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iitbtEs’ itort-JFoItff. 
OUR INDIAN SUMMER. 
BY HELEN* BARRON B'OSTWTCK. 
As one who in some palace o£ Fair Dreams 
Sees with delight weird marvels round him rise. 
Gold pillars from gold floors, and crystal domes. 
Their lucent white shot through with blootn of 
gems— 
Beryl, and vivid amethyst, and pearls— 
Yet feels tin? while, some under-gliding sense 
Ferrario the moods of sleep—“1 am at home. 
This is my chamber, this my own safe bed,” 
And Unds that thought yet sweeter than liis dream. 
So I. dear heart, this mellow Autumn day, 
fitting with you in this still, shadowed place. 
Beside our lilted lake, (the lmlf-read hook 
Blown shut upon your knee), do loso myself 
In grand imaginings of days to come. 
Most gracious day-, when earth ahull stand clcan- 
rnbod. 
And redolent of fresh, new atmospheres, 
tn the glad dawnllght of her Golden Age. 
Yet all the while X feel tuy gorgeous dream 
Pricked through and through with sense of blessed¬ 
ness. 
That here I sit in tills dnar sheltered place. 
Close by your side, and hold your faithful hand. 
-- 
RESULTS OF OUR CLUB. 
BY DOHE HAMILTON. 
If any of the Ritual renders have taken 
enough interest in our Housekeepers Club 
to wonder at the silence of its chronicler, I 
hope they reniTnnhcred the old saying that 
“ no news is good news,” and SO did not 
give us up us lost. The fact is, L have been 
recreating with the rest of the world; hut 
instead of taking the cars for some far-off 
region, and pushing forward day and night, 
we found it better economy to travel leisure¬ 
ly. I doubt if the cool recesses of Watkins 
Glen would have been so enjoyable if we 
had “stopped over a train ” as is the wont, 
of many tourists; hut the delightful after¬ 
noon upon Seneca Lake, and a good night’s 
rest, put us ill proper trim for climbing stair¬ 
ways and scrambling along tlic rocky paths. 
How beautiful was the valley of the 
Susquehanna, with its many windings! 
How many charming villages nestle in the 
heart of Pennsylvania l And how different 
from our Hew York homes are the farm¬ 
houses along the route—and the earthen 
milk pans that were sunning on the pickets! 
—great, clumsy, red milk puns! I was 
thankful anew for the pleasantness of my 
own “lines." 
By good or evil fortune, we spent a few 
August days in the city*, and, fresh from 
rural quiet and shade, how sharp was the 
contrast. Parlors carefully darkened were 
comparatively cool, but one could do noth¬ 
ing at all in them, not even a hit of simple 
crochet; and as for the nights—there was 
no comfort in them. The day-gathered beat 
of the brick, walls radiated into the hours 
w hen people ought to have slept. Uneasy 
slumbers at daybreak were broken by the 
rumble of ice carts, water carts, market, 
wagons and street cars. These were fol¬ 
lowed by the shrill street cries, which only 
months of endurance can overcome. Talk 
of mosquitoes! What arc they to the racket 
of city pavements. 
1 know that when our city friends honor 
us with their society, they sometimes allude 
to mosquitoes, lack of markets, newsboys, 
street cars, Ac., &c. For my part 1 can dis¬ 
pense with the markets. Vegetables, per¬ 
fectly fresh and in just such quantities as 
the cook wants, pure milk and irreproach¬ 
able Imttcr and eggs, ought to weigh for 
something against the convenience of mar¬ 
kets, One's own carriage is preferable to 
crowded street cars, where shoulders arc 
always jammed, it seems to me; and one 
daily mail from each direction is quite enough 
for ordinary purposes. I've had experience 
upon both Hides, and for undiluted comfort, 
for true, solid living, the country side always 
takes my hearty “ Aye.” Do you speak of 
lectures ? They are good, I grant you ; you 
hear the words, and the eloquence of the 
speaker stirs you, hut its not often that you 
lecture goers know the lecture ns we who 
read and discuss it in our leisure. Concerts? 
Philharmonics are glorious—barring the 
crowd, and I don’t know but they may, at 
some time, eclipse the blackbird orchestra 
of our region, but i think they will never see 
that happy day. I have been so blest as to 
hear the fair Nillson warble dulcet Italian, 
bm she does not yet rival the thrushes and 
the bobolinks that come here season after 
season. I liked her best when she made me 
think of sweet June mornings, dew on the 
roses, joy in the bird’s hearts,mid melody in 
tiie air. No trailing of silks, no shimmer of 
diamonds and pearls, no studied grace of 
tone or motion, but, silting in one’s private 
b"x where the convolvulus shakes its bells, 
one’s little goblet actually seems too small to 
hold the joy ot living. 
Perhaps I. talked a little in the above strain 
to Our Club; it maybe that 1 kept these 
thoughts lo myself, and told them of the 
glories of Fuinuoimt Park, its foliage beds, its 
beautiful Wissahiekon, the lovely rustic 
chairs and arbors, that I thought we in Lan¬ 
caster might model after; of Long Branch 
and Cape May, with their follies and their 
Atlantic; of New York and its famous Cen- 
tral Park, miff Museum therewith connected, 
w here wultituawiua animals rear and rage 
with all their native ferocity. I told them 
j one thing, however, and that was how I 
went into the sanctum of the Rural, “quite 
unbeknownst,” and saw ail the mighty dig¬ 
nitaries that conduct this great paper. My 
call was incog., however, as 1 had no desire 
to be chronicled in the column of “Sanctum 
| Personals,” fearing the Editor might not 
make sufficient allowance for accidents of 
travel; so he will never know that the elder¬ 
ly dame who was so interested in Rural 
Books, Ac., Ac.- 
But to return lo the Club. Its meetings 
during the year have been well attended, and 
they have been productive of so much 
pleasure and profit that none of us would be 
willing to relinquish them. Socially, it has 
been an entire success. Nobody has em¬ 
bezzled its moneys, or destroyed its credit, 
since w*c had no need of Hinds. I am sure 
that our homes have been, made better and 
purer for its influence, as we have discussed 
many topics that touch upon the happiness 
of households. 
We have had essays, both original and 
selected; items of interest from papers and 
books wo have had. 
“Wc girls” read, thr.n which I know of 
no story better fitted to make domestic life 
delightful and poetical. 
Wo have become ns famous in our limited 
sphere as the Farmers’ Club of a certain 
city. L could tell you such a pretty story 
had I space, of Mary Mulligan, who wash¬ 
es for ono of our number; how she Opened 
her heart to her employer one day last, May, 
lamenting the “goings on” of Mike, and 
the growing absences of her children. Her 
woman’s heart was in sore need of help and 
sympathy. Both were given. The home 
of the Mulligans grew tidier, and the chil¬ 
dren’s clothes grew neater. Mirk went less 
often to the miserable grocery, and to-d ay 
Mary is as happy as tlic day is long. 
Bo we are going on. 
-■ 
WOMAN IN THE COUNTRY. 
Mrs. Henry M. Field, in an eloquent ad¬ 
dress before the Laurel Hill Association of 
Stoekbmlge, Mass.,gives a vivid and touch¬ 
ing picture of age in the country. Shcanys: 
“ But. Uni time comes when all is at an end ; 
when, outside of affection, there is no more 
to gain, nothing to do, but to sit still and to 
grow old—and the country is the place fora 
woman to grow old gracefully. Age comes 
to her almost unconsciously. There me 
charming old women every where. In fact, 
i begin to think that woman is never bo 
charming as when she enters the twilight of 
her life. But the transition is difficult. Some 
remain too long on the sunny side, some 
leave it too soon. In the country woman 
glides into the right position quite naturally 
To the last she forms an important pari of 
the little world with which she is identified 
as with the homo she loves; nml even the 
soil tints of her sitting-room, in which every¬ 
thing lias grown old av ilh her, harmonize 
with Iter gray hair and feeble frame. It is a 
sweet picture of serenity. The work is done; 
the race is run , she has put the children for 
whom she planned and toiled into the keep¬ 
ing of the Lord. He will guard them in the 
world which is disappearing from her view. 
Bhe can do no more. Her Bible in her 
hand, faith and love in her heart, she waits 
without fear for the closing hour.” 
-*-♦-#- 
SMART CHI LDREN. 
A correspondent of the Boston Traveler 
records the two following “smart speeches” 
of children A bright little boy, the son of 
a clergyman, was at our correspondent’s 
house one evening, with His parents, and t 
gave him a couple of five cent, pieces, lie 
laid them on Hie table, and pulling Ids linger 
on one, said:—“ This one I’m going lo give 
to the heathen, and the other one I am going 
to keep myself.” He played with them a 
while, till finally one of them rolled away, 
and he could not find it. “Well,” said 1, 
“ my lad, which one have you lost?” “Oh,” 
said he, “ l have lost the one I was going to 
give the heathen!” A liltle girl came into 
my bouse one day, and some apple parings 
lay on a plute on the table. After sitting 
awhile, she said, “ I smell apples.” “ Yes,” 
I replied, “I guess you smell those apple 
parings on the plate.” “No, no,” said she. 
“ ’Taint them I smell; I smell whole apples.” 
--- 
Let parents make every possible effort to 
have their children go to sleep in a pleasant 
humor. Never scold or give lectures, or in 
any way wound a child’s feelings as it. goes 
to bed. Let all banish business and worldly 
care at bed time, and let sleep come to a 
mind at peace with God and nil the world. 
-»■»■» 
None are so fond of secrets as those who 
do not mean to keep them; such persons 
covet secrets as a spenthrift does money, 
for the purpose of circulation,— [Colton. 
--- 
The wife is the sun of the social system, 
Unless she attracts there is nothing to keep 
heavy bodies, like husbands, from flying off 
iuto space. 
Cm g$ <<> 
<a|or Uotmg jjJcopIc. 
OVER THE {WORLD. 
BY AMANDA T. JONES. 
Over the world the daylight glows, 
While the wind flies on. the wind tlios on. 
Down in the valley llus daisy blows. 
And the wind Hies on, the wind files on. 
Fly, merry wind, and sing us a song; 
Where have you been and what havo done? 
Tell or the ehlUlron, nil day long 
Laughing and laughing under the sun. 
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A LI IT GUFF L’ AND IIIUl* MAMMA. 
Over the world the rivulet flows, 
Whilo the wind flies on, the wind flies on. 
Ever ila glittering shower it throws. 
And the wind flics on. the wind flics on. 
Fl.v, merry wind, and sing us a song. 
Whom did you pass ns you camo this way? 
Soldiers marching and marching along? 
Or chtrdren out in the Helds at play ? 
Over the world the white cloud blows, 
Wlillo the wind flies on, tho wind flics on. 
Peace is,tossing her Illy snows, 
And (ho wind flics on, the wind flies on. 
Fly, merry wind, and sing us a song. 
Soldiers are gathering In tho wheat; 
And what shall frighten tho children sweet. 
Their hearts are glad ami their arms uro strong; 
Over tho world the red sun goes, 
While the wind Hies on, the wind flics on. 
It laughs Wherever a lily blows, 
Anil tho wind blows on, the wind blows on. 
Fly. merry wind, and sing us a song; 
For your silver singing will never be done, 
While you follow the children all day long. 
Laughing and laughing under tho sun. 
MIDGET AND HER MAMMA; 
OR, THE CHILD WHO PLAYED MOTHER AND NURSE. 
“Come, now, mamma, and sit in flic cra¬ 
dle,” said little Midget,— and you must pre¬ 
tend you are Midget, and l am mamma. 
And you must hold dolly, and you must say 
“ please, mamma,” and you must lie a good 
child. I shall feed you now some bread and 
milk, and if you cry for candy I shall whip 
yon. 1 shan’t let you ask questions, and 
when you play J shall say, “ Midget, Mid¬ 
get, 1 can’t have such a noise." And pret¬ 
ty soon, when you are playing, I shall make 
you slop and go to sleep on t he bed ; and 
if you are a naughty child and cry, I shall 
whip you. And 1 shall take a comb and 
camH your hair, and if it pulls and hurls 
you, I shan’t let you cry; hut I shall lake 
the stick and whip you, and call you “a 
very naughty child. 
“ Bo open your mouth now, and take this 
bread and milk. 1 shan't give you any sugar 
in it, because sugar isn’t good for little girls. 
And what do you think 1 shall do pretty 
soon! I shall bring you some nice sweet¬ 
meats in a spoon, and I shall say, ‘hero, ilur- 
bng,’—but I shall put a had, naughty pill in 
the sweetmeats, and if' you see the pill, and 
pick it out, J shall whip you,—and then you 
will cry, and wish you wasn’t a little girl. 
But he a good child now, ami then perhaps 
mamma will let little Midget have a great 
big lump of sugar, and plenty of candy; 
and she may go in the kitchen and Help the 
cook make the pics, and she may wear iter 
new shoes all the time. And she shall have 
a new doll, and mamma will tell her stories, 
and let her ask questions—and when she 
gets in the way mamma won’t care. And 
Midget will say, 4 Oh, dear, mamma, I am 
so glad I am a little girl!’ We will play 
it that way now, and then see how nice it 
would be to play so always.” 
-*- 
LETTERS FROM GIRLS AND BOYS. 
Carrie’s l’ets mwl Music Hook. 
Dear Mr. Editor: — I have seen so many 
letters from the boys and girls in your paper 
I thought 1 would write one. 1 cannot re¬ 
member the time when we have not taken 
your paper, and we all call it it very good 
one indeed. You notice us little folks so 
much 'that I think you must have been a 
little hoy or girl some time yourself, and 
liked to be noticed too, I have two white 
kittens and a pair of Brahma chickens; they 
are as white as snow, and have feathers to 
the ends of their toes. I think it would he 
very comfortable for winter. I have a pony 
which 1 vide; slie has been the pel.of the 
family for twenty-one years, and she is very 
kind. I live on a farm in sight, of a beauti¬ 
ful lake in Western New York. .1 attend 
school. Our school house is situated in a 
small village near by. Our school numbers 
about sixty students, but. now it is vacation, 
and 1 am spending a few days with my 
CL 
aunty. I am piecing a sofa pillow. It is 
six square; who will please inform me how 
to set it together. I notice in the Sept. 23d 
number of the Rural New-Yorker an in¬ 
quiry for the best instruction hook. I have 
a nice piano and 1 think a good instruction 
book, ami that is “ Richardson’s New Meth¬ 
od.’’— Carrie J. II. 
A Centrai New York Girl’* l.cftcv. 
Dear Editor: —I have been wanting to 
write to the girls for a long time. I am 
twelve years old, I have got two brothers 
and one sister. The most of Lhe girls that 
write arc from the West or South, I notice, 
and some can boast of either their pets or 
their horsemanship; now I cannot of either, 
unless it, is my two-year-old brother; but I 
am afraid of horses—cannot drive one at 
all. I do not know why, unless it is because 
I am a New Yorker,—hut. the paper we like 
so well is a New-Yohicwu too ! Perhaps 1 
can do as well in school as any of yon. My 
teacher says I am a good grammarian. I 
have been to a good school the illsl year, 
and wc had a nice pic-nio at the close of the 
term. But I am only :i farmer's daughter, 
and Mr. Editor is getting tired of little girls. 
But. T tear my letter is altogether too long, 
and pa says if I learn to play the piano that 
I have got to learn lo milk the cows too. 
—Minnie IT., Onondaga (Jo., N. Y. 
From a Wide-Awake Northern N. Y. Girl. 
Dear Mu. Editor.—I am a girl fifteen 
years old. My father is one of the many that 
take your paper. I like to read the girls’ 
and hoys’ letters, so I thought I would write 
yon one if you think it is worth publishing. 
Wc live cm a farm. My fill her is building a 
new house tills summer. I will tell you 
about, my spinning; l havo spun, twenty 
num this summer. T have got ten chickens 
and twenty-two turkeys. 1 am now fitting I 
them for market. 1 milk six cows every 
night and morning; 1 havo one cow for my 
own. My sister and I go to church every 
Bunday aud drive our own horse; we live 
about three miles from the church. We have 
sewing society every Friday. I am going to 
school this winter. 1 intend to teach school 
next summer. 1 think I have written quite 
a long letter for the first one, and if you no¬ 
tice this you shall hear from me again. Ex¬ 
cuse nil mistakes ami 1 will try and do belter 
next time. 1 think that the answer to riddle 
No. 1, in the Rural New-Yorker of Sept. 
23, is flax.— Addie R., Canton, N. Y. 
A Teachers Pic-Kic. 
Dear Mr. Editor:—I am a liltle girl 
eleven years old. We lake the Rural 
New-Yorker. I like to read the boys’ and 
girls’ letters. I live near the school’house, 
which is surrounded by apple trees ami 
maples, and the last day of school ibis sum¬ 
mer the teachers Had a pic-nie, and we en¬ 
joyed a pleasant time. We bad two tall 
swings, and they were kept busy by the 
company swinging. 1 was out on the ride 
last winter that Cora wrote about, and agree 
with her that we had a niec time visiting 
the Asylum and County House, and when 
the driver, who is now living with us, is 
asked why he tipped over the load, he says, 
“ Sure, it was an accident,” though we sur¬ 
mise that Cora’s opinion is correct.—A lta 
B, Bethany, N. Y. 
Alice wiintM to Correspond. 
Dear Editor of tuk. Rural :— I never 
wrote for a paper before, but I thought 1 
would try and write, for 1 see that some 
of tho other girls and boys arc writing. 
[ am thirteen years old. I live on a farm 
with my father and mother. I love to gather 
flowers; it is pleasant, I think, to go to the 
woods in the spring and gather the wild 
flowers. 1 have a flower garden of my own ; 
have not got hut a few kinds of flowers. 1 
go to school this summer. 1 shall he very 
much pleased if you think this is worth 
printing. 1 would like to have some of lhe 
girls write to me, and I would like to have 
Trixie Clanton of Independence Farm, 
Georgia, place her full address in the paper, 
and slie will please me and my friends.— 
Alice Wood, Brookfield , Madison Co., N. Y. 
An Ancient Coin. 
Mr. Rural: —I was reading something 
about old coins this evening, and the oldest 
one mentioned was 1793. We have an old 
English copper coin in our family chi led 800. 
Upon one side there is a head and the year, 
on the other a full-length figure resting on 
a shield; also several letters plainly dis¬ 
tinguished on eacli side.—A. S., Walton, N. Y. 
jQ °° 
eiic |jtt2?Ifr. 
CHARADE. No. 2. 
Diikssed tn rainbow colors twain, 
Loving 1 garden soil and rain. 
I, if metamorphosed, change 
Into things exceeding strange. 
First divide mo—hall’ doth run 
Swiftly as the tmll from gun; 
Half doth visit apples stored— 
Oft destroys the cellar's hoard. 
Next my halves together plaeo - 
Letters tlrst and lust erase : 
Now I apcod up toward the sky 
Swifter than a bird can tty. 
Whole onco more—my first remove. 
Place instead lhe tlrst of prove, 
And T laugh and sing and cry, 
Pleasing all who gather uigli. 
Forest City, III. F. 
ZM~ Answer In t.wo weeks. 
-»♦«- 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA.—No. 15. 
Tam composed of 54 letters. 
My 38, 8, 49, It), 51, 5 is to sail baelc and forth. 
My 11,48,53, 12, 45, 7, 34 ts u man in military 
service. 
My 54, 29, 28, 32, 47 is to imagine. 
My 17,10, 50, 21, 40 Is the Mohammedan book of 
faith. 
My I, 27, 35, 40 Is a Fianll bird. 
My 30. 4(1,3. 0. IS is a dishonest person. 
My 50, 20, 13,23,11, 4 is an outwork in fortifica¬ 
tions. 
My 1,25, 10,44,28,15, 42 is a small pocket knife. 
My 37, 33, 4,2 is a. solemn affirmation. 
My 24,2, It, 20,12,52 41 is tho sound which fol¬ 
lows lightning. 
My 6, 3,53, 31,12,13, 43, 30, 39, 40, 9 is a farewell 
address. 
My whole is good avice to all. 
New Hackensack, N. Y. JOSIB W. 
ZS'“ Answer in two weeks. 
-«•*«-• 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No. 14. 
BETYOft 
1 i/ 
m 
m 
: 1L;‘ 
—ANN •*" SMSt 
82T” Answer in two weeks. Wo will publish 
the answers received to this Rebus during two 
weeks. 
-«♦« - — 
PROBLEM.-No, 13. 
Will you ask some of your readers to solvo 
the following problem : — 
A Hand Ccmi diga ditch In todays. 
II C and I) can dig a ditch in 18 days. 
(! D and A can dig a ditch In 20 days. 
I> li and A can dig n ditch in 24 days. 
On what lime would it be done by all of them 
together, and by each of them singly? I can 
give the solution and answer if necessary.—S. 
W. M., Westfield, N. Y. 
The solution and answers, when known, 
should always accompany problems; but wo 
print this, and wilt give tho first live answers 
received. 
PUZZLE.—NO. 5. 
Arrange the figures from 1 to 9 In such order 
Unit, by adding thorn together they amount to 
100 , without using any digit, more than once. 
IS'” Answer in two weeks. Alpha. 
-♦♦♦- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Oct. 21. 
Biblical Square Words No. 5: 
U A C A 
ADAlt 
V A N A 
ARAM 
ilrnnEN Animals No-l.-J, Dog; 2, Boar: 3. Lion • 
1 . Camel; 5. Otter; 6, Sable; 7, Tiger; 8. Badger ; 9, 
Weasel: 10. Panther. 
Miscellaneous enigma no. 13.—Cares—Caress. 
»• « » 
