ORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER' 
HOME. 
When dally tasks are done, and tired hands 
Lie still and folded on the resting knee, 
When loving thoughts have leave to loose their 
hands. 
And wander over past and future free; 
When visions bright of love and hope fulfilled, 
Bring weary eves a spark of olden (Ire; 
One castle fairer than tho rest we Initld, 
One blessing more than others we desire; 
A home, our home, wherein, all waiting past. 
We two may stand logetber, and alone; 
Our patient task-work finished, and at Inst 
Love’s perfect blessedness and peace our own. 
Borne little nest, of safet y and delight, 
Guarded by God's good angels dn v and night. 
We cannot guess if this dear home shall lie 
In some green apo^ embowered with arching trees, 
Where bird-notes Joined with brook-notes gliding 
by. 
Shall make ns music as wo sit at case. 
Or If amid tho city's busy din 
Ib built tho neat for which wo look and long. 
No souDd without shall mar the peace within. 
The ca m of love that time has proved so strong. 
Or if, ah! solemn thought, this home of ours 
Doth lie beyond the world’s confusing nois8; 
And if the nest be built in Eden bowers. 
What do we still, but silently rejoice '.' 
Wo have a home, but of its happy state 
Wo know not yet. We are content to wait. 
- +*■•* - 
THE DftESS QUESTION. 
CONCERNING REFORMS AND REFORMERS. 
BY FANNY FIELDING. 
We often hear men, and women too, who 
stylo themselves reformers, bemoaning the 
prospective ruin of our country through the 
extravagance of women. Let us calmly and 
dispassionately look tho present and impending 
evil squarely in the fac t and see wherein it, has 
root and nourishment. 
In order to muke a reform effective it is nec¬ 
essary to strike at tho root of the matter in 
question. Tho reason so many reformers fail is 
because they aim at external causes and do not 
seek to eradicate the root of tno evil. There 
has never been atime since my earliest remem¬ 
brance, when women and their stylo of dress 
has been free from the criticisms of tho other 
sox. The medical faculty, the press, and oven 
lesser lights, have always found some deformity 
or another to inveigh against. With what re¬ 
sult? Stuiply none. The bugbear, whatever it 
was, kept on tho even tenor of its way, until 
some new style more aggravating than itself, 
perhaps, set it aside. 
At present somo reformers are striving, witli 
the war-whoop and ■ eulping knife of ridicule, to 
deoapltato the chignon from the cranium of 
our fair belles. Others, with the broadsword 
of satire, hack and hagglo at tlio camel's 
hump; whilst other* still, with elder pop guns, 
are popping away at street-sweeping skirts. 
All in vain, gentlemen. To use a homely 
phrase, “you had better save your breath to 
cool your porridge.” Your efforts remind one 
of the anecdote of the man who tried to get 
over a fence by taking hold of the straps of his 
bontB with his hands and lifting himself over. 
The ladies laugh at the meddlesome mom and 
go to greater extremes than they would If loft 
unmolested. 
Ever since the days when our Mother Eve was 
beguiled by that masculine serpent, Mejpuis- 
tophelks, (I dare’nt call him by his Scripture 
name, It might shock delicate nerves,) who 
perhaps appealed to her in the form of a very 
fascinatiog man, (wo are told he oan transform 
himself into an angel of light even,) well, ever 
since those days it has been an inborn element 
of our nature to desire to Hud favor with the 
oilier sex. Now, if this element Is inherent, 
God implanted it lu aur hearts; hence we are 
not accountable, and who would presume to 
arraign tho Almighty for his work ? “ Wo unto 
him who striveth with his Maker!—let the 
potsherds strive with the potsherds of the 
earth.” 
The extravagance of the women is ruining the 
couutry! Whose fault is that, I would like to 
know? In studying to find favor in the eyes of 
gentlemen, ladies are keenly observant of what 
seems to please and attract them most. They 
observe that whilst the men inveigh and protest 
against this and that fashion as being Improper 
and disgusting, their attentions and homage 
are always paid to the most fashionably dressed 
women. 
The wives, daughters, sisters and sweet¬ 
hearts of this country hear their husbands, 
fathers, brothers and lovers anathematizing tlie 
prevailing fashions—hoping their ewe lambs 
will not be led into such follies. But they see 
these same noble guardians of their liberty 
neglecting them, to dance attendance on fash¬ 
ionable women. They see at all times, in all 
places, that fashionable women receive the at¬ 
tentions of ninety-nine out of a hundred gen¬ 
tlemen, not only in society, but on the street, 
In the cars and everywhere. If a fashionably 
dressed lady enters a crowded car, they see 
every gentleman jump to his feet and eagerly 
offer her his seat; hut if a plain, uofashiona- 
bly attired lady enters the same car, they ob¬ 
serve that it is with extreme reluctance, and 
much growling, a gentleman offers her his seat. 
With these constantly-recurring contrasts, is I 
it to be wondered that our women come to the 
conclusion that plainness, moral worth or 
beauty, when unadorned, isof little value in the 
estimation of men, whilst adornment and the 
trappings of fashion have an irresistible charm 
for them ? Is It to be wondered, as a conse¬ 
quent result, that ladles, who otherwise would 
have cared little for fashionable trappings, 
become fashionable women ? As long as men 
preach one t hing and practice anot her—as long 
as their actions give the lie to their words -as 
long as they pay supercilious court to women 
of fashion—just so long will ail efforts at dress- 
reform be futile. 
There is a great hue and eiy raised that young 
men cannot marry because they are not able to 
support i. wife as she would expect to be in 
these times. Is that tho true reason? No, in¬ 
deed. There arc .just as many, aye, more, 
youn" ladies at the present day, just as well 
qualified to make noble wives, true helpmeets, 
lit to adorn any man's home and do her share 
toward making that komea happy one. as t iere 
were lu our mothers’ or grandmothers’ days; 
hut they are not sought; they are wall flowers; 
they are not the stylo young gentlemen fancy. 
Tkqy prefer the gay butterflies of fashion to 
the little russot bee, although she is all 
sweetness. 
Another reason a young man of the present 
day cannot support a wife 1; because it takes 
all he can earn, and a fortune beside, to pay his 
tailor, whisky, billiard, and fast horse lulls, to 
say nothing of tho unmentionable lady sup¬ 
ported by him. But he is the ** Young Man of 
the Period," and nothing must, be said. 
Woman’s extravagance ruining the country ! 
Oh. ” Consistency thou art a jewel 1" 
A CALIFORNIA DAIRYMAID. 
Ch arles NurDiioff, 111 his California travels, 
found some model dairy farms. In most of 
thom men did the milking and also the butter 
making; but, alas! he was captivated with one 
pretty face he met by ebauco: 
“On one farm I found a pretty Swedish girl 
superintending all the In-door work, with such 
skill and order in all departments that she pos¬ 
sessed, so far as I saw, tho model dairy on the 
estate. Here, said 1 to myself, is now an in¬ 
stance of the ability of women to compote with 
men, which would delight Mrs. Stanton and all 
t he woman’s rights people. Here Is the neatest, 
the sweetest, the most complete dairy In the 
whole region ; the best, order, the mast shining 
utensils, the nicest butter-room -and not only 
butter, but cheese also made, which is not 
usual: and here is a rosy-faced, white-armed, 
smooth-haired, sensibly-dressed,and altogether 
admirable and, to my eyes, beautiful Swedish 
lie- pre siding oyer If all, commanding her men 
servants and keeping every part of the business 
in order. Alas! Mrs. Stanton, she has discov¬ 
ered a better bn si ness than butter-making. She 
is going to marry—sensible girl t hat she Is; and 
She is not going to marry a dairy-farmer either. 
I doubt if anybody in California will ever make 
as nice butter as this pretty Swede. Certainly 
every other dairy I saw seemed to me common¬ 
place and uninteresting after I had seen hers. 
I don't doubt that the young man who bad the 
art to persuade her to love him ought to be 
hanged, because butter-making Is far more 
important, than marrying. Nevertheless, I wish 
him joy In advance; and ia humble defiance of 
Mrs. Stanton and her brilliant companions in 
arms I hereby give it as my belief that the pret¬ 
ty Swede ia a sensible girl—that, to use a Cali¬ 
fornia vulgarism, ‘her head ts level.' ” 
--h «-♦- 
A OEM FROM WHITTIER. 
To appreciate the truth and beauty of the 
following lines from the pen of Whittier, (says 
the Hudson Republican,) It Is nectsssacr to know 
the circumstances under which they wero writ¬ 
ten. A friend of Whittier’s youth, who had 
spent most of his life on the Illinois prairies, 
called on the bachelor poet, at his home In 
Amesbury, and together ithey recalled the 
scenes of their childhood, and brleflyrecounted 
the course of thou- after life. Whittier seemed 
much affected by the allusions of bis friend to 
his prairie home, where a wife, children, and a 
graud-ohlld f“ Constance”) awaited his return; 
and on being asked for hi* autograph, replied, 
“ Call on your way to the cars and I will bandit 
to you." The friend called, and received the 
following gem, which lie permits ub to publish. 
The lines show the deiecate texture of. the 
poet's heart, tho tendrils of which were evi¬ 
dently stretching after something beyond the 
reach of a bachelor. 
The years, that since we met have flown, 
Leave, aa they found me, still alone. 
Nor wife, nor child, nor grand-child dear 
Are lntne, tho heart of age to cheer. 
More favorod thou; with hair less gray 
Than mine, can'et lot thy fancy stray 
To where thy tittle Constance seeB 
The prairie ripple tn ihe breeze. 
For one like her to lisp thy name 
Is hotter than the voice Of Fame. 
(,/. G. Whittier. 
- *■■*■■* - 
Mbs. Db. Helen W. Websteb of New Bed¬ 
ford, has aocepted the position of Professor of 
Physiology and Hygiene and Resident Physi¬ 
cian at Vassar College. Mrs. Webster has been 
very successful as a physician at N6w Bedford, 
and is represented to be well qualified for her 
new position. 
Reading for the goimg. 
“ DEW-DROP.” 
UV PORT V. DACCA. 
Miss “ Dew-Drop" * Is a buxom lass, 
A " black-eved " dear and bounty; 
To win her—who’s the lucky lad ? 
To love her—that's a duty. 
8ho Is the ” smartest” Dlxi • girl. 
" Industrious " and witty; 
Just the truest hoart, I’m sure, 
In all ** Fast Mississippi." 
She knows right welt tho woman’s art. 
(In living, life la real,) 
To win success for home uud hoart, 
Tho woman's grand Ideal. 
For '* quilting " she Is number one. 
Her '‘chickens" bring the money; 
In all the ways and walks of life. 
Miss " Dew-Drop" she is bonny. 
She’s young and fair, and scholarly. 
For don’t she study “ Latin ?” 
Mil tlasy Chair is soft and rare 
As erer lady >at In I 
* SCO epistle from DE\v-I)noP, in RURAL of Jan. 
SI,* 1871, under heading of " Letters from Boys and 
Girls." 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
From an Illinois Young American, 
Mil Editor: I am much pleased with the 
boys’ and girls' letters, and must any f think this 
social system of writing a very beneficial one. 
And greatly approve of the very familiar man¬ 
ner in which they speak of one another, in 
their contributions. And think It is conducive 
of a kindred spirit springing up among them, 
which (though perhaps iinacknnwieilgcd even 
to themselves) will bo a kind of secret attach¬ 
ment for on© another. And tun until one of 
the number withdraws from the band will they 
know how near and dear ho or she has become 
to t hem. As 1874 is the (list year of my acquaint¬ 
ance with the Rural, I have not seen the writ¬ 
ings of any of the young people excepting one 
piece from tho smoothly gliding pen of Oouslu 
Johnnie, and one from Young Murtauiik. 
And now, Mr. Editor, if you will allow I will 
address ;i lew words t.o the young folks. Dear 
Young Friends: I feel a desire to join your 
ranks, and become one of tile young Kiiralists; 
and I hope none of you will feel any moro hes¬ 
itancy in correcting my mistakes than you 
would In correcting those of your former 
“ Cousins," as you term them, and which, by 
the way, I think a very appropriate name, and 
one which I hope I may prove myself worthy 
o^'ieuring. So, a- I said before, donot bo afraid 
to correct, na errors through any fear of dis¬ 
couraging me, for, though I am as yet in iny 
infancy as a writer, I have a little pen overunoo, 
nml a few correct ions would rather stimulate 
than discourage me. And now, hoping my poor 
scribblings may prove acceptable to you, I bid 
you, dear Cousins, a kind adieu. Young Amer¬ 
ica, Sterling, 111., Jan. at, 1874. 
From a Vermont Girl. 
Dear Mu. Editor;— lam a little girl it years 
old. I live on a farm in Vermont. We take 
your paper and I can hardly wait for it to come 
so as to read tho Boys’ and Girls’ column. A 
little ways from our house there is a large hill 
and in summer it ia all covered with daisies, 
and so we have named it Daisy Hill. In warm 
w eather toy brother and I went to gather ferns. 
We wailed through the brook and climbed 
hills and over rocks in Bearch ol them. We 
found a great many of them, and the one I 
thought was Mie prettiest was* beautiful white 
oue. But what we think Is the prettiest place 
on our farm is a cascade, or naturui fall, and it 
is very pretty to ace the water rushing and tum¬ 
bling over the rocks. On both sides of the 
water there are large woods, and on one tree 
the bark Is all stripped off, and In summer there 
ia a beautiful vine running all over it. There 
la a sulphur spring on part of our farm and the 
water has a very queer taste. In spring there 
are a great many kinds of wild flowers; sumo 
of them are very pretty and fragrant, and how 
I would like to have “Daily Rural Life” here 
when i bring in a large bouquet to tell me the 
names, aB he seema to know the names of al¬ 
most everything. But I do not fancy bugs as 
much as be seems to.—M aria G. F., Timnlny* 
ton , Vt. _ 
From an Alabama Ctrl. 
Dear Rural :—As I read the letters from the 
Boys and Girls, in your nice paper, I often wish 
that I too could write. I have at last concluded 
to tell you about our pets. C have a little white 
dog that drags our kitten about by the nape of 
his neck, and very often the kitten attacks the 
dog. They have regular romps aij over the 
rooms. We have another cat; we call her 
S’mantby, and she seems to lovu the dog very 
much: she rubs against him ami even kisses 
him. The dog don't aeem to like that much— 
he'd rather drag her about. At night father 
tolls him to go to bed, and ho walks out. I 
must stop now. Maybe I’ll write again P.nd tell 
you about our sliding hill. Good-by. Your 
little friend, Lillie M. N., Tallahassee, Ala. 
How He Shot the 8qu(rret. 
My Dear Young Friends:—I took a fancy 
I would have the skin of a certain squirrel that 
had made Its home In a tree on my father’s | 
premises. After making several failures at 
hitting it with a blunt pine arrow, (T had a 
good hickory bow,) 1 resolved upon its death at 
any cost. I took a piece <»f a cat-tall a foot in 
length, and where it was i quarter of an inch 
thick. I pushed a darning noedlc three inches 
long^down in the center I should have sahl 1 
pushed the eye of the needle Into tho oat-toll 
an inch and one-half and then T took an old 
patty-pan and put. a small piece of lead into 
the pun and melted It on tho stove. Then I 
wound a pioae of wriMns paper around where 
the needle was ns high as I wanted the lead to 
go on tlie needle about one-half of an inch and 
I shot the squirrel. — La Ken Follay. 
Is this “Young Bach" Insolent? 
Mr. Moore 1 would like to say a few words 
to the young renders of the Rural, and espe¬ 
cially those of t he male persuasion. Now boys, 
I presume the most of you have heard what 
long tongues the women have. If you “ever 
didn’t,’’ just start some subject on bonnets, 
waterfalls, bustles. S \ (Only be sure and say 
yoilr say first, for you may not have time after¬ 
wards.) And if they (the women) don't make 
them (their tongues) wag, I’ll miss my guess. 
"Dew Drop’s" letter is a specimen. How she 
did “ go on,” though. I would like to hoar her 
talk a few days. By the way, if any o? you 
should see “ Young Naturalist,” Just give him 
a poke in the riba, for me, and warn him of his 
danger. Young lady going for him, tell him. 
But I guess I will slop, or " Dow Drop" may 
measure my letter.— Yottno Bach, Vail's Mills, 
N, Y. _ 
From a Delaware Co. tM« Y. Boy. 
Mr. Editor:—As you wore so obliging as to 
publish my other letters, I thought I would 
write you again, T live among the mountains 
of Delaware Co., N. Y., and have a good time 
generally—such as hunting and fishing, with 
lots of other sport,s. 1 don’t think “ Printer’s 
Devil" knew much about farming. Mr l have a 
great, deal more fun on a farm than I jould in 
town. But that is the way; every one thinks 
his or her place is the best. I took a trip to 
New York City last fall. F was very much 
pleased with it, though I do not think I would 
like to live there. It lias been a very open win¬ 
ter here, Tile people wore piowingsotue, which 
Is not often the case in tills part of the State In 
winter, hut T am afraid 1 have written too long 
a letter.— Willie D. B., Delaware Co., A". V. 
-♦♦♦- 
Eminence is not to lie reached by a frantic 
struggle after eminence. The road to it is much 
more commonplace. He that would dazzle 
must dig. 
-♦+-•- 
By silence we learn the imperfections of 
otners, while others do not learn ours. 
S»i£ 
it "'•yt A p 
117; arc always glad In icceivc contributions 
for this Department. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No, 7. 
,<?,'/ <v . ~ •• 
. / 
/ - Y hi rrj 
P Hi 
J3T” Answer in two weeks. 
-HI- 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA.—No. 7. 
1 am composed of 42 letters: 
My 18,23, 26 is an adjective. 
My 14,88, 4,2,1 Is a county in New York. 
My 40, 41, 12 is a pronoun. 
My 20,16, 21 is an insect. 
My 15, 9, 6 is a fowl, 
My 34, 8, 8,35 la the name of my twin sister. 
My 3,37,32, 7, 31 is a musical instrument. 
My 12, 14, 7, 6, 5 is a piece of furniture. 
My 29, 13, 27, o is a part of the human frame. 
My 11, 38, 30, 33 is a noun. 
My 17,19, 26, 16 is a flower. 
My 25, ill, 28, is a verb. 
My 22,24, 8, 20 is a. household article. 
My 39, 80,20 ia a vehicle. 
My whole is a preverb. Willie T. 
Answer in two weeks. 
GEOGRAPHICAL ENIGMA.—No. 1. 
I am composed of 5 letters : 
My first is in New York and Oregon. 
My second is In Ohio but not in Cadiz. 
My third is in Georgia and not in Pent. 
My fourth Is in Morocco and you’ll find in Congo. 
My fifth is in Algeria but not in Borgti. 
My whole Is a river in Australia, u. ,j. p. 
SW' Answer in two weeks. 
-+-*■•*- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Feb. 14. 
Word-Square Wanted.— 
EEL EEL EEL 
ERE EVE EKE 
LEE LEE LEE 
Miscellaneous Enigma No. 6. — Helio- 
gabalus. 
Illustrated Rebus No. 5.—Cincinnati. 
Problem No. 5.-3.215391+ inches. 
