772 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
NOV 41 
father to the northern 'wilderness, as it was 
then considered. 
In the meantime, Jnbez was informed and 
instructed to write to his brother of the in¬ 
tended visit of Dr. Noble, and of the probable 
early time when it would occur, that he could 
be on hand to meet him.—[To be continued. 
THE ORIGINAL OP REBECCA IN " IVAN- 
HOE” 
Rebecca Gratz, the original of Rebecca 
in “Ivanhoe,” is the subject of a shoft arti¬ 
cle by Gratz Van Rensselaer, which with a 
beautiful portrait of the lady appears in the 
September Century. 
We believe it is not generally known that 
the honor of having been the prototype and 
inspiration of the character of Rebecca the 
JewesB in “Jvanhoe,” belongs to an Ameri¬ 
can lady whose beauty and noble qualities 
were described to Scott by a friend. The 
friend was Washington Irving, and the lady 
Rebecca Gratz, of an honorable Jewish 
family of Phi ladelphia. * * * 
Rebecca was born on the 4th of March, 
1781, and in her younger days, and even be¬ 
yond middle life.she possessed singular beauty. 
Her eyes were of exquisite shape, large, black 
and lustrous; her figure was graceful, and her 
carriage was marked by quiet dignity—at¬ 
tractions which were hightened by elegant 
and winning manners. * * * 
It is said that when a young lady, Rebecca 
won the regard of a gentleman of character, 
position, aud wealth, whose passion was de¬ 
votedly returned. The difference in their re¬ 
ligious faith, however,—the one a conscien¬ 
tious Christian, the other devoted to the an¬ 
cient creed of Israel,—proved an insuperable 
barrier to their union. She was never mar¬ 
ried. * * * 
One of her brother’s most intimate friends 
was Washington Irving, then in the early 
freshness of his literary fame. When in Phila¬ 
delphia he was a welcome guest at the mansion, 
and the “big room”was assigned him to 
“ roost in," as he termed it. The beauty 
and character of Rebecca, together with the 
fact that she was a representative of a race 
whose history is full of romance, deeply im¬ 
pressed him, and the foundation was laid of a 
cordial friendship and admiration which 
lasted through life. * * * 
Miss Gratz passed many of her younger 
days with the Hoffmans and other old fami¬ 
lies in New York, with whom she was on inti* 
mate terms. Among her friends at this time 
were the literary wits of Salmagundi. Ma¬ 
tilda Hoffman, the object of Irving’s first, 
last, and only love, was her dearest friend. 
Miss Hoffman, who is described as lovely in 
person and mind, with engaging manners, 
delicate sensibilities, and playful humor, 
faded early and died in April 1809, at the age 
of eighteen. Rebecca was her constant, com¬ 
panion during her illness, sharing with the 
family the cares of her sick bed, and holding 
her in her arms when she died. Irving was 
then twenty-six years old, and for the half 
century of his later life he cherished faith¬ 
fully the memory of his early love. He slept 
with her Bible and prayer-book under his 
pillow, aud they were ever his inseparable 
companions. After his death a package was 
found containing some private memoranda, 
a miniature of great beauty, a braid of 
fair hair, and a slip of paper containing her 
name in his own bandwriting. In his pri¬ 
vate note-book he wrote; “ She died in the 
beauty of her youth, and in my memory she 
will ever be young and beautiful.” * * * 
For many years, during which he studied 
law and was admitted to the bar, Irving’s 
natural gay temperament was overshadowed 
by his grief, aud his frequent intervals of de¬ 
pression unfitted him for literary labor. En¬ 
gaging in business with his brother at Liver¬ 
pool, he passed much of his time abroad. 
His mercantile career, however, proved a 
failure, and thenceforth he devoted himself to 
literature. 11 was in the year of 1817 that 
Soott and Irving met for the first time. With 
a letter of introduction from the poet Camp¬ 
bell, who was aware of Scott’s high estimate 
of Irving’s genius, the latter visited Abbots¬ 
ford. He was most cordially received and 
welcomed by Scott himself, who came limp¬ 
ing down to the gate, attended by his favor¬ 
ite stag-hound, aud grasped his hand in a way 
that made Irving feel as if they were already 
old friends.* * * 
To this friendship we owe the character of 
Rebecca in “lvanhoe." During one of their 
many conversations, when personal and 
family affairs wore the topics, Irving spoke 
of his own, and Miss Hoffman’s cherished 
friend, Rebecca Gratz, of Philadelphia, de¬ 
scribed her wonderful beauty, related the 
story of her firm adherence to her religious 
faith under the most trying circumstances, 
and particularly illustrated her loveliness of 
character and zealous philanthropy. Scott 
was deeply interested and impressed, and 
conceived the plan of embodying the pure, 
moral sentiment, that like a thread of silver 
ran through the story. Although “ Rob Roy” 
was then unfinished, he was already revolving 
in bis mind the plot and characters of “ Ivan- 
hoe.” He immediately determined to intro¬ 
duce a Jewish female character, and, on the 
strength of Irving’s vivid description, he 
named his heroine P^ebecca. 
ONE OF THE RIGHT SORT. 
A Detroiter who was out in the country 
the other day to look after some poultry, got 
stuck in a mudhole, although having a light 
buggy and a strong horse He got out, took 
a rail off the fence, and was trying to pry the 
vehicle cut when a strapping young woman, 
about 2(5 years of age, came along. She halted, 
surveying the situation, aud said: 
“You stand by the horse while I heave on 
the rail, and don’t be afraid of getting mud 
on your hands and boots.” 
Their united efforts released the vehicle, 
and the Detroiter returned thanks and asked 
her to get in and ride. She hesitated, looked 
up and down the road, and finally said: 
“Stranger, I’m blunt spoken. Who are 
you ?” 
He gave his name and residence, and she 
continued: 
“ I’m over 25, worth $500 in cash, know all 
'about housework, and this is leap year.” 
“Yes, I know; but for heaven’s sake, don’t 
ask me to marry you 3” he replied, as he saw 
the drift. 
“See here,” she continued, looking him 
square in the eye, “I’m a straight girl, wear 
a No. 7 shoe, and I like the looks of you.” 
“Yes; but don’t—don’t talk that way to 
me!” 
“Stranger, it’s leap year, and I’m going to 
popl Will you have me or not?” 
“ I—I’m—ready married,” he faltered. 
“ Honest Injun?” 
“ Yes.” 
“ Well, that settles me, aud I won’t ride. 
I’ll take a cut across the field over to cld 
Spooner’s. He’s got four sons aud a fool 
nephew, and I’ll begin on the old man and pop 
the crowd clear down to the idiot, for I’ve 
slummixed around the world just as long as 
I’m going to. Good-by, sir; no harm done.” 
—Detroit Free Press. 
-- 
THE VILLAGE POSTMISTRESS, 
The son of this postmistress says of his 
mother: 
“She’s gettin’ a little hard a’ bearin’, 
though; but I tell her that am’t strange, seein’ 
she’s heard so much in her day. Ears can’t 
last forever, you know, Mis’ Linton, an’ for 
fifty years there ain’t been nothin’ goin’ on 
among the neighbors that mamma ain’t beard. 
Bein’ in the postoffis is wearin’ to the hearin’ 
ez well ez the eyes. Folks cornin’ and goin’ 
for their letters generally leave as much news 
ez they take away. By the way. Mis’ Linton, 
yer sister, Miss BraiiHgh’s cornin’ back to¬ 
morrow. Mamma was readin’ the postal 
cards last ni.'ht, an’ she came across one from 
her.” 
“ Reading my postal cards!" exclaimed Mrs. 
Linton. 
“Why, yes. Mamma always reads ’em— 
leastways she reads such ez isn’t took right 
off. She says it’s her duty. Might be news 
of sickness or death, ur suthin’ else, that we’d 
ought to send right along; they are dreadful 
aggravatin’ readin’, though. People don’t 
write ez well ez they used to, an’ don’t make 
things clear, nuther. When anybody writes 
jes ‘Yes’ or ‘ No’ on a postal, no postmaster in 
creation can make anything out of it. But 
your sister’s postal is plain enough, Mis’ Lin¬ 
ton; thar ain’t nothin’ indefiuit’ about her. 
She says, * Comin’s Thursday, 5 o’clock train. 
Have factotum meet me.’ Mamma puzzled 
a good deal over that word ‘factotum,’ an’ we 
both concluded that it was the name of your 
help. Furrin’ name, ain’t it ? I told mamma 
’twas new, a nyhow, an’ ez we had a young 
calf’t we was goin’ to raise, an’ hadn’t named 
it, we concluded we’d call her Factotum, like 
that furrin’ kitchen gii l o’ yourn, Mis’Linton.” 
Worth, the French Dressmaker. —An 
American lady writes her impressions of dis¬ 
appointment at sight of Worth, the king of 
fashion, in most mournful terms:—“ Worth 
is not all that fancy pictured to my mind’s 
eye before I saw him. In fact, I found him 
nothing more than a shrewd, business-like 
looking mau, with a head so like the portraits 
of Oliver Goldsmith that doubtless the resem¬ 
blance has often beeu commented upon.” 
Worth is getting oniu years, and the anxieties 
of his profession are beginning to tell upon 
him. His life has been a hard one. He has 
gone into the great stronghold of the French 
—that of woman’s dress—and beaten them. 
He is an Englishman, and was for a long time 
shopman at Swan and Edgar’s, in London. 
But he was born ambitious, like Vivian Grey, 
like Endymion, and longed to seek his fortune 
in other climes, so accepted the offer made 
by a Paris house and, first thing, learned to 
speak French, then got naturalized as a French 
citizen, and persuaded the French ladies that 
none but himself could set their figures off to 
the be«t advantage. And such is the power 
of tenacity and will, that Worth is now ac¬ 
knowledged as the first mantua-maker in the 
world, ami from the remotest parts of the 
earth are ordere, without limitation as to 
price, addressed to him for his costumes. He 
has two sons, both Frenchmen to the back¬ 
bone; neither of them, however, wish to fol¬ 
low their father’s profession, but have chosen 
a military life, which plainly shows their want 
of “ taste," according to their father’s idea. 
• » » — 
Pleasant Evenings —It rests with the 
women of the household to make arrange¬ 
ments by which the evenings may be made 
pleasant for the entire household, young and 
old. Happy evenings at home are strone an¬ 
tidotes to the practice of looking for enjoy¬ 
ment abroad, and seeking for pleasure in by 
and forbidden places; for relaxation and rec¬ 
reation will be indulged in somehow by most 
men, and happy are they who find in the home 
circle the diversion they need. A lively game, 
an interesting book read aloud, or, in musical 
families, a new song to be practised, will fur¬ 
nish pastime that will make an evening pass 
pleasantly. A little forethought during the 
day, a little pulling of wires that need not 
appear, will make the whole thing easy; and 
different ways and means may be provided 
for making the evening hours pass pleasantly, 
and a time to be looked forward to with 
pleasant anticipations. Each member of the 
family can help in doing this. We visited 
once in a large family where it was the duty 
of each sister, in turn, to provide the even¬ 
ing’s occupation, and there was a pleasant 
rivalry between them as to whose evening 
should be the most enjoyable. The brothers 
entered fully into the spirit of the simple 
home entertainments, and were as loth to be 
obliged to spend an evening away from home 
as their sisters and parents were to have them 
absent. No wonder the family was a pecu¬ 
liarly united one. 
A Gypsy Wedding. —“ A gypsy wedding 
took place at 8t. Mary’s Church, East Moul- 
sey, the other day” (says an English paper.) 
“The church was crowded with gipsies, who 
were in the neighborhood in great numbers 
to attend the Hampton Races. The bride 
wore a striped, pale-blue French silk dress, with 
a long train, covered with & cream colored 
satin shawl, and a white straw hat trimmed 
with wild dowers; she carried in her hand a 
bouquet of wild flowers. The bride-groom 
looked like a London costermonger in his ‘Sun¬ 
day best.’ At the close of the ceremony the 
‘Wedding March’ was played, and as the 
newly-married pair left the church they 
were received with a shower of rice. Al¬ 
most all the gypsies present were profusely 
decorated with wild flowers. It has become 
the practice with gypsies within the last ten 
or fifteen years, whenever a marriage is 
agreed upon, to have it celebrated in the 
church nearest the locality where any race 
or sport meeting is being held which the 
tribe attends." 
-- 
BOOKS AND MAGAZINES. 
The Magazines for November are here with 
their usual brightness and interest. 
Harper’s has a new novel by the authoress 
of “Anne,” which is a story of so much 
attractiveness, that every one who read it 
will be eager to secure the first chaptere of 
this new story, “For the Major;” a lengthy 
article on “The Early Quakers in England 
and Pennsylvania,” by Howard Pyle; “Across 
Lots,” by William Hamilton Gibson, a most 
beautifully illustrated article; the second 
part of “Southern California” by Wm. Henry 
Bishop; with numerous other articles and 
poems, with the Editors Easy Chair, etc., etc. 
“The Century" presents as a frontispiece 
the portrait of Florence Nightingale. The 
first article is by Henry James Jr,, and the 
subject, “Venice.” “A New Profession for 
Women” by Franklin H North; “The Chris¬ 
tian League of Connecticut,” by Washington 
Gladden, Part L; “The Beginning of a Na¬ 
tion,” by Edward Eggleston; “ Faith’s Forti¬ 
tude,” by H. H.; and a dozen other articles of 
the greatest interest. 
St. Nicholas, which as we have once be¬ 
fore declared, is the best children’s magazine 
in the world. There is a beautiful colored 
frontispiece In this the first Dumber of the 
new volume. J. T, Trowbridge, the most 
popular writer for boys in America, com¬ 
mences a new serial story, entitled “The 
Tinkham Brothers Tide Mill." Another for 
both girls and boys by Frank R Stockton, is 
called “The Story of Viteau,” which is de¬ 
scriptive of life in the thirteenth century, 
with many other finely illustrated articles. 
Every house In this land, should have this 
magazine visit them twelve times a year. 
“The Atlantic Monthly,” contains a very 
interesting and characteristic paper, by Chas. 
Dudley Warner, describing “A Ride in 
Spain;’’ the ninth paper in the series of 
“Studies in the South;” also one on the “In¬ 
dian Question,” by Geo. S. Wilson; “Domes¬ 
tic Country Life in Greece,” by Eunice W. 
Feeton; Mr. Hardy’s serial story, “Two on a 
Tower;” a story entitled “Rube Jones.” The 
Atlantic for 1888 promises to be very attrac¬ 
tive. A specialty is offered in Henry James’ 
“Daisy Miller,” rewritten in dramatic form. 
Also contributions from Dr. Holmes. 
“The Popular Science Montbly” con¬ 
tains articles entitled “Sewer Gas,” “The 
Science of the Present Period;” “Some Curious 
Vfgetable Growths,” “Scientific Farming at 
Rothamsted,” etc., etc. 
BRIC-A-BRAC. 
Well up in Botany. —Yes, she visited the 
country and considered herself superior to 
ignorant, common farmers. She was learned 
in botany, and with lofty airs told Farmer D. 
she knew every plant that grew. The farmer 
coming from the field one day plucked a clus¬ 
ter of blossoms and carried them to the house. 
“Do you know these blossoms?” he asked of 
her. “Oh, yes, of course I do,” she replied. 
“They are very rare, and so beautiful; too 
sweet for anything. I am perfectly familiar 
with these flowers; 1 know all about plants; 
these grow on trees in the woods." “ What is 
their name ?’’ asked Farmer D„ with a sly 
wink at his wife, who stood by choking with 
laughter. “ Why—really—I can’t recall their 
botanical name just now; but I suppose you 
have some vulgar name for them.” “Well,’ 
replied Farmer D., “we ignorant farmers 
call them potato blossoms.” “You horrid 
thing, cried she, spitefully, “ to bring me such 
a mean old weed.” She cut short her visit 
and returned to town.— Neu>m,an{Qa.) Herald. 
The following story has recently gone the 
round of the German papers: On the morning 
of the recent eclipse, Capt. von S- of the 
-Fusileers issued the following verbal or¬ 
der to his company, through his Sergeant- 
Major, to be communicated to the men after 
forenoon parade: “ This afternoon a solar 
eclipse will take place. At three o’clock the 
whole company will parade in the barrack 
yard. Fatigue jackets and caps. I shall ex¬ 
plain the eclipse to the men. Should it rain, 
they will assemble in the drill-shed." The 
Sergeant-Major, having set down bis com¬ 
manding officer’s instructions in writing, as 
he had understood them, formed the company 
into hollow square at the conclusion of the 
morning drill, and read his version of the 
order to them, thus: “This afternoon a solar 
eclipse will take place in the barrack yard by 
order of the Captain, and will be attended by 
the whole company, in fatigue jackets and 
caps. The Captain will conduct the solar 
eclipse in person. Should it rain, the eclipse 
will take place in the drill-shed.” 
WRITING IN AN ALBUM. 
I’ve tried my hand at many a task, 
For some reward or glory. 
And usually contrive to mask 
The feel lugs that steal o’er me; 
But to attempt a feat like this, 
Glory would t nipt roe seldom; 
And who could hide his nervousness 
While writing in an album? 
There is notbiDg like telling truth in a 
prayer, and when one prays he ought to go 
directly to the point, instead of rambling all 
over the question. We always took a hearty 
interest in the following: The Beaver family, 
up amongst the mountains, were a hard set. 
One day the youngest of the boys was bitten 
by a rattlesnake, and the old folks were so 
scared that they sent at once for the minister, 
who knelt down and prayed: “O Lord t we 
thank Thee for rattlesnakes. We thank Thee 
that a rattlesnake has bitten Jim, We pray 
Thee to send one to bite John ; send another 
to bite Bill; and, O Lord, send the biggest of 
Thy rattlesnakes to bite the old man, for 
nothing but rattlesnakes will bring the Beaver 
family to repentance. Amen.” 
CONDUCTED BY MISS RAY CLARK. 
PHILADELPHIA’S BI-CENTENNIAL. 
MARY WAGER FISHER. 
“Oh, William Penn!' 1 sighed a weary 
young countryman, as he dropped into a seat 
in a Pennsylvania railroad car not far from 
three o’clock in the morniDg succeeding the 
second day’s pageantry of the Bi-Centeuuial; 
and undoubtedly a million and a half of kin¬ 
dred souls had that same day chorused the 
same weary refrain, "Oh, Willi m Penn I” 
For it must be confessed that }.he Bi-Centen¬ 
nial was most tiresome to the flesh, gay and 
wonderful as it was to the spirit. I was a co¬ 
passenger with the tired young man, and had 
