DEC. 42 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
387 
Jetties’ foittfolio. 
BY THE WAY. 
BY CHARLOTTE N. CORDNKR. 
WHO are my neighbor*, day by day I ask. 
As forth I wander, on my soul's estate? 
Do they in sadnes* sit or sunshine bask. 
Wear royal garments, or hut serve and wait? 
Do rare, old paintings hang upon their walls. 
Or shall I And them looking grim and bare ? 
Will flowers blossom where the sunshine fulls. 
And will songs greet me like an angel’s prayer ? 
Shall I And sober nge with wintry crown 
Or bright-eyed youth, sporting amid May flow¬ 
ers?— 
Or gray-robed Care with weary eyes east, down 
As the doors open ’ncath Love's magic powers? 
Shall T And empty cups, where Joy has drank. 
Remnants of feasts, and ghosts of merry hours? 
Where once Love ruled, oft with a Jest and prank. 
Tho hearts of all with his beguiling powers. 
Will it be mansion or a cotter’s door. 
Wbleh next I’ll enter on thought's fair estate? 
And will the books of life 1 there con o’er 
Tell of a shadowed or a sunny fate ? 
Whiche’er it be, as day by day 1 trend 
The way thought, leads, be mine the power to boar 
Some blossom, that shall live, Its light to shed 
To brighten up each heart bowed dowod with care. 
JOB’S 00MP0RTERS. 
A CHAPTER FOR CROAKIKQ SYMPATHIZERS. 
BY CORA S. NOURSE. 
POOR Job ! hls afflictions w ere very grievous 
hut. he boro them all without murmuring, ex¬ 
cept the comfort offered by his friends; and no 
wonder, for it Is not a rure experience with 
afflicted persons to And If harder to endure the 
attempts at consolation which their trials call 
forth than to suffer the trials themselves. Thero 
are certain long-yisagtal, lugubrious people, 
who seem to consider that their “ mission ” is 
to Improve the afflictions of their friends to 
their edification, and who never suffer an op¬ 
portunity to pass of suggesting that the trouble 
1»either of their own originating, or, if It come 
from the hand of Providence, that it Is a judi¬ 
cial visitation upon their sins. 
We doubt If any human being has ever a right 
thus to judge either their neighbor or their 
Goo, hot even if if were possible for them to 
decide upon the facts, wisdom and humanity 
alike will dictate that the suggestion he defer¬ 
red until the bleeding heart he healed. Hut 
no Bitch consideration restrains the tongues of 
these self-appointed comforters; if they can 
but convince tho sufferer that it la his own 
fault they seem to Imagine that they have ar¬ 
rived at the supreme consolation possible, in¬ 
stead of having torn away tho only sustaining 
thought, perhaps, that the heart had loft. There 
are certain cant phrases which do duty upon 
all occasions indifferently, no matter what the 
nature of the trouble may bo, which come to 
be rods In such hands from which the sensitive 
nature shrinks hack in dread, and the lips are 
ready to exclaim with Job, “How long will you 
vex my soul and break me in pieces with 
words?” Is some dear friend laying near the 
verge of the grave, ahd the poor, stricken one 
about to be bereaved of all that makes life 
sweet, trying to how the rebel will to the fear¬ 
ful stroke, Comforter No. one suggests, that If 
somo other remedy had been used, or another 
physician called In, or this or that course bad 
not been pursued, tho result might have been 
different; and Comforter No. two chimes in 
with a mournful assent —adding, with a sigh of 
regret, that “good advice must be taken in 
time, now it is too late to think what might 
have boon,” 
Thero ought to be a society for the preven¬ 
tion of aucli cruelty, for It Is nothing leas, and 
it haB not only no warrrant, but no countenance 
In tho precept or example of Him who com¬ 
manded us to ** weep with those that weep.” 
Whatever tltno may be chosen for rebuke and 
admonition, let ft not be the time of a fresh 
sorrow; the very words of Scripture may be 
made dreadful to the memory by being mlsap. 
plied in the hour of the soul's agony. Job’s 
comforters did one wise thing; they sat down 
in the dust with him " seven days and seven 
nights, and none spake a word unto him.” If 
they had done no mere than this their names 
would have come down to us among those of 
the wise and prudent. Silent sympathy will do 
more to soothe and heal than the wisest, 
homily, and the heart which knoweth its own 
bitterness is most, likely to discover its sin 
when not, thrown upon the defensive by undue 
ooousation. 
“ With only silence for a benediction 
The angels come. - 
When in the shadow of a great affliction 
The soul sits dumb.” 
Let the soul that would be a true comforter, 
learn the angelic ministry, walk humbly and 
silently by the side of the suffering ones 
through the valley of the shadow, seeking to 
lead them on to the green pastures and still 
waters that lie beyond, arid the feet will tread 
the path with a firmer step and the eyes so 
heavy with tears, will be lifted by and by to 
the coming dawn of light with the Inspiration 
of hope, perhaps with the triumphs of Joy. 
But thero is another class of Jon’s Comfort¬ 
ers of entirely opposite characteristics to the 
judicial type. People of strong health and 
superabundant animal spirits, they conic Into 
the darkened chamber like a sudden glare of 
sunlight; they“ pooh, pooh ” any ordinary af¬ 
fliction as chiefly fanciful—disease is only a 
form of hypocondriu, and grief; “well, they 
are not prepared lo deny that thero is such a 
thing in tho world, but decidedly most cases of 
it may be quite overcome by looking at things 
philosophically and keeping an eye to the 
bright side.” Their watch-word Is, “ Keep up 
the spirits,” and they talk as though a persist¬ 
ent refusal to acknowledge the existence of a 
sorrow would exterminate it from the memo¬ 
ry. To a sensitive nature such people are 
“thorns in the flesh," “As vinegar upon nitre, 
so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart,” 
says the wise preacher, and all the experience 
of human nature attests the folly of the effort 
to console by showing Indifference to tho cause 
of grief. It is those only that appreciate the 
sorrow that can comforl the sufferer with that 
tender and gentle pity which sortens whilo it 
heals. The hour of trial is not the oue either 
for preaching sermons or singing songs, but 
for that quiet cheerfulness born not of Indiffer¬ 
ence or of ignorance, yet of complete submis¬ 
sion and an earnest faith. 
--♦♦♦- 
HONEST COMPLIMENTS. 
We have heard of a rare beauty who said, 
upon a certain occasion, that the only real dis¬ 
interested compliment she ever received was 
from a coal heaver, who asked permission to 
light hls pipe In the gleaming of her eyes. 
Another compliment, true and genuine, was 
paid by a sailor who was sent by hls captain to 
carry a letter to his lady love. The sailor hav¬ 
ing delivered the missive, stood gazing In silent 
admiration upon the face of the lady, for she 
was very beautiful. 
“ Well, my good man,” she said, “for what 
do you wait? Thero is no answer to to be re¬ 
turned.” 
“Lady,” tho sailor returned with humble 
deference, “ f would like to know your name.’ 
“ Did you not sec it cm the letter?” 
“ Pardon, lady, I never learned to road. Mine 
has been a hard, rough life." 
“ And for what reason my good man, would 
you know my name?" 
“Because, answered the old tar, looking 
honestly up, “ In a storm at sea, with dangei or 
death afore me, I would like the name of tho 
brightest tiling l’d overseen in my life. Thoro’d 
be .sunshine In it even in the thick darkness." 
-♦♦♦- 
FORCE OF EXAMPLE. 
The poor woman, who, with a scanty ward¬ 
robe, is ever neat and clean in her person, 
amidst various and trying duties—is patient, 
gentle and affectionate In her domestic rela¬ 
tions—with small funds is economical and ju¬ 
dicious in her household management, as pre¬ 
senting every day a practical exposition of some 
of the best lessons in life, may be a greater 
benefactress of her kind than the woman of 
fortune, though she scatter a tithe of a large 
fortune in alms. The poor man whose regu¬ 
larity and sobriety of conduct co-operate with 
such a woman, aud shows bis fellow-workmen 
or townsmen what Industry, temperance, 
manly tenderness and superiority to low and 
sensual temptation can effect In endearing a 
home, which like the green spot that the 
traveler find* In the dbsert, is bright even amid 
the gloom of poverty, and sweet even amid all 
the surrounding bitterness—such a man does 
good as well as the mo3t eloquent writer who 
ever wrote. 
- 
“ OVER-WORKED WOMEN.” 
I often see this at the heading of pieces in 
your valuable paper. Not long since I saw, in 
looking over the RURAL, a piece headed In this 
way. The lady writer thought, she had found 
an easier way for over-worked women to get 
along with their labor. As L foci myself one 
among that class, the lady In question would 
confer a great favor on me by simply writing a 
small chapter on that subject. I have tnree 
small children, the oldest one not yet four years 
old. It is a vory diffibult matter for me to study 
OUt a way to get things done in their proper 
time and manner, and if any know of any tiling 
more about general housework than I do, I 
would like to hear from them. Zkla. 
.— ♦♦♦ 
THE YOUNG WIFE. 
The marriage of middle age is companionship, 
the second marriage of maturity, perhaps the 
reparation of a mistake, perhaps the pallid 
transcript of a hurried joy ; but the marriage of 
the loving young Is by the direct blessing of 
God, and the complete idea of a lovely human 
life. Let those who have found that pearl hold 
it fast aud keep It safe. Within the doors 
where love dwells no evil things should enter 
and the loving bride who would be the happy 
wife must speedily guard against her own Im¬ 
patience and despair when the lover Is emerg¬ 
ing Into the husband, the flatterer Into the 
friend. 
♦ -- 
The new Smith College for women at North¬ 
ampton, Mass., will be opened in September, 
1876. The conditions of admission will be very 
like those at Amherst. 
Heading for thg $ouitg. 
GIVE THE LITTLE BOYS A CHANCE. 
HERB we are! don’t leave us cut 
Just bowuse we’re little boys! 
Though we’re not so bold and atout. 
In the world we make a noise. 
You’re a year or two abend. 
But wo step by step advance ; 
All the world’s before you spread— 
(Jive the little boy* a chance I 
Never slight, us In our play,— 
You were once as small as we ; 
We’ll he big, like you somo day. 
Then, perhaps, our power you’ll see. 
We will moot you, when we’ve grown. 
With a brave and fearless glance ; 
Don’t think nil this world’s your own— 
Give the little boys a chance I 
Little hands will soon bo strong 
For tho work that, they must do; 
Little Ups will slug thoir song 
When those early day* arc through. 
So, you big boys, II we’re small, 
Ou our toos you needn’t dance; 
There Is room enough for all— 
Give the littlo hoys a c.hnnco 1 
{Christian Union. 
UNCLE JONAS AND HIS WILD GEESE. 
BY RUTH LEE. 
OtTR Uncle Jonas, who was uncle to nearly 
half of tho children for miles around his home, 
had a great fancy for wild goose. It was a 
pretty sight to see Ids flock oomo swiftly over 
tho water at hls call, waddle up the bank in 
single file, and give a graceful curve to their 
long, slender nocks, as if to say, "Good morn¬ 
ing Sir; hero wo all are, ready for our break¬ 
fast.” Many of them would eat the corn from 
his hand, and one old mother goose, which had 
once been the especial pot of a lady in a far-off 
Western State, always kept close to her mas¬ 
ter’s foot with her goslings, waiting for the 
dainty bits of cake or bread he was sure to have 
for them. 
Oue morning there was a groat commotion on 
the duck pond, a* wo called the miniature lake 
that Uncle .Jonas had made for hls water fowl. 
There was a sort of understanding among the 
children of tho house that when anything unu¬ 
sual was going on In that yard, they w r ere not to 
enter it without an Invitation * so four curly 
heads peeped through a rail fence at. a safe dis¬ 
tance, They saw the old miin lying at full 
length on the ground, partly hidden by some 
bushes and holding a cord at the other end of 
which a strange wild goose was struggling 
fiercely, while all the taine birds were making 
a great noise. The new comer was on Its way 
to the North, and had only stopped to rest and 
have a little bird gossip with its civilized 
friends, when the old hunter caught It in a 
snare. It had been dying around all the morn¬ 
ing, and at lost ventured to alight ami eat the 
corn scattered Inside of a circle formed by a 
string concealed in the grass. Toy hungry to 
be suspicious, he never saw the cord till it was 
drawu tightly around his leg and lie was a pris¬ 
oner, A few wing feathers were clipped, 
though not till Mr. Wild Goose had given hls 
captor some hard blows; but after a lew days 
lie became quite tame. 
When wild geese are feeding one or more of 
the flock generally stands as a sentinel, sound¬ 
ing tho shrill note of alarm when danger is 
near. They are much handsomer than our 
common geese, and you will find a hotter de¬ 
scription of their plumage in some Child’s 
Book of Natural History than I could give you 
here. 
I would like to tell you about the beautiful 
Wood Ducks, the prettiest of all the species, 
but will defer that story till another time. 
-♦ —-- 
WORDS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS TO STUDY. 
Dear Rural Young Folks:—I have read 
your letters for two or three years, hut have 
written to you only twice. I see that some of 
you are rapidly improving, which shows you to 
be studious und painstaking. So I send a short 
list of words for you to study. Here they are* 
Ally, ^Coadjutor, 
Coral, Bronchitis, 
Belial, sacrilkgous. 
Docile, Sacrificable, 
Hymenial, Calliope. 
Easy, aren’t they? Just look them up, please, 
in “ Webster’s Unabridged,” and let us see who 
will be the first to send the correct pronuncia¬ 
tion to tho Young Folks’ Column. Remember 
that it requires some care to write out the pro¬ 
nunciation of a word clearly. Aunt Phkbk. 
- 
READ THIS, YOUNG FOLKS! 
Young men, who earnestly strive to make 
good and influential members of society, must 
continue onward in the straight and narrow 
path which leads to success. To make use of 
an old and homely exhortation, 
“If at first you don’t succeed. 
Try, try again." 
It is the continual dripping of the water on 
the rook which wears It away. Continuous 
effort in the right direction will finally be 
crowned with success, and tho Blurs of villflers 
silenced, aud the Joys of enemies turned into 
weeping. Somebody must be hurt in the heav¬ 
ing of aoeloty; somebody’s toes inust. be stepped 
upon. Be active, and pationt,and capable. Do 
your duty to yourselves and your employers, 
even if you do stand on somebody’s favorite 
corn, and llien—somebody will hate you, and 
somebody like you. 
-♦♦♦-- 
WHAT IS A GOOD EDUCATION. 
Edward Everett’s definition of a good edu¬ 
cation was:—“Read the English language well, 
write with dispatch a neat, legible hand, and be 
master of tho first four rules or arithmetiOi so 
as to dispose of at once, with accuracy, every 
question of figures which comes up in practice, 
and if you add the ability to write pure, gram¬ 
matical English, you have an excellent educa¬ 
tion. These are tho tools. You pan do much 
with them, but you are hopeless without them. 
They are the foundation ; and unless you begin 
with these, all your flashy attainments, a little 
geology, and all other ologies and osophies are 
ostentatious rubbish." 
TO THE BOYS. 
“ Don’t be laughed out of your rnonoy or 
your prayers.” A distinguished English admi¬ 
ral, who rose to the high station as the effects 
of his meritorious exertions, used to be fond of 
relating that ou first leaving an humble lodging 
to Join hls ship as u .midshipman. Ids landlady 
presented him with a Uilde and a guinea, say¬ 
ing, “God bless you,and prosper you, my lad ; 
and as long as you live never suffer yourself to 
he laughed out of your money or your pruyors," 
The young sailor carefully followed this advice 
through life, and had reason to rejoice that lie 
did so, while thousands have imavaillngly re¬ 
gretted that they have pursued a different 
course. 
■--- 
The Girls at Work for tub Rukal— Yes, 
and many of them will receive nice premiums. 
Little Miss May PORTEUH, only eleven years 
old, of 8t. Lawrence Co„ N. Y., sent us a club 
of eleven in November, and we expect she will 
Increase it considerably. 8ho Is certain to be 
In our Roll of Honor, when published, but 
who are t he boys and girls to win the Extra 
Premiums ? 
IE $)U22lEr. 
About Rebuses. There Isa question I would 
like to ask, and that is, if I want to send a 
Rebus how must I go to work ? Give a. descrip¬ 
tion of the characters I want used, or make 
them myself? e. u. 
Yes; give a description, if you cannot or It is 
not convenient to make a drawing.—[E d. 
-5 - 
PROBLEM.—No. 18. 
In any Isosceles triangle there may be in¬ 
scribed an influite series of continually decreas¬ 
ing circles, each tangent to its preceding circle 
and to the sides of the triangle. When the radii 
of the greatest two of this series of circles ar 
16 and 12 rods respectively, it Is roquired to fin 
the sum of the areas of this Infinite series o 
circles. 
RD—16 rods; R'D'=*12 rods. 
J3i5 r “ Answer in two weeks. 
Oneida Castle, N. Y. 
B. F. Burleson. 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA.—No. 10. 
I am composed of 20 letters : 
My 1, 3,13, 5,15, is what we ought not to love ; 
My It, 3, 20,18, is what we all ought to do for 
Gon; 
My 11,10,11, 5, 6, is a country in the British Isles. 
My 17,16.13, is a deer; 
My 1,16, 13,18,19, la is a playfnl animal; 
My 8, 7,12 is what we sometimes put flowers in ; 
My 4, 9, is an abbreviation for what isoften rode 
over. Lester and Cora. 
53Y“ Answer in two weeks. 
— ■■ ■-»«- 
CROSS-WORD ENIGMA. No. 10. 
My first Is in night hut not in day ; 
My second is in Olive but not In May ; 
My third Is In Lucy but not In Grace; 
My fourth is in silk but not in lace; 
My fifth is in lesson but not In class. 
My whole I ha.ve loved since I was a lass. 
VST Answer in two weeks. C. A. f. d. 
-- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Nov. 28. 
Problem No. 17.—85.1370338 rods. 
34.8629772 “ 
30.7513085 “ 
34.7512085 “ 
A Trio of Puzzles.- 
i.— You sigh for a cipher, but I sigh for thee ; 
O sigh for no cipher, but O sigh for me : 
Then let not my sigh for a cipher go. 
But give sigh for sigh, for 1 sigh for thee so. 
2.—I understand 
You undertake 
'I'o overthrow 
My undertakings. 
3.—The season Is backward. (The C’s on is back¬ 
ward.] 
