JAW. 30 
©ORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Jndustt[ial ©opics. 
LIFE ON THE FAEM. 
“ Theme are some homes that are beauti¬ 
ful in our town, bo far as external surround¬ 
ings and appearances go, that are uie veriest 
3415 
dens of discontent, and there are others less 
pretentious, but not less neat, that are the 
abiding places of the happiest and most in¬ 
telligent families. I speak of farmer’s homes. 
I do not mean to imply that the same is not 
true of the homes of other classes of men ; 
but I am a farmer and have most to do with 
farmers, and am most interested in their 
welfare—in tlic.ir happiness and prosperity.” 
Well, how do you account for this differ¬ 
ence ? we asked. 
“Well, sir, 1 have found the difference to 
lie almost, or altogether, wholly in the mo¬ 
tive for living. The discontented, no matter 
how good their circumstances, are usually 
those who have an ambition to outdo, out¬ 
line and excel their neighbors In the ac¬ 
quirement of wealth or social influence and 
position, or political power-grasping, self- 
seeking, envious, jealous, unscrupulous. 
They live lives as far removed from sympa¬ 
thy with their neighbors as possible. They 
neither seek to give or get pleasure—unless 
they derive the latter by getting the advan¬ 
tage of some ODe or making somebody un¬ 
happy Such homes have no cohesive power. 
being a cohesive power in the family, or 
otherwise. What kind of a motive power 
secures the greatest cohesion ? 
m i will illustrate what l mean : There, is 
Major P.’s family, who live yonder in that 
grand old form house. This is the third or 
fourth generation of P.’s that have lived 
there. They are always united in every 
good word and work. They live for each 
other. They love each other. They are 
loyal to each other, and they are equally 
loyal to their neighbors. Union is strengt h 
with them. They know the advantage of 
cohesion. They do not isolate themselves 
and live within themselves—that is not what 
I mean by saying they live for each other. 
But that old homestead of theirs is a common 
center where all meet on a level and each is 
an Integral part of tho whole. It is an equally 
hospitable and helpful homo to others. If 
one of them is unfortunate, here is the ref¬ 
uge, and all give a helping hand and good 
counsel and without any upbraiding* or 
complainings. Each seems to regard the 
other’s happiness and contentment of more 
importance than his or her own. There are 
always abundant resources for enjoyment 
within the old homestead. No duty is neg¬ 
lected. Nothing is wasted ; all is utilized. | 
Their economy, however, is never parsi¬ 
mony. No one ever heard an envious word 
from any of them, nor saw sign of jealousy. 
They literally rejoice with those who rejoice 
u»d mourn with those who mourn. Do you 
suppose such people And ti me to be unhappy, 
—to wrangle with each other or their neigh¬ 
bors l No, sir 1 They thrive, but they never 
oppress in order to do so. They pay as they 
go. They give full measure and running 
oVt-r. Of course that family is ‘looked up 
to;’ such people always will be ‘looked up 
to but no one ever doubts it is their due, 
nor fails to give such homage cheerfully ; for 
no one who knows them will ever believe 
that they are living selfish and grasping 
lives, or that they seek to build themselves 
up at the expense of others or by pulling 
others down. Indeed, I have often hoard 
members of the family avow that they re 
garded every improvement made by a neigh¬ 
bor and every succsbs secured by their fel- 
t t (VVY., upon the'precise style of muff in vogue at 
nilP5 Mtt JtUmnm present, made of velvet, silk or cloth, with 
<j£/ L on iy a band of fur around the ends. The 
year was 1888 1 To simulate this fashion 
and produce a harmony in costumes, ladies 
tie around the middle of their fur muffs a 
broad ribbon of velvet or silk to match the 
cloak or costume worn ; the ribbon is tied in 
a long bow with short ends. 
RURAL CONVERSAZIONE. 
There is an inequality of rights between 
boys and girls in the winter time, that is 
especially grievous to the hitter. I mean 
their inability to romp out of doors in all 
sorts of weather. There is a little girl in the 
street where I live whom I have taken a 
great fancy to, because she is what my 
father used to call ine — “a great tom-boy.” 
She is six or eight years old, perhaps, and af¬ 
ter three o’clock, when school is over, is 
almost invariably romping on the sidewalk 
with her hoop or jumping rope. She always 
wear* a blue flannel sailor suit, trimmed 
with scarlet, with a scarlet sash tied at one 
side. To-day I encountered her in the nod 
die of the street with her hand-sled, in the 
bdow half way to her knees, but he had on 
high rubber boots and red woolen mittens. 
It is needless to say that she made her way 
bravely with the half dozen boys with sleds 
who live in the neighborhood. For the bene¬ 
fit of the girls who cannot have rubber 
boots to keep the wet out. we give illustra¬ 
tion (787) of leggins. Pattern, fifteen 
cents, eight, sizes, suitable for boys 
or girls from two to Bixtocn yc&rs 
old. They may be made of flannel, 
broadcloth or velvet. When made 
of waterproof cloth and lined with 
flannel, they protect the legs against 
cold as well as wet. 
No. 024 illustrates a “Seotcli 
Cap” for boyH —a jaunty head gear, very 
popular with urchins from two to eight or 
ten years of age, and econ- ^ 
Omical because they <-an 
be made at home. The 
band should be of checked - r 
or plaided goods, if the 0 _ 4 
distinctive Scotch char- 
acter is maintained. The 
material used tor the cap may be the same 
as thnt employed for leggins. Price of pat¬ 
tern, 10 cents ; four sizes. 
Illustrations 8440 give front and back views 
737 
Our Conversazione ends for this week with 
an illustration of Child’s French Yoke Apron 
—figures 2817 ; price for pattern, 20 cents ; 
seven sizes. The artist has put on a needless 
and tiresome amount of trimming, which 
sensible mothers will probably dispense with. 
Mint wood. 
2817 
lows as so much added to the general wel¬ 
fare, of which they received their share. 
Perhaps you understand, now, what kind of 
a motive power I believe will cause families 
and neighborhoods to cohere and be happy, 
—what, kind of motive should vitalize the 
American farmer and hi* family, in order 
to secure cohesion, prosperity and content¬ 
ment.” 
The Editor of the Rural New-Yorker to 
whom this speech was mado understood very 
well; perhaps our readers will also. 
2817 
Perforated Buckskin.— Do you recom¬ 
mend the use of Perforated Buckskin under 
garments ? Are they proraotive of good 
health ? 
It is a good thing for persons temporally 
exposed to extreme cold. It should not be 
worn next the skin, but between the under 
and outside garments.— .Sr fence of Health. 
Those educated under such influences are 
thrown out into the world by centrifugal 
force. Boys and girls born and bred in such 
families and educated in such atmospheres, 
if brought in contact with other and differ¬ 
ed homes, make swift contrasts with their 
o vn homes and speedy escapes therefrom.” 
You speak of the “ motive for living ” as 
$he gpwt[ran. 
BEE NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Honey Produet by a Single Bee-Keeper. 
Capt. J. E. Urtheuington, Cherry Valley, i 
N. Y., writes to “ Gleanings on Bee Culture:” 
“Your letter asking for a report of my pres¬ 
ent season’s honey crop duly received, 1 take 
pleasure in complying with your request. A 
part of in}' bees are managed by others. 
Total amount of honey made by bees man¬ 
aged by myself, box, 10,907 lbs.; extracted, 
3 150. This was from 284 stocks in the spring, 
increased lo 870 in the fall. Total from stocks 
managed by others, 427 in the spring,^in¬ 
creased to 677 stock* in the fall; box 22, <01; 
extracted, 11,717; making in all, from 661 
stocks in the spring increased by fall to 1,047; 
total box honey, 42,008 lbs.; total extracted, 
14,867 lbs—grand total, -’>7,47.'. lbs. I now have 
in winter quarters 1.172 stocks, in good con¬ 
dition. We have added to onr number this 
fall by purchase. We use the Quinby hive 
mostly, the few that are not are made of 
straw, made so as to box conveniently.” 
Sun flown?, a Missourian says, after the 
seed is threshed out, make excellent feeders 
for bees. 
A mono the best beekeepers but little regard 
is had for patent beehives now. 
of a demi-polonaise, very graceful in style, 
with basque back and sash ends. Price of 
pattern, 86 cents. Figures 3-115 give two 
viewB of English basque with deep overskirt 
—a fashion very much in vogue. The ma¬ 
terial required should bo rather heavy— 
ladies’ eloih, eancls’ haircloth, serge, drap 
d’ete, merii o, etc. 
In making dresses, all good dressmakers 
now put a belt at the bottom of the waist, 
inside, sewing it fast to the seam in the back 
and to those at each side only ; two hooks 
and eyes to fasten it in front. This keeps 
the corsage down at the hack, and preserves 
the buttons ia front from strain, if there be 
auy. Dressmakers u*e for the purpose a 
stout beltiog ribbon an inch in width. 
Everybody will be glad to know that there 
is a returning to simplicity In Paris fashions. 
The traveling dress of a very elegant trous¬ 
seau is described as being of gray cloth, 
with skirt, tunic and basque entirely devoid 
of trimming ; gray boots and gray gloves. 
There iB a shop in Broadway where the 
show window is full of nothing but blonde 
hair—yellow, flaxen and golden. Inside one 
can buy bottles of dye with directions how 
to transform any colored hair into a “ beau¬ 
tiful golden hue.” The rage for changing 
the natural color of the hair and consequent¬ 
ly complexion, has perhaps never been 
greater in New York than the present win¬ 
ter. Respectable young wonieu do it, but it 
makes them look eminently disrespectable. 
It is an expensive folly, produces headaches 
and ruins the complexion. 
With the long overskirts now worn the 
difficulty of gettiug into one’s pocket in the 
skirt has brought Into fashion small side 
I pockets, put on the basque just below the 
line of the waist : these for the handkerchief 
or small change if one goes shopping. Some¬ 
body asked Marie Antoinette’s modiste 
once for “something new.” “Ah, there is 
nothing new but what has been forgotten,” 
she replied. In looking through a book of 
costumes, one day in Astor Library, I came 
Children’s Feet.— In answer to an in¬ 
quiry, an exchange thus pointedly talks 
about these pedal extremities : “ I)rf88 
them with cotton or flue flannel stoi kings, 
when necessary to keep Hu m "tinn. n 
warm weather and warm climates they are 
better if allowed to come in contact with tne 
bare earth, and the more the better.” 
