MOV. U 
323 
Jfrdtqs' portfolia. 
WHY I WON HEE. 
by port r. LACCA. 
She was lovely! Graceful and tall 
In stature,—of complexion fair,— 
Beautiful In feature, and all 
Enhanced by her rich, wavy hair. 
Gentle was her voice—never strong— 
Eyes ltko unto Heaven’s own blue ; 
Lips att ractive , and cheeks so fair— 
She wus the fairest girl I knew. 
I met her at the singing-school— 
We sang together oft and well: 
We sat within tbe same church-walls— 
Ilecded alike the same school-bell. 
Our native land was one and the same, 
Our fathers were old friends together; 
We walked and talked, ns others have done,— 
tV ere much, in fact, as “ birds of a feather.” 
It were not these, not these alone. 
That prompted me her hand to win : 
It was the living, loving soul. 
That warmed tbe heart aud reigned within. 
Linden-Wold, 1874. 
- 
WITH UTILITY-BEAUTY. 
BY A. ZALIA. 
Patience lives In the country. Her friend 
Lilian resides in the city, within ten miles of 
Patience's home. Patience is obliged to 
wear her Summer bonnet with a dark ribbon 
for a fall trimming, and make over her last 
year's dresses and sacks instead of buying now 
ones. Lilian has a new hat when she pleases, 
while her closet groans with its abundant store 
of new gowns. Yet when PATIENCE rides over 
to make tier friend a three days’visit, Lilian 
wonders how It Is that her own dresses look so 
common place, while those of her friend have 
a dainty, not to say stylish appearance. And 
when Lilian arrives by the three o'clock train 
and presents herself at the country house to 
stay a week, it is strange, she thinks that every 
thing in and about the house betokens so much 
taste. She even falls to wondering where 
Patience gets all her money to make herself 
and homo so pleasant. 
Lilian, like many another of her class, ima¬ 
gines that nothing can be accomplished with¬ 
out the aid of the mighty dollars and cents 
with which she has had to do. She has no idea 
that her modest friend is a genius; neither does 
she know that a person lacking that qualifica¬ 
tion cannot have such dresses or such a house 
as those she admires, however grand they may 
be. 
Patience is not afraid to work ; indeed she 
cannot lie happy unless her bauds and heart are 
employed. She serves herself, too, that she 
may be well served. Consequently, when her 
cypress vine needs a frame up which It may- 
creep with tiny feet, she does not wait for 
John, who always promises but never fulfills. 
She goes to the wood house and the tool chest; 
she brings forth hammer and nails and smooth 
stakes; she pounds and fits, and Is not above 
sawing with the small hand-saw, to make the 
right lengths. Finally, when she has fashioned 
a pretty trellis In theshape of across,she brings 
the paint put and lays on a smooth, green coat. 
John laughs, to be sure, and asks her some 
foolish question about woman's rights, but she 
cares not a whit, and a week afterward, when 
the scarlet blossoms peep out from behind 
their new support, Lilian asks where she 
bought her frame. 
There are fields, and rough fences, and woods 
and shining streams of water near at hand. 
From all these sources does Patience supply 
her needs, without money and without price. 
She gathers the beautiful Autumn leaves, red 
and brown and green, and groups them over 
her pictures and among the snowy folds of her 
plain muslin curtains. She pastes the delicate 
gray lichens over the outside of her starch box, 
aud brings a basketful of leaf mold to fill It—• 
whioli belug done, she carries it bodily to the 
parlor window. Patience’s parlor and sitting- 
room are one, but she says, “ sittlngroom’’ in 
the morning and “parlor" In the afternoon, 
where, in a few days, appear the tender blades 
of the millet she has planted. Her canary 
smacks his lips over the delicious green all 
winter. She sets sturdy little ferns, with their 
roots and plenty of their native soil, in old 
baking platters, and keeping them well water¬ 
ed, she enjoys their nodding beauty for months. 
Patience buys a pattern for her polonaise 
and cuts it herself, and with the dressmaker’s 
fee she covers the chairs with pretty chintz 
that will wash. She fits the covers herself, and 
the gay colors make the room cheery and 
bright. Not only does the polonals- pattern 
serve our Patience, but she comes, by-and-by, 
to be her own dressmaker, watching, like sharp 
little Jennie When, the fashionable crowds, 
when she rides into the city,.and, like her, 
“cutting out and basting*’ as she walks. She 
manages to have her clothing made up “ac¬ 
cording to the fashion,” hut it is, after all, a 
“sweet fashion of Patience’s own,” as Lilian 
says—for she studies what will best become 
her, and daisies take the place of diamonds, 
and pretty cambrics suit her quite as well as 
silks. 
In the sleeping rooms there are numberless 
pretty contrivances, which are easily made. 
Knit scrap hags to bold stray hits of paper; 
letter cases cut, from bright-colored card-board 
hang within convenient, reach ; a match safe 
made in the same way, and deep enough to 
prevent accidents, with a square of sand paper 
underneath, cleverly concealed by a card pic¬ 
ture, for Patience cannot abide the unbleanly 
habit of scratching matches on the wall paper. 
And, speaking tof paper hangings, she took a 
hint from some newspaper last fall, and buying 
cheap paper for her kitchen, put it on wrong 
side out, which left a pretty, plain drab, and 
deceived people into the belief that her room 
was freshly painted. 
Patience, like many another wife, has a hor¬ 
ror of boots; therefore, in the sitting-room, 
kitchen and every other room where they are 
likely to be left—and do they not pervade t he 
whole house?—she has a box covered with a 
comfortable cushion, which is intended to serve 
as boot-holder and footstool. Thus does she 
contrive to make the most of her resources 
and render her house pretty and comfortable 
at the same time. It is not strange that her 
friend Lilian should wonder at the beauty 
that creeps in, or he astonished at the inde¬ 
pendence of her friend. She lias learned the 
art of helping herself and economically using 
the stray bits which lie In the pathway of us 
all. Some of us are so blinded that we cannot 
see them; but for Patience, and thoie like 
her, the world Is rich. 
-- 
BE CHEERFUL AT THE TABLE. 
HABPKlt'8 Bazar, edited by a lady who prob¬ 
ably knows whereof she affirms, has some very 
truthful remarks concerning a matter of inter¬ 
est to all the people, though perhaps designed 
more particularly for the eyes and ears of city 
folk. Listen: 
Hasty eating is universally disapproved, and 
cheerful sociability recommended. Yet how 
often is the dinner hour tha spocial time when 
the tired husband la treated to a detailed ac¬ 
count of difficulties with servants aud children, 
or the wife receives a depressing record of busi¬ 
ness troubles 1 The cook may have given warn¬ 
ing. Willie may have ruined his best jacket 
your pocket have, been picked, or your day’s 
work brought no gain ; but these things will 
keep: taik them over at another time, but lot 
the dinner hour bo free from troublesome top¬ 
ics, Perhaps nothing is more prejudicial to the 
proper assimilation of food than disputation. 
The mind becomes Irritated, and Instantane¬ 
ously the stomach sympathizes. A dinner-table 
Is the worst possible place for an argument 
which may easily become heated and acrimoni¬ 
ous. Nor should it be a place where children 
are constantly reproved, or their bad conduct 
suffered to destroy the comfort of the meal. 
Discipline in the household is highly necessary, 
but the wise mother will not make it a promi¬ 
nent feature at the table. Good news, happy 
thoughts, innocent mirth and cheerful even¬ 
ings arc the most efficacious relishes, and should 
be used freely. An uncomfortable meal, what¬ 
ever may be the cause, is almost certain to pro¬ 
duce Indigestion. And though such small mat¬ 
ters may he thought by many unimportant, 
they go very far toward the establishment of 
good health, and even the most robust cannot 
neglect them with Impunity. 
-♦♦♦- 
WHERE FLOWERS COME FROM. 
Some of our flowers came from lands of per¬ 
petual summer, some from countries all ice and 
snow, some from islands in the ocean. Three 
of of our sweetest exotics originally came from 
Peru; the camellia was brought to England In 
1839, and in a few years afterward the mignon¬ 
ette and heliotrope. Several came from Cape 
of Good Hope; a very large cal I a was found 
there in the ditches, and some of the most 
beautiful geraniums, or pelargoniums, which 
are spurious geraniums. The verbe.ia grows 
wild in Brazil. The marigold is a native Afri¬ 
can flower. A great number came from China 
and Japan. The little Daphne was taken to 
England by Captain Boss from almost the fur¬ 
thest land he visited toward the North Pole. 
Some of these are quite changed In form by 
cultivation, others have become larger and 
brighter, while others fall far abort of the 
beauty and fragrance of the tropics, despite all 
care of florists and shelter of hot-houses. When 
the dahlia was brought to England, it was a 
very simple blossom, a single circle of dark 
petals sorrounding a mass of yellow ones. Oth¬ 
ers were, a abort time after, transplanted from 
Mexico, with scarlet and orange petals, but 
still remained simple flowers. Long years of 
cultivation in rich soil, together with other 
arts of skillful florists, have changed the dahlia 
to what it now is—a round ball of beauty. 
•-♦♦♦- 
AVOID LITTLE THINGS. 
The avoidance of little evils, little sins, little 
inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little follies, 
little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little 
acts of indolence, of indecision, of slovenliness 
or cowardice, little equivocations or aberrations 
from high integrity, little hits of worldiineas 
and gayety, little indifferences to the feelings 
and wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper 
and crossness, or selfishness, or vanity—the 
avoidance of Buch little things as these go far 
to make up at least the negative beauty of a 
holy life. 
Reading far tint f§oimg. 
THE PUPPIES AND TORTOISE. 
[See Illustration, page 321.J 
A sight most strange and wonderful 
Three little puppies saw— 
A creature out of shell of horn 
Popped out a head aud claw. 
They jumped and barked, and barked again. 
And stared with open eyes; 
The sight of snob a strange-shaped thing 
So filled them with surprise. 
They wondered at its smooth, brown shell, 
Its sklu both brown and green, 
And thought it was the strangest sight 
They ever yet had seen. 
♦ ♦ ♦ . — - 
SEE HERE, YOUNG FRIENDS! 
NICE PRESENTS OR PREMIUMS FOR BUT LITTLE WORK. 
All the Boys and Girls, Young Men and 
Maidens, who read the Rural aro supposed to 
be its friends and to wish it well-more circu¬ 
lation and greater prosperity. Wo take this for 
granted, and further that scores of them have 
already decided to see what they can do to help 
their old friend along during the fall and win¬ 
ter. If our young friends wish to get “Good 
Pay for Doing Good ," the best thing they can 
do la to go right to work for the Old Rural, 
and see how many subscribers each can obtain 
for 1875. They can , if they only will, do a favor 
to neighbors and acquaintances, and at the 
same time benefit themselves, by getting up clubs 
for a paper which seeks their interest and In¬ 
struction, as well as the welfare of their parents 
and community generally. 
“But hmv shall wc do it?” asks Johnnie, 
Charlie, Jimmie, Mary, Sarah, Anna, (we 
change the fashionable programme, and don't 
terminate the girls’ names with tc,) and a host 
of others. We will toll you, confidentially -but 
mind, you must keep It a secret. Send for our 
Premium List, Show - Bill, Prospectus for 
Names, Specimens, &c., and then, armed with 
these documents, go to your friends, neighbors 
and others—everybody you meet, Indeed and 
ask them to join your club for the good Old 
Rural. By so doing you will soon get enough 
names to secure a nice and valuable Premium. 
“ What Premium V' you ask, 1 Why, you can 
have anything from a book, album, pocket- 
knife or gold pen, costing from $3 to $5, up to 
an organ or piano worth $000—according to the 
number of subscribers you obtain. The Pre¬ 
mium List contains full particulars, but. you 
needn’t wait for that, but begin at anee —for now 
la the time to open the Campaign. Start your 
Club, even if you have not yet received the list. 
It Is so liberal th at you will be sure to secure a 
nice Premium if you get even a small club. 
We not only propose to give our young 
friends the lino premiums offorod, but to pub¬ 
lish, in this Department, a Roll or Honor 
containing their names and the number of 
subscribers obtained by each one. And, fur¬ 
thermore, wc hereby offer, in cHUHtlon to the 
regular prizes, three Extra Premiums or Gratui¬ 
ties, as follows :-To tbe Boy or Girl (Young 
Man or Muldcn) under 18 years of age, who 
sends us the largest list of Yearly Subscribers 
previous to Feb. 1, 1875, we will give a copy of 
Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, price $12; to 
the one sending, as above, the second largest 
club, any $8 premium on our list; and to the 
one sending, as above, the third largest club, 
any $5 premium on our list. 
Now, young folk and friends, let U3 see what 
you can and will do for Yours ELVES and the 
Rural! There is plenty of time for you to 
work, but remember that it Is always best to 
“take time by the forelock," and hence ijeoin 
now. Of course, you will “report progress” 
occasionally, so that we may be advised con¬ 
cerning what you are doing. 
- ++-•• - 
ABOUT QUARRELING. 
Tnocon written for the benefit of grown 
people, we thin k all boyff who expect to become 
men should read and remember this sensible 
paragraph ; 
Tf anything in the world will make a inanfeel 
badly, except pinching his lingers in the crack 
of a door, It is unquestionably a quarrel. No 
man ever fails to think Jess of himself after it 
than before. It degrades him in the eyes of 
others, and what is worse, blunts his sensibili¬ 
ties oil the one hand, and increases the power 
of irritability on the other. The truth is, the 
more quietly and peacefully we get on the bet¬ 
ter for our neighbors. In nine cases out of ten 
the better course Is, if a man cheats you cease 
to deal with him; if ho is abusive, quit his 
company, ami if ho slanders you, take care to 
live so no one will believe him. No matter who 
he is, or how he misuses you, the wisest way is 
to let him alone, for there is nothing better 
than this cool, calm, and quiet way of dealing 
with the wrongs we meet. 
A HOME QUESTION. 
An old western farmer, about the time that 
the temperance reform was beginning to exert 
a healthful Influence in the country, said to his 
man-servant, “ Jonathan, I did not think to say 
that I think of trying to do my work this year 
without rum. How much more must 1 give 
you to do without it?” “Oh, 1 don’t care 
much about it,” replied Jonathan; “you may 
give me what you please,” “Well*" said the 
farmer, “ I will give yon a sheep every autumn 
if you will do without.” “Agreed,” responded 
Jonathan. The oldest son said, *' Father, will 
you givomea sheep too, if l will do without 
rum ? ” “ Yes, Marshall, you shuil have a sheep 
if you will do without.” The younger son, a 
stripling, then said, “ Father, will you give me 
a sheep if I will do without? ” “ Yes, Chandler, 
you shall have a sheep also il you do without.” 
Preseutly Chandler spoke again. “ Father* 
hadn't you better take a sheep too 1" 
-♦♦♦-- 
STICK TO IT, YOUNG MAN! 
Therefore, if any young man has embarked 
his life in the pursuit of knowledge, lot him go 
on without doubting or fearing the event; let 
him not he intimidated by the cheerless begin¬ 
nings of knowledge, by the darkness from 
which she springs, by the difficulties which 
hover around her, by the wretched habitation 
in which she dwells, by tho want, and sorrow 
which sometimes journey in her train. But let 
him ever follow her as an angel that guards 
him, and as the genius of his life. She will 
bring him out at last into the light of day, and 
exhibit him to tho world, comprehensive in 
acquirement, fertile In resources, rich In imag¬ 
ination, strong in reasoning, prudent and pow¬ 
erful above his fellows in all the relations and 
In all the offices of life. Sydney Smith. 
-m- 
HINTS ON HABITS. 
As the snow gathers together, so aro our hab¬ 
its formed. No single flake that is added to tho 
pile produces a sensible change: no single ac¬ 
tion creates, however it may exhibit a man’s 
character; but as the tempest hurls the ava¬ 
lanche down mountains, and overwhelms the 
Inhabitant, and hi*, habitation, so passion, act¬ 
ing Upon the elements of mischief, which per¬ 
nicious habits have brought together by imper¬ 
ceptible accumulation, may overthrow tho 
edifice of trutli and virtue. 
Iteler, 
GEOGRAPHICAL ENIGMA.—No. 3. 
One morningwhilesittiug in my private room 
in an river of Germany l was somewhat surpris¬ 
ed to see my sister mountains south of Switzer¬ 
land enter the room; the carried her bay east 
of Australia, which she said she had been city 
in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, and it made 
her feci mountains east of Oregon. She had 
hardly finished when our river in the north of 
Maine cousin mountain in Massachusetts also 
came Into tho room, and, as it was mountain 
west of British America, proposed a river of 
Prussia. “What shall it ho?” immediately re¬ 
sponded my slater. “Oh I a ride In the moun¬ 
tain in Massachusetts," said I, “ if you can pro¬ 
cure horses ; that sea in Europe Island south of 
Scotland, boarding at the hay south of Maine, 
lias one, hut its back is like a mountain In Ver¬ 
mont, and It is as ugly and dull as a cape in 
Lake Michigan." “ That Island In Oceanica 
hay sout h of Maine lias hay in Oceanica of city 
of France ponies,” said our cousin, “ so I think 
we can start if you will get your mount of Ore¬ 
gon.” The morning was cape south of Ireland 
and lovely; tho distant horizon was beautified 
by the brilliant capltol of Anam cast by tho 
rising sun, the liver of Prussia of new-mown 
hay pervaded the air, and every tiling spoke of 
beauty and river of British Amorlee. “Gape 
West of Oregon for that river of Illinois!'’ ex¬ 
claimed mountain in Massachusetts; “River 
of Italy! I bid' cape of Greenland to cape of 
North Carolina!” said mountain south of Switz¬ 
erland as she island of Rhode Island directly 
over it; seeing tier success 1 had cape of Africa 
that 1 should do as well. 
We passed a lovely Island north of Africa 
singiDg with Its nape east of Martha’s Vineyard 
turned saucily on one side, and were filled with 
cape of Scotland that WO could not. attain it. 
A little further on we came upon a Island in 
the Irish Sea lying in the road, with a bottle of 
river in Minnesota in iiis hand ; tho city of Ire¬ 
land had been taken out, and the remnants of 
last night's debauch were slowly trickling to 
the ground. “Poor tnan," wo sighed, “life 
can hold but little capo of Oregon and cape of 
Washington for you, and though the day is joy¬ 
ous it might as well be lake north of Minne¬ 
sota." 
We did not return until the mountains of 
Africa was casting its silvery beams over our 
mountains of America way, making a point of 
California whereby we might enter home. 
%£T Answer in two weeks. j. h. b. 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Oct. 31. 
Problem No. 14.— 
A B =38.553 rods. 
B G =45.553 “ 
CD- 9.003 “ 
D E-41.938 “ 
E A-19.5415. “ 
Anagram No. (.— “People living in glass 
houses should not throw stones.” 
Cross-word Enigma No. 9. — Chautauqua 
Lake. 
