Judies’ mt-cfolm. 
SONGS OF SEVEN. 
Seven Times Three.— Love. 
I LEANED out of window: f smelt the white clover; 
Bark, dark was the garden; I saw not the gate : 
“ Now if there be footsteps, he comes, my one lover— 
Hush, nightingale, hush! O, sweot nightingale, 
wait 
Till I listen and hear 
If a step drnweth near, 
Kor my love ho is late ! 
“ The skies In tho darkness stoop nearer and nearer ; 
A cluster of »L.rs Itanga like fruit In the tree; 
The fail of the water comes sweeter, comes clearer. 
To what art thou listening, and what dost thou see? 
I.et the star-dusters glow ; 
Let. the sweet waters flow. 
And cross quickly to mo. 
u You night-moths that hover where honey brims 
over 
From sycamore blossoms, or settle or sleep; 
You glow-worms, shine nut , and the pathway discover 
To him that comes darkling along the rough steep- 
Ah, my suitor, make haste. 
For the time runs to waste, 
And my love Iteth deep— 
“ Too deep for Bwift telling: and yet, my one lover, 
I’ve conned thee «n answer; It waits thee to¬ 
night.” 
By the sycamore passed he. and through the white 
clover. 
Then all the sweet speech I had fashioned took 
flight; 
But I’ll love him more, more 
Than e’er wife loved before, 
Be tho days dark or bright. 
[Jean Ingelow. 
• -- 
FARMERS’ WIVES’ WORK. 
I have nothing to say about myself, except 
that I have always lived In the country and 
know what oountry life is In all Us phases—have 
had from twelve to twenty-five cows, and elev¬ 
en ol' our own family, aside from hired men, to 
work on the farm, but no hind girl. 
I have lived away from our own neighbor¬ 
hood, too, and never yet was so unspeakably 
miserable as to encounter tlmt family, or mem¬ 
ber of (hat family, as slack, slovenly, sticky 
and nasty, as represented by “Sally Teazle," 
in the Ruhal of Oct, 12. 
As "Sally” has given you one side of (he 
question, lot mo cite you to Just one Instance 
on the other side, for the benefit of those who 
are unacquainted with farm work, if any gucli 
should read these lines. At my left is a lady, 
very refined, intelligent und accomplished, 
though all farmers' wives have ii»i had the ad¬ 
vantage that is necessary to acquire a good 
education. I have seen, however, those who 
were the very best, housekeepers who had no 
education, and could hardly read; but not. 
commonly, for they are very scarce who do not 
know more about business and state all'airs in 
tho “outside world,” away from their farms, 
than the most cultivated and accomplished city 
lady. 
But about this woman: -She lives on a farm. 
It has been my privilege to become intimately 
acquainted will; her; have been in her home at 
all times of the day and know pretty well how 
she manages and does her work. 
At the present, time she has sixteen cows, 
three children, herself and husband, and from 
five to eight hired men to do the work for in 
warm weather; and one, and sometimes more 
in the Winter. I will merely mention some of 
the larger items of work and say nothing of tho 
many smaller ones, such us washing, ironing, 
filling beds, making quilts, piecing calicoes, 
making soap, helping to make garden, gat her¬ 
ing seeds and fruit, preserving fruit in tho 
many different ways, picking cucumbers, clean¬ 
ing house, making and putting down carpets, 
entertaining company, and doing occasionally 
a few chores here or there out of doors to help 
her husband when he is in a particular hurry, 
to say nothing of the thousand (I was about to 
say) of other little Jobs that, take time, and that, 
all industrious farmers’ wives have to do, or do 
accomplish. 
In the morning, after this lady arises, the first 
thing she does is to put the beds and sleeping 
rooms airing. She then goes to the kitchen, 
builds a tire and puts the water heating to 
wash milk pans with ; then she skims and emp¬ 
ties milk, and sometimes has us many as sixty 
pans, though not always. By this time the two 
youngest children arc up and ready to be dress¬ 
ed and combed. Then the men come In with 
a part of the milk, which has to be strained, and 
while they are gone to finish the milking she 
washes the pans and gets breakfast at tho same 
time, (her vegetables and meat having been put 
in readiness the evening before)—the men come 
in with the remainder of the milk and ready i 
for breakfast. i 
After devotional exercises she ts ready to do 
her morning's and chamber work, mop tho 
floors, or bake pics, or c iko, or bread, or any I 
other article which she may need. Baking 
does not occur every day—only every other, or ‘ 
once In two days. When she does not. have to 1 
bake she has some time to spare before it Is 1 
time to get dinner, which is filled with promts*- J 
euous work that one can always find to do. ‘ 
Then she gets dinner, does up the work and is 
ready to go to sewing, or knitting, or visiting, 1 
or to the village two and a-half miles distant. 1 
I have met her several times in tho viUago when 
Ehetold me her husband or herself had some < 
errands to do, so she had hitched up the horse to 
do them, adding that she would havo to get 
back in t ime to get supper. 
After supper she has milk to skim again, pans 
to wash, perhaps a churning to do, and calves to 
feed, which she Invariably docs. Then, after 
the children are put to bed, the rest ol' t he fam¬ 
ily spend an hour or two in reading or talking 
before retiring. She works, neither grumbling- 
l.v nor complulningly, for the reason that she 
has her husband's encouraging words, instead 
of fault-finding because sliedon’tdoas much as 
some other woman that lie can think of. 
I do not Claim that sho does any more than 
many other wornon, though sho does more than 
some; but tho foundation of this is her health, 
she having had a healthy mother, with but lillle 
hard work to do, who has bequeathed to her 
daughter a good, strong constitution. Tints sho 
enjoys herself and gains the love of her hus¬ 
band to a greater extent than tho weakly 
woman does. 
I know of Avonten in our neighborhood who 
are just as energetic, and even “spry" ns Mrs. 
R., who feel just us much interest in their work 
and would wlllingiy hurry and run from one 
kind of work to another, if their health would 
permit; but if they were to work until dinner- 
timo steadily, they would give out, and have 
“a spell” of two or three days, and perhaps 
more, when they could do scarcely any work, 
much worse than being down sick; Tor then one 
gets some sympathy. When one Is not down 
sick, ten chances to one the husband accuses 
the wife of "grunting around," n. n. 
Heading foi( the f§mtng. 
WHAT SHALL GIRLS DO? 
I’lkase pardon my intrusion on your time 
and space, I should like to answer “ What 
Shall the Girls Do?" hut know that I am not 
capable of doing it justice. To t he girls I would 
say, do not be dependent and helpless. Fit 
yourselves for some honorable, noble employ¬ 
ment. Strive to he the best of your kind. But 
should God call you to be a wife and 'inothor, 
never think that you can leave your child to 
(lie care of an ignorant woman, oven if sho he 
kind and strong. Who can (ill the place of a 
mother to her child? Surely not an Ignorant 
hireling, who has no interest In it beyond the 
money she gets for her labor. 
Leave a child to the care of an ignorant per¬ 
son, and Just stop and think in how many ways 
said ignorance will affect tho child. It Is by 
some said. Intelligent women arc fitted to do 
something above baby lending. I ask, what Is 
more exalted than the training of an immortal 
mind? Children are taught to appear to be 
many things that are supposed to ho desirable. 
But alas! how few are trained to make true, 
noble, Christian men und women! Put tho 
next generation under the care and Influence of 
none but. true, noble, Intelligent mothers, and 
what think you would be the consequence? We 
cannot have the rainiest conception. From a 
mother who is striving to train her children to 
bo true Christian men and women. e. m. 
WOMAN PERSONALS. 
When free from the cares of State, nothing 
can be simpler than the daily routine of Ufo 
Queen Victoria lends at Balmoral Castle. ,Sho 
manages her household on very strict, princi¬ 
ples, the servants rising according to merit pro¬ 
motion always being held out. For a stupid act 
one member of the royal household had to wait 
ten years for promotion. Her Majesty rises at 
seven, breakfasts at nine, und then attends to 
dispatches and private correspondence. Lunch¬ 
eon is at two, after which she takes tho air In 
her carriage. During meals a piper plays in 
front of tho window. She dines at half-past 
eight, in the library, not having used the large 
dining-hall since the death of her husband. 
There is no display in t he library the ammge- 
menls are of the simplest character. Sho spends 
much of her time alone in Prince Albert's 
room. She comes quietly in to dinner, with her 
knitting in her hand, and retires eurly. She is 
a woman of great method. In all weathers she 
is seen abroad, A rainy day does not keep her 
In; with a water-proof and an umbrella she de¬ 
fies the elf mints. It is quite a common thing 
to see her walking In the grounds under a driz¬ 
zling rain. She is a hardy woman, having no 
“tine lady " fancies. She. dresses consistently 
with the climate and the weather; and a fresh 
comely, sensible-looking lady she is in her com¬ 
fortable plain jacket and broad-brim rued straw 
hat. 
The women of Boston arc us active ag those 
Of New York this Winter. At Mrs. Sargent's 
parlors, on Chestnut street, the Radical Club 
has given a reception to Col. Hiooinson. Tho 
Woman’s Club has welcomed Mrs. .Julia Ward 
Howe and Miss Elizabeth Pea body from En¬ 
gland. Mrs. Howe has returned in full health 
and spirits. Miss Peauody m as interested in 
kindergarten schools as ever. The Bureau of 
Education ut Washington has recently pub¬ 
lished one of her instructive pamphlets. Miss 
AlCutt is working on her new book, “Shawl 
Straps.” Miss Woolsky (" Susan COOLidoe”) 
has written a book titled "What Katy Did," 
and Charlotte Cushman and Mrs. Harriet 
Beecher Stowe have been delighting audi¬ 
ences with their readings. 
Vinnie Ream was present at the layingof tho 
corner stone of the 23d Regiment Armory in 
Brooklyn. 
The Ex-Empress Carlotta will leave a fortune 
of $ 5 , 000 , 000 . 
WHAT THE CHOIR SANG ABOUT THE 
NEW BONNET. 
A foolish little maiden bought a foolish little 
bonnet, 
With a ribbon, and a feather, and a bit of lace upon 
It, 
And that the other maidens of the little town might 
know it. 
She thought she'd go to meeting tho next Sunday, 
Just to show it. 
But though the little bonnet was Bcarce larger than 
n dime, 
The getting of it settled proved to be a work of time: 
So when 'twua Talrly tied, all tho hells had stopped 
their ringing, 
And when she came to meeting, suro enough, tho 
folks were singing. 
So tho foolish little maiden stood and waited at tho 
door, 
And she shook her ruffles out behind, and smoothed 
them down before. 
Hallelujah . hallelujah ! ' sang the choir above her 
head— 
"Hardly knew you ! lmrdly knew you !” wore the 
words she thought they said. 
I his made the little maiden led so very, very cross, 
That sho gave her little mouth a twist, her little 
head a. toss; 
For she thought the very hymn they sang was all 
about, her bonnet, 
With the ribbon and the feather, and tho bit of lace 
upon it. 
And she would not wait to listen to tho sermon or 
the prayer, 
lint puttered down the silent street and hurried up 
the stair, 
TUI sho'd reached her little bureau, and in a bandbox 
on it 
Hud hidden safe from critic’s eye, her foolish little 
bonnet. 
Which proves, my little maidens, that each of you 
will find 
In evory Sabbath service hut an echo of your mind; 
And that the little head that's lllled with silly little 
airs 
Will never get a blessing from sermons or from 
prayers. 
-- 
EVENING CHATS. 
BY UNCLE CHARLES. 
About a Definition. 
Belle came to me to-night and clambered 
into my lap, as I sat dreamily watching the fit-o, 
and said: 
“ TTncle, what, is a definition ? ” 
Why do you ask ? 
" Because wo girls have to give the teacher 
dofinittolte of words* hut she has never told 
us what a definition is." 
What do you suppose it is? 
" t do not know, unless it is what a word 
means." 
Yes; that is it when you give the definition of 
a word; but when you are asked fora definition 
of a thing—such us it book or apple or stone or 
insect, then what Is it? 
“1 cannot toll, Uncle." 
It is then a definition of its properties—such 
as form, color, quality. Its parts, and their com¬ 
position and peculiarities. 
“ But, Uncle, those are hard words, and I don't 
know what they all mean.” 
There is your dictionary; find out. Wait a 
moment. Here is an tipple. What is an apple." 
" Why, if is a fruit." 
Yes; but what is a fruit? 
“ Why, It Is—It Is-*” 
Never mind; wo will talk of (hat some other 
time. There are few people who know what 
fruit Is. Only to-night, at the table, I heard 
some one ask for “that vegetable dish "—mean¬ 
ing a dish of tomatoes, which does not happen 
to bo a vegetable at all. 
“ What is a tomato then, Uncle?” 
Why, a fruit, just as much as a pear, apple, or 
grape is. But about this apple. Where did it 
grow ? 
“On a tree." 
What kind of a tree? 
" An apple tree, of course.” 
What is its shape ? 
“Nearly round.” 
Its color? 
“Crimson, green and yellow.” 
What is this ? 
“Astern." 
And this ? 
“Why, Uncle, I don't know." 
It. is a calyx, and I leave you to find out what 
that is, and toll me. Now f out it open, und we 
find it has a skin, core, seeds, flesh, juice, fra¬ 
grance and flavor. This apple, as you said, is 
tho fruit, of the apple tree—P//ru» main*. That 
distinguishes it from other apples; for since I 
can remember the tomato wus called an apple— 
a love apple; and other fruits are sometimes 
called 8 pples. 
Now, 1 told Belle what I tell tho young read¬ 
ers of the Rural, to find out all she could about 
the apple (and what other fruits are called ap¬ 
ples) and write what she learned, for mo to read 
at my leisure, and perhaps it may give us some¬ 
thing further to talk about. It Is suoh a com¬ 
mon fruit, arid yet how few of you know any¬ 
thing about it, except that it grows on an apple 
tree and is good to eat. The boy or girl who 
sends the Rural the most interesting facts 
about tho applo shall have his or her name pub¬ 
lished, and perhaps what he or she writes, as l 
well—if 1 can Induce the editor to print it. i 
THE JAPANESE BIRD KITE. 
The frame is made of thin bamboo, as in the 
sketch, and Is covered with colored paper. The 
wings, which are somewhat concave, and fall 
back a little, are dark maroon, und the body and 
A / 
! // V 
'-y*r=' 
tail represent a Japanese lady. Small, white 
twine is used. By various devices the hovering 
and soaring of n hawk can lie admirably imi¬ 
tated. Length ol' miildlo cane, twenty inches; 
spread of wings, twenty-six inches; ah, points 
whore tho “belly-band” is attached. Dotted 
lines show tho paper. 
te flutter. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No. 16. 
if" 
i") HI x 
%§T" Answer in two weeks. 
BOTANICAL RIDDLES.—No. 2. 
1. Which is tho tree that with death will be¬ 
night you ? 
3. And the tree that your want will supply ? 
3. The tree that to travel invites you ? 
4. Arid the tree which forbids you to die? 
5. What, tree do tire hunters resound to tho sky? 
6. What, brightens your house anil your n un . 
sion sustains? 
7. What tree urged the Germans in vengeance 
to rlso 
And light for the victims of tyranny slain ? 
8. The tree that will fight? ll. The tree that, 
obeys you ? 
10. And the tree that never stands still ? 
11. And the Dec that got up? 12. The tree that, 
is lazy ? 
13. And the tree neither up or down hill? 
14. And the tree to bo kissed? 15. The dandiest 
tree ? 
10. And what guides tho ship to go forth ? 
17. The tree of the people ? 18. The unhculthlest 
tree ? 
10- And the tree whoso wood faces the north? 
20 . Tho emulous tree? 21. Tho industrious tree? 
23. And the tree Hut t warms mutton when cold ? 
23. The reddish-brown tree? 31. The reddish- 
blue tree ? 
25. And what each must become e’er he's old? 
839"' Answer in two weeks. 
-*♦»- 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA.—No. 5. 
I am composed of 33 lei tors: 
My 1, 20, 0 , 7 is an art in sewing. 
My 15, 20 ,14, 0 , n we'll let tho feathered tribe do. 
My l, 21, 27, 7 is wliat some do not like to do. 
My 02 ,13, 1 , 31, 5, 8 Is my sweetheart’s name. 
My 25,11,21, 4 is very hard work. 
My 22, 23, 0, 21, 19 is u town in Georgia. 
My 3, 3, 23, 9 every person has. 
My 10,13, 23,14 is an achievement. 
My 10, 18, 28, 31 Is a point of t lie compass. 
My 25, 30, 23, 0, 2 1? a delicious fruit. 
My 20,23, 24 Is ft nickname for a girl. 
My 26, 29, 31 Is to get. 
My whole is a wise saying from tho Bible. 
839"' Answer In two weeks. Wm. M. L. 
SQUARE WORD ENIGMA.- No. 2. 
A part of the body. 
The time between day and night. 
To cover with wax. 
The preterit of know. Mary C. 
tST’ Answer in two weeks. 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Oct. 26. 
Illustrated Rebus No. it. With periods, 
points, he slurs his crimes. 
Hidden Trees No. l.-l, Maple; 2, Beech; 3, 
Pino; 4, Butternut; 5, Oak, Ash; 0, Hemlock- 
7, Hickory. 
Problem No. 5.— 
42.98952905 rods. 
30.80422105 “ 
20.14024930 “ 
My Plantation No. l. l, Water Cresses, 
Butter (.ups, Milkweed und Punsio 3 (pans); 3, 
Peppers and Snapdragons; 8, Larkspur, Pari 
trldgo Berries and Canary flowers; 4, Ice Plant 
and a groat many Firs (furs) ; 5, Morning Glories 
