MAJ3CH F 
MOORE’S RURAL fiEW-YOR 
LITTLE BON-BON. 
nr EMMA TUTTLE. 
Not so wise as many another, 
Not as deep and searching; 
She is Jnst a fairy song-bird 
In the bright leaves perching. 
What heeds she the ringdoves’ mourning. 
Or the bluejays' chatters l 
Tf the hawks scream, und the crows caw, 
Naught to her it matters. 
Scented dews globe bright and trembling 
For her all the summer ; 
Thistle seeds'swell sweet and richly 
For the gay young comer. 
Blackbirds, rocking, touched with red, 
Think!) g aye of thieving, 
Though your food were corns of gold 
She would not be grieving. 
Dainty Bon-bon! never, never 
Saw I blue eyes sweeter. 
Kinglets never reeled their riches 
Into Coils completer. 
And your purse-mouth—that is shaped 
To the nicest candies 1 
Oh, light Bon-bon, you are just 
A pocket-piece for dandies. 
And you talk of such tine trifles,— 
Robes of blue and maizes, 
Tucks, and pulls, and loops, and flowers, 
And all-glorious laces. 
“ Darling bonnets," " sweet clonk tassels,” 
•' Monsieur, look a minute!” 
Bon-bon flashes like a peacock, 
Tiny as a linnet. 
Who declnre they care not any 
For such lissom creatu ros ? 
All the worthy sons of mothers! 
Stoics, statesmen, preachers. 
I’d beliuvo them If t hey did not 
Fib so with their fingers. 
Beckoning to delicious Bon-bon 
But she laughs and lingers. 
-- 
MATCHES. 
BY GERALDINE GERMANE. 
Don’t think I am going to write of round 
sticks with a black covering on one end, tiiat 
goes off with an explosion and a smell that Is 
premonitory of the infernal regions. I have al¬ 
together a different kind of “ matches’’ in 
view, and of late have been thinking a good 
deal of the golden-tipped kind called “ splen¬ 
did." This is what set me thinking. 
Not long ago, as I was putting on my hat and 
w aterproof to visit a friend and schoolmate, 
William Henry Harrison (that’s my frater¬ 
nal relative) said, “MARGARET'S ol.l bachelor 
brother would make a splendid match, Gerry ; 
he’s got two hundred acres of land all paid for, 
and as much as a thousand dollars in the bank," 
I right-about faced and said, decidedly, “When 
1 many real estate I’ll have no incumbrance on 
it, and when I am wedded to bank notes I’ll 
not have them converted into notes of hand." 
“O, well,” he answered, meekly but know¬ 
ingly, “maybe you won’t bo so particular one 
o’ these days." 
My destination was a walk of two miles 
through one of those glorious first snow storms 
that set young men and maidens to dreaming 
of moonlit nights, tinkling bolls, warm robes 
and warmer hearts, and school boys to swing¬ 
ing their caps and hurrahing for the next holi¬ 
day. When I reached the gate 1 verily expected 
to be transformed Into a snow bank before 1 
could find my way through. Such an Ingenious 
conglomeration of odd pieces of boards, plank 
and cross sticks—some wide at one end and 
narrow at tiie other, some wide at both ends 
and narrow In the middle, some wide in the 
middle and narrow at both ends—I had never 
seen. 1 had demonstrated propositions In ge¬ 
ometry and solved problems in the higher 
mathematics, but how to open tuat gate was a 
question too deep and Intricate for my mental 
capacity. I essayed to climb the fence, but, 
alas! It was too nearly related to the gate to 
admit of such a feat. After much examination 
and deliberation J spied a hole, made by a de¬ 
linquent piece of board, plank or stick, large 
enough for mo to crawl through, and, after 
making sure that the front curtains wore down, 
the front door locked, and that part of the 
house “all dark," I crawled. Though it was 
In the middle of the afternoon the family were 
all iu the little back, dark, gloomy kitchen 
which was mostly occupied by the capacious 
cook stove, on one side of which was seated 
the father In the infirmities of old age and in 
the other, In frock, overalls and coarse, be¬ 
daubed, strongly-scented boots, Just as lie had 
come In from doing his chores, the “splendid 
match” lolled back iu his chair, his under jaw 
hanging loosely and his eyes vacantly fixed 
upon the wall in front of him. 
After I had taken off my outside garments, 
shaken and adjusted my plumage and been In¬ 
troduced, ho Blowly arose and went, out, but 
came back quicker, and as he entered the door¬ 
way gasped out, “You didn’t come afoot, did 
you’/” 
“Yes, s!r.“ 
Ills lower Jaw sank lower and his eyes started 
out in astonishment. It was, evidently, the first 
dawning of Ids faith In womanhood. 
Before beginning preparations for supper 
my friend made an attempt to start a fire in 
the sitting-room. First she went out Into the 
snow and gathered and split the kindlings, 1 
then picked up chips and such odd bits of wood 
as idio could find to make the fire. They all 
having gathered dampness from the snow, the 
lire refused to he made, and wo sat. in the little 
back kitchen all the evening. Iu the course of 
i our conversation it happened to turn upon 
I cheese factories, and I said I thought them to 
be a saving institution attd a blessing to form- 
or, wive s and daughter* in relieving them from 
| the care and drudgery of the dairy. 
” \Ya*J,"said the “ splendid match," “ I s’poje 
cheese Is‘bout’s profitable ’s butter, but the 
wimrnift folks need sumthln’ to do, an’ so we’ve 
ai’iis kept our milk to home an’ made butter.” 
Needed something to do, forsooth I when in 
addition to the innumerable details of house¬ 
keeping the wood was to ho picked up. the 
water pulled up out of a thirty foot well by 
main strong! h and a rope, and carried a distance 
of live and a half rods, and those great filthy 
boots to be cleaned after 1 From that moment 
ho had sinned away the day of grace, In my es¬ 
timation. 
At bed-time my friend and I retired to the 
sitling-room, which was no better than the 
kitchen, with the exception of a faded, thread¬ 
bare carpet on the floor, some obl-fasliioned 
portraits or George Washington and An¬ 
drew Jackson on the walls and a few ancient 
daguerreotypes on the tables, and had a talk in 
which sho said, in answer to aqucstlon of mine, 
“I should like housework well enough if I 
could only have things a little more pleasant, 
but my brother John lias the management of 
things hero, and he seems to think that human 
beings, and women especially, were made for 
nothing hut to Slave and drudge and hoard up 
all they can, and'as tldngB are I would bo wil¬ 
ling to pay any one double wages to take my 
place and let me go back to teaching; but my 
sister , are all man led and goue.no one Is to be 
hired, and there is no other way but for me to 
stay here and submit to the Inevitable." 
The last was said dolefully, as though she 
wore repeating a sentence oflmpriaonment for 
life. 
I remained two days, and In that time “ broth¬ 
er John" never once took off his barn-yard 
attire, and I did riot once see him with a book 
or paper in bis hand,' though he sat in the 
house, excepting the little time that was re¬ 
quired in taking care of his horses and cattle. 
In fact, there were only one or two books, ex¬ 
cepting my friend’s school books, and only one 
newspaper in the house, “Splendid match" 
indeed! 1 would not marry hint If bo wore 
worth Ids weight In gold, (heweighs nearly two 
hundred,) and what sensible, womanly woman 
would ? 
Young men have it, as an excuse for leaving 
the farm, that educated, well-bred youag wot 
men turn up their nosos at. and will not asso¬ 
ciate with nor marry farmers; mid they fling 
out that the women of the day are too refined 
and delicate, too lasy for work and working¬ 
men; but they are mistaken. It Is not labor, 
but coarseness and vulgarity that they turn up 
their noses at; it is not the sun-browned, toll- 
hardened hand, but the dirt, that they* refuse; 
it la not health-giving, soul-elevating work, but 
slavish, degenerating drudgery and repulsive 
surroundings that they slum. No woman who 
la worthy the lovo and respect of a true man 
would shirk the labor and responsibilities of 
his calling, whatever it might be; and there is 
no sensible one that would prefer an educated, 
well-bred, robust farmer, to a pale, sallow, nor- , 
vous professional man, i 
Cultivated", unselfish manliness Is more de- 1 
slrable in a husband than effeminacy and gen¬ 
tlemanly leisure; and because a man toils need ’ 
he be a niggardV—because he plows and hoes ' 
need be bo a boor?—because be tills the soil < 
and deans the stables need he forever go about 
and sit at his fireside with the filth arid the 1 
smell clinging to him?-because his life is a r 
life of labor, need he spend his rainy days and 1 
winter evenings In lolling and dozing, aud live t 
and die In ignorance ? i 
OIFT GEMS. 
J.v Germany each precious stone is invested 
with a symbolical meaning, and every month 
of the year is said to be under the influence of 
one of these stones. Wo furnish our readers 
with a list: 
•I.artuary.Gurnet.Fidelity to promises. 
February.Amethyst.Control of the passions. 
Maipu.Bloodstone..-Courage and discretion. 
A I'l'il.Sapphire.Repentance: also, 
„ Diamond.Innocence. 
•May. • ...Kmeraid..... Happiness. 
•J' 1 }'* 5 .Agate.—Dong life and health. 
J.M'y ..Ruby. Oblivion and ericf. 
August.. .Sardonyx.Conjugal felicity. 
Htpleniber.... Chrysolite.... Preservation from folly. 
October.Aqua Murlno.MIsforluue; also, 
„ , Opal.,.Hope. 
November.Topaz.friendship. 
December.Turquoise .. .Success. 
Fifty years ago rings were made with precious 
stones, of which the initials formed a name nr 
a word. For example, the name of Sophia 
would he expressed by the following jewels: 
A sapphire, opal, hyacinths, Jasper, and an 
amethyst. This was at once an ornament and 
fouvenir, for we all like to have something dedi¬ 
cated to the memory of those we love. 
--— 
ABOUT WOMEN. 
leading for (he igmtttg, 
THE LAST FLY OF SUMMER. 
BY RIT PA REKB. 
’TWAfl the last, fly of summer 
Left buzzing alone— 
All its live y oinvpani >ns 
Had perisho i and gone; 
Not. n answering hum, 
Not n fluttering wing, 
Came to ohen or to gladden 
The poor little thing. 
While I watched the lone insect, 
A s it glanced here and t ere,— 
Lighting first i n my apron, 
And then on my ■ ulr,- 
O’er my heart eiuno a yearning 
To cherish the fly, 
A a link 'twist the winter 
And the summer gone by. 
I gave It full license 
On Uio mirror to stay, 
Or to traverse tho windows 
In Its I'r.illcsoiue play,— 
Nor doomed it discourteous 
When It tickled my nose, 
Disturbing tile fancies 
Of my noonday repose ; 
Hut would “ shoo tty" the relict 
To some safor place, 
Accepting the nuisance 
With masterly grace, 
The while vainly striving 
To imagine how I 
Could so cheorfnlly flourish 
Were 1 tno lust lly. 
Then when at the table 
Refreshments were served, 
Ills tly-shlp presiding, 
Each dish was observed, 
And carefully tested 
With epicurean ski I, 
Making choicest selections 
Ills ultimjucket to fill. 
But., grown quite unwary, 
S ) eager was h.'. 
Allured by its fragrance 
To sip of my tea, 
That, drunken «ttb feasting, 
Or dizzy from f ar, 
Ho dropped In its depths— 
’Twts tho Inst of him hero. 
February, lo74. 
ABOUT TOBACCO: 
ITS DISCOVERY, CULTURE, USES, EXPENSE, ETC. 
BY A RURAL BOY. 
Within the last three months the President 
has appointed thirty Post mistresses. 
Queen Victohia is said to be writing a book, 
the scene being laid in Germany. 
The Baroness Lionel de Rothschild is said to 
be the author of “ From January to December." 
Tobacco is a native of tropical America. It 
was first discovered in St. Domingo iu 1190; 
afterwards by the Spaniards In Yucatan, 1520. 
Tt was first Introduced into England in 1583. At 
the present, time it is cultivated inmost parts 
of tho world, and nowhere more abundantly 
than in tho United Stales. Virginia Is, perhaps, 
the most celebrated for Its culture. 
In our latitude tobacco is cultivated some¬ 
what in this manner:- The young shoot# pro¬ 
duced from seeds thickly sown In beds, are 
transplanted during tho month of May, and set 
in rows with m interval of three or four feet 
between t he plants. Through tho whole period 
of Its growth it requires constant attention. 
Tho development of the loaves Is promoted by 
removing tho top of each plant, thus pre¬ 
venting it from running into flower and seed. 
The harvest is in August, The ripe plants, hav¬ 
ing been cut off above tho roots, are dried un¬ 
der cover and then stripped of their leaves 
which are tied in bundles and packed in hogs¬ 
heads. While hung up In tho drying-houses 
the leaves undergo curing process, consisting 
In exposure to a considerable degree of heat 
through which they become moist, or in other 
words are said to sweat, after which they are 
dried for packing. Tho great diversity in the 
quality of tobacco is produced by difference of 
soil and mode of cultivation. 
Tobacco has many medical properties and 
uses, but owing to the excessive nausea which 
It occasions It is seldcin administered to the 
stomach. It is frequently used externally, but 
this is attended with danger. The expressed 
juice of tho loaves applied to the head of a 
child eight years of ago, for tho cure of tinea 
vapitiv, caused its death. Death lias also been 
produced by the inhalation of the smoke. 
Some old tobacco chewers are always food of 
spitting the Jqicoupon afresh cut or wound, 
but this should never be allowed; because it 
has never caused auy harm is no reason it never 
will, it affects different persons differently; 
that which will not Injure one may cause tho 
death of another person. In 1870 some 262,732,- 
411 pounds of tobacco were raised in tho United 
States, and probably a groat part of this was 
used for smoking and chewing. This crop, 
calling it worth ten cents per pound, would 
amount to over $20,000,000. 
Probably there are very few who have ever 
made any estimate of the amount of money 
spent for tobacco during a lifetime. We will 
maku a little estimate; — Supposing a man 
chews twenty cents’worth or tobacco per week 
(amounting in one year to $10.10,) and smokes 
three cigars a day, (amounting in one year to 
($11X1.50). If he used it forty years, the whole, 
tobacco and cigars, would amount to $4,706. 
The Interest on this for one year would bo 
$287.70 — enough to pay his board, at $4 per 
week, one year, and leave a surplus of $70.76. 
Now, If all the young men who use tobacco and 
Und It so hard to niako both ends meet, would 
make a careful estimate and lay up each week 
a surn of money that would balance the amount 
spent for tobacco, and at the end of the year 
put It out at interest, and so continue each 
year, they would bo astonished by tho rapid 
Increase of their money. And In their old age. 
If nothing had been gained In any other way, 
here would be sufficient to live upon without 
work tho rest of their days, besides being rid of 
a disagreeable habit. W. u. u. 
-- 
“WHO’LL EE VICTIM 1” 
This is a game which may be played by any 
number of persons—the more players the bet¬ 
ter. The \ ietim and tho Leader arc tho moro 
important persona in tho game. Caro must be 
taken by the Leader to ascertain that the Vic¬ 
tim does not know tho game. This done he Is 
requested to retire from the room and wait un¬ 
til summoned. The Leader thou arranges his 
company In a semicircle and instructs them 
that they arc to imitate every action of the 
Victim from the l ime ho bas been Informed of 
Ids duty, which is to find the name of a word 
t hought of. He is now requested to enter the 
room. The Leader gives him the foil..wing in¬ 
structions : 
“You are, if you please, to watch the actions 
and tho words of tho company, and from them 
elicit the word thought of." 
Now begins tho fun. The Victim looks around 
him, and very likely twirls Ids mustache a 
very natural action expended in tho first nor- 
voua curiosity to discover his whereabouts. 
The players simultaneously twirl real or imagin¬ 
ary mustaches, and make any other restless 
motion the victim may make, Imitating his 
-mile, and SO Closely watching Ids movements 
that if ho attempts to beat a retreat to the door 
all must follow. , 
Let us illustrate :—The Loader has introduced 
Ids Victim. Victim says, “ Well, this Isa comi¬ 
cal situation." Chorus of voicesWell, this 
is," etc. Victim laughs. All the players laugh. 
Victim puts a question. All repeat It. After 
many attempts to solve the riddle, probably he 
plunges his hands in his pockets and says, “ I’ll 
give it up," when lie is Informed that liio word 
is “Imitation.’’ 
Tee essence of true nobility is the negloet of 
self. Let the thought of 3elf pass in, and the 
beauty of a great action Is gone, like a bloom 
from a soiled flower. 
1C f} Hid IT, 
We are always ylad to teecive contributions 
for this Department. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No. 8. 
iiy» 
C®” Answer In two weeks. 
-- ■ »♦«-- 
ANSWER TO PROBLEM WANTED. 
A and B meet in the road. A says to B, 
“ How will you trade horses ? ” B says he will 
trade for $100. “Now how will you trade?" 
A says he will trade for $10. Then they agree 
to split the difference between them. Now, 
how much has A got to give JJ to trade ? 
A bial Thomas. 
Mr. Thomas says there is a difference of 
opinion as to the answer to this question, and 
lie asks tho opinion of the Puzzle-rites of the 
Kura l. Let them answer. 
-♦♦♦- 
ANAGRAMS OF FLOWERS.-No. 1. 
1. Run image. 2. Grim load. 3. Eh lucky 
ones. 4. Sour beet. 5. Cannot air. 6. Love it. 
7. Angry head. 8. Oue name. 9. Said no. 10. 
They chain. Roselia. 
8j£T* Answer in two weeks. 
WORD-SQUARE.-No 4. 
1. Above. 3. A low ground. 
4. A plant. 
KS?" Answer In two weeks. 
3 A pronoun. 
Annie W. 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Feb. 21. 
Literary Enigma No L— 
We Bhape, ourselves, the joy or fear 
Of which the coming life is maUe, 
And fill our Future's atmosphere 
With sunshine and with shade. 
Illustrated Rebus No. 6. —Winter snows 
are coming. 
Cross-word Enigma No. 4— Danube.’ 
