454 
JUiV 42 
being evaporated as possible. Steaming cooks 
it quicker and leaves it sweeter than boiling. 
A. A. CROZ1KR. 
THE QUEENS COUNTY FAIR. 
The eighteenth summer exhibition of the 
Queens County Agricultural Society, was held 
at the Fair Grounds, Mineola, L. 1., on June 
24th to 25tb. 1 went there on the tilth. Apart 
from the horse races, it was more of a horti¬ 
cultural than agricultural exhibition. The 
schedule contained 2^ classes for vegetables, 
124 for straw berries, 80 for other fruits, and 
00 for plants and flowers. 
Notwithstanding the fact that vegetable 
growing for market as well as for home use, 
is extensively carried on in Queens County, 
the display of vegetables was limited. Aspar¬ 
agus (the first prize bunches only), potatoes 
and cabbage were good, but among the rest I 
did not observe anything especially merito¬ 
rious. But some things were very bad: for 
instance, lettuce and spinach “gone to seed,” 
The fair was a week or 10 (la vs too late for flue 
strawberries. A more woeful lookiug set of 
berries I never before saw at a public exhibi¬ 
tion, Many of the sorts, notably the Wilsons, 
were exceedingly miserable, and some were 
moldy masses. Home of the plants in pots 
were fair and clean, but tbe majority were 
conglomerations of snags and scrags, hardy 
and tender, plants that had been grown all 
along in pots, and others that had, apparently, 
been lifted from the open ground and potted 
for the occasion; and there were some wIiobo 
pots wore big enough for half-a dozen scrags 
such as they contained. And the lack of taste¬ 
ful arrangement and general “get-up” about 
the groups was only surpassed in indifference 
by the filthy condition of the pots. Although 
in some cases those pots were jammed together 
as close as tbev could well be packed, still 
there wore not leaves enough upon many of 
the wretched trash to hide from public view 
the green-clad, shiny vessels they were grown 
in; no, notwithstanding the fact that First 
Premium (I!) cards may have decorated the 
groups. 
It seemed to mo that an avaricious spirit 
pervaded the whole exhibition; that the sole 
object of the exhibitors was to get as much 
money in premiums as possible and with the 
least, trouble possible; and surely, many of 
them succeeded to a shameful extent. In many 
cases it was, in my opinion, an absolute wrong 
to award premiums. If the Society were to 
make It a rule that any collection of fruits, 
vegetables, (lowers or plants, containing any¬ 
thing of inferior quality, also that dirty plant*, 
or plants in dirty pots, would be disqualified, 
and rigidly adhere to this rule, exhibitors 
would soon conform to it, and the public ap¬ 
preciate the change. “ebon.” 
for lUomrn. 
CONDUCTED BY illSC RAY CLARK. 
CONCERNING A GOOD WOMAN, WHO 
WAS ALSO GREAT. 
MARY WAOKB-FISHER. 
When I was a little girl it seemed to be a 
currently accepted fact that women who wrote 
books, delivered public lectures, or iu any way 
actively contributed to the “world’s progress,” 
neglected their home duties, wore worthless 
housekeepers, neglectful mothers and careless 
wives. I remember wondering if such asser¬ 
tions were really true, for notwithstanding 
the frequency with which 1 heard them, 1 was 
incredulous enough to accept them only with 
a very broad ruargiu for modification. Of 
course 1 long ago learned another doctrine; 
but lately, iu reading the life and letters of 
James and LneretiaMott, my mind went back 
to the old notion concerning “strong minded” 
women and “blue stockings.” It has come in 
my way to read biographies of many eminent 
women of various countries, and almost with¬ 
out exception these women have been sujierior 
housekeepers and home makers. 
Lueretia Mott was not a literary woman, as 
she wrote comparatively little, and her “gift” 
was with her tongue. She was a great preacher 
and a great reformer. She is remembered by 
many people as the first woman they ever 
heard speak in public, and to thousands of a 
later generation she is recalled as having the 
saintliest face, the clearest, sweetest voice, 
and the most direct and terse* way of “putting 
thiugs,” of uny of the public speaking women. 
It wets peculiarly fortunate that the pioneer 
strong minded women of this country should 
have been just what Lueretia Mott was— 
beautiful, winsome, fearless, quick-witted, 
small in person, modest iu mauuer, of 
unquestioned integrity and respectability, an 
ideal wife, mother, neighbor, aud house 
keeper, aud withal, a Quakeress, or Friend, 
fur the plain dress aud serene manner of the 
Friends carry everywhere a thorough sense of 
respectability. She was so far beyoiul criti¬ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
cism, that where captious persons endeavored 
to cover public women with ignominy, it was 
only necessary to mention the name of Lucre- 
tia Mott in order to effectually “spike their 
guns.” She was a woman for all her sex to 
take pride in, and she was so happily wedded 
that it is questionable if her career had been 
possible if she had married other than James 
Mott. To him she was ever “My precious 
Lueretia,” and in the great work of freeing 
tbe slaves, in temperance and prison reforms, 
in obtaining justice for women, and in the 
great work of preaching and practicing the 
highest standard of morality, of faith in God, 
they were from first to last heart to heart 
aud hand in hand. They both began by teach¬ 
ing school, and as fellow-teachers became en¬ 
gaged to be married,when quite young. James 
Mott came of an old and influential Quaker 
family of the strictest integrity, and it is de¬ 
lightful to read the letters that passed between 
James Mott and his parents and his grand¬ 
parents, both before and after his marriage, 
and to note the high-mindodnoss, singleness of 
purpose, purity of heart, and devotion Io duty 
that characterizes that family. It is like so 
muny pages from the ideal life that F£nelon 
would have made upon the earth. If I were a 
pi eactaer, instead of taking my text from the 
Bible always, I would take for my theme 
at times such holy men and women as 
made up the Mott family und hold them 
up as examples for my hearers to imitate. 
James Mott was iu persou and disposition 
the reverse of his wife. He was tall and 
stately, and very quiet. Once when receiving 
a visit from his brother, Lueretia entered 
the room where they were sitting and 
smilingly remarked, “1 thought you must 
both lie here, it was so still.” James Mott 
was born upon a farm, in Long Island, 
in 1788, and Lueretia Coffin was born on the 
Island of Nantucket in 1728. They were mar¬ 
ried in 1811, aud celebrated their Golden 
Wedding in 1801. In 18(58 James Mott died. 
Lueretia Mott’s death occurred in November, 
1880—a long life full of good work. She 
illustrated wbut so many celebrated men and 
women illustrate, the contribution to longevity 
that mental and physical activity make. The 
mind and body were evidently designed to 
work together, and to insure a long life. 
There is no better recipe that) to keep the head 
aud heart and hands as busy as possible. Idle¬ 
ness is not a promoter of health, and rest 
comes rather through a change of occupa¬ 
tion thau from cessation of it. 
After marriage, James Mott engaged in 
mercantile business, aud for many years their 
home was in Philadelphia, but with increasing 
years and breaking health, they removed 
eight miles from the city, and spent their re¬ 
maining years in an old-fashioned, rootny 
country house, culled 41 Roadside,” They were 
never rich, always practiced the closest econ¬ 
omy, and diseased the largest hospitality. 
Their house was a way station for runaway 
slaves, and the latch string was always out 
for the distressed of all classes, while distin¬ 
guished people from all parts of the civilized 
world, who visited Philadelphia, went to see 
the Motts, and there was “no end” to the peo¬ 
ple they entertained. Win. Lloyd Garrison 
wrote to his wife in 184f>: “ I am enjoying the 
hospitality of James Mott and family.” in 
his abode dw ell much of the disinterestedness, 
purity aud peace of heaven. Mrs Mott is 
certainly one of the most remarkable women 
I ever saw. She is a bold and fearless thinker, 
in the highest degree conscientious, of most 
amiable manner, und truly instructive in her 
conversation. Her husband is worthy of that 
sacred relation to her which he sustaius, being 
distinguished for his goodness, benignity and 
philanthropy. Such a couple do pot make it 
very difficult to comply with our Lord's ad¬ 
mirable injunction: ‘Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself.’” They seemed at all 
eveuts to be under the esrecial care of 
Providence, for those were days when 
to be an ‘'abolitionist” was to be tbe tar¬ 
get of mobs, and it was well known that, the 
Motts sheltered and helped every runaway 
that sought their protection; but although 
their house was several times marked for mob¬ 
bing, it was, iu tact, never attacked Twice 
Lueretia Mott, in attendance upon auti-slav- 
ery conventions, found herself iu the hands of 
a mob, aud once the hall of meeting was fairly 
burned down over her head, but not once was 
a hand laid roughly upou her. She was ub 
intrepid aud calm as if she had been a disem¬ 
bodied spirit; she trusted always in an arm 
mightier than of flesh, aud she feared nothing 
in the performance of what she believed to be 
her duty. She was a wonderful illustration 
of the power of moral earnestness, and her 
whole success lay iu this quality of her nature, 
Her quick brain aud her gift of speech were 
but allies to her intense moral earnestness, aud 
her will to do whatever her hands found to do. 
She journeyed with her husband in their car¬ 
riage, many miles every year, preaching in 
Friends’ meetings, and in public balls from 
town to town—one year traveling over 2,400 
miles in this way. They went once to Eng¬ 
land, where the earnest little woman spoke in 
various cities with great effect. 8he was cred¬ 
ited as a delegate, upon this occasion, to tbe 
World's Anti-slavery Convention, then held 
in London; but when once there, she was not 
admitted because she was a woman! Wendell 
Phillips, who was also a delegate, refused to 
act as such because the doors were closed to 
women—an absurd non-admission to Ameri¬ 
can women especially, as they were among 
the foremost abolitionists of the country, and 
furnished a largo proportion of the moral 
power which, after all, was the emancipator 
of the slaves. Mrs. Mott lived to see the pro¬ 
mulgation of litierty throughout all the land, 
and the modification of many law* and cus¬ 
toms in favor of women. 
Mrs. Mott was probably about 80 years of 
age when I saw her and heard her speak in a 
convention in New York City, and she was at 
that time the most remarkable looking woman 
i over saw. Hho had a grand head, a face full 
of suduess, sweetness, earnestn«RS aud power, 
with a saintliness overall that was exceeding¬ 
ly striking. The sheer white cap and crossed 
fichu added to her ctherial appearance. She 
retaiued her mental brightness to the last, her 
final appearance in public being but a few 
months before her death, when she was 87 
years old. 
The domestic side of her life equaled in 
achievements her public work, and some ex¬ 
tracts from her letters will reveal her method 
of “turning off housework.” One of her two 
servants had been nursed through cholera and 
sent into the eouutry to recuperate. In this 
emergency she writes: “1 sent for extra help, 
but with our large family there is still much 
to lie done; so this morning I have ironed 
four dozen pieces, made soft custards, at¬ 
tended to stewing blackberries, and potted 
some Dutch herring, besides doing all 
the dusting and receiving several call¬ 
ers. * * * I was more tired when 
our family of 13 gathered at diuner, 
than since I came home.” Again she 
writes: “Our family party seventh day was 
pleasant; 15 at dinner, 20 at tea. 1 worked 
like a beaver that morning, so as to be ready 
to sit down early; did my sweeping and dust¬ 
ing, raking the grass plat, etc.; made milk 
biscuit, a plum pudding und a lemon pud¬ 
ding. * * * I was pleased to hear of thy 
interest in capital punishment, and pleased, 
too, that thou art becoming such a home 
missionary.” This from one of her letters in 
1855: “ I hail a heap of clear starching to do 
on third duy last, butoneafteranothercalled. 
to ask about the School of Design,the Woman’s 
Medical College, and colored beggars came in, 
sotbut I had not finished, when C. P. came to 
dine, I brought my starching into the par¬ 
lor, and between dinner and dessert excused 
myself to iron.” “ I am going to Mt. Holly 
in a week or two, to help our cousins make 
their carpets. I made-go up to the upper 
entry aud rooms to see the amount of piecing 
and darning 1 have doue ou ours. Even if 
men will only half look, I always mean they 
shall know something of the labor bestowed 
upon house affairs.” Aguiu: “Yes, we do 
see the N. Y. Tribune, and our own Ledger 
daily, and this ahuudant reading absorbs all 
our spare time. The Standard, Bugle, Free¬ 
man, Practical Christiau aud Prisoner’s Friend, 
with the Una, Woman’s Advocate, Little 
Pilgrim. Litteli, and a temperance paper, 
make a weekly pile so high that I try in vain 
to keep them ueatly folded. I have cleared 
out all therubbish from my secretary drawers, 
aud besides this, have destroyed many old let¬ 
ters aud bills, aud tied up a thousand-and-one 
pamphlets to give away. I take every oppor¬ 
tunity to distribute unli-slavery newspapers: 
took a quantity to Norristown.” In describ¬ 
ing how Mrs. Mott helped a fugitive slave 
woman to escape, a friend says: “In that mo¬ 
ment of intense excitement, when every one 
else was wholly absorbed in the one thought 
of escaping pursuit., it occurred to Mrs. Mott 
that Jane might be hungry. Seizing apples 
and crackers from her store-room, and pota¬ 
toes from her kitchen fire, she ran with them 
to the carriage.” 
The amount of money given awav by her 
and her husband was a large portion of what 
was never more thau a moderate income. It 
w^j not given as a rule to ordinary charities, 
birt quickly passed over five, or 10, or perhaps 
50 dollars, to help some poor seamstress to a 
holiday, to alleviate a ease of temporary dis¬ 
tress, or to furnish an unexpected treat to 
some self-denying drudge. “James and 1 both 
feel,” she wrote, “that the pleasure will be far 
greater in using what we may have, above our 
own wants, for the help of those dear to us, 
and of others too, now while we live, rather 
thau to leave it for the law's division, or in¬ 
deed for appropriation by legacy.” As an 
example of her “saving quality,” her grand¬ 
daughter records in these memoirs of her life, 
that one morning iu going to her room, she 
was found diligently mending a rip in her pil¬ 
low. Glancing up to her Mrs. Mott said, “W ill 
thee please open that bureau drawer for me? 
Right, in front, in the corner, thee will find a 
feather that I went.” The feather was given 
her: she tucked it into the pillow and sewed 
up the hole. Upon the occasion of her golden 
wedding, their wedding certificate, a parch¬ 
ment yellow with age, was brought out, and 
it was observed that a part of a blank corner 
had been rut out, when Mrs. Mott explained, 
that some 40 years before, in order to mend a 
broken battledoor for one of her children, she 
was unable to find any parchment, and had 
used that.,' In 1872 she mentions having been 
weighed—“only 7G>£ pounds now.” She never 
minded inclement weather, and if she and her 
husband had made an engagement, they wert, 
rain or shine. When she had purchases to 
make, she would walk long distances to pa¬ 
tronize small, out-of the-way shops, in which 
she had a pitying interest, although for far 
less money and fatigue she could have better 
mi ited herself in the large ones. Unce she was 
present at a marriage performed by the Mayor 
of Bhiladelpbia, who after the ceremony pro¬ 
nounced the twain “man and wife,” when the 
Mayor overheard Lueretia Mott say “hus¬ 
band and wife.” He afterwards went to her 
and asked her reason, which she gave in such 
clear fashion, that in the hundreds of ceremo¬ 
nies he afterward performed, he never again 
said “man and wife” but “husbaud and wife.” 
Ujion one occasion, while riding in the horse 
cars, a respectable colored woman in evident 
poor health entered, and, as usual, was sent by 
the conductor to stand on the platlorm, as 
colored people were not allowed then to ride 
inside. Mrs. Mott was a passenger, and pro¬ 
tested against it, as it was storming and cold. 
Her appeals were iu vain, and so she went 
without and stood by the colored wornun. At 
that, the other passengers protested until the 
conductor was obliged to go and invite her in. 
“1 cannot go in without this woman,” she 
said; whereat the perplexed conductor finally 
said, “Oh, well, bring her in, then!’’ I have 
only room for one more extract from this no¬ 
table life, and that describes her method of 
washing dishes. It was Lueretia Mott’s habit 
all through her life, until prevented by bodily 
weakness, to help clear the breakfust table, 
and wash the silver, china and glass belong¬ 
ing in the dining-room. She always liked to 
do this; her daughters generally Helped, aud 
if guests were staying in the house, they sat 
near to join in the conversation. A well- 
scrubbed little cedar tub was brought in with 
steaming water, and article after article was 
washed and burnished iu a systematic man¬ 
ner, from which no deviations were permit¬ 
ted. It was a choice time of the day; plans 
were announced and discussed; letters read 
and commented on; public events reviewed; 
and friends of the family were apt to drop in 
on their way to business to contribute their 
items of nows to the general liveliness. 
CULTIVATE PLEASANT THOUGHTS. 
To-day I picked up a paper, and these 
words met my eye: “To contemplate things 
lovely is always an ascent;” aud 1 could but 
think how much more beauty* we might put 
into our lives, if we would keep thinking 
happy thoughts and see the lovely thiugs 
around us. No class of people need to do this 
more than we farmers' wives, who are much 
aione and, as the old saying is, “have to keep 
ourselves company." Often when we start in 
the early morning, jaded and tiled, for the 
hard day’s work, the first thoughts of cheer 
given to self are only a grumble that sounds 
much like, “Oh, I wish I lu»d plenty of money 
like Mm. G; she don't have to cook, aud churn, 
and scrub from morning till night: and I am 
just as good as she is, in her seal skin and vel¬ 
vet. She hasn’t much of a father to boast of, 
mean old skin-fliut; aud she is just like him. 1 
wish 1 could have a new bonnet—mine is so 
shabby, and my cloak not. fit to be seen; but I 
never can have anything, but always work, 
work.” 
Now, my drar country sisters, will such 
thoughts and such talks with one's self help us 
to be young, bright, and beautiful? for we all 
want to lie beautiful, aud it is the lovely soul 
that makes the face. A noble woman, who 
saw much of the4ark side of life, once told me 
that with jealous, envious thoughts came 
longiugs for more of this world than was 
given her; she would then say to her hus¬ 
band: “Take me to see Mrs. Lee and Mrs. 
Riggs,” the poorest people she knew, but 
Gods poor, and she always came ho tun thank¬ 
ing God for the many blessings aud the abun¬ 
dance in her life. Many times I have heard it 
said of this same mother, when her hair was 
white with age: “How beautiful she is!” We 
all felt it, and learned to know that it came 
from the constant putting away by willpower 
of every thought that would leave a stain, aud 
in its place something tit to adorn the temple 
of the souL 
Try every morning to put just one pleasant 
thought into the mind s great store house, aud 
let it run not there while we cook, and churn, 
and scrub; then see how lightly the work 
goes on, and by and by our lives will become 
a “thing of beauty” if our labor is not "a joy 
for ever,” both kent. 
