grafting for t|t Jointg, 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
MUSIC ON ALL FOURS. 
JOSEPHINE POLLARD. 
A Pussy cat and a Black-antl-Tau 
M'ere shut in a room totretlioi. 
And, after a Beason of quiut, began 
To talk of the change in the weather, 
And new spring fashions. and after that 
They had a sort of musical chat. 
Said Puss “ To me it ia unite absurd— 
13ut taste and opinions vary : 
And some have declared that no beast or bird 
Can simr like the small canary,— 
Who, if it be true as I've beard it told. 
Is re illy worth more than its weight in gold !” 
Sai l the Blnck and-Tan, with a pensive smile : 
“ I’ve wanted to call attention 
To this bit of scandal for unite a while. 
And. if not amisB, to mention 
That my daily allowance of bark and w<h)ine 
Idas greatly improved this voice of mine." 
“ It lias,” said Puss, with a comic grin ; 
" The words of truth you have spoken ; 
A name for ourselves we must strive to win 
At once, now the Ice is broken ; 
For one or two doses of catnip tea 
Iiavehad a wondrous effect on me 1 
’T was only the other night I strayed 
Where a silvery moonbeam slanted, 
An l gave such a beanti ful serenade 
You’d have thought the place enchanted. 
Ii roused the neighborhood to a pitch 
Of praise, or envy— I can’t tell which." 
Said the Black-and-Tan, “ Why shouldn’t we try 
To siiiy a duet together ?" 
Said the Puss, " I see no reason why 
Vi e can’t; and we’ll show them whether 
To birrts and bipeds alone belong 
The gift of singing a pleasing song!" 
Tli's’ sang—and they sang; but oh, my dears ! 
If you bad been anywhere near them. 
You’d have shut your eyes and stopped your ears. 
And wished that you couldn’t hear them. 
’ rwas a brilliant effort, upon nay word. 
And nearly killed the canary-bird. 
The Pussy cat and the Black-and-Tan 
With the music were so delighted, 
They will give a concert as soon as they can. 
And perhaps we may be invited. 
" Bow-wow!" "Miaow!” I’m sorry, you know, 
I've another engagement—and eaunot go 1 
[St. .Nicholas 
A FEW COMMENTS. 
I see l have again to admonish my young: rela¬ 
tives In regard to the way in which they send me 
Mss. Such letters as are Interesting it. gives me 
groat pleasure to print, but you would be sur¬ 
prised to see the number of nice letters that go 
into the basket, mainly because I cannot ypare 
the time to copy,off what Is written on the reverse 
of the page, lie careful to write on one side of 
thepige only. Perhaps I am frequently accused 
of slighting you when the fault lies at your own 
doors. 
I have here a handful of appreciative notes 
from iny large family,widen 1 shall give the gist, of. 
W. ii. Lflzer, Is very complimentary. lie says 
the Rural is worth more than it costs. That is 
true, and HI tell you why I know It. It costs 
more to make each paper than the money we re¬ 
ceive will pay for. The reason of this Is t.hal we 
are making the Rural better than ever before in 
all departments. This young gentleman also 
asks what others often mention, viz: that I shall 
excuse bad grammar, I don't like to hear such re¬ 
quests. There should be no necessity for them. 
See to it In the future and correct the fault by a 
closer application to your studies. 
Now, here is Belie Bowmen, who sends me a 
slip of paper about quarter note size, written on 
both sides, and on the side an Insinuating little 
note to Uncle True, saying that if Madcap Mollle 
sends her address to me to forward it. l have a 
number of such requests, and In many Insta nces 
I should like to honor them, but how can I know 
that your parents would approve of your corres¬ 
ponding Indiscriminately? l will 
Propose a Plan 
by which this much desired result may be at¬ 
tained, if It is to be attained at all. 
Any of my relatives wishing to correspond with 
their “Cousins” may do so on condition that, they 
send mo the written consent of parents or guar¬ 
dians. I will then publish their request for cor¬ 
respondence, and if the other cousin is agreeable, 
I shall expect from that quarter a similar letter 
from parents giving their cousent to the arrange¬ 
ment. This accomplished satisfactorily, I will 
send the addresses to the applicants. 
Here Is a note “ From The Mountains” asklDg 
Inform ation that Tin sure some of the cousins can 
supply. I give It entire. 
“ Will Lily Lu Randolph, tell a mountain cousin 
how sho made the ornaments of pop corn ror the 
Christ mas tree, also directions for making brack¬ 
ets on glove-box. H Lillie Lu cannot tell of a pret¬ 
ty patch-work pattern, please, some one else do 
me the favor.” 
An Eastern Ohio girl, Florence Hawthorn, 
writes for the nrst time. She tells me all about 
how sho looks except her complexion. That, she 
adds, “would not charm any one,” but I think 
this probably a subtermge, and that there Is un¬ 
doubtedly one whom it charms. 
I hope you are all doing your utmost with your 
studies a, this season, I think some notes of 
school gossip, ard what Is being done tor educa- < 
tion would no'. utia able to tne cousins. 
Let us see. TJnoljcThuk, 
A Squirrel Hunt. 
Dear Cousins.-— Will you admit another Into 
your happy midst? If you will, I will tell you 
how I spent Christmas. 
A cold, dam"p mist hung over wood and hill-top 
as F. and I shouldered our guns and started on a 
squirrel hunt. Every limb and bough was white 
with frost,; every breeze that.rustled the tree-tops 
sent down a shower of glistening crystals. The 
woods were silent as we entered them, save now 
and then, the chip of a snow tiled or the sighing 
of the wind. We stationed ourselves beneath 
the branches of a hemlock and listened. Soon 
we heard a noise In a neighboring tree, then a 
peculiar scolding and chattering, and then we 
saw the whisk of a gray tall. Presently a plump 
body came In view on the top-most branch of a 
hemlock. I heard the mullled click or F'». single 
barrel, at, the same time I raised both hammers 
of my fowling piece. Out, out, further on the 
branch came the brisking tali; It stopped and a 
head appeared above the limb. Hang went F’s. 
single barrel and down came, the. squirrel—no, he 
has caught the limb of a small beech and is 
scrambling up tho trunk. With a roar inyold 
fowler asks him 10 stop and down lie comes! 
“ Young Canadian ” wishes to know how to 
trap squirrels alive. Make a box-trap In this 
Wise: Take two boards eighteen luches long by 
ten Inches wide, for sides; one eight Inches wide 
by eighteen Inches long for bottom ; one board 
eight Inches wide by ten Incite* long for one end. 
Nall these together In the form or a box wlthont 
a cover. Now take a board eight Inches wide by 
seventeen Inches long, nailing tlits on to a piece 
eight, by eight Inches for cover and other end. 
Fasten tho last so It, c m bo raised by boring 
holes through the sides near the top and driving 
a nail. Bore a hole through the middle ot the 
long end for the Bpludle. The spindle is simply a 
sharp-pointed stick with a shoulder so that It, 
cannot slip clear through the hole. 
Maple Glen.__ Mbnzer. 
What Is Thought of Them. 
Dear Unclb True :-I have bt?en a silent spec¬ 
tator to all this sharp shooting for some time, 
and have now concluded to add my mite.* Uncle 
True, If you will just give me an introduction to 
all these cousins I will begin. 
•Well, “ Solomon Sap," you look exactly as I Im¬ 
agined you would, and you, “ siaycrofconcelr," 
are the very picture of-Well, anyone would 
know what,your name was, or wh&t It ougr/d to be. 
If you eh03e your own name you Judged yourself 
well! But now for my little introductory speech. 
As I have said before, I have long bean a silent 
spectator, and for all of what I have said con¬ 
cerning “ Solomon S ip” and “ slayerofconcelt,,” 
I have always looked upon them in the strife with 
favor, and as though they were to bn pilled. Now, 
Cousins ot the fairer sex T tm igine 1 bear you say 
“ Hush ! if you knew them as well we do, you 
would t/iink as we do." Well, perhaps that Is so, 
but as yeti don't think so. “Madcap Mollle" and 
41 ivy” seem to be the only ones left on the Held 
In the opposing army, and 1 think, “Bravo!” 
might, well be said in their behal f. I am not sure 
but they will come out victorious yet, and pos¬ 
sibly sometime l may join tbpir ranks. Ladles 
have such a faculty ror convincing people against 
their wins! But here I am taking all the time, 
(and the nrst attempt too,) with my worthy (?) 
opinion. Adieu. Attempts-at-kloquence. 
story of the “Queer Customer," which is In the 
dear old Rural. We played games, and sang till 
n o'clock; then all went home, having spent a 
happy Christmas. New Year’s we were all In¬ 
vited to our uncle'B, to spend the day. There were 
fifty relations asked, and forty came. We had a 
grand time. 
Now, dear Uncle True, I hope you win print 
this; If so, I will try again. I hope some of the 
Cousins will tell how they spent Christmas Day. 
We were sorry that Uncle True was not with us. 
Esther Burnham. 
Another New Cousin. 
Dear Rural Cousins As I have never written 
any letters to the Rural 1 will attempt to write 
one. My aunt takes t he Rural and I have been 
reading the girls’and boys’ letters. I like them 
very much, and would like to become one of the 
onus!us. I anr ten years old and go to school. I 
live In the country, l think It la all right to piece 
quilts. J pieced one when I was six years old, 
and another one when I was nine. The weather 
Is very warm and It has been raining four days 
and nights. Fannie L, Forsb. 
Washington, Ind. 
We Shall Know All About Toledo! 
Dear Rural Cousins:—I have been reading 
the Rural for almost a year, and lately have 
taken more Interest In the letter column. There¬ 
to™, this being my first attempt, I shall live In 
hopes, until the next issue comes, of seeing my 
letter published. If Ills, I will write again, and 
tell the dear Cousins a little about Toledo, O. ir 
ever Lottie King sees my letter, please answer 
through the Rural. Age, 18; bight, 0 feet. 
Toledo, O. Ed, E. K. 
abktfr pairing, 
THE ANGERS’ GREETING. 
Comb to the land of peace! 
Come where the tempest hath no longer sway. 
The Bhadows pass from the RotU away. 
The Bounds of weeping- cease. 
Fear hath no dwelling there! 
Come to the mingling of repose and love. 
Breathed by the Bileut spirit of the dove 
Through the celestial air. 
Come to the bright and bleBt, 
Anil crown’d forever! Midst that shining band, 
Gather’d to heaven’s own wreath from every land. 
Thy spirit shall find rest. 
Thou hast been long alone : 
Come to thy mother! On the Sabbath shore, 
The heart that rock'd thy childhood, back once more 
Shall take its wearied one. 
In silence wort thou left : 
Como to thy sisters! Joyously again, 
AU tho home voices, blent in one sweet strain. 
Shall greet their long bereft. 
Over thine orphan head 
The atorni hath swept, as o’er a willow’s bough : 
Come to thy father! It is liuisb’d now , 
Thy tears have all been shed. 
In thy divine abode. 
Change finds no pathway, memory no dark trace, 
And, oh ! bright victory, death by love no place. 
Come, spirit! to thy God. 
[School and Home. 
PRAY ON. 
No, Don’t be Afraid! 
Dear Cousins :— I have been read log, with con¬ 
siderable Impatience, the girls’letters about “Sol¬ 
omon Sap” and “Slayerofconcelt.” So I will 
write to relieve my mind, and take their part. 
Now, girls, I do not see why you are so dowu on 
those boys. But never mind, boys; do not let 
i hem frighten you away. It is a trick of the girls 
to try to scare- a fellow. Sam. 
Collins, N, Y. 
®|C Ittglff. 
GEOGRAPHICAL ENIGMA. 
Wants Some Excitement. 
Dear Rural Cousins:— I hope you will not 
think my letter very uninteresting, I will try 
my luck, and If 1 do not get laughed at, perhaps I 
will try again. I presume some or the Cousins 
remember Carrie B. II. ?—for 1 have written be¬ 
fore. One of the Cousins was kind enough to an¬ 
swer my letter. If she wishes to correspond with 
me, I will send her my address, and she will do 
the same. I go to school all the time and study 
quite hard (but think I could study harder). I 
went away September 14, tor a little trip, I went 
to Boston, Chelsea, Somerville, and Haverhill In 
Massachusetts; Durham,Dover, Portsmouth, and 
New Castle, In New Hampshire. I would like to 
hear from "Young Bach,”If he Islu the land of 
the living.' I hope we have not scared him from 
our Interesting column. I think the Cousins are 
rather quiet. I wish we could get up some kind 
or excitement tht3 winter. Iain winiug to help 
if some of the others will start It. I think they 
are rather hard on “ Slayerofconcelt.” I will take 
his part after this, and If there are any more 
sneers, look out for yourselves. 
Camden, N. Y. Carrie B. II. 
Wishes They Would Write More. 
Uncle Truk :— I thought I would write to the 
Cousins, as I should like to be one or them. I wish 
the girls would write more about fancy work, as 
I like to do such worx. l have Just finished a 
"tidy” on canvas, wblebla very pretty. My father 
has taken the Rural for a number of years, and 
I like to read the letters from the Cousins very 
much. I hope the girls and boys will write more 
letters. 1 go to school, and am thirteen years old. 
I study seven studies, and like to go very much. 
Will some one tell me how to fi X aulum n leaves ? 
Fort Atkinson. si. b. p. 
From q N t»w Cousin. 
Dear Unclk Truk Hawaii Nel said In one of 
her letters that she would like some of the Cous¬ 
ins to write and toll the Cousins how they spent 
Christmas and New Years. I, tor one, will tell 
you how we spent those two days. We Invited 
our aunts, uncles, and cousins to dine with us on 
Christmas day. We had roast turkey and plum 
pudding. After dinner, one of my uncles read the 
1 am composed of 50 letters : 
My 14,12,17, 24, 43 a town of Ireland. 
My 48, 4, 3, 17, 10 a city of Afghanistan. 
My 32, 3, 13. c, 15 an Island ol Oceanlea. 
t My 2, 31, 3o, 45 , 50 a county of Iowa. 
My 37, 21, 40, 38, 0 a city of Nova Scotia. 
1 My 6,10, 23, 35,43 a city of E'ypt. 
My 42, 0 , 14, 5, 4’j a city of Utah. 
My 26 , 45, 44, 50, 43 a cape of New Zealand. 
My n, 18, 55, 45, 40 a town of New Hampshire. 
My 51, 27, 50, 1, 32 a country of Asia. 
My 19, 20 , 17, ll, 31 a country of Europe. 
My 22 , 14, 40, 25, 17 a town of Michigan. 
My 32, IT, 47, 28 , 41 a river of Portugal. 
My 52, 33, 5, 35, 00 a fort, of Kansas. 
My 4, 29, to, o, 34 a town of New Hampshire. 
My no, 10 , 43, 54, 12 a river of Siberia. 
My 34,17, 39. 7, S a color. 
My whole Is a gem or truth, culled Horn a gar¬ 
den of literary flowers. 
C»* Answer in two weeks. Little One. 
---- 
DOUBLE DECAPITATIONS. 
1. Decapitate to mingle, and leave to loan; i 
again, and leave the termination. 
2 . Evidence on oath, and leave to cause by fric¬ 
tion ; again, arid leave a part of the head. 
3. To sneak, and leave part of a chain; again, 
and leave a fluid. 
4. Scattered over, and leave Indebted for; again, 
and leave married. 
6. Fragile, and leave a fencing timber; again, 
and leave pain. 
C. To make afraid, and leave watchful atten¬ 
tion ; again, and leave a plural verb. 
7. To cut,, and leave to go away; again, and 
leave part of a building. 
Answer In two weeks. s. c. 
' - 
MISCELLANEOUS ANAGRAMS. 
l. Oh, pet ram. 2. A glen. 3. Do, pray. 4. 
Some Ross. 5. Sour dua. 0. An ear. 7. Ira D. 
8. Reach, R. 9. Rat; bier. 10. On par. ll. Mad 
Ned. 12 . Words. 13. Tops. 14. I led Cate. 15 , 
Eu’a dog game. lo. Rats cart, io. 17. Be led at 
Ire. 18 . I churn. 19. Love W. 20 . Charts. 21. 
M spat. 22 . Plates. 23. Chants. 2-4. Seat T. 25 . 
Rates. 26 . Stang. 27. o, some. 
1*” Answer In two weeks. Dr. 
HOUR-GLASS PUZZLE. 
l. Persons or high birth. 2. Exceeding Just 
limits. 3. A number. 4. To salute. 5 . A num¬ 
ber. o. A consonant. 7. Foolish talk. 8. Appel¬ 
lation of honor. 9. Companionship, io. A young 
male student, ll. Quarrelsome. Centrals form 
ambitious display. 
tir Answer In two weeks. Floridan. 
--»« i __ 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.—Feb. 2. 
MiSCELLANEotrs Enigma.—I t Is far hotter to die 
umfear if the ievu.° r the WU ' thUU a C0Ul6ler 111 
flSC«ltoRu°cSr Inltlal8 ’ Mar ‘ U Ed ‘ fewC,rtll: 
I had a brother once, now more than a brother. 
. He was wild, wayward, reckless. Elder brother 
. as he was, and the natural guide of a younger, I 
1 could not look to him tor an example of good. He 
. loved the wine-cup, he loved the paths or tolly 
i and sensual pleasure. When a hoy—for God 
; showed Tils great mercy to me In calling me early 
i to a knowledge of Himself—l used to pray tor 
him often, with agony of soul. But on he went 
in his career of tolly and sin, a burden and grief 
, to his parents. 
We grew up to manhood. Still prayer seemed 
unavailing. He had Intelligence, ability; he 
might have been a useful, a happy, and a dls ln- 
gulshed man. But he clung to his idols. At times 
Indeed there was reflection, remorse, and a feeble 
effort to bieak away from his chains; but this 
soon passed, and he was as before. Prayer fol¬ 
lowed him still—the prayers and tears of a 
believing mother, whose heart swelled well- 
nigh unto breaking. But apparently there was 
no answer. He became a wanderer, went to sea, 
roaming In foreign lands. Wh:u, lie suffered we 
never knew. He returned destitute, wretched, a 
mere wreck of his former self; returned to a w id- 
owed rnotlie’', tor our father hail p.tased away. 
Fora time he reformed, and hope again sprang 
up, and too soon to be dashed. Ills old hibUs re¬ 
sumed their woDtod power. 
Once more he goes forth ; now to the distant 
west. Years pass, yearsof anxloty. Our mother, 
whose prayers, and patience, and hope never 
ceased, In a ripe old age goes to her gracious re¬ 
ward, her prayers unanswered, her hopes unreal¬ 
ized. But they were all laid up before God. Time 
In Its ceaseless course rolls on. More than sixty 
winters whiten the head of that brother, in¬ 
creasing loflrmltles warn him of the approaching 
end; yet he lives on without God, he turns In an¬ 
ger from every gospel appeal. 
The ocean rolls between us; but on a foreign 
shore, to which God In His providence has called 
me, my heart anxiously turns to the loved ones 
In my native land. Shall the brother descend to the 
grave, having no Interest In the great Redeemer? 
Shall he in the great day be the only one of this 
family circle who has no crown to cast at His 
feet? It seems like hoping against hope, yet 
prayer In his behalf ceases not. Letters come, 
the seals are eagerly broken. What do I read ? 
Is It possible ? Is prayer, after so many years of 
patient waiting, indeed answered? Yes; that 
brother, so long, so very long a wanderer, sits at 
the feet or Jesus, clothed and In his right mind. 
Hope deferred maketb the heart sick: but when 
after years ot waiting. Impels realized, what Joy 
Alls the soul! It Is not always so. Henry Mar¬ 
ty n when he gained that on which, during years 
or toll, his heart had been sot, and appeared as 
senior wrangler In the university, exclaimed, “I 
obtained the object or iny highest wishes, and 
found I had grasped a shadow.” But a shadow Is 
not what I grasp. Enduring as eternity Is this 
Joy that fills my heart—a brother born into Che 
kingdom of God; a brother made an heir, a Joint 
heir with Christ t Kingdoms may fall, cities may 
become desolate, earth may pass away, but his 
song or pratse shall never cease, o my soul, mag¬ 
nify tho Lord, who is indeed tho hearer of prayer 1 
Rejoice, for your Joy no man laketh away from 
you. Poverty may come, toll may come, change 
may come, sickness may come, death may come ; 
but this Joy remains eternal as Jesus Christ Him¬ 
self, the Author and Finisher of our faith. s. 
- » ■ * ♦ 
When a man goes from the sun, yet the sun¬ 
beams follow him ; so when we go from the sun 
to righteousness, yet the beams of Ills love and 
mercy follow us. Christ first sent to Peter, who 
had denied him, and the rest who had torsakon 
him. 
How deeply rooted unbelief must be lu our hearts 
when we are surprised to find our prayers an¬ 
swered, Instead or reeling sure that they will be 
so,If they are only offered up In good faith and are 
in accord with the will of God! 
m 
