354 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JUNE 4 
pairing for % going. 
“POCKET-MONEY FOR THE YOUNG 
PEOPLE.”-No. 4. 
PROFESSOR WILLIAM R. BROOKS. 
The possession a of little pocket-money, “ all 
our own, to do just as wo are a mind to with,” Is 
doubtless one of the great luxuries of life. If 
this Is a luxury prized by the adult, how much 
more so by the young ? I believe, too, that It the 
possession of money is a pleasure, the earning or 
It by one’s own skill or Industry la still more so. 
And then we are also better enabled to appreci¬ 
ate Its value. 
Now, It 3O0H19 to me there Is many a farmer’s 
boy, who by a little industry has It In his power 
to command no Inconsiderable amount of pocket- 
money ; aud that with hla ordinary quickness 
and Intelligence he will avail himself of this 
privilege when the way Is pointed out. 
I shall leave It to others for the present at 
least, to show, how by farming a small piece of 
land on his father's farm, the raising ot garden 
stuff or poultry, a farmer’6 boy might get to him¬ 
self a little ready cash. 
I propose to show how the rural youth, pos¬ 
sessing a little dexterity with mechanic’s toolB— 
and of such to my knowledge there are many— 
might manufacture little useful household arti¬ 
cles which he can sell to his neighbors—the 
farmers' wives, and the village macrons ; work 
which can bo done on rainy days, and In spare 
hours. And this mechanical skill thus developed 
and perfected, will prove of the greatest service 
In after life in repairing the tools and Implements 
about the farm. 
The tools which will be required arc not many 
or costly; almost every farmer has them, and 
certainly all should have. An Important matter 
Is to keep what yon have In good order; It will 
add much to the pleasure ot your work. A good, 
firm work-bench, with a strong screw vise Is also 
quite a help. 
One of the handiest little household articles, 
simple and easy to construct, Is what I shall en¬ 
title the “ Rural Scourlng-board.” It Is for scour¬ 
ing knives and forks upon, and contains also a 
receptacle for holding the brick-dust, or other 
polishing powder. Here Is a picture of It. 
The bottom is made of a piece of three-quarter, 
or inch board seven inches wide, and twelve 
Inches long. The slde3 and ends are of one-halt 
inch stuff, and are three Inches high—the sides 
being curved In the manner shown, to give It a 
little more fanciful appearance. Two Inches and 
a-half from the end-piece is a cross-piece which 
is fastened by a few brads driven through the 
side-pieces, and this forms a box to hold the 
scouring material. The front Is lert open so that 
the knife may be laid fta6 upon the board while 
being scoured. All the parts should he neatly 
planed, aud the sides and ends fastened together 
with brads. The boards may be painted any 
suitable color, but in my opinion a simple coat of 
varnish would be better. 
The “ Rural Scourlng-board” will readily re¬ 
tail for twenty-five cents, affording, as my young 
readers may calculate for themselves, a good 
profit upon the cost of the material, I should 
like to hear through the Rural ot the first hoy 
who has manufactured one and made a sale. If 
there are any questions you would like to ask 
about It, I will answer with pleasure. Let some 
ot our young folks try their hand at this little 
article, tmd In a short time I will describe some¬ 
thing different. Do not bo discouraged at your 
first attempts, but persevere, remembering al¬ 
ways that “ practice makes perfect.” 
-- 
A PLEA FOR THE SCHOOL-CHILDREN. 
MAT MAPLE. 
For several years of my life I have been en¬ 
gaged in mind cultivation, that is “ teaching the 
young Idea how to shootnot an original re¬ 
mark, but ouo that marks out my work, 1 find 
some who are putting forth their efforts In the 
right direction In educating the younger genera¬ 
tion. Their offsprings will bn prepared to enter 
business life, even though they are left without 
$100 capital. These parents have no need of any 
suggestions from my pen. But there are many 
parents who seem to be laboring under a great 
mistake. 
Some of these Imagine their children are such 
wonderful helps that theF cannot be spared from 
the farm even at the early age3 of seven, ten and 
twelve years. I know from experience that chil¬ 
dren are often absent from class because they are 
required to stay at home to drop corn and pota¬ 
toes In seeding time, and I remember one instance 
when a child of eight or nine years was kept at 
home two weeks to plant over a piece of ground 
that any wide-awake man could have planted in 
halt a day or less. 
Two youngsters of the same age and ability 
start for school the first Monday In May. They 
read passably well In the First Reader. One at¬ 
tends every day, rain or shine, during the term 
of four or five months, and Is supplied with books 
according to his capabilities; the other oomea 
one day and stays away two or three, aud then 
possibly comes three or four more, coming and 
going like an Intermittent fever. His excuses are 
often amusing when we take into consideration 
the age and size of the little man. He has “ had 
to help plant,” or “ log off a piece for ’taters," or 
“ help ma wash,” or he “ had to take care of the 
baby while ma went to the store,” or “to see a 
neighbor," or “to pick berries for sass.” Ills 
schooling averages about two days of the week. 
At, the close of the term there Is an examination. 
The (irst-mentinned lad reads well In the Third 
Reader; he has learned to add, subtract, multi¬ 
ply and divide numbers understandingly; his 
knowledge of Geography and History is good; lie 
can write a readable page In hla copy book, and 
can spell hundreds of words correctly. The 
foundation stone is laid for an lnteltegent, use¬ 
ful man. 
How is it with his companion? His advance¬ 
ment is scarcely perceptible. Who is to blame ? 
Not the hoy, and certainly not the teacher (al¬ 
though thoughtless parents frequently criticise 
the ability of the instructor because their chil¬ 
dren do not learn). Has the little farmer earned 
enough to pay for his lack of school culture? 
Most emphatically I declare that he has not. 
It parents would send their children to good 
schools from the time they were seven tlU they 
were fifteen years of age, for ten months of the 
year, and then claim their services till they were 
twenty-one, it would be tnoocy In the patent’s 
purse and far less injustice to the offspring. 
At fifteen ihe boy or girl Is strong enough to he 
or use, while at the same time they will be capa¬ 
ble of learning by practice and observation what 
they have before learned only In theory. And 
many a lad or lass would lay up a fund of useful 
knowledge during the evenings aud odd days 
when otherwise unemployed, that would be a 
perpetual fountain of usefulness during all their 
lives. 
Whereas the child who has an occasional day, 
or week, or month at school, even from the time 
he Is five years old until he is twenty-one, will 
have a very limited amount of knowledge with 
which to begin a business life. And undoubtedly 
he will be obliged to knock about the world doing 
the drudgery for hl3 former companions; looked 
upon as a sort of ignoramus Incapable of using 
his best energies. 
Look about us and behold the Jacks-at-all-t rades 
who are good for nothing! They have large capa¬ 
bilities, and yet, for lack of knowledge rightly di¬ 
rected, their talents are rusting, their lives are 
miserable failures, and our nation and the world 
at large poorer In abilities aud slower In Its march 
of progress. 
Some parents have a habit of sending their stu¬ 
dents to school without tools to work with, de¬ 
pending almost entirely upon the teacher or 
neighbors to supply the defflclency of books, 
slates, pens, paper and pencils, others get their 
supplies from “Noah’s ark," or from thetr great¬ 
grandmother’s library. If they move from Maine 
to California they still expect to use the same 
series of books IX they patronize the district school. 
Now, the fact is such students may just as well 
rerqaln at home. Their time and energies are 
not only wasted, but they are a trial to any wide¬ 
awake teacher, and a detriment to any school. 
Trying to educate the present generation from 
text-books that are out of dale, and should long 
ago have been cast into oblivion, is not wise. 
Neither Is It wise to use books that have been 
lately published, It they differ from the general 
series used la the district. Remember that the 
more classes the less time can a teacher have to 
devote to each one, and when only two or three 
minutes—as 1s often the case—can be spared for a 
recitation, but very little can be demonstrated. 
Again, there Is another set of Injudicious pa¬ 
rents who make a great mistake. These are anx¬ 
ious to have their children well educated, aud 
they are pretty sure to send them to school regu¬ 
larly, and to supply them with all needful appa¬ 
ratus; aud yet they fall In the true art ot pro¬ 
gression, They are anxious to accumulate a 
plenty of this world’s goods for future years, 
when the threads of sliver shall have found a 
place among their locks. Also, each dear child 
will need a few broad acres or golden eagles 
when he leaves the old home. And all this Is 
laudable, provided It Is not carried to such ex¬ 
tremes as to deprive Justice of its due In other 
matters. 
But when children are called from their bed at 
four o’clock la the morning, and are kept busy at 
work “cborlng” hero and there till It Is almost 
or quite time for the scffool-bell to ring, and then 
bidden to make haste to school or they will be 
late, and to “hurry home as soon as school Is 
over, as there are lots of chores to be done ”; 
(Ms, I say, is injustice. 
The pupil comes Into school thoroughly ex¬ 
hausted. How then can he undergo mental 
exercise with proper energy? He takes up a 
book and tries to read over hla lesson; the letters 
all run into one continual Jumble; he rubs hla 
eyes and tries to brighten up his Ideas but tired 
nature rebels; he soon loses consciousness and 
all Idea of labor, either mental or physical is 
forgotten, while sweet sleep locks hla thoughts In 
oblivion. Very soon he may be awakened by the 
ever vigilant hut not otherwise clever teacher. 
But alasl for blrn, study now as hard as he may, 
he comes to his class with little If any knowledge 
of hl3 lesson. Of course he receives a reprimand, 
and In not a few Instances he 1 b dubbed a “stupid, 
brainless blockhead." 
Is the child to blame when he tatis to pass a 
creditable examination, although he has not 
“missed a day” In the whole school year? is 
the teacher to blame for not being able to in¬ 
struct the intellect that Is benumbed by physical 
labor ? To cultivate tbe brain requires dllllgent 
forethought on the part ot parents as well as 
Instructors. There must he much self-denial and 
sacrifice to attain that degree of culture neces¬ 
sary to use one’s ability to the best advantage. 
There are many talents burled In napkins for 
wane of knowledge. There may not be many In¬ 
dividuals who possess ten talents by which they 
might make successful competitors in all busi¬ 
ness transactions, but those who possess five 
possibilities ot success in one or more branches, 
comparatively speaking, are quite numerous, yet 
for lack oi knowledge, our parlora are often filled 
with simpering Ignorant ladles, (!) more ornamen¬ 
tal than useful; our country flooded with tramps, 
our almshouses tilled with paupers; our prison 
colls lined with criminals, and our country t axed 
millions of dollars to supply the deficiency of 
wasted ability. 
We glory In our country’s government; for In 
most respects wo believe It to be the best m the 
world, but Its education laws might he greatly 
Improved. For Instance, we would have a certain 
series of graded books for every district school In 
the State, thus doing away with such a hetero¬ 
geneous mass as now exists; and a certificate of 
qualification should he required for every occu¬ 
pation. Each individual should be able to bring 
all his gilts to the altar of usefulness; educate 
thoroughly lu those branches for which the pupil 
has a natural Inclination. There Is no child with 
Its five senses, but has at least one talent given 
him whereby he may be of use to himself, and a 
benefit to the world at large, it he has the proper 
culture. 
-*-*-♦- 
THE MAN EVERYBODY LIKES. 
He Is orten very short, very lean and very home¬ 
ly, but this makes no difference; he Is the man 
that everybody likes and looks up to. An Adonis 
might enter the town, but he could not usurp his 
place; no indeed, for he Is too firmly rooted In 
the hearts of the people. 
In the first place he Is not a bigoted man. He 
believes In everybody having their rights:—yes, 
even In women receiving equal pay when they do 
the same amount of labor as a man. He also be¬ 
lieves in giving the minister enough salary to 
live on, and doesn’t sneer at all other denomina¬ 
tions excepting “mine.” 
In the second place he doesn’t know It all. He 
has enough humanity to conceive that there are 
things in this world beyond his knowleige. He 
Is wining to be taught, but never tries to teach 
others. 
In the third place he possesses a great heart, 
with “charity for all, and malice towards none.” 
When you enter his presence it is Just like the 
effect of a warm fire on a cold night. He always 
stands up for the weakest side,—Is very forglv- 
lug; very apt to overlook your shortcomings and 
think you will do better next time. If any of the 
boys get Into trouble they go to him. Ho has a 
faculty of smoothing lUa.ll out and starting them 
In tUe right, path again. Older men go to him 
also. His clear, concise manner of stating a case 
Is sure to brush the fog away when they are per¬ 
plexed. 
Uls wife (if he has one) is considered the luck¬ 
iest womau In town. She does seem to enjoy her¬ 
self, and Is in most cases fat and rosy, with a 
hearty, infectious way that la suggestive of pleas¬ 
ant things at home. 
When In society, his manner Is perfect. He Is 
very attentive, and listens to your hobby with 
the utmost pattence. He knows Just who la the 
most lonely and needs a little attention, if there 
Is a girl or ancient maiden who Is overlooked, Mr. 
N. will be sure to find her corner and have a 
pleasant chat, which brightens her np for the 
whole evening. In fact, he has a way—not by 
flattery, for he doeB not descend to that, but by 
the reflex of his own sunny disposition—of mak¬ 
ing everybody feel pleased with themselves. 
Somehow, he gets to be the man of all the men 
In the town. If anything Important comes up, It 
is, “consult Mr. N.”; tf any one rall3 Into trouble, 
It is, " run lor Mr. N."; and It Is “ Mr. N.” all the 
time, because you Bee everybody likes and trusts 
him. M. E. Stone. 
- »-»+• - -- 
RUSSIAN MERCHANTS. 
The two great blemishes on the character of 
the Russian merchants as a class are, according 
to general opinion, their Ignorance and their dis¬ 
honesty. As to the former ot these there cannot 
possibly be any difference of opinion. The great 
majority of the merchants do not possess even 
the rudiments of education. Many of them can 
neither read nor write, and are forced to keep 
their accounts in their memory, or by moans of 
ingenious hieroglyphics, intelligible only to the 
inventor. Others can decipher the calendar aud 
the llveB of the saints, can sign their names with 
tolerable facility, and can make the simpler arith¬ 
metical calculations with the help of a little cal¬ 
culating instrument called stetu-ty, which resem¬ 
bles the abaca ot the old Romans, and Is univer¬ 
sally used in Russia. It Is only the minority who 
understand the mysteries of regular book keep¬ 
ing, and ot these very few can make any preten¬ 
sions to betug educated men. Already, however, 
symptoms of a change for the better In this re¬ 
spect are noticeable. Some of the rich merchants 
are now giving to their children the beat educa¬ 
tion which can be procured, and already a few 
young merchants may be found who can speak 
one or two foreign languages and may fairly be 
called educated men. 
--■— 
Economy.— Perhaps there is no word In the En¬ 
glish language that has been so foolishly nar¬ 
rowed In Its moaning as the word economy. 
Most people think of It as a saving or money, as 
though to bo economical, was In a certain sense, 
to be stingy or mean. Now', economy In Its true 
Interpretation Is the art of management—is the 
wise adaption by which we arrange time, health, 
and strength so as to produce the beat results. 
alikilj pairing. 
THE WISE MAN’S CHOICE. 
Man’s days are as grass; as the flower of the field so 
shall he flourish,—PS. Gb. II. 15. 
See, in her thorny stalk reclining. 
Yon withered rose, so sickly pining! 
Yet late her crimson cheek was seen 
In dewy lustra brightly shining. 
Thus quickly fades our youthful bloom, 
When age or Sioknena steals upon us; 
And when wo sink into tbo tomb, 
Not long our nearest friends bemoan us, 
Till beauty then the nage despises. 
Him never her tempting lure entices; 
Naught but fair virtue’* don titles* charms. 
That dock the soul, he fondly prizes. 
Unmoved he smile* at fortune’s frown. 
Scorning all bor fleeting favors; 
His hope that reat* on God alone. 
And always Him to please endeavor*, 
Beneath His uttered wing protected. 
Still towards Him It is directed. 
He Journeys on through life seaure. 
Till comes the happy term expected. 
When ended all hie care and toll. 
He flies to meet hla God’B embrace*; 
Who welcomes him with gracious smile. 
And ’mong his saints In glory places, 
•-- 
A STEP BACK OUT OF ERROR. 
The following bit of experience, says The Con- 
gregatlonallst, is recounted In a letter to his sis¬ 
ter from the pen of an estimable Christian, who 
has conscientiously “sounded all the depths 
and shoals” of that plausible and fascinating 
error of which he speaks, and will be read with 
Interest, and we trust wl th profit: 
1 have looked much into tho “ Higher Life” 
theory, so called; have attended “holiness” 
meetings, have been looked u pen as a “ hlgher- 
llfe man,” have spoken again and again In 
meeting ot the the fullness of the blessing.” “ en¬ 
tire sanctification," the “rest of faith,” etc., and 
have, of course, been brought in contact with 
the brethern who profess it; and now, what Is 
the result ? I have entirely given up attendance 
on holiness meetings; I have seen so much to 
offend and disgust me, that I have been gradu¬ 
ally led to tho conclusion that my place was to 
work quietly in my own church, and not make 
a hobby of any particular doctrine. I have dis¬ 
carded all that literature, because I have found 
a want of harmony, also a conscious spirit, an 
** I am holier-than-thou” tone In some, and a 
mysticism in others ; but I feel Instead an In¬ 
creasing delight In the Word ot God. 
I have doubtless, my dear sister, encouraged 
you In this theory by my letters and Influence; 
and now I wtlte plainly to tell you, before God, 
that I am beginning to see my mistake and am 
anxious to Influence all I can to come back to the 
simplicity of the Word of God. The Lord has, no 
doubt, richly blest you; let love take the 
place of theory, let your light shine In your own 
chruob ; If It la cold, aud the pastor, to your 
mind, formal, all the more need of your warm, 
Christian Influence. Mind you, I don’t say there 
is no such tbtng as a “ blessing.” I believe I have 
It. I believe you have It; the precious in¬ 
dwelling or the Holy Spirit, the abiding of 
Jesus 1 q the soul, the hidden life, the cleansing; 
but I believe that every child ot God has the 
same blessed spirit in him, though he may be 
weak and not know his wealth. The tendency 
of this theory Is to lead to the formation of a set 
or pai ty or clique, who prrbaps notluientlonally, 
are setting themselves up as more spiritual, as 
having made higher attainments than the mass of 
Christians. As they walk into church the reeling 
loill come; ** 1 am free; I am rally sanctified.” I 
have had that feeling, and say It with shame and 
contusion, but confess It. Now all my higher 
life Is concluded In this—assurance of God’s 
love, peace ot conscience, Joy in tho Holy Ghost 
Increase of grace. Conscious of a poor, weak, 
stnrul heart, but all the more clinging to my 
dear saviour for the cleansing and rorglveness 
for which I am sure I receive. 
1 want tor myself and tor my dear sisters, a 
strong, healthy, rounded Christian lire; full ot 
Jesus and Hla word; tree from theories and 
“Isms.” I hope and expect to he dally growing 
In grace, and not to be fully sanctified till 1 die, 
though righteous In God’s sight now because of 
faith in His dear Son. While I reckon myself 
“dead to sin,” I must watch the old man till I 
die. 
-♦ ♦ » - 
The more any man improves his graces, the 
clearer, tho Bweeter, fuller and richer is his en¬ 
joyment or God here. There Is no man in all the 
world who has such enjoyment of God as that 
man has who most Improves His graces. It Is not 
he who knows most, nor he who hears most, nor 
yet lie who talks most, but he who exercises 
grace most, that has moat communion with God, 
that has the clearest visions of God, and that has 
tho sweetest discoveries and manifestations of 
Ills Lord and Master. 
-- 
Mant saints have had their hearts warmed and 
heated by sitting noar other saints’ fires, by eye¬ 
ing and dwelling upon other saints’ graces. When 
men’s graces shine as Moses’ face did—when their 
lives, as one speaks of Joseph’s life, Is a very 
heaven, sparkling with variety ot virtues as with 
so many bright stars—ah I now are others stirred 
up to glorify God, and to cry out, “These are 
Christians Indeed; these are an honor to their 
God, a crown to their Christ, and a credit to their 
gospel." 
---♦ ♦♦ - 
The number of difficulties makes the Christian’s 
conquest the more illustrious. A gracious man 
should he made up all of fire, overcoming and con¬ 
suming all opposition, as fire does the stubble. 
All difficulties should he but whetstones to his 
fortitude. 
