. 
Parsons, Charles Flint, JosiAir Hooper, 
Fearing Burr, and a score of others that. 
I might mention, worthy of a place 
among the honored men of our coun¬ 
try ? These men have not written twad¬ 
dle, or Mother Goose stories; but they 
have taught us by precept, and practice 
the fundamental truths portrayed in the 
works of our Creator. Shall we farmers, 
who hold in our hands the life and substance 
of this nation, allow any petty penny-a- 
liner to slight, either intentionally or other¬ 
wise, the men who have devoted their lives 
excited upon lookin 
The Comic Hiaiory of the lulled Slate*. 
(Boston: Fields, Osgood & Co.)—Judging from 
the style in which this book is produced,—heavy, 
tinted paper, elegant binding, etc.,—its publish¬ 
ers must regard it as in a certain way worthy. 
Pcrhups it is. But, generally speaking, we are 
unable to see wherein tho worthiness consists. 
The introduction is passably humorous, and the 
chapter on “John Smith” is really funny; but 
tho rest is dreadfully strained and tiresome. 
We arc quite at a loss to classify the production. 
It Is not sufficiently dignified for history, and is 
by fur too dreary to be classed as comic. Its il¬ 
lustrations are the funniest part of it. We don't 
know who John D. Sherwood is, but in this at¬ 
tempt lie has not seriously eclipsed tho reputa¬ 
tion of BiEDKicn Knickerbocker. 
THOUGHT, 
Is ext to the good heart, and clear con¬ 
science, is the clear head. Dull thinkers are 
always led by sharp ones. The keen intel¬ 
lect cuts its way smoothly, gracefully, rapid¬ 
ly ; the dull one wears its life out against the 
simplest problems. 
To perceive accurately and to think cor¬ 
rectly, is the aim of all mental training, 
and—I had almost said—of life itself. But 1 
will not say that. Heart and conscience are 
more than the mere intellect. Yet we can¬ 
not tell how much the clear, clean-cut 
thought,—the intellectual vision, sharp and 
true,—may aid even these. Some say that a 
man never feels till lie sees, and when the 
object disappears, the feeling ceases. 
So we cannot exaggerate the importance 
of clear, correct thinking. We should eat, 
drink, sleep, walk, exercise body ami mind, 
to this end. Just so far as we fail, we make 
dolts and idiots of ourselves. Wo cast away 
our natural armor and defense. The design¬ 
ing make us dupes, we are over-reached by 
the crafty, and trodden under foot by the 
strong. Very likely there is a low murmur 
of conscience, too, for falling below its pure 
ideal. This adds a sharp sting to the shame 
of conscious dullness. 
A man’s great power in the natural world, 
—among Nature's forces, water, steam and 
lightning, — is not in his muscle, but hi; 
brain. Any horse can pull harder, lift more 
and endure it longer than the most perfectly 
developed man. But a single human brain 
cau rule a nation of horses. It is for us, 
then, to look out for this. If we would 
share what has not only given Napoleons, 
Gassars and Alexanders their power, but 
the great conquerors of natural forces as 
well,—the Pultons and the Morses,— let us 
look out for the brain—see that late suppers 
and indigestion do not rob it of vitality, that 
alcohol does not harden it, nor want of sleep 
goad it, on to insanity; hut that natural, 
honest living may render it the clear, strong, 
glorious tiling it may become. 
J. W. Quinby. 
-«-*-•»- 
“Going out with the tied,” Leaving 
church with, a weddiug party. 
The siory or a itmi Boy. (Boston: Fields, 
Osgood & Co.)—When T, B. Aldrich wrote this 
story, which has so delighted all readers of “ Our 
Young Folks" the past year, ho must have re¬ 
counted many of his own early experiences. It 
reads much like a recital of facts. Thomas 
Bailey was not such a very bad boy, but ho had 
a deal of live vital boyishness in bis nature, und 
was oftenor in mischief than the good boys 
ought to be who read about him. Havinggrown 
to be u man, ho tolls all about it in a lively way, 
and if his telling only will not set the youth gen¬ 
erally into unwarrantable sports we shall hearti¬ 
ly commend it. 
THE FIRE OF LIFE 
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage of Brooklyn 
recently closed a sermon as follows: 
“ Seated at a country fireside, the other 
day, I saw the fire kindle, blaze, and go out, 
and I gathered up from the hearth enough 
for many reflections. Our mortal life is just 
like the fire on that hearth. "We put on the 
fresh faggots, ancl the flame bursts through, 
and up, and out, gay of sparkle, gay of flash, 
gay of crackle—emblems of boyhood. Then 
tho fire reddens into coals. The heat is 
fiercer, and the more it is stirred the more it 
reddens. With sweep of flame it clears its 
way till all the hearth glows with intensity— 
emblem of full manhood. Then comes a 
Whiteness in the coals. The heat lessens. 
The flickering shadows have died along the 
Avails. The faggots drop apart. The house¬ 
hold hover over the expiring embers. The 
last breath of smoko lias been lost in the 
chimney. Fire is out. Shovel up the white 
remains. Ashes! 
Ijady Geraldine'* Court »hlp. (Now York: 
Charles Scribner Sc Co.)—We cannot say that wo 
admire this poem most of all Mrs. Browning's 
miscellaneous productions, yet It lias in it much 
of beauty, and somewhat of tho author’s pecu¬ 
liar strength. As here presented, it has the 
added charm, to the eye, of large, clear type, 
thick, tinted paper, numerous illustrations, and 
the richest of binding. The illustrations num¬ 
ber thirty-four, but we do not think Mr. IIen- 
nessy caught the real spirit of the poem when 
he drew many of them. Still, they help to make 
a very handsome book. 
Wild Sport* or tin World. (New York; 
Harper & Brothers.)—With its one hundred and 
forty-seven illustrations, and clear print, this 
book is an attractive one. And Its descriptions 
of various animals, and narratives of exciting 
hunting adventures in different countries, writ¬ 
ten and compiled by J ames Green wood, arc not 
less|;iUractive. Tho book will be read with avidity 
by all lovers of Natural History and ficJd sports. 
Riches do not consist in having more gold 
and siiv'T, but in having more in proportion 
than our neighbors ; whereby wc are enabled 
to procure tor ourselves a greater plenty of 
the conveniences of life than comes within 
their reach, who, sharing the gold and silver 
of the world in a less degree, want the means 
of plenty and power, and so arc poorer. 
Lost in the Jungle. (New York: Harper & 
Brothers.) — Paul do Chaillk hug taken fust 
hold of the hearts of thousands of young folks 
by 1 1 is "Stories of the Gorilla Country," and 
“Wild Life under the Equator,” and they will 
find this new narrative of bis adventures in an 
African wilderness not less interesting. 
v\-. 
1 
•.:***• 
Mill 
M 3 
