JULY 24 
MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MY APPLE TREE. 
1)V CHARLOTTE N. CORONER. 
Upon the bladed sward before my door, 
Just where the sun his noontide beams can pour 
On every whispering tear, ana wise old branch, 
There stands a tree, of all my trees most stanch 
For having borne me fruit, for many a year. 
Of nearly perfect mold, hut now 'tis near 
Its Autumn, nnd beneath its circling shade 
I read of rafale; lee never before displayed. 
I will not lmro relate all that I see 
Of love that’s mystic, wreathed ar mud the tree, 
But only say that now. as Spring draws near, 
To break the lock which holds the Summer’s gear, 
1 thought, to test the virtues of my friends, 
I'd place their names upon the brunches' ends, 
Then see which hough most perfect fruit could 
boast, 
From that I'd Judge which one of grace had most. 
If very sweet aught, of my fruit should be, 
I’d say that Love hud sat beneath the tree. 
And breathed upon the bnincho for awhile 
That in my fruit might live her sunny smile. 
If perfect roundness of the cheek was there, 
I'd say that Hope had knelt beneath in prayer, 
Leaving the curve of beauty for a dower. 
That all might, feel her witchery and power. 
But, if within the fruit In silvery veins 
The juice should trickle 'neath their cheeks’bright 
stains, 
Catching a hue of pearl when, towards the heart. 
It found within a seed a final mart. 
I'd say that Fuiib, retracing former years. 
Had brought my fruit, her sacred store of teats, 
Whose bloom through them should never know 
decay 
Until their sparkle hud been caught away. 
Thus do our spirits, like the tides Hint flow 
From mountain spring to ocean far below, 
Live In tne fruit and flowers which please us most, 
And perfect are as we of grace can boast. 
So grasp 1 causes from the effects I see, 
And find a volume’s love stored in the tree. 
Thus see's the the mind, when skilled in .Nature’s 
laws. 
Learning Perfection flows from perfect Cause. 
#ur ^torg-Sm^r. 
AN INSUBORDINATE WIFE, 
“SOME THINGS CAN BE DONE AS WEIL AS 
OTHERS.” 
Mrs. Giles stood in the front yard, hanging 
up hor Monday’s wash ; the last 
piece bad found its place upon r 
the line. 
“Doneat last,”said Mrs.Giles, 
speaking to herself, a habit In 
which she frequently indulged. 
*• Now, if dinner was out of the j 
way, I might have time to finish 
Leonard's suit this afternoon : 
I've had it around so long. If I 
only had a sewing machine, how L 
much I could accomplish and 
picking up hor basket, she went 
into the house. The prospect 
within was not very cheering; 
the washtub to clear away and 
the dinner to place.upon the ta¬ 
ble. Just as she began to lay the 
table, Mr. Giles appeared at the 
door and said: 
“Put on an oxtra plate; that 
man will take dinner with us." 
Dinner was soon ready and as 
soon dispatched, for ceremony 
was one of the unkown tilings 
in the Giles family. Mr. Giles 
and the stranger retired to the 
sitting-room to discuss the imtr- j. ' 
its of a new reaper arid mower, 
while Mrs. Giles remained and 
cleared away the dinner table. 
When she had Unisbed aud made 
herself ready for the afternoon, jOA 
she went into the sitting-room. 
Mr. Giles Was saying:— “IT you MUmj. 
have anything new and better, aJPSB 
anything that will make work JtUMZ 
easier and do more of it, I'm 
your man! I’m in favor of all 
machinery that will lighten 
work for man. Why, bless you, / f// Jjfl 
just look around my farm ; it’s v Wi 
run mostly by machinery.” ■ Jhvj MMp . 
“Profitable? certainly,” re- ! jjmummm 
plied he to an interrogation from 
the stranger. Money in the AKjMziJIl) 
bank,” he added, never omitting 
an occasion of mentioning a 
small deposit he had in the city 
The stranger was gone at last, // 
and Mrs. Giles sat down with jjf /fjj 
weary limbs andaohing shoulder I I I l 
to finish a suit of clothes she was yJ / ff/m 
making for her oldest son, a lad ' // jf m 
of fifteen. Slowiy and wearily / j/ m 
the needle went in aud out; ' i y t0i 
Btltch after stitch was taken but / j j 'yjj, 
to little purpose; it did seem as , n j 'jfff/ 
if she would never come to the 
last. Hut if stitches progressed >! U 
slowly, her thoughts llew fast j y' 
enough. The last words of her , • 
husband lingered in her mind, / / 
and again and again they recur- _ /y 
red to her. 
"Yes, men cau have their bur¬ 
dens lightened, but poor women may drudge. 
Every year Giles lias added something new to 
his farming-implements, while I have to plod 
along with hardly sufficient- utensils to cook a 
decent dinner; an old stove without a boiler 
or whole griddle and a cracked door. No won¬ 
der I can’t bake a loaf of bread decently. Then 
here 1 have to sit and stitch for a week on this 
suit, when two hours on a machine would com¬ 
plete it." 
It is needless to record all of Mrs. Giles’ 
th nights and words as she sat stitching the 
hours away. A dim consciousness of her wrongs 
and a faint determination to assert her rights, 
was entering tier mind. She had so long given 
up her opinions, set aside her needs and foster¬ 
ed the selfishness of her husband, that it was 
hard to break through the meshes of habit 
which his stern will had woven around her. 
The afternoon wore away and Mrs. Giles laid 
aside the unfinished garment to prepare the 
evening meal. 
The next morning at breakfast, she remarked 
to her husband that an agent fur a sewing ma¬ 
chine had called the day previous arid wished 
her to try one of his machines. 
“ 1 told him," she said, “ he might, leavo ouo 
when he came next week." 
Mr. Giles laid down his knife and fork and sat 
with utter amazement depicted on his counte¬ 
nance. “ A sewing machine!” lie gasped, when 
ho had recovered himself. “ ife needn’t leave 
any of his new-fangled humbugs hero; I have 
no use for them.” 
“ You t” interrupted ho ; “ don't see what use 
you have for a machine. You could never learn 
to use it; or If you did, what have you to sew ? 
Only my clothes and the boys'. Women, now¬ 
adays, are getting mighi.y independent, want¬ 
ing machines to do their work ; too lazy to do 
it themselves. Suppose they want to gad about 
and gossip about their neighbors." 
“Why, Philip-” 
“ Woman's work is nothing,” continued Mr. 
Giles, not heeding the interruption. “ My 
mother had not, as many conveniences for doing 
her work as you have, yet she always had her 
meals regular and well cooked, and that is more 
than lean say for you. No, I don't want any 
sewing machine about my house. God made as 
good a sewing machine as I want when lie niado 
woman.” 
With this ultimatum ho left, the table aud tak¬ 
ing his hat, mounted his horse and rode away 
to look at the now reaper which he contemplat¬ 
ed buying. 
One by one t-lio members of the family finished 
their breakfast and passod out, leaving Mrs. 
Giles alone. She sat with herhoad resting upon 
her hand; her thoughts wandered back to the 
days when, in the freshness of her youth, she 
gave her heart's deepest and beat affections to 
Philip Giles. Blinded by hor groat love forbim 
she saw not the extreme selfishness nor ooarse- 
uess of his nature. She implicitly believed all 
his promises and heeded not the warning of her 
friends. 
It seemed a long time since then so many 
shadows had darkened their pathway; darker 
yet seemed to grow life’s rugged journey. She 
saw her six sons growing up around her, amidst 
tough and evil Influences, without the ability 
to counteract them. Mrs. Giles remained a 
long time bowed over that breakfast table, 
praying witb a sense of helplessness and a feel¬ 
ing of need, socli as she had never before expe¬ 
rienced. A loud rap at the door startled her. 
On opening It she found Mr. Harris bad called 
to pay off a note which had long been duo ; a 
note Mr. Giles had often declared ho should 
never be abio to collect. “The poor wretch,” 
lie insisted, “will never be able to save enough 
to pay his honest debts, while his wife spends 
all hla earnings on such foolish things as wash¬ 
ing machines.” 
Mrs. Giles Informed Mr. Harris of tier hus¬ 
band's absence, but said she would attend to 
the business. When all was satisfactorily set¬ 
tled and Mr. Harris had gone, Mrs. Giles sat for 
some time looking at tho roll of money In her 
hand. 
At length a new thought cauio in her mint 1 . 
Carefully placing the bills in her pocket, she 
went into the kitchen and hurriedly finished 
the morning’s work and thou dressing herself, 
she walked dov/n to the station, which was but 
a quarter of a mile distant. She was just in 
time for the morning train for tho city, ton 
miles away. 
It was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon 
when she returned home. Mr. Giles was still 
absent; Leonard, tho eldost son, stood in the 
yard with the team. 
“ Holgho. mother," said he, “ I was just going 
to look for you. I thought it was too bad for 
you always to have to walk." 
“ Well, my sou," she replied, “ you would uot 
have found rne. I have been to the eil.y." 
“The cityl Gee Whittaker I” arid Leonard 
gave a prolonged whistle. 
“ Yes,"said Mrs. Giles getting into tho wagon, 
" and now 1 wish you to go to the station with 
mo and bring home my purchases.” 
Leonard mounted beside her, saying, “And 
so the old man did shell out for once in his life 
and give you a little money, did he?" 
23A.S'X" FRANK A.2NTI3 SXXS BOY ■ NtTKSE. 
Mrs, Giles reproved Leonard for speaking thus 
<>r his father, but he continued “ Well, I can't 
help it. I think It a mean shame. Ho never 
gives you a cent to spend but sends you to the 
store at the corner with the same old order: 
1 Please let the bearer have what she needs.' T 
would make It convenient to need a great many 
things If I were you," 
It was late when Mr. Giles returned. Ho has¬ 
tily dismounted and gave his horse to one of 
the boys. Entering the house he culled for his 
supper In no gentle tones. Fortunately, supper 
was just ready. Having satisfied Ids ravenous 
appottte, he arose from tho table, saying : 
“Come, boys, it’s time you were in bed. I'll 
want you by daybreak In the morning ami 
setting tho example, he went to bed and was 
soon asleep. About II o'clock Mrs. Giles, hav¬ 
ing finished her work and made preparations 
for an early breakfast, retired to rest. Being 
very much fatigued by the day's excitement, 
she soon slept heavily. 
After file first nap Mr. Giles was restless and 
uneasy; he tossed and turned from side to side, 
but, no more sleep for him. Ho concluded to 
get up. Having drossod himself, ho took tho 
candle and proceeded to t he kitchen. The slen¬ 
der, tallow dip threw a lurid light around the 
room. Things seoDuod to hare strangely chan¬ 
ged since morning, liaising the light above his 
head, he gazed long and earnestly around tho 
kitchen. There stood a new stove, with Its 
black and polished face, smiling upon him: a 
row of bright and shining tinware was neatly 
arranged on the shelf behind it. Turning around 
his eye fell upon a washing machine with a 
wringer attached ; taking hold of the crank ami 
giving a turn or two he said: “A sewing ma¬ 
chine, by thunder! But. how in the name of 
common sense they sew upon It is more than f 
can tell." 
Placing the candle on a table lie came in con¬ 
tact With a patent churn, “ What! another 
blasted concern ! Polly! Polly I" he screamed, 
seizing tho candle and hurrying back into tho 
sleeping room. 
In his haste hi - foot caught in the framework 
of a sewing machine and he fell full length in 
the middle or the floor, while the candle found 
a resting place on the oppositesldeof the room. 
Mrs. Giles, suddenly aroused from a sound 
sleep, started up in a bewildered way, saying: 
“ What is it, Philip? What’s the matter?” 
Mrs. Giles sprang from the bod and assumed 
an air of dignity. 
“Matter enough," growled he, picking him¬ 
self up and rescuing the candle from its prox¬ 
imity to the bed clothes; “ who has been filling 
up the house with all that trum¬ 
pery and who do you think is 
going to pay for it? If you think 
I am, you’re very much mis¬ 
taken." 
“Philip Giles,” said 8 he, “ i 
have always faithfully endeav¬ 
ored to do my duty as a wife and 
mother. I have patiently borne 
k • I my privations, thinking them 
£ necessary to husband our means, 
while you have used money with¬ 
out stint to purchase machinery 
Sn M I 1 ' 0 lighten your work. Now I 
have resolved upon a change. 
What modern Improvements 
fife: there are to facilitate woman's 
Vf work 1 intend to have. Nay, do 
not interrupt, mo,” she contin¬ 
ued, as Mr. Giles made an effort 
to speak. “Those tilings are 
paid for with the money dear 
old grandfather left me by his 
will. You loaned It, to Mr. Har- 
1 ( ris, doing me neither tho honor 
nor justice to have the notea 
drawn in my name. Yesterday 
he paid It. I went to tho city 
r and made these purchases ; they 
- [ cost leas than tho mower you 
have just bought. The rest of 
the money I placed in the aav- 
“In your name, I suppose?” 
jfe said Mr. Giles. 
“Yes, in my name,” continued 
Mrs. Giles, “ that I may have the 
_use of it when 1 wished. This 
■Sgigg; farm was purchased with a part 
of that, legacy, and hereafter I 
Intend to see that my rights aro 
respected and my legal claims 
rightly adjusted.” 
A' i&flwE And so she did. 
SOME JUGGLERS’ TRIOKS. 
Robert Hocdin, the French 
juggler, was employed by the 
French Government to go to Al¬ 
geria on a novel mission. The 
Marabout priests exercised great 
influence over the natives, be¬ 
cause they were able to perform 
certain feats of jugglery, which 
they protended proved their di¬ 
vine power. These Marabouts 
were enemies of the French and 
encouraged lurbulouco among 
tiie Arabs. Tho government 
thought that it might bo a good 
stroke of policy to send Houdln 
through the colony performing 
his miracles and demonstrating 
to the natives that a French sor¬ 
cerer was greater than an Arab 
