as 
430 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
FEB. 23 
Onk little head of yellow hair; 
Two little olieekp, ho round and fair; 
Two little lips, with fragrant siwlis; 
One little niiM' 1 , Utid two blue eyes; 
Two little hands, so soft as a pouch: 
Two little feet, Willi live toes each ; 
Two little smiles, and two little tears; 
Two little, leg's, and two little ears; 
Two little elbows, two little knees; 
One little grunt, and one little sneeze; 
One little heart; no little sins; 
Plenty of skirls, ami lots of pins; 
One little cloak, and plenty of frocks; 
One little hood, and two little socks ;| 
A big disposition to haul and to pull; 
One little stomach, ne ver full; 
One little mouth, of the rose's tint; 
Ouc little bottle of peppermint; 
Plenty to cat and lots to wear. 
And yet this baby’s cross as a boar. 
[Chicago Times. 
• - 
FAITH AND WORKS. 
I aw emlmlcdof an anecdote, by a neat little 
parcel etved from the Editor tills morning. It. 
Is thisWhen American watches were first, in¬ 
troduced nto china, the natives were struck 
with the adaptability of Iheir cases for other and 
totally different; uses; so, Instead of devoting 
them to the uses for which they were designed, 
they removed the works, and Installed little Joss 
linages (their gods) in their planes, being a funny 
Instance of faith without works. 
In the present instance the Celestial would he 
sadly balked, as the Rural “ Cricket" sent mo, Is 
a little gem of a timepiece whose works cannot 
be tampered with; and in fact, the “Cricket”Is 
so handsome, that even a heathen would have no 
desire to " Improve” upon it. 
My friend, the Editor, tells me that the Pub¬ 
lishers or the Rural arc offering this timepiece 
as a premium, ami wishes me to tell my young 
l eaders my candid opinion of tlu Clock. I have 
no opinion. 1 can only say, “ How can they afford 
to dolL?” 
Let us see what it Is. Thl3cut will give you a 
fair Idea of the Aldcrmanlc Utile fellow as he 
stands on his pudgy legs, looking at me with t he 
most open and innocent face you can Imagine. 
The second-hand dicks away, cutting time Into 
the crispest seconds; while the pure-white dial, 
with Its clean, legible numerals, can be plainly 
seen from the remotest corner of the room. 
A natural curiosity tempts me to look at the 
oilier side, and turning the •• cricket ” on Its face 
we see that un.lke other clocks we have here a 
stem-winder, and a little knob by which the 
hands are moved at will; arrows engraved on the 
metal back point, the direction In which the 
knobs are to be turned. The semi-circular open¬ 
ing with the figures F. S. at either end Is the 
regulator, and Just above It Is a convenient 
attachment by which the "cricket” may he sus¬ 
pended against the wall. Hut how Is this! 
While 1 have been telling about tills entirely 
novel feature the clock has remained face 
do vn, but lias kept ticking right on as 
relentless as time. This leads me lo Investigate. 
I turn It over on one side. It docs not stop. 1 
roll it along my table until It is only prevented 
from making a complete circuit by one nr Its 
legs. Useless effort! It licks ou unconscious of any 
change of position. Then I rail to experimenting 
In a. way that may be termed grotesiiue, placing 
the "cricket" in the most- absurd postures in the 
hope or gaining a victory and stopping the clock. 
My labor is wasted. I can, therefore, honestly 
subscribe to the claim of the publishers, viz.: It 
will run In any conceivable position. 
1 suppose it may be called a commendable 
curiosity to like to see Hie Inside of things, Hie 
mystery so to speak. A I, any rate 1 foil a longing 
to see what this "cricket” was made of. But 
how to do It? It Is said to be dust-proor, and 
curloslty-proof might have been safely added. 
After some little thought, and a great amount of 
tinkering I made this discovery: that the works 
are securely fastened to the back and front of 
Hie dock, making it impossible for them to get 
out of position; that the beautiful nlckle-plated 
case is stamped out of one piece of metal, thus 
avoiding seams, and making it about Indestruct¬ 
ible. The glass plate nts over the face like a lid 
to a jar, and when all Is In shape I think one has 
about the neatest, most charming little time¬ 
piece ever made. Being a lever movement It, will 
run m any position in which a watch will run, 
and every inch of the works and case Is metal. 
Its diameter across the face, Is throe Inches and 
across the back, four and a quarter Inches, mak¬ 
ing it eighteen inches in circumference. The 
Illustration on another page gives a fair Idea of 
Its actual size. 
It makes no difference how many clocks there 
are In a house, all who see this one w ill want it, 
and 1 advise you, my young relatives, to get one. 
The offer or the publishers is more than liberal 
and 1 should hold your powers of persuasion In 
low esteem indeed, if with such a lever ns this 
clock, you could not carry your friends by storm. 
Now let me see what you can do! 
Secure one dock to start with, and then make 
a crulaarte among your mends. If they can only 
see the "Cricket.” they will be speedily capti¬ 
vated, and as for the Rural, you know what that 
Is. 
T have secured permission from the publishers 
to have all the Rural Cousins address what sub¬ 
scriptions they mav secure lo rue personally. 
All who Intend to arid to the ranks of our cousins, 
may therefore send me their names and addresses 
and I will sec that, they are armed for the cam¬ 
paign with the most, approved weapons. Who 
wlU be the first in the field V Uncle True. 
-»-»» 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
Snowdrop Drops Her Alias. 
Dear Ruual:— How do you do. Cousins all? 
You see 1 have Jumped unceremoniously Into 
j our charmed circle once more. Thank you ror 
such a kind welcome. But who Is this I nearly 
stumbled over as 1 entered, and who rises with a 
j onng-woman-you-annny-me, air ? Let me take 
a nearer view ; why, It Is “ Slayorofc®ncelt! How 
do you do, my Lord ? I think' It would Improve 
you very much to have the conceit taken out 
of you, but, am afraid after the operation was 
performed you would bo in a highly exhausted 
state, as there would not he much else left, of you! 
I suppose from your extremely elevated position 
you look down on the rest, of the cousins and ex¬ 
pect them to do you homage ; but I think 1 can 
safely say that neither “ Madcap Moille” nor my¬ 
self reverence j'our lordship. "Madcap .Moille,”! 
believe I have found In you a kindred spirit, and 
would like to know you personally. Why doesn’t 
“Adel W.” write again ? I have an Idea she 
effectually silenced young “ Tom"; perhaps some 
of the cousins remember bis efforts. J advise her 
to take '• SIft.verofenm.oll” in hand. “ Hattie A.' 
advises the little Cousins “to speak back r That 
Is just my advice. 1 perceive "Rocky Mountain 
Joe” lias again appeared on tlm seem: ef action, 
and would say to him that 1 sincerely hope he Is 
not one of the kind of boys that stay lu the house 
and torment their sist ers, win la father is doing 
the work on t he farm. A word lo •• Wild Fire 
I am afraid you Injured your health trying to 
compose that poetry; poor fellow, didn't you 
have to take a general reprieve from all mental 
aud physical labor the next day, in order lo re¬ 
store exhausted faculties? I don’t think the 
boys can say anything to the girls about shoes; 
the style la #o elegant, I The.shoe projects four or 
five Inches beyond the foot,, and then turns up 
like the rocker to a chair: that Is the fashion. 
Boys, don't follow the fashions, you know ! Then 
Just look at those standing collars! They are 
so graceful und becoming ! Look more like the 
sideboards to a wheelbarrow, than anything I can 
compare tlipm to. “Solomon Sap |”what an ap¬ 
propriate name lor the Individual that bears It! 
A few words to “ Uncle Trim” and I shall dose. I 
received the kind letter you wrote me, and thank 
you very much for it. I also received that *• Hue 
engraving,” and would say that my hopes were 
realized, as one by one tbo wrappings were re¬ 
moved and Uie magnificent picture unfolded itself 
tomygazp. How my pulses quickened as l be¬ 
held such matchless coloring! such faultless 
drawing! and 1 would add that If all the cous¬ 
ins received such a beautiful present as I, they 
will all feel encouraged to try ror another prize. 
Sincerely hoping this, my third or fourth effort, 
will appear In print 1 will bid adieu to the Cous¬ 
ins. 1 have written before under the name of 
" Snow-Drop," but will now sign my true name. 
Norfolk Co., Va. Bertha A. Weeks. 
An Oid Friend. 
Dear Uncle True and Cousins.— Whoop! Here 
I am again. You probably thought, that, l was 
gone forever; tiutl am like a. had penny—I always 
comp back again. I have not written to the dear 
Old Rural for over a year, as we did not, take It 
last, year, 1 missed It greatly, I can tell yon. I 
often wondered what urns transpiri ng In the Cous¬ 
inly camp; now that 1 take a survey of you till, I 
see that most are strangers. Where are ICllen J. 
S., Belle F„ F., Young Tom, etc.? All exiled, I 
suppose, and "gone where the woodbine twin¬ 
ed.” Oh, dear! nil crone/ Pardon, dear cousins, 
for this untimely outburst ot grid; but just wait 
till Tget, tills t.eriT wiped away, and then——give 
rne your hands, Cousins, and let me make your 
acquaintance— yours especially, Mud-cap MollLe. 
I see that most of the Cousins have had Christ¬ 
mas trees. We had an awfully dull Christmas here. 
There wore heavy fogs and rains all (lay. But Tor 
all that, It, was splendid weather for Christmas 
trees, ns there were two feet or more ot mud to 
plant them lu! When people meet each other, 
the usual mode of salutation Is, " Did you ever 
see such a winter ?" The. farmers In this section 
are. afraid they cannot, get their grain to market. 
Well, Cousins, I suppose you will be out of pa¬ 
tience, so I will not, write any more to gain your 
displeasure. Hoping to see letters from you all 
again, I will withdraw from your pleasant circle 
until you hear again from 
Macton, Can. Bouncino Bon, alias R. H. C. 
An Ornithological Cousin. 
Dear Rural Cousins:—I am a new Cousin, aud 
have only Just claimed relationship, although I 
have always read the letters that have passed 
between you. 1 don’t, Know whether 1 am writing 
Mils letter to you or the waste-basket, but It la In¬ 
tended ror you. I have heard great stories of that 
terrible waste-basket, but, I hope It, will not de¬ 
vour ibis. As you have never seen me, I may as 
well describe myself. 
In the first, place, l am a boy—a farmer’s boy. 
I live on a small farm, one mile from a beautiful 
village In t he central part of New York. I have 
been la my teens a little over two years. T go to 
school, our school-year consists of two twenty- 
week terms, a ten-week vacftUou In the summer, 
and one or two weeks In t he winter. 
We are very busy this winter at home, winter¬ 
ing fifteen cows, eight, calves, and eighty sheep. 
The most of t mm tire Cntswolds, with a small 
sprinkling of tirteen Merinos mixed In. 
i like colts very much, If they do nottry to make 
love for their master too demonstrative, The 
other day my colt stood upon his hind legs In 
front of me, and brandished his fore-legs over my 
shoulder. I suppose lie was trying to hug me; 
but. I don’t think I relish colt hugs. 
I wonder It all of j'ou are having as much snow 
as we arc having here this month ? Wo did not 
have any until the middle of January, and now it 
Is making up for It. We usually have skat'ng too; 
but Mils winter, as booh as the lee formed, It was 
covered with snow too deep to allow skating. If 
Mils first, effort, of writing to my new Cousins suc¬ 
ceeds, you will hear again from your Cousin. 
Jim Crow. 
While Laboring Under Excitement. 
Dear Uncle True :—I would like to sa.v a few 
words to that “ Young Orator,” who comes Into 
our ranks with such Impudence, He seems to 
think that because I said some of the cousins 
were conceited, 1 am conceited too. Perhaps 1 
om. But what would he say If / were to call him 
a falsifier simply because he did that to “Mbs 
ItesMe ?’’ (as be certainly did when he insinuated 
i lei t her poem was notoi tgtnal;) or to c..ll him by 
a more opprobrious epithet, as ho did me. 1 may 
have g ild some harsh things while laborlug under 
si lung excitement; I may have Jokingly called 
some 1 1 armless name, with no intention of offend¬ 
ing ; but never have I stooped so low, or been so 
vUerhj lost, to all sense of decency as to call a per¬ 
son names barred by decent society. But to 
change the subject,; how am I to get out of this 
h, T ape. It, will never do to have Hie girls against 
fima 11- Jl you It Is Tearful. What, tempers tin y 
have got, to be sure! Since the, have found that 
my name (according i/i my uicdi,) Is a misnomer, 
they have cooled off somewhat,; and If 1 keep 
cool for awhile perhaps they will be In a frame of 
mind to listen to reason. Slaykrofconckit. 
IKE 
a 
ENIGMA. 
Jn varied scenes I may be met, 
In gold and Jewels sometimes set; 
Though often wrought, In costly mold, 
l’m sometimes for a trifle sold. 
Adorning many a fair one seen. 
The simple maiden and the queen ; 
I’m Issued, too, by her command, 
And some receive mo from her hand. 
While thus so costly 1 am seen, 
I have the source or torture been, 
And have my place lu Church and State, 
As well as at, a ball or jele. 
I many different figures make, 
And many varied aspects take; 
Yet si 111 my lorm appears the same. 
To some a spell lives In rny uame ; 
And yet I would not. like to see 
One that I love becoming me. 
Answer In two weeks. Jenny. 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA. 
I am composed of 14 letters: 
My 13, c, 2 ,9 is a mineral. 
My 4, 5, s, T, 7, to, 14 to engage In dispute. 
My 3, s, l, 5, o, 13 ft man’s name. 
My 9, fi, 13, J l a girl’s nickname. 
My 7, 2 , I, it, 13. 10 to wander about. 
My 4, 5, to, 14,13 to crush. 
My 9,2, 7, 6 to venture. 
To take part In my whole gives much pleasure. 
Answer In two weeks. c. e. l. 
-- 
CROSS-WORD ENIGMA. 
My first is lu lilac but notin aster. 
My second Is In oil but not In caster; 
My third Is In loose but not In tight, 
My fourth Is lu eye but not in sight. 
My whole Is a flower. 
rs?~ Answer In two weeks. Mil 
-■ 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.—Fob. 9. 
Miscellaneous Endjma.—N ever put off till to- 
mor.ow wlmt can fie done to-tlny. 
Cross-work Knigm a.—U apidun. 
Quadruple Cuohs-wohi> Enigma. — Banana. 
Cherry, Citron, Raiain. 
jMfatjj pairing, 
IF WE HAD BUT A DAY. 
MARY LOWE DICKINSON. 
Wr. should fill the hour with the sweetest things 
If we had hut a day; 
Wo Bhould drink alone at the purest springs 
In our upward way: 
Wo should love with a hfe-tuno’s love in an hour 
If the hours were few; 
We should rest, not for dreams, but for fresher power 
To be and to do, 
Wo should guide our wayward or wearied wills 
lly the clearest light.; 
We should keep our eyes on the heavenly hills 
If they lay in sight; 
We should trample the pride and discontent 
Beneath our feet; 
We should lake whatever a tjuod Cod sent 
With a trust complete. 
We should waste no moment iu weak reirret 
If the day were but one; 
If what we remember aud what we forget 
Went out with the sun ; 
We should be l'i om our clamorous selves set free 
To work or to pray. 
And to bo what the Father would have us be. 
If we had but a day. 
--. 
TRIALS BY THE WAY. 
AUSTfN rilELPS. 
The truth Is, that we never feel Christ to be a 
reality until we reel hliu to be a necessity. There¬ 
fore God makes as feci that necessity. Hcirles 
us here, and He ti les us there, lie chastises on 
this side, and ho chastises on that side, lie probes 
us by the disclosure of one sin, and another, ar.d 
a third, which have lulu rankling In our deceived 
hearts, lie removes, one arier another, the oo- 
Jecislu which wo have been seeking the repose 
ot Idolatrous affection. Ho a fillets us lu ways 
which we have not anticipated. lie sends upon 
us the chasllserne.nls which ho knows we shall 
feel most seiistilve.iy, lie pursues us when we 
would Lilli flee from Ills hand; and, If need be, 
He shakes to pieces the whole framework of our 
plans Ot life, by which we have been struggling 
to build together the service Of God and the serv¬ 
ice or self, till at, last He makes us feel that Christ 
la all Dial Is left to us. 
When we discover that, aud go to Christ, con¬ 
scious of our beggary In respect of cveryihlrg 
else—wretched, and miserable, and poor, ami 
blind, and naked—we go, not expecting much, 
perhaps not asking much. There may be hours 
of prostration, when wo ask only fur rest; we 
pray fur the cessation uf suit, ring; we seek re¬ 
pose from conlllcL with ourselves, and with God’s 
providence. But God gives us more; He Is more 
generous than u e have dared to believe. He gives 
us Joy; He gives us liberty; lie gives us victory ; 
He gives us a sense or self-conqUeSt, and or union 
with Himself In an eternal tricudshlp. On the 
basis of ( hat single experience or Christ as a real¬ 
ity because a necessity, there arises an experi¬ 
ence of blessedness in communion with God, 
which prayer expresses like a revelation. Such 
devotion Is a jubilant psalm. 
•-- 
“I WILL STAND BY MY MASTER.” 
(A R/lotto for Sunday Teachers.) 
Wixat more beautiful words could be selected 
as a motto lor Sunday teachers? They were 
spoken not long ago by one whose hair had grown 
white In the service of Christ. He knew what 
discouragement was, and he knew what disap¬ 
pointments were: hu had Just been speaking of 
i hern; hut, the thought of his Master gave him 
fresh courage, and the resolution with which he 
was filled found utterance In the words, ” To my 
dying day 1 will stand by my Master." The call¬ 
ing of the speaker was a high one, his minister¬ 
ial oilloe undoubtedly the most honorable which 
any can fill on earth; but, we too, dear fellow- 
teachers, are servants; our work lain the great 
Master's Sunday-school vineyard; and shall not 
we also bo faithful to our Lord? 
Our charges are watching us; they hear us tell 
of Jesus on the Sunday, and In the week they are 
keen observers of what tlmlr teachers do; per¬ 
haps none will know It sooner than t he members 
or our classes If we desert our Master or dishon¬ 
or our Christian profession. Isabel. 
— <» ♦ ♦- 
Life of the Goon Man and the Worldly.—'To 
what may we Ukcn the lives of the good and the 
worldly ? 
Sometimes a life Is like the mountain torrent, 
which begins Its course wildly, dashing from rock 
to rock, ami Dashing In and out amongst the peb¬ 
bles, uniII It at length grows calm and llows 
through the. I»ud as a rivulet, bringing health lo 
the village home, and dotting the fields with a 
garment of verdure: such, with If a Imperfect 
commencement. In many a good man's course, 
sometimes a life is like a rapid river which 
sweeps all before It with Us Impetuous or orgy 
and silent strength, hut becomes rough and tem¬ 
pestuous when It reaches the ocean and is lost 
In Its waters ; such is the course or many of those 
who five only for the world. u. b. 
-- 
Tub Sailor's Link —Is It not unwise to believe 
where we cannot, fully understand? 
Surely not. A sailor’s fine may not bo long 
enough to fathom the sea ; but It may be of use 
nevertheless to keep hls vessel off tfie rocks and 
shoals. Neither by our Intellect, may we bo able 
to fathom all the depth of the ocean ot religion; 
but reason may assure us that there Is water 
enough lor our ships to salt lu without running 
aground. 
