f or iljt Poiing. 
WHAT SHALL IT BE ? 
RAY CLARK. 
Some time since Uncle Mark succeeded in 
obtaining: my consent to write something for 
his numerous relatives. 
I had not the remotest idea of how to fulfill 
my promise creditably, but feeling a little 
compassion for him in view of his great charge 
—his army of cousins—I felt that my mite 
should not lie withheld. 
I have said a little compassion, for I happen 
to know Uncle Mark’s wife and am anxious to 
keep in her good graces ; besides be once ac¬ 
cused me of indulging in a curtain lecture ; for 
this I have scarcely forgiven him, as my re¬ 
primand was merited. 
“ Then came the tug of war.” What shall it 
be ? This thought at last photographed itself 
upon paper and relieved me of further necessity 
for waste of brain material in selecting a sub¬ 
ject. 
This title is suggestive, and may be applied 
just now to writer and reader. What shall I 
write ? What can you do ? 
Children—most of Uncle Mark’s nieces and 
nephews I guess are registered in this class of 
the Census Report—I wonder if you often or 
ever think what you can do to make your life 
of use. Do you ever say, “ O, I'm too small, 
what can I dof If you have ever allowed 
yourself to think you can do nothing drive 
such notions away and decide to try to make 
yourself felt in the world; your world you 
know is just where you may happen to be. 
You need not travel, commence whore you 
are. You may eventually need or wish to 
change your field of labor. Do not wait, how¬ 
ever, hot commence at once. 
Now understand me, don’t say, “ She’s some 
staid old maid who wants to make Jack a dull 
boy by giving him all work and no play,’> 
You’ll not be generous if you do. As to fche 
old maid I’ve nothing to say, but do not accuse 
me of wishing to make you old before you 
have been young—no, take all the enjoyment 
you can in life, at the same time remember 
that if God spares you a life work is before 
you. Boys and girls will be men and women, 
and what is needed in the laud is good and use¬ 
ful inhabitants. 
In Cincinnati two boys by tbei r energy rais¬ 
ed $15 for the Garfield fund, the amount, 
though small, was as much in proportion as 
many of the hundreds of dollars that have 
been given. Two Summers ago throe little 
girls visited the “ Five Points House of Indus¬ 
try ” iu this city, Now York. First of all they 
attended the service in the chapel, then visited 
the dining room and saw how the little boys 
and girls partook of meals, then they were 
shown the sleeping and play rooms, etc. It 
was a pleasing sight and gave them much hap¬ 
piness to feel that the needy children had been 
provided for. 
On reaching home the visit was discussed, 
and as they talked the idea dawned upon them 
that they might also give a little aid to this 
charity, so other companions were advised of 
their intention, and soon six or more little 
girls were seen working with a will, making 
articles for a fair, the proceeds to be given to 
the home before mentioned. Older beads con¬ 
jectured failure but were agreeably disap¬ 
pointed. The 11 Busy Bees ” so named, worked 
on, and at last held their fair and realized over 
$40. How proud they felt when the day came 
for presenting the gift! and how much better 
had their time been spent than if all had been 
passed in play. Happiness made the labor 
light. 
What these little folks did you can all do. 
Let the spirit be the same although the work 
ma y be different. 
I have given the girls more space in my ex¬ 
amples of usefulness ; I hope the boys will not 
be offended; if they are they will have to 
“ grin and bear it.,” as they always have plen¬ 
ty of opportunities to prevail. It is to be 
hoped that all the cousins possess magnanimity. 
Let your mind and body receive equal consid¬ 
eration, do not despise manual labor, hut let 
it be governed by the intellect. 
The waste basket has come into my mind— 
suppose Uncle Mark should say, “ Too long, I 
meant a short article,” what a disappointment 
it would be after so great an exertion, so I 
will finish by asking you to think, what shall 
it be ? 
-»4 ♦ 
New Members of the Club for Week 
Ending Sept. 24, 
Mertie Talbott, Union City, Mich. Roy A. 
Taylor, Eddy R. Taylor, Grace C. Taylor, 
Rusbford, N. Y. Mary T. Gwinnett©. White 
River, W. T. Nellie McIntyre, Millbrook, 
Mich. Jennie McGregor, St. Albans, Vt. Willie 
P. Abrams, Glastonbury, Conn. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
PteceUaneottsi. 
Dear Uncle Mark and Cousins:—I t is 
such a beautiful morning I thought I could 
spend it best in writing to you, i. e., if you 
will excuse all the mistakes I make, which I 
am afraid will be a good many, as this is my 
first attempt at writing for the Rural. My 
home used to be in the country, but my father 
moved into the city of Erie last Spring. I am 
now visiting at my grandpa’s in the country, 
and am having just a splendid time playing 
croquet, picking berries, hunting eggs and 
feeding chickens. 1 went to the woods yester¬ 
day and gathered ever so many wintergreeus 
and had such a nice time rambling about. 
Grandpa has been buying a pony for Aunt 
Emma, and she has named it Draxy. Isn’t it 
a funny name ? I have the promise of a ride 
as soon as it is trained for riding. 1 must tell 
you before I close how many brothers and sis¬ 
ters I have. I Imve one brother three years 
old, and three sisters, one fourteen, one eight 
and one six. I am ten years old. I must now- 
say good-bye, hoping Uncle Mark will not 
think this too poorly written to print. 
Your cousin, Alice J. Lewis. 
West Mill Creek, Pa. 
De*r Uncle Mark: —Papa wrote to The 
Rural New-Yorker, to ask how I could be¬ 
come a member of the Horticultural club, and 
I find the question answered in a late issue, so 
I have hastened to send you my name and ad¬ 
dress that I may be enrolled as a member. I 
am fifteen years old. I love flowers, but un¬ 
til lately have not been able to cultivate them, 
having lived in London, England till about a 
year ago. Loudon is such a large city and so 
full of houses that there is no room for gard¬ 
ens, except public gardeus, but now I am in 
America and papa has a garden and a small 
greenhouse, he has given me a little patch of 
ground for my own use to cultivate as I please. 
I am, also learning the botanical names of the 
plants in the garden. Of course I do not 
know much about horticulture at present but 
I hope by reading the Rural to learn more. 
Your niece, Nellie F. Collis. 
[We are very glad to welcome Nellie to our 
Club, especially since she is so desirous to 
learn all about flowers. Anything that we 
can do to assist her, will be done most willing¬ 
ly. She has carried out my wishes, I see, in 
regard to the little garden plot mentioned in 
a late Rural, u. m.] 
Dear Uncle Mark:—I am a little girl ten 
years old and have never been to school. My 
mamma has taught me at home. My papa 
takes the Rural, which we all like very much. 
I love to read the letters from the cousins, and 
have wanted to join the Club for a long time, 
but have waited until I could write myself. 
This is my first letter; I hope it will be ac¬ 
cepted. The seeds you sent came up well and 
were doing nicely when the dry weather sot 
in. The pinks looked nicely when an old 
rooster and two of his wives went in and 
scratched them nearly all up. What they 
left, all except two, have died. They are 
blooming and are very pretty. I have one 
little brother (Johnnie). We are going to have 
a garden next year and we would like to have 
you put our names on your list, 
Katie and Johnnie Mobley. 
Elkton, Todd Co., Ky. 
Uncle Mark: —We see by a late Rural 
that any farmer’s boys or girls can join the 
Horticultural Club, so my sister and I would 
like to become members of it. We enjoy read¬ 
ing the cousins’ letters. We just came from 
the East to the northern wilds of Wisconsin. 
We live near two boautiful lakes full of nice 
fish. There are a great many deer running in 
the woods, and some bears in the swamps, eat¬ 
ing up the blueberries. We found this Spring 
thousands of wild flowers, a good many we 
never saw before; we find beautiful flowers 
and Princess Pine. We are growing the cran¬ 
berry vine and pitcher plant as pot plants 
From our yard we can see hundreds of fra¬ 
grant white water lilies, and we row around 
in our boat so as to enjoy them. 
Your nieces, Kate and Fannie Metzgar. 
Butternut, Wis. 
-*-*--♦- 
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