MARCH 20 
MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKE 
Jfedtqss' fmitfolro. 
BABY H—. 
BY ELEANOR BURR. 
Golden Hair sweet, with Tour clear bine ere* 
often Ailed with a large surprise,— 
What you been doing all this day? 
Playing with work and working with play ? 
Golden Hair sweet, with blue-reined brow, 
Tell me ! what are. you dreaming of now? 
Mischief dimpling all over your face— 
Baby ! ken you what sort of a place 
Your dreams come from t and tell me too. 
Hare yeu anything that’s sweet and new ? 
Golden Hair! yon are new yourself; 
And sweet and bright as a woodland elf. 
Your years before you—and not behind, 
With flying feet you are chasing Time: 
Ml i years are old, and pressing me down. 
They crowd upon me; I’m as one bound. 
Ab, Golden Hair sweet! with coral lip*,— 
Coral tints In your Auger tips,— 
Night is falling and shadows creep 
Over blue eyes that are most asleep. 
Now on her pillow the goldeo head lies. 
While over the baby bend Dream-land’s skies. 
Buffalo, N. Y., 1 m. 
“GRANDMA.” 
BY MARY C. BARTLETT. 
I cannot but think the child who out of his 
young life has missed the tender love of 
“Grandma” has not passed a perfect child¬ 
hood, however bright It may otherwise have 
been. A jewel has been lost from his crown of 
love that can never lie supplied in kind. What 
other love was ever at once so tender, so blind, 
so patient, so unselfish, so Injudicious, so al¬ 
most worshipful? Dearer far than son or 
daughter arc the children's children, who to 
“Grandma” seem hers by a double tie. 
And what a treasure is “Grandma” to the 
happy child who is blessed with one! He 
knows he will never find her “too busy," a* 
Mother often is, to attend to bis numerous 
wants. She ran always find a button just, the 
rightsize. She has always on hand an unlim¬ 
ited supply of tail for his kite. She always has 
just the right kind of a piece of string for his 
top; and she always bus tirnoto mend his mit¬ 
tens, help him hunt for his school books and 
hear him say “ that, line of hard spelling.” To 
her with all his tittle confidences he goes, fear¬ 
ing no ridicule, but sure of such sympathy a* 
no one else can give. To her lie unfolds all his 
plans and alma, knowing that her perfect faith 
in him will discover every element of success 
in them, because they are his. To her does the 
trembling little trangressor go with hie confes¬ 
sion of wrong-doing, for die cart explain to 
“ Mother," so much better than he could, how 
he meant to obey, but 11 before he thought " he 
did the very thing forbidden! He knows she 
will, If pbBsfble, procure a lighter punishment 
for him perhaps even get him cleared alto¬ 
gether. 
Ah, how often In the sears since she left us, 
hat. mv heart yearned for “ Grandma's” love! 
How tenderly would f cherish her could that 
hne again enwrap me as of old ! But there Is 
nothing left me now but the braid of soft brown 
hair that three-score years and tenhad failed to 
silver, and Hie memory of her devoted love for 
i he wayward child, the gay girl and the thought 
ful woman. How well I recollect with what 
meekness and patience she submitted to my 
childish tyrauny. What stores of ’* goodies”— 
saved too often from her own desserts—were 
latd up for the hungry achool-girl! What mar¬ 
vels of composition were all tny crude essays In 
her partial eyes! And how she looked up to 
me, when grown to womanhood, as a paragon 
of wisdom and goodness in a way that, while It 
was so touching, was humbling because so un¬ 
deserved. 
Blessed be “ Grandma!" In the fairest home 
picture there Is ever an incompleteness — a 
something wanting—if her dear face beam not 
on us from its quiet corner. 
■ — - - 
SLIPPERY PLACES. 
In the broad thoroughfare of life, there are 
many dangerous places footfalls that are 
seemingly beautiful, weli-troddeu paths. Why 
do we console ourselves with the thought that 
the footprints of others are plainly visible, In¬ 
stead of listening to that still, small voice that 
entreats us to turn aside ere we fall ? We arc 
prone to err, ever wandering from the fold, 
from the cradle to the grave. That proud boy, 
tho idol of hia mother, turns from the bouse, 
her last words ringing in his ears. “ My son, 
don’t go.” No sooner has the echo died away 
than be Is hurrying on to the very brink of de¬ 
struction, from which his mother endeavored 
to snatch him. Does he not Bee her tear-stain¬ 
ed face, and hear her earnest prayer for his re¬ 
form? No, the fatal step is taken, and he falls 
beyond the reach of man. 
Even when his “ way of life has fallen into 
the sere aud yellow leaf,” we find him thread¬ 
ing his wav through Intricate paths, which are 
IRS 
slippery places on life’s highway. We are but 
grains of animated dust. “ ’Twere better to 
sink back into that nothingness from which we 
came,” than to he blown through life by every 
adverse wind. “Tobe.and not, to seem," should 
be tho maxim of all. We should try to acquire 
all those virtues that give depth aud beauty to 
cnaraeter— that we may have firm, unprejudiced 
minds, and be classed with the noble men and 
women of the age. Then shall we be able to 
traverse the world, and shun life’s slippery 
paths. M. H- v. 
Pittsburgh, Pa., 1875. 
--——— 
COSTLY JEWEL8. 
Lccv Hooper writes from Paris, “ Among 
the marvels displayed in the jeweller's window's 
on the Rue de laPaix, I noticed the other day 
an immense pearl oyster-shell, lined with 
mother-of-pearl of the most exlqulslte smooth¬ 
ness and purity, aud with two large spotless, 
lustrous pears adhering to its surface. The 
larger of the two was ahout the size of a small 
marble, but. slightly elongated In form ; the 
other wee of somewhat smaller dimensions: 
*4,500 was the price affixed to this beautiful 
work of nature. A smelling bottle formed 
entirely of massed pearls, with one large one in 
the centre of the side, and with hook and chain 
to correspond, looked like a tasteful gift for a 
uiillonalre to offer his lady love ; It was valued 
at $1,200. Then there was a locket representing 
a tortoise, the back of the animal being 
formed of a single large turquoise, while 
the head, feet and tail were composed of dia¬ 
monds. I was shown lately an exquisite i>arure 
of lilies of the valley, gotten up as a bridal 
gift to the young daughter of an eminent 
Parisian banker. Nothing more lovely, more 
artistic, or more girlishly pure and simple can 
be imagined. The flowers were formed of a 
single pearl each, the broad leaves being com¬ 
posed of small diamonds, aud considerable art 
had been shown Ur overcoming the naturally 
stiff look of the leaf. The set comprised ear¬ 
rings, broach-pendant, a bracelet and a spray 
for the hair. The bracelet was particularly 
charming, being literally a small wreath of the 
jewelled flowers.” 
-MA-- 
WOMEN PER80NALS. 
Mrs, Almira Milligan of Alford, Mass., 
sends $100 to the Nebraska sufferers. 
Mrs. Gen. Meyer’s receptions In Washington 
are always favored with fine weather. Old 
Prob. is her husband. 
Mrs. Ellen fj. Barrett of Montville, has 
been chosen president of the Women’s State 
Temperance Society in Maine. 
Ann Eliza gets a divorce from Brigham 
and $9,500 alimony. She can now be advert ised 
as the late wife of Rrigham Young. 
Helen M. Cooke (Lottie Llnwood) has pub¬ 
lished a volume of poetical selections, entitled, 
“Gold Thread and other Poems from Life’s 
Experiences.” • 
Miss Lillie Sargent, daughter of Gen. Hor¬ 
ace Birmey Sargent, was recently married in 
Boston to Lleut.-Commander Bowman H. Mc¬ 
Calls of the Navy. 
Mrss Douglas of Brooklyn, New York, is at 
work on a life-size portrait of Judge Moore of 
the County Court, which has been ordered by 
the members of the bar. 
Mrs. Charlotte Cn erlf. y of Newmarket, 
New Hampshire, who died a few days ago. left 
a bequest of $8,5001<> benevolent, objects, $4,000 
of which was to Bates College. 
Mhb. Abba Gould Woolson addressed the 
students of Vasaar College, Feb. 22d, upon 
‘ Dress Reform," and subsequently the young 
ladles of Temple Grove Seminary, Saratoga, N. 
Y., on the same theme. 
Mrs. Sarah Kilburn, who died at Lunen¬ 
burg, Vt., recently, and had been a member pf 
the Methodist church for over 70 years, leaves 
the society $600, with $200 to the missionary, 
and $100 to the preacher’s aid societies. 
Miss M. E. B. Norton of Rockford Seminary, 
Illinois, will start for Europe, April 1, with a 
party of ladles under the direction of the 
International Academy. The class will be 
made up mostly of graduates and old pupils of 
the school. 
Mrs. anna Murray of UlsterCo., N. Y., died 
recently at the age of 104 years, 4 months and 24 
days. Mrs Murray was born in Ireland, In 1770. 
She engaged In the Irish war of 1708 and carried 
a pike. Twenty-five years ago she came to this 
country. She had eleven children, eight of 
whom are now living In the country of her 
adoption. 
Mrs. Finettk Scot Seelye has succeeded as 
an architect. At a recent meeting of the Trus¬ 
tees of the City Hospital, Cleveland, O., plans 
forthe New Hospital building were submitted 
for examination and choice. The plan pre¬ 
sented hy Mrs. Seelye proved the successful 
competitor, which the Board acknowledged by 
placing her on the Building Committee. 
Dr. AbbyM. Fulton of Ellsworth, Maine, a 
graduate, two years since, from the Woman’s 
Medical College of Boston, after spending a 
year in Europe for the purpose of improvement 
in her profession and attending a full course of 
Medical Lectures In Paris, returned six months 
since, and opened an office in Ellsworth, Maine, 
and is now realizing a large and lucrative prac¬ 
tice. 
Reading far the fuming. 
THE HAPPY BIRD. 
“ Pray tell me bird, what you can see 
Up in the top of that, tall tree ? 
Have you no fear that some rude boy 
May come and mar your pence and Joy I" 
"Onol my child ; 1 fear no harm. 
While, with my song, f thus can charm ; 
‘ What can l see?’—the soft blue sky. 
The bills, and woods, and fields, close by ; 
But not, .i place In East or West, 
1 like so well as this small nest; 
My mate is here, my young ones, too. 
And here we sit and sing to you.” 
■—■- - 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS 
From a Northern New York Clrl. 
Dear Rural;— I am a St. Lawrence Co. girl, 
eleven years old, and live on a farm two miles 
from th« River St. Lawrence. I attend the dis¬ 
trict school : have not missed a day during the 
term. My sister Carrie la the teacher. I study 
arithmetic, geography, map drawing, perspec¬ 
tive drawing, writing, reading and spelling. 
81X of ii' are working for a prize in rnap draw¬ 
ing. We have jliat changed reading books, get¬ 
ting Monroe’s Series; wo like them very much, 
aud our teacher says we are improving in our 
reading much taster than with the old Nation¬ 
al. 1 have been a reader of the dear Old Rural 
over since I could read, and Ma umiel itries says 
site would subscribe for an extra copy II she 
could afford it, we are all so eager to get the 
first, look at It. My little sister Lotta, three 
years old, will ait ever so long looking at the 
pictures, and we read some of the stories for 
her. Now, Mr. Editor, If I ever see this in print 
l will try again. Will the young letter writers 
please tell about their studies? 1 hope to see 
your Roll or Honor soon In the Rural. I have 
sent you a dub of twenty-five subscribers, but 
suppose there are many larger ones by the 
children. 1 must tell you of a party my sister 
(the teacher) gave fur her school, twenty-eight 
in all. We had games, charades and slugiug, 
wit h ( lie organ, and all went home at II o’clock. 
May, Wtuldhuihm , IV. F. 
LTho Roll of Honor will he given soon, and 
we think May’s name will be at or near its 
head. We are waiting to ascertain the ages of 
young people who have sent us clubs and not 
notified us that they were young. Will all who 
come under our offer please report names, ages, 
post-office address, etc.?- Ed.] 
From a Canadian Boy. 
Dear Mr. Editor: Perhaps some of your 
cofrewpOiKients in the department of “ Letters 
from Boys and Girls ” would like to bear from 
a Canadian boy. My father takes the Rural, 
and I like to read It very much. I have a small 
printing press, which affords amusement these 
long winter evenings. I work on the farm, and 
I think it is just as nice employment as any 
other. We have a large orchard, and I like to 
gather the beautiful Spy* and Baldwins, but 
bettei still, to bring a, lot fr„m the cellar to 
divide with friends. As l write this evening, 
the thermometer Is below zero and the wind 
howls without, yet God has given us shelter 
and warmth, while the poor and homeless must 
suffer a great deal. Hoping that this will meet 
with your approval, I will try to do better next 
time. Yours, respectfully— Frank Y., Rurfnrd, 
Canada. 
From an Orange County <N. Y.> Boy. 
Dear Rural:— Long before 1 could read 
Mamma or Papa would every week read the 
boys’ and girls’ letters to me. 1 used to think 
it a long time to wait forthe next paper; li 
never comes too soon. Wo live in a pleasant 
village on the line of the Midland and Oswego 
Railway, which crosses the Erie Road at, Mid¬ 
dletown, twelve miles from here. We are 72 
miles from New York. The milk that used to 
make the famoufl Orange Co. butter Is mostly 
shipped to New York, although there Is a large 
creamery here for the manufacture of butter 
and cheese. There is scarcely a farmer in this 
section who makes his own butter, finding sell¬ 
ing milk so much more profftablo. Papa has a 
farm and mills two miles from the village, on 
a beautiful stream called Rutger’s* reck, where 
we skate now, and In summer go flailing. 1 fell 
in and was with difficulty “ Ashed ” out. f have 
a handsome new sled called ” Fly-away,” and a 
little pet dog—a-s old as I am, which is quite old 
for a dog—named “ Barnutu.” because Mamma 
think* him a humbug. To describe our village 
and Its flue hoys’seminary at Oak Hill, a half 
mile from here, would make my letter too long. 
I have neither brother nor slater, but a pleasant 
home, for which I hope I aru thankful.— Min¬ 
ton, UnionrUk, Orange C».,N. Y. 
From an Ohio Clrl. 
Dear Rural:—I like to read your paper very 
much, and especially the letters from the boye 
and girls and the puzzles. I have never seen In 
your paper whether yon wished answers to the 
puzzles sent you, but I did get one out and will 
venture, to send the answer. It was a Cross- 
Word Enigma in tho Rural for Feb. 13, and 
the answer is “ Lincoln.” T thiuk it Is fun to 
get out enigmas and wish there svere more in 
the paper. I live in the country and love it J 
dearly. I do not think I should like to live in J 
the city at all, T have just been reading that 
tetter from a Connecticut boy signed “ R. W 
A.,” and think if he went away on the Sabbath 
It may be that that, was the reason lie got hurt, 
and I would advise him to stay at home here¬ 
after or go to meeting, the latter would be the 
best place, f am so -orry that Carrie Camp¬ 
bell has no father, but l hope her uncles are 
very kind to tier. 1 do hope that the other 
uncle that she is going to live with will take 
the Rural for her. I beg your pardon, Mr. 
Editor, for such a long letter, and will stop 
now.— Lina D., Kinsman , Ohio, 
From an Indiana Boy. 
Mr. Editor: I was very much interested in 
reading about the Skater and tho Wolves In the 
Rural of January, and would be very much 
pleased to read something similar again. I ant 
at home to-day because of 111 health, i have 
boon going to school this winter about three 
miles distant, and like It very much. 1 would 
like to Inform Ethel, the long-tongued Michi¬ 
gan girl who wrote the article in the Rural of 
April 11, 1874, concerning Young Bach’s no¬ 
tions about girls and boys kissing, I felt a de¬ 
sire for BACK to keep at a propel- distance from 
Ethel, for an ague stroke is had enough, but 
it’s not to be compared with the shaking she 
said she would give him—that la. make his hair 
stand on end I Ob, well, the Jack of it is, we 
hoys out hero In Indiana like to have pretty 
smart starch in our shirt fronts, as well as 
Young Baoh -not that we care so much about 
It ourselves, but It somehow pleases our In¬ 
diana girls, and 1 venture two ceuts that Ethel 
would fancy a chap neatly dressed aud starched 
up much more than she would a sloven. I 
would like to say a great deal more, but I am 
afraid It. would And its way to the waste bas¬ 
ket; so I’ll try to please the Editor wit h tho 
brevity of this article by saying good - by.— 
Webster 8., Winchester, Randolph Co., hid. 
From a Canadian Clrl. 
Dear Mr. Editor:—I have read the boys 1 
and girls’ letters In your paper ever since they 
were printed. 1 enjoy reading them, so I 
thought that I would write one. t believe 
nearly all the Imys and girls toll their ages, so 
l will fell mine: I am tlfteen years of age, but 
I cannot, say bo much longer, for 1 shall soon 
bo on the shady side of “sweet sixteen.” I 
live in tho country, but have always thought 
that I should like living In the city much hot¬ 
ter, especially in tho winter. Will fl. B. g. 
please write again and tell us something more 
about his travels? Please don’t take me for a 
boy, as I am only a girl, after all.—ESTA, Can. 
From a Vermont Boy. 
Dear Editor:-I see that the little people 
are writing letters to yon, so I thought I would 
write a few lines. I am a farmer’s boy nufl live 
away np in the Northern part of Vermont, 
where it is very cold afid the enow is very 
deep.’ | am ten years old ; have been going to 
school this winter, but my school ha; finished 
and I am now breaking a pair of steers that I 
bought with my money. Can any of the little 
readers of the Rural tell rue how to break 
them from running away. Yours truly—r. 
ip |3u«ipr. 
HIDDEN ANIMAJ.S.-No. 1. 
1. I’LKASE get me a pear, Sanford. 
2. Now do go right away before tea. 
3. Ha I returned so soon ; you are spry, 
t. One day last week Zeb ran away. 
5. IT you go at once, perhaps you will find 
him. 
3. I advise you to let it be, Arthur. 
7. But Jack always pays his debts. 
Answer in two weeks. s. o. 
ALGEBRAIC PROBLEM.—No, 1. 
A, B, C and D, in counting their money, found 
♦hat A and B, together, had sixty-nine dollars; 
Rand C had eighty-one dollars; C and D had 
ninety-seven dollars, and D and A had eighty- 
five dollars. How much money had each ? 
13?" Answer in two weeks. Pythagoras. 
-*♦«- 
WORD-SQUARE ENIGMA.-No. 1. 
1. Necessary to honor. 3. One of Sbak- 
speare’s heros. 3. A sort of paint. 4. A river of 
Europe. 5. An animal. l. o. 
'(W“ Answer in two weeks. 
-■ 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-March 6. 
Illustrated Puzzle No. L— 
35 acres. 
Hidden Fishes No. 3.—1, Flounder. 2, Bar¬ 
nacle. 3, Barbel. 4, Muscle. 5, Sole. 8, Sprat. 
I 
