MO©BE 3 S BUBAL NEW-YORKER, 
MODESTY 
There Is * sweet, though humble flower, 
Which «tuirs in nature's wildest, bed; 
It blossoms in the louely bower, 
But withers 'nonth the guzer's trend. 
’Tis reared alone, far, far away 
From the wild, noxious weeds of death ; 
Around Its brow the sunbeams piny, 
The evening dew-drop is IU wreath. 
'Tis modesty: 'ti' nature's child : 
The loveliest, sweetest, meekest tlower. 
That ever blossomed in the wild. 
Or trembled ‘neath the evening shower. 
'Tis modesty ; so pure, so fair. 
That woman's witheheries lovelier grow. 
When that sweet tlower is blooming there. 
The brightest beauty of her brow. 
[Lucrctia M. Davidson. 
- 4 - ♦-*- 
ADVERTISING FOR WIVES. 
We trust nouc of our lady readers are so 
foolish as to ever answer t lie advertisements 
for wives, which frequently appear in the 
papers. It may be safely asserted that the 
man who cannot obtain a wife without ad¬ 
vertising does imt deserve one. Only the 
crusty <>ld bachelor who has been iuit- 
tened" in every quarter, or the unprinci¬ 
pled adventurer, seeking to deceive, would 
ever think of resorting to such means for 
obtaining a. matrimonial partner. 
There was a time, however, when the 
practice was looked upon as legitimate, and 
reputable in France and England- At. the 
commencement of the present century there 
were numerous offices in Furls for negotia¬ 
ting marriages, the proprietors of which 
regularly advertised themselves as match¬ 
makers, In 1707, “A New and Original 
Grand Matrimonial Intercourse Institu¬ 
tion” was organized in London, which 
advertised a “mode of accelerating and 
promoting the union of the sexes in the 
bonds of holy matrimony. 
A few years later a Matrimonial Exchange 
was established in the same city, the candi¬ 
dates being arranged in Classes “ to suit any 
wants.” In 1*38 there was announced, in 
London, the publication of a “ Portfolio for 
the Inspection of Ladies, and which will 
contain copies of the letters, without name 
or address, from gentlemen of rank and 
fortune, gentlemen of private fortune, 
officers in the army and navy, and other 
professional gentlemen of high respecta¬ 
bility and fortune, who are sincerely desir¬ 
ous of uniting themselves in marriage with 
ladies of respectability.” Individual ad¬ 
vertisements for wives were, very common 
in the newspapers of the last; century, and 
it is noteworthy, observes a writer on the 
subject, that in nearly all such cases money 
was required with t he ladies. 
---— 
NAUCH GIRLS. 
IVe know less about the women of India 
than those of any country, though there are 
oue hundred millions of them. This is due 
mainly to the restrictions and jealous seclu¬ 
sion to which they are subjected. Not only 
are they, as a general thing, kept far in the 
back ground, but, they are denied the 
benefits of education on the theory that 
education in the hands of women would 
most likely become an instrument of evil 
power. 
There is one class of women, however, 
in India known a> the Naueh girls, who are 
entirely freed from these restraints. Dr. 
William Butler, in his new and valuable 
volume on “The Land of the Veda,” tells 
us that these Naueh girls court publicity, 
and you can see them everywhere. This 
order of females is also released from the 
doom of an illiterate mind. They can read, 
write, and quote the poets, and jest with 
the conundrums and wise saws of the laud. 
Their title means dancing-girls. No man in 
India would allow his wife or daughter to 
dance, and a< to dancing with another man, 
he would forsake her forever, as a woman 
lost to modesty, if she were to attempt it. 
In their observation of white women there 
is nothing that so much perplexes them, 
Dr. Butler says, as the fact that fathers 
and husbands will permit their wives and 
daughters to indulge in promiscuous danc¬ 
ing. No argument will convince them that 
the act is such as a virtuous woman should 
practice. 
Whenever, therefore, there are to be any 
ceremonies or festivities they employ the 
Naueh girls to do their dancing. Four or 
five of the latter, tricked out in all their 
finery, and jewelry, and tinkling ornaments 
on their arms, necks, and feet, will for four 
or five dollars down jest and sing songs. 
But even they don't dance except with 
their own sex. Though they correspond to 
what perhaps are known as the pretty 
waiter girls in this country, they are. Dr. 
Butler tells us, the only intelligent and 
cultivated class of Hindoo women. 
--- 
CONCERNING TEETH. 
No lady need be tohl that a beaut iful set 
of teeth adds not a little to her general at¬ 
tractiveness. She may be the model of 
neatness mother respects, but if her molars 
iVadiiuj foi} the ijmtiui. 
LULU'S SCHOOL. 
BV LAURA SOUTHGATE. 
Come here new, Miss fussy, stand kip on your feet; 
Hold open your book, and your lesson repeat. 
The pl«n you like best, first of all you may tell; 
Catching mice, 1 suppose that is said very well. 
I.ITTI .10 IjTTT.TJ’S yC'HOOL. 
betray lack of care, she will be put down as 
uncleanly. At the same time there is danger 
of overdoing the thing, and ruining the 
teeth in making them white and pure. 
Nine-tenths of the tooth-powder prepara¬ 
tions sold by druggists, at the present time, 
are injurious, and ought never to bo taken 
into t he mouth. 
It, is a lamentable fact, t hat our American 
women lose their teeth at a. much earlier 
age than do those of other countries; this 
has been attributed to a variety of causes. 
Peter Kalm, the Swedish writer, who 
described in a. very intelligent maimer what 
ho saw and heard during a trip t hrough the 
United 8tates, observed a frequent loss of 
teeth among settlers from Europe, especial¬ 
ly women. After discussing and rejecting 
many modes of explanation, he attributed ii 
to hot tea and other hot beverages; and 
came to a general conclusion that “ hot 
feeders lose their teeth more readily than 
cold feeders.” Mr. GATLIN, who some years 
ago gave, in England, an interest ing exhibi¬ 
tion of Indian scem ry, dresses, weapons, 
etc., noticed that Nurttl American Indians 
have better teeth than the whites. He ac¬ 
counts for the difference in this strange 
way, that the reds keep the mouth shut, 
whereas the whites keep it open. The 
teeth, he says, require moisture to keep 
their surfaces in good working order; when 
the mouth is open, the mucous membrane 
has a tendency to dry up, the teeth lose 
their needed supply of moisture, and thence 
come discoloration, toothache, tiedolo- 
reux, decay, looseness, and eventual loss of 
teeth. Mr. Catlin scolds the human race 
generally “for being less sensible than the 
brutes in this respect, and the whites espe¬ 
cially in comparison with the red. We 
keep our mouths opeu far too much. The 
Indian warrior sleeps, hunts, and smiles 
with his mouth shut, and respires through 
! his nostrils. Among the virtues attributed 
to him to closed lips, one is excellent— 
when you are angry ke< q> your mouth shut. 
It would certainly be a decided gain to 
humanity if the Mrs. Caudles and juveniles 
could he made to believe that much open¬ 
ing of the mouth tends to ruin the teeth. 
Miss Lillian Edgarton is discoursing 
before the New England societies on Gos¬ 
sip, as follows: 1. The honestly sympa¬ 
thetic gossip. 2. The harmlessly curious 
gossip. 3. The petty envious gossip. 4. 
The calumnious gossip. The latter class she 
subdivides as follows: 1. The public hall- 
door gossip. 2. The confidential gossip. 3. 
The moral purist gossip. 4. The political 
gossip. 5. The woman’s rights gossip. 
And then you may say, in plain simple words. 
Why a cat may eateh mice, but rnuat never touch 
birds. 
And next you may tell me about those young kittens- 
The poor little dears who lost their mittens. 
And then 1 shall ask, for I'm sure you must know, 
About that good cat who lived long ago— 
Who put on his boots, and by wisdom and plhelc, 
Brought about to hi* master the very best luck. 
And then I will tell you n story most sad, 
About si poor puss', sind n monkey so bud 
That he stuck in the hotoosils this' poor pussy's* claws, 
To pull out his nuts, and save his own wicked paws. 
Here: lore', naughty Tom '. set up there in dispraise ; 
You nced'ul pul. up your back, and make such a face, 
And cry so, and make such a terrible ftis.-v 
And you've scrabbled my work-basket all in a muss. 
And what do I ce down there on the mat. 
But a very dlsgrac* fill, laid, naughty eat. 
Naughty I illy ; to pull your good Ulster's tail. 
When she's saying her lesson, and tries not to fail. 
Vour lesson to-day was learning to count. 
And here you've done nothing but wiggle about. 
You and Toni shall be shut in the closet all day. 
But Spunk shall have a ucw doll, and shall go out to 
play. 
lliwriltiU', -Y. V., (Uristmas, 1871. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
OUR LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
A New Year’s Greeting to our Young 
Friends, all over the Continent! May they be 
Happy and Good during the whole year, and 
many future ones — and ore long become model 
Men and Women. 
Until the Girls and Boys commenced writing 
for the Rural New-Yorker, we had no Idea of 
the number of our young friends. Why, there 
seems to be a host of them, and they have placed 
us in a pretty tlx for here wc huve several hun¬ 
dred letters from Young It urn lists all over the 
land, and not space enough to publish a tithe of 
them this week. Well, we will do Hie best we 
can—that is, give the gist of as many of the let¬ 
ters as possible--and then try to do better In 
future. We will start with the. Girls, us they 
have beaten the Boys by sending the most letters: 
Prairie Flowers.— l.ir.LIK L. MARTIN, eleven 
year* old. who Is next to the highest grade in the 
village school, writes from Caldwell Go., Mo., as 
follows:—" We live awavout here in Northwest¬ 
ern Missouri, and I think it. in the most beautiful 
country lit the world iu the summer time, for we 
huve so many wil l Dowers on the prairies- There 
are different kinds of lloWera for each month, 
from early spring until November, and oh I such 
prettv Mowers Ave never saw any where else, and 
the fields and woods are gay with them till the 
time, t don't do much in summer but go to 
school, do chores (ox mother, and gather wild 
flowers.” 
Ship Loads of Stone. A little girl, nine years 
old, living in Massachusetts, writes a nice letter, 
in which she says: "My name is Nellie L. b. 
I live in Lmesviile, near Urn harbor, where, ships 
come to be loaded with stone. There are six 
quarries near Lanesyille. from which stone are 
taken to he sent to New York, Philadelphia and 
Boston. They are used to pave streets “"d con¬ 
struct buildings. The Masonic Temple In Phila¬ 
delphia, and Hie Post-Office in Boston are now 
being built of granite from this place- We also 
have vessels which go fishing from Lanesville. 
This place is growing very fast, ami there ate 
many houses and stores being built.” 
27 -v 
V Good Girl Agent—Is Eunice Davidson of 
Lonawco Co., Mich., who writes: ' I Inclosoin 
this letter thirty-two dollars for sixteen sub¬ 
scribers to the Hu it \ l New-Yohkbm. 1 think I 
can get subscribers to the number of thirty or 
more. I think I have done pretty well fora girl 
of fourteen.” (Yes. you hurt: done well, and wo 
think you will get more than thirty subscribers 
after showing the now-stylo Rubai..--Ed.] 
\ Girl Malter.Brcnlis Colts,— 8. M. F-, it girl 
of eleven, who has no\ or been 1o school, but will 
go this Winter, writes about her pels from Wau¬ 
watosa, Wit*., thus-. “1 have been a constant 
reader of the clear Rural New-Yorker for six 
years. I can harness a horse, halter-broke a 
eiill, and am learning to bake. I huve a little 
kitten I call “White Mow Hose, 1 'and I have a 
very nice eolt, two yeans old. I halter lavak her 
myself. She is so nice and handsome that I call 
her *' Nellie Grant." Mypapti has it nico horse 
he calls “ Gen. Grant,” and papa has token your 
Rural twenty years, and says if he lives ho will 
take it as many more if it continues as good as 
in times punt. I have tried Viola's recipe lor 
White Mountain Cake, and found il good !“ 
\ Plucky nnd Knreexsful Iloy Agent. With 
it draft for"fifty dollars comes this letter from 
Lawrence .1. Sharp of Steuben go., N. Y.: 
“ Seeing your liberal offer to ill) girls and boys 
who would get up clubs 1 thought I would try 
for a Watch. Found It nit he; hard work to coax 
some that had net taken your paper to subscribe 
for it. I have been sin ressfnl at last. all hough 
I blistered my feet iu the attempt: hut the prize 
will more than nay me. I am lourteen years 
old- go tosehool, and frail Hi" letters you are so 
kind as to publish for us. Am afraid the boys 
are letting (he girls take the laurel without mak¬ 
ing much of an effort for u themselves. You 
will find inclosed Iwenl.v-tl'e tin urns and fifty 
dollars. Please send me the M atch.” [Aye, 
plucky Master Sharp, you shall have the Watch, 
and an extra Premium also on account of those 
blistered feet. Ell] 
Like", Books anil Papers. Kghrus A. L. of 
Kcoti h Bush, N. V.. writes: “I am a mason's 
boy. and I do not have many chutes to do. I 
rend ail the papers we lake, and sometimes niy 
uncle scaids mo books nnd papers. A few weeks 
ago ho sent mint hook named '• Lillie Men,” and 
J have read It twleo. Last Christinas I got “Jack 
and the Mill" and “ Magic yppctaeles.'’ i have 
read them a good many times. I was ten years 
old the nth oi December. My pa -aid it I would 
write you a. letter good enough to be published, 
be would let me Like the Rural New-Yorker 
next year myself. Pa says you must.not pub¬ 
lish this If it is not composed good enough, for 
he will bike the Rural any way." 
\ Dug and Ituiliit fur Pets. JOHNNY M. 
Sherman of Huron Go., Ohio, writes: — “My 
father lakes the Rural Ni w-Yoiikkh, and I 
like it. 1 am 11 years old. I have u lit He dog 
and his nanm is " Olp:" my'punt gave it to me. 
Ho catches rats and mice. I live on tl farm. I 
huve a rabbit that I caught. I go to school and 
to Sunday School." 
Wants to Club I s. G.G. ItOBUINS of Graves 
Go.. Ky., writes: — '' 1 am a. boy 11 years of ago. 
I wish yon would send me show-bills >md a speci¬ 
men copy of the Rural, and I will try to make 
up a club, i saw one number of it, dated Dec. 
fitri, and in it I Dud ' Riddle No. i.' My answer is, 
' China.’ Am I correct?" 
A Woodchuck btory Prciiitunis, Ac, Alt- 
tiiituG. .Junes writes from Onondaga Co., N. Y.: 
“My brother caught, a woodchuck last summer 
and shut ft up in a barrel, it mad<-1« lim e sick, 
and bo let il out. Tt couldn't mi ;-<• its hind limbs, 
hut would turn around to bltoif you went be¬ 
hind it. He went out in the Iwirffi ami when he 
came back it hud put. off to its hole. ITow is that, 
fur woodchuck ¥ We took lliree pl t lliilllUS at 
(ho Skanoateles Fair, last summer one on 
sheep, one on wheat, and one on Java hens. Wo 
nmv have 15 Utile .lava chickens about a month 
old. Wo keep Diem iu the cellar of our horsc- 
i barn." 
@he |lu22ler. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS. No. L 
£57” Answer in two weeks. 
BIBLICAL SQUARE-WORD.—No. 1, 
A Bihlk word signifying confidence. 
An article of food. 
A farmer’s building. 
A Jewish prophetess. 
£2s?” Answer In two weeks. Isola. 
HIDDEN CITIES.-No, 1, 
1. Earth hath enshrouded her. 
2. Hunger is the best sauce. 
3. Obscurity restores her no m, u. 
4. Whut. I was I do not mourn. 
5. With madam as custodian : 
Answer in two weeks. tfouilTEEN. 
-♦♦♦- 
PROBLEM -No. 1. 
An oak falling against an elm Of fcho camo 
hight and 21 feet from it strikes it 3 feet 3 inches 
from the top. What is the hight of the; trees? 
Swan, Ind. ChAjJ. Simon. 
£57" Answer in two weeks. 
