FES. 7 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
.for Momnt. 
CONDUCTED BY RAY CLARK 
TO THE “ BUBAL” LADIE8. 
In the last Issue you were Informed of the de¬ 
parture of Mias Faith Ripley, by an announcement 
from her own pen. While entertaining persona! 
regret that your relations have been severed, it Is 
hoped that your Interest In the “ Woman’s De¬ 
partment ” will remain tbo same. 
As her successor, I ask the continuance of your 
hearty co-operation In this particular work. The 
object is to make the department as Interesting 
and instructive as possible. To do thlB your kindly 
aid will be needed now as In the past. 
In soliciting articles It Is left to your own judg¬ 
ment as to the selection of topics, but It Is pre¬ 
ferred that the matter he condensed as much as 
practicable. Mutual criticism thereby furthering 
the knowledge or thought of a particular sub¬ 
ject—is requested. Prose is at all times of more 
value than poetry. Accept my best wishes to en¬ 
gender pleasant relations. Yours truly, 
Rat Clark. 
-- 
HOME ECONOMIES. 
I think the depth of woman’s Intellect Is well 
proven in our “Club,” even to masculine minds. 
Indeed, 1 began to fear that the current of their 
minds ran so very deep that we. who quaffed 
fig. 89. 
nearer the surface, would And nothing to suit our 
needs., I fear, the silent way most of us accept 
and enjoy our part of the *• Rural ” would not be 
Justified. When we look for so much, ought not 
more of us contribute something to aid others In 
well-doing? 
The many ways of making home beautiful with¬ 
out great expense, are duly appreciated by the 
busy energetic mothers, in farmers’ homes, who 
love all beautiful pleasant tilings. They know 
how hard It is to procure the little luxurious com¬ 
forts fou ud In village homes. The longings to feast 
the eyes on art and beautiful surroundings, are no 
less strong, though unsuspected by their loving 
husbands tolling so faithfully to make home happy. 
Uow could they complain or add to their cares by 
wlshmg for pretty tastetul surroundings beyond 
their strength to supply and means to furnish. 
The spirit of “ Jessie Seabrlght ” In “ Log-Cabin 
Sketches’' Is needed everywhere among farmers’ 
wives; a hungering for the beautiful and an in¬ 
domitable energy that will surmount every ob¬ 
stacle to obtain It, even In a “ log cabin.” 
A determination to make her home a comfort¬ 
able abiding place for her husband and children 
and a talent to make the most of what one has at 
hand, are what one needs, as a farmer’s wile espe¬ 
cially. 1 have heard of one who threw Into the 
rag-bag nearly enough to clothe a family. She 
was a timer's wife who would have been glad of 
the extra money that would have been saved had 
she known how to make the best use of available 
material. The many hints of economical using of 
materials have been of such service to me that 
perhaps a. few hints of mine may also benefit 
others 
A cloak was fixed nicely In this way —The 
cloak was plain beavbr, out. long sacque. We got 
three quarters of a yard of black velvet on the 
bias; two and one-half dozen buttons, one yard 
crinoline. 1 n the house was a well preserved black 
satin vest, out. of date. We determined to sacrifice 
that for piping. The cloak was cut over, close- 
fitting back, and with velvet, collar; culls, pockets 
and facings also of velvet, corded with the satin. 
The cloak looked very nice Indeed A slight ex¬ 
pense male It very satisfactory to the owner. 
Old HateDid you ever find old hats a nuisance? 
Shall I tell you what to do with them ? Old straw 
hats may as well be burned, though sometimes the 
brims may be sewed together for kettle mats, sav- 
tng your table many a black mark. But wool or 
fur hats may be serviceable. A fine soft felt, 
binding worn rather rusty, and altogether shabby, 
was served this way:—Binding ripped off, thor¬ 
oughly scrubbed with hot, clean suds; then a dye 
of extract of log-wood and blue vitriol took the 
rusty look away, and left It black as new. Some 
gros grain ribbon neatly stitched on for binding 
and band, and the hat was given a new lease of 
life, as best. 
I found an old Scotch cap the other day. 1 
plunged that into suds, then dyed It, and with a 
bit of silk vest-binding, a fore piece of new enam¬ 
eled leather, made the cap do nicely for a school 
cap for George. Now little mothers, economically 
Inclined, try soap-suds and dye on old hats and rid 
the house or a nuisance. _ 
Old waterproof cloaks were made over lor our 
Bchoot glrlu' balmorals, by putting In black dye and 
pleating on ruble of new waterproof with red flan¬ 
nel pinked, and trimmed with plain bias band 
above. One-half yard red flannel brightened two 
balmorals, and the girls are quite proud of them. 
As the cloaks were very rusty and outgrown, they 
were much more serviceable as balmorals, and 
will be durable. May these hints help some work¬ 
er like myself. Vina. 
THE TBACHEB’S MANUAL OF DICTEE. 
For a long time the natural desire to Improve 
and extend education In the higher branches, had 
caused the beginning of school life and training to 
be neglected, bat the tide of attention seems now 
to be turning the other way, and there Is a notable 
tendency to put Ihe best teachers and the best ap¬ 
pliances Into the primary schools. There, the 
best and most enduring impressions can be made; 
there,the youog minds are like, fair white paper,— 
blank; and even the muscles which must work 
together with electrtc readiness for the production 
of euphonious aDd Intelligible speech are as yet 
neither warped by 111 use, nor Inert through dls- 
UBe. The Improvement of ciemtntnnj Instruction, 
of the primary grades of schools—Is now the fore¬ 
most care of the ablest friends of general educa¬ 
tion, not only with us, but In Great Britain, 
France, Belgium; and other countries. Entirely 
new modes are adopted t the first steps are made 
easy and pleasant, and In lieu of the book held 
before the little learner’s eyes until It Inflicts my- 
opy and induces hatred of books and letters, the 
9Chool room Is made an interesting, happy place; 
the slate and the blackboard are chief means of 
gaining acquaintance with letters, and pleasant, 
natural reading Is acquired without any of the 
bewildering trouble of spelling or tasking in any 
way with very little use of a book. A <ltslre to 
learn is first Infused, and then the chtld’s literary 
education Is as good as secured. The teacher Is 
only a useful aid after that, and not an absolute 
necessity. There is no urging or driving to be 
done, if the art of Reading Is well taught from 
the beginning, the faults that spoil Its effect upon 
the hearer get no hold, and It soon becomes easy 
to the learner, and delightful to the listener. The 
arts of Spelling, and of Pencil-craft (Writing and 
Drawing) are less readily taught., and it, is espec¬ 
ially to this, although tn great part to Voice-cul¬ 
ture too, that the French method of Dlctee ap¬ 
plies. it Is said to abbreviate the time and toll re¬ 
quired for the mastery of English spelling very 
greatly, while It promotes att and precision In 
pencil-work, and secures full and complete enun¬ 
ciation and correct pronunciation. It Is certainly 
founded on reason, and Its method of exercise in 
spelling Is that which we all eventually fall into— 
that of calling up lu the mind the figure - the de¬ 
tail of letters—of any word that we have seen but 
once, perhaps, and copying them as we write. 
Children soon learn to recall these letters It 
there ts some Inducement to notice them, Just ag 
they recall Items of dress or other objects that 
have arrested their attention, and there seems no 
reason why we should spend such a length of 
weary, disheartening time in vainly trying to 
teach spelling by the ear. 
The manual m question gives entirely original 
definitions of vowel sounds, consonant sounds, 
and the classes of each. These are questions that 
lie at the very root of language, and will greatly 
interest every true teacher. The dlctee usee a 
very simple but neat and linear shorthand to 
give, visually, the pronunciation of the words to 
be spelled, In order not to show the letters, which 
are to be recalled in the manner above alluded to. 
This secures a thorough drill In pronunciation and 
In the phonetic features of every word, but only 
the current mode of spelling Is shown or taught. 
Km. 4*>. 
DESCRIPTION OP CUT8. 
Nos. 40 and 41.—Back and Front of Home- 
Dress.— The dressy of dark violet cashmere; the 
skirt Is trimmed with one deep kilting, and In 
front with twelve narrow airings; the tunic and 
jacket axe deeply bound with Pekin, and trimmed 
with fringe. The baok la shown In No. 40 , and the 
front In N 0 . 41 . 
No. 42 .—Hat for Little Girls.—Is of gray 
beaver, trimmed with ostrich-feather trimming 
and Sultan sarin ribbon. 
No. 80.— Fan.— This Is a fashionable 3tyle of fan 
of feathers, mounted In mother-of-pearl. The 
feathers should match the color of the dress with 
which the fan la used. 
-*-*--*- 
CORRESPONDENTS’ CORNER, 
This Is a question which may be out or your line 
but It Is one which we have not been able to settle 
amoDg ourselveB, and would like to have your 
opinion on It, as editors know almost everything. 
A young man wishes to take a young lady to (say) 
Pinafore ; she has sisters, both older and younger 
than herself Should he also ask them, and If so. 
how far should this rule hold ? Another of similar 
sort: Two young men are quite tntlmate and one 
of them gets married. 1116 bride and young man 
number two, are not friendly, though acquainted, 
and he Is not Invited to the wedding. Is It his 
place to call on the couple after they get to house¬ 
keeping ? Correspondent. 
The first question we leave to some odo better 
versed In etiquette than oureelve*. merely sug¬ 
gesting that it is an open question, to be settled 
by the individual. To the second question we 
would reply that, It the young gentleman wishes 
to conform to the rules of society, he will not call. 
If invitations to the wedding were Issued, and he a 
former friend, was Ignored, it should be presumed 
that, his company Is not wished, unless a special 
Invitation is afterward received from both parties. 
Where can I get Lemon's Amallne Dyes, and 
what do they cost ? m. e. b. 
Ans.— They oan be procured at almost any gro¬ 
cer’s or druggist's store. Price 25 cents a bottle. 
Will you please give a recipe for removing mil¬ 
dew ? Mrs. F. M. B. 
Ltnn Co., Mo. 
Ans.— Presuming the question to refer to mil¬ 
dewed clothing, we would say that there are sev¬ 
eral recipes, one of which ts fresh buttermilk. Dip 
the article tn the milk and expose It to the sun, 
FIG. 4’-. 
A curious feature of the work Is that It Is printed 
from electric pen stencils. This Is done in order to 
give Illustrations In place with the lettered text. 
w. o. w. 
Have the courage to give occasionally that, 
wlilch yon can til afford to spare. Giving what 
ynu do not want nor value null her brings nor de¬ 
serves thanks In return; who is grateful for a 
drink of water from another’s overflowing well, 
however delicious the draught I 
We do not vouch for the efficacy of this or any 
other mode, however, as the removal Is a very 
difficult process. 
How shall I cut the girls’ school dresses7 Dark 
cotton plaid. Girls ten and twelve years of age; 
style of cuff and collar, also ; and aprons suitable 
for school. m. a. a. 
Canandaigua, N. Y, 
In issues or earlier date will be found cuts and 
illustrations of dresses, aprons, etc., suitable for 
children ; to these we refer the above questioner. 
literal]) Utiscellang. 
NEIGHBOR JONES. 
I’M thinking. wife, of ueighbor .Tones, the man with 
the stalwart arm— 
He lives la peace and plenty on a forty-acre farm. 
When men are all around us with hearts and hands 
a-sore, 
Who own two hundred acres, and still are wanting 
more. 
He has a pretty little farm, a pretty little houBe 
He has a loving wife within, as quiet as a mouse; 
His ohildreD play around the door, their father’* 
heart to charm, 
Looking .Inst aa neat and tidy as the tidy little farm. 
no. 42. 
Nq weeds are in the cornfield, no thistles in the oat», 
The horses show good keeping by their fine and glossy 
coats i 
The cows within the meadow, resting 'neath the 
boechen shade. 
Learn all their gentle manners from a gentle milking 
maid. 
Within the field on Saturday, he leaves no cradled 
grain 
To be gathered on the morrow for fear of coming 
rain; 
He llveB in Joy and gladness, and happy are his days. 
He keeps the Sabbath holy: his children learn his 
ways. 
He never bad a lawsuit to take him to the town, 
For the very simple reason there are no fences down; 
The bar-room In the village for him has not a charm, 
I can always find my neighbor on his forty-acre farm. 
HU acres are so few that he plows them very deep; 
’XU his own hands that turn the sod,'tie hie own 
handB that reap; 
He has a place for everything, and everything in its 
place; 
The sunshine smiles upon his fields, contentment on 
his face. 
May we not learn a lesson, wife, from prudent neigh¬ 
bor Jones, 
And not. Blgh for what we haven’t got—give vent to 
sighs and groans ? 
The rich arn’t always happy, nor free from life’s 
alarms. 
But blest be those who live oontent, though small may 
be their farms. [Atlanta Constitution. 
- ♦»» - 
WILFUL’S OBLRISTMAS EVE, 
chapter 1 . 
(Continued from page 78.) 
‘‘But you need not wake papa, nor stamp on my 
toes to emphasize your protest,” expostulated 
Gertie. “Not even my stepmother, though she’s 
a wonderful woman, can marry you against, your 
will; and you have one, Leila.” 
“ But she can morttry me. and humble me, and 
degrade me In my own eyes, and—” 
‘•The gradients one In twenty,” broke in Mr. 
Lockwood, rousing himself with a yawn. •* What 
did you ask me, Gertie 7 Bless my soul, how cold 
It 1»! now’s the weather, my dears ?” 
“ The wind has dropped, and the country ts hid¬ 
den by the snow that has fallen steadily for the 
last hour,” answered his daughter, rubbing one of 
the windows to look out. “ It will soon be quite 
dark.” 
And there's bo moon, and they keep the 
sorriest of horses at the Inn from whence we shall 
have to drive to the Priory,” said her rather, dis¬ 
mally. 
“ Perhaps tht General will send his own carriage 
for us,” suggested his daughter. 
“Not. very likely. He values his horses too 
much to let them undertake such a Journey after 
nightfall; eight miles each way, and the woret of 
roads; the valley that lies between the moors 
and his place will be almost Impassable after such 
snowstorms.” 
“Then don’t let us attempt tt,” said Leila. “ Let 
us behave like sensible people, and go baok to 
London." 
“ If Miss Darton had behaved sensibly and truth¬ 
fully in the first place,' cried an acrimonious 
voice from the opposite corner, “ we should have 
been safely housed at the Priory before the snow 
commenced. It Is hard, after years of Incessant 
efforts to mould a character Into rectitude, to dis¬ 
cover deceit and trickery where one might reason¬ 
ably have looked for something hetter. i 
“Don’t Leila 1 what’s tho use?” whispered 
Gertie to her friend, as the latter would have com¬ 
menced a passionate retort. Think of papa, If you 
won’t have pity on me ’ It makas him so uncom¬ 
fortable.” 
Leila thought Mr. Lockwood deserved all he had 
to endure ror his spiritless submission to his wife’s 
tyranny; but she loved his daughter, and for her 
sake closed her lips firmly, drew her veil over her 
hot cheeks, and Bat In rather sullen silence, while 
