THE BUBAL WEW-¥©BK£B. 
223 
The writer takes his busy thoughts. 
And weaves them into rhyme, 
He says, “ I’m Burn this poem 
Ts something unite sublime 
Then he watts with brcuthlotw waiting 
For the laurel wreath of fame 
That with its deathless circle 
Shall entwine a poet's name. 
Hut alas! the post returning, 
brings to him, underlined, 
That short and pithy sentence, 
“BespectfiiLlj declined.” 
Or into some wild romance 
He wonders weaves untold, 
Of hair-breadth ’scapes, and miracles. 
That make IiJb blood run cold, 
After days of expectation 
And the nights In visions passed, 
(>f a glorious immortality 
That shall come to him nt last. 
He sees his rustles in the air, 
With feelings undeflnod, 
Fade before that pithy sentence, 
“ llcsiiectfully declined.” 
So nuthors, and inventors, 
The wlclders of the pen, 
From every way and walk of life, 
And all Hie paths of men, 
Before the power of the presB 
Bow low* os to a king. 
And to the votive altar 
Will still their offerings bring, 
Where few gain fame and fortune, 
hut more their ilut And 
Iu that short and pithy sentence, 
" Respectfully declined.” 
But ye who in fruition 
Have, found your holies all vain, 
And In bitter disappointment 
Have tasted dregs of pain. 
In the last great Journey upward, 
As ye climb the golden stair, 
To deliver tip the record 
Of your earthly Uvea, beware ! 
Rest, the deeds of life there written 
Will iu the end be signed. 
By that short and pithy sentence, 
“Respectfully declined.” 
[Elizabeth J. Hereford. 
-OM- 
A THRILLING SCENE. 
A Tin? i Ltd NO scene occurred at, Flshklll- Landing 
depot, recently. The upward-bound paasonger- 
traln due at Poughkeepsie at to A. M. had Just ar¬ 
rived at the station, and forty or llfty passengers 
had started to get off, when the St. Louis express, 
bound south, and which docs not Stop at Flshklll 
Landing, curno thundering around the curve, just 
north of the station. No alarm of the approach 
of the train had been given. It tvas behind time, 
and running at the rate of forty miles an hour. 
Its track In front of the station was filled with 
men and women. The men who saw the train 
coming ran shouting in every direction; w’Omen 
screamed and cried for help; and bystanders 
turned t heir heads, fearing to see, at least, a dozen 
persons e.ut to pieces. One or two women grasped 
the Iron railing attached to the platforms of 
the up-traln, and fainted, as the men crowded 
thorn as close to the train as tncy could, one 
lady, Airs. Frank Brown, of Newburgh, was cross¬ 
ing the track to get oil the up-tralr., but w hen she 
reached the center of the down-track the express 
was close upon her. With great presence of mind, 
she turned and run bock as the train thundered 
by, the pilot of the engine just missing nor dress. 
Men on the west .-.kloof the swiftly-speeding train 
were thrilled with horror, ns they expected that 
the people who were dinging to the railing of the 
upward-bound train had been drawn by the 
frightful suction under the wheels of t,he passing 
express. Luckily, however, no one was hurt. It 
was a terrible scene, and by those who so miracu¬ 
lously escaped, will bo remembered till they die. 
-- 
ROYAL HERCULES. 
The young Russian Czarevitch la a perrect Her- J 
cules, resembling greatly In build and stature his 
magnificent, grandfather, the great C/.nr Nlchalas, 
though with less haadsome features, hts counte¬ 
nance being thoroughly Calmuek In type. Ills 
strength, says the correspondent, of the Philadel¬ 
phia Telegraph, Is something prodigious, and of 
its display, and of the great control that he exer¬ 
cises over Ills naturally violent temper, a curious 
anecdote Li told. 
On one occasion he discovered that his private 
correspondence hail been tampered with when 
passing through the post-office. He went at once 
to the Emperor, laid the case before him, and beg¬ 
ged to know It It was by his orders that the letters 
had been opened; for In that case, as a dutiful son 
and subject, he would say nothing more; but un¬ 
less such orders had been given, he would demand 
redress. The Czar sent at once for the really 
guilty party—the Chief of Police—severely repri¬ 
manded him In the prince's presence* and then 
bade him sternly begone and sin no more. Terrt- 
fled and trembling, the abashed official was about 
to make a hurried exit, when the Czarevitch, who 
haa been a quiet and, to all appearance, a per¬ 
fectly unmoved spectator of t he Interview, merely 
twirling some little object between hts Ungers as 
the colloquy proceeded, came forward and stop¬ 
ped him. Without a word the prince placed the 
thing wherewith he had been toying. In the offi¬ 
cial's hand. It was a silver rouble, twisted round 
and round in corkscrew fashion, as ordinary hands 
might, twist a scrap of paper. With this startling 
proof of the concentrated wrath of the heir to the 
throne, the luckless functionary was suffered to 
depart. 
-*-*-►- 
TWO GOOD ST0RIE8 OF ROYALTY. 
A friend of mine who has facilities for know- 
lng what passes In court circles, tells mo that the 
princess Louise (Marchioness of Lome) Is a Unn 
believer In spiritualism, and that, during tlie time 
when the newspapers were lull of most sneering 
references to Slade. Her Highness summoned him 
to her side, had numerous seances with him, and 
treated him with all manner of consideration. 
Apropos of Louise, the gossips have not yet done 
talking of the curious fact that on the opening of 
Parliament the Princesses Louise and Beatrice 
both drove to Westmluster in the royal coach 
with, the (Jueen; but or all the lords, knights and 
gentlemen who took part In tho pageant, there 
was no place, It seemed, which the Marquis of 
Lome might fitly occupy. Tho anomalous posi¬ 
tion which he occupies as husband of the Queen’s 
daughter, but not the equal of bis wife, must be 
galling to the proud young Scotch nobleman. 
Yet the Queen’s own marriage was In many 
points similar. Long years ago—but tills Is 
A BIT OK EXCLUSIVE REMINISCENCE 
known to only a few. The Queen, In the early 
days of her wedded life, had one of those squab¬ 
bles with her husband, of the sort which will come 
about sometimes even between the most loving 
married couples. Chagrined and vexed, the Prince 
I retired to Ids room and locked the door. The 
Queen took the matter quietly for a while, but 
after the lapse of an hour she went to hlsdoor and 
rapped. 
“ Albert," she Raid, " conic out.” 
“No, I will not,"answered the Prince, within. 
“Come, go away; leave me alone.” 
The royal temper waxed hot at this. " sir,” she 
cried, “coma out atonco. The Queen, whose sub¬ 
ject you arc, commands you." 
He obeyed immediately. Entering the room she 
designated, ho sat down In silence. For along 
t ime nothing was said. The Queen was tho first 
to break the silence. 
“ Albert,” she said, “speak to me.” 
“ Does tho Queen command It?” he asked. 
“ No," slid answered, throwing her arms about 
his neck, “your wife begs it.” 
Curtain. 
-+.».+-- 
TELL YOUR WIFE, 
Ik you are In any trouble or quandaiy, tell .your 
wife—that, Is, If you havo one—all about It at 
once. Ten bo one her Invention will solve your 
difficulties sooner than all your logic. The wliof 
woman has been praised, but her instincts aro 
quicker and keener than her reason. Counsel 
with your wife, or your mother, or sister, and be 
assured light will (lash upon your darkness. Wo¬ 
men aro too commonly adjudged verdant In all 
but purely womanly affairs. No philosophical 
students of the sex thus Judge them. Their In¬ 
tuitions, or Insights, are the most subtle, und II 
they cannot see a cat In the meal, there is no cat 
the; e. I advise a man to keep none of his affairs 
a secret from his wife. Many a homo has been 
happily saved, and many a fortune retrieved, by 
a man’s full confidence In his wife. Woman Is 
tar more a seer and a prophet than man, If she be 
given a fair chance. As a general rule, wives con¬ 
fide the minutest of their plans and thoughts to 
their husbands. Why not reciprocate, It but for 
the pleasure of meeting confidence with confi¬ 
dence? I am certain no man succeeds so well in 
tho world as he who, taking a partner for life, 
makes her a partner of his purposes and hopes. 
What, is wrong of Ids ImpuLse or Judgment, she 
will cheek and set, right with her almost univer¬ 
sally right instincts. And what she most craves 
and most deserves Is confidence, without which 
love is never free from a shadow/ 
RETAIL AND DETAIL. 
Re-tail Is essentially and above all things de¬ 
tail, and the man who prosecutes It successfully 
must excel In detail and have a love ol It. But 
there Is no surer consequence of this t han a loss 
of capacity for putting work on other people's 
shoulders, or for conllnlng one’s-selt to the task 
of general and more or less remote supervision, 
which ts the essential condition of all undertak¬ 
ings that aretO have a permanent value. The 
passion for seeing to everything ones-self, Is a 
good thing to b' gin life with, but the man who 
retains it. Into his old age, ts more likely to die a 
shopkeeper than a statesman or philanthropist, 
and Is not likely ever to find the leisure or the 
frame of mind for any contributions lo art or 
charity which ho has no hope of personally man¬ 
aging, and the working-out. of which must be left 
to agencies which he cannot either select or con¬ 
trol.—-V« lion, 
—-♦♦♦- 
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE ALLEGORY. 
A hummixo-bikd met a butterfly, and being 
pleased with, the beauty of its person and the 
glory of Its wings, made an offer of perpetual 
friendship. 
“ I cannot think of It." was the reply, “ as you 
at one time spurned me and called me a drawling 
dold.” 
“Impossible!” exclaimed the humming bird. 
“1 always entertained the highest respect for 
such beautiful creatures as you.” 
“Perhapsyou do now,” said the other, “but 
when you Insulted me, I was a caterpillar. So 
let me give you a piece of advice: never Insult 
the humble, as they may some day become your 
superiors.” 
^failing for tljc foung, 
MAN AND THE WEATHER. 
Man’s a fool! 
When it’s hot he wants it cool: 
When it’s cold ho wants it hot— 
No’er contented with his lot. 
When it’s dry. 
He for showers is heard to sigh ! ( 
When—to meet hi* wish—it rains, 
Of the wet the fool complains. 
Hot or cold, dry or wet, 
Nothing suits that he can get; 
I consider, as a rule, 
Alan’s a fool. 
- * * * - 
HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN. 
We want a few private words with the boys. 
The truth Is wo havo a great Idea of boys. We 
used to think that men were made of boys. We 
begin to think how that those were old-fashioned 
notions, that they are all out of date. We look 
around and see a great many persons grow up, 
with men’s clothes on. who arc called men. But 
they act, and behave so that we feel certain t hat, 
they'were never made out of hoys. If they had 
been, they would know how to behave better. 
Where they came from we do not know. But 
what, we wish to put, Into tho rars of tho boys Is 
this—be gentlemen. In this country, every boy 
may grow up t o be a gentleman If ho will. It Is 
not necessary that ho should become rich—and 
most boys think It, Is—nor ts It necessary that ho 
should become a great scholar, nor that he should 
become a distinguished man. 
Tint some Impatient ones aro asking, How can 
wo become gentlemen? How can a boy go about 
making himself one ? Can he work for 11 ? Yes, 
lie can. And the harder he works In tho right- 
way, the belter. Can lie study fur It? Yes, he 
can. But ho must, study with Ids eyes and his 
ears. Reading books and newspapers Is not 
enough, lie must think and feel as well as speak 
and act. Can he buy It ? No, he cannot. Money 
will buy a great many things, but, It will not buy 
whar, makes a gentleman. If you have money, you 
can go to a shop and buy clothes. But hats, coat, 
pants, and boots io not make a gentleman. They 
make a fop. and sometimes they eurao near mak¬ 
ing a fool. Money will buy dogs anti horses, but 
how many dogs aud horses do you think It will 
tako to make a gentleman? Let no boy, there¬ 
fore, think ho Is to he made a gentleman by the 
clothes he wears, the horse he rides, tho stick he 
carries, tho dog that trots after him, the house lie 
liveslu or the money lie spends. Not one or all 
of these things do It— and yet every boy may be a 
gentleman. He may wear an Old hat, cheap 
Clothes, have UO horses, live In n. poor house, and 
spend but. little utooey, and still bo a gentleman, 
hut how? fly being true, manly arid honorable. 
By keeping himself neat and respectable. By 
being civil and courteous. By respecllng others. 
By doing the best lie knows how. And llnally, 
and above all by fearing God and keeping Ills 
commandments. 
-- 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
Coot! Cheer from King’s Ferry. 
Dear Uncle True : -I thought I would Just 
step In this pleasant, afternoon, Introduce myself, 
and have a chat, with you, and perhaps, if I make 
a favorable Impression, you will introduce, me to 
tlio Cousins. 1 lived In the city of Auburn till I 
was eight years old; since then I have lived In 
the country. At present I am living with my 
grandmother aud uncle, on the old homestead 
farm In Cayuga Co. l like It very much, l am 
getting to be a tall, rosy-cheeked-well, mother 
says romp. Now, Uncle True, don’t tell the Cous¬ 
ins, for I think f lmvo Improved wonderfully this 
winter. T have to spend so mueh time with Bay 
music lessons and other studies that 1 aui getting 
quite tame; mother feels quite encouraged. My 
grandmother celebrated her eighty-eighth birth¬ 
day the * 21 at, of this month ; she has lived on tlds 
farm eighty-four years. She ts such ft nice-look- 
lug old hilly, you would not think she was nearly 
so old, My uncle Is the originator of the “ Weeks” 
wheat; he has taken the Rural twenty-two years, 
and has them all preserved. When I came across 
the old chest where they were put. away, l thought 
I had found a treasure, l brought them down by 
the dozens, and mother said I kept the house per¬ 
fectly Uttered up with “old Ui KALs,” and uncle 
never could And his last paper. Ho J was banish¬ 
ed to the kitchen-chamber is tth my papers. Now, 
Uncle True, will you please lulreduce me? If so, 
a happy greeting to all tho CouHlna. I must be 
brief, aud will only answer Lillian's question: 
The llrst English Bible printed In America was at 
Boston, In the year 1752. I will now ask the Cous¬ 
ins a question : When and In what language was 
the first. Bible printed In America ? I f permitted, 
I will call again. So good afternoon. -Ai.tie W. J. 
An Oregonian. 
Dear Rural Cousins:— I live “ ’Wayout West,” 
as you would say, in Oregon. But, wo Oregonians 
would not exchange our Oregon for any other 
State In tho Union. Our winter has been very 
pleasant; very little rain (little for Oregon), and 
no snow at all to speak of. We reside seven 
miles south of Portland, on a pretty farm, which 
we call Spring Brook. Our school-house (which 
is called spring Brook School - house) is but a 
quarter of a mile distant; so you see. I do not 
Rave as far to go to school as some of my Caliror- 
l nla neighbors. It seems to be quite a mystery to 
| some of the Cousins why Young Tom does not 
write again to defend himsolf from the “ fair sex.” 
Do you think that ho could have the courago to 
write again after the flattering picture that Dell 
B. IV. drew of him appeared In the Rural? 1 
know that (lux', is what silenced him. Dell B. w,, 
please write again and give Young Koitor a lect¬ 
ure. It, seerns as It Webster Smith, too, has 
taken the background. What Is that for, Web¬ 
ster? Have you got tho heart-disease? Young 
1’oet Is very poetical indeed In his remarks. 
Please write again and sendussome more poetry. 
Send a long poem, please, for mo to place In my 
Scrap-Album. What would Lillian (see Rural 
of Feb. lo) think If 1 were to tell her that I am five 
years her senior and lack twenty-three pounds of 
weighing as much as she docs?— Deli,a C. 
LancingtHing Counted In. 
At homo, with plenty of leisure time, 1 will at¬ 
tempt to entertain you for a short time. To begin 
wlrh, home is situated about, s# miles north or 
Troy, anil I mile oast of the- delightful village of 
Lanslngburgh. 1 think we have one of tllOgrand¬ 
est, view? m this part of t he country. From one 
point, we can see tho Hudson River north to 
Mechaulevlllc, und us far south as Troy, also Lan- 
SlngbUi'gh, Waterford, Cohoes, Green Island, Ball 
Mountain, Oak wood Cemetery, and the noted 
Diamond Hock, (which Is much visited (luring the 
summer ruonthQ. Words seem inadequate to de¬ 
scribe It. Lanslngbui g Is noted for Its manufac¬ 
ture of brushes, Cohoes tor Its numerous mills, con¬ 
sisting of woolen knitting mills, pin manufactur¬ 
ing, aud use foundry,Green Island for ltsear shops, 
Troy for Its collar shops, und stove foundries, of 
which the proprietors or the last named are ex- 
perlencLng serious difficulties In employing non¬ 
union w orkmeu, being obliged to employ police¬ 
men to escort them to And from work. 
We hud unusually warm aud pleasant weather 
during the month,of February. But this month, 
wc have had real March weather, the wind blow¬ 
ing a galo nearly every day. But lei, It, do 
Its best, the warm and sunny days of spring 
will soon be here without full. 
A Little Snveffe. 
Dear Cousins:- Where Is Young Bach? Echo 
answers where ? Where Is Young Editor? Echo 
answers where? can no one tell? Must these 
mighty men—these gigantic representatives of 
future mightiness and power—thus sink Into ob¬ 
livion? No! ,MeiUlnks I hear a small voice say¬ 
ing, “ Hcio am 1; but my power has vanished, my 
glory has disappeared forever.” And 1 say to my¬ 
self, “ it is the voice of him that, Iivtd.li tile life of 
single blessedness.” But, wlrnt of Young Ediiok? 
The conceit haa been wrung out uf him like the 
water out of a dish-rag, and no more doth his 
mighty genius flush forth to dazzle tho minds of 
Ids fellow beings. Contrary to the usual mode of 
procedure adopted by tho cousins, I h. . n |u upnd 
Into the magic circle like u rrog Into a mud-pud¬ 
dle. But 1 beg to bo excused; not for j<m 
but for culling the department, a mud-pmldl jus, 
because I happened to sec a couple or frogs . U. 
and Y'. K.) Jump out of It. I havo f. lursthm 
ask:—How many Collegiate Institute- ■•n-thsre 
in the United states 7—Slaykr®kc i vcu it. 
The Boys are not Dead iol. 
Dear Cousins Will you admit, me In your 
friendly circle? If so, I will then term myself a 
cousin. In reading over the Rural tho lust few 
numbers, 1 see a good bit or talk about piecing 
quilts. Now 1 ilou t wish lo get the girls down on 
me, for they have a bud opinion of boys, especially 
such us Young Tom, Young Bach, and others v.ho 
have ventured too far on their “ rights," as they 
call it. They seem to have completely overpow¬ 
ered the boys, as we don't see any thing from 
Young JUcn any more. Boys, wake up and show 
tho girls thiit they have not driven us entirely 
from the Held. Now muster up and let us give It 
to them “ good.” About that quilting business, I 
don't see any use tearing up good cloth Just, to 
sew It, up again. But the girls have some queer 
notions, anyway; to change the subject, however, 
I would like to ask acme or the cousins what Ulna 
of a paper they would advise mu to Luke—that Is, 
some nice story paper, weekly or monthly. Please 
answer through the pages of the good Old Rural. 
—W. T.__ 
From Michigan. 
Dear Editor:—I see that ft good many little 
boys and girls write to you, and as my father 
takes the Rural, I thought l would say a few 
words to the cousins, i am ten years old aud live 
on a farm. I help water and feed the stock. 1 
am going to school and try to learn all I can. We 
all like the Rural. We live fourteen miles from 
Bay city. My little brother and I own twenty- 
four chickens. I keep account of the eggs. Mam¬ 
ma gives us one cent a piece for the eggs. Wo 
have SAVftd this summer $3.10. 1 will not write 
any more; so good-by for this time.—J arvis and 
Jose ru Kouhen, Bay Co.■ Mich. 
Does She Like Dancing? 
Mr. Editor : -As you were so kind as to print 
my letter, that 1 wroto awhile ago, 1 try again. I 
did not tell you my age In my other letter. 1 am 
thirteen. 1 think the girls are all right In piecing 
quilts. (I think the girls arc all right, anyway.) 
I think Young Bach Is rather hard on the girls. 
There Is a course of dancing parties this winter. 
T have not, attended any yet, but I expect to at¬ 
tend the next one. i am going to tako your paper 
this your.—0.11. W., Corfu. 
He Coes for Them All. 
Dear Rural:— After reading so many spicy let¬ 
ters, 1 feel like attempting one myself. Perhaps 
Young Teacher is one of those old-maid teachers 
