THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
I^atiiug for t|r fount). 
“POCKET-MONEY FOR THE YOUNG 
PEOPLE. ”-No, 6. 
COHN'PLANTER. 
Tdb production for mirkct ot the more com¬ 
mon vegetable? is in many locilltle? quite profit¬ 
able. Whore facilities for inirkcUng are conven¬ 
ient, Lettuce, ituitsho-;, Pe is, Snip-Beans and 
Early Beets for greens are grove with blit little 
labor. I hive found the Kirlv E 'r-lcttuce lor 
early, and .Mill,a Drumhead and Uauso.i for late, 
the best. Sow In drills, Ohlnnio' lour to six 
inches, utilizing the thinnings lor market, tied 
up In bunches, or for transplanting: Hidlshes, 
Pren;h Breakfast for early, and Long Scarlet for 
summer; sown in drills, unless very close. They 
will not require thinning until some are large 
enough for use, vviieo they shoald be drawn, and 
those remaining will grow rapidly, thus gaining 
a succession from one sowing. 
Radishes dellgfit 1 n a sandy soli. A lit!le rotted 
maoure or other fertilizer will cause a quick 
growth, thus securing a mild, crisp and tender 
bulb. Where land la noL so valuable as to require 
very close planting, run furrows two and one-half 
feet apart tor your Peas, dropping the seed in 
hills eight to twelve inches, according lo the va¬ 
riety, dwarf needing less room than taller-grow¬ 
ing sorts, eight to ten seeds In each hill; or, If 
It Is only proposed to give horse cultivation, plant 
in a continuous drill, using a little more seed. 
Cover with the plow. Go through the rows with 
the cultivator as soon as they can be seen. Turn 
a furrow to them on each side when five or six 
Inches high; thus you see Peas are a crop requir¬ 
ing but little labor comparatively, though picking 
is a slow and tLresome operation. Varieties: Lit¬ 
tle Gem, or some of t he other Wilts, will do for 
very early, hut for the main crop, I have never 
found anything better than the old Dan O'Rourke 
for market purposes. Later kinds generally find 
prices so low that they do not pay cost. 
We often hear the slang expression, “ lie don’t 
know beans - ' (I'nole True will please grant par¬ 
don for using It here), which one would think 
could be applicable only In the lowest ranks of 
Ignorance, but, my young friends, there are many 
of our older Ruralists that have yet to loam that 
a Black Wax IS far superior to a Marrow as a snap 
hean. Plant as above directed for peas, though 
not so deep; two Inches is enough. Do not 
work them when the dew Is on and the ground 
dry, the dust will be likely to cause rust; If the 
earth is moist so that no dust will rise, harm will 
not result. 
For early beets, I have found the Red Egyptian 
and Yellow Turnip the best. Red beets usually 
sell most readily. Throw up high ridges, plant 
two or throe seeds about six inches apart, and do 
not thin until large enough for greens, drawing 
about one-half the young plants, and again, a 
week or ten days after, go over them, leaving only 
one plant In a hill. Tie up In bunches both the 
tMunlngs and the larger beets. The Swiss Chard 
Is excellent for greens. 
Lettuce, radishes and beets should be washed 
clean, which is rapidly done after bunching by 
rinsing in clean water. This must be carefully 
done, so that ihe leaves are not bruised. 
Different markets call for different methods of 
preparing vegetables for sale; but let us all call 
on Uncle Truk to give us an idea as to tbe most 
attractive forms which come under hla observa¬ 
tion, as to the size of buucbes most desirable, and 
also If they are such as are quoted In the Rural 
Market Reports. 
-- 
SELF-HELPING BOYS. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
“Will you tie my necktie, please, Cousin 
Mart,’' asked Hubert coming toward me a morn¬ 
ing or two ago, with a cravat hanging about 
his neck. 
“Avm platsir," I responded, "but how proud I 
should be to have a boy, sixteen years old, going 
to some woman to tie his necktie for hltn! Half 
the hoys In the world I suppose do It, and a 
great many men. Indeed I have heard of men 
who led great armies to splendid victories, and 
of statesmen of Immortal fame, who for their very 
lives could not arrange their neckties satisfac¬ 
torily. Why, any girl of ten years of age. who 
owns ribbons, knows how to tie bows and knots 
beautifully! You don’t catch the girls going 
to papa or uncle with “ tie my necktie, please," 
you see girls are not such ninnies. Ah, Hubert! 
“ Well, I can tie mine, for that matter," says 
the lad deprecatlngly. ** Well, why do you not 
do It then? You ooys now-a-days are not good 
lor much. The smallest services for yourselves 
you can’t do—such as to thread a needle, sew 
on a button, or sew up a rip In la your clothing. 
Why, when Anaximander was at college, If ho 
wanted a button on his shirt, he would run a 
short stick through the cloth, and poke his knife 
through anywhere for a button hole. Such look¬ 
ing clothes as he had when he came home, mother 
says!—But it was all her fault. Mothers nowa¬ 
days arc not halt BpartaD enough. The boys must 
be coddled like babies; sleep la soft beds, and be 
tucked in like lrutt In a ple-ei ust, walled on by 
mamma and slaters, and when once out from the 
house-roof, arc perfectly helpless in regard to a 
score of things t hey ought perfectly well to know 
how to do.” 
“Oh tie. you can’t expect a fellow to learn 
everything, Cousin Mary !" 
“ No; hut 1 would teach him to be independent. 
I would have him able to sew on a button nicely, 
as well as to ride on horseback, as Julius Cmsar 
did. It Is not half so ridiculous for a man to know 
how to sew, as to see him standing forlorn before 
his dressing-bureau, with his last clean shirt in 
his hands, and finding It buttonless. Moreover, It 
Is highly essential, if a boy Is to become a scien¬ 
tific man, for him to become accustomed early to 
using hla fingers deftly. One reason why women 
sometimes become so superior In surgery and 
as dentists. Is largely because they know how to 
use their fingers skillfully. If you were the son 
of an English nobleman, you would prodably have 
to dispense with some of your sons hips and en¬ 
dure hardships. Your lordly papa would stick 
you lu an uncarps ted room, with a hard mattress 
on the floor to sleep on, make you wait upon 
yourself in every particular, and keep you a 
stranger to cakes and prcseiwes, for he knows, as 
well as every body ought to know, that unless a 
boy gets a Certain amount ot what he calls being 
“ knocked about," he Is not likely to ever amount 
to much. And I think boys ought to know how to 
cook certain dishes, too!’’ 
“Oli my goodness!" roars Hubert with laugh¬ 
ter, “you would have a fellow jack-at-all-trades 
and good at none—a regular ‘ sissy— ’" 
“Oh, that Is what you always fall back upon 
when anybody wants you to be something else 
than a blundering, awkward, dependent crea¬ 
ture, that thinks he knows quite enough If he 
can harness a horse and eat his breakfast after It 
is cooked and spread for Mm. Why girls know 
how to do five limea as many tUlDgs as boys do! 
They know bow to do nearly every thing that you 
do, and ever so many more! But I do tldnk It Is 
a ridiculous way to bring up boys to be so help¬ 
less, 1 would have them know enough of cookery 
to bo able to cook at least a rude meal for them¬ 
selves, if necessary. And In conclusion, I'd have 
them all able to tie their own neckties properly, 
or go without!" 
“ Amen! that’s what I call a regular old preach, 
Cousin Mary; I expect to profit by It, and one 
day may be seen sitting In my modest doorway, 
patching my old clothes, as the great Mohammed 
used to do. Amen, 1 say I" 
-♦ ♦ »-- 
SCOLASTIC SCRAPS. 
ALPHA BETA GAMMA. 
Not a few weeks ago, the editor of this depart¬ 
ment of the Rdral intimated that a contribu¬ 
tion pertaining to school Incidents, or similar 
happenings, would be likely to be acceptable to 
the readers or these columns. So l thought that 
1 would he among those to accede to the Invita¬ 
tion. 
Truth is stranger than fiction. If It was not 
l'or this maxim I am sure some or you would 
think that some or the following Incidents are 
fictitious or overdrawn. But no; they are taken 
from real life In a schoolroom. 
A tew days since, I dropped Into the High School 
and Academy of B—, a thriving Institution of 
learning, where there are In attendance about 
one hundred and fifty masculine book-fighters, or, 
lu more refined language, male students. 
AlthougU tUere are three divisions, or grades In 
the school, 1 visited only one room, so captivated 
did I become by their queer methods of procedure. 
It was Friday when I called; a beautiful April 
morning. Saluting the teacher, Professor Thomas, 
1 cook a seat. And not only was it Friday, but 
'twas April fools’ day. There were no unusual 
exercises to be held, nor anything else In partic¬ 
ular expected to happen by the Professor. 
The first lesson recited was Latin— 4 * Crosar." 
Master John Bingham was called upon to com¬ 
mence the exercises. The paragraph that ho 
read began, “ Super postrldle ejus dlel superarver 
unt Galliam.” This passage was actually ren¬ 
dered by the thoughtless boy thus: “ They con¬ 
quered Gaul ou the next day ajter supper /" 
The effect of this ridiculous translation upon 
the class Is hard to describe. Suffice it to say, 
that neither merriment nor laughter would begin 
to express the universal ridicule of the poor 
fellow's rendering. It was sometime before the 
mistaken boy, thinking ills translation was cor¬ 
rect, was prevailed upon to take his seat. Prob¬ 
ably the next time he tackles that word super, he 
Will remember that It takes two p’s to spell 
supper, and that the Latin super means "more¬ 
over.” 
The next study was Rhetoric. The lesson hap¬ 
pened to bo about the derivation of words, a very 
Interesting exercise by the way. One of the boys 
was asked to give the meaning and derivation of 
the word “editorial.” He said it meant informa¬ 
tion coming from the head. “ It Is a word com¬ 
ing from the mother country," said he, "Where 
It Is pronounced “ headttorlal," “ When an editor 
copies articles from other papers, they (the 
articles) are called clippings; but when Lie 
editor wrliesthem himself, they are called ‘ headl- 
torlals, 7 'cause they come from the head.” 
List, ye editors, spread your ears, for this 19 an 
explanation of the word which Is the synonym 
for your labors. Verity, education is the cradle 
of genius! 
Another sharp-witted youngster was requested 
to name tue marks ot accent. Thus did he reply : 
“ The breve,—and the acute—ami the macron,— 
and the—the—'fessor, 1 know It!—oh, yes, and 
(he omicron t ’ it is needless to say that he had 
Ids Greek learning slightly mixed with his 
knowledge of the marks of accent. 
By this time, 1 thought l had better leave. 
Their sharpness was piercing. It seemed as if 
they originated an answer to questions, when 
they did not know the true reply. They seemed 
to have an easy time. Hard study did not appear 
to be making Inroads upon their flesh. As I 
surveyed the Juvenile tbroDg as It passed out of 
the room to take recess, these poetical four lines 
occurred to me as describing these boys: 
" 'Tis as natural for than to speak Greek, 
As it is for a pig to soueak ; 
And Latin is no more difficile, 
Thau 'tis for a blackbird to whistle." 
Recess being over, the afternoon exercises be¬ 
gan. I had intended not to remain, but was Induced 
to stay by the professor, who seemed somewhat 
~ r . -- — ■ - - 
vexed at the boys’ actions that morning; hut 
then I knew the reason for all that, it was April 
fool. Boys will be boys, you know. 
About an hour was consumed In recitations In 
Arithmetic and Greek, at the conclusion of which, 
one of the pupils called his teacher’s attention to 
the time or day. 
“Why," said the Professor, “It Is time to dis¬ 
miss school, t wns not aware that the time was 
fiylug so fast. Here it is 2 o’clock already.” 
And with an astonished look he proceeded to Ms 
chair on the platform. 
“ Why, why, what's the matter 1” he exclaimed, 
as he beheld his chair upside down. “Why, 
who’s been moddllog with iny bell ?" said he, as 
be found It dumb, the clapper being tied with a 
string. 
“April Fool! A^rll Fool!” quickly came from 
all parts of the house. 
“ Ah! yes,” replied the teacher, “ You may go, 
hoys: you are dismissed." it was some time after¬ 
ward before Prof. Thomas learned how badly he 
liad been fooled—swindled out of an hour’s time— 
by the hand of the clock being put forward one 
hour bj those mischievous boys, when the 
teacher was working an example on the black¬ 
board. 
“ I am sorry that the boys behaved so badly, 
to-day," apologized the Professor to me, as I took 
my leave. 
“I understand It all,” said J, ‘‘But there's 
something to bo thankful for. April Fool’s day 
comes only once a year.” 
-*-♦-*- 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
Our Cushing Cousin. 
Dear Rural Cousins :—l come from a land of 
perpetual beauty. Lovely flowers bloom around 
my pathway, rivers murmur softly as they How, 
winding between green banks. I walk in the 
woods, and hear the low sighing of the wind In 
the plno trees. The Cardinal bird flits across my 
path, and I stay my footsteps to listen to Its voice. 
The beautllul yellow jessamine tempts ms to 
pluck Its fragrant blossoms, and twine them In 
my hair. Thus I wander on, the soft air of spring 
fanning ray cheek, the warm sun shining from a 
cloudless sky, glinting through the trees and fill¬ 
ing the dear old woods with a hazy, dreamy light. 
Hark! what sound Is that I hear? 'Tis hut the 
frogs in the stagnant pool singing *• Home Sweet 
Home." Fair daughters of the North, it Is from 
the “ Sweet. Sunny South ” I come—Ah! this Is 
exhausting, I will desist. Doubtless you know 
who I am by this time. Indeed, nothing was 
further from my intentions, than to drive Slayer- 
ofconcelt from the field: I only Indulged In a few 
quiet remarks; hut, as a Cousin, 1 would advise 
him not to let Ms Utile temper rise. 
He Would Like to be a Cousin. 
Uncle True:— I should like to be one of the 
Cousins, I have read your papers lor one or two 
years, and have always taken a great interest In 
•mo letters, l live on a farm, In Vermont. I 
think that Slayerofconcelt ought to stand up for 
his rights as well as other folks, but I don’t ap¬ 
prove of hla slurs on the girls, for I like the girls. 
As to what the girls can do out of doors ; I think 
the best place for them is in the flower garden. 
I can sew with a thimble, or I can do house-work 
of most any kind as well as Rocky Mountain Joe. 
I tMuk that Nellie 8. is rather Inquisitive, but 
that is no matter; 1 also think that Yankee Bill 
must be something pretty nice, there Is so much 
said about him. The fear or that waste-basket 
has kept me from writing for a long time, but It 
this letter is published I shall try again. 
North Thetford, Vt. Box Boy. 
What She Saw There. 
Dear Cousins what has become ot you all, 
have you been frightened away ? Nell 8. wished 
me to tell about my trip East. If 1 could tell of 
all 1 saw, It would fill one Rural. Was In Boston 
at. the dedication of the Soldiers' Monument on 
the Common, visited the Museum, Natural 
History rooms, and Art Gallery, also Memorial 
Hall and Agassiz Museum In Cambridge. The 
fossils there were splendid. Never saw any be¬ 
fore; did not think there were so many kinds of 
animals, birds, and fishes In Cambridge. Passed 
under the tree where Washington took command 
of the American army, July 3d, 1775. There Is an 
iron fence built round it tor protection, visited 
the Atlantic coast and saw the ocean for the first 
time; should not like to go out far on It; hope to 
see more letters from the Cousins. 
Uarhie B. Uendlky. 
A Little Cirl who Improves her Time. 
Uncle True 1 feel quite anxious to write to 
you again though it Is but a short time since 1 
last wrote. 1 take great pleasure in reading the 
Letter column, and Was delighted with the last 
letter from Honolulu. I think that that young 
lady must have a pleasant home. I am reading 
Lorgfellow's poems and “The Arabian Nights.” 
One of my favorite books la “ Little .Men,” by 
Miss Alcott. Mamma thinks I am too small to 
read Dickens’ works, but I kavo read "Oliver 
Twist" and like It. We are having beautiful 
weather now. Mamma, my brother and I are 
going to-morrow to gather flowers. We have 
nice house plan!s, but I like the wild ones best. 
Best regards, . l. k. 
Otlsville, N. Y. 
Wake Up, Boys ! 
Uncle True and Rural Cousins I thought 
I would write and see if you would admit me 
as a Cousin. I don’t think that this Department 
Is as lively as It ought to be with so many would- 
be smart girls In Its columns. I don’t think there 
are as many letters as there were last summer, 
aud the only way that I can account for It Is that 
the boys do not write as often as they did. Now 
then, boys, wake up! and 1 will let you know 
that you have a friend even In this land of cobble¬ 
stone and gravel. Green John. 
abki| |ltailing 
♦ 
PATIENCE. 
Were there no rue Lit we could not read the stars. 
The heavens would turn into a blinding glare; 
Freedom is beat seen through the prison bars, 
And rough seas make the haven passing fair. 
We cannot measure Joys but by tbeir loss; 
When blcBBinga fade away, we see them then ; 
Our richest clusters grow around the cross, 
And in the night-time angels sing to men. 
The Beed must first lie buried deep in earth, 
Before, the lily opens to the sky; 
So " light is sown," and gladness has its birth 
Iu the dark deeps where we can only cry. 
“ Life out of death " ia heaven’s unwritten law; 
Nay, it is written in a myriad forinB; 
The victor's palm grows on the fields of war, 
And strength and beauty are the fruit of storms. 
Come then, my bohI, bo brave to do aud bear: 
Thy life ia bruised that it may be more sweet; 
The cross will soon be left, the crown we’U wear— 
Nay, we will cast it at our Saviour’s feet. 
And up among the glories never told, 
Sweeter than music of the marriage bell, 
Our hands will strike the vibrant harp of gold 
To the glad Bong, “ He doetb all things well.” 
[Sunday Magazine. 
-- 
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF EMINENT 
PREACHERS. 
THOMAS ARNOLD. 
Thomas Arnold, D. D., the noble schoolmaster 
of Rugby for fourteen years, was born at Cowes, 
June 13th, 1793. He was educated at Oxford, 
ordained in the Church or England In 1828, and 
died June 12 th 1842. nts character was marked 
by rare manliness, Christian sympathy, and pro¬ 
found scholarship. How he taught his pupils to 
love him, Is well told in “ Tom Brown’s School- 
Days at Rugby." Besides Ms classical works, he 
left five volumes of Sermons, nis thoughts are 
pure, vigorous, and Independent. 
ALBERT BARNES. 
Albert Barnes was horn near Rome, New 
York, December 1st 1798, and died in West Phila¬ 
delphia, December 24th 1870. ITe was a graduate 
of Hamilton College and Princeton Theological 
Seminary. After a pastoral charge or five years 
in Morrlstowu, New Jersey, lie was installed in 
the First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, In 
l8;io. Here he f.cilvoly ministered thirty-seven 
years, when failing eye-sight compelled him 
to hccorno Emeritus Pastor, l'or conscience's 
sake, Rev. Mr. Barnes repeatedly declined the 
well-earned title or Doctor of Divinity. By dint 
of utilizing the spare hours before 9 a. m., he com¬ 
posed twenty thoughtful volumes on religious 
and theological subjects. Chief among these 
were hla Notes, on the New Testament, ;isalali, 
Daniel, and Psalms, whoau circulation before Ms 
death reached a million volumes. Hla writings 
are clear, incisive and plain, richer In matter and 
method than style. 
JOHN BUNYAN. 
JohnBunvan, the “Shakspeare of Divines,’ 
was born the son of a traveling tinker, at Elstow, 
Bedfordshire, in 1C2S. He was Ignorant and dis¬ 
sipated till after Ms marriage, at the age ot nine¬ 
teen. in 1055 he became a H.tpl 1st preacher, and 
his zealous labors ted, five years later, to his Im¬ 
prisonment In Bedford Jail with other dissenters. 
“ Here," states Dr. Barlow, “ with only two books 
—the Bible and Fox's Book of Martyrs—he em¬ 
ployed his time for twelve years and a half, in 
preaching to, and praying with, Ms fellow-pris¬ 
oners, In writing several of bis works (* Pilgrim’s 
Progress,' etc.,) and lu making tagged lace for 
the support of himself and ramlly." Alter his 
release In icim, he evangelized Ms brethren 
throughout England till his death at Snowhlll, 
August 31st less. Ills Imagination was strong 
and creative, his spirit earnest and profoundly 
religious; hence his masterpieces are Ms spir¬ 
itual allegories. 
CHARLES PETTIT MlLVANE. 
Rt. Rev. Charles Pettit McIlvanb; D. D., 
D C. L., president of the American Tract Society, 
was born at Burlington, New Jersey, January 
18th 1799. In Ms seventeenth year, he graduated 
at Nassau Hall, Princeton. From 1825 to 1827, he 
was chaplain and professor of ethics at West 
Point. W hile rector of st. Ann’s Church, Brook¬ 
lyn, In 1831, he delivered in tbe University of New 
York a series of admirable lectures on the histor¬ 
ical “Evidences of Christianity," In published 
form, these have had a deserved popularity at 
home and abroad. He was consecrated Bishop 
of the Protestant Episcopal Church lu the Dio¬ 
cese of Ohio the following year. By speech and 
pen, he has ever allied himself with the whole 
Church of Christ, well saying: “ We drop our 
denomination uniform when we undress at the 
grave.” Although now past threescore and ten, 
Bishop Mcllvalno lately crossed the Atlantic to 
Intercede with the Czar or Russia for the religious 
rights of his Protestant subjects. He died at 
Florence, Italy, March 13th. 
-» « ♦ 
Caviar in warlike matters, minded more what 
was to conquer than what was conquered; wnat 
was to gain, than what was gained ; so does a 
humble soul mind more what he should be, than 
what he Is; what la to he done, than what Is 
already accomplished. 
I.uther professeth, “ That he profited more In 
the knowledge of the Scripture by private prayer 
In a short time, than he did by study in a longer 
space." 
The more our gifts and graces are exercised, 
the more they are strengthened and increased. 
All acts strengthen habits. 
