APRIL 42 
BEAR AND FORBEAR. 
Be careful, ye, whoso wedded hearts 
Are lovingly united; 
Bo heed ful, lest an enemy 
Steal on you uninvited ! 
A little, wily, serpent form, 
With graceful, luring posies— 
Or, coming in u different guise, 
A thorn among tho roses! 
Be careful, ye. whose marriage bells 
Now merrily are ringing; 
Be heedful of the bitter word, 
The answer Keen and stinging— 
The sharp retort, tho angry eye 
It’s vivid lightning flushing— 
The roolt on which so many hopes 
Are daily, hourly, dashing ! 
“ Bear and forbear," -the only way 
To tread life's paths together. 
Then come, and welcome, shining sun, 
Or corno dark, cloudy weather; 
Two wedded hearts, conjoined in one, 
That cannot live asunder, 
Have put Love's armor on— 
O, world look on and wonder! 
-- 
“OUR OLD HOME,” 
A few weeks since I noticed in the window 
of a music store a sheet, the name of which 
told, in large letters, “Our Old homo is riot 
what It used to hoa thrill of bitterest Borrow 
swept through my mind as I read tho words, 
and then remembered my own old home, away 
among tho hills, nestled’thero these many long 
years, and now Hie same to tho passer-by, but 
so changed to me, and evert so to others who 
used to meet there, and with painful recollec¬ 
tions Leonid only agree with the words which 
had (itfracted my attention and walkmournful- 
ly on, surely feeling no better Tor having seen 
.them. 
Several days after this, while riding on the 
cars, I overheard two gentlemen In the goat be¬ 
hind me talking, and without listening, I plain¬ 
ly heard one of them say ; “ I've not been home 
in nineteen years, and now I'm sorry I went; 
for I tell you,’tnln*t home any more; every¬ 
body 1 knew are married or dead. r went 
around the old place and alt over, where 1 used 
to go; drank from the old well, and that, is 
changed too; flic swoop and bucket are gone, 
and a pump has taken their place. Nothing 
looked natural, and I tell you again, ’taln't 
home any more.” 
These words filled my ndnd with indignation, 
forgetful or my own experience only the week 
before, and as I heard him often repeat. “ No, 
’taln’t homo any more,” 1 felt to sympathize 
with him in regard to the changed homo. But 
to think again, would we like to go back home 
after an absence of nineteen years, and find 
everything the same; would we fool pleased 
that that length of (line had made no improve¬ 
ments at and about our old borne; would we 
have all those we knew “stand still” while we 
had had our freedom would not nineteen years 
make some change In us? Perhaps, nineteen 
years ago, a mere boy left. Ids homo; did a hoy 
return? Ah! no imagination oould do well for 
even tho stranger, and wc quickly draw the 
contrast between the boy and the man. 
’Tis surely a sad thought, “ ’Taln't homo any 
more." Homo are married and gone. enjoying 
this life In other homes ; and still, to have the 
“old home” change, seems almost, unbearable. 
Borne arc dead ; and while wc would not call 
them hack, we feci their absence, and notice 
with sad hearts, onr changed home. We re¬ 
member it as It used to he when we, young and 
careless, gathered for all duties and pleasures ; 
and now we try to keep the pleasures there 
gathered; still the painful truth will oome over 
us, and wc sadly say, "Our old home is not 
what it used to be.” Dear reader, It cannot be. 
Goo has wisely ordered these ehangea, and for 
our good. Did all tills beautiful world remain 
the same; did ail the bright days last a life¬ 
time ; did those we love never dio—would we 
wisli to leave earth, would Heaven have any 
attractions? We may murmur at the ravages 
of change, look at all things we love for the 
last time ; still, If we obey tho teachings of the 
Great Masi er, we are sure of a homo that will 
remain unchanged throughout all ages. As the 
words on tho music sheet taught me a lesson 
1 hope never to forget, so may you who see 
these lines remember before the sad days ahull 
come; take warning, and accept the homo In 
Heaven, where no change shall be known, no 
murmuring* over heard, and no homes grow old. 
Match 15 , 1813 , Tempest. 
—-4-44- 
“IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH.” 
This is part of a very solemn vow taken by 
hundreds, and perhaps thousands, who never 
think ol d again; or at least, they never keep 
it. V, by should this be required of one who 
takes a wile? Would not ho who has made so 
many prom isos of unchanging love, think of 
nourishing her, of cherishing her, when disease 
shall hanlsli the roses from her cheek and tho 
light of her eyes? When pain shall rack the 
one© beautiful hut now emaciated form, why, 
oh ! why, are those vows forgotten ? I low many, 
to-night, might now have been happy mothers 
of their now motherless children, if they had 
been kindly cherished in their sickness? If 
MOORE’S RURAL MEW-¥0RK'ER. 
i 
you but know the anguish of that neglected 
wife when she finds, instead of encouraging* 
words, bitter taunts ! And why was this writ¬ 
ten ” Husbands, love your wives, and be not 
hitter against them?” 
Who can tell I hc cravings for sympathy, for 
loving smiles, for tender, endearing words, and 
the many little attentions so sweet to the af-‘ 
dieted ? How can a Man, who has one spark of 
humanity in his soul, how can he neglect to do 
all in his power to alleviate her sufferings, to 
supply ln«r with every nourishment necessary 
to koep life and restore health ? There are men 
who nover seem to think their wives need any¬ 
thing more than the bread and bacon, washed 
down with black, bitter coffee. They do not, 
or protend not, to see that tho floor appetite 
needs more palatable food. Ho does not sco 
that no food enters her mouth while he devours 
his coarse food, which, bethinks, Is good enough 
for any one. How she wishes that he would 
only bring her some little delicacy; hut she 
cannot ask him, for he would get angry, and 
tell her that he could not, afford It; that she 
had been sick so long, he could do nothing hut 
pay doctor’s hills; that he wished she would 
not trouble him again. 
Things go on in this way, his wife left to the 
mercies of any one who may chance to happen 
in to aoe her, while he spends his time, if not 
employed at some business, in enjoying the 
company of others, perhaps blaming his wife 
because she can’t be as she was before he broke 
her heart, when she was all he needed. A few 
years of sorrow and pain, and tho wife he prom¬ 
ised to “Keep in sickness and in health” dies 
for want of such attention as he could have 
given if he had only remembered the vow. 
Friends pity the widower, hut never know 
that their pity ought to have been for tho mur¬ 
dered wife. Vos, murdered! Starved, for tho 
promised love; starved for what a tow dollars 
would have supplied, hut which lie denied her. 
But did ho feel guilty? Did he feel, when his 
house waaleft desolate, that if he could huvo 
her bank, how very different ho would act? [ 
fear not. In a fow months lie is ready to take 
another from loving friends, to go the same 
way. I do not say that all the wives who die 
are supposed to he treated thus; hut I do say, 
there are more who die in that way than any¬ 
one could believe, and that, too, among those 
who are able to supply all their wants. I have 
only hinted at a few of tho many ways that rob 
the helpless babe, that sever the ties of friends, 
and leave a not very disconsolate husband! 
ff this should cause those who may not have 
thought seriously of thla subject to remcnibor 
their vows and keep thorn, ami by so doing 
cherish tho wife of his bosom as himself, heal¬ 
ing pari of the burden, and helping tier to bear 
what sho cannot, and by so doing fulfill their 
mutual pledges so long as ye both shall live, 
my task shall he rewarded. 
- 4 » »-— 
LOVE-MAKING AMONG THE KORAKS. 
When once tho young beau becomes infatu¬ 
ated, he makes known his passion to tho father 
of lila “affinity,” and expresses his desire to 
strive for her hand. A kind of contract Is Im¬ 
mediately entered Into, by which a young man 
binds himself to the father as a servant for a 
term of years, at tho expiration of which time 
he can have the pleasure of learning whether 
the daughter will have him or not. In this 
manner, If the father be the happy possessor of 
a beautiful daughter, he may have half a dozen 
men ready to do his bidding at one time. When 
the term or servitude expires, one of the larger 
yourts Is selected, and all the old women of the 
place, armed with sticks and pieces of seal- 
thong, are stationed In the pologs suspended 
around the room. Tho daughter then appears 
thickly olad In skin garments, followed by her 
lover, when a race ensues around the Inclosure, 
the contestants dodging about, among the pa- 
logs. To win his bride, ho must overtake her, 
and leave the print of his nail upon her person 
before she can be rescued by the old women 
who, during the race, Impede the lover as much 
as possible by boating him with sticks, and trip¬ 
ping him by seizing his legs as ho rushes by 
them. 
The advantage is all with the girl; and if she 
does not wish to become tho wife of her pur¬ 
suer, she can avoid him without difficulty. On 
the contrary, if she lllcea him she manages to 
stumble, or makes known her wishes to the old 
women, who then only make u show of imped¬ 
ing her pursuer. Sometimes the lover is so des¬ 
perately smitten that. Just after being foiled, ho 
returns to the father, and hinds himself for an¬ 
other period of years for the privilege of mak¬ 
ing another trial. 
4 ♦ »- 
Home women are so extremely anxious. There 
was that affectionate little wife of Smith's, for 
Instance, out in Pittsburg. She saw Smith l ake 
down his gun to clean It, and when she observed 
that he blew In the muzzle while ho held back 
tho hammer with his foot, she ran down stairs 
and bought a widow’s cap and i hirty-sevon 
yards of black barege, and then took It to a 
dressmaker to ascertain whether it would bo 
more becoming made with a train, or short, .with 
flounces, Smith still lives. 
Is not tho life of woman all bound up 
In her affections ? What hath she to do 
In this bleak world alone? It may be well 
For man on bis triumphal course to move 
Unnumbered by soft bonds; but we were born 
For love and grief. 
Reading for the f oung. 
PH1EBUS AND BOREAS: 
The Sun and tho North Wind. 
FROM TUE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE. 
Boreas and PluBbns, on a time 
A traveler chanced to see, 
Who ’gainst the stormy weather 
Well furnished aeouiod to he. 
Ills traveling cloak was wadded, 
And made so warm and big, 
That cross old Boreas laughed aloud, 
And said, “ Pooh ! pooh! that rig 
“Won’t keep him from all accident: 
I’ll blow in such a way 
The buttons will not hold it on— 
The cloak will lly away ! 
“Tho si»>rt would please mu vastly— 
The mischief’s easy done. 
What say yon, Mr. t’hccbus? 
Let’s ’tween us have some fun.” 
“ I’ll bet I’ll make the traveler 
Give up his cloak so flue.” 
“ I’ll bot,” said Phoebus. “ You bogln ; 
I will no longer shine.” 
Boreas drank a tun of fog, 
And swelled like a balloon; 
Began, like some cross demon, 
To whistle, up a tune. 
Ho hissed, he tdew, he whirlod about, 
And ships and houses tore. 
All for a paltry, wadded cloak 
A weary traveler wore. 
IIo ’out his time. The more he teased, 
The closer to his clonk 
The traveler held ; and sooth to say 
No string or button broke. 
Anil than the sun shone out so warm, 
The traveler so did sweat,, 
lie threw aside his cloak to cool; 
So kindness won tho bet. 
Blizaueth Cuminos. 
♦ ♦ ♦-- 
SNOWDROP AND HER CHICKEN3. 
BY MRS. M. A. SAWYER. 
Perhaps some of tho little readers of the 
Rural would like to know who Snowdrop was. 
She was nothing more nor less than a little 
Bantam hen. She received this name in con¬ 
sequence of her beautiful white plumage, for 
site was white an snow. 
I do not know whethersho was a full-blooded 
Bantam or not, for she was presented to me by 
a friend. But who was so much smaller than 
the rest of our hens, that she became the pet 
of the household. 
She was potted and spoiled by all-from my 
grey-headed father down to our little boy Wil¬ 
li k, wlm gathered every dainty morsel which 
fell from the table, apd foil to her from hi* own 
tiny hand. 
Although Snowdrop was no very small, she 
became quite a profitable little hen. In one 
year she laid nine dozen of eggs. It. afforded 
Willie a great deal of pleasure to hunt so 
many little eggs. But Snowdrop did not like 
to have all the eggs taken from the nest, so she 
made a new nest in some secluded nook where 
Willie could not find It. 
Willie was vexed at. this new move of his 
little favorite; but being a kind-hearted little 
boy, and not Inclined to be spiteful, he con¬ 
tinued to treat Snowdrop with the usual amount, 
of cordiality. 
But there was another sore trial in si,ore for 
Willie. Snowdropseldom onme Into the door- 
yard at all, and when she did, she was so saucy 
and cross that she almost frightened M illie, 
and ho said if she dkl not behave herself better 
lie would have to change her name to Hail¬ 
storm, for he thought she resembled a hail¬ 
storm more than a snowdrop. 
WILLIE was a very little boy, and had a groat 
many ot her pets on t he farm that lie had named 
to suit his fancy, and Snowdrop’s petulance 
did not take away all Ids pleasure, for he had 
almost forgotten her, when one day he went 
into the kitchen dooryard to have a romp with 
his pet lamb; but It was not. long before lie 
heard a strange noise, and looking around ho 
spied Snowdrop clucking along, with a drove 
Of little chickens. 
I wish you could have seen Willie’s eyes 
sparkle when he behold those seven black 
chicks ; for I verily believe that tho whole 
group could not boast of one white feather. 
Willie would have liked it much better if 
those little chickens had been white; but as 
they resembled Snowdrop in every other re¬ 
spect, and she still continued to be cross, be 
concluded to change her name to 1lail«torm, 
and these black chickens would do fora cloud ; 
so ho thought ho would take good care of them 
and sco what it would come to eventually. 
Hailstorm’s chickens all lived, and grew to 
be twice us large as she was, and laid a great, 
many eggs, of which Willie could not keep 
count. 
Tho next summer one of them raised three 
broods of chickens ; and one of the first brood, 
late in the full, stole her nest, and hatched a 
nice brood of eniekoiis, live of which she raised. 
Hailstorm's “ 1 ’hiekens, grundchiekens, anil 
great-grandchlckcns," as Willie called them, 
in one year cumbered over forty. 
A PET SHEEP’S PET. 
Lizzie hail a little shoep, 
It had a rat In tow, 
Anil every plane the lambkin wont, 
The rat was sure to go. 
The Somerset Herald lolls the following: 
“Miss Lizzie Ho use felt, daughter of Henry 
Housofelt, who live about a ratio to the south 
of the town, owna a beautiful pot sheep. One 
morning of last week she noticed that tho 
wool, of which her pet. has a most luxuriant 
coat, on one side just where the neck joins tho 
shoulders, was twisted and knotted anil raised 
up in sort of a lump. Upon examination slio 
found that a rat had made a nost In the wool of 
tho sheep, and when she pulled the place, it 
stuck Its head out and looked at her as com¬ 
placently as you please. The rat was so tamo 
that, it was easily dispatch oil. In tho evening, 
when tho sheep was put back In the stable, Miss 
Lizzie noticed that it went all around looking 
into all the corners and rinsing about as though 
it were in search something, showing that a 
friendly relationship existed between tho rat, 
and sheep. 
-- 
NEVER MIND ENEMIES. 
Go straight on, and don’t mind enemies. If 
they got in your way, walk round them, regard¬ 
less Of tholr spite. A celebrated character, who 
was surrounded by enemies, used to remark, 
“ They are sparks which, If you do m<t. blow, will 
go out by themselves." " Live down prejudice,” 
Mils the Iron Duke’s motto. Let this bn your 
feeling while endeavoring to live down tho 
scandal of those who are bitter against you. If 
you stop to dispute, you do but as they desire, 
and open the way for inoro abuse. Let the poor 
fellow talk- there will be a reaction if you do 
but perform your duly; and hundreds who 
were once alienated from you will flock to you 
and acknowledge their error. 
®he f)unier. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS. No. 10. 
VW Answer in two weeks. 
-I l l 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA. No. 8. 
I am composed of 39 letters: 
My 33, 27, 13, 23 is a Territory of the United 
States. 
My 11, 7, 30, 2fl U a city of great repute. 
My 10, 37, 12, 27, 29,11 is a favorite article of foed. 
My 9,19, 31,7,11 is what we e 11 should have. 
My 22, (1.21,21, 1 , 1 ,11 is a coin. 
My 35, 11,2,15 ia a town in Iowa. 
My 31, 10, 18,24,30, 12, 8, 29, 11, 31, 13, 30 is tho 
ancient name of a popular city of the U. S. 
My SB, 13, 14, 28, 4, 24 is an idol god of the 
Hindoos. , 
My 11,21, ;ill, 21 was a king of Israel. 
My 12,38, 31. 32, 90 is a city (if ancient times. 
My 30, 20, 21, 10 is a beast of burden. 
My 5, 17, 11,27,21, 10 is an aciueou- a 1 Imal. 
My 3, 8, 3G, 15 is a post I own in Georgia. 
My whole Is a valuable maxim. 
tsr Answer in two weeks. 11. F, Gi:vi n. 
-•««- 
CROSS-WORD ENIGMA. No. 7. 
My first Is in sheep but not in Iamb, 
My second Is In goat but not in ram ; 
My third Is in rat but not in mouse. 
My fourth Is In stable but. not in house ; 
My fifth is in sea hut not in riv er, 
My sixth is in bow but not in quiver; 
My seventh is in bucket but, not in well. 
My eighth is In clapper but not in boll; 
My ninth is in glade but not In dell ; 
My whole is a town in Virginia. 
Walter w. it. Fisher. 
|i V~ Answer in two week*. 
- - - 
ARITHMETICAL P9ZZ 3. 
From twenty subtract lifty-five, leaving a re¬ 
mainder of fifty-live. L ; Hoy It. 
* W Answer in two weeks. 
-»4~*- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.- March 29. 
Puzzle No. 8,—Dragon-bird. 
Giioorai’H fCAL Enigma No. 2. —Mitchell’s 
School Geography. 
Illustrated Humus No.». The feigner is the 
most Independent of mankind. 
