OOBE’S BUBAL WEW-YOB 
SEPT 
a a® 
hour*; Bbe mixed it and set It In the warm sun¬ 
shine, then started a tire and made feed of skim 
milk and meal for the noisy, frolicsome calves 
thut ran in the door yard. Then she swept and 
picked up playthings after the children, hung 
up their coals and aprons, and set their old 
shoes away, and moved their sleds and wagon 
and hoops from about the doors. 
While the dish-water was heating she hurried 
up stairs and made the beds, then washed the 
dishes, and went down cellar and skimmed the 
milk. There was cream enough for a churning, 
and the churn was scalded, and then left a pail 
of cold water standing in it, so as to bo fresh 
and ready, liy this lime baby woke and cried, 
and tired little mother was compelled to sit 
down and take him in her sheltering arms. 
In half an hour or so he was ready to sit down 
on the (lour on a quilt, and she left him long 
enough to carry three or four pails of the skim¬ 
med milk to the pigs—two paflsful at a time, 
and she went on the run. She always fed the 
pigs; when she asked her husband once to carry 
the milk to the pen, on Ids way out to his work, 
ho said,‘‘That belongs to a woman’s work; a 
man whose name is out for a commissioner 
should not be asked to slop the pigs—that’s a 
little too steep.” 
It was no trifling job to feed those pigs; (ho 
pen had been made out of some house logs, and 
the oponing through which the pails had to be 
lifted before they could lie emptied was so high 
up that it just came even wit.ii her neck, and 
was only wide enough to admit the pall with 
the bail lying down. Twice, when she was 
dressed up clean, had the unsteadily poised pail 
tipped hack and poured the contents upon her, 
from her neck oven to her little feet, drenched 
as by a waterspout. 
Withal the mother was quite patient, and al¬ 
most every' day could her voice be heard, even 
down to the lower flekl and the school house 
singing,“A charge to keep lbnvo;" or “God 
moves in a mysterious way." 
Hot before another year a change came. The 
strong, hard man, her husband, was stricken 
down with typhoid fever, and for Jong, weary 
weeks ho lay balancing between life and death. 
His recovery was very slow, and his confino- 
ment irksome; no prison walls could begloom- 
icr than were the homo walls that bold him a 
prisoner. Day aft er day the ceaseless patter of 
his wife’s patient little feet fell upon bis car; 
ho could hear them up stairs and down, now 
here, now there, her voice always kind and ten¬ 
der, her hand ever ready t o minister to her dear 
ones, her words full of consolation, and Jove 
and cheer. John Jones was not wholly unirn- 
presslhle; slowly the scales fell from |iis eyes, 
the light came, and lie was as one born Into a 
higher and better life, lie drew ids bony hand 
across his eyes, often the sobs made him catch 
his breath suspiciously, and he marvelled much 
that he had walked beside this little woman 
for years and not known that lie was mated 
with an angel unawares. His voice grew softer, 
tenderer, Ids great., tajnny hands touched her 
forehead and her hair lovingly as would a wo¬ 
man’s—touched her as though ho was afraid 
she would fade away into a white mist. 
Weeks afterward, when he was aide to ride 
out, the old whimsical buggy, that had done 
good service in the days of his church-going 
parents, was made comfortable by n soft woolen 
blanket and an armful of sweet,-smelling oat 
straw. John didn’t toll where he was going, 
but he looked wise, and his mouth hud a porky 
look about tlie corners that, seemed to say: 
“ Just let mo alone; I know what I'm about.” 
It was evening when lie came home. He was 
still wise as when he went away. His cup of 
hot tea was waiting, and his toast, anil the ten¬ 
der little pullet fried nice and brown. He 
seemed really happy -jolly. He trotted the 
baby on his foot that night, and he called ids 
wife Jenny, as in the days when lie won her, 
and lie let Johnny play horse with ids hoots, 
and t here was such a contented, rich-man ex¬ 
pression on his face that, his wife could not, help 
wondering wlmt had made such a change in 
him. , 
The next morning the crazy old rig was called 
out again, and the soft blanket spread in ii, and 
John Jones took the lines in his emaciated 
hands and drove off in the same direction as 
ho did the day before. 
When he ret urned, he was accompanied by a 
broad-shouldered, good-looking German girl, 
whom he introduced to ids wife as “our girl." 
She looked with amazement upon “our girl," 
then stared at John. 
He soon explained t hings to her satisfaction. 
“The upshot 'o the matter is, Jane, that I’ve 
’bused you long enough ; the Lord helpin’ me 
I’ll never see you make a drudge o' yourself 
ag’in. It’s a burnin’ shame for a great lout like 
me to see a trail little body like you to he a 
man, an’ a boy, ail’ a dog, an' a wife, on’ moth¬ 
erin' nigger, an’ me a savin’ an* hoardin' up 
money and moans to leave to the Lord only 
knows who. I bogyour pardon, Jane; and now 
you'll tell this girl, Barbary Groetz, how you 
want tilings done, an’let her take your place 
an’ work in your sttd, an’ you’ll live hereafter 
like a human man’B wife ort to.” 
By the time his speech was made, the poor, 
weak fellow was blubbering like a whale. 
Poor little surprised wife ’ She flew to his 
neck and laid her head on his bosom and cried 
like a baby, as she said John Jones! you 
old darling! ” 
“ Xu not a bit of a darlin ’; .just an old bear, 
a reg’lar old heathen, to sacrifice the best little 
woman under t he sun, inch by inch, this way 
that’s been goln’ on for years an’ years,” snuf¬ 
fled ho, as he fumbled over her face in an aim¬ 
less, loving way. 
Then our girl. Barbary, went into Jane Jones' 
harness, and it fitted her to a fraction. 
“Now we’ve turned over a new leaf, go and 
dress up, Jenny, bless you! ” said the new con¬ 
vert. 
So, with the memory of lang syne warming 
her heart, Jane unearthed her wedding dress in 
the afternoon, and put It. on with a pretty old- 
fashioned collar, and brushed out her nut brown 
bitirthat once upon a time curled beautifully. 
Perhaps she fell foolish and girlish and out of 
her sphere, but she looked sweet enough to 
make up for all discrepancies. 
She sat. sowing, putting a now band on ltuby’s 
white skirt, when the children came homo from 
school. Her back was toward the door. Tom 
came to a dead halt as he stepped upon the sill, 
and then ran round to find Ills mother. No 
mother there, but the smiling pinky-faced Her¬ 
man girl, who was paring potatoes for supper. 
Tom bawled out:—“Is mother dead? Oh, I 
want my mother 1 " and circled round the house 
and pooped in shyly with wot eyes. 
Was that, lady in a soft, gray merino dress, 
wearing an embroidered collar and gold ear¬ 
drops, his mother ? That pretty woman 1 Sure¬ 
ly it was, for Net tie was reeling of her faeo, and 
was sparkling all over and was saying, “ Is this 
you, mother? Why where iiave you been ? ” 
“O, mal"sald Tom, holding her round the 
nock as though she might flit, away the next 
minute; why whore did you go and when did 
you come back! ” 
Poor little, ones how proud they were of the 
household drudge in her new and beautiful 
I ransformatioii. 
But this is not all. Before the first cold blast 
of winter came, steps were taken to save and 
lighten trie labors of t he feminine portion of 
the farmer's household. An addition was built, 
to the house, a new siding was put on and 
painted white, New windows were added, and 
green blinds, and spouting, and a wide, long, 
roomy porch. CIobcIs were put in all the rooms; 
the old vermlny bedsteads split up and used for 
kindlings; new chairs were bought, including 
a new rocking and .sowing-uhalr, for mother; 
a new sowing ma chine, t hat was a love of a 
friend, the door yard was paled In, and the 
calves and eoii. 1 } kept where they belonged; 
and evergreen trees and flowering shrubbery, 
and rosebushes made beautiful the new yard. 
An easy chain pump took I lie place of the moss 
covered bucket that field as much as a churn, 
it was packed off to the barn to put clover seed 
in, and the heavy windlass was borne away for¬ 
ever from the little arms that had tugged at its 
ponderous weight with a sick weariness, many 
and many a year. The big Well rope made a 
nice swing out under the oaks for Tom and 
Belle and chubby little Harry. 
Now thut the no longer enslaved mother has 
leisure to mingle with her growing children as 
teacher, and companion and friend, they grow 
more lovable and intelligent, and they cling to 
her like vines. They see so much in her to ad¬ 
mire and emulate. 
And John Junes? That, spell of fever was 
Aaron's rod that smote the rock of his soul and 
opened It. for the outgushlng ot love and sym¬ 
pathy and charity and all I ho virtues andcharms 
and graces of the human heart; and to-day, 
growing broader and ruddier and riper and bet¬ 
ter, there lives* no happier farmer than that 
dear old, renovated John Jones, 
-- 
A LAUGHABLE LOVE STORY. 
A rich old gentleman had au only daughter, 
possessed of the highest attractions,moral, per¬ 
sonal and pecuniary. She was engaged and 
devotedly attached to a young man in every re¬ 
spect worthy of her choice. AU the marriage 
preliminaries were arranged, and the wedding 
was fixed to take place on a certain Thursday. 
On the Monday preceding the wedding-day the 
bride and groom elect, (who was to have received 
$1)0.000 down on his wedding day, and a further 
sum of $100,000 on his father-in-law’s death, (an 
event which would probably soon occur,) had a 
little joalou:- squabble with his int ended at tho 
evening party. The “tiff” arose in consequence 
of his paying more attention than slio thought 
justifiable to a lady with sparkling eyes and In¬ 
imitable ringlets. 
The gentleman retorted, and spoke taunting¬ 
ly of a certain cousin whose waistcoat was the 
admiration of tho company, and hinted that It 
had I icon embroidered by tho fair heiress her¬ 
self. He added that it would bo soon enough 
for him to he schooled afterthey were married, 
and that she adopted the “breeches" a little 
too soon. After the supper they became recon¬ 
ciled apparently, and the bridegroom elect, in 
taking leave, was kind and affectionate. On 
the next morning t he swain regretted the an¬ 
gry feeling lie had exhibited and the cutting 
sarcasm with which he had given it vent; and, 
as a part of the amende honorable , packed up a 
magnificent satin dress which lie hud previously 
bespoke for his belayed (which had been sent 
home in t.he interval) arid sent it to the Jady 
with the following note: 
“Dearest Joe;—I have been unable to 
close my eyes all night, in thinking of our mis¬ 
understanding last evening. Tray pardon me; 
and, in token of your forgiveness, deign to ac¬ 
cept the accompanying dress, and wear it for 
the sake of our most affectionate Henry.” 
Having written the note, he gave it to liis ser¬ 
vant to deliver with the parcel. But, as a pair 
of pantaloons happened to need repairing, ho 
availed himself of the opportunity (the servant 
having to pass the tailor’s shop) to send them 
In another package to the tailor. The man 
made the fatal blunder! left, (lie satin dress 
w ith Snip, and took the note and the damaged 
trowsors to tho lady. So exasperated was she 
at what she considered a determined and delib¬ 
erate affront, that when her admirer railed she 
ordered the door to be closed in his face, re¬ 
fused to listen to any explanation, and reso¬ 
lutely broke off the match. 
-*.-*-4- 
SPARKS AND SPLINTERS. 
A Maiden Speech—A sk papa. 
Ill-gotten Gains—D octor’s fees. 
Always going to the dogs—Bones. 
County fairs will be tho next affairs.’ 
A Western settler—The sun at evening. 
A Criminal Court—F lirting with married 
men. 
What relation is the door to a mat?—A step¬ 
father. 
Can a butcher’s be said to be a joint-stock 
business. 
Croquet has been defined as “billiards gone 
to grass.” 
When is a thief like a reporter ?—When he 
takes notes. 
How to make a tall man short—Ask him to 
lend you $8. 
On which side of a donkey would you look for 
tho most hair? The outside. 
As soon as his victim threw stones at him an 
Indianian quit playing ghost. 
An exchange alludes to an editor’s goose quill 
“ cackling notes of warning.” 
We are told that nothing is made In vain. 
But how about a pretty girl ? Isn’t she maiden 
vain? 
Somebody advertises for “a good girl to 
cook.” We have seen some that looked good 
enough to eat raw. 
Our young ladies are never behind tho fash¬ 
ions; l^t the fashions are very much behind 
the young ladies. 
Josh Billings says “ It is a statistical fact 
that the wicked work harder to reach hell than 
the right eous dew to got to heaven.” 
A D ANDY asked a barber’s boy if lie had ever 
shaved a monkey. “ No, sir,” answered the lad, 
“ but if you will take a scat. I’ll try.” 
A Missouri lady advertises for the person 
who isin the habit of serenading her, to staiul 
nearer t he house, so that she can scald him. 
A TERRE haute girl thinks it about time 
some young fellow proposed, as she has been 
bridesmaid eight times, and lias been tantalized 
enough, 
A prudent match-making mamma gave the 
foil* (Wing candid advice to her daughter“ oh, 
marry tho man you love, girl, if he Is as rich as 
Croesus.” 
A wag in what lie knows of farming, gives a 
plan to remove widow’s weeds; he says a good- 
looking man has only to say, “ Wilt thou ?” and 
they wilt. 
“ Bridget, go over and see how old Mrs. Bon¬ 
net is this morning.” In a few minutes Bridget 
returned Avith the news that Mrs. Bonnet was 
just till years, 4 months and 11 days old. 
“ Mother, can 1 go and have my photograph 
taken?” “No; I guess it isn’t worth while." 
“ Well, then, you might let me go and have a 
tooth pulled out; I never go anywhere.” 
“ iloAV does that look, eh?” said a big-fisted 
Wall street man to a friend, holding up one of 
his brawny hands. “ That,” said the friend, 
“ looks as though you’d gone 1 short’ on your 
soap.” 
The girl of this age is unfit to be wed who 
don’t understand how to make nice, sweet 
bread. And the man is a dunce who a partner 
will take, avIio don’t understand cooking coffee 
and steak. 
A story is told of one asking anot her wheth¬ 
er he would advise him to lend a certain friend 
money; “What, lend him money! You might, 
give him an emetic, and he wouldn’t return it.” 
A country girt., coming from a morning 
walk, was told site looked as fresh as a daisy 
kissed by dew, to which she innocently replied, 
“ You have got my name right—Daisy; but hits 
Isn’t Dew." 
The latest advocate of Darwinism points out 
that the bird-nesting propensity in boys is a 
relic of the disposition shown by the ancestral 
monkey to plunder the homes of the feathered 
tribe. 
Saxe says t.liat Vermont is famous for four 
staples—men, women, maple sugar and horses. 
The first are strong, t he lust fleet, the«eecond and 
third are exceedingly sweet, apd ail are uncom¬ 
monly hard to beat. 
“What is that, children?” asked a young 
pastor, exhibiting to his Sunday-school a magic- 
lantern picture of a poor sinner clinging to a 
cross towering out of stormy waves in mid- 
ocean. “Robinson Crusoe” was the instant 
reply. 
“ Sir,” Baid a little blustering man to his reli¬ 
gious opponent, “ I say, sir, to what sect do you 
think 1 belong?” "Well, I don’t exactly know," 
replied the other, "but to judge from your 
make, size arid appearance, I should say you 
belonged to a class called insects.'' 
WORK AND WAIT. 
A husbandman who many years 
Had plowed his fields and sown in tears 
Grew weary with his doubts and fears. 
■“ I toll in vain! These rocks and sands 
Will yield no harvest to my hands; 
The best seeds Tot in barren lands. 
“ My drooping vine is withering; 
No promised grapes its blossoms bring; 
No birds among Its branches sing. 
“ My flock is dying on the plain, 
The heavens are brass—they yield no rain: 
The earth is iron—I toil In vain! ” 
AVhile yet he spake a breath had stirred 
His drooping vine, like wing of bird. 
And from its leaves a voice ho heard: 
“The germs and fruits of life innst bo 
Forever hid In mystery, 
Yet none can toil in vatn for Me. 
“A mightier band, more skilled than thine, 
Must hang the clusters on Die vine. 
And make the fields with harvest shine. 
“ Man can but work: God can create; 
Hut they who work, and watch and wait. 
Have their reward, though it come late. 
•“ Look up to heaven! behold and hear 
The clouds and thunderings in thy ear— 
An answer to thy doubts and four.’’ 
He looked, and lo! a cloud-draped car. 
With trailing smoke nod flames afar, 
Was rushing from a distant star. 
And every thirsty flock and plain 
Was risiug up to meet, tho rain 
That came to clothe the fields with grain. 
And on the clouds ho saw again 
Tlie covenant of God with men, 
Re-written with His rainbow pen: 
“ Seed-time and harvest shall not fail, 
And though the gates of hell assail, 
My truth and promise shall prevail.” 
-- ♦♦♦ 
A G0D-EEARING EMPEROR. 
Rev. Dr. Schaff of Ncav York recently met 
the Emperor of Germany at Bad-Gastein, in 
Austria, and had a conference with hint rela¬ 
tive to the approaching meeting of tho Evan¬ 
gelical Alliance In New York, Dr. SciIAFF, in 
writing of the interview, says the Emperor re¬ 
quested me to bring to the General Conference 
at New Vorkliia inosl cordial greeting and good 
wishes, with the assurances of his entire sympa¬ 
thy with the hleaaud evangelical union efforts 
of the Alliance, which he doomed of the utmost 
importance, especially at this time of conflict 
with t he powers of infidelity on the one hand 
and superstition on tlie ot her; for only a united 
array could expect to conquer the enemy and 
to enjoy the benefits of victory. In laboring 
for union, lie said, we act in accordance with 
the spirit of Christ, who prayed for it before 
He offered Himself a sacrifice for tho sins of 
ilie world. The Emperor expressly declared 
that lie sustained tho same relation to the Al¬ 
liance which liis brother and predecessor, 
King Frederick William IV.. publicly defined 
when he received the General Conference of 
1887 at Ids palace in Potsdam. (This wra almost 
the last public act of that sovereign, a noble 
testimony to Christian union, which still has 
its moral effect and will never die.) 
Emperor William is now 70 years old, but 
still fresh and vigorous. He takes a long walk 
every morning, as erect as a man in his prime. 
He works very hard even in his vacation. He 
wears a gray traveling suit, lives very plainly 
and regularly, is courteous and kind, and de¬ 
servedly hold in universal esteem and affection 
in all Germany, lie spoke to me with great 
frankness about, tho present state of the Church 
and religion, and expressed his discouragement 
at. the progress <it unbelief, of materialism and 
worldliiiess. “God has used us,” he said, “as 
unworthy instruments for doing great, tilings 
for Germany. For this we cannot he sufficient¬ 
ly thankful, but instead of this we are proving 
our ingratitude and provoking the just puuish- 
ment of God." lie is unquestionably not only 
a most honorable and conscientious, but also a 
Gon-fearingand sincerely evangelical man, and 
is becoming more so every year. I saw him at 
the Protestant church yesterday, and there was 
no more devout worshiper in the crowded house 
than he. 
-<*-♦-*- 
According to Prof. Seely© of Amherst, who 
had an excellent opportunity to observe the 
Brahmo Somaj movement while lie was in 
India, that new faith is making little headway 
among even the educated Hindoos, Clnuider 
Son's professed followers number scarcely a 
thousand among the two hundred millions of 
I udia. While the Brail mo Somaj has nominally, 
at least, broken with idolatry, it offers no cardi¬ 
nal doctrine that proves satisfactory. it accepts 
no objective authority in religious matters, re¬ 
garding Jesus, Mohammed, Confucius, Zoroas¬ 
ter and other religious teackers, as alike worthy 
of veneration, leaving each individual to accept 
or reject what lie pleases in their writings and 
precepts. This principle seems not to have im¬ 
pressed itself upon the Hindoos in general, and 
Is not likely to modify their faith or life as a 
people. 
-♦ ■ - - 
Take the candle of God’s word and search 
the comers of your heart. 
