AN OLD MAN'S LOVE SONG. 
ItT HOW A HD THURSTON. 
On I love yon, Jenny dear, 
1 have loved you many a year. 
And my love has grown the stronger, as the days 
have swiftly fled, 
And my life rare sweetness knows 
For the stream of love that flows 
lake an undercurrent through It rippling o’er a 
pebbly bod. 
There is music in my life, 
Born of love for you, my wife,— 
Such a song as drowns tbo turmoil of the noisy world 
around, 
And I fancy, sitting here, 
As It falls upon my ear. 
That angelic voices echo in its gently flowing sound. 
By the ingle-side we sit. 
As the twilight moments flit, 
And I clasp your wrinkled band in mine and stroke 
your silver hair, 
And the words you murmur low 
Have the charm of long ago. 
When your locks were dark as ebon, and your cheeks 
were wondrous fair! 
’Tis not true that we are old, 
And the story Time has told 
On our faces is a cheat of his, a palpable untruth ; 
There is silver in your curls, 
But your heart. Is yet a girl’s, 
And it answers to the thrill of mine,—a glad love- 
makiug youth ! 
WOMAN AS A JUDGE. 
It is one of the almost inexplicable facts 
in human organization that in regard to 
her own sex woman should be a terribly 
severe judge. Woman’s sympathy is a very 
tender thing, abstractly considered; but its 
application is sometimes a puzzle to us. We 
have known a woman to shed tears over the 
pain of a pc-t poodle, who could sit unmoved 
by the pleadings of one of her own kind in 
sore need. Wc have known others to laugh 
snecringly over the woe of an erring sister 
who would weep over the sorrows depicted 
in a novel as though their hearts were liter¬ 
ally a fountain of tears. 
We do not say that the sympathy of all 
women ranges so wildly. There arc many 
truly sympathetic,—we hope all who read 
the Rural may lie so considered,—many 
who cry out over real wrong or suffering, 
who arc ready listeners to the cry of the hu¬ 
man everywhere. For these we are pro* 
fonndjy grateful. They will make life more 
endurable for many a. wretched one; over 
their good deeds and sweet charities it seems 
tons all heaven must rejoice. 
But letting alone the sympathy, in its 
broadest application, the fact remains that 
when woman comes to judge her own sex 
she judges most rigorously. Mothers with 
daughters to love and feel anxious over,— 
who would crave kindly mention for any 
unfortunate error in one of them,— will pass 
severest sentence on some girl as deserving, 
perhaps, as their own, but less fortunate. 
Circumspect wives, mayhap only circum¬ 
spect because never tempted, will rail fear¬ 
fully against some wife imprudent, or the 
victim of unhappy circumstances, and drive 
her out from all holy influences. 
Is Such judgment right? Is it womanly? 
Is it Christian? We know the excuse that 
will be offered: we realize the entire force 
of the argument that every woman must 
keep her skirts free from the shadow of sin. 
The excuse is good in a degree; the argu¬ 
ment. has weight until carried too far. We 
would not. assert that, when one errs her sis¬ 
ters should affiliate with her longer as if in 
complete ignorance of her wrongdoing. But 
we would protest agaiust the bitter sen¬ 
tences which are constantly brought forward 
against her; we would declare in all earnest¬ 
ness that in doing some unwomanly thing 
she has not completely put aside her woman¬ 
hood, ancl is therefore entitled to some mani¬ 
festations of womanly sympathy. 
What kind of sympathy will best save a 
woman tempted, male or female ? For there 
is a difference in the gender of this element. 
The male sympathy may be true, and in its 
intent worthy, but it is likewise dangerous. 
We need not say in how many ways. And 
if it alone be extended the subject is weav¬ 
ing about herself a not that may work her 
final ruin. Tho female sympathy, when 
granted, is safe and pure. It takes right 
hold of the erring and gives strength. 
There is something angelic about it, and it 
leads surely to beneficial results. 
Why, then, should it not be extended? 
Why, when some thoughtless or perhaps 
careless woman has laid herself liable to 
damaging gossip, should every woman of 
good character about her at once declare her 
guilty, in actions if not in words, and shun 
her as she would shun sin incarnate? We 
cannot answer these questions. We have 
propounded them to most excellent women 
of our acquaintance, and even they could 
not answer them. They admitted the fact, 
and acknowledged the pertinency of such 
queries; but no satisfactory explanation 
could they give. 
We sincerely pray that no woman’s utter 
loss may ever be brought home to any other 
woman’s door. Positively, we believe no 
woman works the wreck of one of her kind; 
negatively, we sometimes fear she does, She 
is not really the tempter, we hope; she is 
not surel}” the savior, wc know. She might 
go to the one tempted, and with her sweet, 
womanly affection woo her away from temp¬ 
tation. She might do this, and she docs not. 
Instead, she holds herself aloof, and says 
bitter things; and so she becomes responsible 
for the woman’s ruin. The great, longing of 
the woman nature is for affection and sym¬ 
pathy. If this be not received from its own 
kind, it will be sought elsewhere. Got* pity 
the woman, then, who is shut out. from all 
the pure love and sympathy of her sex! If 
she go not astray her guardian angel must 
prove doubly watchful; if she die in sinning, 
others than herself arc sadly blameworthy! 
•-- 
CARPET-SEWING BY MACHINERY. 
Woman’s work, like man’s, though wc 
are sorry to say in a less degree, is gradually 
being made easier. Sewing carpet, a species 
of domestic labor almost fearful to think of, 
lms finally been deprived of its dread fulness. 
At Stewart’s mammoth store in New 
York City they do it by railway. Jennie 
June recently visited that establishment and 
tells how iL is done. 
Some heavy sewing machines, which sow 
over and over, and through and through at 
the same time, are affixed to a little “low- 
backed car,” and placed upon seven different 
lengths of the carpet. The operator seats 
himself or herself in tho car, and travels 
rapidly down the length of the seam, on the 
track, sewing it more substantially than 
could possibly lie done by hand, and at the 
rate of from four to seven thousand yards per 
day, thus enabling the house in busy seasons 
to turn out from two to three thousand yards 
of made carpet every da}', and thus supply 
customers with great promptness and facility. 
" Oh, dear me,” said a lady to Jennie J., 
“ only think how many poor girls this throws 
out of employment,” “ Madam,” said she, 
thinking how she once broke her back over 
the long heart-rending seam of a parlor car¬ 
pet, “ 1 am glad they are thrown out of such 
employment,” 
- ♦ ■ ■ ■ ■ - 
AN ILL-MATCHED PAIR. 
Jean Paul says that, Siebenkas could 
never inspire Lencttc with a lyrical enthu¬ 
siasm of love, iu which she could forget 
heaven and earth and everything else. 8he 
could count the strokes oi the clock between 
his kisses, and could listen and run off' to the 
saucepan that was boiling over, with all the 
big tears in her eyes which lie had pressed 
out of her melting heart by a touching story 
or a sermon, She accompanied in her devo¬ 
tion the Sunday hymns whioli echoed loudly 
from the neighboring apartments, and iu the 
luidst of a verse she would interweave the 
prosaic question—“ What, shall 1 warm up 
lor supper?” And he could never banish 
from his remembrance that once, when she 
Was quite touched, listening to his cabinet 
discourses upon death and eternity, she look¬ 
ed at. him thoughtfully, but toward his feet, 
and at length said, “ Don’t put on the left 
stocking to-morrow, 1 must darn it.” 
-- 
AUSTRIAN WOMEN. 
Women in Austria perform tho duties of 
bricklayers’ laborers, and may be seen carry¬ 
ing bods of morlar and baskets of bricks lip 
high ladders. More than this, they actually 
supply the place, of navvies, and dig and 
wheel barrows of” ballast” almost as nimbly 
as their lords. They chop wood,they carry 
water, they offer to black your boots in the 
street; and perform many other little offices 
which, according to our notions, hardly come 
under the denomination of ” woman's work.” 
Perhaps this state of things is unavoidable in 
a country where it. is considered necessary to 
keep a standing army of 800,000 men. The 
women work inordinately hard, while hun¬ 
dreds of idle men are constantly sauntering 
about in various uniforms, doing nothing at 
all except perhaps blowing a cloud of to¬ 
bacco smoke. 
-♦"*••*-- 
GOSSIPY PARAGRAPHS. 
Theodore Tilton thinks that “a clean 
shirt is one of woman’s best gifts to man,” 
and the Coming Woman will know how to 
wash. 
Tite Czar has just issued a ukase declar¬ 
ing that parents who are convicted of com¬ 
pelling their children to marry shall be sen¬ 
tenced to prison. 
“ It’s all very pretty talk," said a recently 
married bachelor, who had just finished 
l eading an essay on the “ Culture of Women,” 
iust as a heavy milliner's bill was presented 
to him. “ It’s all very pretty, this cultivation 
of woman; but such a charge as this for 
bonnets, is rather a heavy top-dressing —in 
my judgment.” 
A Slnday school teacher was giving a 
lesson on Ruth. She wanted to bring out 
the kindness of Boaz in commanding the 
reapers to drop larger handfuls of wheat. 
” Now, children,” she said, ” Boaz did an¬ 
other very nice thing for Ruth ; can you tell 
me what it was ?” “ Married her!” said one 
of the boys, 
JtlobfS tutfr Manners. 
FALL FASHIONS. 
BY MADAME If. CIIARDON. 
We have arrived at that epoch when the 
fashion, every year, comes to a temporary 
stand still, and ft is not an easy task to write 
much more of the prevailing mode than has 
been given in the Rural during the last, 
month. I will, however, describe a few 
more toilets, and endeavor to assist those 
who wish to be fashionable on small means. 
I write first for young wives and those who 
would like to become such soon; for tasteful 
dress lias always a captivating influence. 
The colors of your dress, if a blonde, 
ought to be blue, mauve, green, or drab; if a 
brunette, euir, maroon, magenta, or dark 
green. A short suit is most practicable. The 
underskirt had better he made of the same 
material throughout, for two reasons—first, 
it may bo worn in the house without, the up¬ 
per skirt, which is liable to be tumbled in¬ 
doors ; second, the upper part of the under¬ 
skirt will be useful for repairing. If you 
wish to make the dress yourself, buy a pat¬ 
tern at Madame Demobebt’s ; with a slight 
alteration they lit every one. There are 
pretty and yet very simple patterns for fall 
and winter; especially simple are those with¬ 
out upper skirt. Plain, tight fitting body 
for in-doors; saeque of the same material for 
the street; a sash with a nice how, the ends 
not too long, or no ends at all—merely loops 
will look well. A favorite trimming is black 
velvet, either cut on the bias or laid on iu 
rows. Plain colored materials are trimmed 
with Scotch plaid; one or several flounces, 
or rows cut on the bias. Fringe will still be 
worn. It is a handsome hut expensive trim¬ 
ming. A deep sailor collar, with a bright 
bow jauntily knotted, completes our suit. 
Tho deep sailor collars are becoming to 
most ladies; the plain ones arc fifteen cents 
each ; those edged with real lace and inser¬ 
tion, one dollar eleven cents; the latter are 
really pretty, and give the complexion a 
delicate appearance. Black ribbon trimmed 
with white luce, and colored ribbon with 
black lace, make, up handsome hows; large 
gold, silver, or white beads, strung on black 
or blue velvet, and worn around the nock 
are all the rage in Paris. If you do your 
shopping in New York, buy your collars and 
ribbons at. Mac y h. < LV-i.uds fancy articles 
veiy reasonable there 1 . Now for 
Tlio Coiffure, 
which is not tho least, part of tlio toilet. 
High puffs and frizett.es will not, be worn so 
much. The long braids looped at tho back 
of the head, and falling to the shoulder, are 
the style now. A pretty coiffure is the fol¬ 
lowing:— Two thick braids, which fall out 
of a tuft of hair on the top of the head, and 
encircle the chignon, are twisted under the 
chignon, and rest somewhat, lower on the 
neck. A large bow on the top of the head 
corresponding with the neektio is required 
to finish the coiffure. 
Tlio Hun 
we must have as becoming as possible; for 
a pretty hat, a well fitting hoot, and a nice 
pair of Alexander’s kid gloves, are the 
principal secret of the French woman’s 
toilet. Joclcy hats will bo more than ever 
tho fashion for young ladies; bonnets are 
only worn on full-dress occasions — to the 
opera, concert, and church. To make the 
hat, choose a suitable hat-frame, cover it 
with crape or velvet, take one or two long 
feathers of a corresponding color and fasten 
them on, so as to cover the top of the hat; 
then cover the rim, either on one side or all 
around, with the same kind of feathers, 
llats trimmed in this way, with black feath¬ 
ers and a white aigrette , are very distingue, 
and arc worn a great deal by married ladies. 
A. new style of hat is called “ Napoleon the 
First.” The rim is turned up in the back, 
and it sits well on the top of the new coiffure. 
Brcnkt'ast Capn 
for young married ladies are much in favor. 
In this fashion we follow the German 
matrons. 
Dvobs Goods. 
Taffetas are coming again into fashion. 
Upper short dresses of black taffetas will be 
found very useful, as they can bo worn with 
a variety of under-skirts, and make a nice 
change of toilet. Scarlet and mauve under¬ 
skirts are pretty with an upper skirt of gray 
or black. 
English poplins are quite in vogue for au¬ 
tumn. A velvet trimming is suitable for these. 
The following are pretty costumes:—Un¬ 
der skirt of shepherd’s plaid, with three 
flounces edged with black velvet; tunic of 
the same, made into a double panier behind; 
a short vest, trimmed with black velvet, and 
black velvet sash. 
Costume of mauve silk, with two broad, 
pinked flounces; paletot fitting tight to the 
waist; sash of same material; both with cor¬ 
responding trimming. 
Suits of velveteen will be a handsome win¬ 
ter toilet; but as it is best to buy them ready 
made, or to have them made to order at a 
fashionable dressmaker’s, I shall say nothing 
about them, except that they are becoming 
to every complexion, and make those look 
somewhat prettier, to whom Dame Nature 
has been a stepmot her. 
An Elcannt Toilet for u Britlc. 
Dress of while taffeta, with fifteen very 
narrow flounces, which aro trimmed with 
m lute fringe. The effect of this trimming is 
really charming. Tunic, of white Crepe de 
Chine , open at the throat, and trimmed with 
white moss fringe, drawn up (looped) 
with rosettes of taffeta. High silk waist, 
cut en co'ur, and trimmed with four narrow 
flounces and fringe; over this a Jic.hu 
cn bretdks of Crepe, do Chine, crossed on 
the breast, the ends fastened in with the 
belt—the ends of the latter terminating in a 
bouquet of orange blossoms, of which light 
branches fall upon the skirt. Lace veil, 
tufts of orange blossoms placed upon, and 
slightly in advance of, the center of the head, 
with five branches, which from the folds of 
the veil fall upon tho hair beneath. 
Another toilet of silver gray silk, cut in 
the same manner, the flounces varying with 
lace flounces, and the tunic made of black 
lace, (for which a lace shawl, tastefully ar¬ 
ranged, may he employed,) is also one of tho 
latest designs, and ot extraordinary pretty 
effect. The waist, may ho made close fitting 
and covered with hu'.ojichu, or may he worn 
open with bretelies of lace. 
Wiinhinu Loire Shawls. 
It may bo apropos here to mention that 
black lace shawls can be washed, and will 
look like new again. Tho process is a very 
simple one.-—Take two ounces of black tea, 
pour a quart of boiling water on it, strain it 
after it is cool; dissolve one. tablespoonftil 
of white sugar in it, which will give it the 
proper stiffness, and iron the lace between 
fine paper while clamp. 
-- 
"EATING WITH A FORK." 
In the Rural, page 587, is a common 
sense, short article on “ Rating with Forks.” 
The fashion, and the importance attached to 
it, proves that “ Fashion" is a tyrant, and 
many inconsiderately become a ulavc to it. 
Fashions that can bo followed without 
breach of good morals, manners or incon¬ 
venience may with propriety ho followed. 
But can persons, as a general rule, feed 
themselves with a fork in preference to a 
knife? 
The writer, at. the table of fashionable 
people, has been pleased, in casting a sly 
eye around, to sec old people feed with the 
knife when most convenient, and amused to 
see younger ones try to convey fine food to 
the mouth with the fork. After piling and 
packing, the attempt to elevate failed for 
want of cohesion After repeated attempts 
of the kind, the fork was impatiently dropped 
and the knife used! Can any one tell why 
any person should discommode themselves 
to follow such an inconvenient style, without 
any benefit except to please an inconsistent 
tyrant, fashion ? Why should a person take 
ft fork and crush piu to pieces instead of 
cutting it, with a knife and conveying it to 
the mouth with either knife or fork, as most 
convenient? If the mouth pollutes a knife, 
why not a fork or a spoon just as much ? or 
a cup or a saucer from which one drinks? 
Will fashion invent some machine by which 
liquid can be injected into the mouth with¬ 
out polluting the cup or saucer ? 
Old Fooy. 
--♦♦♦- 
TABLE AND BED LINEN. 
The snow drop ancl checker patterns, for 
table linen, have gone out of style. Tiny fern 
leaves, or arbutus are the favorite patterns. 
Large floral designs ornament the finest 
linen. This exquisite damask is silvery ami 
shining like silk. It is woven in long cloths 
with napkins to match, and the patterns of 
these sets arc never duplicated. These are 
fifty dollars a set. Beyond these aro sets 
of linen damask with blue, crimson or amber 
satin, with silk fringe, fur elegant dinner par¬ 
ties, one hundred and fifty dollars a set, Wc 
won’t purchase yet awhile! 
Sheeting linens, ten quarters wide, is one. 
dollar a yard to two dollars. Cotton is 
about sixty cents a yard—the Utica Mills, 
which is a recommended brand; the best 
unbleached, single width, is twenty-four 
cents a yard. Pillow linen is thirty cents 
to sixty a yard. The Union linen, with a 
small mixture of cotton, is good for bedding, 
and in figures for shirts or dresses—thirty 
cents a yard. 
Pillows arc three-quarters of a yard 
square, or thirty-two by thirty-four inches. 
The slips have two-inch hems and button 
over the pillows with no long ends. Pillow 
overlays are single pieces of fine embroid¬ 
ered or hemstitched linen to lay over the 
pillow case in daytime, to look fresh ancl 
dressed up. A strip of sheeting half a yard 
wide, is sometimes trimmed with hemstitch 
rutiles or embroidery to lay over the coun¬ 
terpane by day, and cover the sheet as it is 
turned down. Shirley Dare, 
Jlabbatlj Stalling. 
cj 0 
LOST LITTLE ONES. 
BY A. D. I.INTOM. 
I sometimes look beyfmd tho gateways golden, 
When sleep comes silently, 
And there within the Sa viomt’s arms enfolden 
The little ones I see,— 
Tho little ones that In the glad time olden 
Wore kissed by yon and mu. 
I see no longing on their tender faces; 
Upon (heir dimpled chocks 
No touch of onre has left its tearful traces; 
No pain for pity speaks. 
They laugh and sing in happiest of places 
Through all the Sabbath weeks. 
I wonder if ainld their gleeful singing, 
Ubrohanoo they ever miss 
The mother's soft caress around them clinging. 
Her frequent, loving kiss, 
Or If they wait her coining for the bringing 
Of yul u sweeter bliss. 
And then when sleep lias fled, and with it dreaming, 
1 lie with open oyea. 
And weep to And bo real a thing was scorning, 
In sorrowful surprise, ling. 
Till through the darkness there does como a gleam - 
From out the smiling skies. 
And nofily then a voted salth to my weeping,— 
“ ’Twos not u dream you had : 
Y T our little ones arc safe within my keeping. 
Ho wherefore then be sud?” 
And o’er my heart a holy .toy comes creeping 
That makes me strangely glad ! 
•-- 
OUR LITTLE ILLS. 
The little ills that flesh is heir to,—how 
t hey crowd into our life ! How t hey chafe us! 
How they rob love of its sweetness, happiness 
of half its joy, sunlight of its dearest bright¬ 
ness, and glad content: of its peace! 1 low they 
tire us with dull sounds, how their endless 
repetitions cut deep into our very being I Ah, 
these little ills! When life becomes a dreary 
thing, and wc stumble by the way, it is often 
not because of any great, burden which we 
bear, hut because of many little ones. 
And it is strange how we will persist in 
taking them up needlessly,—how we search 
for l hem, us it were, and are surprised 
almost if perchance wc find them for a time 
slipped off The most serious drawback to 
our enjoyment is this,—that we will not bo 
happy when we can,—that we go about 
continually litmling’ after some petty, goad¬ 
ing thing to prick us into unrest. Ho when 
we might possess our souls In peaceful pa¬ 
tience wo are fretting and worrying all the 
day long, and besides being wretched our¬ 
selves are the cause of mlscrablenesa in 
others. 
The relative heed paid to little ills is 
astonishing, When we come to think of it. 
A man will bury his wife with real Christian 
resignation, though beloved her fondly, who 
would fume about the house like a mad lion 
were one of the children to misplace his 
cane or his spectacles, or did his excellent 
companion chance to neglect his shirt but¬ 
tons. And a good mother, fond of her chil¬ 
dren as any mother could be, will bear the 
death of one with noble, womanly fortitude, 
when to find that her thimble is missing, or 
that the servant has allowed a loaf of bread 
to burn, will set her into a high-voiced com¬ 
plaint fearful to listen to. 
We have known very lair Christian 
people to fly into a violent passion because 
they didn’t happen to agree on some little 
point of argument; ancl we have seen those 
whose creed was “swear not at all ” get very 
near cursing because some thoughtless per¬ 
son left a door open, or trod on their toes, or 
said some keen, biting word on purpose to 
annoy. Yet they thought themselves very 
exemplary, and in many respects they were. 
But, they were not heroes. They never 
would be, though they should do some deed 
worthy of fame. The Christian hero governs 
himself, no beam daily vexations without 
wincing. The little ills which none can 
avoid he laughs off, and in so doing grows 
the stronger to grapple with those which 
must be grappled. And if there were more 
such we should see more smiles in the 
world, and the days would be glad with 
a brighter cheeriness. 
-- 
MANY WAYS OF DENYING CHRIST. 
Bishop IIeber said” It is a fatal mis¬ 
take to suppose that there can he no apos- 
tacy from Christ where w r e are not abso¬ 
lutely called on to deny his name, or to burn 
incense to an idol. We deny our Lord 
whenever, like Demos, we through love of 
this present world forsake the course of 
duty which Christ has plainly pointed out to 
us. We deny our Lord whenever we lend 
the sanction of our countenance, our praise, 
or even our silence, to measures or opinions 
which may be popular or fashionable, but 
which we ourselves believe to be sinful in 
themselves or tending to sin. We deny our 
Lord whenever we forsake a good man in 
afiliction, and refuse to give countenance, 
encouragement and support to those who, 
for God’s sake and for the faithful discharge 
of their duty, are exposed to persecution 
and slander.” 
- - ■ 
Our prayers and God’s mercy are like two 
buckets in a well, while one ascends the 
other descends. 
