YORKER 
ntflcant of servitude—a slight change In the spell¬ 
ing made our word slave. 
We could fill an entire number of the Rural 
with extracts from this book, but our space will 
not permit. We hope, however, to be able to 
awaken the attention ot our readers to its merits. 
Most words have a derivation. There are few 
used exactly as at first spoken. AU names were 
originally given to the things named for a reason, 
although that reason may, In many cases, be now 
hidden from us. Names, as uow applied to towns, 
post-olhces and counties In tills country, are, In 
many instances, far from original—having been 
most foolishly conferred to gratify the pride of a 
politician or the vanity of some purse-proud igno¬ 
ramus, while others arc duplicates of those used 
In older countries, where they wore conferred In 
tne drat instance with a meaning. We will notice 
Cambridge, situated in England, on the River 
Cam, at a point, where a bridge Is built over the 
river. [We never found why the short a in Cam 
was changed to long a In Cambridge.] All places 
with names ending in bridge will he found to have 
been similarly located. So will names ending In 
mouth—as Dartmouth, Weymouth, &c.—be found 
to have been first applied to towns situated at the 
mouths of rivers. The termination ham, or hame, 
tsacorruptlon or home—as Nottingham, the home 
of the Nottlngs. Such corruptions sometimes 
make strange n lines. A party of French Protest¬ 
ants—objects of religious persecution—came from 
the vicinity of the river Waal, In the Netherlands, 
and settled on Long Island, opposite New York. 
They were called Waaloons or Walloons, and the 
water adjacent to their settlement Walloons 
Uoglit or Bay, now known as Wallabout. [We 
once heard It stated this name came from the 
tact that the Navy Yard, tUat occupies land bor¬ 
dering on the Bay, is surrounded by a high wall!] 
Brooklyn Is from Breuck landt, signifying Broken 
land. 
Most ot the imported names applied to Ameri¬ 
can towns are used not only without the slightest 
a show of reason, hut with great Impropriety. New 
York basics Home, Athens and Corinth, eighteen 
States have a Paris and eight a London, while To¬ 
ledo (from Toletum), meaning the Mother of the 
People, is adopted both by Ohio and Iowa. 
As to t.he origin of language, our author accepts 
the Ideas more prevalent at the time he wrote 
than now. ms theological teachings and sur¬ 
roundings doubtless had Influence to bias his 
judgment. While he has goneral Ideas of the 
evolution of words, he holds m in was created 
with reason full and complete, and with power to 
use words, as Is shown from the fact that Adam 
named all creatures at sight. “ Qo» did not teach 
him words as one of us teaches a parrot, from 
without, but gave him a capacity, and thea evok¬ 
ed that capacity.” 
He was not alone In Ills opinion, and was prob¬ 
ably In advance of many able writers, wbo 
held that language was originally revealed from 
heaven, acid that as the first man was created 
full and complete, physically, so he was mentally, 
and endowed with the power of language, which 
employs both the physical and mental in Its pro¬ 
duction. To explain how there are now so many 
languages Instead of the one given by Divine in¬ 
spiration, the supporters of this view point us to 
the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel. 
Others, and we think more correctly, bold that 
language Is of slow growth. That In the begin¬ 
ning Ideas were rew and crude, and were convey¬ 
ed by a single sound, and that as man has, In suc¬ 
cessive ages, passed from one degree ot intelli¬ 
gence to another, so has his power ot conceiving 
and expressing Ideas increased. This, the evolu¬ 
tion theory, has made rapid progress la the past 
few years, and had the “ Study ot Words ” now 
to be re-wrltten, we presume Its teachings rela¬ 
tive to the origin of language would be much 
modified. 
This book should not be confounded with an¬ 
other entitled " Words and their Uses,” by an¬ 
other author, which, commendable as it is for its 
general purpose, originality and terseness ot ex¬ 
pression, occupies a different field. The work 
under notice aims to Incite a desire, in tho mind 
of the reader, to get an understanding of the 
word, by finding how and why it or its derivation 
was first used. 
The present edition excels the former ones, In¬ 
asmuch as Prof. Sopi.rk has added a complete and 
exhaustive analysis of the revised text —pre¬ 
pared a sot of questions which enable tho general 
reader to fix more readily and firmly In his mem¬ 
ory the principal topics, and added many words 
intended to encourage original research on the 
part of the student,—thus rendering it better 
adapted for classes in schools and seminaries. 
kitchen, etc., are as simple and rough as those of 
centuries ago; and like most Ignorant people, 
every common action Is fettered by numberless 
superstitions, signs, and traditional ohrservances. 
It is 111 luck to use the wood of a tree that Is 
blasted by lightning ; 111 luck to burn anything 
belonging to the dead—It must always be burled 
also. It is daring unknown misfortunes to carry 
fire from one place to another without spitting 
In tho ashes first; 111 luck for a girl, who Is only a 
child to stir soap while It is being made ; ill luck 
for a cat to be moved, or a dog to howl, or a Whip- 
poor-will to perch near the house, and certain 
death to begin a piece of work on Friday or Sat¬ 
urday which cannot be finished the same day. 
As for planting, sowing Bee<l, killing hogs, all 
these processes are entirely under the sway of 
the moon, and should be done at certain favora¬ 
ble tlraeB. 
Their religion Is characterized by tbe same 
spirit as their everyday labor, and la won by 
visions and watching. They have their yearly 
meetings, where their preachers deliver Impas¬ 
sioned and fervid discourses, and those who are 
“ seeking' 1 (as they call the desire ot being con¬ 
verted,) are assisted by the prayers and exhor¬ 
tations of the members of the church. Those 
who are "seeking" often sit up night after night— 
not allowing themselves to 6leep—for this would 
Indicate culpable lukewarmness—and sometimes 
wandering alone In solitary and dark places in 
the woods. He 13 not considered to have Sound 
religion, until from over excitement and strained 
nerves, he has had a vision of heU and its hor¬ 
rors ; the loveliness of heaven, and the Lord Him¬ 
self who appears and declares that his sins are 
forgiven. After this, there succeeds a state of 
ecstasy, during which those who are “ happy ” 
dance together, spring Into the air, shout aloud 
and clap their hands, and often fall to the ground 
at last In a swoon of sheer exhaustion. Their 
hymns are strongly characteristic and emo¬ 
tional in their wild, Irregular rythnss, their wist¬ 
ful cadences, tholr Jubilant choruses, they 
breathe the very spirit of longing and desire. 
It Is said that the music of every exiled race 
tells the story of tholr exile, and certainly It is 
true that through the gayest negro tune, such as 
“Dixie,” “Camptown Races," runs a minor tone 
of sorrow under Its wild merriment. Some of 
their religious recitations and hymns are strange¬ 
ly picturesque, possessing a wild vlvliness which 
throws the scene into bold relief before y ou; as for 
instance the one on Moses leading the people ot 
Israel forth to freedom, while the dark waves roll¬ 
ed over Pharaoh's army, and the many hymns 
which describe tbe appearance of Gabriel, 
” When louder yet, and yet more dread, 
Sounds the loud trump that wakes the dead.” 
And the triumphant coming of the Lord as the 
Bridegroom Is believed in tho moat literal man¬ 
ner, and their voices ring out— 
'* Who shall drive the bosses 
When the Bridegroom comes?” 
with a wild earnestness that Is startling In Its 
effect. Some of their more monotonous and sad¬ 
der hymns have a certain 3low cadenced whirr 1 q 
the time which reminds one of a spinning-wheel 
accompaniment; and undoubtedly many were 
sung while the women spun and wove. 
•' Lord, send me wings, aad I’ll fly home 
To the New Jerusalem!” 
is the oft-repeated chorus to one of these. 
No one can live In the South without growing 
familiar with these peculiar musical airs. You 
hear them from the nurses as they put the babies 
to sleep, from the kitchen, the field,the corn crush¬ 
ing, the road, the church; the watchers by a sick 
bed croon an old tune as they sit up, and on 
Christmas night they solemnly watch the dawn 
come in with prayers and wild hymn 3 . 
I have never been able to discover among any 
of them any story ot their native land, any mem¬ 
ory of Africa, or any desire to return. They have 
by no means thoroughly acquired the English 
language aad phraseology. Indeed, Mrs. Mal- 
apkop fades Into Insignificance beside many of 
them. One enthusiastic old negro woman, whom 
I knew, dated every event from the “ vao.-ination 
(meaning evacuation) of Richmond.” Another 
respectfuUy spoke of the Penitentiary convicts as 
“ converts,” and one old negro man, with a low 
bow, and bis bat, or a fragment of a hat, held 
deferentially la his hand, assured his mistress 
that “ Before I do anything, missus, i always in- 
suit the Master ” (for consult). 
With all their peculiarities the negroes are 
generally a docUe, kind-hearted, simple race 
with a ready sympathy which renders them In¬ 
valuable as attendants In a sick-room or nurses 
to children. Little folks are always attracted by 
them, and no hours of a Southern girl's or boy 's 
youth are more delightful than those spent listen¬ 
ing to his ” Mammy’s” wonderful narratives. The 
passage from “ Aurora Leigh,” which a friend 
of mine has quoted In regard to them, Is truly 
descriptive lor 
*• They know * simple, merry, tender knack 
Of tyiri* sashes, fitting baby-shoes. 
And training full sense into empty words.” 
and the moral which Mrs. Browning draws, is well 
worthy of belog regarded In these days of too 
early education. 
“ Children learn by such 
Love’s holy earnest in a pretty play.” 
nor lose a single bloom of the simplicity and in¬ 
nocent Ignorance ot their first fresh years. 
(CONDUCTED BY MISS FAITH RIPLEY. 
AN APOLOGY FOR FLIRTATION 
“ Ah ! women are fickle ! yon tell me, 
" Well—yes—if by fickle you mean 
A trifle less false than you meu are ; 
And greatly more true than they seem,” 
" But women aro cruel—so cruel! 
They flatter and coax for awhile, 
Then tread on tho hearts that we give them, 
Aad deal us a blow with a smile 1” 
“ We are cruel—it may bo ; but cruel 
Iu a million of charming ways ; 
So sorry at times to have hurt you, 
80 kind on the gloomiest days. 
“ But you men!— you calculate nicely 
How near you may go, or how far, 
Nor never one moment you soften, 
Nor pity the hopes you mar. 
“ And when you at last are successful, 
And the flower floats down to your feet, 
Its colors are no more so perfect, 
Its perfume is no morecso sweet, 
“ You leave it to lie on the roadside 
(First trampling it down on tho dust), 
And fancy that such is your right here. 
To break and to outrage our trust. 
“ You think us so weak till we sting you. 
And give you at last your deserts ; 
And then you turn round in your anger 
And vow that all women aro flirts. 
“ Believe me, that if you would let us 
Be honest and true, as we aro 
(Not striving to conquer ns always). 
The world would'be better by far." 
Temple Bar. 
HUSBANDS AND WIVES 
MRS. CHARLOTTE E. FISHER, 
I do not say the husband Is always to blame. 
The wife often makes home unhappy ; too often 
both are lu fault. Yet I think the husband is 
more apt to become careless and neglectful of 
little attentions soon after marriage than the wife 
Is. A trusting, loving girl gives up her freedom 
forever and goes out from under the sheltering 
roof of the old home, to bless and brighten the 
new. Goes to be his own In sickness or health, 
for “ better or worse,” until one of the twain shall 
rest from all earthly labors. 
Before marriage he was all attention a3 to his 
personal appearance; eager to gratify her overy 
wish. Ho admired the rosebud she selected to 
wear on her bosom, but thought hla own chosen 
rose-bud much lovelier. He admired the .dress 
she wore, tho ribbon in her hair, truly she could 
do nuthlng to plcaso him that failed or Its object. 
And he told all his love and admiration in actions, 
aud what was still pleasanter, In words. 
Now they are wedded, both sure of the other’s 
love. The days are lull of light and Joy, she 
knows a shadow can never darken their home for 
Is she not his darling; his own happy little wife 
and does be not tell her so every day ? She does 
not believe any change comes after marriage un¬ 
less It Is greater and more perfect love and trust. 
Years pass. Have they carried tne bloom of life 
with them? He has business to look after, hut 
he loves his wife Just the same, she will not be¬ 
lieve otherwise. Y et, sometimes when he goes to 
his work, with only a hasty kiss and never once 
noticing the lily buds In her hair, or that she has 
ou his favorite jewels, sometimes, I say, a reel¬ 
ing of disappointment clouds the Joy In her heart. 
The full glory Is dimmed. He continues to grow 
more neglectful. Sue wears t he colors that used 
to please him; she strives to beautify his home In 
every possible manner, but he spoaks no word of 
praise. He even finds fault with her once la a 
while; but what pains her most Is his constant 
indifference, and he has too, a habit of putting 
her second Instead of first lu nearly everything. 
Occasionally, when he does happen to notice her 
he wonders at the worn face and quiet manner; 
and, doubtless thereby, she has become very 
careless of home enjoyments and love. Does he 
never remember the many times a genilo woman 
has stood beside him, lifting the hair from his 
brow or parting It with soft fingers, or caressing¬ 
ly laying a white hand on his hand- He used to 
kiss that same hand; holding It, in both his own, 
and say many kindly things. Now she Ungers 
near him, but he never Ufcs his eyes from uts 
hook to the face beside him, or finds one little 
word of endearment for his wife. 
Oh, If the walls of her room could speak, would 
they not echo the words that had so often been 
spoken to them. “ Oh t God, what have I done ? 
What have I railed to do, that life Is not as it 
once was ? Oh! how have I frighted away all the 
tender words; all the caresses that once were 
mine ? Oh wby did I not die when every word and 
action were full of love? Better—far better, to 
have gone away from earth ere the bridal roses 
raded; than to have lived until my heart calls out 
vainly, day and night for the glory of departed 
days 1” 
A Mother’s Influence. —It is hard for a young 
mother, who has not yet overcome the wayward 
tendencies of her own youthful nature, to real¬ 
ize the Influence she exerts over her Uttle ones. 
She is constantly surrounded by critical Imita¬ 
tors wbo copy her morals and manners. As the 
mother is, bo are her sons and daughters. If a 
famUy of children are blessed with an Intelli¬ 
gent mother, who Is dainty and refined In her 
manners, and does not consider it necessary to 
be one woman in the drawing-room and an en¬ 
tirely different person in her every-day Ufe, but 
who is a true mother, and always a tender, 
charming woman, yon will invariably see her 
habits of speech and perfect manners repeated 
In her children. Great, rough men, and noisy, 
busy boys, will always tone down their voices 
and step quietly, and try to be more mannerly 
when atoe stops to give them a kind word or a 
pleasant smile—fora true mother will never fall 
to say and do all the kind, pleasant things she 
can, that wUl in any way help to Uft up and 
cheer those whose lives are shaded with care 
and toll. The mother of to-day rules the world 
of to-morrow. Think of it, dear sisters, and 
guard weU your home-treasures. 
MAGAZINES 
Demorests’ Magazine for AprU Is an unusuaally 
flue number. It Is without exception, the best 
Journal of Its class published In this country 
and the high encomiums lavished on It abroad, 
lead us to the conclusion that it stands without 
a peer “ across the pond.” Usually, periodicals 
designed for women are vapid to the lust dogree, 
but this journal is an honorable exception. Be¬ 
sides tbe fashion Intelligence (amply illustrated) 
there are stories, sketches, travels and general 
miscellany, hints on etiquette, aud a correspond¬ 
ence department. It would take a column to 
merely enumerate the good things it contains. So 
we'U content ourselves with merely stating there 
Is this addition to tho Magazine's usuals attrac¬ 
tiveness—the April number contains a Uttle gem 
of art entitled “Easter Morning." 
The essentials to a little home Interior seem to 
be ashelt with an old vase or two, a plateau, or 
old dark bronze, or china plate, a casket of em¬ 
bossed brass, a slab ot malachite, a slender vase 
et Venetian glass, supported by a small stand of 
silver, and the whole softened arid subdued by a 
somewhat near curtain of thick, dusky drapery, 
swung on a rod In place ot a door. Supposing a 
room not too much out of character with the gen¬ 
eral ensemble, these objects will certainly lend 
to it an air ot what la considered aesthetic refine¬ 
ment. 
THE NEGROES OF THE SOUTH 
JENNY’S ECONOMIES 
The African race remains unchanged in many 
of Us Ideas and superstitions, living In many re¬ 
spects the old primitive Ufe la the vory midst of 
tbe discoveries and Inventions of the new age. 
The contrivances or a negro who farms his little 
piece of land, his rude wagon, out-of-doors 
Materials for lacquer work can be had of Dk 
Vob & Co. Fulton Btreet, N. Y. 
Will Mrs. Bettis Harris, late of Rural Hill, 
Tenn„ please send her address to Faith Ripley, 
care of Rural New-Yorker. 
J. K. M'CONAUOUY 
“ TnAT Is too good a broom to scrub a porch 
with, Jane,” said Aunt Liddy reprovingly, look¬ 
ing over the tops of her Iron-bowed spectacles. 
