JUNE 8 
367 
BRIC-A-BRAC. 
Ashes or bosks. 
Soft on the sunset sky 
Bright daylight closes. 
Leaving, when light doth die. 
Pale hues that mingling lie— 
Ashes of roses. 
When love's warm sun is set, 
Love’B brightness closes, 
Eyes with hot tears are wet, 
In hearts there linger yet 
Ashes of roses. [St. Nicholas. 
INSECTS AS TALKERS. 
“Two ants, ’’ says Buchner, “ when they are talk¬ 
ing', stand with their heads opposite each other, 
working their sensitive feelers In the liveliest 
manner, and tapping each other's heads. Nu¬ 
merous examples prove that they are able In this 
way to make mutual communications, and even 
on definite subjects.” “I have often,” says the 
English naturalist,, Jesse, “ placed a small green 
caterpillar In the neighborhood of an ant’s nost. It 
Is Immediately Bleaed by an ant, which calls In 
the assistance or a friend after Ineffectual efforts 
to drag the caterpillar Into the nest. It can be 
clearly seen that the little creatures hold a con¬ 
versation by means of their feelers, and this be¬ 
ing ended, they repair together to the caterpillar 
In order to draw It Into the nest by their united 
strength. Further, I have observed the meeting 
of ants on their way to and from their nests. 
They stop, touch each other with their feelers,’ 
and appear to hold a conversation, which I have 
a good reason to suppose refers to the best grouod 
for obtaining food.” Hague writes a letter to 
Darwin “ that he one day killed with hla Unger 
a number of ants who came every day from a hole 
In the wall to some plants standing on the chim¬ 
ney-piece. He had tried the effect of brushing 
them away, hut lb was of no use, and the conse¬ 
quence of the slaughter was that the ants who 
were on their way Immediately turned back and 
tiled to persuade their companions, who wore 
not yet aware of their danger, to turn hack also. 
A short conversation ensued between the ants, 
which, however, did not result In an Immediate 
return, for those who had just left the nest con¬ 
vinced themselves of the truth of the report.” 
TWO AND ONE. 
Thoo hast two ears, and but one mouth; 
Remember it, I pray ; 
For much there is that thou must hear, 
And little say. 
Thou has two eyeB, and but one mouth; 
Ponder the reason well. 
Full many things thou art to see. 
And few things tell. 
Thou hast two hands, and but one month; 
Nature has rightly done, 
For she has given two for work, 
For eating, one. 
[From the Oerman <>J Ruckert. 
FoETitr, Borne practical people think, hath no 
value. Not so, even In this prosaic age. The 
price paid by the Nineteenth Century to Tenny¬ 
son recently for hla ballad of the Revenge was 
pretty high, yet It Is not the highest paid in our 
time to a poet. The ballad contains 130 lines, and 
the author received for It 300 guineas, or $12 60 
a line. Mr. Robert Bonner paid Longfellow for 
the “ Hanging of the Crane” $1,000. That poem 
contains 200 lines, at which rate the poet received 
$20 a Hue. For “ Tlthouus,” published In an early 
number of the Cornhill Magazine, Tennyson re¬ 
ceived 100 guineas, or $7 25 a line, and Tom Moore 
much exulted lu receiving a guinea a line. 
AN ABORIGINAL CHANT. 
What time tho glittering rays of morn 
O’er lull and valley steal, 
Chief JoBopb’s outlaw, with dog and horn. 
Prepares the Indian meal. 
And if. with wild, rebellious shout. 
The pappooso shall appear. 
The chieftain leads the bad child out 
Clutched by tho Inline ear. 
The breakfast o'er, the daughter strolls 
Down glen and shady dell; 
While gay young braves, from wooded knolls, 
“ Lo»k out for the lujine belle !" 
Each stricken br.ive she turns and leaves 
Her coyness to bewail; 
Her dragging blanket stirB the leaves— 
The well-known Indian trail, 
A Black Hills miner, scalped and dead. 
Upon tho ground is found, 
Grim speaks tho chief, “There's been, I’m ’fraid, 
An Indian summors round.” 
What time he rideth forth to shoot, 
HiB favorito horse the dapple is; 
And when he wants a little fruit 
Goes where the Indianapolis. 
When finished are his warlike tasks, 
With bruzeu incongruity. 
For overcoats and food he asks. 
With sharming Indiauuity. 
At night, beforo his bod he'll seek, 
With countenance forlorn. 
Ho takes his Bcalplng-kDife, and eke 
He trims the Indian corn, [Hawkeye. 
If a cat doth meet a cat upon the garden wall, 
and If a cat doth greet a cat, O need they both to 
squall ? Every Tommy has his Tabby waiting on 
the wall, and yet he welcomes her approach with 
a hideous yawl. And If a kitten wtsh to court upon 
a garden wall, why don't he sit and sweetly smile, 
and not stand up and bawl; lift Ills precious back 
up high, and show Ms teeth and moan, as If 
'twere colic more than lovo that made that fellow 
groan? 
“ De big sunflower may rise above 
De modest ’tater vine. 
An’ brag about its Suuday clothes, 
An’ put on airs so line; 
But when the winter howls around. 
And tlie snow lies at the doah, 
Do big sunflower, oh! whore am be— 
De 'tater hez de floah !'* 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
.for ®omtir. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS FAITH RIPLEY. 
SONG. 
I wore your roses yesterday 
About this light robe's folds of white; 
Wherein their gathered sweetness iay. 
Still clings their perfume of delight. 
And all in vain the warm wind sweeps 
These airy folds, like vapor fine; 
Among them still the odor sleeps. 
And haunt* me with a dream divine. 
So to my heart your memory clings, 
So sweet, so rich, so delicate. 
Eternal summer-time it brings. 
Defying all the storms of fate. 
A power to turn the darkness bright. 
Till life with added beauty glows. 
Each moment touched with tender light, 
And every thought of you a rose. 
[CVlia Thaxter. 
-■ ■ -»♦» 
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE MIRANDA. 
Celia Thaxter Is well-known as a poet to the 
readers of the Atlantic. She la thoroughly a New 
Englander and revolves around Boston. Her 
life has been peculiar and romantic. Her father 
was a local politician at Portsmouth, N. H.. and 
having failed to get an appointment which he 
had every reason to expect, he became disgusted 
with mankind in general and politicians In par¬ 
ticular, and reaolved, like a Yankee Tlmon, to 
renounce society. Consequently he bought one 
of the Islands known as the Isles of the Shoals, 
and retired there with his family, determined 
never to return to the main-land. He adhered to 
hla resolution; he built a rude dwelling and 
remained there uutll death, some 16 or IS years. 
On the Island (Appledore, formerly called Hog 
island) Celia Leighton wa3 born, and there she 
grew up, never vlsltlDg the shore, her father 
having forbidden her to do so on pain of his 
eternal displeasure. When about 16, a lovely 
and natural girl, a lawyer, much older than Bhe, 
weut to Appledore for his health, havlDg heard 
much of the restorative Influence of the open 
sea atr upon tUe lungs, his own having troubled 
him greatly. Her father refused to have him 
under Ms roof; but llndlng the lawyer bent on 
remaining In any event, and that he had erected 
acabln of hla own, he Anally agreed to accept 
him as a boarder. 
The result may be anticipated. The New Hamp¬ 
shire Miranda could not be thrown day after day 
Into the society of the invalid Ferdinand without 
lusplrlng and being Inspired by the tender pas¬ 
sion. She had never seen any man except her 
father and two brothers, and she would there¬ 
fore have fallen in love with Thaxter had he been 
a humpback, Ms name Sprlgglns, and his trade 
undertaking. He would not have been quite 
human had he been able to pass days and even¬ 
ings on the rocks girt by the ocean, under the sun¬ 
shine, starlight, moonbeams, In the delightful 
companlonslilp of that child of nature. What 
happened was inevitable. Father Leighton was 
amazed and enraged when the lover asked his 
consent, and vowed he should never, never, never 
have his daughter. Thaxter swore then by 
BlackstoDe, Coke and Littleton that he would 
have Celia without the paternal sanction, and 
was so sure to keep his path that the recluse 
yielded reluctantly. The two were Joined In 
wedlock, and as the lawyer had greatly improved 
In health, he took his bride to the main land, 
and they went to Boston on their nuptial tour, 
siuce, she has dlvtded her time between Ports¬ 
mouth, Boston and the Shoals, spending the 
warm months on Appledore, where she has a 
cottage. IJer brothers, Cedric and Oscar, have 
the Inn on the Island, and have made money 
by the annual Influx of summer visitors. Celia 
Thaxter la the chief lion or lioness of the place, 
and entertains many of her admirers and friends. 
She la enamored of the Shoals, thinking them 
unsurpassed for pleasantness, picturesqueness 
and health. They constantly figure In her verse. 
She has written a little book In prose about 
thorn, and she never wearies of chanting 
their praises. Her husband Is not seen very of¬ 
ten, Ms wife appearing to enjoy herself despite 
Ms Invisibility. She Is buxom, of liberal avolrdu. 
pels, of excellent health and digestion, talkB 
fluently and eloquently, and tr she owns any 
secret sorrow she does not parade It for the grati¬ 
fication of the curious. She Isno longer young 
In years—she must be 05—but she Is as young In 
feeling as she was In early worn anhood. She 
has a son grown to man’s estate. 
MRS. WATSON’S BOYS. 
MRS. J. K. M’CONADGLKT. 
Four great boys In the house and only one little 
four-year-old girl. It did look at first sight as If 
It was a rather unequal division of the “ help ’’ 
between father and mother. But that Impres¬ 
sion came from a want, of raralliartty with tho 
family habits. 
It was Edward's Job to get up in the morning 
and make a tire for mother In the kitchen and 
dining-room, and he thought It no great hardship 
either. If Edward had been a girl, most likely 
mother would have built the Are herself. Mother 
and Silas usually made their appearance down 
stairs about the same time, and she never had to 
say, as I have heard some mothers entreat their 
daughters: “ Now do hurry and .set that table as 
quick as you can." 
As methodically as an old .'lock, Silas wheeled 
out tho table the first thing .and laid the cloth 
and plates, as neatly as If he had been bred a 
hotel-waiter. Probably he dall ed over a paper a 
few minutes afterwards until he cheery sound 
“your breakfast Is ready Silas,” greeted him 
from the kitchen. For in the buckwheat season 
Silas was the cake baker for all the fam lly, so 
mother could preside at the table In the usual 
orderly way. TUe good mother knew It was not 
a very heartsome thing for a growing boy to bake 
cakes for all the family before he had broken M3 
own fast over night. So she always had some¬ 
thing hot and nice flxed for Mm at one end of her 
big kitchen table where he could eat and chat 
with mother, at his leisure, while 1 he other boys 
did up the chores. That was a good stroke or 
policy with Mrs. Watson, and Silas would re¬ 
member those morning breakfasts lovingly when 
he was an old man. Then he was fresh and 
cheery and ready to put on the full buckwheat 
capacity of the big stove for the benefit of tho 
rest. They all knew how to take a turn In tho 
kitchen and put a room to rights up stairs as 
orderly as a West Point cadet could tlx up Ms 
quarters. 
They were taught from babyhood the good, 
soldierly habit of waiting upon themselves, so 
that It was very easy to add on the lesson or wait¬ 
ing upon others wUen there was a ueed for It, and 
particularly upon their hard-working mother. A 
great many girls are not half so ready or helpful, 
the more the pity! The boys could wash and iron 
some, and make a short-cake and pot of coffee, or 
cook a steak as well as the best Bridget to be had 
for money. They wore none of them of that class 
to which Horace Greeley referred, where he said 
they would “ starve to death In the garden of 
Eden for the want of somebody to pick the fruit." 
None of Mrs. Watson’s boys would be reduced to 
the straits a soldier boy of my acquaintance was, 
where rations of dry flour were served out to the 
men. 
"How did you cook It?” I a3ked. 
“ I mixed It with water, and salt if I had It, and 
then set It on tho coals until It was cooked or 
burnt, and then ate It.” 
One tMng these handy Watsons used to do for 
their mother, wMch anybody’s children could do 
where a mother does her own housework. They 
always cleared tho table and 6et away the food 
In Its proper place In tho pantry or cellar; thus 
saving het a great many miles or weary walking 
in the course of a week. 
These boys were not a whit leas manly than 
neighbors’ sons who sat toasting their boots 
around the Are, while mother wearily walked 
around them, doing all her work and waiting 
upon them besides. 
A family thus trained once lived in a beautiful 
homestead up the Hudson. A friend was there at 
a family gathering when the mother’s hair was 
silvered, and ‘ the boys” came home from 
distant abodes to this happy meeting. One left 
his editorial chair, one his large wholesale es¬ 
tablishment on Broadway, and all came from 
posts of honor and usefulness. When the feast 
was over, a son led Ms mother back to her cozy 
arm-chair and her guests, wMle her sons went 
mently to work and “cleared away the tMngsand 
■ V ued up the dishes ” as In olden times. 
A Uttle housework In their boyhood will not 
spoil them In the least. 
-»■* ♦- 
LETTERS FROM A COUNTRY GIRL.-No. 5. 
MARGARET B. HARVEY. 
In the neighborhood In which we lived there 
was a society composed of young people, meeting 
sometimes at the houses ot the various members 
sometimes In the lecture-room of the church, i 
would suggest that the former place be used In 
the Infancy of such an association; the latter 
when It has grown. Both have their advantages: 
the first brings members more closely together, 
the second gives better opportunity for a higher 
grade of entertainment and culture. Every com¬ 
munity which has not such an organization needs 
one. And to the woman who liked my sugges¬ 
tions, In former letters, and followed them and 
profited by them, 1 would say: Go to work to 
start a society. Begin now, so that by autumn, 
when lta work win be most, needed, It will he well 
under way. 
Interest the young people flrst, by Inviting them 
to spond an evening at your house. If you can 
privately, beforehand, notify several of your 
young friends to he prepared to read or sing or play 
for you. If you can send for a friend at adlstanee. 
who has some special talent* all the better, if 
you can afford to offer a few simple refreshment.'', 
do so; If not* never mind, finish the evening by a 
few old-fashioned romps. Then, when you are 
sure they have all had a good time, say that you 
would Uko to form a society among yourselves, 
to meet at. stated times; object, mutual entertain¬ 
ment and improvement, if they are In favor, 
capture the brightest, most energetic spirits for 
your right-hand men and women. If they think 
It would no!, work, try again until you can got 
support. 
But It will scarcely fall If you feel your way 
carefully, Encourage your rrtends to prepare 
songs or recitations, or to volunteer to read or 
play, and ask them to bring friends and spread the 
Interest. After a while, when the association has 
taken form, speak of contributions to a Library 
Fund. Meanwhile, use for common readings to 
form tho subject of conversation, essays, de¬ 
bates, etc., the best books that you have or can 
borrow. Many interesting exercises can be In¬ 
vented by yourselves. I shall describe briefly, 
two, outside of the ordinary range of music and 
declamation. 
One was this. A youag gentlemen of our num- 
her, who had quite a fund ot humor, as well as 
talent for sketching, would, prior to the time ot 
meeting, draw something on a blackboard—a 
number or ridiculous faces, a fantastic landscape, 
a Mark Twain Map. Then he would stand before 
the association, and In deep, solemn tones, 
“ deliver a lecture ” on physiognomy, painting or 
geography. 
Another, less amusing, but perhaps more profi¬ 
table, was: The president would give out a number 
of slips of paper, each containing a question in 
history, philosophy, mythology, science, etc., to 
be answered the next meeting. These, supplied 
by members to be answered by other members, 
would compel a large majority quite often to read 
and consult authorities. 
After the Library comes the Plano Fund. You 
might give a concert for one or both. The mere 
fact of the society's having in their possession 
a library and a piano, would stimulate the com¬ 
munity generally to study. Out of the Library 
Fund a number of standard magazines should be 
taken, to be accessible to all. if it cannot be 
arranged to have the Library open at all times, it 
can bo on the afternoon and evening of the 
regular meeting. 
I began by describing a simple, home society, 
and ended with a large lyceum and Its machin¬ 
ery. Well, so ought you; that Is, you must alrn 
for your organization’s growth in numbers and In 
power. 
After a time It will pay you to combine your 
resources, so that you can, now and then, have a 
noted reader or, musician to come and entertain 
you. TMs done, occasionally, will give the people 
a higher standard ot culture, and they will learn 
to appreciate fine literature and music. 
Shakespeare and Handel wiil then become 
more than mere names. I do not admire 
“spouters” and “Equallera,” butltbink It just 
as likely to occur In one place as In another, that 
the young people will learn to converse Intel¬ 
ligently of the early English poets and later 
novelists, and to sing beautiful selections from 
classic authors. 
Once in a while, also, a scientist—he need not 
be very eminent, provided he is accurate In his 
facts—may lecture for you. As a matter of 
course. tMa will awaken some latent love of a 
particular branch of science In some ot your 
youth. All the better if they follow this bent. 
Then for general Information you will have a 
more or less complete flora and fauna of the dis¬ 
trict classified, the collection of flowers and 
Insects and birds gradually accumulating in the 
cabinets wMch have become the property of the 
society. 
Art can be studied by the members chiefly from 
books read by sections, and by purchasing photo¬ 
graphs, hellotypes and plaster-casts, which latter 
being educational, will also form appropriate or¬ 
namentation for the society's room, or rooms— 
for by this time, you ought to have some kind of 
a regular headquarters. Ruskln’s Modern Paint¬ 
ers is a good work with which to start. Many of 
the most famous paintings have been copied so as 
to be wltMn reach of all. 
I do not know how much of this can he done In 
your section or the country—hut I know that all 
has been done tn several of which I know. But 
the simplest kind of a reading-circle is better 
than the utter monotony of too many places. 
And I believe It possible lor every settlement 
to become the center of an Intelligent, cultured 
community. 
--- 
A performance was given lu aid of the SUak a- 
peare Memorial Theater, Library and Gallery, 
now approaching completion at Stratford-on- 
Avon, at the Gaiety Theater In London recently. 
The performance was arranged by Miss Kate 
Field, and embraced the following features:—Se¬ 
lections from "Romeo and Juliet,” “As You 
Like It,” “ Merchant or Venice ” and “ Henry the 
Eighth,” a short speech by Silas Field on the sub¬ 
ject of the memorial, and an exhibition or the 
telephone harp, etc. Miss Field sang “ Angels 
Ever Bright and Fair," and appeared In her com¬ 
edietta, “Eyes Right*'' Shaskpearian airs were 
played on the telephone harp in Shakbpeare's 
house at Stratford-on-Avon, and distinctly heard 
by the audience. There was a large attendance 
at the theater, and the financial success is de¬ 
scribed as splendid. 
--- 
ITEMS FOR CORRESPONDENTS. 
BY THE EDITOR. 
L. M. Brown.—A s you do not wish to purchase 
any more silk, you had best take for the tody of 
your underskirt some black cambric or any black 
skirt you may happen to have, and trim the bot¬ 
tom of It with a flounce (as deep as your goods 
will allow) and a heading of silk. Make a long 
overskirt of the underskirt, and as It. Is full you 
will probably have some to spare. TMs, with the 
overskirt you have now, will be ample for the 
underskirt Bounce. Your basque ought to be 
lengthened about three Inches. You can add a 
piece on it and cover the seam by a fold of silk, a 
band of velvet or a double row of lace. You need 
have no hesitancy about adopting the cambric 
underskirt., as the richest, silk dresses (new mate¬ 
rial) are made with cambric or stuff goods under¬ 
skirts, ornamented with a flounce and puffings or 
piping of the rich material. 
Miss Lingoop, Columbia Co., N. Y.—I would 
recommend Llttell’s Living Age. It will suit your 
purpose better than any other magazine publish¬ 
ed In this country. 
Lottie Masters, Thousand Islands.—1 do not 
care to discuss the merits of any political meas¬ 
ure through the Rural. If yon want to read the 
arguments In favor of free trade you can address 
Putnam & Co. of New York, who have published 
several pamphlets advocating the advantages ot 
lowering the tariff ; but I must ask you to ex¬ 
cuse me from expressing my opinion on matters 
political. 
Lily Benton, Essex Co., N. J.—Use your old 
black silk as an underskirt, and buy some one of 
the rich, ta.'.ey black grenadines for an overdress. 
The prices range from $1 ud. A very elegant 
quality is purchasable at $ 1 . 60 . 
