684 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
©ms 
WllLWIND 
piscetlanfottjs ^dvcrtiisfittg 
1850. Tbe principal features of these bills or 
compromises can be learned from any Ameri¬ 
can historical work treating of their times. 
In regard to flowers about public school 
grounds in the rural regions, it will generally 
be found that the aesthetic element, of the 
average countryman's nature has not been de¬ 
veloped to the point necessary to sustain one 
in the attempt to cultivate them. For my¬ 
self, I am content (of necessity) with cut flow¬ 
ers. My pupils have never allowed my table 
to be without its flowers during their season. 
In return for such kindness the teacher can 
impart a great deal of botanical knowledge to 
the children without its taking the feature of 
study and recitation. quill. 
Bourbon Co., Kans. 
that I do not know the names of. We also 
have very pretty house plants. We have had 
a dry season this year, and I had to water my 
flowers every evening. But it is ruining very 
hard to-day—the best rain we have had for 
weeks. We had nice large ears of the Union 
Corn. lizzie 8. porter. 
Venango Co., Pa. 
COUNTERFEIT AND GENUINE 
f suppose you know what 
counterfeit money is,money 
that is an imitation of gen¬ 
uine bills or coins, and not 
one of you would care to 
take it Sustead of real 
money, but you do not hes¬ 
itate to use genuine money 
because there is counterfeit 
in the country; neither do 
you laugh at others when¬ 
ever you see them passing 
money in exchange for 
goods of any kind. What 
I wish to set you to think¬ 
ing about is not money how 
ever, but politeness; among boys and girls 
tbero is such a fear of counterfeit politeness 
that they do not. use the genuine article, and 
leave rnauy kindnesses unpaid because of their 
determination not to bo hypocrites, or they 
fail to otfer a kindness because of a fear that 
people will think it is counterfeit. You are 
right in disliking counterfeit, and pretense, 
but wrong, when you avoid genuine courtesy, 
because all is not genuine, One evening last 
week four boys sat near me in a prayer meet¬ 
ing, and when a lady came in during the sing¬ 
ing of a hymn one of them gave her a hymn 
book opened to the right place, the other three 
boys grinned; and l have noticed that boys 
aud girls often make any of their number un¬ 
comfortable who do a little kindness for some 
one else. 
Don't make fun of each other for such 
things, don't say “Torn is putting on air's ain’t 
hef’ when he oilers n chair to some one who 
is standing or says “excuse mo” if he runs 
against a playmate. At home if Fred iscare- 
ful to take off his hat whenever he cornea Into 
the house, he does not deserve to have Jennie 
laugh at him and she will not do it if she is try¬ 
ing to bo ladylike. 
You have often seen silver thrown on a 
table to test it, by its “ring,” whether good or 
counterfeit. Well hors is a test for politeness: 
Are you as polite at home to your mother, 
father, brothers aud sisters as you are away 
from home! If you can say yes then your 
politeness haft the true ring, and will pass 
anywhere. At home is the place to learn to 
be polite, the genuine article is not burden¬ 
some either, so 1 don’t agree with you that “it 
is too much bother.” 
Boys take off your hats when you go in the 
house, don’t run for the easiest chair every 
evening, and quarrel with any one else w)io 
wants it, get up and offer it to your mother 
or sister when they come in or leave it vacant 
for them, and if your brother gets into it be¬ 
fore they come in, don’t upset the chair aud 
send him sprawling on the floor, but let him 
keep it and if he happens to read this, perhaps 
he will offer It to your mother himself next 
time; your foolish quarrel over tbe chair will 
bo at au end, if you are both willing to try 
some other chair awhile. 
When you come rushing into the house and 
run against your sister, don’t say "cry baby, 
cry baby,” if she cries, but. say “excuse me,” 
or " I’m sorry,” perhaps she will not look 
pleasant, in an instant but she will think well 
of you for it afterwards even if she is only a 
little thing. If you make up your minds to 
be polite to each other you will find many 
wuys to show it, and will leave a good many 
cross and unkind things unsaid; or if you for¬ 
get and say them don’t be ashamed to say 
you arc sorry, and if your apology is met by 
some cross answer don’t get cross again, but 
wait and vou will both be good uut.ured soon. 
PROFESSOR 
Dear Uncle Mark and Rural Cousins: 
—This is my first letter, and I wish to be a 
member of your club. I live on a farm of 100 
acres. I go to school and study reading, spell¬ 
ing, arithmetic, grammar, and geography. I 
have one-and a-half miles to walk to school. 
I have three brothers Mud no sister. Pa gave 
me the Rural Garden Treasures; I sowed them 
in boxes and about 90 pi ante came up. I had 
balsam and phlox. I had some that I did not 
know tbe names of. I hud a morning-glory 
that hud over 100 blossoms on It. I have a bed 
of asters, but the dry weather about spoiled 
them. 1 have two Castor Beaus. As my let¬ 
ter is getting long, I close—hoping to see it in 
print. Your niece, agnes damrkll. 
Oceana Co., Michigan. 
NATURAL HISTORY LESSONS. 
Maurice and Merton have been attending 
a course of lessons in natural history this Fall. 
The course was given by the very best 
teacher in the world, the teacher from whom 
all the scientists and naturalists have learned 
their wisdom. 
I expect many of my young readers have 
been attending these lessons, and I earnestly 
advise those who have not to begin at once. 
Don’t say you can’t afford it. There Is no 
tuition to pay; indeed, the lessons are given 
just the same whether there are any scholars 
or not. The teacher furnishes the book; it is 
what Charles Kingsley used to call the great 
“Green Book,” and all you need provide will 
be a pair of sharp eyes. Another good thing 
about these lessons is, that you can learn them 
while you are doing something else. 
Should you ask Maurice and Merton what 
they have been doing this Fall they would 
answer, “Herding cattle,” without thinking 
of the lessons at all. They have had some 
very interesting lessons on gophers. Have 
you ever heard the story of the two men in 
the railroad car who got into a dispute as to 
what a gopher was? one saying it was a 
striped squirrel, and the other declaring it to 
be a grey squirrel. They appealed to a third 
man to settle the dispute, and he said a gopher 
was a turtle. Another man, who lmd been 
listening, exclaimod, “Why, gentlemen, you 
are all mistaken. A gopher is a snake. 1 
have killed them dozens of times, and I 
know.” Still another said that a gopher was 
a pouched rat. They became so excited over 
the question that they all stopped at the next 
station, where Webster’s Unabridged settled 
the question to the satisfaction of each one. 
Look and see what he says. 
The boys’ lessons have been on the striped 
gopher and pocket, gopher. 
I wish you could see the tiny baby pocket 
gopher they brought up to the house one day. 
Another day they brought up a striped goph¬ 
er and put it iu an old bird cage. They had 
one once tliat they caught when very young 
and made a great pet of. It became very 
tame. They called it Zeko and it soon learned to 
know its name, and with its curious habits and 
cunning tricks was a source of great amuse¬ 
ment to the whole family. For further par¬ 
ticulars in regard to him, inquire of our old 
cat. 
But they only kept this one a few days, for 
it was a full grown one and did not take to 
captivity. 
And then the field mice! Did you know 
there is more than one kind, and did you 
know that one kind live in companies and an¬ 
other in pairs? 
Aud did you know that they lay up food in 
the fall for the cold winters In one general 
store-house the boys found over two quarts 
of pealed timothy bulbs or root-stalks. 
Once Shep dug out a weasel. Shep has at¬ 
tended all these lessons with as much enjoy¬ 
ment if uot profit as tbe boys. 
1 wish 1 had time to tell you of the moles 
with their shovel-like front feet and tiniest 
bits of eyes almost hidden in their soft velvety 
fur; of the grey squirrel with its pretty bushy 
tail and the rabbits with their queer little 
tuft, or of tbe spotted salamanders that make 
a noise like a telegraph machine clicking. 
One day they almost had a lesson on a 
musk-rat, at least Merton thought it was a 
musk-rat but it refused to be used as au illus¬ 
tration l'or them benefit and got away. 
Iu other parts of the country the lessons are 
different but they are always worth learning. 
I have said that the * 'Greeu Book” furnished 
by tbe teacher is the only necessary book but 
some of Nature’s most advanced scholars have 
written notes on the Green Book that are a 
great help to those of us in the primary and 
intermediate classes and the long winter even¬ 
ings that will soon be here might be pleasantly 
and profitably spent- in studying some of 
them. -Another very useful assistant is a 
microscope. A little pocket one costing less 
Made from Professor Horsford’s Acid 
Phosphate. 
Recommended by leading physicians. 
Makes lighter bisenit, cakes, etc., and 
Is healthier than ordinary Making Pow- 
■ lu bottles. Hold nt a reasonable price. 
The llomford’* Almanac nn« Cook Hook 
*)lum fonichemlrnl Work*. Providence, it. I. 
II. M. ANTIION Y A* t luu and 102 lleade St.,N. Y. 
Dear Uncle Mark: —I have been thinking 
about writing to you for a loug while. My 
brother and 1 planted a small piece of pota¬ 
toes, and we have dug 20 bushels and sold 19 
bushels of them. Iam 18 years old. 1 go to 
school and study reading, writing, geography, 
spoiling, and arithmetic. I hope to be admit¬ 
ted as one of the Cousins. I like to read the 
letters of the Cousins. As my letter is long, 1 
will close, hoping to see it printed. 
Oceana Co., Mich. Yours truly, n. d. 
Dear Uncle Mark: — 1 wont to join the 
Club and become one of your members. I 
wrote two letters before, but they all went to 
the waste basket, but I hope to see this one in 
print. Can you tell me what to do to keep 
my plants from dying; the leaves turn yellow 
and drop off. I have about forty different 
kinds. I had some very pretty flowers this 
Summer out doors, and I saved the seed of 
them all. Isn’t that the way to do? I had a 
garden this Summer too. Uncle Mark, I want 
you not to forget me this time, I did uot get 
any flower seeds last Spring. From your 
niece elva stevkns. 
Ogle Co., 11L 
l Are your plants in pots? If you have just 
taken them up and potted them, the loaves 
are dying because of the change; but if you 
give them the right care the plants will start 
to grow in a short time aud replace tbe dying 
leaves with new ones. If the plants have 
been in pots all Summer, they need larger 
pots and some fresh, rich soil. Yes, saving 
flower seeds from all your plants is what I 
want you to do. uncle mark.] 
Dear Cousins: —Stella Woodard says she 
has a sunflower with 30 blossoms on it; is it- a 
double or a single one. Stella? I have one of 
a single variety seut in last year’s Garden 
Treasures, with 57 on it, the plant is nearly 
nine feet high, tbe flowers are mostly in clus¬ 
ters of three, some four; they average »s large 
as a coffee cup, with centers about the size of 
a silverdollar. I should have mentioned this 
sunflower before, but it has only just now 
(Oct. 1st) come into full bloom; it is a decided 
curiosity here. mart waley. 
Uncle Mark:— l read among tbe contri¬ 
butions of the cousins, one from a young 
teacher, and another from a home student. 
Both interested me. for I am a teacher too— 
though probably a much older one than Ursa 
Major—and I resolved to become, with Uncle 
Mark's permission, a cousin for one week at 
least. I can most heartily sympathize with 
Glennie and her brother in their work of self- 
improvement. A very considerable part of 
my own education is the lruit of my own un¬ 
aided efforts, though 1 have had some more or 
less interrupted advantages in western “Nor¬ 
mal schools.” During my school life, I had 
no home to rely on in case of misfortune, no 
capital but Laud and brain, working as jani¬ 
tor at eight dollars per mouth about half the 
time, and battling at the same time with poor 
health. So Glennie will see that to others, 
many others could they all be heard from, tbe 
upward path is anything else than rose-bor¬ 
dered. Yet what should be a discouragement 
KNOW THYSELF. 
A GREAT Mrdlenl WORK on MANHOOD. 
Ncrvou* and Physical Debility. Premature De¬ 
cline in man. A book for every man. young. mlddle- 
aged and old. It con tains 12' prinerlptlons Tor n 1 
acute and chronic dUemtcS, each otie of which la 
Invaluable. 8o found by tile author, whose expo- 
rlencc for 23 veara la such os probably never betore 
fe’l to the lot of any physician. SO.' pages, bound 
lu beautiful French muslin, embossed covers, full gilt, 
guaranteed to tie « liner work In every sense -me¬ 
chanical. literary aud professional— than any oilier 
work sold in this country for A2.VI, or the money will 
!«• refunded In every Instance. Price only $1.JU by 
mall, postpaid. Illustrated sample Scents. Send 
now. Gold medal awarded tbeuuilior hr the National 
Medical Association, to the otneortof which he refers. 
The Science of Life should he read by the young for 
Instruction, and by tb<- * filleted for relief. It will 
benefit aJl.- Lond*m Jjincrt. e 
Tber© la no member of ariplrtv to whom T tae Science 
ext TJf* will not Ik* uneful. whether youth, parent. 
Parker. No. 4 ttulflneb Street, Boston, who may 
be consul ted on uU diseases requiring skill and expe¬ 
rience. Chronic and Obstinate Up a T dla- 
that have battled the skill of -H. “JTi. ilL 1 
other physicians a specialty. Such TIiycrT T? 
treated successfully without an A AX X OA4XJX. 
instance of failure. 
Mention this paper. 
n a p ■■ v o Y ThomasP.Simpson, Wash- 
r AT Ell I O ! lngton.D. C. No pay asked 
for patent until obtained. Write for inventor’s guide. 
The Highest-priced Taint in the 
United States is the 
ESSEX PAINT 
SAGE GREENS, OLIVE GREENS, 
MAROON, TERRA COTTA, 
ORANGE, SCARLET, 
etc-., etc., etc., etc., etc. 
These Pulnla are peculiarly adapted to Queen Anne 
and Suburban residence*., They contain pure metal, 
not oxidized (destroyed), and arc warranted to con¬ 
tain no Barytes. Water, or Benzine. 
Prices and samples furnished by the 
ESSEX PAINT WORKS, 
ESSEX, CONN. 
IS THE 
To Gut HAVA STRAW 
from the Mow. Stack, or 
Bundle 
To t ut COHN' STALKS 
1 or BALED IIAY, or 
J ] I'nthrcshed OATS in 
j bundle*, into Fine Feed. 
J To < nt ENSILAGE from 
* Silo. To rut PLAT, and 
Hitching ill ItogKHlid .11 en¬ 
dow-,, severing grass roote.aud 
rutting oft bush room an inch 
irougli.readily. Farmershaving 
ly of this work to do. should not 
without a Lightning Hay Knife, 
would not, alter an hour’s trial. 
5U feed only a horse or cow. it will 
A Of to have a Lightning Huy 
to rut ft rah hay from the iddr of 
or I’lntX, Instead Of pitching from 
where it lt> drying up aud losing 
qualities. IT PAN S to use a 
Hay Knife toent aload of Clingy 
(into steUoiiB. so a* to pitch on 
sis Till: KNIFE which Gut* 
ly readily. ManUfact'd only by 
HIRAM HOLT S CO.’ifS.D'.'L'.T 
For salt: by IluiJuarc Merchants it the trade yenerally 
by watchmakers. By inail25c. Circulars 
. * . r ., 1 ___ VW I Ira XT St. . N. X 
