joctal (Lopirs. 
KNITTING. 
BY A. H. Lt.NTOX. 
■*' Click, click ” go the needles, each laughing, it 
seems, 
As under the little girl’ fingers it gleams ; 
They are weaving glad fancies, while clicking along, 
That are set to the tune of her light-hearted song,— 
Glad fancies of years that, are waiting to bless 
Her life with the richest of happiness. 
“ Click, click ’’ go the needles, and whut do they tell ? 
That time lias brought love, with its magical spell; 
That love has hrought blushes,—the light of Its bliss 
That spreads from the glow of a passionate kiss; 
That dreams Of the future float brightly before 
’While love is revealing Its wonderful lore. 
Click, click,” how the needles right merrily fly. 
As on through the smallest of stockings they ply, 
It Is well that they move under lingers so fleet, 
For they now have to labor for three pairs of feet,— 
One dainty and chubby, with ctnmlngust toes, 
That never wears out, but that yearly outgrows'. 
“ Click, click,"—of an evening how pleasant the 
sound! 
How guily the little feet patter around! 
There nro two little puirs running over the floor,— 
Ere they’ve vanished there may be a puir or two more; 
And the mother weaves paths through their futures 
to loud 
As the stitches fast over her fingers proceed. 
41 Click, click," wrinkled hands are grown weary and 
slow. 
The song of the needles Is sober and low ; 
The grandmother all the day patiently sits 
And over her memories absently knits, 
And sighs as she thinks of the stockings laid by 
In drawers where the clothes Of lost little ones lie. 
“Click, click,”—it grows fainter —the needles are 
still,— 
A sigh from the lips that no kisses can thrill; 
Smooth down the gray hair, lot the wrinkled hands 
rest 
With the needles clasped lovingly over her breast; 
The knitting Is over, the tolling Is done. 
The rest she has purchased at length has begun! 
HAVE THE BEST OF IT. 
Is woman so very much oppressed by our 
present social system, after all ? A corre¬ 
spondent of an evening contemporary under¬ 
takes to show that when she marries she 
has decidedly the best of the bargain. She 
possesses the absolute control over her own 
property, while the husband is not endowed 
with the same privilege in respect to liis 
property. “ What is his, is hers; and what 
is hers, is her own.” Bhe may bo rich in 
her own right, and Hits husband poor, and 
yet he is responsible for her debts. Iler 
creditors can seize his property, and leave 
hers untouched. lie must support her, but 
she need not “ contribute a dollar toward 
the expenses of the household.” If she owns 
the house in which they live, she may turn 
him out of it. Ho cannot act in that way 
toward her. If the husband changes his 
residence, he cannot compel his wife to ac¬ 
company him. " Bhe may absent herself 
for as long as it suits her will, and unless he 
can convict her of outright infidelity, he has 
no redress.” Lastly, tho facilities for obtain¬ 
ing divorce are much greater for women 
than for men. If, then, a woman would be 
lord and master, the plan is easy—let her 
marry. Even without the law to aid her, 
this is perhaps the shortest way of receiving 
the supremacy said to be hers of right. 
- — ■ 
DON’T STEP THERE. 
Some one thus writes in the Christian Ad¬ 
vocate : * 
A layer of snow was spread over the icy 
streets, and pedestrians, shod with India- 
rubber, walked carefully toward the village 
church on a cold Sabbath morning in Feb¬ 
ruary. 
Walking somewhat hastily churchward, 
for I was late, I noticed a bright-looking lit¬ 
tle lad standing upon the pavement, with 
his cap in his hand, and his eyes fixed upon 
one spot on the sidewalk. As I approached 
him he looked up to me, and, pointing to 
the place, said, * 
"Please don’t step there, sir; I slipped 
there and fell down.” 
I thanked the philanthropic little fellow, 
and passed round the dangerous spot. 
“ Don’t step tliera,” was the theme of my 
meditations during the remainder of the 
walk. 
A thousand tunes since has the clear voice 
of that kind-hearted child rung in my ear, 
reminding me of my duty to those around 
me, and urging me to repeat, it, wherever it 
promises to be useful. “ Please, sir, don’t 
step there.” 
- 
PARTY GOING. 
When one has been doing the agreeable 
an evening long to a room full of well dressed 
people, not one of whom would shed a tear 
or pause a half hour in life’s busy round if be 
were to die to-morrow, one is very ant to go 
home with a sort of “ doea-it-pay ” sensation. 
The handsome toilet has been made for these 
critical, unloving eyes. For them flowers 
and smiles were donned, and the butter things 
of home sacrificed, perhaps. 
And all for what—to pass three hours 
among splendid costumes, and bright lights, 
and fragrant exotics, and men and women 
handsome as having given their whole min d 
to it could make them; to be regarded with 
envy, or a commiseration just touched with 
scorn, according to whether one’s appearance 
was or was not a success; never to talk five 
minutes with an agreeable person before the 
hostess wants him to do duty elsewhere, and 
breaks in upon you; to cat indigestible salads, 
and to go home at last, tired, sleepy, and 
disgusted with all that one has and is. 
How if one. expended half the pains on 
an evening at home—put one’s self into one’s 
best dress and one’s best mood for the sake 
of those to whom one is really dear ? Would 
we believe, a good reputation for morality 
and order, and young men and young 
women find there a common home. We 
never heard a graduate from that institution 
speak other than well of its social status. 
And we have never inferred that its discip¬ 
line is more Severe or burdensome to Faculty 
or students than that of any other. 
There are hundreds of academics and sem¬ 
inaries throughout the country whore the 
two sexes are in daily association. What is 
the condition of things there ? In the ma¬ 
jority of those we arc acquainted with tho 
and, as a consequence, reading has received 
little attention, and in some schools nearly 
becomes a neglected lesson. 
Recently some wide-awake teachers have 
introduced good newspapers and magazines 
for their more advanced classes as contain¬ 
ing matter more fresh and interesting than 
is found in oft-conned text-books. It is re¬ 
ported to work satisfactorily. It lias oc¬ 
curred to me that the Ritual New-Yorker 
would make a most excellent Reader in 
schools, not only for advanced classes, but 
for those of tbe lower grades. Its contents 
GO 
be |tct)itlucr. 
WITTS W.A.WIU liILSIT)JGNCEl OF CHARLES DOWNtNG AT NKWBUKGH, 1ST, Y. 
that be the wasting one’s sweetness on tho 
desert air which it seems generally to be 
considered ? What a mistake wo make if 
those nearest and dearest to us never see us 
at. our best—if we keep our smiles for other 
men’s wives, our patience for other people’s 
children, our best jokes for banquets at 
which we are one among many, instead of 
the one out of all tbe world. 
wtrncational. 
WOMEN IN COLLEGES. 
In an article entitled “ Woman as a 
Learner,” which appeared in the Rural last 
August, we gave some excellent evidence in 
favor of admitting woman to full college ad¬ 
vantages. That evidence was a fair refuta¬ 
tion of the argument brought by many 
against such admission,—woman’s inability 
to compete with man in courses of study. 
There is another argument agaiust college 
equality which is to our mind much stronger. 
It, has lately been put forward by the new 
Executive of Harvard College, President 
Eliot, in this wise: 
“The corporation will not. receive women as 
students into the college proper, nor into any 
school whose discipline requires residence near 
the school. Tho difficulties involved in a com¬ 
mon residence of hundreds of young men and 
women of immature character and marriageable 
age are very grave. The necessary police regu¬ 
lations arc exceedingly burdensome. The cor¬ 
poration are not influenced to tins decision, how¬ 
ever, by any crude notions about the innate 
capacities of women. The world knows uexl to 
nothing abOu*. the natural mental capacities of 
tbe female sex. Only after generations of civil 
freedom and social equality will it bo possible to 
obtain the data necessary for an adequate dis¬ 
cussion of woman’s natural tendencies, tastes 
ana capabilities.” 
W hile we admit tiiat the objections here 
urged have a certain degree of weight., we 
do not deem them insuperable. “ A common 
residence of hundreds of young men and 
women” may present grave difiicultiea, but 
wc doubt it these would lie any graver than 
those obtaining in institutions open solely to 
young men, and do not believe that police 
temulations necessary for their proper ad¬ 
justment would be more burdensome than 
those already necessary in Harvard or Yale. 
Indeed, Ave feel morally certain that with no 
°tker rules for conduct than are now upon 
the statutes of these colleges, with women 
admitted Avithin their Avails such disgraceful 
proceedings as are noAV not unusual there 
would be unheard of. Oberlin College has, 
order is belter than is found in one college in 
a score. The “immature characters,” al¬ 
though marriageable, seem each the better 
for the presence of the other sex. We think 
such would be the case in every college. 
College habits arc not, much to boast of, we 
are sorry to say, anywhere, and in many 
places they need mending. Yale has had a 
deal of trouble to stop that disgusting prac¬ 
tice of “ hazing,” and It is not stopped yet. 
Let her admit women, and it, will cease 
speedily. There are numerous other college 
vices over which women would shed a re¬ 
forming influence. Would the smaller evils 
Avliicli her presence might bring overbalance 
these? We think not. 
We are glad that, Harvard is not influenced 
to its decision against woman hy false no¬ 
tions as to her capacity for study. President 
Eliot's statement in respect to that, is fur¬ 
ther testimony in woman’s favor, and should 
be carefully Aveiglied by those avIio have long 
asserted that the feminine mind cannot mas¬ 
ter a full curriculum. We are glad to hear 
an educator so well known make such an 
acknowledgment. And avc sincerely hope 
that all who believe men and women cannot 
associate together as students with mutual 
profit will investigate tho matter, and satisfy 
themselves, as we arc sure they must, that 
their belief is not substantiated by past, ex¬ 
perience, and does not hold good now. 
- *-*■■* - 
THE RURAL IN SCHOOLS. 
Every teacher of experience understands 
the mere routine into which pupils fall in 
the usual method of reading, week after 
Aveek, from the same text-book; their great¬ 
est change being the turning back to chap¬ 
ter one Avhenever they have read through a 
book. It must be more than an ordinarily 
good and bright scholar that does not find 
the exercise of reading irksome and unsat¬ 
isfactory. Most books used in schools as 
Readers arc dry and uninteresting, designed 
to advance pupils by easy gradations through 
the successive stages of orthography, and 
determine whether they have learned the. 
lessons in spelling well enough to know 
the Avdrds at, sight in short sentences. Most, 
scholars understand this matter, and as a 
consequence feel little Interest in the exer¬ 
cise, and profit very little by its use. 
Occasionally a teacher is found who, by a 
pleasant and instructive conversation with 
the class, upon the topic of tho lesson, 
awakens an interest and ensures an attention 
which render the exercise instructive and 
beneficial. In large schools, teachers, as a 
rule, have little, if any, time thus to devote. 
are sufficiently varied to suit all ages except, 
the beginners. In tone, sentiment and moral 
teaching it is certainly unexceptionable. Its 
varied discussions of agriculture make it a 
judieiouH instructor of farmers’ sons, Avhile 
the Dairy and Domestic Economy depart¬ 
ments are admirably adapted to interest and 
instruct the daughters, avIio arc ere long to 
become familiar by experience with these 
branches. 
With such a reader in school it is fair 
to presume a uew interest would attach to 
the lessons, and a fresh paper for every Aveek 
would not be the least of its attraction as a 
school reader. The expense for three or 
four months would uot he large, os a few 
papers weekly would serve several classes. 
I know some teachers have adopted it as 
a reader to a limited extent,— Avitli sv hat suc¬ 
cess I have not learned. Had I not passed 
llie days of teaching, it should be one of the 
first readers introduced into my school, and 
I should expect it to be as much sought for 
as it is in the family. An Old Teacher. 
Canary Bird Cottugo, Aldcu, N. Y. 
Remarks.— The idea broached by our 
friend is excellent but not new. The Rural 
lias long been made use of in many schools for 
the purpose, named, and with profit. It lias 
been introduced into Sunday Schools, as well, 
and as its grand mission is to do good, its 
use therein might well be extended. In 
order to introduce it more widely, as a text¬ 
book for general information, we will send 
the present Quarter free to auy school 
teacher avIio will put it in the hands of his 
reading classes, on receipt of his address. 
- *-*■■*• - 
MEMORIZING. 
It is a remark of Bacon’s, that if we Avish 
to commit anything to memory, Ave will ac¬ 
complish more in ten readings if at each pe¬ 
rusal Ave make the attempt to repeat iL from 
memory, referring to the book only when the 
memory fails, than we would by a hundred 
readings in the ordinary aa ay, and without 
auy Intervening trials. The explanation of 
this fact, is that, each effort to recall the passage 
secures to the subsequent perusal a more in¬ 
tense degree of attention; and it seems to lie a 
laAV of our nature, not only that there is no 
memory without attention, but tiiat the de¬ 
gree of memory is, in a great measure, pro¬ 
portioned to the degree of the attention. 
-♦♦-<>—-- 
The real way to improve is not so much 
by varied reading as by finding out your 
weak points on any subject and mastering 
them. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Oni* Home Phyolciem. (New York: K. 11. 
Treat $ Co.)—'Tho advance sheets of this work 
till\ r o tt promise AVliich Is fully realized in the 
Avork itself. It.la comprehensive, clear, simple, 
practical. It Is a Live work, treating of the vari¬ 
ous functions of tho body, the dilfereut forma Of 
disease, and the varied methods of treatment, in 
the light of all the latest medical knowledge. It, 
brings home with marked clearness I he nccessi ly 
of a familiar understanding’ of Hygiene, and 
treats that Important subject in a stylo which 
commands attention. It Is felicitously named, 
being emphatically a physician for tho homo.— 
one to be consulted at times when tho regular 
practitioner may not be.nl hand,—one whose ad¬ 
vice should ho frequently sought touching the 
daily habits of life. Its LOW pages octavo are of 
almost incalculable value. Tho subjects they 
treat of arc admirably arranged lor consullui ion, 
and are so fully illustrated us to louder the in¬ 
formation given perfectly available to till. The 
work, which Is by Dr. (Deo. M. HOARD, of Now 
York City, has (tie endorsement of many reliable 
medical men. It is sold by subscription. 
■ • 
FrouAe'n Ulntory of Fn/clanA. (New York: 
Charles Scribner & Co.) Clear and forcible in 
style, and succinct in statement, Froude’s his¬ 
tory is already standard, and deserves a place in 
every library. The work covers all that portion 
of time from the fall of AA’oi-ska' to the death of 
Elizabeth, and opens wit h an elaborate picture 
of tho social condition of England in the Six¬ 
teenth Century. An excellent Library Edition 
is being issued by Messrs. Sr.iUBXEU & Co., I lie 
lirst two volumes of Avhich, numbering eleven 
chapters, are iioav before us. They are neat, lit¬ 
mus., well printed and bound In imitation cloth, 
- in every way well adopted to popular study. 
Froudk should be as well known us Mauauley, 
for he la in many respects Ills equal, and in some 
liis superior, In treating of English history. 
The Poetical If 'nr he of Jo men Runnell 
Jo well. (Boston; Fields, Osgood & Cod—The 
first complete) collection of Loaymll’s poems is 
here given, in tho compact u Diamond Edition ” 
which tho celebrated Boston publishers have 
made famous. Thu line type la vary legible, and 
tho volume contains a great amount of most ex¬ 
cellent, matter. Lowell stands out distinct and 
individualistic among tho true poets of our laud, 
and will rcAvard careful study more richly Hum 
any other, in some respects ho Is tlic great 
American poet, as be is unquestionably the great 
American humorist. And avo think, oji the 
whole, avo like him better in liis own proper 
personas poet, than in tho disguise of Hoska 
Bio low as humorist. 
-- 
The Royal Rootl to Fortune. (Chicago: 
Alfred L. Sewell & Co.)—An old contributor to 
•the Rural, Emily Huntington Mills®, whom 
so many of the little folk knoAV through her edi¬ 
torial connection with the Little Corporal, has 
hero produced the lirst of a sorics for tho young, 
to bo entitled the "Little Corporal Library.” 
Tho first half of I he story originally appeared In 
tho magazine alluded to, as a serial, and all who 
read those first twelve chapters will certainly 
desire to read the sequel, Avhllc those who have 
perused nonoof it, but who Avish an exceedingly 
good hook, interesting, and instructive, will bo 
sure to get It. 
•»«- 
The Romance of Spanlnh Ulntory. (New 
York: Harper & Brothers.)—The peculiar forte 
of Joiin 8. C. Abbott as a historian Avoukl seem 
to lie in discovering whatever there is in history 
romantic, in this, his last volume, he has grouped 
together tho most strange und wonderful facts 
(and possibly fictions) concerning a country of 
the most strango and Avondcrful career over 
known. Of course, he has made a readable book, 
and for thoso Avho must study history, if they 
study It at all, in its most condensed form, the 
book will prove very desirable in Its specialty. 
->♦« 
RallaAn of JYttv KnylonA, (Boston: Fields, 
Osgood & Co.)—WMTIEB seems especially fa¬ 
vored by his publishers in the way of illustru- 
t ion. In this, the first gift-book of tho season, 
his New England Ballads arc beautifully comple¬ 
mented. Mr. Harry Fenn visited the scenes of 
several of the poems, and wool of tho fifty-night 
illustrations Avcro drawn by him from nature. 
Tho pencils of Eytlnge, Da it ley and others 
aided his own in making the pages beautiful, and 
accessory to the game intent, arc the thick, em¬ 
bossed paper, and the faultless impression of 
clear-out type* The book is a thin octavo. 
->♦ » 
WonArrt of the Iteep. (Now York: G. P. 
Putnam & Son,)— What bus a greater fascination 
than the sea? What mysteries are more myste¬ 
rious than those hidden in its depths? Touching 
these there have been many fables told, from 
tho dutc of tbo most ancient mythology onward, 
and live first chapter of this very interesting 
and instructive book by M. Schele de Verb, 
very appropriately considers Fables and Facts. 
Among the chapters succeeding. Odd Fish, Pearls, 
Corals, “Mine Oyster,” and Light at Sea nro 
most delightfully treated of. 
Gftorlet from my MUe. iNewYorli: Hurd & 
Houghton.) —Doubtless all readers of that most 
admirable magazine for the young, the River¬ 
side, will want to read this book by its editor, 
Horace E. Scudder. It is made up of short 
stories and sketches, und is delightfully chatty 
and pleasant in its stylo. Some of the sketches 
are not Avorth much, but there are enough really 
good ones to more than compensate. The hook 
is handsomely illustrated. 
-» 4I 
.1'llncettanien hy r. .ff. Thackeray. (Boston ; 
Fields, Osgood & Cod—Volumo 111, of this ex¬ 
cellent "Household Edition" contains “Tho 
Book of Snobs** Sketches and Travels in Lon¬ 
don "Denis Duval” and other stories. It is 
as well printed as its predecessors. 
--- 
From the Crib to the Crone. (New York : 
Geo. A. Leavitt.)—The life of JBSUS Christ is 
here presented, told in words Of one syllable by 
Mrs. E. A. AValkek. 
-- 
The J'ouncr Jlebaler anA Chairman'! .Innlsl- 
ant. (New York : Dick & Fitzgerald.)—Tliis is a 
very useful little book, in pamphlet form. 
qkA ^Tp 
