lines’ Dert-Holie. 
MY WIFE AND I. 
A sky of azuro, a bit of heaven. 
An hour of lilis* to mortals given, 
A church, a dainty dress by my side, 
A solemn service, a kiss—a bride. 
Then thronging friends, 
A last good-by; 
And so we are married— 
My wife and I. 
Long hours of rapture, long days of joy, 
Time passing unheeded—without alloy, 
A tour when everything looks its best, 
A river in autumn glory dressed; 
No thought of trouble, 
No care, nor sigh. 
For we are so happy— 
My wife and 1. 
A slow awakening, as from a dream. 
A drifting once more into life-work’s stream, 
A little respite from toll, and then 
The world with its hopes and fears again: 
Hut a home and a love 
That shall hut for aye, 
For now we are settled— 
My wife and I. 
And as hours vanish In time’s quick flignt. 
And our life's fair morning grows to night. 
As cankering cares with our pleasures stay, 
And our heuds are streaked with a silvery gray ; 
Yet shall love Increase 
As the days go by; 
And we live for each other— 
My wife and 1. 
TRAINING OF THE LITTLE ONES. 
BY MARY C. BARTLETT. 
Mothers, if you realize in the slightest 
degree how important it is for the well-being 
of your children that you should possess 
their entire confidence, seek early, while 
there is yet time, to draw it, forth. No diffi¬ 
cult task will you then find it; for little 
children am by nature confiding, and that 
they ever become otherwise is our mvn 
fault—the result, of undue harshness, or in¬ 
difference to their simple confidences. Let 
them find yon always ready to sympathise 
with them in every little joy or grief. Can 
you not. remember a time when “dollie’s 
broken nose” seemed a heavier sorrow than 
you could bear until you bad wept it away 
on mother’s breast ? And do you forget 
how eagerly you ran to show “ mother" the 
bright pebble that seemed such a treasure in 
your eyes? Be careful, then, never to listen 
to the little ones with an indifferent or ab¬ 
stracted air, nor bid them “ lie quiet because 
you are busy.” Far better your business 
should wait five minutes than that your 
children should feel that the only one in 
whom they had trusted so entirely for sym¬ 
pathy had failed them. 
Don’t “forget" you were asked “not to 
telland don’t “ tell," even if you arc not 
asked. A little girl I know told her mother 
confidentially, the other day, how her teacher 
had had “such a headache,” and lmd asked 
the children not to worry her; and how she 
had tried so hard to be “ real good /” I 
beard the thoughtless mother repeat this 
(imitating the emphasis) to the teacher and 
several other ladies, before the child. The 
sensitive little one could scarcely restrain 
her tears, and when I beard her exclaim, 
“ O, mamma, I’ll never tell you anything 
again,” I pitied both mother and child. 
Never let meal-time degenerate, as it in¬ 
variably wiil where fear rules, into the mere 
feeding hour of so many silent, hungry ani¬ 
mals. Let it he enlivened by cheerful con¬ 
versation in which each child, as well as the 
parents, is encouraged to bear his part. 
Strive to be no restraint upon them. Where 
you can do so without compromising your 
dignity, even join in their amusements. Let 
them talk to you freely, upon all subjects, 
and answer their questions truthfully , even 
where some mothers consider it their duty 
to deceive. For if they once discover you 
have deceived them, their confidence in you 
is shaken, perhaps lost. 
Encourage all the little stories they may 
have to tell of the every-day occurrences a 
school. In this, as in no other way, you 
can get an insight into the characters of 
their companions, and learn whether their 
influence is exerted for good or ill. You 
can thus observe what dispositions your 
children manifest—what virtues need culti¬ 
vating—what vices uprooting. I once knew 
a child who had learned to confide so entire¬ 
ly in her mother, that when about to he told 
a secret by her schoolmates, she would in¬ 
variably ask, “ Can’t I even tell my mother?” 
If this was refused, as it generally was, she 
would decline hearing it. She had always 
been taught that wliat was not proper 
to tell “ mother," could not be proper for 
her to hear. As a consequence, she wits for 
years spared much unnecessary knowledge 
of evil. Encourage your children, especially, 
to confide to you whatever they may have 
done wrong each day, instructing them, as 
you undoubtedly will if a Christian mother, 
where to go for pardon. This habit of in¬ 
trospection and daily confessiou, alone, will 
go farther than you have any idea, towards 
making them conscientious and religious 
children, and in after years they will bless 
you for it. 
THE RING FINGER. ! 
Much ingenuity 1ms been expended in the 
endeavor to discover on which hand and on 
which finger the wedding-ring was placed. 
The Jews have a tnuiitiou that Mary, when 
she. espoused Joseph, received the ring on 
Iter middle finger; hence no Jewish woman 
wears her bridal ring there, but always ou 
the forefinger. St. Ambrose, in one of bis 
sermons, calls the third finger the finger 
for the ring. Macrobius gives the nursery- 
names of the fingers in the times of the 
Romans; the third linger is called annularis: 
the low Norman name for the same finger Is 
“ John of the seals." Tn the ancient ritual 
of marriage among the. English Papists, the 
ring was placed on the end of the left thumb 
with the words," In the name of the Father;” 
then on the forefinger with the words, “ and 
of tboson ;” then on the middle finger, “ and 
of tlic Holy Ghost;” finally on the third, the 
ring finger, with the closing word “ Amen.” 
The ancient Greeks used this finger also, be¬ 
cause they believed a nerve to run directly 
from this finger to the heart ; Lemnins says 
it is not a nerve, lmt an artery ; others, that 
it is not a artery, but a vein ; and modern 
science shows that there is nothing of the 
kind in existence. 
The right hand is the band of power; 
lienee the wife wears the ring on the left 
lmnd. The third Huger is the only recog¬ 
nized ring-liiiger; all who wear rings of¬ 
ficially wear them on that finger; though 
it is true that the statues of the gods had 
their signets on their forefinger, both in 
Greece and in Italy. This was on (lie right 
hand ; but from convenience and long estab¬ 
lished custom, the left hand is now gener¬ 
ally considered the ring hand, and the least 
finger on that hand holds the ring. Lein- 
nius says the same finger was called Medicos, 
for, “on account of the virtue it derives 
from the heart, the old physicians would 
mingle their medicaments and potions with 
this finger, because no venom can slick 
upon the very outmost parts of it but it will 
offend a man, and communicate itself to 
his heart.” Some married women are so 
supcrstitiously rigid in their notion respect¬ 
ing the wedding-ring, that they will never, 
even for a moment, take it off their finger; 
extending, it would seem, the expression, 
“ till death us do part," even to this golden 
pledge of matrimony. 
-- 
TO A YOUNG GIRL. 
You think yon love the man who is com¬ 
ing this Sunday night to visit you! And 
he acts as if he loves you! Suppose he 
"declares himself,” and asks you to become 
his wife. Are you prepared to say to him, 
“ I love and and will trust you through life 
with my happiness, and the lives and weal 
of our children !” 
He is jolly, gay and handsome, and all 
the darts of Cupid are twinkling and spark¬ 
ling in liis eyes; but will those eyes always 
find expression from the love of a true soul ? 
To-night be says many pleasant things and 
draws pretty pictures for the future. Does 
he go to-morrow to a work which gives 
promise to the fulfillment of your desire in 
life? Do liis ambitions and achievements 
satisfy you ? Does his every-day life shine 
with the noble endeavor of a trustworthy 
man? If you think, and desire a compan¬ 
ion in your thinking—one who can unlock 
the deepest depths of your mind, to what 
strata of humanity does he belong in the 
scale of excellence and mortality? Is lie 
doing all lie can to build future usefulness 
and happiness in which you can share and 
feel blessed? These are questions which the 
experience of after years make many women 
weep in the bitterness of soul that they were 
not thought of before they answered “ Yes.” 
-- 
THE USE OF CHILDREN. 
For what are these child-angels made, 
that are sent down to this world to bring 
so much love and rapture, to go from us in 
such bitterness and mourning? If wc be¬ 
lieve in Almighty Love, we must believe 
that they have a merciful and tender mis¬ 
sion to our wayward souls. The love where¬ 
with we love them is something the most 
utterly pure and unworldly of which human 
experience is capable, and we must hope 
that every one who goes from us to the 
world of light, goes holding an invisible 
chain of love by which to draw us there. 
Sometimes I think I would never have had 
my little Daisy grow older on this earth. 
The little child dies in growing into woman¬ 
hood, and often the woman is far less lovely 
than the little child. It seems tn me that 
lovely and loving childhood, with its truth¬ 
fulness, its frank sincerity, its pure, simple 
love, is so sweet and holy an estate that it 
would be a beautiful thing in heaven to have 
a band of heavenly children, guileless, gay, 
and forever joyous—tender spring blossoms 
of the kingdom of light. Was it of such 
whom He bad left in His heavenly home 
our Saviour was thinking when He took 
little children up in His arms and blessed 
them, and said, “ Of such is the kingdom of 
heaven ?"— Mrs. Stowe. 
G£) 
or lloitnn ffltoplt. 
THE SEVEN LITTLE WOMEN. 
A FAIRY STORY. 
Gretcren sat drearily waiting for her 
father to come from the tavern in the vil¬ 
lage. Many years of sunshine and shadow 
had passed since her mother had kissed her, 
and then I tad crossed the dark, silent river 
to a land of brightness, joy and peace. 
Gretchen was almost in despair; for there 
was only a small, black loaf In the cup¬ 
board, and she was often beaten when Hans, 
her father, was angry. 
Suddenly, there was a timid knock at the 
door. 
“ Come in," said Gretohen. 
The door swung slowly open, and seven 
little women entered. 
“ We are cold and hungry,” said the eld¬ 
est, “ as we have come a long distance; 
we are very tired, and would like to stay 
all night.” 
“ You are very welcome," replied Gret- 
chen, after a moment’s hesitation, as she 
piled more faggots on the fire. 
She divided the loaf into seven portions, 
and filled seven tin tumblers with sparkling 
water from a spring close by’. 
“ I am sorry there is no more bread,” site 
said, pleasantly, “ but you are welcome to 
this.” 
In a few moments the bread bad disap¬ 
peared. 
“ We thank you very much,” said all the 
little women in chorus, as they gathered 
round the fire. “And if we ever have the 
chance, we will do as much for you.” 
“ You are very kind," replied Grctchcn. 
They all fell to talking, and it was not 
long before Grelchen told tier story, which 
was dreary enough. 
“ My father does not like Strangers,” she 
said, hastily, as the loud laughing and shout¬ 
ing of Hans and his boon companions was 
borne on the air, “ and you must be very 
quiet while be is in the house. My bed is 
poor and small, but it is a little better Ilian 
the bare ground,” she added, smiling. 
Haim was in a very ill-humor, lie raved 
and stormed a loug time; finally, seizing 
Gretchon, be thrust her out of doors, declar¬ 
ing lie would kill her if she dared enter the 
house again. 
“ Others can play at that game !” exclaim¬ 
ed several fine voices; and fust and furious 
fell the blows of the seven little women. 
Hans growled savagely, and, releasing bis 
daughter, turued. to his small antagonists, 
dealing heavy blows, but they were without 
avail. Crying out in rage and terror, Hans, 
seeing his efforts were in vain to conquer his 
foes, ignominionsly fled,shouting for help. 
Poor Grelchen wept bitterly ns she fell to 
the ground. A light snow was falling, and 
the wind swept down from the mountain in 
wild, fierce gusts. She heard her father’s 
cries of terror, and saw him tlee toward the 
village, closely pursued by the seven little 
women. 
It was not long before they came back, 
and the eldest rang a crystal bell. It was 
answered by a multitude of bells chiming 
through valley, wood and plain, until the 
air was filled with music. 
A beautiful little coach, drawn by seven 
milk-white horses, appeared. A footman, in 
splended livery opened the door, and the 
seven little women, accompanied byGretch- 
en, entered, and the carriage rolled away. 
Slopping before a huge rock, which Grctchcn 
had often climbed, the footman blew a shrill 
whistle, a door swung open, ami the carriage 
rolled through a long avenue, shaded by 
trees laden with flowers and fruit, until it 
slopped before a superb palace. 
There was the sound of music and laugh¬ 
ter borne on the fragrant air. 
“ Her gracious majesty has come,” said 
several voices, as they entered the palace. 
“ As the sleeping flowers haste to greet 
the sun at morn, so we haste to greet her 
highness, our loved cousin,” replied the 
little woman. 
Grelchen was conducted to a chamber 
bung with blue and silver tapestry. The 
furniture was of ivory, covered with blue 
velvet wrought Avith pearls. Ob, bow 
beautiful it sill was!” 
Presently a tiny lady entered, and, making 
a queer little bow, said, “ Princess Lalleen 
bade me dress you, for the queen desires to 
see you.” 
“ The queen ?” repeated Grctcheu. 
“Yes," was the reply, “the queen of the 
fairies.” 
“ Oh, how glad I shall he to see her!” her 
eyes sparkling with pleasure; then added, 
huuibly, “ I am only little Grctcheu Ander¬ 
sen, and I fear she Avill not be pleased. 
“ Ah ” was the kind reply; “ her majesty 
. is very kind, and loves good children. Prin- 
j cess Lalleen and her sisters have told how 
kind you were to them, and how you took 
care of a sparrow that a wicked boy wound¬ 
ed and left for dead, and many other things, 
also.” 
“ It was nothing,” blushed Gretchen. 
While they were talking, the fairy had 
combed the young girl’s lmir, removed her 
ragged clothes and dressed her in a robe 
while and soft as the summer clouds. 
“ You must he like the fairies while here,” 
she said, as she led her to a mirror, 
Gretchen scarcely recognized herself. She 
was no larger than her attendant; her hair 
hung in burnished waves about her waist; 
her dross was looped with pearls and coral, 
tiny sprays swinging in her ears. She was 
then taken down an ivory staircase bordered 
with gold, a door was thrown open, and a 
footman called out, “The Earth-child !” and 
Gretchen found herself in a large room full 
of H* lie people. 
Princess Lalleen—the eldest of the seven 
little women—advanced to meet her. Tak¬ 
ing her hand, she led her to the farther end 
of the room, where was a pearl throne thick¬ 
ly studded with diamonds. On the throne 
was the loveliest little creature Gretchen 
ever beheld. Her dress was of the tint of 
the inner leaves of a blushing rose, a tiny 
diamond sparkled on her brow, and a crys¬ 
tal wand, tipped with a blood-red ruby, was 
in her mite of a hand. 
The princess bowed very low, as she stop¬ 
ped before the throne. 
“Your gracious majesty,” she said, with 
an euchanLing blush, “ this earth-child was 
cast out into the hitter night, because she 
befriended myself and sisters. For that 
kind act we took the liberty to bring her 
here, knowing that you are the friend of the 
deserving.” 
There was a murmur sweet as the sound 
of the fountain’s song at even from the mul¬ 
titude of fairies, avIio said, with one voice, 
“ Oh, beautiful Queen Altecn, friend of the 
deserving!” 
After the applause had died away, the 
lovely queen rose, and said, in a voice so 
sweet that Gretchen held her breath to lis¬ 
ten. “ You did quite right, my dear cous¬ 
ins. Ladies Uec and Butterfly, bring hither 
the scarfs woven from rainbows." 
This was a great honor, and the seven 
sisters looked highly pleased, and murmured 
grateful thanks ns they donned the scarfs. 
“ And now,” continued the queen, “ bring 
a scarf of moonbeams as a reward to the 
earth-child for her kindness.” 
There Avas a shout of approval from the 
fairies at this; and, to Gretchcn’s wonder 
and delight, the queen took a scarf that 
glinted like moonbeams on emerald leaves, 
and, throwing it over her shoulders, said: 
“As long as you keep this, avc will watch 
over you. And now, uiy lords and ladies, 
aAvay to supper and the dance.” 
Folding doors were throAvn open, and 
Gretchen saw a long table, bending beneath 
the most exquisite flowers and fruits, with 
dainty crystal dewdrops for drink in superb¬ 
ly traced cups. AM was ldlftlity and mirth. 
A tiny chime of bells sounded, and, as if by 
magic, the table disappeared, merry music 
thrilled the listening air, and lovely couples 
whirled in the dance. 
A smart little gentleman fairy, in a violet 
suit, bowed In Gretchen, and begged her to 
dance the next set willi ldni. Justus they 
took their places, Gretchen felt herself 
shaken violently, and opening her eyes, she 
saw her father bending anxiously over her. 
“ My little Grelchen," lie exclaimed, eager¬ 
ly, “I feared you had gone to your dear 
mother. I have good news for you, dear,” 
kissing her, fondly ; “ I have sworn never to 
taste another drop of drink again. Your 
uncle Gredel is going to America, that glori¬ 
ous golden land, and we will go with him.” 
Gretchen threw her arms about his neck, 
with a glad burst of tears. 
“ I am so glad !” she cried, joyously. “ This 
is better than staying with tbe fairies.” 
And she told her wonderful dream—or 
adventure—she scarcely knew which. Hans 
laughed merrily, as he listened. 
He kept his word, and there is not a hap¬ 
pier pair now to he found Ilian Hans Ander¬ 
sen and his daughter. 
-- 
ALPHAEET OF SHORT RULE:, 
Attend well to your business. 
Be punctual in your payments. 
Consider well before you promise. 
Dare to do right. 
Envy no man. 
Faithfully perforin your duty. 
Go not in the path of vice. 
Have respect for your character. 
Know thyself. 
Lie not, for any consideration. 
Make few acquaintances. 
Never profess wliat you do not practice. 
Occupy your time in usefulness. 
Postpone nothing that you can do now. 
Quarrel not with your neighbor. 
Recompense every man for his labor. 
Save something against a day of trouble. 
Treat everybody with kindness. 
Use yourself to moderation. 
Vilify no person’s reputation. 
Watch fully guard against idleness. 
Xamine your conduct daily. 
Yield to superior judgment. 
Zealously pursue the right path. 
eg 
jabbatb ijeabing. 
REGKETS. 
IF we had but known, il' we had but known. 
Those Summer (lays together, 
That one would Bland nnxt year alone. 
In the blazinK .Inly weather! 
Why, we trifled away the colden hours, 
AVith glad ness, and beauty, and calm. 
Watching tho Rlory of l»l(.K*oming flowers, 
BreathtUff the warm air's halm ; 
Seeing the children like the sunbeams play, 
In this glndes of tho long cool wood ; 
Hearing the wild bird’s carol gay. 
And the Bong of the murmuring flood. 
Rich gems t" Time’s pitiless river thrown, 
If we had but known, if we had but known. 
If we bad but known. If wo had but known. 
Those Winter nlubls together, 
How one would sit by the hearth alone, 
In the next December weather; 
Why, we sped those Iasi hours, each for each, 
With music, and games, and talk, 
Tho careless, bright., delicious speech. 
With no doubt or fear to baulk. 
Touching Ott nil things, grave and gay, 
WitH the freedom of two In one. 
Yet leaving, us happy people may, 
Ho much unsaid, undone. 
Ah. priceless hours, forever flown, 
If we had but known, if we had but known. 
If we bad but known, if we bad but known. 
AVliile yet wo stood together. 
How a thoughtless look, a Blighting touch, 
Would sting and jar forever ! 
Cold lie* the turf for the burning kiss, 
The cross stand* deaf to cries. 
Dull, as the wall of silence is. 
Are the grey unanswering skies ! 
We can never unsay a thing ive said. 
While the weary life drag* past, 
Wo never can staunch the wound that bled, 
Whore u chance stroke struck it lust. 
Oli. the patient love ’ueath the heavy stone, 
If we had but known, If we hud but known. 
If wo hud but known, if we bad but known, 
AVo hud climbed the bill together. 
The path before us seemed all our own. 
And the glorious Autumn weather. 
We had sown : the harvest was there to reap; 
Wo had worked : lo ! the wages ready. 
Who whs tn guess that the long last sleep 
Was closing round one already. 
With never a warning, sharp and strong, 
Came the hitter wrench of doom, 
And love, and sorrow, and yearning long 
May wail by the lonely tomb. 
Ob, keenest of pimgsiuid thu mourner's moan, 
If wo had but known. If we had but known 1 
[Ml the Year Hound. 
A BOOK FOR PIOUS MOTHERS. 
To Mrs. A. L. S.— In answer to your let¬ 
ter in the Rural New-Yorker of May 
27, page 839, I would earnestly advise your 
obtaining from Harper Bros., New York, 
a book entitled “ Abbott’s Mother at Home.” 
It will he $1, The Avriter wan presented 
with a copy twenty-live years ago. She 
Avas then a young, inexperienced mother, 
with four young children, and by following 
the advice so ably given, she had the satis¬ 
faction of seeing her children grow up duti¬ 
ful and (lod - fearing, Two have now passed 
away, and are safe with their Saviour. You 
cannot do better than send for the hook, 
and may God bless the effort to train young 
souls for eternity. — e. k. 
-- 
GOLDEN THOUGHTS. 
It is a good thing to believe; it is a good 
thing to admire. By continually loking up¬ 
ward, our minds will themselves grow up- 
Avard ; and as a man, hv Indulging in habits 
of scorn and contempt for others, is sure to 
descend to the level of what he despises, so 
the opposite h abits of admiration «aud en¬ 
thusiastic reverence for excellence, impart 
to ourselves a portion of the qualities Ave 
admire. Here, as in everything else, humil¬ 
ity is the surest path to exaltation.— Dr. Ar¬ 
nold. 
As we, in our generation, are the justifi¬ 
cation of antiquity, in the completion and 
understanding of her works, so, being our¬ 
selves in the midst of incompleteness, we 
must look forward to posterity for our justi¬ 
fication, and the finishing of what we have 
begun or toiled upon. This seems to me a 
sufficient answer to those croakers who, 
when asked to aid in any good work without 
immediately resultant benefits, say, “ What 
do we owe to posterity ? " 
It is to the Lord that we owe any success 
we have ever achieved. Wc have been de¬ 
feated when avc have gone in our own 
strength ; hut when wc have been victorious 
it has always been because the strength ot 
the Lord Avas put forth for our deliverance. 
A holy life is made up of a number of 
small things. Little words, not eloquent 
speeches or sermons; little deeds, not mira¬ 
cles nor battles, nor one great, heroic act or 
mighty martyrdom, make up the true Chris¬ 
tian life. 
Many there are Avho do not desire to be 
made whole, because being made whole 
would involve their losing their present po¬ 
sition in society. They do not wish to part 
Avith their ungodly gains or wicked com¬ 
panions. 
The most foolish thing in the world is 
said to he “ to bow to the rich till you are 
unable to stand erect in the presence of an 
honest man.” 
Those people who are always “sticking 
on their dignity,” are continually losing 
friends and making enemies, and fostering a 
spirit of unhappiness in themselves. 
