634 
SEPT. 48 
THE BUBAL MEW-Y0BKEB. 
lUaMnq for tljr }jouna. 
IN MY GARDEN. 
My garden Is all planted o'er. 
The borders haw been freshly dug-, 
The green shoot® are a pleasure for 
The slug. 
The fruit is forming on the stalk, 
But woe is me 1 No care avails 
When on my pear-trees proudly walk 
The BiinilH. 
The mignonette and fragrant pea 
Throw in the lir their tender germs, 
But wriggling round their roots I see 
The worms. 
My cherished rose-tree! Horror ! That’s 
A sight that saddens sorry eyes; 
Covered its leaves with tiny gnats 
And fliee. 
Of slug and suail and worm and guats 
In vain I am a ruthless killer, 
Still there’s that horrid cat, cat, cat¬ 
erpillar ! 
THE MARTIN. 
MAUDE MEREDITH. 
Come, come little birdie, come here to me. 
Don’t build your uest in some far off tree, 
Here are nice little houses, one, two, three, 
Come, come, little martin, O coine and see. 
The purple martin (progne purpurea, Bole) is the 
largest of the swallow family, being about seven 
and one-half inches in length, and in general color 
a glossy steel blue with purple and violet reflec¬ 
tions. The female and young are less brilliant, 
being pale-brownish below, with darker and bluish 
blotches. 
They appear tn the Middle states through March 
until about the loth of April, bringing happy as¬ 
surances of the coming Summer, and after the 
most intensely busy season of fluttering and chat¬ 
tering. leave us suddenly on some 'still, sunny 
morning in the latter part of August. 
In flight all the swallow family are swift and 
very graceful, being also very expert In catching 
their Insect food, in bathing and drinking while on 
the wlDg, Rktramtng the ponds we term it, when 
they make their long, airy sweeps, just touching 
their bills to the glassy surface. 
These little fellows, though so harmless and 
friendly, are yet no cowards, as many a feathered 
enemy has found to their discomfort, for they at¬ 
tack crows and hawks, which from their superior 
flight they are enabled to drive away, and are 
thus valuable guardians of the poultry-yard. Cats 
and docs, In fact any marauders of the farmyards, 
are sure of a rather warm reception if the martin 
first, holds possession. For this reason, and from 
their friendly social nature, they are great favor¬ 
ites, and are provided with little elc-vated houses, 
or less pretentious boxes, near by dwellings, and 
PURPLE MARTIN,—FIG. 305. 
their company assiduously cultivated by man. 
They become much attached to their Summer 
homeB, and return to fhe same placo year after 
year, and when the little folks with rosy cheeks 
and sparkling eyes rush in crying, « Oh, the mar¬ 
tins have cornel the martins have come!” how 
even we, children of an older growth, grow happy 
and unconsciously date our Summer from that 
time. Though sometimes a cold storm will send 
the little birds shivering into their houses, and 
prove true the old adage “ It takes more than one 
swallow to make a Summer.” 
In absence of houses, the martins build in any 
creviee or hole tn a tree. The nest Is made of 
leaves, twigs and grasses, feathers and other soft 
linings, and usually contains from four to six pure 
white eggs. Two broods are generally reared In a 
season and many families will live in perfect har¬ 
mony in one little tenement. Their food consists 
of flies, wasps and beetles, though by some In¬ 
stinct hard to determine, they seldom touch a 
honey-bee. 
The swallow family Is composed of quite a num¬ 
ber of cousins closely resembling each other, but 
differing In their nesting habits. 1, the baru or 
eaves swallow, building In barns or under the 
eaves of old houses or barns, its house made solely 
of mud and plastered to the timbers, 2 , the 
house or chimney swallow, building Its nest of 
loose twigs In auy unoccupied chimney, and 
the Sand Martin, or Bauk Swallow, who drives 
his circular shafts Into the sides of the rocky 
banks, or any dry, sandy river shore. 1 will tell 
you all the peculiarities of these Interesting birds 
at some other time, but now that the busy days of 
Summer cue over In the blixl kingdom, and almost 
over lor the busy little beys on the farms, let me 
suggest that all our Rural boys who have never 
made mariln houses, use some of the long winter 
evenings that are coming by and by, to make at 
least a couple of houses ready for another Spring. 
Almost any box will do, an empty starch-box or 
any of small size, and here a boy can display Ills 
taBte and Ingenuity. A roof can be easily made of 
two hits of board, the little arch or door carefully 
cut in one or both ends, and all painted with imi¬ 
tation windows or porches, in any color or shade 
that fancy or a bit of paint left In the paint-pot 
when the painter has finished may suggest. The 
box should be fastened in a tree or some up¬ 
right post will do as support to fasten the bird- 
house upon, but a straight fine pole or little tree Is 
better, peeled of Its oark, and alter nailing the 
house to the smaller end, set the larger end firmly 
in the ground, for the houses must not be endan¬ 
gered by Summer storms and wind. Plant wood¬ 
bine or grape vines—any tall-growlng vine that 
will twine about It, wreathing the support In green¬ 
ness, while at the top Mr. and Mrs. Martin go In 
and out ol thetr fairy house, but infinitely more 
free from Intrusion than was Mr. and Mrs. Giant 
at the top of “jack’s” famous “ Dean." 
“ When the swallows homeward fly. 
When the rosea scattered lie. 
When from neither hill nor vale 
Cbaunts the merry nightingale," 
then we fully realize how much pleasure the little 
feathered songsters added to our Summer days. 
-- 
THE WATER-PUPPY. 
This is not a water dog, there are several things 
which are given the name of water dog. A sailor 
is often so called from his sea going habits, 
but he is more often called a sea-dog. A small 
floating cloud supposed to indicate rain is called a 
water-dog, not the two bright luminous spots 
sometimes seen In the morning on either side of 
the sun, those are called sun-dogs. The shark 
Is also called sea dog from its fierce nature—hut 
sharks are also called sea-kittens, sea-foxes, Ac. 
The seal is also called a sea-dog from Its bark¬ 
ing lllce a dog, hut it is also called a sea-bear, sea- 
lion, &c. A water dog is also a species of the com¬ 
mon dog which is useful to hunters and loves the 
water. The water-puppy is also sometimes called 
a water dog but Its proper name Is water-puppy. 
It. has not heretofore been very fully described nor 
Have Us habits been very well known. It is sup¬ 
posed to be a very poisonous Inhabitant of the 
water and most people would fight shy of It. 
At the meeting of the Natural History Depart¬ 
ment ot the Association for the advancement of 
Science at Boston, Dr. P. it. Hoy, of Racine, Wls., 
gave a very minute description of the water-puppy, 
Its structure, habits and manner of life. He said 
that Physiologically it is a fish, with legs Instead of 
fins. It inhabits the large rivers and lakes of the 
north, and is especially numerous In Lake Michi¬ 
gan. It seeks deep water and swims with much 
velocity. It takes the baited hook, and dire is the 
cousternatlon ol the boy who hooks the poisonous 
fish with legs. In life the water-puppy la a beau- 
ttiul object, with its long, scarlet, plumose gills 
wa vtng continually. \Yhen confined in an insuffi¬ 
cient quantity of water, It will rise to the surface, 
take a mouthful or air, and bubble it out through 
the gill openings, thus gotting mechanically a sup¬ 
ply of oxygen, precisely as do certain fishes tn 
like circumstances. Dr. Hoy then gave a more 
particular account of its structural peculiarities, 
and some Interesting experiments of his own on 
points which distinguish the menobranc from the 
fish race generally and from other amphibians, 
but we are unable to obtain his complete account 
until the publication of the proceedings of the as¬ 
sociation. 
It came rubbing up against him, and finally to at¬ 
tract his attention Jumped upon the counter 
before him, and rubbed against bis hands. The 
writer neglected to pet the animal, and after he 
was done his conversation turned to the steps to 
go out, as he did so the cat leaped from the coun¬ 
ter with almost lighting quickness, caught the de¬ 
parting visitor, by the leg, and imprinted its claws 
deeply and sharply into the flesh, and darted 
away to the further extremity of the store to a 
hiding place, all so quickly that, the writer had 
hardly time to comprehend what was going on. 
The owner ot the snop said that the cat seemed to 
think that it was as much entitled to notice as 
anybody, and took that way of showing Its dis¬ 
pleasure when not noticed. 
- ♦ ♦ ♦ - 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle and Cousins :—I am almost 
ashamed to write as I have had such a failure this 
summer m my garden work. The phloxes and 
petunias came up nicely but were cut off before 
the time for transplanting came. The okra was 
forgotten. The pinks grew nicely until ready to 
blossom when the chickens nipped the buds. The 
mignonette Is growing finely. Among mamma’s 
flowers, the asters, gladioli, pansies and gerani¬ 
ums are blossoming ulcely. It has been so terribly 
hot that the earth has been parched until lately, 
when we were blessed with rain. I am going to 
sow pansy seed In a few days lor plants early in 
the Sprlug. 1 am very sorry I have so poor a 
report to make, but I think 1 shall have something 
In my next which will prove that I am not an 
entirely idle member of the Club. 
You r8 sincerely, Minnie 8. White. 
Erie Co., N. Y. 
Dear Uncle Mark anh Rural Cousins:— 1 This 
Is my first attempt to write to Uncle Mark. Our 
Rural seeds did not grow very nicely. There 
were no more than half of them came up. This 
Jsthe first year Pa has taken the Rural we all 
like it very much. We have got lots of peaches. 
I wish l nole Mark and all of the Rural cousins 
could be with me and help eat them. We think 
some ot them will go to waste. Those that are 
ripe now are the early Crawfords. 1 hope if Un¬ 
cle Mark has any seeds for the cousins next spring 
he will remember me with the rest of them. Pa’s 
oats that were sent with the Rural grew so tall 
that one night the wind blew them down. Our 
Cow peas and Golden Mangels are very nice, I 
am 12 years old. Bertha M. Hale. 
Kent Co, Michigan. 
HIDDEN BUILDINGS 
l. Why, Kate, your dress is all mildewed. 
8. When I had put on my cap 1 told him I was 
ready. 
3. Beware ot the bar, Nathaniel. 
4. Three cheers to reach the train In time. 
5. **I shan’t, you wicked girl,” she said. 
tw Answer In two weeks. 
A DROP LETTER PUZZLE. 
- *-*-4 - 
THE BOBOLINK'S NEST 
Dear Uncle Mark I am a city girl staying 
with Uncle Nathan on the farm this Summer, one 
day we all went away on the hill after raspberries. 
There was Auntie Min and mamma and Gene and 
Jo and I. We rode up on rite great hay-wagon, 
and Uncle Sidney said the load up to the meadow 
was a great deal nicer than the one down to the 
barn would be. He gave ns a drink of water out 
of Jo’s little tin cup from the nice cold spring, 
and when we came to the meadow fence, then he 
helped us off the wagon and we hurried away to 
the raspberry bushes, feme of the bushes grew 
very high and swung the round, red berries just 
out of reach, above our heads; but there were ber¬ 
ries enough lower down, so we could nil our pails. 
Then we sat down on soft mossy knolls and strung 
berries on long stems ot herdsgrass until our 
fingers grew as red with stains as the berries 
themselves. 
A t last auntie, and mamma came along wl t h their 
great palls rull of berries and sat down by us to 
rest when mamma put her hands behind her head 
and laid down on the moss "To watch the slow, 
white clouds in Jone’s blue sky," she said. Wasn’t 
she funDy, for It was the middle ot July. By-and- 
byc she said “It rains! A drop just fell on my 
nose,” and we all laughed, and did not riilnk it 
rained at all. but in a few minutes whole armies of 
big drops came alter us, until we started and ran 
as fast as we could out of the pasture through 
a wheat field and Into the meadows toward 
shelter. 
I was hurrying so fast and trying to keep my 
berries from Spilling when what do you think? 
Out ol the long grass flew a little brown bird, and 
i here we lound a bobolink’s nest with three 
speckled eggs In it. Mamma said in all her life she 
never saw one before. 
There is a little round place dug in the smooth 
ground, and the nest, so nice and round and 
smooth, fixed in. Mamma says If you like my 
stories 1 may tell you all the pretty thlDgs I have 
6een this Summer on uncle’s farm. 
Iowa. Georgia G. smith. 
A FUNNY CAT. 
In a basement news room In Nassau street, N. 
Y., the keeper has a large tat black cat, apparent¬ 
ly some seven or eight years old, which shows 
not a little power of reasoning. The writer 
stepped down Into the room one day, and stood 
talking with the proprietor, but without taking 
any notice ol the cat for some time, although 
A.. 1. .o, ,o... a. ..I..e.. 
Fill with consonants and form an old and well- 
known saying. Little One. 
IP® - Answer in two weeks. 
CROSSWORD ENIGMA. 
My first is in plantain, but not in qutnee. 
My second is m cantaloupe, but not in mince. 
My third la In muskmelon, but not in pumpkin. 
My fourth Is In winter-green, but not in raisin. 
My fifth Is in mango, but not m cassava. 
My sixth is in apricot, but not In guava. 
My seventh is in sapadilla, but not In dewberry. 
My elgutn Is in datnson, but not In strawberry. 
My ninth is in persimmon, but not In papaw. 
My tenth Is in bread-fruit, but not in haw. 
My eleventh is in nannleberry, but not in banana. 
My whole is a delicious fruit. Little One. 
rw Answer in two weeks. 
TENNY80NIAN ENIGMA, 
31 Letters. 
“ To their 17,4, Si, 2,19 under the hllL” 
••To love once and 10,30, 23,13, 21, 6,11.” 
"The hounds of 29, ll, 6, 6,15, 9, 24 wider yet.” 
“ Two little 1,28,14,26, 7 that meet.” 
•• He turned and 5,12, 7, 7, 3t, 15 her where she 
stood." 
“ And 20, s, 13, 26 loved the queen." 
“ Sainted Juliet, dearest io, 25, 3, 2T.” 
“ A legend of good id, 18, 3, 22,19.” 
The whole Is a line from Elaine which contains 
much truth. Mary E. Bixby. 
A DIAMOND PUZZLE. 
1 , A letter; 2, a bud; 3, a carniverous animal; 
4, origination; 5, Intervening; 6, a knot of hair; 7, 
a letter. Gus. 
rwAnswer in two weeks. 
- ♦♦♦- 
PUZZLER ANSWERS.-Aug. 28. 
Diamond Puzzle :— 
H 
B 
A R 
M E 
H 
BAM 
ORE 
I ~ 
C 
L 
O O 
O A 
T 
C A 
Literary Enigma — Where Autumn, like a faint old 
man, sits down by the wayside a-weary. 
Hidden Crimes :--l, bigamy; 2, arson; 3, infanticide: 
4, robbery; 6, matricide; ti, burglary; 7, murder; 8, 
manslaughter; 9, rape; 10, fratricide; 11, forgery : 12, 
assault and battery; 13, larceny; 14. tlieit; 16, embez¬ 
zlement. 
ablraijj HLdMiuj; 
PASSING AWAY. 
Passing away, so whispers the wind, 
As it treads in its trackless course; 
And passing away, doth the bright rill say, 
As it leaps from its crystal source. 
All passing away on the stream of time, 
To oblivion's vale in a far-off clitno. 
Matter and man. we make no delay. 
To eternity's gulf we are passing away. 
Passing away, mark the wrinkled brow, 
And the head with the silvery balr. 
And the furrowed cheeks, how they plainly speak 
That they’re leaving a world of core. 
Yes. passing away, even beauty's flower, 
Is fading fast 'neatlr the spoiler's power. 
And lair and frail,to their bed of clay, 
Adown in the tomb are passing away. 
Passing away, shrieks the oeean wave. 
As It breaks on the beaten shore; 
And the tortured tide is left to chide 
The clifts with a hollow roar. 
Aye, passing away, both from castle and cot. 
The places which know us will soon know us not; 
Whether peasant or prince nature’s last debt to pay 
At the fiat of God we are passing away. 
Passing away, even Time himself. 
Bends under bis load of years. 
His limbs are frail and bis cheeks grow pale 
With the furrows of sorrowing tears. 
With his broken peythe, with a silent tread, 
He is passing ou to the home of the dead; 
With a bending form and with locks grown gray 
Even Time himself is passing away. 
Passing away, how swiftly they go ! 
Those scenes of our youth once dear; 
Those friends we loved are by death removed. 
And the world waki tb strange and drear! 
And the hopes of our youth, see, they all depart. 
And the chords of love round the human heart; 
E’en the soul groweth tired of its cot of clay. 
And the essence immortal would fain pass away. 
Passing away, all but God's bright throne, 
And his servants, home above, 
And His grace divine and the boundless mine 
Of His eternal love. 
And His will to save, through a Saviour's blood. 
The child ol' tiiith who hath washed in the flood; 
Even earth to Its frame.work doth all decay, 
But God aud His love will ne’er pass away. 
-» ♦♦- 
HOLD ON, HOLD IN, HOLD OUT. 
Hold on, my heart in thy believing; 
The steadfast only win the crown; 
He who, when stormy wlndR are heaving, 
Parts with his anchor, shall go down. 
But ho whom Jesus holds through all 
Shall stand, though heaven and earth shall fall. 
Hold In thy murmurs, heaven arraigning; 
The patient see God’s loving face; 
Who bear their burdens uncomplaining, 
'Tib they that win the Father’s grace. 
11 » wounds himself who braves the rod, 
And sots himself to light with God. 
Hold out! there comes an end hi sorrow ; 
Hope from the dust shall conquering rise. 
The storm foretells a sunnier morrow ; 
The cross points on to paradise. 
The Father reigueth ; cease all doubt; 
Hold on, my heart, bold in, hold out. 
---- 
“ See," said Luther one evening when money to 
supply Ms wants was scarce, “ see, that little bird 
has chosen Its shelter, and la about to go to sleep 
in tranquility. It has no disquiet, neither does It 
wonder where it shall rest to-morrow night, but it 
sits In peace on Its slender branch, leaving God to 
provide for It.” 
There were strange soul-depths, restless, vast, and 
broad. 
Unfathomed as the sea. 
An iufuiite craving for some infinite stilling; 
But now thy perfect love is infinite filling. 
Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God, 
Thou, Thou art enough for me! 
—Frances Ridley Havergal. 
---— 
Gon’s Love. -God so loveth ns that He would 
make all things channels to us and messengers of 
His love. Do for Uls sake deeds of love, and He 
will give thee His love. Still thyself, thy own 
cares, thy own thoughts for Him, and He will give 
thee Himself. Ask for Himself, and he will take 
thee into Himself. Truly, a secret, hidden thing 
Is the love of God, known only to them who seek 
It, and to them also secret, for what man can have 
of it here la how slight a foretaste of that endless 
ocean of His love!—Zion’s Herald. 
-- 
Grief should be 
Like Joy,—majestic, equable, sedate. 
Confirming, cleansing, raising, making free, 
Strong to consume small troubles, to command 
Great thoughts, gravo thoughts, thoughts lasting to 
the end.—Aubrey de Vere. 
--- 
our hope Is not hung on such an untwisted 
thread as " I imagine so,” or “ it Is likely;” but the 
strong cable of our fastened anchor is the promise 
and oath ot Him who is eternal verity. Our sal¬ 
vation is fastened with God’s own hand and 
Christ’s own strength to the stronghold of God’s 
unchanging nature aud truthfulness. 
-♦-*-*-- 
•• What Is eternity?” was a question once asked 
at the Deaf and Dumb institution at Paris, and 
this beautiful and striking answer was given by 
one of the pupils: “ The lifetime ot the Almighty.” 
The good are better made by 111. 
As odors crushed are sweeter still. 
-- 
Men will never know us by our faith, for that 
Is within us; they know ns by our works which 
are visible to them. 
-- 
Work to-day, for you know not how much you 
will be hindered to-morrow. 
