J&e. 
■m 
APB1L IS 
MOOBE’S BUBAL NEW-YOBKEB. 
2S9 
3x 
n 
MY ANSWER. 
BY DE FORREST P. OUMMERSON. 
Voir aslc mo, if this lova of mine 
Hath depths beyond the calm It seems t 
1 cannot tell, thou know'st the vine 
Hides oft Its roots hcnoath deep streams. 
But this I know; thou art, to me 
Afore than Goleonda's mines can give 
Without thee sud my Ufa would be, 
And for thee only do I live. 
Nor do I ask more to attain 
Than one soft glance from thy bright eye; 
If asking this to me were vain, 
Beneath that glance then lot me die ! 
-*-- 
TO WIVES AND HUSBANDS. 
Editor Rural:—I have road so much about 
those overworked tvlvea and mothers that I 
should deem it superfluous for mo to say any¬ 
thing on the subject but for the fact that no 
one has said just what I have to say. No one 
has told how faithfully Air. Jones tried to lmvo 
his wife take care of herself, always hiring good 
help, and furnishing good conveniences for 
doing the housework In the easiest manner. 
He was certainly ono of the kindest husbands 
I have ever seen, but Mrs. Jones did not know 
it,apparently, as she was ready with a com¬ 
plaint, whenever he enme in, whether friends 
were by or not. She fretted enough to make 
any woman unhappy, and 1 should think wear 
a common woman out, or nearly so. She was 
smart, as we generally say, and if Mrs. Smith 
found a new pattern, after Mrs. Jones made 
her new dress, slm was never easy a day until 
she hud another, so she could use Lite same 
pattern which Mrs. Smith used. This simply 
means that she would not think of allowing 
any ono lobavo a newer mode than she had, or 
anything that was a little ahead ol' what she 
hud herself. This kept Mrs. Jones Id a contin¬ 
ual excitement, trying to be as fashionable ns 
Mrs. Smith, trying to have more flounces on 
her lit tlo girl’s dress than Mrs. Model's little 
girl—having a nicer carpet than Mrs. Anr.g, as 
well as “cleaning house'' a little earlier than 
her neighbor. And yet, her very willfulness 
and folly demand our sympathy, ,She did not 
know that this worse than useless ambition 
was wearing her out, or that she could quell 
her ruling passion. She did not t ry to adapt 
her tastes to her husband's purse, nor dream 
that she could live In a less ostentatious man¬ 
ner than some of her neighbors who hud smaller 
families to support than her own ; but she 
could have done so, and made all happy around 
her, Instead of making all unhappy In her 
family. 
1 fuel that pointing out errors and endeavor¬ 
ing to correct them, is one speoial object In 
discussing these woarlng-oht-too-fnat people 
in Huk.u„ and therefore think the subject 
muy as well have a thorough ventilating at 
once, and hereby remark that ono cross, frac¬ 
tious or sour grumbler can spoil all the boauti- 
ful harmony which inakos happy families. 
There is too little tore in the make-up of sucli 
a person, whether husband or wif©, tiomo of 
them are so thoroughly selfish as to demand 
their ow n pleasure at the expense of all others. 
All the Mr. Joneses will please understand 
the following remarks are not dedicated to 
them. Also that we shall always give them 
credit whenever they are found. Dear reader, 
they are too soldom found. That other class— 
I am sorry to say It—ure more commonly seen, 
who never have conveniences about them, but 
the hardest aud longest way of doing work is 
obliged to be taken by their wives, whose con¬ 
stant grief may be bocauBe they cannot do all 
their families need to have dune. Other men 
neglect their wives when sickness or sorrow 
comes, and allow them to bear all the watching 
alone, going to their beds as usual and getting 
refreshing Sleep. The wife wears out very last 
now. She has a double cause. Just when she 
scarcely hopes for the life of her child, she sees 
that her husband cares little lor either, as his 
bustling energy indicates iu the morning, lie 
stop? Oh, no; ho must get that field plowed 
or tile ground might freeze up and it not be 
done, it would be many dollars in Mr. .Smith’s 
pocket if he would only sympathize with that 
forlorn Mrs. Smith, Women bear astonishing¬ 
ly when their husbands comfort and console 
them; but you withhold the latter from them 
and it Is like withholding bodily nourishment. 
The heart breaks with half the trouble which 
would be bravely borne if her husband nour¬ 
ished and defended her. 
The saddest of all is when the wife sees that 
with her wasted strength has gone her hus¬ 
band's love. She remembers how she watched 
over him with the deepest solicitude for hla 
restoration to health when he had that severe 
fever—how the doctor told her she had saved 
her husband's life by careful nursing, and won¬ 
ders why men are so dlllereut from women. A 
few years later, hope went out from Mrs. 
Bmith’s heart and her mine gave way, and 
there was no more real Mrs, a. while she lived. 
Her husband told the neighbors “ there was no 
sorrow like his sorrow; his wife is #uch an ex¬ 
pense he does uot know what to do.” I have 
seen several of these women, neat and indus¬ 
trious formerly, but they did not get the “rest, 
love and kind words ” they needed, and there¬ 
by became a burden just where they had been 
such burden boare.s. 
Husbands, please learn a little wisdom. Sup¬ 
ply the heart’s cravings, and it will pay you 
even in dollars and cents, and doubly will il 
pay in the happiness of yourself and family 
You little think how your wife watches fora 
kind look in your eye, and bow sacredly onob 
look, as wall as every kind word, is treasured 
in her heart. Kind words are such a good in¬ 
vestment of your faculties that I wonder t here 
are so few of them spoken In some families. 
I am well aware that older settled places do 
not supply so many oases similar to the above 
as our nowor Western portions do. Women 
receive far more attention in the Eastern 
States than they generally do In new countries 
which are more sparsely settled, and society 
unorganized its yet. 
Mr. Editor, if you deem this worthy of a place 
in your dear, good and very useful Rural 1 
will some day tell you something else aboul 
bees and flowers. Aunt Flora. 
March 27, 1*74. 
-♦♦♦- 
TABLE MANNER8.-A BRIEF LECTURE. 
11Y MAY MAPLE. 
“Take right hold and help yourself. We 
never go in for style. 1 always like to have 
every one at. home In my house." 
No doubt Mr. Z. thinks, when ho makes this 
otf-haud speech, that he has Bhown his hospi¬ 
tality In a highly generous manner. If you 
hesitate to reach to the opposite sldo of the 
table for moat, lie takes up the platter, no mat¬ 
ter if It Is as largo as a political platform, and 
passes It over to you, instead of taking yoni 
plate. If the potatoes or other vegetables are 
heaped mountain high In an eartliera mllkpan 
the dish is handed from one to another around 
the table, if passed at all. 
'flic expression, “ 1 don't go In for style,” Is 
most certainly an equivocation, although it 
may not be Intentional. Mr. Z. dors "go for 
stylo;” and to those who are accustomed to 
cultivated manners it is a stylo at. once rough 
and ungentlemauly. Observe the nub its of the 
younger portions of tbe family. John, agod 
fifteen, is the first one seated at. table. And as 
each is to help himself, there is no need of 
waiting for all to gather about the family board, 
iio lie reaches from one part of tbe table to 
another for the various dishes desired ; hurries 
Ida mothor for hla cup of coffee, hastening to 
fill his mouth and to relate the must Interest¬ 
ing bit of news ull at the same time. Mary, 
Geo hoe and Harry hasten to their places, and 
ft general rush la made for a favorite dish. 
Then comes t he music of snaps aud snarls be¬ 
cause this ono Inis a larger piece or greater 
quantity than another. There Is no beautiful 
lesson taught, by precept and example, and 
hayded down from father to son, ”lu honor 
preferring one another no defiant, compli¬ 
mentary ” thanks,” or pretty, gentle requests, 
ending with ” if you please," or “if you like." 
Mr. Z. Is not the only one who likes the “ help 
yourself" fashion, else this article had not been 
written. Rut. there Is a largo class of intelligent 
hcrnda of families who allow themselves to fall 
Into such habits of Indolent carelessness. And 
what are the results? They themselves lose 
the respect of their guests for their lack of dig¬ 
nity, and their children grow up a laughing 
stock for their awkwardness and clownish man¬ 
ners. How well 1 remember the astonishment 
depicted on the countenances of a part of my 
guests, when a little daughter of Mr. L., also a 
visitor, arose from the table and reached past 
two or three persons for » bowl of dressing of 
which she had not a suillolenl quantity. At 
once f knew that “ help yourself" was the style 
in her father’s family. 
Fie upon such an uncouth fashion I If you 
wish your children to be easy and graceful iu 
the society of their superiors, set them an ex¬ 
ample. Make It a point to do the honors of the 
table, Whenever you gather around the family 
board, in a manner becoming u gentleman. 
Don't expect your children ure to be taught, by 
Instinct now and what to do. It Is culture that 
makes the polished gentleman or lady. If you 
are poor and your fare plain, let your family 
always enjoy the luxury of as good manners, at 
the table and e.sewhere, as they would find in 
the houses of cultivated people. It is not uec- 
essiry to use silver forks or expensive plate to 
exhibit fine table manners. 
WOMAN’S INFLUENCE. 
Like the olive tree—said to fertilize the sur¬ 
rounding soil—there are some few ministering 
angels in female guise among us all, and about 
our paths, who sweetly serve to cheer and adorn 
life. Our amusements are insipid unless they 
contribute to them ; our efforts of noblest am¬ 
bition feeble unless they applaud, its reward 
valueless unless they share them. Thera are, 
too, some rude spirits in the world whose 
bolder nature fernalu influence admirably 
serves to refine and temper; and perhaps it 13 
an extremo eulogistn of the poet, that without 
that influence many a man had been a “ brute 
indeed ! " The concurrence uf both sexes Is as 
necessury to the perfection to our being as to 
the existence of it. Man may make a fine melo¬ 
dy, but women are u4so required to make up 
harmony. 
- » — — - 
Mrs. Van Cott has been engaged for a camp 
meeting at Geneva, Wls., In August. 
§kit 
ding for th 
<fl 
doling. 
TO CONTRIBUTORS. 
Writs upon pages of u single size, 
Cross all your T s anil neatly dot your I’s; 
On one 9kle only lot your lines tie seen, 
Botli sides ailed up announce a Vurdunt Oreeu. 
Correct, yes, re-cOrrcct all that you writs, 
Aud let your Ink be black, your paper wliits ; 
For spongy foolscap ot a muddy blue 
Betrays u mind or the same dismal huu. 
Punctuate carefully, for on tills snore 
Nothing proclaims the practiced writer more. 
Then send it off, and, lest It merit, lack. 
Inclose tti(> pasta /o stamps to Head it buck ; 
But tlrst. pay all ilia postage on It, too. 
For editors look black on “six cents due," 
And murmur, as they run the c(fusion o’er, 
“A shabby fellow and u wretched bore." 
Yet ere It goes, lake oil a copy Glean ; 
Poets should Own a copying maohlne. 
Little they know the time that's spent, and euro. 
In hunting verses vanished who knows where ? 
Bear this Is In tniml, observe it to the end. 
And you shall make tho editor your frleud. 
Tiie first ten (not ton first, mind,) lines of the 
above, which wecopy from an exchange, should 
ho heeded by young folks who write for the 
Rural— and all of it by older people who send 
us poetry, stories, etc. We have many wdl- 
ivrltteu letters from boys and girls, but some 
are quite the reverse,—showing carelessness in 
penmanship, orthography, grammar and punct¬ 
uation. A little earn and attention on the 
part or our young friends would render their 
epistles much more plain, oorreot and conse¬ 
quently acceptable. Time and thought should 
bo given t o whatever Is written for publication, 
and whoever w ishes to suouood or excel must 
take pains- be careful that ho or she Is correct. 
In statements, orthography, the use of words, 
oto. " Practice makes perfect,” It is said, but 
wo fenr that many who write us do not heed 
the axiom, for they evidently send us tho first 
and often very blurred copies of letters con¬ 
voying crude thoughts. 
-- 
THE RUKAL’3 YOUNG FOLKS. 
MR. Moore : What a line family of boys and 
girls the RURAL has! It has reason to feol 
proud of every one of them. Wouldn't 1 be 
glad to look In upon their bright eyes and 
cheerful countenancesV What a lovely, intel¬ 
ligent group It must be ! 
Tho children’s letters form an Interesting 
and attractive feature of our “Excelsior” 
Rural, and T nra happy always in tho perusal 
of tho precious child-thoughts of the Hoys' and 
Girls' Department. Cannot Mr. Moore afford 
The children a larger eoilier in his excellent 
paper, so that we older children, together with 
the younger, may now and Mien udd a word to 
the gems which sparkle in the children's dia¬ 
dem of thought? 
The warm, sumry spring days are returning, 
and the children will be glad and delighted in 
their out-door plays. Children like field sports 
and rural exercise, and nothing Is better for 
thoir physical development and mental 
strength. For tho ml ml to be free, dear and 
active, the body needs to bo strong and healthy. 
So, children, do not be afraid of tho sun or the 
tail; work and play in the pure air; culti¬ 
vate flowers by all ineuns, and write to tho 
Rural of your sucoess. It will add an addi¬ 
tional luster to your eye and bloom to your 
oheek, and be better than all the cosmetics and 
“Illy blooms” ever mixed and “’patented ” to 
give you a fair complexion, beaiil.ful, glossy 
hair, and u good appetite. Try it I 
Vermont, April, 1«T4. Fort U, LaC'CA, 
Our clover and esteemed correspondent, 
Port 11 . Laooa, has anticipated what wo In¬ 
tended to say, this week, about flower culture, 
out-door games, sportB, etc. Wo hope all our 
young friends—and there's a myriad, living all 
the way from Maine to Minnesota (and beyond/ 
atid Canada to California—will no to what, he 
says, and especially about play and exercise in 
the open air. Why, boys and girls, the writer 
of this—now several years on the shady aide of 
fifty—attributes tho fact that ho has scarcely a 
a gray hair on his head or In his whiskers, and 
that lie Is nearly as vigorous now as thirty 
years ago, to out-door work and play In early 
years, temperance (never having drank a glass 
of spirits until over thirty years of age) and 
regular habits In regard to eating, sleeping, 
etc. We have worked hard for over a third of 
a century, and scarcely had or taken time for a 
week's vacat ion ; y«t we never miss an oppor¬ 
tunity for recreation or exercise In the open 
air -and even now think we can equal most of 
our young friends fn ball-playing and other 
innocent field sports. We have sometimes 
longed for gray hairs and dignity—especially 
when called upon to address Agricultural So¬ 
cieties aud other grave bodies—and yet we 
would not give up our youthful feelings and 
love for young poople ami their amusements 
for nil the dignity of the stateliest Senator, 
General or President. No, no, boys and girls— 
don’t put on airs, nor nse hair dyes, cosmetics, 
etc.; but be 'natural , and what you team, and 
never ashamed to work In the garden or romp 
and play In the open air. City and village 
young folks greatly need the vitalizing aud in¬ 
vigorating influence of out-door exercise, and 
their parents are in many Instances greutly at 
fault for neglecting tho matter. We trust they 
will “ reform it altogether,” and this is the sea¬ 
son to commence. 
Cultivate flowers—yes, and vegetables and 
fruits also—and tell us of your success or fail¬ 
ure. This will give more variety iu these col¬ 
umns, and prove useful to others. Port U. 
DACCA'S suggestion about our giving you 
more space is a good ono. Wo have often 
wished wo could do so without Infringing upon 
other departments— and now have so many let¬ 
ters iront our young friends that It places us in 
a quandary; for we are obliged to omit, or defer 
many which ure as good us those published. 
Last v/eok wo gave precedence to the shortest, 
and those who wish to soo their lotters in print 
hereafter should be biHcf— say as much as pos¬ 
sible in little space, and not forgot that new 
ideas, or something unlike what wo have pub¬ 
lished, will be most acceptable.—f Editor. 
■ «■ »♦- 
ABOUT IDLENESS. 
Many young people think an idle lire must 
be a pleasant one; but there are none who en¬ 
joy it so little, and are such burdens to them¬ 
selves, as those who have nothing to do. Those 
who are obliged to work hard ull day enjoy 
their short periods ol' rest and recreation so 
much that they arc apt to think if their whole 
lives were spent (n rest and rccreutlon it would 
be the most pleasant of all. Rut this la a sad 
mistake, tu thoy would noon find out. it they 
made a trial of the life they think so agreeable. 
Cue who Is never busy can never enjoy rest, for 
rest implies a relief from previous labors; and 
if our whole time were spent in amusing our¬ 
selves, we should find it more wearisome than 
the hardest day's Work. Recreation is only 
valuable as it unbonds n.-i; tho Idle can know 
nothingOf tt. Many pooplo leave oil' business 
and settle down to a life of enjoyment; but 
they generally find that they arc not nearly so 
happy as they were before, and they are often 
glad tu return to their old occupations t..> es¬ 
cape tho miseries of Indolence. — Herald of 
Health. 
--*-*-*-— 
HOW TO SUCCEED. 
If your seat is too hard to sit upon, stand up. 
If h rock rises up before you, roll It away, or 
climb over It. It you wish for confidence, prove 
yourself worthy of It. It takes longer to akin 
an elephant than a mouse, but tho skin h; worth 
something. Don't be content with doing what 
another has done-surpass It, Deserve success 
and it will come. The boy was not horn a man. 
The sun does not rise like a rocket, ot go down 
like a bullet fired from ngun ; slowly but surely 
it makes Its round, and never tires. It Is us easy 
to be a leader as a wheel horse. It the Job be 
long, tbe pay will be greater; If the task bo 
hard, the more competent you must bo to do it. 
--tv*-- 
He that hath u trade hath an estate ; and ho 
that hath a culling hath a place of profit. 
We are always gUul to /ecelve contributions 
for tins Department. 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No. 13. 
I- 
t Answer In two weeks. 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA. No. 10. 
I am composed of 47 letters : 
My 4, *21, 10, 20,24, 0, 2a, 39 and 0 Is the name of a 
noted clergyman. 
My 41, 34, 23, 3, 115, '125, 16, 0 is one of the West In¬ 
dia Islands. 
^ 13 1 Im ' "am® of c murderer. 
\}‘v •/!’ I"', ,' 1 ’ ,H a nation in Europe. 
M> A>. 1, 11, In, 3a, 16, 45 was President ol the 
United States. 
My 2D111,32, 40, RG,37,30, 12, 3, 13, 2 Is a city in 
North Carolina. 
My 26, 14, 27, 6 is our destiny. 
an , ot ? wr n,ltloM ■» Europe. 
w l §£» «■* what most everybody has. 
Mj Jij, w, 11, 0, lto I* a nation lu J&urone whose 
power Is overthrown. 
My whole Is a good mnxirn Tor all. a. i. a. 
Iti? Answer in two wcck... 
ANAGRAM.-No. 1. 
Iveolo ton noun et.h tliew newh tl si erd • 
hewn ti thiveg sit loorc ni hot upc. 
Answer In two weeks. Mrs. P. c. H. 
---♦♦♦- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.—April 4. 
Word-Square No. 6. 
JOHN 
O B O K 
Hup H 
N E 8 T 
Problem No. 7.—Once 1 is less than three. 
W e have no whole number less than 1. Twice 
2 is more than three, and any larger number 
squared must also bo more than three. Whole 
numbers being exhausted, lei us look at frac¬ 
tions, and we find that a fraction multiplied by 
a fraction cannot produce a whole number 
Three la a whole numher, and as we have proved 
that its root cannot be a whole uutuber or a 
fraction, its root Is impossible. 
Illustrated Rebus No. 12. —The greatest 
men are not always tho best men. j 
—^7 
