MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
DEC. n 
337 
some less responsible avocation. If she, or he, 
has no love for the little ones, think you such 
a teacher will take the pains to make the 
school-room of all places la the world the most 
Interesting? 
When children must he urged and driven to 
school, he sure the teacher Is more or less at 
fault. If the text books are dry let the lessons 
be made Interesting by some extra effort on the 
teacher’s part. There Is such a thing as draw¬ 
ing the pupils Into the school-room in such a 
way that only the command of parents or guar¬ 
dians will keep them from their accustomed 
seats. It Is only In being thoroughly Interested 
that progress la made. What wonder that we 
find children attending Bchool year after year, 
and yet making no advancement, when the 
teachers are only interested In getting pin- 
money for a bright ribbon with which to entrap 
the beaux ?—or a gilded watch and chain to fas¬ 
cinate some fair damsel who has not yet learned 
to distinguish the difference between fire-gilt 
and pure gold ? 
-- 
SUGGESTIONS TO MOTHERS. 
Dear Rural:— In your paper of Jan. 2 you 
say, “If you have anything to write for the 
Rural (and almost every Intelligent reader 
has), give us the wheat, discarding the chaff. 
Let us hear from you, good and wise frleilds; 
but we boseeeb of you to help us lu our efforts 
to get at the soul of wit, brevity. Pray be short 
—condense—but write !" Whether this will be 
considered wheat or chaff, Is left for you to 
judge. 
In the Rural of Feb. 20 I read “ A Response 
to a Tired Mother." It was brief and good. 
The necessary preparation for the Sabbath 
seems to have more to do with the coming 
week than most of ua are aware. It should be 
anticipated with that necessary preparation 
that shall leave It as a day of rest for body and 
mind. For this purpose the heavy work should 
not be left for the lout hours of the week. Lot 
Friday l>e a day of general clearing up, IT pos¬ 
sible, and Saturday somewhat a day of rest. 
Let Saturday afternoon be apeut In preparing 
the little ones for the Sabbath ; and then, as 
the Sabbath conics, teach them to reverence 
and love the (day. Begin wheu they are very 
young to tell them the Bible stories. Teach 
them to love the day as God’s Holy Day. They 
can be taught this and still not have It a 
gloomy day. Impressions can be made upon 
their young and tender minds that will never 
leave them. If Inclined to amuse themselves 
by doing unnecessary things, such as cracking 
nuts, popping corn, etc., tell them not to do 
so on the Lord’s day. They will never, never 
forget It. The response by Aunt Mollt would 
do all good to those who are worn and weary 
with the labor of the week, If her suggestions 
were carried out. System, order and coolness 
make work much easier: bustle and confusion 
tire one. M. m. 
Mt. Morris, N. Y., 1875. 
IThough the above has been mislaid for some 
months, it is still good.—E d.] 
-- — 
A SCENE IN PARIS. 
Heading fur th^ fmmg. 
THE LITTLE ONE8’ HOUR OF FUN. 
SUPPER is over, 
Now for the fun, 
This is the season 
Children must rue. 
Papa Is reading, 
Says of those boys : 
" Pray did you ever 
Hear such a noise?’’ 
Riding on “ camels ” 
Over the floor, 
See one’s a squirrel 
Climbing the door. 
There goes the baby 
Flat on its nose. 
Brother ts trying 
To tickle hlB toes. 
Little he minds It,— 
Thought be would cry. 
Changed It to laughter. 
As Tom galloped by. 
Order l* nowhere, 
Fun is the rule, 
Think they are children 
Just out of school. 
Home is their palace. 
They aro the kings, 
Let them lie masters 
Of Just a few things. 
Only one hour 
Out of the day, 
Qlve them full freedom, 
Join in their play. 
1)0 not be eiuBty, 
Do not rorget 
Ton like to manage— 
Sometimes do yet. 
Home will be sweeter 
Till life is done 
If you will give them 
One hour for fun. 
A MIRAGE. 
I have long promised to give a description 
of a mirage, which 1 have seen several times lu 
Minnesota. A myth 1 Dear reader, wheu you 
see an exteuaive mirage, I feel sure you will 
ackuowedge you ure really seeing quite a sight, 
a pleasant and I uteres ting one too. Houses 
and groves rise, one after another in the back¬ 
ground, and even lakes can be seen at a great 
distance during one. 
1 was once standing u few rods from the north 
shoro of a beautiful lake which was from four 
to live miles wide, when the south shoro ap¬ 
peared to be no more than a few rods away. 1 
had scarcely time to recover from my astonish¬ 
ment before It was out of sight again. Usually 
mirages romaln longer and sometimes may be 
saeu in their splendor for hours together, ft is 
not very uncommon to see groves twenty miles 
away during a mirage. You realty see the 
groves, the distance only being what is decep¬ 
tive at the time. 
Villages rise in the aamu manner, and were 
once seen in the direction where the Indians 
had murdered so many inhabitants that it was 
easy to fancy that the smoke, as It rose In the 
magnifying as well as refraction of the rays of 
light, was like towering monuments, placed 
over their departed friends, who bad a few 
years before been victims of the treacherous 
savuges. Haystacks tower, tower up, aud re¬ 
mind one of the pyramids of Egypt, rather than 
Htacit*.{rom two to live miles away. I was not 
long aiuee much amused by reading a short but 
graphic description of a mirage, given by an 
Indian chief who was trying to forcibly impress 
a young hunter with the vast power of the 
Great Spirit. Said ho, “The Great Spirit took 
a large mountain away frcili its place and put 
it on the top of another one and let It romaln a 
few hours, and then put 11 back again in Its 
own place.” Aunt Flora. 
-- 
YES OR NO 1 
[These stanzas furnish a poetical Illustration of 
Millais’ charming picture, representing a beautiful 
young lady of the present day, staudlng by a desk 
en which ties an open letter from her suitor, whose 
photograph ts held in one of the hands folded be¬ 
hind her. while she gaves through an open window 
at the setting gun, and until the starlight, striving to 
find the true answer to her lover's appeal :| 
SAY, stall It he Yes? O, tell me. Sun, 
Fre you sink In the West so low— 
Yon are never troubled with doubts, not one— 
Say, shall It be Yes or No ? 
1 have walled aud questioned all the day. 
Nor do I the better know 
Than 1 did at the first, if the better way 
Is to answer him Yes or No. 
The sun goes down to bis resting place, 
And the stars their faces show; 
O, Stars that glorify all the space, 
Pray, shall it bo Yes or No ? 
But stars bare no sympathy, none at all. 
A-cold in the far-off glow. 
And they only mock at me when I call, 
’’ Shall I antwer him Tea or No 1 ” 
Not oven a bird on his homeward wing 
Would a comforting note bestow, 
Anil I listened in vain for his voice to sing 
An echoing Yes or No, 
The bird had a mate In the maple’s nest. 
Who waited his love-song—Lo! 
There is something astir in my awakened breast, 
That Is rather like Yes than No. 
And as nowhere outside of yourself, my heart, 
Is the word that will help you, so 
You shall look In for the tender art 
To answer him Yes or No. 
\Mnry H. Dodge, in Harper's Magazine. 
-- 
ABOUT TEACHERS. 
BY MAY MAPLE. 
“ I never liked children!” said a teacher of 
our district school. 
“Then why do you teach ?” said 1. 
“ Because I need the 'money I shall get at tho 
close of the term. You know our family are 
not wealthy, and wo must do for ourselves 
wlmt our hands 11ml to do. Teaching Is most 
respectable and not hard work ; only six hours 
of t he day for my employers and the rest of the 
time to amuse myself. It Is so nice to bo fixed 
up and be lady boarder and only have one’s Belf 
to keep In order. And It ts not an unpleasant 
feature to be the envy of those girls who have 
no education, on account of one’s superior abil¬ 
ities. Then Lo have all the little urchins gating 
at you with wide-open eyes aud mouth every 
time you pul on a fresh dress, a new ribbon, or 
a set of bright Jewelry, Is equal to going to u 
fair. Again, there Is a belter chance to get ac¬ 
quainted with all the nice beaux If one teaches 
school. I really think It Is a sort of charmed, 
humming-bird life, flitting from one district to 
another—a summer here and a winter there. 
And oil, such hosts of friends as one makes 
too." And the bright young butterfly with a 
china doll lace, clasped her hands In costacy at 
thoughts of the gayeties she enjoyed. 
I, too, had made teaching a profession for 
half a score of years. But with what a different 
view had 1 commenced my life work! I had 
never taught simply for the monetary reward. 
From my earliest remembrance I bad hoped to 
have the honor of teaching the youth of our 
land. Indeed, I have never been quite sure 
that my cogitations, while in the little pine cra¬ 
dle, with my thumb in my .mouth, were not 
something in regard to schoolrooms undelusses, 
the art of governing, eto. Certain It is 1 had 
not found my third birthday ere I had com¬ 
menced studying. And In less than a year I 
had declared my Intention ami marked out my 
life work—I must teach. There was no thought 
of any reward other than Imparting the knowl¬ 
edge I obtained toothers. 
When I had reached my sixteenth birthday 
and had placed lu my hand a teacher’s certifi¬ 
cate it added nothing to my dignity, as I had 
taught more or leas for the last ten years merely 
for the sake of helping others. I should still 
continue my work for no other purpose. To 
be sure I should receive a salary; hut that 
would only help me to extend my labors of love 
to those more needy than myself. How much 
w:ts to be spent, for dress and gay ribbons, was 
a second consideration, If considered at all. 
My life In the schoolroom was always u busy 
one- There was so much to be a •compllsbed, 
morally as well as Intellectually; for was not I 
assisting to train the future teachers, ministers 
and statesmen of our grand Western home? 
Though so youDg 1 felt all the responsibility of 
my station. 1 desired to see our Ship of State 
manned by powerful oarsmen- The time was 
not to be frittered away in planning only for 
guyetles of life. There was woik for muscle 
aud brain; there were vacant places for all 
strong, able men and women. Aud some of 
them would sooner or later be filled by the little 
tyros before me. Early and late I worked with 
and foT them, only wishing I could make them 
leel the necessity of Improving the minutes as 
T felt It for them. 
Love them ?—If they had been part of my very 
self, they could hardly have been doarer to me. 
Aud I never hear a teacher say she lias no love 
for'children that I do not feel like telling her 
to keep out of the school-room and choose 
It was In Paris. An elegaut lady goes out 
shopping. While she Is engaged there la a 
heavy fall of rain. The streets are flooded, 
and to add to her distress, her carriage stands 
on the far side of of a large, open square, 
which has become a lake. She signals to the 
driver, but his horses, being young, will not 
face the water. She etandB on the edge of the 
curb, stamping her little feet, and not knowing 
wlmt to do. A gentleman passes and takes the 
situation in at a glance. Throwing his cigar 
aside, he steps up to the lady, seizes her by the 
waist, delicately, plunges Into the tide, and 
lauds her safely ou the lower step ol her car- 
oarrlage door. Recovering from her astonish¬ 
ment, she turns round and mutters “Inso¬ 
lent!" Tho gentleman loses no time, but steps 
back to the lady, seizes her by the waist, deli¬ 
cately, plunges again Into the tide arid lauds 
her where she was before. He then takes off 
Ills hat, bows politely, and walks away. 
-- 
THE FIRST FINGER RING. 
An amusing myth Is told of the origin of the 
linger ring. When Jove released Prometheus 
from the bonds by which he hud been confined, 
he condemned him, as a sort of penance—per¬ 
haps somewhat after the fashion of a modern 
tieket-of-leave—to wear upon bis finger, as a 
ring, a link of the Iron chain that had bound 
him to t he Caucasian rock Itself. In this way, 
so the fable goes, the custom of the finger riug 
originated. There is every reason to believe 
that this use of the engraved stoue began with 
the Greeks, and from thorn was copied by their 
servile Imitators, the Romans. It Is every way 
a convenient and natural one; and our grand¬ 
fathers' custom of wearing their seals at the 
fob, as it was called, or banging from the side- 
pocket, was a recurrence to old Assyrian usages, 
which long held Its ground. 
—-♦-*-*- 
A tv lute garment appears worse with slight 
soiling than do colored garments much soiled; 
a little fault in a good woman attracts more 
attention than a great offence in a wicked one. 
What people want is not talent,—It is pur¬ 
pose; in other words, not the power to achieve, 
but the will to labor. 
It is harder to be left alone than to die. The 
last to depart have the weariness of waiting. 
THE FAITHFUL BOY. 
Gerhardt was a German shepherd boy; and 
a noble fellow ho was, too, although he was 
very poor. One day ho was watching his flouk, 
which wus feeding in the valley on the borders 
of a forest, a hunter came out of the wood, and 
asked: 
“How far Is It to the nearest village?" 
“ Six miles, sir,” replied the boy, " but the 
road Is only a sheep track and very easily 
missed." 
Tho hunter glanced at the crooked ttack.aud 
then said : 
“My lad, I am hungry, tired and thirsty. I 
have lost my companion and missed my way. 
Leave your sheep, and show me the road. I 
will pay you well." 
“I cannot leave my sheep, sir," replied the 
boy. “ They would stray luto the forest, and be 
eaten by wolves or stolen by robbers." 
"Well, what of that?” replied the hunter, 
“they are mot your sheep. The loss of one or 
more wouldn't be much to your master, and I’ll 
give you more money than you ever earned in a 
whole year. 
“I cannot go, sir," rejoined Gerhardt, veiy 
firmly; “my master pays me for my time, and 
he trusts me with his sheep. If I were to sell 
my time, which does not belong to mo, and tlie 
sheep should get. lost, It would be just the same 
us if i stole them." 
“ Well," said the hunter, “will you trust the 
attention of the sheep to me while you go to 
the village and get me some food and drink, 
and a guide ? I will take good care of them for 
you." 
The boy shook his head. “The sheep do not 
know your voice, and— " here Gerhardt stopped 
speaking, 
“ Bir,’’ said the boy slowly, “ you tried to make 
me false to my trust, and wanted me to break 
my duty to my master. How do 1 know you 
would keep your word to me ?’’ 
The hunter laughed ; but he felt that the boy 
had silenced him. He said: “I see, my lad, 
that you are a good, faithful boy. 1 will not 
forget you. Show me the road, and I will try 
to follow it myself.” 
Gerhardt now offered the humble contents of 
his wallet to the hungry man, who, coarse as 
they were, ate them gladly. Presently, to his 
surprise, he found that the hunter was the 
Grand Duke, who owned all the country round. 
The Duke was so pleased with the boy's hon¬ 
esty, that he sent for him shortly after, and had 
him educated. In after years Gerhardt became 
a very rich and powerful man, and he remained 
honest and true to nis dying day. 
--— 
STREET TALK. 
“Learn to talk like a geutiemau, my boy! 
Pupa Is sorry to hear you talk ‘ street talk I’ Do 
quit It." 
“ What Is‘street talk,' papa?’’ 
" What did you just now say to sister? 
“ I told her to be quiet.” 
“But you said 'TIuhIi up,’ aud said it very 
loud and rudely. Aud what did you, ton min¬ 
utes ago, 9ay to Martha?” 
“ I told her to go out of my way." 
“ But you did not say It half so nicely us that. 
You said, ‘ Get out of tide.’ And 1 think you 
called her some name. What was It?" 
Harry looked ashamed, and the tears came; 
but he answered, “ I called her m dirty snick.” 
“ Just so. That la what I mean by street talk. 
All these naughty words, arid especially the 
rough tone and manner, you hear on the street. 
They belong to those boys who Lave never 
been taught any better, and to those men who, 
though knowing better, yet do not care any¬ 
thing about the better way. But my little boy 
must never use street talk." 
» — - 
LONG WORDS. 
“ Bob,” said Tom, “which Is the most dan¬ 
gerous word to pronounce in the English lan¬ 
guage ?” 
“ Don’t know,” said Rob, “ unless It’s a swear¬ 
ing word.” 
“ Pooh 1” said Tom, “ It’s stumbled, because 
you are sure to get a tumble between the first 
and last letter.” 
“Hat baP said ltob. “ Now I’ve one for you. 
1 found it oue day In the paper. Which is tho 
longest word In the English language?’’ 
“ Valetudinarianism," said Torn, promptly. 
“ No, sir; It la smiles, because thero’s a whole 
mile between the first and las: letter." 
“Hoi hoi" cried Tom, “that’s nothing. I 
know a word that bus over three tulle* between 
Its beginning and ending.’’ 
“ What’s that ?” asked Rob, faintly. 
“ Beleaguered,” said Tom.— St. Nicholas. 
A brave act always brings Its own reward lu 
a happy heart. 
fuller. 
AUTHORS’ CONUNDRUMS. 
An ingenious correspondent of the Herald of 
Health gives the following questions, each to 
be answered by the name of an author : 
1. What a rough man said to his sou wheu he 
wished him to eat properly. 2. Is a lion’s house 
dug In the side of a hill where there la no water. 
3. Pilgrims and flatterers have knelt low to kiss 
him. 4. Makes and mends for first-class cus¬ 
tomers. 5. Represents the dwelling of civilized 
men. 6. Is a kind of linen. 7. Is worn on the 
head. 8. A name that means such fiery things, 
I can’t describe their pains and stings. 9. Be¬ 
longs to a monastery. 10. Not one of the four 
points of the compass, but Inclining toward one 
of them. 11. Is wliat an oyster heap is like to 
he, 12. Is a chain of hills containing a dark 
treasure. 13. Always youthful ub you see. 14. 
An American manufacturing town. 15. Hump¬ 
backed but not deformed. 10. Au internal pain. 
17. Value of a word. 18. A w orker In precious 
metals. 19. A vital part of the body. 20. A 
lady's garmeut. 21. A small talk aud a heavy 
weight. 22. A prefix aud a disease. 23. Comes 
from a pig. 24. A disagreeable fellow to have 
on one’s foot. 25. A Blok place of worship. 20. 
A mean dog ’tls. 27. An official dreaded by the 
students of English universities. 28. His mid¬ 
dle name Is suggestive of an Indian or a Hot¬ 
tentot. 29. A manufactured metal. 30. A game 
and a mule of the human species. 31. Au an¬ 
swer t<> " Which la the greater poet, William 
Shakspeare or Martin F. TupperY" 32. Meat! 
what are you doing? 33. Is very fast Indeed. 
31. A barrier built by au edible. 36. To agitate 
a weapon. 86. Red as an apple, black as night, 
a heavenly sign or a perfect fright. 37. A do¬ 
mestic worker. 38. A slang exclamation. 39. 
Pack away closely, never scatter, and In so 
doing you'll soon get at her. 40. A young do¬ 
mestic animal. 41. One that Is more than a 
sandy shore. 13. A fraction in currency and 
the prevailing fashion. 43. Mamma Is in per¬ 
fect health, my child; and thus he named a 
poet mild. 44. A girl’s name and a male rela¬ 
tion. 45. Take a heavy field piece, nothing loth. 
48. Put an edible grain ’twlxt au ant and a bee, 
and a much-loved poet you'll see. 47. Common 
domestic animal, and what It can never do. 
48. Each living head lu time, ’tlB said, will turn 
to him though he be dead. 49. A ten-footer 
whose name begins with fifty. 50. A brighter 
aud smarter than the other. 
IgP” Answer In two weeks. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
PUZZLER AN8WERS.—Nov. 27. 
Hidden A » (MAL8 No. 2.— 1, Elephant; 2. Bea¬ 
ver: 3, Wol' 1, Deer ; 6, Leopard: 0,Glraffe ; 7, 
Ibex, 8, Porcupine; 9, Mink; 10, Rabbit; 11, 
Skunk; 12, Monkey. 
