;or Donng Ifrcrpfr. 
cover worn off. The pieces must be broken 
off at the length of two feet; bend and tie 
each piece in the shape of a figure 8. It 
takes forty of these pieces—seven for each 
WHILE I MAY. 
“ Papa, shot the bon*, pleiiBe; let us play together; 
I’ll be Pattt Wotton In her gown o' gray, 
Mamma'll be a lady buying all ray berries, 
And you'll pay in silver—papa, what you say ?” 
Pages of the Poets, open at your sweetest. 
You will be to-morrow what you are to-day; 
But the sunny eyes here, If I now deny them. 
When I fain would meet them, may hare turned 
away. 
Singing birds are songful only in the Spring time, 
Blossoms wilt be blossoms only for a day. 
Golden hair Is goldeu but a little longer, 
80 I’ll make your heart light, darling, while I may. 
Elver willing fancy, charm away the present. 
Summon all thy maglo, honor bright In play. 
Let my little maiden in her seventh Summer 
Be a wrinkled woman in a gown o’ gray. 
[Selrcted. 
LETTERS FROM GIRLS. 
“About the Happy Family.” 
Seeing a letter from a Western boy in 
Missouri, I think I can answer one of his 
questions at least. I am not quite ten years 
old yet, but have been to New York twice. 
I have a very dear grandpa and grandma 
living in the big city of New York; and 
once a year mother, my little brother and 
myself visit them; and so this year, in the 
early part of June, we went. While there 
I saw many great 9ights. The one that 
pleased us most was the happy family at 
“ Wood’s Museum.” There was a large 
cage, and it contained all sorts of fowls and 
birds, a dog, mice, rats, and then, to cap all, 
a cat. We could not imagine why the cat 
did not catch the mice and rats, and was 
wondering, when grandpa suggested that 
probably she (the cat) was reared among 
them ; aud as they were all young together, 
they became firm friends. I should like to 
hear some one else’s opinion of the happy 
family, and why the cat did not catch those 
mice.— Lottie. 
side, four for each end, seven for the bottom 
and eleven for Hie handle—the four top ones 
being all tied together and finished with 
one. Tie them all firmly together. Paint 
it green and paste some strips of gilt paper 
around the joints. I have made a drawing 
of it, so that you can see how it is made.— 
Ella F. 
■ i ■ +■» » ■ - - ■ 
LETTER3 FROM BOYS- 
From Jminlo II. 
Mr. Editor :—My home is situated be¬ 
tween two large hills, with beautiful green 
woods west of it, where I often go to gather 
wild flowers. There are several pine and 
willow trees aud lilac bushes in our yard. 
The lilacs are all the flowers we have in the 
yard ; but I have a small piece of ground in 
the gftrden for flowers. I am very glad 
father owns a farm, for I am never happier 
To Cntch Woodchucks and Tnu Iheir Skins. 
As Ouin Stoughton wishes to know how 
to catch woodchucks and tan their hides, I 
will try and explain. In the first place he 
must catch the woodchuck—this is indis¬ 
pensable if he wants a hide—and to do this 
there are several methods. The steel trap, 
I think, la best, although the woodchuck 
will manage at times to escape, by pulling 
his foot out when it is caught only slightly 
by the toes. The trap should be placed in 
the hole, about a foot from the entrance; 
cover it with grass, and fasten It by a strong 
chain to a stake firmly driven in the ground. 
In skiuning the woodchuck, do not skin 
the neck and head, as the hide is too thick 
to be of service. Plucc the hide in a box 
with some ashes, and lie sure they cover it 
then pour on some water to make a st rong ley 
Leave it here until the hair will come of] 
easy—which may be ascertained by trying 
occasionally—and then scrape it. off with a 
dull knife or a stick. After the hair is com 
than when perched on the top of a load of 
hay or taking a ridoon my little black pony, plctely off, place the hide in some soap for a 
I do not like living in town at all. I have day or two, then take it out and rub it with 
tried it, and nothing made me happier than 
getting home.— Jennie H. 
Clurn'M Cake Recipe. 
I have a very nice hanging basket, 
witli a strawberry geranium in it, which 
serves in place of a curtain at my window. 
I am going to try Ella's recipe for malciug 
cake. I will send mine; it is very nice, and 
I would like to have all the girls try it: 
One enp of white sugar, five tablespoonfuls 
a dull drawing shave, or a stick with a sharp 
edge, until the flesh and soup are rubbed off. 
When scraping it, you should stretch it as 
much as possible, as this will add to its fine¬ 
ness. When the soap is out, work it in your 
hands until the color changes to a whitish 
cast, and the tanning is complete. 
The time to catch woodchucks for their 
hides is from August to cold weather. In 
my next I will tell you how to teach dogs to 
hunt woodchucks, and to teach them tricks, 
ot biittei , whites of six eggs, one teacup of etc. Hoping for the success of the boys and 
sweet milk, one teaspoonful of soda, two of girls of the Rural, I remain the Rural’s 
cream tartar, three cups flour; lemon extract friend.— f. ii. t. 
to flavor.—C lara. 
How to I’l-nctlce a Music Lesson. 
In answer to Katie, the way I do is to 
play my lesson over carefully, count it also, 
and then rest a little while and play it over 
again. If il be u very hard one I only play 
half of it at a time, I always practice one 
hour a day, and sometimes two. Katie and 
l differ; I lmd rather play in my instruction 
book than play pretty pieces. But I think 
we ought to be willing to play where our 
teachers wish us to.—E lla C. 
P. S.—Loretta has not told us how to 
make card receivers yet. 
In 
A Cheap und Pretty Hanging Basket 
can be made of a carrot. Cut the root end 
off, leaving about a finger. Scrape the in¬ 
side out smoothly; cut off the leaves and 
stems. Hung it up at an east window, tak¬ 
ing care to keep it filled with water. In a 
short time the leaves will curl up and cover 
the carrot. Dear girls, I hope you will try 
my hanging basket aud like it as well as I 
do.— Mary H. Jones. 
Remember Our Brothers’ Booms. 
Girls, while we are furnishing our own 
rooms, let us not forget our brothers’; for I 
believe boys like flowers and pictures as well trolling line Is generally one iiundredlfeet or 
as girls. I am glad Edith has set. the ball longer, and should be made fast to the stern 
To Cntch Pickerel, 
answer to Tim Tucker, I will say 
that there are three ways of catching pick 
erel—by throwing and drawing, skittering 
and trolling. For throwing and drawing, a 
line about thirty feet long is required. The 
bait, may be the side or belly of a perch, or 
even a pork rind three or four inches long. 
The belly of a perch is the best, because of 
the three red fins, which give it more at¬ 
traction and motion white being drawn. If 
throwing und drawing on shore, the line 
should be neatly coiled ut your feet; then 
take it in the right hand about two feet from 
the bait, and with dexterity twirl it as fur as 
possible. Wait a sufficient time—not long 
enough for it to sink to the bottom—then 
draw it with short, quick jerks, hand over 
hand, coiling at your feet again. 
If in a boat, anchor in six or eight feet of 
water and proceed as before. Linos with 
corks, and baited with minnows, should he 
hung over the sides of the boat, so that 
pickerel culled up may yet lie caught. 
Skittering consists merely in standing on 
shore or in a boat with a long pole—line not 
too long, bait same as for throwing and 
drawing — and skippingly and excitingly 
moving the bait about upon the surface. 
In trolling, a boat is always used. A 
in motion. I hope it will not stop till the 
girls not only write about their rooms, but 
about their homes, and how they spend their 
leisure hours.— Delia Dill. 
Ella F.’s Newspaper Basket. 
Dear Mr. Editor :—I am glud you do 
not think it too much trouble to lake notice 
oi Lbe boat. Two persons are required, one 
to row and fine to watch the line and steer 
the boat. Should row along the shore of 
the lake in ten or twelve feet of water. A 
spoon can be made of tin, but the whole ap¬ 
paratus had better be purchased. Six hooks 
are necessary, and are placed both sides of 
the spoon, three in a place. The three hooks 
are put backs together and securely fastened 
string to 
her having seen anything of the kind in the P r °tect from their sharp teeth. Brightred 
Rural. It is a hanging basket to keen na- or - , ve ™ iim ° n feathers are generally used 
lade of old houn skim-hm ,iL th , 0U S>i n ‘>} !tlw!l , v \ I pre¬ 
fer the first named method as the best for 
catching these beautiful fish.—J. J. J 
pers in, made of old hoop skirts—but they 
should not be too old, so as to have the 
Idyl of the Period—In Two Parts. 
I. 
“Comb right In! How are you. Fred? 
Find a chair, and hare u IlKht.” 
" Wf.li, old boy. rocovorod yet 
From the Math bus's jam last night?” 
“ Didn't dance, the German's old.” 
“ Didn’t yon t 1 had to lead— 
Awful bore !—but where were you ?" 
“ Sat It out with Molly Meade ; 
Jolly little girl rhe la— 
Said she didn't care to dance 
'D rather have a quiet chat— 
Then *ho gave me each n glance. 
So when yon hud cleared the room 
And had cupturod all the chairs, 
Having nowhere else, we two 
Took poaao.islou of the stairs. 
I was on a lower stop, 
Molly ou the next above; 
Gave me her bouquet to hold— 
Asked mo to draw off her glove. 
Then, of course, I squeezed her hand, 
Talked uoout my wasted life, 
Said my sole salvation must 
Be a true and gentle wife. 
Then, you know, 1 used my eye*— 
She believed me every word ; 
Almost said she loved me—Jove 1 
Such a voice 1 never heard— 
Gave me some symbolic flower, 
Had u moaning, oh ! »o sweet, 
Don’t know what It la, I'm sure, > 
Must have dropped It lu the street, 
Bow 1 spooned I and she—lia 1 ha I 
Well, 1 know It wasn’t right. 
But she did believe me so. 
That I—kissed her-pass a light.” 
n. 
“ Molly Meade, well I declare I 
Who'd have thought of seeing yon. 
After what occurred last ulght. 
Out herd on the avenue. 
Oh I you awful, awful girl 
There—don't blush—1 eaw It all.” 
” Saw all what?''—“ Atuim—lust night— 
At the Mathers 8, to the hall.” 
•' Oh ! you horrid—where were you 1 
Wasn't he an awful goose ? 
Most men umst he caught, but he 
Rati his neuk right In the noose. 
I wits almost dead to danca, 
I'd have done It If I could ; 
But old Gray suld I must stop. 
And I'd promised Mai would; 
So 1 looked up, sweet, and said 
Thai I'd rather talk With him. 
Hope he didn't see ray face, 
Luckily the lights were dim ; 
Then how be itiit squeeze my hand— 
And he’d look up lu my face 
With ni» lovely, grout big eyes— 
Really it's a dreadful ease. 
Ho was alt In earnest, too. 
Hut i thought I'd have to laugh 
When ho kissed a flower I gave, 
Looking—oh ! like »uch a calf. 
I suppose he lias it now, 
Di a wlno glass on his shelves. 
It’s a mystery to me, 
Wny men will deceive themselves. 
Saw him ki.ui mo! Oh, you wretch— 
Well, hi? begged so hard for one. 
And I thought thcre'fl no out know, 
So l—let hliu—just tor fun. 
I know it wasn't really right 
To trifle with his feelings, dear, 
But mon are suoh conceited things, 
They need a lesson onoe a year.” 
[O. A. Baker, Jr., tn N. T., Eve. Mail. 
DAILY TAIsK. 
Can we Alford It f 
Thinking of the matter of hard talking 
about other people, and unkind feeling to¬ 
ward them, I have come solidly to the con¬ 
clusion that it costs too much for any pru¬ 
dent man to indulge in it. Now l don’t 
mean slander of such a kind that the law 
of the land could take hold of it, nor such 
hard feeling that it would put a man in dan¬ 
ger of taking life to gratify it; but Ido 
mean such feeling and talking as may be 
seen in a certain, mean, satirical joking and 
chuckling over the weaknesses or faults of 
some one about us. 
We have no time for it. While we are 
doing such a thiug as that our lives hurry 
on just as fast as though we were saving the 
nation or the race. Still more, it uses up 
vital force. Every thrill of bad feeling that 
a man indulges In subtracts from his power 
to make himself felt in the world. So much 
is used up—gone. Eternity can never bring 
it back. 
Now if it be true that man was made to 
grow in mind, heart, and soul, and that 
everything he does aside from that end is 
sheer loss, if not worse, then in the sight of 
plain common sense we have no time for 
anything else—no time, moat certainly, to 
be looking down upon and ridiculing our 
kind. We don’t grow by looking down. 
We must look aloft or perish. Neither 
scorn, contempt, nor any other malevolent 
feeling can ever help directly to soul pro¬ 
gress. We must look at something above 
us. Admiration is the very atmosphere— 
the vital air of progress. Wonder and 
praise are helpful and good. Dwelling on 
what we can admire gives the object of the 
feeling a curious power to fashion us into its 
likeness. There is nothing like keeping the 
eyes in the right direction. j. w. q. 
Conversation. 
The Springfield Republican has the fol¬ 
lowing “ Why is conversation dying out?” 
It is in a measure owing to want of culture 
and thought in those who make up general 
society, a lack of interest in subjects adopted 
to general conversation. In tete-a-tete, chit¬ 
chat and personalities are admirable; but in 
conversation, to use a slang phrase, we must 
‘ l talk like a book,” or must possess a gift in 
talking that kind of nonsense which Tal¬ 
leyrand found so delightftil ami refreshing, 
and in which the French excel, or else know 
something of the world through our own 
travels or those of other people, or politics, 
metaphysics and philosophy. Conversation 
is an art, Emerson says, in which a man has 
all mankind for competitors. Does he not 
fail to draw the line here between those who 
talk and those who converse ? The world is 
full of the former, but has few of the latter. 
It seems to take so many intellectual quali 
ties to make a good conversationalist. It is 
not enough to have the power of expression ; 
many bright spirits have been witty with the 
pen who have utterly failed with the tongue 
We read, “ Charles II., the wittiest mon¬ 
arch that ever sat on the English throne, was 
so charmed with the humor of 4 Iludibras,’ 
that he caused himself to be introduced in 
the character of a private gentleman to But¬ 
ler, its author. The witty king found the 
author a very dull companion, and was of 
the opinion, with many others, that so stupid 
a fellow could never have written so clever 
a book.” But there are many exceptions 
where the double gift is bestowed. As in 
Scott, Burns, Sheridan, and nearer our 
own day, Sidney Smith, and our own Low¬ 
ell, and Holmes and Higoinson, Henry 
Giles was sparkling in monologue and Hen¬ 
ry James is a brilliant conversationalist, 
with an endless amount of humor, which is 
necessary to entertainment in conversation. 
But the last, essential to a good conversation 
Is magnetism, the power over others of mak¬ 
ing them express the best that is in them. 
This comes partly from 4 ‘ hospitality to their 
thought,” to use the Orphic Alcott’s expres¬ 
sion, but mainly from an occult power that 
is possessed by some individuals. 
Cp 
tibbsflk it faking. 
The Kind of Wife for n Poet. 
A writer in Belgravia says:—“ If a poet’s 
wife be a woman of quick apprehension, 
with a strong love for nature, and with wide 
sympathies generally, she Is a much fitter 
companion for him, even if the utterances of 
her soul remain unknown and unsuspected 
by the world at. largo, than a matron of as¬ 
tonishing culture, who is continually assist¬ 
ing at what may be called displays of intel¬ 
lectual fireworks. 4 Blue stockings 7 are 
bores and nuisances both to gods and men; 
but intelligent, suggestive, lovable women 
are treasures to be made much of and care¬ 
fully prised and cherished. The gentle, re¬ 
tiring, silent, yet quick-imaginationod wo¬ 
man, if she he blessed with a good husband, 
is, ev n in ordinary life, thought much more 
of by ini than a loud, demonstrative, showy 
woman would be. Clever men are not gen¬ 
erally very exacting with their wives; but 
they wish, and expect to be, to a certain ex¬ 
tent, understood.” 
Arabian Benediction*. 
Those who have spent much tiuie among 
the Arabs can recite a hundred wavs of 
giving benediction, from the 44 Alluh increase 
thy substance,” down to the lower form of 
” May thy stomach never know hunger.” 
It is true, indeed, that these forms of bene¬ 
diction are generally used to precede a re¬ 
quest ; for the crafty Arab is a great solici¬ 
tor, and well knows how to flatter and 
ciyole the possible benefactor. 41 To him 
who is mounted on an ass,” says an Arab 
proverb, say, 44 O, my lord, may thy horse 
fare well;” aud 14 kiss the dog on the mouth,” 
enjoins another, 44 till you have got all from 
him that you require." To comprehend the 
pleasant energy of which latter saying we 
mu9t remember that the dog is an unclean 
beast for an Arab, and that he cannot even 
touch him without incurring the necessity 
of ablution before his next prayer, out of 
the five daily prayers which the Monaddin 
calls upon him to perform. 
About Secrecy. 
A WRITER in St. Paul’s says 44 The less 
of secrecy we have in our lives the better. 
He who has none, though he may suffer sor¬ 
row, is free from that fear of Ilia fellow men, 
which is the worst of suffering. But the 
friend, or acquaintance, or stranger, who 
sends us a letter aud writes ‘private 7 on the 
top of it, attempts to impose upon us an 
added burden, a new secret, another weight, 
trom the bearing of which, in nine canes out 
of ten, no advantage can accrue to ourselves. 
There are those attached to most of us, for 
whom to bear such burdens is the sweetest 
privilege of our existence. He who lias no 
compact, written or unwritten, with any 
friend, rendering himself liable to such obli¬ 
gation, is iudeed, to be pitied.” 
Mistaken. 
I was only a little broken-hearted 
Yesterday, 
When he and I so coldly parted 
On our way. 
I had thought his words of kindness 
Some meaning bore; 
It was all my foolish blindness. 
Nothing more! 
I do not think that I shall sorrow— 
Not much, nt least; 
I shall meet. him on the morrow, 
My lore-dream ceased. 
One of my foolish fancies only 
Passed away; 
And perhaps 1 feel a little lone— 
Just to-day [3<Uct*4. 
THE PILGRIM’S PATH. 
" O pilgrim, resting by the way 
Just where the evening meets the day. 
Toll mo, what mot you on ymtr way?” 
•'My way? O child the way was long 
Life Is not all a joyful song ; 
How can I tell of flght and fray ? 
Your foot would shrink to walk the road ; 
Your hnnds would weary with the load.” 
“ But toll mo. for I fain would hear. 
What dangers mark the high wuy drear: 
And knowledge is not worse than fear; 
Before me Itos the untrodden way; 
ifi’eu now the breaking of the day 
Tells me 1 must not linger here; 
Touch me to walk the sufest road 
Nor feur the burden and the load. 
“ Your race, you say, tg almost run. 
Your feet turned toward the setting sun, 
But 1. my life is Just begun. 
And l would know what foes you met, 
What tempters soured you In t.lielr net, 
What lights you fought, what victories won 
Perchance the lesson might Impart 
New couruge to my fainting heart.' 
“ 'Tls well, my child ; how glad, Goo knows. 
Would I to your young feet disclose 
Some path unchecked by cure and woes. 
Rut time is brief ; my lmlr Is white; 
My steps uru tottering ; gone my sight; 
And Just before Death's river flows. 
For me the hound of human life 
The end of conflict, toll and strife. 
44 Once, standing whore you stand to-day, 
I scorned the help for which you pray 
And spurued my counselors away. 
Too proud to want a guiding hand, 
Too weak alone to safely stand, 
1 stumbled, blindly felt my wuy 
And fnlllng, learned to feel the need 
Of some one tuy poor steps to lead. 
" 'Twus then the blessed Friend of all— 
He who hurl watched me. seen me full— 
Came kindly at my pleading call. 
He took from me my heuvy load ; 
He pointed out the narrow road. 
Forgave my HlUund pardoned all. 
Whatever victory 1 have won 
It is not I, bat God's dear Son. 
** And so, my child, tills Heavenly Friend 
To you will kind assistance lend. 
And all your wuy In life intend. 
If, only trusting in Ills might, 
You walk by faith and not by sight; 
And when your pilgrimage shall end, 
Abundant entrance shall be given 
And angels lead you up to Heaven.” 
THOUGHTS BY THINKERS. 
Ralnv Confidential Sunday*. 
Some writer—we wish wo knew who— 
puts it this way:— 44 When God wishes es¬ 
pecially to bless the inner ring of the Christian 
circle — the 4 Peter, James and John’ fra¬ 
ternity—then it is that Ik* permits a rainy 
Sunday to intervene. VVliat pastor has not 
felt a peculiar atmosphere to pervade the 
house of God on such days, when the 4 two 
or three 7 are assembled in the name of 
Christ? They are such confidential days /— 
those rainy Sundays. Pastor and people 
come so near together; the services are par¬ 
ticipated in by all; the homily becomes so 
pointed and direct; every exercise has so 
much of the 4 thou art the man 7 about it, that 
uo one has any margin left for Ids neighbor. 
If yours is a church soul, you must have felt 
your religious life to have risen to such a 
comfortable heat in God’s house on a rainy 
Sunday, as to enjoy such days, rather than 
abominate them. Be sure that it is wholly 
impossible for you to be there„ere you ab¬ 
sent yourself, for the 4 Lord has something 
to say unto thee. 7 ” 
God the Refiner. 
Ikenasus writes“ The Refiner puts his 
people into the furnace and tries them as sil¬ 
ver is tried, until the image of the Saviour is 
reflected in them, and then the work is done. 
Like Him I He in us! His image In the 
believer I We shall be like Him, and that is 
the highest of all the desires of the pure in 
heart. In all your sorrows, remember there 
is a work of purification going ou that will 
bring out the image of Jesus, and when that 
is done, all is done. It is finished ! Blessed 
be God 1 it is finished.” 
Nothing I.oat by Giving. 
Lucius says:— 44 This is a universal law. 
We never lose anything by what we give 
away. Blessed is the man who holds his 
house, ids garden, his table, his books, as the 
steward of .leans Christ, aud knows how to 
make good use of them in the Master’s ser¬ 
vice. We wait for great opportunities. 
We envy the ability of a Peabody, an Astor, 
a Girard. But is there not something in the 
New Testament about giving a cup of cold 
water to a disciple ?” 
Length of the Lord’* Prayer. 
Some writer says;—‘‘I usec^to think the 
Herd’s prayer was a short prayer; but as I 
live longer and see more of life, I begin to 
believe that there is no such thing as getting 
through it. If a man in praying that prayer 
were to be stopped in every word until lie 
thoroughly prayed it, it would take him a 
lifetime.” _ 
Thrciloirv not Necceanary to Goodness. 
The Morning Star says 44 It is not neces¬ 
sary for every person to he a theologian in 
order to be pious and good. Such is the won¬ 
derful power of truth, that, lodged in and 
thoroughly worked out by a few minds, it 
imparts a mighty impulse to the multitude, 
and gives nurture and force to love and hope 
in myriads of souls.” 
