jlitbbatb 
Abies' iWt-ifoIio. 
NOW AND EVER. 
ASK what you will, my own and only love; 
For, to love's service true, 
Your least wish sways me as from worlds above. 
And I yield all to you. 
Who are the only She, 
And In one girl all womanhood to me. 
Yet some thine* e’en tn thee I cannot yield 1 
As that one «ift, by which 
On the still morning in the woodside held, 
ThOU mad’st existence rich, 
Who wsst the only She, 
And In one girl all womanhood to me. 
We had talked h mic; and then a silence came; 
And in the topmost firs 
To his nest the white dove floated like a flame; 
And my lips closed on keiB 
Who was the only She, 
And In one girl all womanhood to me. 
Since when my heart lies by ber heart—nor now 
Could l 'twixt. hers and mine, 
Nor the most love-skill’d angel choose,—So thou 
In vain would'st ask for thine 1 
Who art the only She, 
And, in one girl, all womanhood to roe. 
[F. T. Palyrave , in London Society. 
--- 
KEY NOTES-MAJOR AND MINOR 
BY GRACE GLENN. 
No. I— Human Rights, 
It is an undeniable assumption iliat it is 
the right of every human being to do their 
best in whatever position they arc — and if 
the choice of position is not denied them by 
force of circumstances, it is their high privi¬ 
lege to select that in which they are most 
likely to be successful to the good of them¬ 
selves and others. To choose that work 
which they can do better than they can do 
anything else. That into which they can 
enter with a heart and a will, and which 
becomes naturally a habit and a pleasure to 
them. 
For instance, I do not believe any man 
was ever called to preach, unless lie heard 
nmi answered before everybody else told 
him he was called. We are supposed to 
know our own names when we hear them 
far better than strangers, and the being 
whose voice can find langhge, and whose 
form can find deeds, to express the glow 
and fervor of a Christian heart, is a preacher 
and a minister—for there is often a vast dif¬ 
ference between the two, do you see— 
whether man or woman, in the pulpit or 
out of it. 
There are some lives to whom the Scrip¬ 
ture, “I will lead them in paths that they 
have not known," seems particularly appli¬ 
cable; and, scarce knowing why, except 
that I have been led thus by an over-ruling 
Providence, 1 sit at a little out of the way 
corner of the great telegraphic key-hoard 
and sometimes strike the mystic wire, with a 
feeling half of pain and half of pleasure—half 
with a glad firmness, and half with a tremb¬ 
ling indecision, because a wide field full of 
hope and disappointment, and failure, and 
success lies before me, and I cannot know 
which shall be my portion, and it is not 
human to trust so implicitly in God as to he 
thoroughly happy and confident iu striking 
out horn the common paths of life. 
I have been silent on Woman’s Rights, 
except to say, quietly, that women as well as 
men have more rights than they use, and 
that if both would use those they have, the 
w ay would open to those they cannot reach 
until they have themselves gone forward to 
the way of them. Morally and Christianly 
I believe I have a right to vote; legality 
stands in my way. 
The gate at my hoarding place at first 
annoyed me with being hard to open, so 
much that another boarder advised one day 
that I ‘ step over on the other aide and push 
the lence" about as feasible a plan as the 
one I was trying, it must be confessed, but 
without his telling I learned that lifting the 
gate as well as the latch was the solution of 
the whole problem ; aud thus I am inclined 
to think, with more of lifting and less of 
pushing, will he the way that Gale of Law 
will spring out of our way some of these 
sunny mornings, when perhaps we least 
expect it. 
That women do not choose to walk out of 
the ordinary path of home life, is, in most 
cases, the reason why they do not do it; 
that they rightly feel their unfitness for any 
other walk, is the true reason why they do not 
choose any other. To those who have the 
power or the choice, or are circumstantially 
crowded out of the home walk into the 
world’s jottings and jogglings, there still re¬ 
main all the rights that pertain to and re¬ 
main with other women, if they have 
strength to hold and use them. 
It is not necessary, because a woman have 
daily business intercourse with men, she 
should become more familiar with them 
than that men dealing together in trade 
for years should cross the thresliliold of each 
others heart life for one instant. Men only 
trust men when they have known them for 
years, love them when time and the tides of 
fortune have developed loveable qualities in 
them; and too often woman, with all her 
rich, deep nature, sips the foam of life, and 
wonders why her cup was not flavored with 
those fine essences that brought the color 
and light to the cheek and eye of that neigh¬ 
bor who swallowed not with gluttisli haste 
and turned away, but drank calmly, firmly, 
steadily, slowly, and with caution and good 
will. 
Nor yet need woman grow unduly stern 
and forbidding and disagreeable, if only she 
have the tact and strength, the help and love 
of God and her friends to keep the happy 
medium between two extremes, and live 
originally and naturally. That not all 
women can do this is as certain as that not 
all people are adapted to the same avoca¬ 
tion ; that some have, history proves; that 
more may, it is devoutly to be hoped and 
prayed time will develop. 
Saginaw City, Mich., 1871. 
-— -♦♦« — 
LOYE GIFTS. 
1 
i From time immemorial (says the Temple 
Bar) the most usual love gifts have been 
rings, bracelets of hair, flowers, birds, scented 
gloves, embroidered handkerchiefs, and such 
like articles. Autolycus has, in his “ ped¬ 
dler’s pack 
“Qohlen quoifs and stomachers 
For iny lads to give their dears.” 
In ancient Greece, pretty birds were gen¬ 
erally love gifts; caged birds were sold in 
the market at A Miens for t hat purpose. 
Among the Romans, rings were exchanged; 
and this custom seems to have prevailed iu 
all ages, and every country. Chaucer de¬ 
scribes Crksseide as giving TttorLus a ring 
with a " posy," and receiving one from him 
in exchange, and Shakspeare frequently 
alludes to such tokens. The rings that Por¬ 
tia and Nerma present to their betrothed 
husbands, play a conspicuous part In the 
last act of “ The Merchant of Venice,” mid 
in “ The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” Julia 
says: 
“This ring I gave him when he parted from me, 
To bind him to remember my good will.” 
SwiN burn, in his Treatise on Spousals, 
gives the following reason for the ring being 
the chosen emblem of trite love:—“ The form 
of the ring being circular, that is, being 
round and round without end, imported* 
thus much, that their mutual love and hearty 
affection should roundly flow from the one 
to the other, as in a circle, and that continu¬ 
ously and forever." In the most remote 
ages the ring or circle was used as an em¬ 
blem of eternity; in Egypt and Greece, a 
usual form of emblematic circle was the ser¬ 
pent with its tail in its mouth, and this form 
has been frequently adopted in rings and 
bracelets. 
The custom of breaking a gold or silver 
coin between lovers is also very ancient, and 
may probably have been derived from the 
old Athenian symbol. A piece of metal or 
wood was cut into two parts, one-lialf being 
retained by the native of Attica, the other 
given to the stranger whose acquaintance lie 
laid made. The bearer of the symbol, 
whether one of the original parties or only a 
friend, was entitled to all the rites of hospi¬ 
tality from the owner of the other half. Not 
to acknowledge this duty was considered 
scandalous and a crime. Coins were no 
doubt subsequently used because of the 
facility of recognizing the token by the 
device. A “ bowed," or crooked piece of 
money, was preferred as a love token, being 
considered more lucky. These broken coins, 
pledges of love, are frequently referred to iu 
poem and story. 
Strutt mentions small embroidered hand¬ 
kerchiefs among the love favors in vogue in 
England in the olden time. They were 
about three or four inches square, “ wrought 
round about," with a button or tassel ai each 
corner, and another in the center. Some 
were edged with narrow gold lace or twist, 
and then folded so that the middle might 
be seen ; they were worn by accepted lov¬ 
ers in their hats or at the breast. These 
were so fashionable in Queen Elizabeth’s 
days that they were sold in the shops at 
from sixpence to sixtccnpence apiece. 
Camden, in his Ancient and Modern Man¬ 
ners of the Irish , speaks of lovers pre¬ 
senting their mistresses with bracelets of 
woven hair; and among northern nations a 
knot was a symbol of love and fidelity. 
The origin of the expression true-love knot 
is not from true love, as might be supposed, 
but from the Danish TruUfa Jidem do —I 
plight my troth. 
-*--»-♦- 
LOVE OP THE BEAUTIFUL. 
Place a young girl under the care of 
kind-hearted women, and she, unconsciously 
to herself, grows into a graceful lady. Place 
a boy in the establishment of a thorough¬ 
going, straight-forward business man, and 
the boy becomes a self-reliant, practical 
business man. Children are susceptible 
creatures, and circumstances, scenes and ac¬ 
tions always impress. As you influence 
them, not by arbitrary rules, nor by stern 
example alone, but a thousand other ways 
that speak through beautiful forms, pretty 
pictures, etc., so they will grow. ’ Teach 
your children, then, to love |he beautiful, 
Give them a corner in the garden for flow¬ 
ers ; encourage them to put it. in the shape 
of hanging baskets; show them where they 
can best view the sunset; rouse them in the 
morning, not with the stern “time to work,” 
tint with the enthusiastic “ See the beautiful 
• sunrise!" Buy for them prPtty pictures; 
and encourage them to decorate their rooms 
in his nr her childish way. Give them an 
inch, and they will go a mile. Allow them 
the privilege, and they will make your home 
beautiful. 
< Jyt '-V' 
3for Doting |1 topic. 
THE PIECE OF PIE. 
Once, when I wo* a little boy, 
I sot me flown to cry, 
Because my little brother had 
The bigger piece of pie. 
’Twhs not but I had quite enough. 
But then I could not see, 
The reason why a partial nuraa 
Should give him more than me. 
They said I was a naughty boy. 
But l hare oft seen men 
Behave themselves us foolishly 
As I behaved then. 
For we are often thankless for 
Rich blessings, when we sigh 
To think some luckier neighbor has. 
The bigger piece of pie. 
-- 
STREET SCENES IN NEW YORK, 
BY UNCLE CHARLES. 
Tanrei Shooting. 
Boys and girls 1 learn to shoot, and to 
shoot well! That is Uncle Charles’ advice. 
He has no sympathy whatever with people 
who are afraid *> let their children handle 
guns and revolvers. Of course he would be 
afraid to let a child of his do so, until he or 
she had been taught hoio. And every boy 
and girl should be taught how—ot course 
they should! There is nothing that it may 
be necessary, or best for a boy or girl to do, 
that they should not learn to do well. 
Now it was a rule with Uncle Charles. 
when he lived on a farm, to take his sou 
Nathan out shooting or fishing, once a 
month at least. It was understood it should 
be so. Boys like to fish and hunt. We never 
knew a boy who did not. And instead of 
allowing Nathan to go off with a lot. of other 
boys who had, somehow, got hold of a gun, 
about which they knew nothing, hunting, we 
provided ourself and Nathan with rifle, or 
shotgun, and went together into the woods 
to shoot. And “ Nate,” (that’s what we 
called him in his young days,) would pick a 
gray squirrel from the top of a big oak, as 
nicely as his father And he never carried 
ids gun carelessly, nor handled it recklessly, 
nor loaded it iu such haste uor Under such 
excitement as to forget what lie was about. 
Ilia father’s eye was always on him, and he 
was taught to remember that powder was 
explosive, that a gun was dangerous if not 
handled right, and that it was his business to 
be thoughtful and vigilant when he had such 
a weapon in his hands. 
There was our neighbor Brougham had 
two boys. He would give them a stint 
picking up stone; after the stone were 
picked up they could go hunting or fishing. 
But they always had to go alone or with 
other boys. They were never accompanied 
by their father. One of them shot his right 
forefinger off, and the other narrowly es¬ 
caped death by the careless handling of the 
gun in the hands of another boy. Now a 
boy rightly educated will not leap a fence 
nor trail a gun without putting it in a posi¬ 
tion to iusure safety to all concerned. He 
will know the nature of the gun and the 
powder, and how accidents may happen 
and how to avoid them. Besides, we always 
found that Nathan had a great deal rather 
go hunting with his father than any one 
else. Aud it always did his father as much 
good to go as it did the son; and the mother 
lmd no anxiety so long as she knew that 
father and son were together. Boys, if you 
want to go hunting, induce your fathers to 
go. Fathers, if you allow your sons to hunt, 
go with them. And certainly allow them 
to acquire a knowledge of a gun. and be¬ 
come good marksmen. It will be of use to 
them and to you. 
But about the girls! “Would Uncle 
Charles have the girls learn to shoot, hunt 
and fish’?” Yes; why not? Take the 
daughters along, tool There is no good 
reason why a girl should not be as skilled in 
hunting and fishing as a boy. She should 
learn to shoot (as a boy should) with a rifle, 
shot guu and revolver, and shoot well. It 
will give her out-of-door exercise, love of 
nature, nerve, self-reliance, and a means of 
self-defence. Let her learn. Aid her to 
learn. One cannot, he too skillful in these 
things, although one may never need to em¬ 
ploy this knowledge and skill in self-defense 
or for self sustenance. But one may ; aud 
one should know how. 
Lot the parents take interest in this mat¬ 
ter, as they ought to do in all of their chil¬ 
dren’s sports and education, aud see that 
they are guided aright! 
But about this street scene. This is target 
shooting. You will find such a scene as the 
artist has given us in the picture, almost any 
spring or summer day within a stone’s throw 
of the Rural New Yorker office—right at 
the junction of Chatham aud Center streets. 
A target is put up where people do not pass 
in range, and a man with tin air gun allows 
a boy or man three shots for live cents. 
Many a city boy who never saw the green 
fields, nor heard the country birds sing, nor 
inhaled the fragrance of the fields and woods, 
uor saw a duck except iu market, nor heard 
a squirrel chatter, becomes a good marksman, 
acquires steadiness of nerve and learns to 1 
shoot, well at just such places. Then there i 
are shooting galleries in lager beer saloons 
where men and boys shoot with pistols and ‘ 
air guns at figures with pipes in their mouths, J 
knocking the head of the pipe off; or at the • 
center of a target with a half dozen circles 
around It; If the center is hit a bell is rung, < 
and in some cases another figure is caused to ! 
spring into sight. I 
These are all harmless amusements; at the ] 
same time they educate the eyes, hands, and 
nerves of the boys aud young men, just as it I 
does the country hoy to shoot at squrrels, 
black birds, chipmucks, ducks, or pigeons. 
Yes, teach the hoys and girls how to shoot. 
-- 
AMUSING GAMES. 
“ What- the Sblp Come* Louded With.” 
In answer to our young correspondent 
who asks for a description of this game, we 
would say it was given iu a late number of 
the Rural New-Yorker, but we will re¬ 
peat. it for the benefit of a host of new 
readers. 
The company sitting round the room, a 
handkerchief lied into a ball is tossed from 
one to another, and the person at whom the 
ball is thrown must instantly give the name 
of some article, beginning with a certain let¬ 
ter. For instance, il the letter C has been 
chosen, IIarry losses the ball over to Alice, 
who quickly says, “Cakes;” Alice tosses 
it across to Jenny, who says “Cradles;" 
Jenny throws it to Tom, who says “ Candy;” 
Tom sends the ball over to Mary, who says 
“ Caterpillars;"—then the ball goes across to 
Frank, who says “ Crickets,” or clubs, or 
cream, or cribs, or cranes, or capers, or cry¬ 
ing crocodiles. He may say anything lie 
likes, if it commences with C. Any other 
letter may be chosen. 
Another Game. 
Seeing all the boys are writing, I thought 
I would write to you. I am thirteen years 
old, and live in Ohio. I have a game that 
will please all children. Find something in 
the room, get the initials of it and tell the 
initials, and let the folks guess what the 
article is. For instance, take rocking chair. 
The initials would be Ii. C.; any other can 
be taken. This may prove amusing. 
I like to read the boys’ and girls’ letters. 
I have written too much already.—E ugene 
Roby. 
-- 
RURAL FOUR - YEAR - OLDS. 
MOTHKllS Of Smart Children are invited to contri¬ 
bute to this Department. J 
G'nne-Bottumed Knives.—Little MAGGIE'S Hitt 
had some fine cane-bottomed chairs, which she 
tried to keep very nice, and frequently upbraid¬ 
ed the children and servants for the careless 
treatment of said chairs. This impressed Mag- 
oik with the idea that the expression “can«- 
bnttem, attached to, or was applicable to every 
thing that was nice. Maggie's nia also bad some 
. nice ivory liandie knives; and, seeing'her eider 
slater with one of them, peeling an apple, she 
ran Into the house exclaiming—" Oil, mamma, 
: mamma; sister has one of your cane-bottom 
■ knives, peeling att apple.”— it. t. h. 
! Evidence of Happiness.—Three-yeur-old Ida 
, M., ran iuto the house last summer, and said :— 
" Mamma they are happy over to the next 
1 house.” “ What makes you think so," asked her 
4 mother. " They are playing on the lodion and 
* slnqlnjr, Ha, ha, ha.”— l. e. k. 
; Association or Ideas.—A Kentucky correapond- 
, ent writes:— Johnny D., a little three-year-old, 
was not fond of butter-milk. One day his papa 
ijnve him an apple, which was a little tooaold 
t for him. His papa asked it tt was not good, 
i “No, sir,” said Johnny, “it lias dot butter-mUk 
j In it." 
Rain Sugar,—A Nevada correspondent writes: 
I moved hither lately from Los Angelos county 
1 Cal. My little girl, not quite three years old 
* saw snow for the first time in her life this niorn- 
j lng, and came In with a handful, regarding it, 
with much astonishment and perplexity. I 
asked her what it was, when she answered 
^ “ that's rain sugar.’’ 
The Boys and Girls who have written us must 
2 have patience. More of their letters will appear 
1 soon. 
AFTER THE STORM. 
BY O. B. P, 
The sun hath bum from Its hiding place, 
And is shining triumphant, at lost. 
While over the world, one scurco cun trace 
A tithe nl tlm fury that's passed ; 
And Nature repeats, with a gladsome voice 
To all tilings earthly. “ Rejoice, Rejoice I” 
As if to obey, the grass springs up 
In its loveliest garb of green ; 
And the flowers put on a thankful look 
As they peep their lieuds from the garden nook, 
More l'resh that the storm hath been. 
’Tis thus with life, from which the cloud 
Of a storm, so dark and wild. 
Hath at I ist, withdrawn Us gloomy shroud, 
Aud li ft, it us free us it child, 
Witli a thankful heart, whleh none -’an know 
Save those who’vu passed like scene of woe. 
All the more patient. 
All the more glad,— 
All the more true, 
For tho hours aud. 
Seneca Falls, N. V., Jau., 1871. 
---»♦» ■ 
THOUGHTS BY THINKERS. 
The I'li t-ist Tenchor. 
We do not know the author of the fol¬ 
lowing;—To teach like Christ wo must bo 
scholars in his school. He was the Great 
Teacher sent from God, and we must study 
our teacher. No man ever taught like Jesus. 
His lessons were world-wide and suited to 
every child of Adam, whatever the clime, 
whatever the circumstances. How varied 
the lessons he taught, how simple the lan¬ 
guage, how practical the truths, guidance 
for every-day life, good for the soul! How 
patiently lie taught, his disciples,just as they 
were able to bear it! Ilow fully lie sympa¬ 
thized with their Immunity. They were 
tired—he bade them sit down ; they were 
hungry—lie fed them; and having minis¬ 
tered to their bodily wants, he fed their 
souls with the Bread of Life. He knew, 
too, when to speak a word to him that was 
weary. Let us strive to follow him in this 
matter. His great aim In teaching was to 
win tho heart and the intellect. lie might 
have spoken in language that the angels 
might have stooped to listen to ; but ho 
adopted the simplest words, so that even a 
child might understand liitn. 
Hope( uIiicsh v*. HupiJciitnesa, 
“ Though full of seriousness,” a writer iu 
the National Baptist says; — “Life should 
also be full of heartiness and cheerful work. 
Hopelessness is not less wicked than frivoli¬ 
ty. The gloom of the misanthrope—hating 
man because be loves not God—as effectual¬ 
ly paralyzes the soul and renders it power¬ 
less for all good, as the crackling hilarity of 
the fool. The solemnities of this world, and 
the powers of the world to come, should 
give us steadiness of aim and tt constant in¬ 
crease of action, but should not oppress us. 
We are not under the dominion of fate, but 
under the guiding hand of a wise and loving 
God. He knows our frames, and remembers 
that we are dust. He orders our steps, and 
numbers the hairs of our heads, He planned 
the universe, and predetermined the move¬ 
ments of liis vast providence; but he just aa 
surely planned our little lives, and watches 
eacli atom in them aa carefully as if it were 
the central element in hia eternal purpose.” 
Muvul I’roErcH, 
The Liberal Christian says; — “The 
world’s moral progress is the gradual in¬ 
crease of tho number of men and women 
who really believe thul il is always safe to 
do right. It is, of course, for most persons, 
a great gain when the pressure and constraint 
of circumstances impel them to justice, and 
favor whatever they ought to do. And nono 
of us can be fully aware how much, what¬ 
ever goodness we may possess, depends upon 
the fostering, shaplug, sustaining influence 
of circumstances and conditions that make 
an open path for us in the direction in which 
i our lives ought to move. Formally persons 
who are well born and who are nurtured 
( under Christian influences there is in their 
i lives scarcely opportunity or temptation for 
* anything very bad. Let U3 be thankful for 
such guarantees and for whatever soundness 
’ and security of character is maintained by 
them. One of the great duties of society is 
L to remove, as nearly as possible, illl tempta- 
- tion and incitement to wrong-doing from the 
1 lives of its members. 
L* _ 
* Whnt we Give God. 
T mf. work of the kingdom of God on earth 
needs spiritual energy. We come to this 
i work too often feeling that giving to il our 
* alternative time is enough. We give to God 
’ what is left after supplying our lower wants. 
We give to God our weary hours. We give 
: to God our unoccupied hours. When Joy 
r has taken what it needs, and social life has 
! taken what it needs, and business has taken 
~ what it, needs, then what is left—the barren- 
i ness of life, as it were—we give to moral in- 
i fluence and to the cause of God. How few 
there are who put their concentrated life iuto 
l the work of God, and bring everything they 
r have—body and soul—to bear on the promo¬ 
tion of God’s work in this world 1 
1 
t 
