DEC. 4 
ORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
374 
Jfedfya' f oi[tfolio. 
IN AN ATTIC. 
BY KENNETH DUNN. 
I’m sitting np In cloud-land: 
And all day long I’m singing ; 
Light thoughts, llko sweet-voiced birds. 
Their happy way are winging. 
I’m happy hero in cloud-land; 
But down below they hurt me; 
In the crowds that, come and go, 
Hasting by, men Jostle me ; 
Maidens fair, from tender eyes, 
Look down with pity sweet. 
Upon my faded dress. 
And the patches on tny feet. 
Amid the green trees yonder, 
I know the birds are flitting; 
Nests are weaving. In and out, 
With many songs befitting; 
That lilies fair, within the vales. 
Are toiling not, or spinning. 
But simply from the fact of being. 
Sweet praise from ull are winning. 
My needle swiftly In and out, 
Moek lilies fair. Is weaving; 
I’m happy here in cloud-land ; 
I have no cause for grieving. 
--- 
GIRLS AND MUSIO, 
A CHAPTER FOR BOTH COUNTRY AND CITY. 
BY MARY A. E. W A QEIt. 
“Thump, thump, thump! Why the money 
wasted upon the attempt to give the American 
Girl a musical education would In less than 
live years time, pay off the National debt." 
That was all I chanced to overhear on the 
suh.|ect. The voice of the commentator was a 
woman’s. She asserted what may bo a fact; 
but the moat deplorable feature of the business 
la not its waste of money, but Its Irreparable 
waste of opportunities. If there la any one 
thing more than another that a hoy has to be 
thankful for because he la a boy, It la that by 
virtue of his birth-right he has a decent chance 
of escape from learning music. And this 
moans much—It means time and opportunity 
to make a man of himself. 
There are two things any ordinary observer 
of human affairs In this country must recognize 
—the uncertainty of fortune, and the need of 
special application to some one branch of 
thought or study In order to achieve success. 
"I wanted to study engraving ten years ago," 
said a lady not long since “but father would 
not listen to it. Ho was on the high wave of 
financial prosperity then anti willing to pay $100 
a month for my music masters. T had no 
special aptitude for music, but I practiced six 
hours a day to the utter exclusion of other 
studies, and became, after three or four years, 
a fair performer, as musical execution is ordi¬ 
narily measured. Then misfortune canto—T'o¬ 
ther sickened, and during a six months attend¬ 
ance upon him I lost my facility In playing, 
and had no heart to ra-acquiro what 1 had at 
Ur*t only gained at great expense ttf both time 
and money, and for which I had never any 
special predilection. To gratify parental vanity 
I gave the best years of my life for the possession 
of what, at best, was only Intended for an 
accomplishment, and now have nothing loft. 
So 1 say to all girls about to begin the study of 
music, 'Don't.' ” 
Of all the girla in the world what proportion 
may reasonably be reckoned upon as being able 
to afford a musical education oxtending over a 
course of three, five, or ten years? A very 
small one indeed. A girl, quite as much as a 
boy—In this country of changing fortunes— 
noodt) to learn something by which - she may be 
able to support herself in time of need—a time 
which comes to most of us. Moat Kings and 
Queens are wise enough to provide against such 
contingencies In the education of tholr chil¬ 
dren. They are the short-sighted and parvenucs 
who sneer at solid acquirements and regard 
useful knowledge as superfluous, llut It Is not 
of music as a solid acquirement—a profession— 
that la objected to, but os an accomplishment. 
Nine-tenths of the girls who " practice year in 
and year out'’ hammer away at an “accom¬ 
plishment " that in the majority of cases 
results In very indifferent pleasuro to their 
friends, and is at best an ephemeral possession. 
A few week’s Illness, a lame linger, absence from 
a piano because of travel, or the demands of 
society—and where Is the accomplishment? 
Flown, like a bird of passage. And what has 
the girl to show for her time and perseverance? 
Nothing. Or, if Bho marries, with her house¬ 
hold careB, or her children, ter music becomes 
a thing of the past. She in turn allows her 
daughter to repeat the old story so many 
hours at the piano, so many music lessons, so 
many music bills. And for what good ? 
"Music hath charms" when a skillful hand 
knows bow to reveal them, but tlie majority of 
fingers and throats only change golden silence 
into a pandemouium of torture. If a girl 
could learn to play the piano agreeably, Inci¬ 
dentally, well and good. But it Is an impossi¬ 
bility. She must throw all her energy and en¬ 
thusiasm Into the study in order to become 
even a fair performer. With the same amount 
of time and attention given to the study of 
chemistry, natural history, botany, drawing, 
even medicine, law, architecture, literature, 
cookery, housekeeping, engravlrg, designing, 
book-keeping or dress-making, what a revolu¬ 
tion would be produced in society! The Intel¬ 
ligence, helpfulness, companlonableness of 
women would be enhanced a hundred per 
cent., while their usefulness to society would 
be augmented In proportion to their owu 
personal gain thereby in happiness—for, say 
what one will, some occupation that requires 
vigorous exercise of the mental powers is as 
necessary to happiness as fresh air to the lungs. 
And the value of music perse I 3 what? It Is 
uot a study that gives breadth and tone to the 
mind, develops character, enriches thought, or 
fuses the student because of It Into closer sym¬ 
pathy with nature. It cultivates the ear and 
trains the hand, and that, in most Instances la 
all. Let It not be understood that the value of 
music In the world Is disparaged, or that all 
musicians and would-be musicians are regarded 
as to many Imps seut into the world as disci¬ 
plinarians to one's small stock of patience or 
endurance. Blessings upon all, Indeed, who 
contribute to the cheer and Inrioceut pleasures 
of life. The only question this paper Is In¬ 
tended to raise, is the very important one, 
“Will It pay?" Let fathers, mothers and 
guardians with girls to educate, ask themselves 
If so much time and money expended upou 
music be the be 3 t Investment for the girls’ 
youth aud strength—if so many hours a day at 
the piano will best develop her womanhood, he 
most la accordance with the bent of her genius 
(if she has any) -host fit her for the duties and 
enjoyments of society; and last, but not least, 
be her most helpful ccnsolator when fortune 
frowns I A man or woman may afford to spend 
money to gratify a whim, caprice or rule of 
fashion, but six months of time, never. So, no 
girl, unless she has the unmistakable genius of 
music In her soul, can afford to fritter her girl¬ 
hood In search of the most subtle and elusive 
of possessions, when there Is such a harvest, of 
imperishable delights to be gathered In other 
fields. So, no girl can spend her youth In 
learning “ to play " simply for the sake of giv¬ 
ing momentary pleasure to father, brother or 
lover. She can only afford to do so when the 
pleasure yielded is genuine, and the ability to 
yield It continuing so long as the u*e of the 
bauds remains. To study music one, two or 
threo years, and then give up “ practicing ” at 
the eud of five or ten— havn't the girls had 
enough of It ? Have not the folly and extrava¬ 
gance of It yet become sufficiently manifest for 
the beginning of the end to have dawued? 
There are hundreds of women to-day who 
would give largely of their possessions If the 
days, weeks and months spent In useless 
thumping on the piano had been given to the 
study of national or Individual history, poetry 
or philosophy. That every other girl In a neigh¬ 
borhood Is expected to have a piano and learn 
to play It, is one of the fashionable tuariucks of 
the age. It is a perversion of gifts and graces 
that amounts to slu. It Is a species of slavery 
from which emancipation is sorely needed. 
Will not the girls themselves be their own 
emancipators—the apostles of their own Free¬ 
dom ? 
- - - - 
FOR AND ABOUT WOMEN. 
Miss Lydia Whitney Is post-mistress of 
Presque Isle, Me. 
Mrs. John Poole of Springfield, Mass., dug 
twenty-six bushels of potatoes in seven hours. 
Mrs. F. VV. Gillette recently delivered a 
sermon before the Michigan State Convention 
of Uuiversalists. 
Mrs. Sguuuz, wife of Carl Sohurz, is ill, aud 
the ex-Sonator has been compelled to defer 
some of Ills engagements to lecture. 
Mbs. L. C. Partington of Portland, Me., has 
been lecturing with great success to crowded 
audiences on the subject of temperance. 
Miss Clapp, who disappeared from Augusta, 
Me., recently, has not been heard from, and 
fears that she has committed suicide are gain¬ 
ing ground. 
Miss Lilias Graves Is Principal of the Pres¬ 
que Isle Free High School, and also a member 
of the School Committe. She Is a lady of fine 
ability and excellent culture. 
Miss Evelyn Chapman of Simpson College, 
Iowa, won the prize at the great oratorical 
contest at Des Moines, recently. Eight colleges 
were represented on the occasion. 
Misa Matilda Hindman of Pittsburg, a 
talented and experienced lecturer, has con¬ 
sented to enter the lecture field in Iowa under 
the auspices of tho Iowa Woman Suffrage So¬ 
ciety. 
Tuk Empress of Austria has seut to Mrs 
Burton a lino gold locket with the royal mono¬ 
gram and Imperial crown in diamonds, as a 
mark of her appreciation of the latter’s hook- 
on “The Inner Life of Syria." 
Mbs. Imogen Robinson Morrell, who left 
Boston about llfteeu years ago to study art In 
Pails and other European capitals, has rf cently 
returned, bringing with her two large historical 
paintings illustrating events In our national 
history. 
Mrs. Rice of Wilbrahani, Mass., I9 over uine- 
ty-oue years old, anil gathers cranberries and 
chestnuts every day, walks a mile to church 
twice a week, summer aud winter, lives alone 
and takes care of herself. There is every rea¬ 
son to believe she will live ten years longer. 
Heading (for tfy filing. 
ONLY A BABY. 
TO A LITTLE ONE JUST A WEEK OLD. 
Only 11 baby, Ouly a baby, 
’l’hout any hair, Teeth none at all; 
’Copt Just a little What are you good for, 
Fus here and there. Only to squall ? 
Only a baby. 
Name yon have none— 
Only a buoy, 
Just a week old— 
Barefooted and dimpled, What are you here for. 
Sweet little one. 
You little scold? 
BABY’S REPLY. 
Only u baby! 
What should I be? 
Lots o' big folks 
Been little like me. 
Ain't dot any hair! 
’Ks, I have, too; 
S'pos’n I hadn't, 
Dess It tood drow. 
Not any teeth— 
Wouldn’t have one; 
Don't dtt my dinner 
Gnawin’ a bone. 
What’m I dood for, 
Did you say? 
Kber so many sings, 
Ebery day. 
"I'ciursc I squall som’tlmes 
Sometimes I bawl: 
Zey dassant spant me, 
Taus I’m so small. 
Only a baby! 
’Es, sir, 'at's so ; 
'N if you only tood, 
.You’d bo one, too. 
What am 1 here for? ’At's all I’ve to say ; 
’At’s pretty mean ; You’re tuos' too old : 
Who’s dot a better right. Dess I’ll det into bed, 
'Tever you’ve seen ? Toes dlttin’ told. 
■ ♦ » * 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
From a Young New-Yorkar. 
Dear Cousins:—I write to the Rural for 
the first t.imn to say that, perhaps If “ Young 
Tom" (who by the way writes about “ your 
young correspondents” as If he were very aped) 
had ever mot with any of the “ fairer sex” who 
appreciated hla “ gems" (?), and If ho had over 
had the good fortuno to move In a more Intel¬ 
lectual class of society than that which he des¬ 
cribes, ho might not have ao poor an opinion of 
girls In general. From tho tone of his letters 
o 11 c would think lift hml been crossed In love, 
and on that account bates all womankind. As 
for his reference to tho Misses Gifford and 
Dayton, It Is simply contemptible. I think 
that any young man who has not enough respect 
for ladles and enough good breeding to speak 
courteously of or to them, should at leant have 
enough decency to say nothing at all about 
thorn. Hoping the girls will appreciate my 
efforts to shut up this rattle-brain and egotist, 
I arn, yours truly— New - Yorker, New York 
City, Nov. 10. 
From n Western Now York Clrl. 
Dear Cousins, minus" Young Tom When 
I took up tho laBt Rural for perusal, I was 
<*uUe startled atth» second “bom))" which Mr. 
Tom has thrown Into our camp; hut after read¬ 
ing his literary effuslou I was glad to find it 
signed " Vouitu Tom, ” for certainly nothing 
could be more appropriate. If Ills name was 
Harry, It might bo well to place the adjective 
"old" before it. I trust TOM will allow me to 
say, In apology for using tbo word " cousin," 
that It Is a title used by tho young writers of 
the Rural in addrcsBlt g their correspondence 
to each other through lt.s columns. Also, that 
had we waited till Ms second letter uppoured, 
before welcoming him to our ranks, we might 
have been saved the mortification of a refusal. 
I think It no wonder 1 bat. Tom does not enjoy 
tho society of tho young ladles of his acquaint¬ 
ance, for we all know It is but. a few years since 
they first enjoyed the advantage of freedom. I 
should judge that some Northern “school 
ma’am” had taken particular pains with Tom’s 
education. He seems to have made a special 
study of “ Elements of Criticism.” This week 
closes the fall term of the Jamestown Union 
School and Collegiate Instituto. We have ox- 
ami lailon all day to-day (Monday), and Tuesday 
and Wednesday mornings. Tuesday and Wed¬ 
nesday afternoons wo have public exercises, 
which consist of contests in gymnastics, vocal 
music, and some of the many different studies 
pursued here. Thursday and Friday evenings 
occur the annual prize exhibitions. There are 
but ten minutes between now and the time 
school commences, and the pupils make so 
much noise while coming in as to render It al¬ 
most Impossible te write longer, so I must bid 
my cousins farewell.— Millie C. Gifford, 
Jamestown, Chant. Co., N. Y., Nov. 15. 
From a Bashful Hoosier 'Indiana) Boy. 
Mu. Editor:— This evening finds me seated 
to pen a few lines, for the RURAL. Health la 
generally good In this part of the country. 
Crops are light, owing to the continual rain in 
the summer. Wheat that was sown this fall 
looks well. Corn will soon do to crib. Well, 
enough of this. I have been going to school at 
W.nchester for about seven weeks past. The 
school is large ; there are between four aud five 
hundred students now, and there are more 
that have uot started. There are six rooms In 
the building, and each has a teacher, aud also 
different grades. 1’rof. Levs Ault is Superin¬ 
tendent. In reading the Buys'und Girls’let¬ 
ters In the dear old Rural 1 came across one 
written by a South CaroLinaglrl by the name of 
Gkacih S., which attracted my attention. She 
wished you to give her some Instructions about 
making a calico dress, and If Mr, Editor fails 
in doing so, as I endeavor to keep my shirt 
fronts respectable I’ll give my way of cutting 
dresses on receiving Miss S’s post-office ad¬ 
dress. She gives her age as Iff years, and'her 
figure Is not very’ tall* but slender. As It Is 
fashionable to give age, bight, etc., I will give 
mine. I am of medium hlght, light complex¬ 
ion, well, In fact I’m a very good-looking 
elghteen-yeur-old Hoosier boy, and, If you 
don't believe It, call around when you get that 
calico dross done and I'll give you a buggy 
ride. My letter is growing long. I will close 
by saying good-by, hoping to hear from Miss 
S. and others as soon as possible.—W ebster 
SMITH, Oct. 1876, 
From a Canadian Farmer’s Son. 
Dear Rural: Since ray last letter to you we 
have been very busy at harvesting, but though 
the wheat harvest Is now over and safely in 
the barn, oats and pens have to be gathered in 
yet, and, owing to the weather being prottv un¬ 
certain, It will need close attention to business 
to secure them In as good condition ns we were 
fortunate enough to get tho wheal. There Is 
an old saying that experience makes even fools 
wise. It will be that way with some of the 
people around here that Bowed so much of the 
rod-chaff wheat this year; some of them will 
hardly have over 100 bushels 1.0 si ll. Wo never 
sowed any of It yet-we didn’t believe In It 
from the first but. we will have about600 bush¬ 
els of the other kinds of wheat. When I was 
going to school in the spring ihn boys were 
laughing at, mo, booauso we had our seeding 
dona as soon as those that had about done, 
when tho Inst snow storm came ; but. t he laugh 
was turned when they saw their wheat wasn’t 
worth much. The weather hi getting quite 
cool here now. There was frost two or three 
times last week, but it can’t, do much harm 
now, as the season Is getting late. 1 see In the 
Rural that potatoes have failed in many pla¬ 
nes. T am sorry for that, and v/ould wish every 
one had as nice ones as wo have. W# cleared 
about an aero on one side of our farm and put 
potatoes In It, and they mo the largest and 
driest In this section. They are all Early Rose. 
My mother says she wants no other kind as 
long as they are as satisfactory, as they have 
been with us ho far.— Robert H. C„ WeUesly, 
Waterloo Co., Out., Sept. 19. 
-- . 
A Goon Microscope— which coBt over $50 at 
McAllister’s In this olty, aud has only been 
used two or three times—will be sold by one of 
our young lady contributors for $80 or less. We 
know tbo Instrument to be a fine one, and It Is 
now as good as when first purchased. Address 
“ Owner of Microscope," care of the Editor of 
this paper. 
f) UiS-sIff, 
ILLUSTRATED REBUS.-No. 9. 
Answer in two weeks. l. g. 
--- 
HISTORICAL ENIGMA.—No. 1, 
I AM composed of 50 letters : 
My 14, 8, 2fl, 83, I, 9, 20 was a Galatian philoso¬ 
pher of t he second century. 
My 15, 28,10, 19, 28, 25, 12 was the father of Co- 
domanue. 
My (!, 22,27, 24,32, 5, 37 Is two festivals of Boe- 
otia. 
My 41, -18, 7, 34, 21, 44 is an ancient town of 
Assyria. 
My 11, 30, 49, 1, fl, 29, 50, 9 was the wife of 
Constantine. 
My 10,3, 4,2, 13 was a celebrated Irish divine. 
My 18, 31,39,35,38 is a member of the French 
Embassy at Constantinople. 
My 30,22, 12, 10, 1, 81, 40, 42 was an English 
General In 1377- 
My 9, 45, W, 41 was a writer of tho Augustan 
age. 
My 43, 47, 17 was a Byzantine philosopher. 
My whole was a reply of Diogenes when asked 
of what beast the bite was most dangerous. 
£3?“ Answer in two weeks. Little One. 
CROSS-WORD ENIGMA.—No. 13. 
My first Is In army but not In war. 
My second Is in wagon, also lu car; 
My third is in far but not In nigh, 
My fourth is lu cake but not in pie; 
My fifth Is In street but not in lane, 
My sixth Is in snow but not in rain; 
My seventh Is In rake but not In hoe, 
My eighth Is In high hut not In low; 
My uinth Is In Rhone hut not In Loire. 
My whole gives the name of a celebrated 
American humorist¬ 
ic'’Answer in two weeks. G. h. v. 
-- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Nov. 20. 
Illustrated Rebus No, 8.—Truth Is written 
on a child's heart. 
Miscellaneous Enigma No. 5 .—“ A little 
wrong done to another Is a great wrong done 
to ourselves." 
Cross-word Enigma No. 12.—Enigma. 
-«*- 
