MOOSE’S RUSAL ?i£W-Y08K£B. 
JUNE 24 
THIRTEEN. 
BY MA.TASA. 
Stkppj no out upon the margin, 
Where the eliiht and woman meet; 
■Leaving now the vale and streamlet. 
Whore have danced the careless feet. 
Sporting with the passing present, 
As in days of childish glee; 
Lookin': to the untried future, 
And tho vein's so soon to he,— 
Years—with vomnno? lightly glided, 
Like the rising morning star, 
Binding in decisions reaching— 
Ah, we may not know how far. 
Sighing, with a glance filing backward, 
[•‘or the snowdrops of past Springs : 
Longing, with ft gaze heat forward. 
For the laurels Summer brings. 
Not the valley ■ not the upland, 
Walking just half way between, 
Oh, may Wisdom guide the footsteps. 
Treading now the path thirteen. 
-- 
WHEN AND HOW. 
“Nkveu too old to lo n :i," as niy dear grand¬ 
ma, who i« in her ninety-second year, has often 
remarked. And T feel more fully the weight of 
the expression, ns 1 read the experiences of 
those who eontrlbuto to the farmers’ wives’ 
friend, the Tint A i. New-Yorker. 
I was married to a farmer when very yovag; 
having never had any experience to speak of in 
the duties devolving upon one in that, position, 
consequently what knowledge T have in regard 
to house-keeping I fmvo learned, to a great, ex¬ 
tent, from oloervntion. 
T have noticed, also, that we are individually 
inclined to consider “our way" a little the 
host And why not? I always endeavor to se¬ 
cure the ImvI l>y adopting every plan Unit com¬ 
mends Itself to my mind. Doubtless this Is a 
rule among most persons. 
[ cannot think, however, that Saturday, with 
all its euros, should be converted into wash-day 
ft may work very well in families where the r 
are servants, or hoys and girls who are old 
enough to assist. Rut. where there is a family 
of small children, and only “mother” to do 
the work, she must of necessity work vory hard 
in order to Accomplish ii all, especially whor 
there is more or less milk to take care of, as 
there generally Is on the farm. 
I think “Mrs. L. A. O.’b" plan for washing, 
in the Rural for Feb. 15, page 111, splendid, 
and recommend It, but not the time, for the 
next morning is Sabbath, and we all attend 
service, of course. Now 1 always try to arrange 
everything the previous evening, so that we 
may prepare t o go without the worry and Inisl le 
that is seen in some families. The children at¬ 
tend Sabbath school, and have lessons to learn, 
and we mothers must see that they are properly 
understood. 
And now I will repeat an old adage which, if 
not scriptural, i* worthy of consideration:—“ It 
is just as sinful to become so tired on Saturday 
that wo <•.• 111110 ) enjoy the Sabbath, as it would 
bo to labor on that day." 
I had always practiced washing on Monday, 
if possible, ami U bud become such a habit that 
if anything prevented I was very much dis¬ 
turbed, and the week would be so shortened i 
would imagine I had almost lost one day. • 
was very much surprised, and almost, shocked, 
when grandma, (whom I had always supposed 
to have boon a very orderly and thorough house¬ 
keeper, asked me why 1 was always so p:i: Men¬ 
hir to wash fni Monday, when I had so many 
other duties to attend to. She added that she 
had washed fewer times on Monday than al¬ 
most any other day of the week. And now we 
will see what, follows. She has arrived to a 
good old age, with apparent good health, and 
in fair prospects of outliving many of us who 
have hecn so very anxious to be up to i he I irnes, 
and just a little ahead of our neighbors. 
So, after having seen the effect of this useless 
slaving upon ray own constitution, 1 propose 
(as some others have done) a revolution. I am 
inclined to agree with the lady who says, Why 
choose Monday for wash day? and suggests 
Tuesday as being a more suitable day. ft is a 
new thing for me, but I havo tried it with a 
purpose, of late, and succeeded nicely. Have 
accomplished really more lhan usual. And I 
would say to those troubled Marthas, who are 
encumbered with too much serving, to remem¬ 
ber Maky. and choose the goodly part. Don’t 
be afraid of saving your strength, as too many 
of our American women s.oorn to be. 
Notwithstanding, I love to see a systematic 
and orderly way of doing everything. A clean 
house, with everything in its place, is very de¬ 
sirable. Plenty of Powers, sunshine, pictures, 
fruit, and everything to make a pleasant home, 
is a necessity. But never, never be cross or 
fretful under any circumstances. 
Aunt Jennie. 
■ -- 
TRAINING CHILDREN TO BE FEARLESS. 
“Daily' Rural Life” says that, the natural 
aversion that mankind have for insects and 
animals is the result of education and super¬ 
stition, and I have no doubt that what ho says 
may be true. Children, wdien very young, re¬ 
ceive Impressions and form opinions which can¬ 
40 3 
not, during a long life, be eradicated, and all 
the talking and reasoning in I he world will not 
remove the error. | was made very timid, and 
even foolishly afraid of the dork, by listening, 
when very small, to some horrible (ales told by 
a servant girl. The girl was immediately dis¬ 
missed, but. the mischief was done, ami to t his 
day I cannot, persuade myself to sl op out from 
the light into darkness alone, and at the same 
time would he at a loss to toll the cause of fear. 
T was determined, when our oldest boy was yet 
a baby, Mutt he should never be frightened, if 
a constant watchfulness could possibly guard 
against it, and the result has been n fearless¬ 
ness that lias often astonished rne. Orio night, 
when he was but throe years old, he recollected, 
after the lamps were lighted* that ho waul ed to 
put tils Malta kitten In the barn, about twenty 
rods from the house, to have a Hi mice at the 
mice there. Nothing would have induced ini' 
to have gone out into that intense darkness, 
hut to him i raised no objections, and opening 
the door saw him go nut with his kitten in his 
arms, and he soon returned safe and pleased 
with wliat he had done. 
Right then I might have made a coward of 
him by picturing to his youthful imagination 
the lions and dragons that were lying In wait 
for him till along the garden walk, or even sug¬ 
gested to him cross dogs or baby-eating rats 
and cats. 
In my humble judgment, the bad habit that 
many children have of prevaricating and de¬ 
ceiving Is formed in about t tie same way. Let 
a. mother give a child to understand that she 
doubts his word, and she will soon have occa¬ 
sion to; but let her, from the first dawning of 
her child's intellect, show to him daily that she 
has implicit confidence In whatever he .-ays, 
and in no instunec the least wavering, oven 
when faint doubts arise maintain to him her 
firm belief in his statements, and a truth-lov¬ 
ing child will reward her for these * easy Aral 
lessons,” and she will never have to mourn the 
sin of lying In that child. Haim;let. 
-- 
THE LOOKS OF LITERARY WOMEN. 
VKttY Intellectual women are seldom beauti¬ 
ful; their features, ami particularly their fore¬ 
heads, arc. more or less masculine. But there 
arc exceptions to all rules, and Miss Lnudon 
was an exception to this one. She was exceed ¬ 
ingly feminine and pretty. _\fra. Stanton, like¬ 
wise, Is a handsome woman, but Miss Anthony 
and Mm, Livermore are bot h plain, Maria and 
Jane Porter were women of high brows and 
irregular features; as was also Miss Sedgwick. 
Anna Dickinson has a strong, masculine face; 
Kate Field has a good-looking, though !>y no 
means a pretty one, and Mrs. Stowe Is thought 
positively homely. Alien and Phcebe Cary were 
both plain in features, though their swectim J 
Of disposition added greatly to their personal 
appearance. Margaret Fuller hud a splendid 
head, hut her features wen- irregular and she 
was anyth jug but handsome, though sometimes 
in the glow of eon vers,at ion sho appeared al¬ 
most radiant. Charlotte Bronte, hnd wondrous- 
ly beautiful dark brown eyes and a perfectly- 
shaped head. Sho wu&amall todlmUrativoness, 
ami was as simple in her manner as a child. 
Julia Ward IOqws Is a line-looking woman, 
wearing an aspect of grace and refinement and 
groat force of character in her face and car¬ 
riage. Olive Logan is by no moans handsome 
in person, though gay and attractive In conver¬ 
sation. Laura Holloway resembles Charlotte 
Bronte, both in personal appearance am! in tho 
sad experience of her young 1 i fo. Neither Mary 
Booth nor Marlon Flarland can lay claim to 
handsome faces, though they are splendid spec¬ 
imens of cultured women, while Mary Clcui- 
nier Arnes is just as pteasing in features as her 
writings are graceful and popular. 
-- 
A TRUE GENTLEMAN. 
Snow us a man who can quit the society of 
t he young and take pleasure In listening to the 
kindly voice of the old ; show us a man who is 
always ready to pity and help the deformed; 
show us a man that covers the faults of others 
with a mantle of charity; show us vman thut 
bows as politely am! gives I he street r.s freely to 
the poor sowing girl as to the millionaire; show 
nsa man who abhors the libertine, who scorns 
the ridicujcr of hi* mother’s sox and the ex¬ 
posure of womanly reputation; show us the 
man who never forgets for an instant the deli¬ 
cacy' and respect dlie a woman, as a woman, in 
any condition or class—and you show us a true 
gentleman. 
-- 
“Little” is a pretty little adjective, and 
‘little baby,” “little darling,” “little dear,” 
as applied to infant s, are expressive and endear¬ 
ing terms. But there is such a thing as having 
the hahies altogether too little. Thus, “ trip¬ 
lets” lately born, all living, at Klpon, Wis., 
were fairy-like beyond all reason, for together 
the trio of infant beauty weighed only six 
pounds. Further wonders are toid of them. 
They are too small to be dressed and are kept, 
wrapped in cotton. The nurse can make a ring 
of berthumband forefinger and slide it over the 
body' of any' one of them. 
A Lady In Lewiston, Me., has a dress which 
she has worn every summer for twenty-five 
years. The dry goods men look upon her with 
perfect scorn, while she is loved by every mar¬ 
ried man in town. 
Jleitdmq for the fgmmg. 
SING-SONG, 
BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI. 
■Where innocent, bright-eyed daisies are, 
With blades of grass between, 
Each daisy stands up like n star 
Out of a sky of green. 
Th e lily has un air. 
And the snowdrop a grace. 
And the sweet pea a way, 
And tlie hcartiioane a face— 
Yet there's nothing iiko the rose 
When slic blows. 
Three Utttu children 
On the wide. Wide earth, 
Motherless children— 
Cared for from (heir birth 
By tender angels. 
Three little children 
On the wide, wide sea, 
Motherless ohlldren— 
Safe «s safe can he 
With guardian angels. 
What do the stars do 
Up In the sky, 
Higher than tho wind can blow. 
Or tho clouds cun fly t 
Each star In its own glory 
Circles, circles still; 
As it wan lit to shine und set, 
And du its Maker's will. 
--- 
AUNT VELMA’S STORY. 
15V L. 15. P. 
Aunt Velma told mo this story one evening 
Inst, winter. I have often wondered alneo if 
there are many such noble-hearl :•<! girls as sho 
was. She promised to tell me a slury some¬ 
time; so one evening, when the rest of the 
family were at, a lecture, I made her keep her 
promise. After adjusting her spectacles, nrul 
smoothing the wrinkles from her apron, she 
began. 
” Well, Vbllie (I had been named after her), 
you need not expect an exciting story, but just 
n simple talc of my younger days. You know 
we had a large family of children, myself the 
oldest, and only sixteen at that. We had hard 
times to get along; father was often too ill to 
attend to his business, and as wi depended en¬ 
tirely on him we would run so short of money 
sometimes we could not buy sugar for our cof¬ 
fee. That would scorn ltfcrd to you, Vkllii;, 
but T tried not to notice it. As mother was 
able to do but very little, all the cares of tho 
house a&rao to mo, but I did not think if much; 
I always felt so happy to think 1 could do some- 
I king to help. 
“ One owning father came in looking more 
careworn than usual, I thought. I’did not say 
much to him, for I knew lie was tired and it 
would bother him. I did want to ask him if he 
could spare me a few dollars fo get a new dress, 
but I could not. then. When tho ohlldred had 
fill gone lu Led. be said to mo ; 
“’Velma, I have u note which is due next 
month, but f do not feel able to collect; will 
you go out to-morrow and see what, you can 
do?’ I told him I would do the best I could. 
Then lie said, with a sigh * But I don’t sup¬ 
pose you w ill get half enough.’ 
“ ‘ Never rear, father,' I replied; ‘ it will turn 
out all right.' I said fids, Vki.lik, in a careless 
way, but I was thinking differently. Surely, I 
thought, I must, do something to help fattier, or 
he will not bo able to pay this; but what, ()! 
what shall Ido? Tasked myself over and over, 
when a bright thought, struck me ; I w ill begin 
this very evening, I thought. As soon ax father 
had retired I commenced writing, and wrote 
until midnight.. Can you guess what [ was 
doing? Ah ! I see you do (and of course I did). 
“ Next day I started out to collect, but there 
was something in my pocket which worried rne 
a great deal; it was my story. When I reached 
the post-office, I stood along time thinking; at 
last I walked up and dropped it in. • It is gone,' 
thought I. ‘Now-there is no help; but what 
will be the result?’ I did not have very good 
luck that day collecting; seme had the money, 
but most told me to cal! some other l ime. I 
was passing a barber shop, when the t bought 
occurred to me to sell toy hair. Now’, father 
always said he never saw such hair as mine; it 
hung in curls far below ray waist, and I usually 
wore It down, I had always been very proud 
of it, and would never part with it, hut to-day I 
determined to have, it cut; so I walked in and 
told the barber to cut it off close to my head. 
*“\Vhy, miss,’ ho cried, ‘What fur you has 
your hairs cut fur ? Oh! no! don't have them 
cut; worth fifty dollars.’ I told him to cut It. 
then, and give me fifty dollars. He commenced, 
but every new and then he would mutter ’Too 
had; beautiful hair,. Ah, me! too bad.’ I felt 
bad about It, too, but then I thought It ail for 
the best. He gave me twenty-five dollars. Oh! 
how rich I felt. I tell you they * ah-od ’ and 
1 oh-cd ’ me when 1 got home, but I did not tell 
them that T sold it. 
“ f waited day after day for an answer from 
my story. Never a word came until a week 
after, which was long for mo to wait. They 
had accepted It, but would like me to do better 
next time ; I tried, anil think 1 succeeded. 
“ When the day came that the note was due, 
father said to me, * Well. Velm a, the piano will 
have to go; the officer will be hero to take it 
away this evening.’ ‘No ho won’t,’ I thought. 
I hurried off and paid every penny of the debt. 
Father does not know t.o this day who paid it.” 
- +■++ - 
THE LITTLE SCARECROW. 
In England wheat Is called corn, ami is tho 
great, staple for broad. The English people havo 
an idea that the Indian corn, or maize, of 
America, is hardly lit for anything hut, horses. 
I f a man hud to live on corn-broad, he would bo 
considered poor indeed. But the English are a 
queer people, for they call some of their horses 
“cobs." A young Indv In England is said to bo 
fond of riding on her cob. In this country we 
give cobs to the pigs, or wo use them to smoke 
bacon with. Ho, in England, as you will sec by 
the picture on page 401, (painted by ’Ik Dickskk, 
from the Exhibition of tho British Institution,) 
they have live scarecrows in Ihoit whettt fields. 
A lltt le girl goes out to watch for the crows, and 
when she sees them coming to oat the wheat, 
sho sounds the great rattle »hc has In her right 
hand, which makes a sharp, clattering noise, 
and frightens the birds away. In America wo 
set up stuffed scarecrows to frighten the crows 
out of corn Holds, but wn never trouble our¬ 
selves about, the wheat. Little Hally SCahk- 
chow, of tho picture, Is a pretty, fat, black-eyed 
girl, .and sho seems to enjoy tho fun of fright¬ 
ening the birds, We think tho little girls who 
read the Rural Nf.w-Vokkku would sooner be 
going to school, picking flowers, or helping 
their mothers. We arc sure none of them want 
to bo “ scarecrows." 
-»♦» -■ - - - 
STOP AND WEIGH. 
One morning an enraged countryman came 
into Mr. M.’s store with very angry looks. He 
left, a team hi the street, and had a good stick 
in Ills hand, 
“Mr. M.,” said the angry countryman, "I 
bought a paper of nutmegs herein your store, 
and when I got, home they were more Hum half 
walnuts; and that’s the young villain that I 
bought ’em of," pointing to John. 
“John,” said Mr. M., “ did you sell this man 
walnuts for nutmegs?" 
“ No, sir," was the ready reply. 
“ You lie, you little villain,” said the country¬ 
man, still more enraged at hts assurance. 
“Now, look here,” said John. “If you had 
taken the trouble to weigh your nutmegs, you 
would have found that I put in the walnuts 
gratis." 
“ Oh, you gave them to me, did you ?’’ 
“ Yes, sir. I threw In a handful for the chil¬ 
dren to crack," said John, laughing at tho same 
time. 
" Well, now, if that ain’t ayoung scamp," said 
the countryman, his features relaxing into a 
grin as he saw through the matter. 
Much hard talk and bad blood would be saved 
if people would stop to weigh tilings before they 
blame others. 
“Think twice before you speak once,” is an 
excellent motto, -Christian World. 
((Hie iteler. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS. No. 16. 
Answer next week. 
- *+* - 
GEOGRAPHICAL ENIGMA,—No. 2. 
I am composed of 15 (otters : 
My 1,12, 8, 5, 8 is a county in Virginia. 
My s, 10, 6, 12.15 is a county in New York. 
My 9,12, B, 11,8 Is a county in Pennsylvania. 
My 9, IT, 12, to, 14, 4, 13 Is a county in Virginia, 
My TO, 3,15, 2, 13 is a county in North Carolina. 
My 11, 7,12, TO is a county in Tennessee, 
My whole is a saying Unit, all children should 
do. Marion E. Shepard, 
IW A nswer next week. 
-♦♦♦- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-June 7. 
Illustrated Redds No. 15.—When the ass 
bears too light a load, he wants to lie down. 
An ao ram No. 5.— 
Great events, we often find, 
On little things depend; 
And very small beginnings 
Have oft a mighty end. 
Problem No. 0.-16,875. 
