we had no matches I thought I would light an¬ 
other piece of punk from the burning cork. I 
gotdown over the bottle, blowing and holding 
a piece of punk, when the Infernal thing went 
off, and I waa badly scarred, my face being 
filled with burnt powder. I was afraid lo go to 
the house, so Pntayod out and caught cold and 
had to lie in bed for a long I hue. But I never 
did tell, uutll now. Just bow It waa done. And 
I would say to all young Run A lists, be careful 
how you play with Chrlstmus guns, especially 
on Sundays.—L. E. o., Rockville, Parke Co., Ind. 
CODE OF DRESS FOR LADIES, 
An experienced writer gives this code of dress: 
Imprimis. — The first Instinct about a new 
fashion is the true one. Don't wait till your 
eye has lost its accuracy and your judgment its 
edge. Subject the thing at once to the general 
rule, and bow to the decision. 
2. What suits one person does not suit anoth¬ 
er. Know thyself. 
3. Dress should supplement good points and 
correct bad ones. Thick and thin, long and 
short, are not all to be subjected to one Pro¬ 
crustean style. 
4 . Colors should be harmonious, should be 
massed, should be becoming. Many little points 
or blotches of color sprinkled over a costume 
produce a disagreeably pled and speckled effect, 
as of a monstrous robin's egg or a plum pud¬ 
ding. One tint should prevail, relieved by a 
contrasting tint. No amount of fashionable 
prestige can make an unbecoming color be¬ 
coming. “ Nile green” will turn some people 
into oranges, though tw'enty empresses ordain 
its adoption. 
6. Lines should be continuous, graceful and 
feminine. It is better to look like a woman (if 
you happen to bo one) than like anything else 
—even a fashion plate 1 
6. Ornament must bo subordinate. Nature, 
with all her profusion, never forgers this fun¬ 
damental law. 
7. Above all things be neat. Da inty precision 
and freshness is as essential to a woman as a 
flower. 
8. Individuality Is the rarest and cheapest 
thing lu the world, 
9. ADd lastly, “ Stylish” is of all the words in 
tbo English language the most deadly. It has 
slain its thousands. 
THE LITTLE BIRD 
A little bird with feathers brown 
Sat singing on a tree: 
The song wus very soft and low. 
But sweet, as it could be. 
And all the po' pie passing by. 
Looked up to see t he bird 
That made the sweetest melody 
That they had ever heard. 
But all the bright eyes looked in vain. 
For birdie was so small; 
And with a modest, dark-brown coat, 
He modo no show at all. 
Why, papa,” little Gracie said, 
“ Where can this birdie be? 
If I could sing a song like that 
I’d sit where folks could seo.” 
“ 1 hope my little girl will learn 
A lesson from that bird, 
And try to do what good she can. 
Not to bo seen or hoard. 
“ This birdie Is content to sit 
Unnoticed by the way, 
And sweetly sing his Maker's praise' 
From dawn to close Of day. 
•• So live, my child, all through your life, 
That, be it short or long, 
Though others may forgot, your looks. 
They'll not forget your son#.” 
An, dear old friend of mine. 
Another year has flown! 
The stars look down from quiet skies 
With watchful, tireless, tender eyes. 
And passing winds make moan. 
We may not see tho dead, 
Nor hear the tread of feet 
That walk beside the shadowed bier, 
Nor note the sigh and fulling tear 
For severed friendship sweet. 
But yet we know the year 
Has slipped from out our hold; 
And as we kiss a baby sweet 
For its dead mother, so we grefet 
The New Year for the Old. 
Ah, dear old friend of mine. 
Deep sadness fills my heart 
That as the swift years come and go, 
We two, who loved each other so, 
Are still so far apart. 
But still the hope Is bright 
That I shall touch your hand. 
And find that hearts can long be true 
Where years lire ever glad and new, 
In some fair, golden land. 
Newark, N. Y., 18*4. 
From a Wide-awake Illinois Boy. 
Dear Mr. Rural ;-This Is my first effort at 
letter writing. I'm eight years old? I havo 
boon going to school about a year." I love to 
read your stories lu tho Rural.New-Yorker. 
I have a little brother; he la &H years old. He 
is a little coon ; ho always says he Is a big man. 
I’m going to tell you about my visit, to Chicago. 
We were at the Exposition. I saw nice Ifttlo 
things; I saw a man cutting little rocking 
chairs and exposition clmlrs. I saw a mummy; 
also a gorilla, which waa a great monster; it 
was standing on a log; it had such awful shag, 
gy wool, like a big boar; it had a monster big 
mouth. If I should moot, him I would run. We 
were at Lincoln Par kc Wo saw a little house 
on an Island In the lake, where t ho swans and 
geese roost at.night.. We saw two big buffaloes; 
one had a chain in his nose. I saw two squir¬ 
rels. I first thought they wero rats; they wera 
playing in some straw in a box ; then wc found 
out they were squirrel*. Thero was a largo 
wild oat. I will not say any more. I suppose 
you will excuse ino for writing such a long 
William E. W 
,ETTER8 FROM BOYS AND GIRLS 
WHAT PEOPLE AKE EXPECTED TO 
KNOW. 
Peoria, 111, 
letter, 
From a Mississippi Maiden. 
Dear Rural: — I am goiug to try and seo if 
I can’t write something for your very useful 
J know I am a great deal smarter and 
From a Now England Girl. 
Dear Mr. Enrron.— We havo taken vour 
very valuable paper two years, and It seems to 
me that wc could not get along without it. I 
eojoy finding out the puzzles very much, and I 
also enjoy reading tho poetry and 1 he story. I 
am a. girl eleven years of ago and live on a farm 
within about six miles of tho Uouaatonic Val¬ 
ley. Wo arc situated so that wc have a flna 
view of distant mountains. ! havo a piano and 
take music lessons. I ojoy music very much, 
and I think It ts a good entertainment for 
young people who havo a tasto for music. I 
also take drawing loaBons, and that I enjoy, 
too; my toachor pronounces my drawings very 
good. I go to school every day. There was a 
little incident occurred tho other day, which, 
caused considerable merriment. Ono of tho 
scholars (In the reading class that. I am in) when 
she camp to the lesson aitxy-two (LX1I) said 
Ichsou sixty-twelfth. You may imagine tho 
merriment it caused, 
oirr bead t» not expected 10 conam mi mr, 
wisdom In the world, but everybody Is expected 
to know something about what i3 required of 
her in any place she voluntarily engages to Dll. 
We have all laughed at tho anecdote of the 
Irishman who applied for tho situation of 
sohool teacher, and when asked If he bad over 
taught school or knew anything about, it said. 
“No, but I can presently learn.” He differed 
from some of our would-bo school teachers In 
ono essential; they don’t, know bow and will 
not take tho troublo to learn, if they can get 
the situation and tho money without. 
9omo people are expected to know more about 
some particular things than others. For In¬ 
stance, wo were very much surprised some tlrno 
ago when two men wero here; one waa a grad¬ 
uate from college, tho other an Ignorant, well- 
digger. who could neither read nor wrlto. 
Fpeaklng about a corps of troops, the colle¬ 
giate gentleman called It a corpse ; the other 
pronounced It correctly. If It had been reversed 
we should not havo been so astonished. 
Again, a young lady graduate was asked the 
amount of the President's salary. This was 
several year 3 ago, and sho answered “ Twenty- 
five hundred dollars." Some people when de¬ 
tected In such errors, say, “Oh, I knew better; 
but I did not think.” People are expected to 
tbtnk and to know too now-a-days. Years ago, 
I have heard it said, when people bad commit¬ 
ted some of the minor penal offences they could 
plead ignorance of the law and escape tho pen¬ 
alty. If they would make It appear that they 
were really ignorant; but now tho facilities for 
acquiring knowledge are such—newspapers and 
books are ao plentiful—that such pleas are not 
allowed. 
Miss Ajivilla Doolittle Is engaged to a 
pooy* man, one who has to labor for all he has, 
and sho Is very well aware of it. When I meet 
her she tells me, “ I never made a loaf of bread 
In mV life. I never made a pie or a cake cr a 
pudding in my life. Mother always washes and 
irons my clothes. She says I'm too delicate to 
do it myself. I paid ten dollars for the making 
of my new dress. It is perfectly lovely. It 
lakes me two hours to do up my hair. I always 
allow fifteen minutes to tic my necktie. lean 
never get it to suit me til! I’ve tried ever so 
HAPPY CHILDREN 
paper. 
prettier than most of the boys and girls that, 
write. I havo often heard old people say that 
"Self praise i& half scandal,” hut it is not so In 
this cose. I reckon the readers will want, to 
know something about me. Well, I live in East 
Mississippi, center of Newton Co.; havo fair 
skin, black eyes and black buir, and [ am one 
of tho most Industrious and domeatio girls go¬ 
ing. Doubtless many of tho readers arc morn 
than anxious to know my namo; 1 will tell 
them by-and-by. I havo pieced eleven quilts. 
I will give a few of tho different, ways T mado 
them. Tho first one is the cotton leaf, beauti¬ 
ful beyond description; also, tbo prairie 
beauty, the sovon wonders, tho puzzler, and I 
must not forget to mention my T-quilt, and 
also my beautiful Friendship. I will stop the 
quilt, subjoct, and tell you something about, 
my many pets. I have a great many beautiful 
hens. I named them all as follows:—Grade, 
Snowflake, Sleeping Beauty, Paulino Lucca, 
Dew Drop, Iofole, Strawberry, Gypsy, and Dolly 
Varden. 1 will tell you how we cured our 
chickens that, had cholera. We gave them soda 
twice a day, mixed with meal, and it cured 
them directly. Wo have a splendid school 
now. Wo have a Georgia teacher. I would tell 
his name, but 1 am afraid some of the readers 
will know him. He is a very bashful young 
man. Ho asked his scholars what century this 
was; one of the little boys said it was a little 
over tho 22d century. Wo had a laugh then. I 
will tell some funny things now, us ray little 
friend “Lively"*wants to hear some. Tell 
Young Naturalist I have fallen desperately In 
love with him. Ho must write often to tho 
Rural. I am studying Latin, and ono of my 
classmates went to road the sentence, Terra, 
the earth; eat Is, rotunda, round; and said, 
| “Terra, tho earth, cat la rotunda-rotten." Tho 
teacher was thunder-struck at the Idea of the 
earth being rotton. And another boy went to 
speak—tho house being crowded at the time— 
and his subject was this, ” To be or hot to be - 
that Is tho question.” But Instead of saying it. 
the right way, he said thus, “Toby, or not 
Toby, is the question. v The teacher said, 
“ Take your scat, Mr. T. Toby.” Well, T know 
you all nro tired of this nonsense. Mr. Rural 
will throw this In bis waste bosket. If ho does 
I will not make another attompt to write to a 
Now, my little sweet- 
A8 house-plants cannot flourish without sun- 
ahlno, so children cannot thrive and bo happy 
without love. How radiant are their bright 
faces, as they respond to tones and words of 
affection from the lips of tbeir parents! Little 
they know of tho deep solicitude, of tho con¬ 
stant care exercised toward them ; but they do 
fully understand and appreciate protestations 
of love and tenderness. Why should wo bo 
chary of these, when they cost, only speaking ? 
“ I know now,” said a lady not long ago, “that, 
my mother loved mo tenderly, but during all 
my childhood I doubted it. If I were really 
dear to her, I queried, why did sho never toll 
meao? Why did she never caress tno, and as¬ 
sure me of her love ? Sho thought her actions 
spoke loudly enough without words. I could 
not read her actions then as l can now. and 
how I longed to hear her call me loving names, 
and to have her wrap mo In the sweet embrace 
of her strong mother love." Many a little heart 
aches just as this lady's did, and can be made 
happier by the spontaneous utterances of ma¬ 
ternal affection than by beads or dolls, fine 
clothes or costly toys. 
Children who grow up in this constant at¬ 
mosphere of love are rarely mischievous—never 
vicious. The mightiest of all agencies to lead 
the young in paths of virtue is In tho hands of 
parents, and to command Hits agency they need 
but give expression to the natural overflow of 
tholr hearts. Children, to bo happy, need en¬ 
couragement and praise. It is not enough that 
they escape censure. Negatives are always 
cold and blank. Our little ones want warm, 
positive approval when they have done right; 
thus they will be made to feel that the paths, 
of wisdom are paths of pleasantness and peace. 
I will now say good-by 
as I havo written you quite a long letter.— 
Julia 0., Fairfield, Co., Conn. 
We are always glad to receive contributions 
for this Department. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.—No. 4 
1ST Answer In two weeks 
THE BOYS. 
GEOGRAPHICAL CROSS-WORD.-No. 1 
THE tired mother, when nightfall comes, can 
not help drawing a long sigh at tbe&ight of her 
boys' torn jackets and trowsers; and her ach¬ 
ing head may whirl as with gleeful shouts they 
come trooping into the room In rough-and- 
tumblo fashion. But with what loving tender¬ 
ness docs she not only endure all their noise, 
but sympathize In their sports, if sho be a true 
mother? Somewhat such feelings ns these 
which are put Into verso she bears In her heart: 
“ • Boys will bo boys’—but not for long: 
Ah, could wc bear about us 
This thought—how very soon our boys 
Will learn to do without us 1 
“ How soon but tall and deep-voiced men 
WIU gravely call us * Mother;’ 
Or we bo stretching empty hands 
From this world to tbo other! 
” More gently wo should chide the noise, 
a m i when night quells the racket, 
Stitch In but loving thoughts and prayers 
Whilo mending pants and jacket!” 
T am composed of six letters: 
My first is in Cleaveland but not in New York, 
My second is in Groonlund and you’ll find It in 
Cork; 
My third Is in Calais and the Caspian sea, 
My fourth is In Paris and the River Obe; 
My fifth la In Jutland and Isps ban, 
My sixth Is In Rutland but not in Japan; 
My whole la a mountain In Asia. 
E*T' Answer In two weeks. Minnie. 
paper, as this is my first 
hearts and friends, just oomc over hero to see 
me, and I can toll you a thousand and one 
things that wilt make you laugh yourself Into 
an Epizodlacal fever, as the old man calls the 
Epizootic. I will tell you In my next all about. 
Christmas, the balls I attended, and tho pretty 
boys I saw, hoW wo all dressed, and everything 
I can think of. Now, Dear Rural, ono request 
of you, and that Is, to please correct and pub¬ 
lish this for my sake. If so, you will confer a 
great favor on ono of Cupid's many prisoners.— 
Dew-Drop, Newton Oo.. Miss. 
FRGBLEM.-No. 3 
How many acres in an equilateral triangular 
field, in which there are as many acres as th6re 
are rails in the fence inclosing it, aliowiug 18 
rails to each rod of the perimeter? 
Answer In two weeks. Scholium. 
form? What would he thought 01 a manwno 
would marry without any knowledge of getting 
a living, and sit down with folded hands and 
complain of bts wife because they did not have 
ns nice and comfortable things as their indus¬ 
trious neighbor? If a woman cannot perform 
as bard physical labor aa a man, Bbould she 
6hrink from all duties and engage in mere fri¬ 
volities, when It would be better for her,physi¬ 
cally and morally, if she would do her duty and 
flo It well ? Verily, I cannot see why it Is not 
Just asridlculous and presumptuous for Arvil- 
la to become a poor roan's wife, with her Ig¬ 
norance of domestic affairs, of which sho boasts, 
as for the Irishman to try to teach school. If 
she tries to cook she will waste the means 
In experiments which her husband has to labor 
so hard to obtain, while at home with a skillful 
guide she could lparn all the arts of cookery 
without experimenting and without wasteful¬ 
ness. Why shouldn’t young ladies be expected 
to know something as well as other people? 
Mrs. Loretta E. K. T. 
WORD-SQUARE.-No. 2 
1. A bird. 2. To wander. 3. Above. 4. A 
verb. X- 
Answer in two weeks. 
An Indiana Boy’s Story. 
Mr. Editor.— I have read with interest the 
letters of the many correspondents of thi9 col¬ 
umn, and I wish to tell you a little inoldent, or 
accident that happened when I was younger 
than I am now, although I am no older than 
some of your readers. One Christmas (Sunday) 
my brother and I thought wo would have a big 
roar ; so we got some powder in a bottle, some 
matches, a piece of punk, and went out behind 
the barn. My plan was to make a cork of punk 
for tho bottle and set the cork afire, and it 
would burn slowly until the fire came in con¬ 
tact with the powder, when it would go off 
with a bang'. When we got it all fixed, we 
olimed up lu the bsrn to see it go off. After 
waiting a long time we concluded that it had 
gone out; so I went down to It and found the 
punk was not good and the fire nearly out. As 
WHY WOMEN DRESS, 
“ It is an exploded thoory,” says one who 
speaks with knowledge, “ that women dress to 
please the men. They dress to please or spite 
each other. Any girl of sense and experience 
knows that it is 2 s easy to break a man's heart 
In a $3 muslin, neatly made up, as It is In s $500 
silk costi/me made by a man-drcssmakcr." It 
is, in fact, a great deal easier. The natural 
charm of a young girl is often destroyed by ex¬ 
cessive dressing. Men like tasteful and not 
extravagant toilets; and the rivalry In dress 
among women is not to catch a beau, but to 
mortify an enemy. 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Jan. 17 
Double Acrostic No. 1.— 
1. 8 quirre L 
2. T orront O 
3. J oh N 
4. O 1 D 
5. H eigh O 
6. N atna N 
Anagrams of Noted Men No. 1. —1. Peter 
Cooper. 2. U. S, Grant. 3. D. D. T. Moore. 4. 
Bret Harto. 5. James Vick. 
Miscellaneous Enigma No. 3. — Work for 
the good of thy neighbor as well as thyself. 
Illustrated Rebus No. 3—Do all you can 
for the right. 
Charade No. 1.—Warden. 
Faith In our own ability is half of every 
battle. 
