FEB. <e 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER 
421 
.fox Moira. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS KAY CLARK. 
“THE NAME OF MOTHER.” 
Thebe are words that Bpealt of a quenchless love 
Which burns in the hearts we cherish, 
And accents that tell of a friendship that proved, 
And will never blight or perish. 
There are soft words murmured by dear, dear lips, 
Far richer thau any other: 
But the sweetest word that the ear hath heard, 
Is the blessed name of Mother. 
( h, magical word! may it never die 
From the lips that love to speak it, 
Nor melt awny from tho trusting hearts 
That ever would break to keep it- 
Was there ever a name that lived like this 
Will there ever be pneh another ? 
The angels have reared in Heaven a shrine 
For the holy name of Mother. 
•-- 
TO THE SWEETBEIER. 
Our sweet, autumnal, western-scented wind 
Kobs of its odor none so sweet a flower 
(In all the blooming waste it left behind) 
As that the sweetbrier yields. And the shower 
Wets not a rose that buds in beauty’s bower 
One half so lovely, yet it grows along 
The poor girl’s pathway—by the poor man’s door. 
Such are the simple folks it dwells among, 
And humble as the bud, thuB humble be the song. 
X love it. for it takes its untouched stand 
Not in the vase that sculptors decorate— 
Its sweetness ail is of my native land; 
And e’en its fragrant leaf has not its mate 
Among the perfume which the rich and great 
Buy from the odors of the spicy east. 
You love your flowers and plants, and will you hate 
This little four-leaved rose that I love best. 
That freshest will awake, and sweetest go to rest ? 
—-♦ - 
DESCRIPTION OF CUTS. 
FIG. 101.—OniLD'8 BONNET. 
The bonnet is of bine plush, trimmed with satin 
ribbon. Cap of cream-colored lace. 
no. 102.—HOOD. 
This hood Is ol pekln. It Is lined with satin, and 
Is ornamented wtih cord and tassel. 
FIG.103.— PELERINE. 
The pelerine Is or pale blue plush, trimmed with 
cream-colored pleated Bretonne lace. 
FIG. 104 — KNITTED SOLE WITH TOE. 
Materials required : 3 oz. white lambs-wool and 
four knitting-plus. 
This sole la Intended to be worn Inside the slip¬ 
pers during cold weather, commence at the heel. 
For an ordinary ladles’ size, cast on 16 stitches, 
knit backwards and forwards lor so rows. Increas¬ 
ing one at the beginnltig of every row; from the 
Slst to 40 th row decrease by knitting two together 
at the beginning of every other row; from the 4lst 
to the 60 th row knit, without Increase or decrease. 
Gist to oist rows: Increase at the beginning or 
every row; now take two other pins and east on 
20 stitches on each; knit two and purl two on the 
40 stitches, knit the sole stitches platn; continue 
thus for tin rounds, then knit all round for live 
rounds. Now commence the decrease for the toe 
by knitting two together In every third round, at 
the beginning of the first front pin, at tho end of 
the second, and at the beginning and end of the 
sole pin; continue to decrease until only teu 
stitches are left; slip the stitches from one of the 
front pins ou to the other, place the pins two to¬ 
gether, and cast off both vows of stitches together. 
KIO. 105.— FIRE-SCREEN, 
The frame of the screen should be made the size 
to suit the room. The bails on which ihe screen 
stands, and the ornaments at the top, are gilt. 
The screen la of quilted satin, to match the drap¬ 
ery of the room for which It, is Intended, with a 
stripe of poonah painting, on white velvet, In the 
center of each fold. Embroidery may be substi¬ 
tuted, If preferred, for the poonah painting. 
FIG. 106 — nOMH-DRESS. 
The dress Is shown In different materials. Fig. 
1, showing the hack, la ol two shades of brown 
checked material, with woven border which forms 
the trimmings; u is laced at the back. Fig, 2, Is of 
dark-green plaid; flehu of coffee-colored lace. 
-- 
ALLINE AND I AGREE. 
We are all glad to know that Alllne Kay's hus¬ 
band Is “ one of the exceptions who does not need 
to be pulled over the coals." We hope he Is not, In 
the situation of that good man who said he had 
been married twenty years and never given Ida 
wire a cross word yet. The neighbors said, "he 
didn't dare to." 
However the case may lie, we all feel sure Alllue 
dares to speak up for herself it oppressed. Not be¬ 
ing a farmer's wife, and having nearly always had 
help In the kitchen for twenty years 1 cannot bo 
accused of “ speaking In meeting," ou my own ac¬ 
count—when 1 do reiterate what Alllne says about 
the Bln and shame of rarmets wlfres working on 
as they do single-handed, under burdens that 
mlght crush an Btephant. 
1 am convinced that the fault Is In the begin¬ 
ning. Young husbands are very pliable and can 
be made to see that help Is really one of the neces¬ 
sities of the household, the same as Hour and one 
that must be provided for. Let a wife drudge on 
a few years without this help and he will begin to 
think that she always can. 
The fault too often U with the ambitious youDg 
wife; she wants to please Mrs. Grundy, she wants 
to be thought Just as smart as her next neighbor 
and she will show that she Is, whatever the sacri¬ 
fice. Where there is a smart woman in the case 
do not lay all Ihe blame on tUe poor husband. 
Many wives will not have help, except m a case of 
life and death. They will not " pul up " with their 
shiftless ways. It is a trial to any of us, but it Is 
always wise to choose the better of two evils. Be 
sure you start right. Ouvb, 
MARRY A GENTLEMAN. 
“ Marry a gentleman, girls, If you can,” was the 
heading of a little poem which appeared In the 
Rural some weeks ago. I do not remember any¬ 
thing else about It, but I want to add emphati¬ 
cally it you cannot, do not marry at all. 
A gentleman, that is not merely a man above 
the need of work; there are scores of those who 
CORRESPONDENTS’ CORNER. 
In reading Mary Wager Fisher’s communication 
in Rural of Jan. 8th, concerning the use of scraps 
of silk and velvet, I was much interested, as it 
seemed easy and sensible. After collecting and 
smoothing out my stock, I was puzzled to know 
how to begin, and, seeing you answer inquiries, I 
nave written to ask If she would illustrate a black 
FIO. 105. 
are anything but gentlemen; but a man who 
knows how to work, who has self-respect enough 
to keep him from low habits both of speech and 
action; who la courteous and honorable; who Is 
not afraid of soiling his hands; the farmer, the 
blacksmith, the carpenter, any man may be a gen¬ 
tleman under dust and soot and chips, but If he Is 
not, girls, don’t marry him at all' 
There Is enough trouble In life without Increas¬ 
ing it in any way. Do not subject yourself to the 
mortification that would be sure to come with a 
husband who would continually cause you to blush 
for hla lawless actions, for his coarseness and 
roughness, for his slippery dealings or for hla hy¬ 
pocritical polish. Ana you, whose youthful heads 
are full of romantic Ideas, do not let your suscept¬ 
ible hearts bo taken by flashy clothes and an *• air,” 
by a show of wealth or by flowery compliments. 
The true man does not Indulge much In that, kind 
of thing. Wealth la a good thing, but It Is not all; 
one of the many she has made, and truly oblige 
N. Y. A. New Subscriber. 
In Mrs. W. V. A.’s letter mention Is made of 
cat stitch. I would like an Illustration of the stitch 
If convenient. By so doing you will oblige a con¬ 
stant reader and admirer of the " Old Rural.” 
N. Y. Mrs. R. S. 
Will Mrs. W. V. A. accommodate ? r. c. 
--- 
DISCOURAGED. 
Yes, I really feel discouraged, after reading “ Fe¬ 
male Farming Extraordinary,” and It Is enough to 
make any ordinary woman feel so. 
I have been over all those sixty-five acres of corn, 
those acres of millet, wheat, etc., and tried In vain 
to satisfy my mind that it could be legitimately 
done, I have thought about that house, and won¬ 
dered how many beds there were to he made up 
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KID, 106. 
2 . 
poverty Is bad, but it Is not the worst trial we can 
have. 
There la many a woman who apparently deliber¬ 
ates more over a new liat, or the cut of a dress, 
than she does over the character of the man who 
asks her to marry him Do not rush Into It. with¬ 
out due consideration. Make yourself worthy of a 
gentleman, and It you cannot marry one, do not 
marry at all. _ __ , k. b. 
each morning and If the erira-ordlnary female 
did them all. Wondered if sue got the breakfast 
and washed the dishes. Wondered what she 
cookeu tor dinner, and how much washing 
anti Ironing she had each week, wondered If she 
did all the sewing and tr she copied her serials her- 
seir. Wondered—well 1 wondered until my head 
ached and I said—"pshaw 11 can’t believe It. 
Now, “ W, F. Jr.” do let us hear from you tm 
mediately; tell us that you wrote that article for 
a Joke, or that you are a relative of Ell PerklDS 
or Mark Twain, and we’ll forgive you and let It 
pass—for what It appears to he. 
I wish you had stated more explicitly what the 
"dirty work on the farm” consisted of, what the 
little girl did, and how old she Is. 
I can imagine “Edgerton” exclaiming, with 
tragic gesture as he viewed those luxuriant fields 
and saw the flutter of his wife’s skirts as she fol¬ 
lowed the plow or harrow, " Othello’s occupation 
gone!” 
No wonder she 1b a fragile looking creature 
after dolDg all that work It would not he surprls 
lug If she were " gaunt and bony.” 
Allink Ray. 
literati) $Jistct(aniT. 
THE OLD YEAR AND THE NEW. 
The year whoso hours have lately closed 
Both cheer and gloom have brought, 
Xet we are vrivUeg-ed to view. 
With hope, the future fraught. 
Sickness and sufferings, painful hours, 
Our cherished ones have tried, 
Ye t has a sympathetic friend 
Been ever at our side. 
Thus though affliction's bitter pangs 
Our anguished hearts may wring, 
Of God's great mercies in the past 
We gratefully may sing. 
And as the bright New Year begins 
We would devoutly pray 
That God would grant us needed strength 
Sufficient for each day. 
We may not pierce within the veil 
Thy future will to see. 
But we can safely trust our lives, 
Our all, O, God, with Thee. 
Though parted, lonely and perplexed. 
Without a fixed abode; 
Unite ua daily as wo bend 
Before Thy throne, O God. 
So bless, and so support our souls 
Midst coming Joy and woes. 
That we may through the year be Thine 
Until its moments close. 
If joy or sorrow, life or death. 
By God’s decree be given, 
On Christ onr Rock be all our trust 
The Lord of Earth and Heaven. 
ADVENTURES OF AN ANTEDILUVIAN 
In The Land of Promise. 
BY JAMES M'NEILL. 
(Concluded from page 91.) 
I looked fiercely at the fellow, throwing all the 
Are of my diminished soul into my eyes, for I 
thought him the most coolly and genteelly impu¬ 
dent hotel clerk that t had ever met. He returned 
my gaze with a look or Bueh unperturbed and be¬ 
nignant dignity, mingled with so much surprise, 
that my heart quailed before his commanding im¬ 
pudence, and there was nothing left ror me to do 
but to swallow my Indignation and walk away 
like an injured man. As 1 did so my eye caught 
what 1 took to be a vender of cigars In a distant 
corner stowing away his wares for the night. I 
had always round something soothing in a smoke 
before retiring, bo 1 stepped up to the man and 
asked him for a cigar. 
“ Cigar 1” he repeated, " I haven’t It, sir. Who 
Is the editor of it or where Is It published?” 
As 1 saw nothing but papers and magazines on 
the counter, it struck me that I had made the mis¬ 
take of confounding a dealer In news with a dealer 
In cigars, and that the fellow was disposed to 
make a Joke out of my mistake at my expense. I 
felt Indignant, but knowing at what a great dis¬ 
advantage a man In anger Is always placed, I re¬ 
solved to preserve a calm exterior. "And you 
have no tobacco either, 1 suppose,” said I, looking 
fiercely at him. 
" Pardon me, air," said he,;" but I deal exclusive 
ly in papers and magazines." 
" As you have a perfect right to do. If you choose, 
1 suppose," said I, *■ but In my country It Is not 
considered at all disgraceful to sell smoking men 
sils by the side of papers and magazines; and pe¬ 
cuniarily, very advantageous." 
"May r ask, sir," said he, "what you mean by 
smoklDg utensils f” 
Why, pipes, tobacco, and cigars,” I replied. 
" Do you never make use of these articles for 
smoking In this counlry ?” 
" I have never heard of them being used for that 
purpose,” he replied. " Or, yes; come to think, I 
believe llorlstB and agriculturists sometimes make 
use of a substance called tobacco to smoke the lice 
off of plants,” 
I did not know what to make of the fellow; he 
Beemedso thoroughly honest In all he said, and 
was so courteous and gentlemanly in bis manner 
that I could scarcely believe that he wus us delib¬ 
erately insulting la intention as his words seemed 
to Imply. Alter tliltikiog the matter over, and le- 
fleetlng that 1 had not seen a single smoker among 
the people whom 1 had observed, 1 can e to the 
conclusion that tobacco using as a personal habit 
was unknown In this country. But that a person 
connected with a tashlonable hotel should con¬ 
found " cigar " with a paper or magazine stiuck 
me as being exceedingly tunny. 
Without being permuted to enjoy the 6oiace of a 
cigar or a glass of brandy, I retlied to my room. 
This was a good-sized apartment, tasteful and 
ueat in Its appointments, and furnished with 
every convenience that could be desired. I sat 
down by the window which overlooked a princi¬ 
pal street. The light, which was blazing with al 
Its power when l entered the hotel was now re¬ 
duced to a mere glimmer, sufflcleni to light an 
traveler on his way whom necessity might compe 
