474 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JULY 45 
continues to be composed of definite propor¬ 
tions of nitrogen and oxygen, with the usual 
indefinite quantities of other elements and 
continues still to be the earth’s scavenger, and 
though it receives in its embrace in the aerial 
form all the filth and putrescence of the 
world, still it continues to be the very life of 
all things that live whether animal or vegeta¬ 
ble. The water, too, so far os wa can see, is 
the same as ever composed of definite propor¬ 
tions of oxygen and hydrogen, with indefinite 
proportions of mineral elements held by it in 
solution. But the solid earth, man’s domain, 
has not been allowed to remain quiet. Moun¬ 
tains have been tunneled, hills leveled, valleys 
filled, minerals torn from their beds, analyzed 
and decomposed, streams dammed and turned 
from their courses, bands of iron and steel 
have been drawn around and across the land, 
continents naturally separate have linked to¬ 
gether by submarine chains, and a general 
derangement of nature's affairs has been made 
by the manipulations of man. And who knows 
in wbat it will end ? 
Fertility is claimed to have been restored or 
created over the once barren plains of the far 
West, and rainless wastes ha ve been blest with 
copious showers, and man passes this to his 
own credit. So far so good, but what of the 
floods and tornadoes ? Will he father them? 
Chemistry has come to explain much that was 
once a dark mystery, but electricity who can 
explain ? We see much of the effect of its 
mighty power, and we know that in storms 
this power is manifested; we know, also, that 
iron, steel and other metals are facile conduc¬ 
tors of it; is it not possible that while it has 
produced rain and fertility where once was 
aridity and barrenness, that it has at the same 
time produced excessive meteoric manifesta¬ 
tions in places comparatively quiet before ? 
Such were my reflections when I read in the 
New York Sun the following: 
“Professor Stewart, of San Francisco, puts 
forward the theory as to why earthquakes 
have become rare in that region. At all sea¬ 
sons of the year there is vastly more moisture 
in the Atlantic States than in California, and 
I firmly believe that our overcharged coast is 
being constantly relieved of its plus electricity 
by the iron of the overland railways, and that 
California earthquakes are now appearing in 
the form of frightful tornadoes and electrical 
storms east of the Rocky Mountains.” 
Will other savans enlighten us further on 
this point ? s. a p. 
- »» ■«- 
GENERAL LOGAN’S DAUGHTER. 
It is written that a few days ago Mrs. Pay¬ 
master Tucker, nee Logan, was in the senato¬ 
rial gallery in Washington, listening to the 
debates. Directly in front of her sat two la¬ 
dies, one evidently a Washingtonian and the 
other a stranger. The native was taking un¬ 
usual pains to make herself agreeable, and, as 
Mrs. Tucker was about to sit down, said to 
her friend: “There, you see that large man 
sitting in the center of the chamber with the 
jet black hair and large moustache? ” 
“Yes.” 
“Well, that is General Logan, of Illinois. 
It isn’t generally known, but he is half In¬ 
dian.” 
At this point Mrs. Tucker could contain 
herself no longer. So gently tapping the lady 
on the shoulder, she said: "Excuse me, 
madam, but you are mistaken when you say 
that Senator Logan is half Indian ” 
“Well, I guess I ought to know,” warmly 
responded the stranger, “ I have lived in 
Washington all my life, and the fact of his 
Indian blood has never been questioned be¬ 
fore.” 
“ I think I ought to know something about 
the matter, too,” quietly answered Mrs. Tuck¬ 
er; “I am General Logan’s daughter. ’ 
As Dundreary says, "the conversation is 
ended,” and the stranger and her companion 
flounced out of the gallery. 
About Moths. —The destruction caused by 
these little pests can only be counted by mil¬ 
lions yearly, and they are the plague of every 
housekeeper Unless you hermetically seal a 
cask or box. you can scarcely keep the miller 
out, as she will crawl through a good-sized 
pin-hole. Therefore we must use something 
offensive, and the writer has found nothing so 
effective and so cheap as petroleum paper, or 
even the common tar roofing paper will 
answer. Buy your paper in rolls, cut in sec¬ 
tions long enough to cover the inside, the bot¬ 
tom and the sides, and lap over on the top of 
box. All of the inside of the box must be 
covered, and on the inside of this again place 
wrapping paper to prevent the contact of nice 
clothing with the petroleum paper. Use a 
large box—no matter about being very tight, 
as the paper will cover the holes—and pack in 
all your woolens and furs, filling it full. 
Bring the paper up which has been hanging 
over the sides of the box, and let it cover the 
whole so that the miller cannot enter without 
crawling over the petroleum paper, which she 
will never do. Nail on the cover of the box 
and your clothing is safe for three years if 
you want to leave it that long. It is much 
cheaper and does not evaporate like camphor, 
and the carbolic acid in it seems to act like 
an antiseptic on the animal fiber of the wood 
to preserve and make it healthful. 
Memorial Window. —The memorial Win¬ 
dow to the late President Garfield, which is to 
be presented to Williams College, Mass., by 
Mr. Cyrus W. Field, is on exhibition in New 
York ; the work is by Mr. Lafarge, and the 
cost is over $1,000. The window is pointed 
and measures nine feet nine inches by three 
feet six inches. It is constructed almost en¬ 
tirely of opalescent glass. The design is car¬ 
ried out to a great extent by the leading, and 
there is but little painting. In the upper or 
story portion, which occupies about two- 
tbirds of the space, is represented the angel 
showing Moses the Promised Laud. The 
principal and central object in the lower por¬ 
tion of the window, which in design is archi¬ 
tectural and Renaissance, is a medallion profile 
head representing bronze of ex-President Gar¬ 
field, on a light blue ground, in the classic style, 
and surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves 
tied with ribbons. At either side, in small 
panels are represented in many colors civic 
and military trophies. 
for TUomnx. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS RA Y CLARK. 
GOIN’ FOR THE COWS. 
The western skies were all afflow 
With clouds o' red an' gray 
The crickets In the grassy fields 
Were chirpin' merrily; 
When up the lane and o’er the hill 
I saw a maiden roam. 
Who went her way at close o' day 
To call the cattle home : 
Co-boss—co-boss! 
Co-boss—co-boss! 
Come home—come home 
The echo o' her charmin’ voice 
Resounded thro' the vale. 
It lingered on the evenin' air. 
It floated on the gale; 
'Twas borne along the mountain side, 
It drifted through the glen, 
It died away among the hills. 
Far from the haunts of men. 
Co-boss—co-boss! 
Co-boss—co boss! 
Come home—come home ! 
Her face was flushed with hues o’ health, 
Her arms and feet were bare; 
She had a lithe and active form, 
A wealth o' raven hair; 
Beyond the hills she passed from sight, 
As sinks the fallen star ; 
Until her voice was faintly heard 
Still calling from afar; 
Co-boss—co-boss! 
Co-boss—co-boss! 
Come home—come home 
Soon o’er the distant knoll appeared 
The cattle, red and brown, 
An’ from the pasture to the lane 
Came gaily trottln' down. 
With sparklin' eyes and cheeks aglow 
Returned the maiden gay, 
Who waved her arms and shouted low, 
Whay-boss—whay-boss—Oh. whay! 
Whay-boss—w hay-boss! 
Whay-boss—whay-boss! 
O whay—O whay! 
-■*-*-•--- 
OLD CHANDELIERS vs. CANDELABRA. 
As Flower-stands and “Hanging- 
basket." 
MRS c. S. JONES. 
PART II. 
Our next effort was made upon a large 
candelabrum of very ancient form. It consisted 
of a bronze base, upon which stood a classical 
figure upholding two branches each containing 
four candle cups. These removed, left each 
end of the branches with only the sockets, and 
upon these we cemented a pair of trumpet 
vases that had been badly broken and con¬ 
sidered useless, after cementing the parts and 
bronzing them, however, they were, admir¬ 
ably adapted to our purpose here. From two 
projecting ornaments below, we suspended a 
pair of hanging b eskets, improvised from gar¬ 
net finger glasses set in silver wire baskets, also 
treated to a coat of varnish and bronze. On 
the top we cemented a tall trumpet vase of 
garnet glass. 
We placed the stand in a shallow tin-pan, the 
outside we finished to correspond with the 
rest, and fastened them by means of plaster- 
of-Paris, thus biding the broken and defaced 
base. 
This pan filled with wet sand, contained 
several tubers of Madeira vine, while a fine 
Dioscorea Batatas (Cinnamon vine) tuber, was 
started in the upper vase, and sweet potatoes 
in those on the sides. These grew and soon 
clothed the entire stand with a variety of the 
most lovely foliage, while in the pan covered 
with green moss, cut flowers were added 
whenever required, and bouquets of fresh or 
fine everlasting flowers kept the vases always 
gay. This stand we used for an epergne, 
during an entire Winter and never used 
one that was so greatly admired. In the 
baskets, tradescantias, Zebrina and Viridis, 
with cut or dried flowers and grasses made 
charming pendants, and when at Christ¬ 
mas, the various bulbs, hyacinths, Lilies 
of the Valley, crocuses, narcissus, etc., were 
transferred to the greenery, the most exquisite 
of holiday table ornaments was produced at 
short notice. 
The next objects we attacked was a pair of 
bracket lamps of two burners each. These 
were exceedingly dusty aud rough with age. 
For the lamps we substituted flower pots, 
treated thus: After soaking over night, we 
covered the outside with a coat of plaster of- 
Paris, colored with ultramarine blue and 
chrome yellow, giving a dark green. When 
dry, turn the pot upon a board greased in 
order to prevent it adhering, and apply an 
ornamental coat, colored with burnt Sienna 
and rose-pink, or Vermillion; giving a warm 
brown. With a teaspoon, this was put on 
with great care, arranging the geometrical 
figure in rows round the pot, building them 
out on the lower part so as to give a fulness 
of form at the lower part, and deep bas relief 
appearance, while at the top the designs were 
shallow figures upon the ground. When dry 
two coats of copat brought the rich coloring, 
and gave an elegant finish, which was still 
further enhanced, by touching all the rough 
projecting points, with distemper colors, 
scarlet, blue, green and violet, with gold and 
silver bronze powders touched to the varnish 
in various parts. The frame we painted dark 
green and varnished, then applied crimson 
bronze. Two small baskets suspended by 
slender chains hung below each bracket. 
These were made of tin half gallon cans, (such 
as are used for tomatoes, etc.), coated with 
asphalt cement, a number of clinkers, of 
rustic form were fastened in picturesque 
fashion, around the edges and on the sides* 
then varnished and touched up with the 
bronzes and distemper colors. The four pots 
were stocked with fine specimen plants of 
bouvardia eupatorium, a Begonia welto- 
niensis and a poinsettia carpeted with Ficus 
repens, Linaria cymbalaria and several lyco¬ 
podiums. These brackets fastened against the 
window frame below the chandelier basket, 
had a suprisingly lovely appearance, and 
have been the most conspicuous features of a 
very beautiful window garden. 
These hints may serve to show what may 
u6 done in the way of utilizing a certain class 
of rubbish for ornamental purposes. 
- - - - 
MRS. LEE’S JOURNAL. 
“ MARGUERITE.” 
Mother, great Aunt, Fred and myself went 
riding, to visit Mrs. S. They live on a large 
farm, in a large briek house, and one feels 
while there that farming is a glory and coun¬ 
try life is the broad and pure one to live. 
How fresh, and large, and free the world 
seemed to be while there! The wide, wide 
hall, and spacious parlor with portraits on 
walls of Mr. S. ’s ancestors, made me think of 
some old English house of which I have read. 
Then there were the grandfather and grand¬ 
mother of little Helen, with them and an 
aunt there from the city on a visit. 
We settled down to enjoyable visiting 
while Fred and Helen started out on an ex¬ 
ploring tour iu the large grounds. They came 
back soon afterwards and Fred persistently 
stayed in the house. He told me after ques¬ 
tioning as to why be did so, that there was a 
big turkey gobbler out doors, but that he did 
not get his red stockings. Helen, although 
the younger of the two, knew no fear and de¬ 
clared “ Fred was a goosie,” and wanted to 
know of me “why he would not go out?” so 
I told her that “once upon a time” Gertie 
and Fred went visiting to their grandpapa’s 
house and Gertie wore a red hood when she 
played out doors. They had a great big tur¬ 
key “gobble gobble” there that hated red, 
and he pushed up his feathers and made nim- 
self big and finallv got so mad he could not 
stand It any longer, and he reached up, took 
hold of her hood with his bill, and threw it 
down on the grass perfectly disgusted. 
“ Oh, oh”! said Helen, “ What for”? 
“ Because he hated red, and Gertie and Fred 
have been afraid ever since of a big turkey,” 
I explained. “ Oh tell me all about it again,” 
said Helen. I did, and the moment I was 
done she said, “I wouldn’t be such a goosie as 
to be afraid; please tell me again.” But I was 
called then to see some work done by Mrs. S. 
The mantel in her parlor was made of wood, 
very long, perhaps six feet, and she had em¬ 
broidered lambrequin for it of cardinal felt. 
It was about eighteen inches deep, and em¬ 
broidered in different designs with crewels and 
silk. She had sunflowers, cactus blossom with 
leaf; ferns, wild roses, and several other floral 
designs on it.” The table cover Susie has made 
for you has sprays of the wild rose like this 
on it,” said Mrs. S. 
For me? I asked. 
“ Oh you have not seen it yet. It is beau¬ 
tiful, and here is the fringe for my lambre¬ 
quin,” she held it up beside it and the effect 
was pleasing, it was a heavy chenille fringe, 
with a shade of green and cardinal that was 
restful to look at. I admired the whole very 
much and while looking ac it still some one 
drew back a curtain and brought forward a 
heliotrope in full bloom. Its fragrance filled 
the room, while its flowers nodded toward us 
as much as to say, “see we.” This was God’s 
handy work, and how perfect! We His crea¬ 
tures try to imitate it and the nearer we 
approach it, the nearer we are to success in 
art; but how far short we come of the pattern. 
The summons to supper came, and we sat 
down to a well filled table. There was nice 
fresh eggs, baked potatoes, fruit, delicious 
butter, rich warm biscuit, a large pitcher of 
cream, and other good things w hich we were 
by this time himgry enough to enjoy. 
The next morning we sat down to our own 
breakfast table without the rich cream and 
golden butter of the farm, but our coffee was 
good and we had “ city cream,” and our steak 
was delicious, and then I was at my own little 
home with my children and husband, dearer 
than all else to me. 
-» »»- 
A FLORIDA LETTER. 
Thinking that the lady readers of the Ru¬ 
ral would like to hear something about Flor¬ 
ida, the land of fruit aud flowers, I will write 
a few thoughts even though they be some 
what disconnected. 
Today, at noon, the mercury is 00 degrees 
in the shade, but a cool, refreshing breeze is 
blowing. The flowers are perfectly radiant 
in color. Phlox drummondii are growing all 
over the orange grove in every color im¬ 
aginable, coming up itself every Winter, and 
lasting in beauty until August. My gera¬ 
niums bloomed all Winter out in door yards, 
and the rose geraniums are several years old, 
grown in flower beds until they are like a 
large currant bush. The tender jessamines, 
begonias, roses, hybiscus and coleuses do well 
out doors the year round; and furnishing 
lovely bouquets every day in the year. I love 
the fragrance of the mignonette. I have 
them three years old blooming finely. 
Those who are interested in bees ean have 
the best results in this land of flowers. 
Although so far South, the Summers are al¬ 
most perfect. We keep in the shade (of which 
there is plenty) during the hottest part of the 
day, yet there is time enough in the “cool of 
the day” to cultivate all the flowers one wants 
to, and the soil can be easily worked, even by 
ladies, it is so sandy. I have two kinds of 
lilies now in bloom, though I am writing this 
to you, dear Rural readers, in April. One 
is a beautiful crimson with golden bands, and 
the other is a pure white Star-Lily, perfectly 
beautiful. These are our wild lilies, and 
grow profusely in the swamps and on river 
sides. No gladioli can compare with these, 
though we have them of all shades and color, 
and require but the first planting, as they 
come up each year after, and grow and blos¬ 
som without further care. 
We are having people coming here to live, 
but I wish a few of the wealthy would find 
out our Southern home, aud come here to live 
with us, just to see what wonderful things our 
lauds could produce with the aid of money. 
There are natural ponds, with 00 feet of water, 
full of fish, with the large, white Pond Lily 
covering the surface, a'd the water clear as 
crystal and delicious to the taste. I have a 
beautiful pond in my own door yard. 
Eleveu years ago there was nothing 
here but pine woods. No roads nor houses, 
except here and there one. But now we have 
a church, school, postoflice, stores, and a tele¬ 
graph office. 
This is just the place for a Northern farmer 
to have a Winter home, wherein he could live 
from October to April. There are plenty of 
orange groves here that could be purchased at 
a low figure, so that the owner could have 
ready cash to use on other groves and thereby 
have a good yield from it, and make enough 
from the products to keep himself and family 
until the next season comes round. 
I hope some of you Northern farmers will 
be induced to visit us here in Paola. I am al¬ 
most sure you will not go back without being 
the owner of an orange grove. A. M. B. 
A BACHELOR’S SUGGESTION ABOUT 
THE BABY. 
Why not put the baby in a bag at once and 
be done with it? Well, why not? We are sure 
that the helpless little creatures would feel far 
more comfortable tied up in bags than they 
do uow done up in the awkward bundles 
known as “ baby clothes.” These bags should 
be roomy, of course, with a draw-string at 
the top and another at the bottom. No em¬ 
broidery—no ruffles, no 8leeves? Yes, just as 
