738 
HUatriitg far % famtg. 
MY DOLL’S WEDDING. 
My dear little dolly wan married: 
A sweet little wedding we had s 
She married her cousin from Boston, 
A red-cheoked and one-legged lud. 
She was dressed all in white silk and laces. 
With wonderful red ’roceo shoes, 
And he in fine velvet and gold braid; 
To admire him she did not refuse. 
The cake was filled all lull of raisins; 
The free time ran over the top. 
And apples and cookieB for each one. 
With candies we bought at the shop. 
And Jenny and I held tiie dolls up; 
They were ready to faint with the heat. 
In front of dear mamma, the priestess, 
Who aat straight on the bright crimson seat. 
[Youth’* Companion. 
—-see- 
SINGING MICE. 
HENHY LEE. 
A few days ago 1 was invited by a medical 
friend to visit him at. his house, aod hear two 
musical mice slog a duet, the performance to be- 
Kln punctually at a r. u. 1 had never heard a 
singing mouse, though 1 had read and been told 
& good deal of the vooal accomplishments the lit¬ 
tle animal occasionally displays; so 1 gladly 
availed myself of the opportunity, and duly ar¬ 
rived halt an hour before the commencement of 
the concert. My friend explained to me that ev¬ 
ery evening two little once came out from behind 
the sklrtlng-board In his dining-room, and sang 
for their supper of cheese, biscuit, and other mus- j 
cine delicacies which he took care to place on the 
carpet for them always at the same hour. Ono 
of them had received the name of “ Nlcodemu3 ” 
—an allusion, I suppose, to a cerialn furtive visit, 
by night—and the other wob known as “The | 
Chirper.’’ To “ make assurance doubly sure" that 
they would fulfil their engagement, and not dis¬ 
appoint me, their supper had been withheld from 
them on the evening previous to nay visit. 
True to time, Just as the clock struck eight, and 
while we wore conversing, there came from a cor¬ 
ner of the fireplace, “Chirp, ehlip, chirp,” the 
same note being repeated several times at the 
rate of about thrice In a second, and gradually 
becoming louder. Presently a slight movement 
was vlslblo;about one end of tho fender ;.and, af¬ 
ter some hesitation, a little brown mouse came 
out upon the carpet, leisurely sniffed about for 
its accustomed meal, came close to my chair, 
looked wistfully up to my face, and I was Intro¬ 
duced to “ The Cntrper.” As a critic, 1 am bound 
u> say that “ The Chirper’s ’ ’performance was of 
second-rate quality; but it was merely a kind or 
awe ae rUltrau, and the principal artist was yet 
to appear. 
We had not to wait long. At the conclusion of 
“The Chirper’s” Ineffective solo, a prolonged 
trill was faintly heard ltom behind the scenes, 
followed by others, each more audible than its 
predecessor; and Ultimately “Nlcodemua,” the 
soprano, came forth before the audience, perfect¬ 
ly self-possessed, and sho wing no signs of “stage- 
fear.” 
The song to which tho little creature gave ut¬ 
terance again and again iu o ir full view was as 
sweet and varied as tUe warbling of any bird. It 
most resembled that of the cauary, but the mel¬ 
ody of the nightingale was occasionally Intro¬ 
duced. livery uote was clear and distinct, buf 
withal so soft, so gentle, tender and pianissimo, 
that 1 can only oomparo It to the voice of a bird 
muffled by being heard turough a down pillow. 
In tne room was a canary, whoso cage was sus¬ 
pended In one of the windows. He had settled 
himself to roost, and his bead was under his 
wing, but at the sound or "Nlcodemus’s” sere¬ 
nade he awoke, and listening attentively, and 
fantastically leaning alternate'y to right and 
left, peeped curiously down to tho floor. I learn¬ 
ed that mouse and Dlrd were intimately acquaint¬ 
ed with each other, and that the former frequent¬ 
ly visited his feathered frlond and staid to sup¬ 
per. Accordingly, while we looked on with in¬ 
terest anl pleasure, “Nlcodemus" climbed up 
the drawn curtains, entered the bird’s cage, and 
partook of the seed—the canary showing no 
symptom of disapprobation or disturbance, but 
merely from his perch peerlug down on his visitor 
in a ludicrously quaint and odd manner. During 
bla supper-time “Nlcodemus” obliged us, from 
the cage, with several repetitions of his song, 
«* Thb OUtrper,” down below on the carpet, occa¬ 
sionally coming lu with a monotonous contralto 
accompaniment, and sometimes omitting a sound 
like tne squeaking of a corkscrew through a cork. 
The two little songsters, having done their best 
to please us, were rewarded with all that mice 
could wish for as components of a feast, and, 
after selecting the portions they severally pre¬ 
ferred, gracefully retired. 
The singing or mice has been attributed to va¬ 
rious causes: It lias been thought to proceed 
from disease of the lungs or vocal organs, and to 
be akin to the wheezing characteristic of asthma. 
Of course, I can say nothing about the condi¬ 
tion of tne livers of tho two mice I heard sing 
last week; but they did not act as if they were 
afflicted with disease of the liver, or any other 
organ. Brisk and vlvaolous In all their move¬ 
ments, darting now and then back to their hid¬ 
ing-place, as it to keep open their means of re¬ 
treat while foraging, they looked the Imperson¬ 
ation of vigorous healtU and bright activity; and, 
dke every one else who has heard them, 1 feel 
ftolte sure that their song—especially that of 
“ Nlcodemus ”—is not Involuntary, nor the result 
or any disease of the respiratory organs, but an 
intentional and conscious utterance of a series of 
poles in musical sequence, As Mr. Buckland says 
THE BUBAL NEW-YOBKEB. 
NOV. 40 
(loq. cil.), H The song Is a genuine song, as good 
and as musical as that of a lark on a fine Bummer 
morning,” 
Prof. Owen tells us that the anatomy of the 
mouse Is very similar to that of birds; and all 
who have seen this little rodent la the act of 
singing have noticed that the throbbing of Its 
throat is like that of a bird In full song, and that 
It then elevates Its snout as a bird does it beak. 
It Is remarkable that. In almost every case of a 
singing mouse baviDg been seen as well as heard, 
It has been described as very small, muoh browner 
than the common gray or Blate-colorod mouse, 
and as having very large ears. This exactly ap¬ 
plies to my little entertainers, “ Nlcodemus ” and 
“The Chirper." They arc both very tiny mice, 
their coats are very browu (cot so much as to be 
fawn-colored), and their ears are abnormally big. 
I should be tempted to regard the singing mouse 
as a peculiar variety, If this Idea had not been 
contradicted by the recorded fact that one out or 
a litter of common mice has become a “canta- 
tore” or “cantatrtce,” while the rest have re¬ 
mained Incapable of •* favoring with a song.” 
The fact is that, although singing mice are not 
very rare, they are not common enough to have 
permitted any common zoologist to note their 
birth and parentage, observe their habits in life, 
and dissect them after death In a series so com¬ 
plete as to give assurance or BCtentlflc accuracy. 
of the West.” And will the editor please send 
me a large picture of a smooth dog and an ele¬ 
phant 7 Perhaps you will wonder what I want 
them Tor, and I will tell you. I want them for 
guides by which to make the animals In cloth. 
Now I will tell you how 1 prepare autumn leaves. 
I select the brightest and best, and place them on 
an old cloth on an ironing board with the face 
uppermost, and smear each leaf with beeswax, 
and with a moderately hot sad-iron pass It quick¬ 
ly over them. I have Ironed some on a branch, 
so that they look as natural as life. 
Libbie E. Jones. 
abhtti pairing, 
BETTER THINGS. 
Better to smell the violet cool, than to sip tho glow¬ 
ing wine; 
Better to hark to a hidden brook, than watch a dia¬ 
mond shine. 
Better the love of gentle heart, than beauty’s favors 
proud; 
Better the rose’s living seed, than rosea in a crowd. 
A Chance For City Cousins. 
Dear Rural Cousins and Uncle Truk :—I 
have never written to you before, and now I 
would like to begin to have some conversation 
with you, too. If you please, would you kindly 
let me drop In? I would like to hear from some 
of the cousins that live In the city. I live !n the 
city and would like to hear from some of you. 
Some wild city girl, like myself, please answer and 
let me known what city sho lives In and all 
about what she does there. I don’t see any city 
cousins writing uow-a-days, nor country ones 
either for that matter. I hope Uncle Truk will 
stir the cousins up and make them write more 
than they do, for my part I like your letters very 
much. Some one please ausw<; r and oblige. 
Detroit, 1818 , aonks Dank, 
Better to love in loneliness, than bask in love all day; 
Better the fountain in the heart, than the fountain by 
the way. 
Bettor to be a little wise, than lu knowledge to 
abound; 
Better to teach a child, than toil to fill perfection’s 
round. 
Better to ait at a master’s feet, than thrill a listening 
state,- 
Better to suspect, that thou art proud, than be sure 
that thou art great. 
Better to walk the realm unseen, than watch the hour’s 
event; 
Better the " Well done 1” at the last, than the air with 
shoutings rent. 
Better to have a quiet grief, than a hurrying delight; 
Better the twilight of the dawn, than the noonday 
burning bright. 
LEARNING TO SPELL. 
Allow me to submit to the attention of teach¬ 
ers aDd parents of the advanced and advancing 
clasH, who take delight in your paper, a valuable 
aid lu school training. It is a radically new mode 
of teaching spelling, which, while this is its 
primary object. Is cf great service lu training the 
voice, also for preparing t.ie hand and eye lor iu- 
ture lessons In writing and drawing, lu apprecia¬ 
ting scales, and geometrical and geographical 
lines and directions, In exciting interest on the 
part of the learners, and lu enabling the teacher 
to give more instruction. 
1 send you a copy or a pamphlet of example ex¬ 
ercises In this method. It contains all that a 
teacher can require to make use of the plan In 
school, and exercises enough for perhaps three 
months of dally use. 
The original Freuch method was shown lu the 
French or Belgian exhibit at our Centennial, but 
not belug of a nature to attract the eye, did not 
excite observation. It has been la use in France 
for six or eight years with rapidly Increasing ex¬ 
tension, Their need of a better way with the 
spelling dltflculty 1s perhaps greater than even 
ours. 
The pamphlet is entitled, “Examples of Spell¬ 
ing Lessons by Ocular Instead of Oral Dictation,’ 
and the method la to place before the learner’s 
eye the pronunciation of the w ords of the lesson, 
In simple sound-signs rrom which he writes them 
In the proper spelling; referring, os we all do, to 
the image of the word stored In the memory and 
seen by introspection. The Jingle of letter-names, 
so palniully and slowly learned, Is no guide to the 
hand lu actual practice; andthe learnlngof them 
is a monstrous lnfllci.lOn upon children w no can be 
gay and happy over an exercise that Is reason¬ 
able and within their power to solve. 
The new plan delivers them from this incubus, 
and takes them along a near and pleasant way. 
The gain in time alone Is estimated by French 
authorities, utter experience in more than 1,000 
schools, at a whole year! How much valuable 
instruction may be acquired in this length of 
saved time in useful branches which could else 
never be reached. In a school of eight grades 
under the writer’s observation, tho method was 
Introduced lu the second grade near the close, of 
the spring term. It has been successively Intro¬ 
duced since,into successive higher grades, up to 
tho sixth, and with results In all wlilcu seem to 
Justify the opinion Just quoted, and which cer¬ 
tainly show that ft la easy for the teacher, even 
when unprepared and wanting in practice In the 
phonetic analysis of words; and, also, pleasant 
and stimulating to the scholars. 
The sound-signs used are simple, each consist¬ 
ing or hut a single stroko, yet as easily combined 
and as distinct when combined as common script 
or type. They are entirely unlike the letters In 
common use, and they are purposely made so; 
this dissimilarity being the main principle of the 
system, and the one that makes It ;so rapidly ef¬ 
fective in making ready and accurate spellers. 
For If they resembled each other, as misspelled 
words resemble correctly spelled ones, there 
would be found In the mind a bewildering eonfu- 
blon of Images, the wrong ones fastening them¬ 
selves as tenaciously aa the right oneB. On this 
account care Is taken to avoid showing the child 
any type form of the word oilier .than the plain 
form seen in books and newspapers; no phonetic 
alterations of type nor even diacritical marks are 
employed or approved of while thus teaching 
cu. relit English spalling. 
All Iona Me teachers should make a study and 
trial of this omimon-aense method, which has Its 
base in the very elementary rudiments of speech, 
and which cannot but affect beneflcially the en¬ 
tire school cours \ and all subsequent employ¬ 
ment of school acquirements. w. 
- *■■*-■*■ - 
LETTERS FROM BOYS AND GIRLS. 
A Smooth Dog and an Elephant. 
Drak Uncle Truk— if l may so call you—I 
thought 1 would try and write to you. I live In 
the town of cohocton, N. Y., and am a farmer's 
daughter. My health Ib constitutionally bad, so 
that I could not attend school, and therefore my 
education is but poor; my writing especially. I 
have a request to make and hope some of my 
cousins will be ktnd enough to answer; or, may¬ 
be, my Uncle True cm tell me where l can get 
the verses entitled, “ James Bird " and the “ Lily 
For Twenty Long Year*. 
Dear Cousins:—A s my first letter was printed 
I thought I would try again. I was very glad to 
Bee that Ltllle Le« had not forgot.en us. She says 
she would like to know want the other cousins 
arc doing? I, toruno, am enjoying myself In dif¬ 
ferent ways. 1 have been to the Beashoro twice 
during vacation. I do not Bee much of Slaycrof- 
concelt lately. I wish be would write again. I 
have Just been rutnaglng through some old 
Rurals, which 1 do occasionally, as my Grandpa 
has taken the Rural for about twenty years, and 
has saved almost all of them. I guess 1 had better 
stop as this letter is Jong enough, I thank Lillie 
Lee very muoh for those candy recipes. 
River Edge, N. J. Lizzie. 
Lost the Address. 
Dear Uncle Trok and Rural Cousins:—I have 
long wished to join your pleasant circle of cousins, 
but did not know until now where to direct. My 
brother takeB the Rural. I like It very much. I 
hope that you, Madcap Mollle, will stir up the 
cousins to write more and oftenor. 
Waterbury, Conn. Clip Bird. 
BIDDLE. 
I never was caught nor likewise bought, 
And I never can do Bold; 
1 am with ihe lame and halt, 
And with the soldier bold. 
I am with the rich and lofty, 
And also with the poor; 
1 am In the house of God, 
And by the prison uoor. 
But lu dark dungeons I am not found, 
Nor In the silent grave; 
But on the sides or mountains, 
And on the rolling wave. 
And I never do any good, 
And 1 likewise do no harm; 
I am found in every workshop, 
And also on the farm. 
tsr Answer in two weeks. L. Laxton. 
FRACTIONAL PUZZLE. 
Take one-alxth of bamboo; one-sixth of laurel; 
one-eighth of chestnut; one-eighth of palmetto; 
one-stxth of willow; one-elghtli of laburnum; 
one-eighth of rosewood; one-eighth of magnolia; 
one-sixth of baobob ; one-sixth of linden. Take 
one rrom each and form a trt e. 
I F Answer In two weeks. Balto. 
» M 
CHARADE. 
A ship was sailing on the hay, 
My second was on It, so they say; 
Now every second had my first, It is true, 
But still there was only one In the crew. 
I3r Answer In two weeks. T. J. carle. 
DOUBLE ACR08TIC. 
l. A town In Pennsylvania. 2 . A town In Mich¬ 
igan. 3. A town In Nebraska, -i. A town In New 
York. 6. A town in Rhode Island, o. A town In 
Maine. 7. A town In Arkansas. The Initials form 
a western city; the finals an eastern city, 
pr Answer In two weeks. Mkhmaid. 
-■ -■ — 
TRANSPOSITION. 
Who het dwll dwln shlwelta rothghu ony lapern 
eter, 
Nad ryd salvee ear gllnlaf, flngall; 
Dan eth ghLnt dirlb glttlns neloa no het eal, 
ot shl meta si Unglac, glncall. 
tr Answer In two weeks. Mary Walky. 
- - 
CROSS PUZZLE. 
I. Pebvibh. 2. Stockings tor men. 3 A loud 
sound. 4. Act ot contracting. 5. Oranges of a 
certain kind. ». Two at a birth. 7. A garment. 
8. Two. a. A learned man. 10. Thick twisted 
thread. 11. A head-dress. Cent) Als form part of 
Europe. 
Mf~ Answer In two weeks, little o*k. 
Better a death when work la done, than earth’s most 
favored birth; 
Better a child In God's great houae, than the king of 
all the earth. [George Macdonald. 
-- 
STABILITY’OF GOD’S CHURCH. 
Rev. Dr. MacLaren remarks In one of his pub¬ 
lished sermoris:—•• If It had been possible to de¬ 
stroy the cuurch of the living God, It had been gone 
long, long ago. Its own weakness and al n, the ever 
new corruptions of Its belief and paring of Its 
creed, the imperfections or Its life, and the world- 
llnesa of Its heart; the abounding evils that He 
around It, and the actual hostility of many that 
look upon It and say, lUzc it oven to tho ground, 
would have smitten It to the dust long slnoe. It 
lives, It has lived In spite of all, and therefore it, 
shall live. * God will establish It forever.’ Iu al¬ 
most every land there Is some fortress or other 
which the pride of the Inhabitants calls ‘the 
maiden rortress,’ and whereof the legend is that 
it has never been taken, and Is lnexpungable by 
any foe. It Is true about the tower of the flock, 
the strongUold or the daughter ot Zion. The 
grand words of Isaiah about this very Assyrian 
invader are our answer to all fears within and 
foes without: ‘Say unto him, The virgin, the 
daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed 
thee to scorn; the daughter ot Jerusalem hath 
shaken her head at thee. I will defend this city 
to save it for my own sake, and for my sei vant 
David's sake.’ ‘God will establish it, for ever.' 
And the pledges of that eternal stability are tho 
deltveranco of the past and of the present.” 
SERVING THE LORD WITH GLADNESS. 
We mustBerve something or some one. It wo 
serve ourselves wo gain nothing by It; for we cun 
give ourselves only what wo already have. If we 
serve our fellow-men, obay their commands, pro¬ 
moting their Interests and enhancing their glory, 
we can obtain from them only what they have 
to give. Perhaps they will not perceive the value 
of our service, and have no grateful appreciation 
thereof. What they can give Is perishable and 
of little worth. If we serve any lust we are tho 
slaves of a beast. If we Bervo any passion we are 
the slaves of a demon. God permits us to serve 
Him, that Is to obey Uls commandments, co¬ 
operate with Ills groat movement and promote 
nis glory. The service of God Is a duty; it Is 
also much more, It is a privilege. Christians dis¬ 
honor their religion by representing Christian 
lire as a chain that must bo worn for a season, 
Instead of a magnificent robe which adorns them. 
Serve the Lord with gladness. Be glad that you 
are permitted to serve Him. Engage In His ser¬ 
vice cheerfully. Let His service he the fountain 
of your highest joys. Do not act as though you 
would say, “Ah me, 1 must pray, 1 must fast, 1 
must give Him my time, my labor, ah, me!” Go 
before His presence with singing. Sing praises 
unto Illm, that lie permits you to give anything 
which In any wlso connects Itself with Him, The 
only permanent joy on earth Is the Joy or God’s 
salvation.— Rev. Dr. Deenw, 
--- 
BE STRONG IN THEJ?RACE THAT IS IN 
CHRIST JESUS. 
Tlm.il. 1. 
We want to be strong in ourselves, or if we 
may not have confidence lu ourselves, to have 
some rellow-creiturc on whom we can rely. But 
God will have ns confide only In Jesus. God 
would trust no ono but Jesus, and we should not 
even wish to do so. There is grace in Jesus. All 
grace Is In Jesus. He says, “ AH things are 
delivered unto me of my Father.” And the apos¬ 
tle says, “It. pleased tho Father, that in him 
should all fullness dwell.” He la the fountain of 
grace, and we are to look to him at all times, and 
for all tho grace we need. He glveth liberally 
and upbraldeth not. Let us not fancy ourselves 
strong because of any graoe we have received, or 
on account of the grace possessed by any one 
we love; put let us exercise confidence in Jesus 
alone, who glveth more grace. M’eaie as our 
faith Is; If therefore our faith Is fixed on Jesus, 
If we exercise steady confidence In his veracity, 
word, and love, we are strong. But It Is only 
as we feel weak In ourselves that we shall do so. 
—-- 
A little will satisfy nature, less will satisfy 
grace, hut nothing will satisfy a proud nan'9 
lusts. 
