658 
sider the meat diet worth a trial. Children 
who are weak and thin and wanting in 
strength have been greatly benefited eating 
broiled round steak three times a day. It has 
passed into a proverb “that beef-eaters never 
die of consumption,” and we tnink justly so. 
Well, the reader may think me stomach 
crazy and beef hungry. However, if this 
hastily penned article benefits but one of suf¬ 
fering humanity it will well repay us for hav¬ 
ing advanced so simple a theory.” 
BE INDEPENDENT. 
There is nothing in the wide world that 
insures success so completely as does perfect 
independence. People who are always wait 
ing for help may w r ait a long time, as a gen¬ 
eral thing. A little assistance, a little influ¬ 
ence is not to be had for asking; but there is 
always something one can do for himself. 
Do it, whatever it is, with a will. One thing 
leads to another. If a young lady, don’t sit 
still, and hope a rich n an will marry you, 
while your aged father toils for your daily 
bread. Learn how to help yourself, and take 
care of yourself as much as possible. Rather 
be one who does things for others than one 
who must have things done for you. Two 
hands, two feet, sight and strength—these 
ought to enable you to dispense with help 
while you are young and vigorous. Men 
who can defy adverse circumstances, and can 
earn a living in any quarter of the world 
in which they are dropped down ; who 
can roll up their sleeves, and set to work at 
almost anything that offere; and who can 
even sew on their own buttons, and make 
themselves a cup of tea when deprived of 
the help of womankind, are the ones who are 
really independent. The most helpful women 
are kindest and truest; and as for a man, 
never trust, him in any capacity if he has 
not within him the true spirit of independence, 
without w hich neither strength nor sweetness 
may be hoped for. . In the battle of life there 
is but one way to succeed—fight it out your¬ 
self. Give the helping band when you may. 
Take it if, in some sore strait, it is offered 
freely; but never ask for it. Be independent 
as far sis man may be if you would honor 
yourself, or be honored by others, or be 
happy. 
A Silesian girl, of tender age, when the 
French in 1813 were threatening her native 
land, saw her neighbors and older members of 
her own family earnestly at work to help to 
repel the invader; and when the thought 
cam* upon her that she could do nothing she 
was in sore distress. By-and-by a happy 
thought struck her. 8he sprang to her feet, 
without speaking to any one of her purpose, 
and hurried away. 
Before noon she had walked ten miles, to 
Bre-lau, where she was fortunate enough to 
hit upon a hair dresser as honest, it not so 
patriotic, as herself. Yet he was a sterling 
patriot. The girl told him ber simple story 
—told it with all the eloquence of her native 
modesty and truth. She wanted to sell her 
hair—the whole of it—for all it would bring, 
that she might give the money towards the 
need of her country. 
The hair-dresser examined the hair, and 
presently told the girl that he would not set a 
price upon it then. He frankly confessed that 
it was the most beautiful hair and the most 
valuable he bad ever seen. She had hoped 
tnat she might obtain two dollars for it. 
He had told her he would give her two 
dollars at that time; but that was far 
from the worth of the hair. She should let 
him cut it off, and do the best he could with 
it, and when he had sold it he would call upon 
her and make a final settlement; to all of 
which she gladly assented. 
And then she sat down and let him take her 
beautiful hair, the pride of her parents and 
the delight of her friends. He cut it very 
carefully, however, leaving a few pretty 
ringlets over her forehead, so that, with a 
neat little cap, she would still have a trace of 
the beautiful hair left. 
Never mind what was said when she got 
home; only we will record that her sublime 
spirit of patriotism was recognized and ap¬ 
plauded, which was reward enough for ber. 
At Breslau, the hair dresser exhibited the 
beautiful tresses which had come to his posses¬ 
sion, and to: d the story of tbegirl who had made 
the heroic sacrifice. One wealthy lady offered 
him 8100 for the hair, cash on the spot; but 
he would not sell it so. He made it up into 
bracelets and neck-chains—made from the 
hair of the young patriot girl, who loved her 
country more than she loved her own beauty. 
And, at the end of a month, he appeared at 
the humble cot, and caused the cbief magis¬ 
trate of the village to be called in, and into 
his hands he gave $200 dollars as the contri¬ 
bution of the young girl to the needs of her 
country in its hour of sore distress. And a 
few dollars more he gave to the girl for her 
own use in private, and this, with, bis consent, 
THE RURAL WfW-YORKER. 
she gave to a poor family, all of whose sons 
had gone into the army. 
The French people waste nothing. What 
many a laborer’s wife throws away in “good 
times,” the poor Frenchman’s wife makes a 
nice little dish of. The French poor folks 
cook on charcoal fires, which are only lighted 
while they are needed, and if too much of 
anything iscooked it only goes to help another 
little dish for the next meal. 
The lining a Frenchwoman uses for her 
dress is of the best quality, and serves for two 
or three dresBPS very often. The buttons and 
trimmings are never cast aside wibh the old 
waist, as they are with other people. 
Cleaning, mending, restoring, are understood 
by ordinary French persons, and a general 
freshness of effect is the result. It is said that 
less glass and china is broken in France tUkn 
elsewhere: but if it is broken the owner gen¬ 
erally knows howto mend it wonderfully; or 
if it cannot be mended she sighs, shrugs ber 
shoulders and forgets it. Frenchwomen do 
not “nag” or “worry.” They are economical 
of their spirits, as they are of their beauty; 
and a Frenchwoman who has a fine eye, fine 
hair, or good teeth, can force yon to call her 
beautiful. If she is actually ugly she will so 
bewilder you with ber toilet, her gestures and 
her smiles, that you cannot find it out. If she 
is old she can still be charming. 
James Gordon Bennett has bis faults, no 
doubt, but his princely generosity will cover 
Figure 316. 
a multitude of them, particularly as it finds 
its outlet in metnods unknown and unexpect¬ 
ed. It was accidentally developed in the 
police court of New York that the family of 
poor Jack Cole, the insane seamen of the Jean¬ 
nette, had been and still are, supported in a 
comfortable and almost luxurious manner at 
Mr. Bennett’s expense; that they not only 
have a comfortable house, but $75 per month 
for household expenses, and in addition to this, 
a nurse is emp’oyed at an expense of $21 a 
week to take charge of the insane father. No 
one would ever have known this but for the 
fact that one of the family was arrested for 
assault and battery, and these facts were 
drawn out from the witnesses. 
Servants and Masters —There is only 
one way to have good servants; that is. to 
be worthy of being well served. All nature 
and all humanity will serve a go< d master, 
and rebel against an ignoble one. And there 
is no surer tert of the quality of a nation than 
the quality of its servants, for they are their 
m stars’ shadows, and distort their faults in a 
flattered nrmicry. A wipe nation will have 
philosophers in its servants’ hall; a knavish 
nation will have knaves there; and a kindly 
nation will have friends there. Only let it be 
remembered that “ kindness" means, as with 
your child, so with your servant, not indul¬ 
gence, but care —Ru skin's Letters, 
CONDUCTED BY MISS KAY CLARK:. 
It is our intention to make “The Rural 
Mixed Garden Treasures,” forour lady friends 
a collection of really choice seeds that will 
delight all who are willing to give them 
proper care. We propose to give a liberal 
proportion of the seeds of many hardy shrubs 
that from experience we know will germinate 
freely, bloom early and prove permanent or¬ 
naments to the home grounds. Eds.] 
FASHION CHIT-CHAT. 
The draping of skirts is becoming more and 
more elaborate. Opinions are divided upon 
the subject of bustles. A small one only is 
admissible with the short costume, leaving 
the hips quite free, whether paniers are worn 
with the dress, or not. 
Dresses are made in all possible styles, one 
has but to choose between deep puffing, be 
coming to tall, slight figures; deep flounces in 
flat or hollow plaits, preferred by ladies of 
shorter stature; or plain skirts having a full 
ruohing around the bottom. 
Ribbon of every shade, design, and width 
forms an important part in the costumes of 
the day. The old fashioned stiff bow is seldom 
seen, the modern arrangements being desig¬ 
nated as cascades, flats plaques; and a dressy 
dress, or even a simple morning toilet, now 
looks incomplete and expressionless until some 
adornment of ribbon has been added. Upon 
some of the most fashionable costumes are 
u«ed ribbons bv the dozen yards on the skirt 
alone; and corsages and wraps are frequently 
covered with loops of ribbon, mingled with 
waves of lace. 
Garnet red, in all its shades, hussar blue, 
electric blue, and moss green, are among the 
new colors. There is nothing exclusive in 
these, for all colors are worn. 
Lace is worn in quantities. Belgian laces 
in particular are extremely fashionable, in 
buff, white, ivory or cream color.in large much 
raised patterns, over a transparent ground 
resembling canvas; also black laces from every 
loom of the world, is worn. It is making its 
appearance worn over colored as well as over 
black silk, 
Stockings are embroidered all over with 
field flowers, such as blue cornflowers, daisies, 
and p^ppie*. Walking shoes are of black kid 
mostly, with one strap buttoned over the in¬ 
step, but without bows. 
BAG FOR SOILED FINE LINEN. 
This bag is of crash: it measures thirty-four 
inches in length and fifteen in breadth this 
allows for a turn down hem of 
two and a half inches in depth; the 
crash is folded and is sewn up at the 
edges, each side is ornamented with a 
crosF-stitch design worked with three 
shades of olive and three of red 
crewel; a slide one inch in width is 
made in the hem, through which is 
run a red cord finished with balls ot 
wool. In tbefe days of fine art, the 
method of making these balls is fa¬ 
miliar to all. While this is a good de¬ 
scription ef a useful article, I have 
seen nothing described like my recep¬ 
tacle for soiled clothes, so I will give 
directions, hoping some one may flud 
as useful as I have. 
Tbe materials required are two 
yards of cretonne or pretty calico, 
one yard of plain calico, one dress 
braid of any color and a flat stick one foot 
long and one inch wide. 
In the middle of each end of the cretonne 
cut a slit thirteen inches long, and bind the 
edges neatly with the braid. Fold down one 
inch at each end and baste firmly. Lay the 
plain calico on the wrong side of one-half, 
(the upper edge can be run under the piece 
folded over) and fold the cretonne over evenly. 
This will give you the form of a bag, with 
the cretonne on the outside. Now bind all 
around, except the upper edges which are 
folded over, with the braid, leaving two inches 
at one upper corner to be finished later. 
Make a shir one inch from the top and one 
inch wide pierce a small hcle in each end of 
your stick, and run it into this shir. Now 
finish binding your corner. Take a few 
stitches with strong thread through the side 
of the bag and tbe hole in the stick at that 
end. and the same at the other, fasten a piece 
of braid at tbe two upper corners to hang it 
up by, and tbe bag is complete. 
There is never any trouble in finding the 
opening, and it will hang against the door 
or any small place. I use odo side for collars 
and cuffs, the other for larger pieces. e. h 
CLEAR THE DECKS. 
If you have a rather delicate piece of work 
to perform, that gives you some perplexity 
and anxiety, try first to make all about you 
as pleasant as possible before you begin. No 
matter if you have not time to go through the 
whole establishment, you may yet make your 
own little nook cheerful and bright. It is 
surprising how much better the ruiud acts 
under such circumstances. A tidy room about 
you, neatly swept up, the furniture wiped 
with a damp cloth, a little bouquet, if only a 
sprig or two of brightness in a cup of fragrant 
green, has a power to cheer the weary spirit 
and give it real rest and refreshment, just as 
wholesome food does the body. I know that 
a simple rosebud and a geranium leaf, or the 
trill of my little bird, fresh aud happy from 
his bath, or even the soft purr of the comfort¬ 
able, sleepy oat, have often doue me good, 
and helped me to take up my pen or any other 
ta*k with new interest aud pleasure. Even 
such little things are inspiring and soothing to 
the mind. Whatever helps to give us com¬ 
posure adds to our working ability, and tends 
largely to benefit our health and happiness. 
The long-lived people are usually those of an 
even mind. 
If you have a perplexing garment to out 
, from a scant pattern, where it seem almost 
SEPT 28 
a necessity to ** make cloth,” first clear up 
everything about you, and spread out the 
goods and the pattern on a clear table. There 
Is something very confusing to average minds 
in a jumbled up work-table and a chaos of 
scraps lying about. Some people make such 
a litter of BbredB, it they have any work to cut 
out, while others can have a room or .two in a 
house replastered aud papered, and yet not 
have it seem very bad. Such a difference is 
there in the way of doing work. If any one 
can keep cleared up after plasterers, they can 
after anything. 
“I wonder how Miss Pbebe and Ellen live 
through the muss of having tbeir parlor en¬ 
larged and so much done to their house, when 
they are bo particular about even a speck of 
dust?” I asked respecting two maiden sisters. 
“ Oh they do not seem to have any muss 
about it. They seem to clear everything up 
as they go along.” 
This was their regular custom, and it gave 
to their pleasant bo'tie the appearance of being 
always “done up” and ready for company. 
It was on a large farm too, and no hired help 
was kept in the house, nor were the sisters 
either of them strong women. One was quite 
aged, but her steady, q iiet habits of work 
carried her through with far more everv dev, 
than many strong you .g women would think 
they could accomplish. Their h ihits of system 
and perfect order furnished the key to the 
whole position. 
I know how widely our circumstances differ 
and what would be possible for them, would 
not be for me and very likely not for you. 
Yet there are little wavs in which we may 
secure a measure of this orderly class and 
comfort, which is such a heip when work is 
hard and hurrying. Olive. 
MEN AND WOMEN. 
How the men do have to “catch it” from the 
lady correspondents of tin Rural! H >w 
meekly they seem to sit by and allow the gen¬ 
tler (?) sex to lash them right ani left, though 
less with argument than with borrowed wit. 
I for one enjoy reading what“ihe sisters” 
have to pay, they say it so neatly and well. 
Indeed. 1 think there Is nothing like a news¬ 
paper for a woman in which to give expression 
to her burning thoughts—the paper can’t 
“talk back;” sometimes people do. 
But even women sometimes miss tbe mark 
and fall into little inaccuracies which “ doesn’t 
matter” providing they make a point to their 
own satisfaction Now, two or three weeks 
ago there was a very well-written article in 
the Woman’s Department of the Rural, on 
“ Woman’s Work is Never Done,” and there 
was the “old lady’’sitting in the doorway, 
with “man’s faithful friend” at her feet—all 
to make the sentiment at the head of tbe arti¬ 
cle more impressive, but what a sense of un¬ 
satisfaction it left on a man's mind when after 
perusing the whole article he found that not a 
word was said ahout the subject under review 
save in the old couplet, and i hat of course was 
quoted. We were treated to a lengthy dis¬ 
cussion on “Woman’s Rights,” beginning 
away back with Aristophanes, who, the writer 
Bays, “catered to the taste of the luxuriant 
Athenians” by discussing the rights of women 
“as early as 414 B U ” Now, since Aristo¬ 
phanes is said by the best authorities to have 
been born about the year 448 B. C., was n t 
he a trifle young to be catering to the tastes of 
the Athenians by discus.-iag such soul-stir¬ 
ring (!) questions as those concerning woman’s 
rights ? lie was about four years old. But 
then there were smart boys in tho-e days, and 
this will excuse the slight lapsus of the pen 
in this instance. 
I have no intention of discussing the ques¬ 
tion of woman’s right to do this and that, but 
simply wi»h to briQg into prominence some of 
the statements made in th« article above 
mentioned, which I am afraid may be over¬ 
looked. 
What a comfort to know that man would 
“ be a most pitiable creature—indeed, would 
soon become a mere nonentity,” if be were 
obliged to live alone! How about tbe woman 
thus situated ? But then we have heard of 
men who died “ old bachelors” who, if nonen¬ 
tities, were very respectable ones ; in fact, 
they had a much more real existence than 
some we know of who "stay” with a wife 
whose waking moments are mostly devoted to 
practical considerations of Woman’s Rights. 
In another place the writer, in discu-wing the 
subject, “ Woman's Work is Never Done,’’ 
asks the question (which is without connection) 
if a man when he marries “ really under¬ 
stands and means what he promises.” She 
trows not. I trow he does as much as she. 
“ Why does the skeleton, In so many house¬ 
holds, appear in the shape of a tyrannical 
husband ?” We give it up nnless it is on ao- 
count of tbe muscle that wiuHs the broom¬ 
stick over him. No skeleton about that 1 
But 1 do not wish to prolong these com¬ 
ments. No doubt women are blamed; so are 
men. No doubt women do not always get 
