-S&e»r 
MAY SO. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
ladies' portfolio. 
OLD FRIENDS. 
BY COROLLA TT. CRESWELL. 
T.et others roam 
Afar from home, 
And strange, new faces sec— 
But a heart and hand, 
In my own free land, 
A nd a good old friend for me ! 
What pleasure sweet 
When old friends meet, 
And recall t he days of yore ; 
Gay childhood's play, 
Pond youth’s bright day. 
And the joys that eomo no more. 
How they romped and played. 
In the deep wood’s shade, 
Or by the summer Stream ; 
And the turtles sought. 
Or the fishes caught— 
Ah, sweet Was the childhood’s dream ! 
An old, old friend ! 
With whom to blend 
Our smiles, our sighs, our tears: 
One loved and tried. 
And true beside— 
The trusted one of years. 
Friends of n day 
Chase time away 
With gay and pleasing themes; 
But cling. to till! end. 
To the deur old friend 
Who meets you in your dreams. 
For day and night 
That presence bright 
In all your life doth blend; 
Your griefs, your cares, 
You Know lie shares— 
Your own uuoliaugtng friend. 
Ungrateful heart! 
That lllcs apart. 
To bask iti untried spheres; 
For true to the end 
Is the dear old friend— 
The treasured one of years. 
OUR HOUSEHOLDS. 
Is there anything that contributes to the 
comfort of the rainily children, servants and 
friends —like good, domestic housekeeping? 
The woman who rules well her household, and 
upon whose tongue are words of kindness, com¬ 
mands homage and honor from every worthy 
heart. We know a few such women; true they 
are rare, and still rarer are those women who— 
V 1 the varied circumstances in which they find 
themselves, by the changes of fortune can so 
adapt, themselves that a change seems no bur¬ 
den, and acts or self-denial are cheerfully per¬ 
formed without excuse. In short, we have seen 
a few women who have carried along with them' 
in every place, at home and abroad, conviction 
to the hearts of all that, they are possessed of 
unusual strength of character appearing the 
same cheerful, self-possessed persons every¬ 
where. 
We have never yet seen tho woman who em¬ 
bodied all tho good qualities which make a 
perfect housekeeper, a perfect wife, a perfect 
mother, or a perfeet friend nor can such a 
woman be found. Who does not feel cither 
quite at home or very uncomfortable In live 
minutes after entering a strange house? It 
would be difficult to define the whys and where¬ 
fores, but the fact stares us in the face. It is 
the one or the other sensation; too much civil¬ 
ity emharasses, and too little is very cold; only 
a few link the happy medium ami make every 
guest feel at ease. What, young lady has for¬ 
gotten the time when Mamma said don’t fail 
to entertain your friend while silo stays, and 
how in the effort she almost longed for the 
hour of her friend’s departure ? How irksome 
is an effort to entertain, and who so stupid as 
not to perceive the effort. ?—and yet wo go on 
unsuccessfully trying to deceive each other. 
“Oh, says Mrs. G., “how glad 1 am my com¬ 
pany is gone. I thought I should have a fit 
of sickness, it was auch an effort to entertafn 
them, and my husband would not put himself 
the least bit out of the way, but actually read 
the papers and took things as cool as if nobody 
was here. He says, 4 Why do you not take 
things easy? The company does not trouble 
me. J enjoy having people here—the more the 
merrier;’ and my poor head is bursting with 
pain.’’ 
Now, this effort to entertain in the secret of 
all the trouble and the cause of the dreaded 
sick-head,ache. Both guests and hostess are to 
be pitied—it would be hard tolling which is 
most uncomfortable. How frequently we hear 
the remark, “ I would like to visit you If I was 
sure you would not put yourself the least bit 
out of the way." Now- this remark expresses 
the sentiments of all sensible people. A plain 
meal, clean and wholesome, with a welcome 
smile and cheerful words, are far more accept¬ 
able than a stately meal with wearied faces and 
hurried, fret ful words - vainly endeavoring to 
mde the vexation and chagrin at being forced 
to entertain you. “ I enjoy having you come 
n does me gotta, r go on with my work just the 
same, l feel no anxiety about you. it is so 
nice to have people who give no trouble, and 
, at w»l| be content to eat what we happen to 
have for dinner, and w ho will not be fancying 
themselves neglected ali the time.’’ 
I’beBe are not Imaginary words; we hear them 
every aay from our sisters and cousins and in¬ 
timate friends whom we love to entertain, be¬ 
cause they join the frolic, without ceremony. 
Does not this serve to illustrate that it is the 
anxiety of mind, and not the extra physical ex¬ 
ertion. w hich causes tho trouble and the many 
complaints. Who does not know the weariness 
of a formal call!— and yet society not only tol¬ 
erates hut imposes them. The lady sits on the 
edge of the softly-cushioned chair, with spot¬ 
less gloves and perfumed handkerchief a few 
meaningless sentences and flattering words pass 
her lips, while her mind is all tho time In fear 
lest she should exceed the lime for a formal 
call, and so forfeit her title to a knowledge of 
the strict rules of etiquette. 
Social visits and an interchange "of healthy 
thought, is one of the greatest pleasures of 
well-balanced. Intelligent people. We must 
have society; oven the animals arc wretched 
alone ; without the friction of other minds our 
own would go out. We need to come In con¬ 
tact with people of opposite tastes, inclinations 
and duties, to keep alive and invigorate our 
capacities. To enjoy society we must enter 
each others’ homes, sit down at each others’ 
boards, and drink each others’ health. How 
can this be accomplished w ith the least anxiety 
to her who is at the head of each home, that 
each visit may leave a refreshing halo around 
her circ le, instead of those expressions of relief 
at departure ? Many a husband Is deterred from 
asking a friend home to dinner, just because 
his wife will make such extra exertion If she 
has another face at her tabic. It seems to him 
that the «. xL.-a pinto Is all that Is r, quired, and 
as a rule he is rigid. The truth is, there is a 
desire in the minds of most housewives to make 
a display, and they will do it, even at the risk 
of the dreaded siek-headache. m. h. s. 
Reading fur the f|oimg. 
A LITTLE SONG. 
Wnetf little hands are clean and white, 
And little races sweet and bright, 
The little hearts are glad ami light. 
When Utile eyes have learned to read 
What little minds should early heed, 
How fast, will spring truth’s precious seed ! 
When little lips speak words of praise, 
And little feet tread wisdom's ways, 
How good and happy are tho duys! 
Uife Is made up of little things. 
The flower that blooms, the bird that sings, 
And every hour 1ms angel-wings. 
+ ♦■»- 
LETTERS TO YOUNG RURAL1STSNo. 24. 
FROM COUSIN JOHNNIE. 
FRANKNESS IN LOVE. 
One of tho most essential things in all love- 
affairs is entire and perfect frankness. Both 
parties should be frank—true to themselves, 
and truthful to each other. How many uneasy, 
troubled, anxious minds how many breaking 
and how many broken hearts there ate to-day, 
in which content and happiness might have 
reigned supreme but for a want of frankness 1 
A little concealment of existing love—a little 
covering up of a doubt or suspicion, which a 
moment’s explanation would have removed—a 
llttloaffected butunfett partiality for a third 
person-a little cold disdain, put, on for effect 
a little act of any kind done merely to torment 
and see how much truo love would put up with 
■causes like fclqsso have estranged those who 
might otherwise nave remained friends for life, 
connected by the closest tie which etui bind 
human beings together. Repentance comes, 
inevitably, for ali these things; but It often 
come too late, and only when the evil produced 
is incurable. In love, as in anything else, truth 
is the strongest of all things; and frankness Is 
but another name for truth. Then.be always 
frank. Avoid misunderstandings; give no rea¬ 
son or occasion lor them. They arc more easily 
shunned than cured ; they leave scars upon the 
heart. You are less likely to bo deceived 
yourself when you never try to deceive others. 
Frankness is like the light of the dear day, In 
which everything may be plainly perceived. 
Never part with your lover for a single day or 
night with any unexplained mystery lingering 
between you to obstruct tho course of trio 
love. Ho frank. 
EARLY INFLUENCES. 
There can be no greater blessing than to be 
born in the light and air of a cheerful, loving 
home. It not only Insures a happy childhood 
if there be health arid a good constitution 
but. it almost makes sure a virtuous and happy 
manhood, and a fresh young heart in old age. 
We think it every parent's duty to try to make 
their children’s childhood full of love and of 
childhood’s proper joyousness; and we never 
soe children destitute or them through the 
poverty, faulty tempers, or wrong notions of 
their parents, without a heartache. Not that 
all the appliances which wealth can buy are 
necessary to t.lie free and happy unfolding of 
childhood in body, mind or heart-quite other¬ 
wise, God be thanked; but children must at 
least have love Inside the house, and fresh air 
and good play, and some good companionship 
outside -otherwise young lire runs the greatest 
danger in the world of withering or growing 
stunted, or sour and w rong, or at least prema¬ 
turely old and turned inward on itself. 
--»♦» - ■ — 
NO doubt the most rational and agreeable 
way of keeping up social intercourse, is to see 
one's friends frequently, but in small numbers; 
Indeed it la an old-fashioned maxim w’hich 
directs, “for thinking, one; for conversation, 
tw T o, no more; for argument, three; for social 
pleasure, five; for trouble, a house full. 
- ***- - 
There is a false economy as well as a real 
one. To do without cheerful and Instructive 
reading yourself, or for your children, is starv¬ 
ing the mind for the sake of the body. It is 
“penny wise and pound foolish.” A house 
without books or nowspaper* is’no house ut all. 
--— 
It really seems as if, In refining customs and 
reconstructing laws, the quality of our mercy 
has become too nicely strained. For instance, 
considering tho mischief that willful gossip 
does, who will pretend to say that there is any 
adequate punishment for it ? 
A Brief Response to Young Bach. 
Wn v could not Young Hacii have been manly 
enough to acknowledge that he spoke insolent¬ 
ly of women in general, and then have politely 
asked pardon for such want of gallantry, in¬ 
stead of trying, as lm did in his last letter, 
(happily without success) to say something un¬ 
pleasant to Cousin John me, In particular / 
Echo answers, “ Why !" But enough of this 
youth for the present. 
rt is u pleasant relief to turn to the article 
entitled “ Newspaper Borrowers," in tho 
Rural of April 25th, and read the loving 
words that M. W. voluntarily sgoaks of Cousin 
Johnnie. I cannot tell how glad 1 feel that I 
have succeeded In winning the love of at least 
one reader of the RURAL. It Is better than the 
admiration of a thousand. Thank you, M. W. 
whoever or wherever you may be, Cousin 
Johnnie w ill try to better deserve your love iit 
the future. 
A Talk About Cleanliness. 
O, J. Is glad her little Cousin Eva May C 
finds her letters interesting. This time she is 
going to write something that possibly may not. 
please bo well ; but noverthelcs she hopes every 
little Rurallst (and big one too, for that mat 
ter,) will read it. It is on the subject of clcan- 
UneM. Horace Mann says:- “ If you have not 
been bitten by a mad dog, don't lie afraid of 
fresh water. There is enough water in tin 
world to keep everybody clean; but there is a 
great deal of it never finds Its right place. The 
people of the West boast of their great rivers 
—I would rather they would boast, of using a 
large tubful! of their water every day !” Now 
this is the point I wish you to notice. “There 
la a great deal of It never jlndu Us right place, 
viz., the surface of peoples’ bodies 1 Perhaps 
you do not all know that our skin contains 
thousands and thousands of minute pores, 
through which a large amount of the impuri¬ 
ties of the system is thrown off every day. It 
Is necessary, both for health and in order that 
our bridles may bo free from the least unpleas¬ 
ant, odor, that, those impuritios should bo fre¬ 
quently removed, if possible dally, with soap 
and tepid water, from the entire surface of the 
*kin arid tho body rubbed briskly wi h u coarse 
towel. Now there are many persons who wash 
face,neck ami hands, and then consider them¬ 
selves clean! I have been brought in contact 
with some who, I feel almost convinced, have 
never done more! In the years I have taught 
music, among the scries ol' pupils 1 have had 
there have been some (not very many, I am 
happy to say,) in teaching whom. In the close 
proximity of a near-sighted mu.de teacher, I 
have actually had to hold rnv breath ! Not, that 
they were afflicted with Ozena not that their 
lungs or teeth were decayed—not that they 
were victims of cancer or any other dreadful 
thing that would have entitled them to my pity 
and sympathy. No, the cause was simply that 
which soap and water could have removed. 
Others, again, I have known who made up for 
the deficiency of soap arul water in tho fret) use 
of cologne and extracts; but the effect was 
much the same as dressing up an unclean 
thought in flowery language, lu the vain hope 
that no one will detect it; theiiucleauiicss wus 
quite as apparent, and, if possible, more dis¬ 
gusting. I haveofien wished I could carry about 
with me, and show to certain persons of my 
acquaintance, a “Personal" I once saw In.a 
New York paper. But alas, there is no subject 
upon which people are more sensitive than 
this, so 1 must e’en say nothing, and go on hold¬ 
ing my breath t o the end of the chapter. The 
“ Personal" read something like this: “ ff the 
geutleruan who occupied such a scat In such a 
theatre, last night, would use carbolic soap on 
his feet lie would confer a favor on those sit¬ 
ting near him," The mystery to me is how such 
people can stand it. themselves. Have they no 
olfactories ? and do they believe all other hu¬ 
man beings destitute of them us well ? Why, it 
seems to me in such a case I would npply car¬ 
bolic soap suds sixteen time*a dag, or oftener, if 
necessary 1 Cleanliness, it has been said, is 
uext to Godliness, and I believe It. I think It 
is demoralizing to be unclean. I cannot con¬ 
ceive bow a soul that is pure and holy can 
dwell in a filthy body. I hope if any of you, 
little cousins, have failed heretofore to see the 
importance of cleanliness, these few plain 
words will have some effect upon you. The 
great trouble is that parents are not careful 
enough to give their children cleanly habits 
early in life; and, of course, as we are all such 
creatures of habit, where a good one is not 
formed a bad one will be sure to form itself. 
Hence it Is that there are so many dirty, slov¬ 
enly men and women to-day, who are a perfect 
abomination to cleanly, sensitively-organized 
people. 
“ Wild Boy” Taken to Task. 
T cannot help alluding to the letter from 
\\ riii) Bov of the Rocky Mountains. lie and 
Young Bach seem to be kindred spirits, He is 
worse than Y. B., however, because the hitter 
spoke of women In general, and is extremely 
anxious Ids female relatives and friends shall 
not be thought “poor specimens." But this 
Wri.n Bov speaks of Ids own mother and sis¬ 
ters as “ our women,” and holds them up to i he 
contempt and ridicule of all the thousands 
who read the Rubai,. Itseemsto me far nobler 
to try and conceal the little defects of our 
friends than to thus neetltesslg expose them. I 
will venture to say, not one of hlo sisters,and 
certainly not Ids mother, Iona as their tongues 
ouig be, would have written thus about 
any of his peculiarities, however annoying, r 
trust ho has long since askerl their pardon for 
his unkindness, which l cannot but believe 
was the result of thoughtlessness. 
Dew Drop Asked to “ Rlso and Explain.” 
1C ate K. wants information from Dew Drop 
concerning those “eleven bedqullts." 1 hope 
onr little cousin will comply wit,h her request, 
and write us a re tl sensible letter, such as I feel 
sure she can write. I liked eight years old 
Nelson It's letter exceedingly it was so per¬ 
fectly childlike. IIo once had a dog too, Nel¬ 
son, named Carlo, “ would hove had him vet," 
but, like yours too, 44 he died.” 
1C |1ll22lCl’. 
Tl e are always glad to receive contributions 
for this Department, 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No. 15. 
Answer in two weeks. 
LITERARY ENIGMA. No. 2. 
I am composed of tit letters: 
My 47, :.’!), fill is the name of the queen in the 
story of Bader, in Arabian Nights Enter¬ 
tainment. 
My 19, 20, 44, 28, 9, 21, III is the name of a char¬ 
acter U) Hhakspeare’s tragedy of Macbeth. 
My 58, 8, 29,14, 11, 00 is the name of a poem by 
Lord Byron. 
My 42, 48, 04, 50, 40, 52, 33 is Shakspearo’s char¬ 
acter of a Jealous husband. 
My 5,31, 27,10, 39, 41, 2, is the name of a fairy 
queen in Midsummer Night’s Dream. 
My 10, 25, 13, 1, 50, 62, 23 is the name of a poem 
by Pope. 
My 30, 7, 38, 28, 24, 22 was the name of an English 
poet. 
My 51,12, 45, 13, 31, 9, 17, 36, 55, 61, IS, 57 is tho 
name of a romance by Mrs. Shelly. 
My 4, 35, 53, 3, 32, 6, 60 Is the name of a Trojan 
soldier in Homer’s Siege of Troy. 
My 20, It'S, 37, 54, 15, 40,22, 63 is the chief of tho 
faction or the Red Roses. 
My whole is a quotation from Gray’s Elegy. 
i &" Answer in two weeks. w. tt. n. 
WORD-PUZZLE-No. 3. 
I am refreshed. 1 contain seven letters. I 
contain a bird, a fish, an animal, a boy, an old- 
fashioned young woman, u motor ami an auricu¬ 
lar part of the body. I contain a range of 
mountains, a valley, a meadow, an open place 
In a forest, a beverage, and a high wind; also, 
anger, sorrow, mirth, a scornful look, pleased, 
ami held precious. A boy's name, the name of 
one of Shakspeare’s kings, a hundred yvurs, 
royal slate, accouterments, voraciousness, law¬ 
ful, great, and true; also, a kind of beer, one 
who castrates, arid a machine the use of which 
is well-known to old ladies, i also contain 
several verbs; one of them can be spelled with 
one letter; a verb signifying concord and Its 
perfect participle; a verb signifying to guide, 
and Its p. p.; a verb signifying to risk, and its 
p. p.; a verb signifying to peruse, and Its p. p. 
Also, to linger, to draw, to distribute, to load; 
also, a metaj, wood or the Hr tree, a part of a 
circle. * 
ZSBT' Answer in two weeks. 
o* 
WORD-SQUARE. No 6. 
1. Part of the body. 2. A mistake. 3. To get 
up. 4. A substance much Used by tinsmiths. 
5. A river. 
J3/“ Answer in two week.;. 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-May 16. 
Charade No. 3.—Bug-boar. 
Cross-word Enigma No. 7—Okhotsk. 
