230 
APRIL 2 
conflagration, I quietly observed to Mr. Flyter 
“ Are you sure It’s a Are ?” 
He turned about and looked me full In The face 
with a very searching glance for about a minute 
before he replied. “Fire! No.” 
1 1. whs not the A rst time that my sanity appeared 
to me to be called In question since my advent 
among this people, and 1 resolved In future to 
think before t spoke and to be less hasty in jump¬ 
ing at conclusions. 
'Then we came in sight of the park I observed 
that the people were crowding into the three gym¬ 
nasia. which were a feature of every park, and 
it Ihen occurred to me that, the hell which 1 heard 
was rung to summon the inhabitants to their dally 
athletic exercises. Thlspeople had a Grecian love 
for athletic sports, and, as a result of this, a 
strength, vigor and beauty or physique which 
would have made them models even tor that aes¬ 
thetic and physically perfect race. And they 
showed the same method and regularity in taking 
physical exercise as characterized their habits In 
all other particulars In fact, the methodical hab¬ 
its or this people were a source of continual won¬ 
derment to me; and on many occasions I could 
not suppress a smile at the conscientious prompt¬ 
itude with whtch every duty was performed. I had 
known individuals in my own country who divided 
up their 'lme with sharp-cut exactness; who had 
regular duties apportioned to every hour in the 
day. and carefully observed ru'es as to eating, 
sleeping, exercise, etc. and I had been accustomed 
to ridicule t he punctiliousness of these persons in 
thus imposing on themselves rules and habits 
which t thought could not but be Irksome for them 
to follow But here were all the people of 
a great city — and I was told ihat, the same 
wa3 true of other cities In the country—all 
actuated hy the same principles in regard to 
their habits and mode or life, and living up to those 
principles with punctilious exactness. And what 
was the more remarkable in regard to the regu¬ 
larity of their habits was that they were under no 
constraint, in the matter except, the constraint 
which habit Imposes when tt, becomes second na¬ 
ture, and when It is sanctioned by tbe conviction 
of the intellect that it, accords with the truest and 
best interests of the individual. 
?vi he rontivwd. 
■ -- 
BRIC-A-BRAC. 
THE PLACE IIE WANTED. 
A Galveston millionaire was asked recently cy 
a relegation of tils friends 11 he would not con¬ 
sent to allow his name to be ' sed in connection 
wltn the rnltf d states Senatorshlp. He replied 
that he n ver had meddled in politics before, hut 
just now h • had made up his mind to apply for a 
position ther than the Se: atorship. "Ah’ I 
suppose you w nt to get on the Supreme Bench," 
said c*ne of the committee. The heavy property 
owner shook his head and toyed with Ills $5,000 
diamond ring. " Perhaps Garfield is going to 
offer you aplao- m his Cabinet?" "No. You 
havn't. guess d It yet” "Foreign mission?” 
“ Gentle en, I’ll be candid with jou. For years 
I have been trying to get the city authorities to 
have the slop carrel at my back gate emptied once 
a month and have tailed. 1 am determined to 
have that slop bairel emptied, and I have applied 
to the City Connell for the position of driver to a 
scavenger cart.” 
nova’s calendar. 
The Summer comes and the Summer goes; 
Wild flowers are fringing the dusty lanes, 
The swallows go darting through fragrant rains, 
Then, all of a suddeu—it snows. 
Hear Heart, our liyes so happily flow, 
So lightly we heed the flying hours. 
We only know Winter is gone—by the flowers, 
We only know Winter is come—by the snow. 
—T. B. Aldrich. 
AN OLD TABLE. 
“ That is surely the oldest piece of furniture in 
Ergland,” said a collector or antique curiosities 
to a friend, pointing to a venerable-looking table, 
as be spoke. 
“ How old is It ?” asked the friend. 
• • Nearly 400 years.” 
" Fa haw i that Is nothing. I have an Arabic 
table over g.ooo years old.” 
" indeed I” 
" Yes; tne multiplication table. 
The scaly scamp ! to be so sly, 
(If ho didn’t tell a lie,) 
And to neither laugh nor cry 
Is ajmost past belief. 
But to have "squealed" would not have done, 
For then he’d have to cut and run, 
And, too, he would have spoiled their fun. 
And brought himself to grief. 
Modest Muse. 
HIS BREAKFAST ORDER. 
Mr. Setemup came down stairs to a in o’clock 
breakfast with a vacant countenance and a back¬ 
ward tendency in the hair that made his t o eyes 
ache, lie sat, down at the table and picking up a 
knlle and fork, glared In uneasy wonder at some¬ 
thing on the platter before him. it had evidently 
been fried In butter, and was evidently Intended 
for food. Mr. .Setemup narpooned It with his fork 
and lilted it up bodily, gazing at it with ever in¬ 
creasing wonder. , 
“ What under the sun,” Le exclaimed at last, 
“is this thing?” 
" Well," replied his patient wife, with just a 
shadow of a sigh, “ it looks like your new soil felt 
hat, and that is a hat I thought, it was, but you 
pulled it out of your pocket when you came home 
this morning ana said it was a porter-nouae steak, 
and you wanted tt broiled for breakfast. You 
needn l give me any of it; I’m not hungry." 
And Mr. Setemup, who was just wll, to know 
what else he said wnen he came home and what 
tl me It was, for the life of him didn't dare to ask. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
$or Sfflamra. 
CONDUCTEB BY MISS RAY CLARK. 
THE FLOWER GIRL. 
Lilies ! lilies, of the vale ! 
Buy iny flowers, they’re all for sale, 
Sure such beauties ne’er were seen, 
Hiding 'neatb their mantles green ; 
Gentle lady, would you know 
Where my drooping treasures grow ? 
In a sheltered shady nook 
Close beside a running brook, 
Where the birds unceasing sing, 
FlowerBiu rich abundance spring. 
Violet and snowdrop sweet 
Bloom unheeded round my feet; 
For, in vain, they would compare 
With my lilie», pure Bud fair. 
By their precious fragrance led 
Soon I reach a mossy bed ,- 
Where, secure from every eye, 
lilies spring and flower and die. 
Housed from sleep, I bring them you, 
Fresh and wet with morning dew; 
See them now, so sweet and pale. 
Buy my lilies of the vale. 
SILK CULTURE IN AMERICA. 
For Women, Girls and Children to Head, who 
wish to Make “ A Litlle Money.” 
MAltY WAGER-FISHER. 
It is rather more than two hundred years ago 
that the culture ot silk was begun in this country, 
in the Colony of Virginia 
James I, who bated tobacco, believed that Hie 
cultivation of the silkworm would succeed in the 
genial climate of Virginia, and If so, Jt would su¬ 
persede the raising of tobacco. Although great 
effort was made ro encourage the cultivation or 
silk by the British Government, the result was a 
failure. Tobacco was more profitable. Enough 
raw all k had been raised in the colonies, however, 
to make the coronauon robe of Charles II. 
The effort was again made In Georgia, and irom 
1760 to 1774 the annual export or reeled silk (a 
reeling establishment had been opened at Savan¬ 
nah) amounted to, from five hundred to a thou¬ 
sand pounds But as cotton became vastly more 
profitable, the culture Of silk in Georgia was aban¬ 
doned Jn i7iio silk culture was begun in Connect¬ 
icut and continued for eighty or more years. 
About half a century ago. a general revival in be¬ 
half of silk culture, extended over all the Eastern 
and Western states, and a great rage lor the 
Morus multlcaulls, (many-branched mulberry) 
sprang up. so much so that as high as live hun¬ 
dred dollare a buudred were paid for cuttings. But 
the enthusiasm prtjved to be a bubble, which 
burst a 6hort lime before is39, since which time 
there has been less silk raised in the entue coun¬ 
try. than there was in Georgia 120 years ago. 
The success of every valuable Industry has its 
period of probation, aud thBre heorns to be no rea¬ 
son now, why the culture of slik in this country 
cannot be made a very profitable employment. 
Heretofore, there has been no home market for 
the cocoons and no macalnery for reeling the 
silk; now the immense sill: mill of the Cheney 
Brothers at south Manchester, and the seventy - 
seven silk factories in Fatterson beside HO ot..ers 
In various places furnishes a market for all the 
slik that can be raised in America for some years 
at the least. American silk has reached such a 
degree oi texture and beauty, that increasing 
orders come ior it even trom France, the land ol 
the silk worm and of silk manufacture. 
In the neighborhood of PhUadelpnia there has 
recently been considerable experimenting by var¬ 
ious lnieUigent persons, In slik culture, in order to 
test the feasibility ol cultivating the silkworm 
and the results have been so successful and cn 
ihely replete wltn encouragement, that various 
phUanthropic women have formed au association, 
known as me " Women’s silk Culture Association 
of the Untied Slates. Perhaps 1 should add that 
this society Is not the outgrowth of experiments 
In Penns} rvanla alone but also st a belief in the 
theory lu many otner places. 
However, people always have most faith in that 
with which they are personally acquainted. Per¬ 
sons who have attended tue Pennsylvania State 
Fairs, tor me past lwo years, know something of 
the work being done by this association from its 
exhibit la me Exhibition Building. 
as $i'i,uou,ouO yearly go from American manu¬ 
facturers to foreign countries for raw silk, it cer¬ 
tainly was both a philau throplc and patriotic idea 
to endeavor to keep as much of that goodly sum 
as posslole at home to enrich the pockets of thou¬ 
sands of our own countrywomen; thrifty, ambi¬ 
tious women and girls in rural districts, who rack 
their brains lor borne way In vvhicn they may earn 
a " little money oy Interesting and engaging 
them in tue cuitureof silk, it is a work for wniuh 
women are entirely fitted, and al n o lias the advan¬ 
tage over many occupations of being carried on at 
home It Is capital for calldren, too, who become 
intensely interested in the curious aud wonderful 
cocoon makers. 
Tne practical features or the Association consist 
of a senool In w'hlon persons are taught to care tor 
the silk worms througu all their stages of develop, 
meat and to reel the cocoons-for American arti¬ 
sans are now endeavoring in make the best possi¬ 
ble apparatus tor reeling silk, so that fliaturo of it 
may form part or the silk cuitunst’s Winter work 
—to lurnish silk worm eggs and trees and cuttings 
of the most approved sore of mulberry trees ror 
the worms to feed upon; and a small book, or 
broenure, which gives full information aa to what 
and how to do In order to successfully cultivate 
silk. This little book coats one dollar, hut several 
persons in a neighborhood, moved to undertake 
silk culture, can cIud together and procure the 
book at very much reduced rates ; the eggs cost 
one dollar a tuousahd, fo per ounce. Ordinary 
mulberry cuttings (it is the beat way to propagate 
from cuttings) cost $1.50 per hundred. 
Now for some figures concerning the profits of 
silk culture. Raw silk commands from $4 to $8 
per pound, according to quality; cocoons and floss 
silk from ft to Ji.oo per pound. Two hundred 
mulberry trees will grow on two acres of land, 
which would yield about 30,000 pounds otleaves. 
About lo pounds of leaves make a pound ot fresh 
cocoons, which would yield about, 1,705 pounds of 
fresh cocoons. These, when stifled (dried) would 
weigh about ass pounds aud the dry cocoons at $2 
per pound would amount to $1,176 A fair estimate 
for expense would not exceed $ioo. leavtDg a bal¬ 
ance of fun 0 . on two acres of land and lo one 
month's or six weeks’ time. Where two crops are 
raised in the summer, as may be (lone, of course 
the profit Is proportionally greater. 
Another feature ot the association—and a very 
Important one-Is that It will buy all the oocoons 
raised by women, however small the quantity. 
This the silk mills will uot do, fcutthe mills will 
*ake from the Association the raw silk If it. can 
lumlsh It to them In Large quantities. Of course 
latge factories can only buy at wholesale. The 
Association also supplies silk worms at tbe proper 
season, at ft per hundred. Perhaps I should say 
that this Is purely a philanthrope society, chiefly 
supported by parsons who arc sufficiently Inter¬ 
ested In this subj ?ct to be wtillug to put their 
hands In their pockets and draw out the necessary 
funds tor Its support; especially to benefit their 
countrywomen. It anybody who reads this wish¬ 
es to make a donation to this worthy cause, or to 
solicit more specific information than I have 
given-and there Is a great deal more to be had— 
address the Women’s silk Culture Association, 
1,328 Chestnut street. Philadelphia. Don’t forget 
to enclose a postage stamp, for any reply that you 
may desire. 
That silk culture In this country cau at this t ime 
be made profit’ble by country people, is. I think, 
unquestioned by persons who know anything 
about It. But, like all new industries, It should be 
begun by the uninitiated In a small way at first, 
and gradually Improved upon as one obtains ex¬ 
perience and success t have no doubt but that if 
a large number of Rural readers express a desire 
for more Information In regard to silk culture, 
with a view to undertaking It, that the edUor of 
this Journal, with hts usual generosity, will make 
room for it and give Irom time to time hints and 
suggestions that will prove helplul to the young 
silk culturtsts. Perhaps ere long there will be need 
of a "silk culture department.” When we pro¬ 
duce our own silk, and tea, and sugar, wnat airs 
we can take on ! 
DECORATIVE ART NOTES. 
M. G H. 
It Is a significant sign of the progress of the ar¬ 
tistic spirit In this country that so many of our 
most prominent artists are engaged In household 
decoration. 
This Is walking in tbe footsteps of the old Vene¬ 
tian and Florentine masters who brought the best 
ot their art to serve domestic ends, and have left a 
legacy which we think It no burden to cross the 
water to obtain. 
In almost all bouses are antiquated mirrors 
whose frames, either tarnished or scaled have 
made them unsightly or useless. The glasses un¬ 
less broken are usually very true and worth pre¬ 
serving. A new fashion comes happily to their 
aid. Have plain wooden frame® made tor them, at 
least three Inches wide, and then decorate them. 
A beautltur mirror of beveled glass has one of 
these frames stained with oil paints hi varying 
shades of brown; across the top and drooping on 
one side Is a branch ot snow balls whose round¬ 
ness and perspective la finely shown. Another 
has a naked branch on which is perched a flock of 
snow birds; on the opposite cornersprlug branches 
of golden rod. A third Is covered with crimson 
plush. Across one corner passes a band of gold 
satlnwltba motto, holding a buuch of peacocks’ 
feather's falling over the glass. At the bottom, 
painted on tbe plush, are up-sprlnglrg daffodils, 
whose brilliant yellow petals are of natural size. 
The most artistic and effective fabrics are now 
produced by ladies at their own homes by pur¬ 
chasing the comrnou brocaded goods, and follow¬ 
ing the patterns with crewels lu .South Kensing¬ 
ton alltohts. Tbe selection ol the colors requires 
some judgment, but any one at all familiar wltn 
the harmonies and tones uow demanded In all 
good work will have no dilliculiy. 'These goods so 
embroidered are used in upholstery for fancy 
enairs and also for table covers. Cheap laces of 
good designs are treated lu tbe same way and 
combine etL.ottvely with the stuff's. 
industrious ladies have their recompense In 
some pretty articles for feminine adornment whlon 
It Is not given for the idle Lo appropriate. The 
most artistic of these are long scarfs of silk supped 
through an ivory ring, which are to be worn over 
tne arm. and which conceal a work bag in their 
folds, such a one of dark blue-green silk Is made 
double, with fringed ends on wblcn are emorolder- 
ed delicate flowers In blue with tlrelr foliage, a 
silt reveals tbe pink inner lining and opens the 
way to the pocket, others are of pongee lined 
with color, and decorated lrr outline stitch wlih 
quaint figures from Mother Hubbard, Edward 
Lear, and Kate Greenaway designs. 
For home use, use pongee silk aprons. These 
are turned up at the bottom terming the pockets 
and embroidered with delicate sprays in stem 
stitch, and with such old-fashioned flowers as the 
French pink, known in art as corn flowers, wild 
roses and daisies. Another was very appropriate¬ 
ly ornamented with the clearly defined words In 
olive greens. " How doth the little Busy Bee,” 
with here and there outlined an Illustrative busy 
bee. 
one of tne most beautiful examples recently 
seen or painting on satin was a long hanging 
screen of old gold satin bordered with olive green 
plush, on which was painted au owl with wisdom 
In his wide, staring eyes, bla leathers properly 
ruffled, and seated on a branch of mountain ash. 
with Its leaves and bright crimson berries. It was 
beautifully done and very effective. 
RUGS. 
I presume that most of the Rural ladles have 
seen, and probably many possess, an old fashioned, 
blue and white coverlet: In many homes they are 
preserved as relics, because," " my mother,” or* 
"my grandmother wove it,” bur In others they 
have served faithfully lor years as a bed-covering, 
until time and usege have brought them to such 
a state that they have been Ignomlnuously ban¬ 
ished to the garret or store room, or, worse yet, 
to the barn to be used for a horse-blanket; to 
cover a ragged cushion, or ror some other useful 
purpose. 
Beautiful rugs can be made of these “ cast¬ 
aways.” Those that have blue and red grounds, 
do not make pretty rugs, but those with a blue 
ground and a white pattern, or brown and white 
ones, are ‘‘Just the thing ” 
Not long since, as 1 was driving through the 
city, a country wagon passed by, loaded with cab¬ 
bage, over w hich, as a protection from the cold, 
was thrown one ot those blue coverlets pretty 
much worn about the edges, but with enough 
that was good In the center, to make a couple ot 
rugs The pattern was beautiful, and a vision ot 
tbe pretty things ! could make out of it, rose be¬ 
fore my mental eye sight, i could scarcely refrain 
from shouting afeer the driver to try to Induce the 
owner to part with It. 
To return to the subject; having cut your cov- 
lec the size you wish to make your rug, allowing 
for the edge to be turned under, the next thing re¬ 
quired Is a medium sized worsted needle and sev¬ 
eral halt-bunches ol Germantown wool, Taste 
must be used In the selection and arrangements of 
colors. T hree or four colors, are enough, although 
a “ medley.” In which all colors have been worked, 
makes a nice effect Work on the darkest side of 
the cloth and follow the white pattern, using any 
or many si Itches, only keeping a fixed Idea 
throughout the whole. Cross-stitch straight 
lines, dashes fans etc, an libitum can be used. 
sometimes there is very utt le or the white pat¬ 
tern and a great deal of the blue ground ; lu that 
case, " make up” a pattern and work It with the 
brightest colors on the blue, it is very iasclnal- 
lng employment and well repays one for the labor, 
when it Is completed. 
For the border, a cheap woolen fringe, new or 
old. Is pretty but I used strips of cloth cut trom a 
pair of old pantaloons. A strip of black about 
two Inches wide next to the rug, then a strip of 
gray, and lastly another black strip, about four 
inches wide. The outer edge of each strip was 
overcast—button-hole stnoh-tire stitches being 
quite far apart. The edge of the rug was basted 
under aud overcast on to the first mack strip, and 
that strip lapped over the gray and ihe gray in 
turn over the black Then on each strip of cloth 
I worked some lantaalic patterns—dashes, trian¬ 
gles. fans etc, then lined the rug parr, with a 
piece of old carpet. This must always be done, 
though something beslae carpet may be used: the 
rug should be pressed on the wror g side before It 
it Is lined. TUls same work makes lovely chair 
covers, stool covers, etc. w ks. \V. v. a. 
- « ♦ » - 
FASHIONS. 
Embroidery and hemstitching in the highest 
styles ot decorative art are now applied to table 
linen. 
Plush will be used upon spring-costumes ot 
cheviot, clotu and cashmere. 
Uncut velvet in changeable colors will be used 
this season as a dress trimming. 
Large fans are again In vogue ; the handsomest 
are decorated with hand-pslntlngs of rases, &c. 
The old-fashioned flowing sleeves or lace are 
again popular. The wide dlreoioire collars are 
worn with them. 
Dove-colored silk stockings en broldered In 
colors to match the toilet are ti*e very Latest nov¬ 
elties In French hoblery. 
The Spanish fasnlon ot wearing black kid 
gloves with full evening dross stiff continues. 
The. most dressy of these have lace Insertions 
on the long arms. 
CfiealLle flowers and foliage are very fashiona¬ 
ble ; they are used for coiffures and the trimming 
of bonnets, and tye especially pretty and effective 
when twisted among the braids and colls of the 
hair. 
Tamboured muslins are once more revived, and 
ladles are decorating plain mult and batl.ite with 
Insects, flowers, etc. 
Some of the new Spring bonnets are studded 
with mock Jewels, and some ot the fancy braids 
are dotted with tiny straw outtons and crystal 
Leads. Tbe bright yellow straws have the pre¬ 
cedence of the pure white, although the white 
chips are unusually delicate and beautiful, and 
are exceedingly graceful in shape. The Belgian 
spilt satin braids and tne Florence and Tuscan 
straws are equally attractive aud new in design. 
Among Imported dresses are those that fasten 
In the back wllh hooks aud loops. 
A favorite trimming on new spring dresses con¬ 
sists ot real Spanish lace and jet trimmings. 
Ialtlat letters from ancient manuscripts are 
used to mark table linen. 
Very wide shaded ribbon Is employed In mil¬ 
linery aud shaded feathers are In great demand. 
There are bonnets of all shapes and sizes among 
the new importations; pokes of moderate dimen¬ 
sions are favorites-so are cup bonnets. 
Novelties In dress fabrics u^e the variegated and 
shaded stripes In silk and wool; also striped su¬ 
rahs and satins. These goods are made up in com¬ 
bination with plain material In one of the prevail¬ 
ing colors of the st ripes, 
Miss Clara Goodyear won the second prlz e 
offered by the Society of Decorative Art ror a 
needle-work design for a three-fold screen. 
-- 
The vigor of youth given to the aged and Infirm 
by using Hop Bitters. Try It. 
