may 2® 
notes for 90 days for goods, and when tbe time 
had expired they were missing. Among the 
heavy losers are the Sterling Manufacturing 
Compauy, Oliver Brothers, and Phillips, of 
Pittsburg; H. Rentdorff & Co., Chicago; the 
Lawson A Session Company, Cleveland, and 
200 firms scattered through Pennsylvania, 
Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. They operated 
in Chicago under the name of James H. Far¬ 
rell & Co., 230 West Washington Street, but 
Pullen says he quit, before he had fairly start¬ 
ed. He worked the same scheme in New York 
under the name of W. W. Lougfellow. After 
their arrest carloads of groceries continued to 
come in every hour consigned to the firm; but 
the goqds were sent back to the shippers. 
Nearly every week, certainly oftener than 
twice every month, exposures of such frauds 
upon keen, wide-aw'ake business-men ap¬ 
pear in the papers. If they, with all their 
opportunities for learning the tricks of swind¬ 
lers, are so often and so heavily duped, small 
wonder that, the “innocent” farmer is occa¬ 
sionally bamboozled 1 
To Sic vera t. Inquirers —To get satisfac¬ 
tory answers here it is quite necessary to be 
explicit in making inquiries. Here are some 
questions we cannot answer because they 
are not full enough: “What is the reli¬ 
ability of Butler Brothers, of New York!” 
There are three known firms of the name 
here. Tbe address, or at auy rate the nature 
of the business of the party inquired at suit, 
should have been given. We cannot atl’ord 
time to go about the city on a “wild goose 
chase.” “What is the character of J. Chase 
& Co., Boston, Mass.?” The reference books 
of the mercantile agencies at our disposal do 
not mention auy such firm. To fiud out what 
our inquirer wants to learn, therefore, we 
have to send to a friend in Boston for infor¬ 
mation. How is he to find out about the 
concern when no address is given? These 
are merely specimens of a considerable 
number of conundrums sent to us, and the 
senders are doubtless displeased because 
we could not answer them... 
We do not keep a list of all the swindling 
concerns or rascals in the country. Nobody 
does. We have to take time to make diligent 
inquiries, in most cases, and even then we 
often fail to get the desired information. 
This is most frequently tbe case w ith dishon¬ 
est concerns, for they usually take every pre¬ 
caution against getting “found out 1” Proper 
regard for the reputation of others and our 
owu interests forbid a hasty decision in any' 
case. If we stigmatize an honest concern as 
dishonest we do an injury not only to it, but 
probably to ourselves also, as we run the risk 
of a suit for libel, and would soon lose our 
reputation for care and caution iutbis depart¬ 
ment. The Eye-Opener, therefore, bogs all 
inquiring friends, in asking questions to tell 
all they know about the concerns, and not to 
be impatient if the answer is somewhat tardy. 
Never make an investment with any concern, 
however, until the answer is given; and even 
if it is never given, by refraining from dealiug 
with concerns whose reliability needs investi¬ 
gation, you will gain by saving your money 
999 times oftener than y r ou will lose by not 
investing it with them. 
ttJjOmmt’s IDork. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
WOMEN AND WORK. 
The question of money-getting occupations 
for wotnen is a serious matter now-a-days and 
a much-written, much-lectured question it is, 
One would imagine that our dead aud gone 
great-grauduiothers never thought of earning 
their livelihood, from the way the matter is 
talked of as a modern issue. But the women 
of former generations had to earn their living 
too, aud under much greater disadvantages 
than we encounter. Many of the modern 
clerical occupations were then unknown, and 
all work of this class was confined to men; 
aud as for a woman entering the learned pro¬ 
fessions—perish the thought! So we may 
safely' say that this is an age of progress; few 
of this world’s prizes are unattainable by 
women, if they be worthy. 
Ellie D. gave us her sprightly opinions on 
this subject in a former number of the Rural; 
now a fair objector arises in the person of 
Chloe. They represent two points of view, 
though they agree in mauy respects. 
The old idea that, it was unfeminine for a 
woman to battle for herself, is now thoroughly 
exploded, except in the tents of the Philis¬ 
tines. Iu &L1 communities a brave, helpful, 
self-reliant woman is respected and admired. 
And she is not likely to lack love either, un¬ 
less she makes her freedom uud self-reliance 
excuse for coarseness and lack of refinement. 
We believe that a woman’s first place is tbe 
home; that she is in her highest element as 
wife and mother. But domestic happiness is 
not given to all, and there are many cases 
where untoward fate compels a married wo¬ 
man to seek means of self-support. So, in 
reality the need of some trade or profession is 
as great with women ns with men. Don’t we 
remember that poor, little, imbecile Helen, in 
“A Woman’s Reason;” an accomplished (?) 
society girl, who wasu’t even clever euough 
to make shirts for six cents apiece. We hope 
there are few like her, In the present age, 
competition is so keen that no woman can ex¬ 
pect to make a living unless she does her work 
well. If she does it better tbau auyone else, 
she is sure to be a success, whether she turns 
her attention to puddings or to poems. Genius 
and talent very often means nothing more 
than aptitude, aided by patience and unremit¬ 
ting toil. Perhaps some of our fair readers, 
who are self-supporting, would give us their 
opinions on the subject; such experiences 
would possess both interest and value. 
MORE ABOUT INDOOR EMPLOYMENT 
FOR WOMEN. 
Ellie D.’s picture of woman’s work is pret¬ 
tily drawn, and no doubt a pleasant, contem¬ 
plation for those sweet creatures who can idle 
away their time speculating regarding some 
“attenuated bachelor” whom they imagine is 
pining for their velvety hands to smooth the 
creases, aud tuend the rents of his blackberry 
coat. But if she were to find that the pining 
lover did not exist, what would she do? 
Do? Wby she must, marry the first specimen 
of the genus homo who would be kind enough 
to propose, of course. She would never be¬ 
come a blue stocking, I fear she would not be 
capable. 
Ellie D. condemns girls for joiuing the rauks 
of genteel employment. Yet a girl who seeks 
genteel employment, be it as a teacher, sten¬ 
ographer, or on the stage, will not settle down 
in the rut to remain there forever. Her am¬ 
bition will cause her to develop all her facul¬ 
ties mentally, morally aud- physically, but 
she will never become one of those leaning 
creatures who will receive support from the 
first tree that presents itself, no matter how 
crooked. The thought of entering the ranks 
of self supporters is distasteful to any woman 
as compared to a life of shelter, love and sun¬ 
shine. But she prefers to work lor a living iu 
preference to being dependent upon those who 
cau ill afford it, or marrying for the sake of 
escaping toil. 
Aud let me tell you these same ambitious 
girls are invariably the leaders, for they are 
bright, intelligent, vivacious and companion¬ 
able, which makes them favorites everywhere. 
Be sparing of your criticisms on the girl whose 
energy' is directed toward fame, and on her 
who aspires to purer atmosphere than the one 
where circumstances placed her. 
The devotion to parents, brothers aud sis¬ 
ters showu by the average self-supporting 
girl, who not only cares for self, but manages 
to drop many a golden coin into the homo 
treasury, reveals to toe a much higher type of 
womanhood than is showu by the “fairy-like 
creature” who eauuot leave home because 
papa and mamma would be so lonely. While 
she knows full well that her parents are de¬ 
priving themselves of necessaries, so as to 
permit Daisy t> dress elegantly and thumb 
the piano, that she may captivate some man 
who little knows what a halter he puts round 
his neck when the matrimonial noose claims 
him as its victim, beside the insipid do-noth¬ 
ing. 
The girl who wishes to rise is worthy of 
praise, not blame. 
She noes not go among her friends boasting 
of her refusals, fur she is too practical to 
spend her time flirting with those for whom 
she has no affinity, but quietly dismisses them 
and works on alone, not considering it a sin 
either. 
Should she find some aspiriug and worthy 
man, she will not hesitate to place her haud 
where her heart can go also. 
But uutil that time she will continue desir¬ 
ing to rise, for existence contains for her 
many possibilities which do not depend on 
making a Benedict of some unwilling bache¬ 
lor. CHLOE. 
WHY JACK STAID AT HOME. 
SELMA CLARK. 
Jack Robbins never spent his evenings at 
the village grocery much to the chagrin of 
the “boys,” for Jack was generally recognized 
as beiug a “good fellow.” No inducement in 
the way of fun seemed to be strong enough to 
tempt him away from home, and the boys at 
last agreed to accept his oft repeated invita¬ 
tion to “come up to the house,” more with an 
idea of finding out the secret of his unwilling¬ 
ness to s]>eud his evenings at the village, with 
the rest of the lads, than for auy special pleas¬ 
ure that they expected from the visit. 
They were cordially welcomed by Jack, 
who, anticipating their shyness if he took 
them in the family-living room among his 
bright-eyed sisters, ushered them at once up 
stairs to bis own special den. There was 
nothing remarkable about this room in the 
way of furniture, uud yet there was an air of 
cosy comfort, about it that went at once to 
the hearts of every one of those boys. It was 
what is known us a garret bed-room, large as 
to floor space but with sloping roof aud dor¬ 
mer window's. It was lath aud plastered 
however, and the w'alls were tinted a delicate 
French gray, with trimmings of Indian red, 
not painted, but merely kalsomined, and 
Jack was the artist. The windows were 
draped with white curtains, and looped back 
with bands of turkey red, and the bed was as 
purely and daintily white as the spare beds at 
the homes of the other boys. The pictures 
were only prints from illustrated papers, but 
they were copies in wood of good paintings 
and engravings, and the rustic frames of bark 
or moss or straw were very pretty. The sofa 
was only a long packing box upholstered in 
cretonne, but it had a great soft pillow aud 
was altogether a luxurious affair. There 
were a set of book shelves of Jack’s own man¬ 
ufacture, ou which were neatly arranged his 
little selection of books, aud above them was 
suspended his gun. Dominoes and checkers 
of home-made manufacture were brought out, 
aud games were played, and when a little of 
the shyness had worn off they all went down 
stairs and Jack’s sisters wore quite as delight¬ 
ful as Jack himself, and so they found out 
why Jack staid at home. 
It is too often the case, especially in country 
houses, that a boy is stowed away in any sort 
of a room, often one that is half filled with 
lumber, without auy pretty cosy corner for 
him to delight in, or a single bright aud cheer¬ 
ful object on which his eye can rest the last 
thing at night and the first thing in the morn¬ 
ing. Parents do not realize how much a 
room such as we have described above, is to a 
boy’s heart, and bow powerful an agent it is 
in keeping him from evil associations. 
SOME WAYS AND THINGS AT THE 
RURAL GROUNDS. 
ALICE BROWN. 
Many" of the shrubs seem unusually full of 
bloom this spring. The Forsytbias have been 
crowded with their golden bells. Magnolia 
Soulangeana is very full of its large blossoms. 
The branches of the different varieties of the 
Japan Quince are thickly studded with flowers, 
aud many shrubs that have not bloomed yet, 
give promise by their myriads of buds of an 
unusually showy opening. 
The beds for anuuals and biennials are being 
filled, each member of the household having a 
lied or beds of his own, in which he plants 
whatever suits his fancy. 
Last year the children did a little grafting, 
but none of their cions lived. This year they 
tried again with roses, currants, and goose¬ 
berries, but the rose grafts died, and only a 
white currant ciou upon a red cur-rant stock 
gives promise of living. 
For a number of years Mrs. Carman lias 
made c ossing and hybridizing a part of her 
work, and there are now growing a number 
of little seedlings the result of crosses between 
a blackberry and a raspberry, aud of another 
between Rosa rugosa, a single red rose, huv- 
ing a peculiar leaf, ad Harrison’s Yellow 
(double) rose. It is needless to say these little 
seedliugs will be watched with jealous cire 
and deep interest until they flower and fruit. 
A family thus interested in flowers aud fruits 
finds much pleasure iu studying them. Aud 
the proposition that Wednesday of each week 
until the close of school should be set apart as 
“Field Day” was hailed with pleasure. The 
second Wednesday of May was chosen to in¬ 
augurate tbe venture, and the hope that the 
day might be a beautiful one was expressed 
rejieatedly. It proved a perfect day, begin¬ 
ning and closing gratefully cool, with a tem¬ 
pered heat at mid-day. 
The programme for the day specified that 
tho usual school hours, from nine o’clock in 
the morning until noon, and from one until 
half-past three should be spent out of doors. 
The dinner to consist of something simple and 
easily prepared. 
Leaviug the house as the clock struck nine, 
the members of this field school met in the 
drive way, to lie sent to their duties. Mrs. 
Carman attended to her hybridizing and a 
bo tan}' lesson for the children came first, 
Wlrilo Cerise recited Horn Gray’s “How Blunts 
Grow” Travie was sent in search of 10 single 
blossoms from tho shrubs and plants in the 
yard. An arbor, long ago fitted up with rus¬ 
tic seats and a little table, answered for a 
class-room. Cerise’s lesson ovor, Travie 
learned the riarnes of the parts of a flower, 
and oy comparing the different (lowers be had 
gathered he noticed how the {(arts differed in 
shape, size and color. His lesson finished, he 
busied himself digging dandelions from the 
lawn with an old table-fork, while Mrs. Car¬ 
man drilled Cerise and me on tho botanical 
names of the trees and shrubs of the front 
lawn. Travie committed to memory the names 
of five of these shrubs, then ran away to play 
awhile. 
The work of hybridizing took up tho next 
hour. This is done by selecting a blossom of 
the variety to be crossed that has not. fully 
opened, the anthers of which are still imma¬ 
ture, carefully removing every anther, and 
applying to the stigma pollen from the plant 
chosen to make the cross. Cerise selected a 
Crab apple to be crossed with a Seekle pear. 
I selected a {tear blossom to be pollenated 
from the crab-tree, but finding no ripe pollen 
on either tree, we could only remove the an¬ 
thers from several blossoms, tie them up in 
tissue paper, to secure them from accidental 
polls nation, and leave them until the follow¬ 
ing day. There is probably little hope that a 
successful cross can be made between these 
trees, but there is a shade of possibility that 
leads us to attempt it. 
A review of the botanical names we had 
learned, brought us to the dinner hour. 
After dinuer Cerise had another lesson in 
botany, recited under anold apple tree beyond 
the little lake. A little later Travie perched 
himself on a low limb of the horse-chestnut 
by the driveway to repeat the five names he 
had learned. The rest of the afternoon, until 
half past-three, was given to work iu the dif¬ 
ferent flower beds. 
Daring the day Mr. Carman called attention 
to many things of interest about the grounds. 
One of these was the condition of a number of 
newly seeded grass plots. On most of them 
tho grass has made a soft douse growth, very 
fine and even, but some spots are almost bare. 
In one plainly defined section of a large plot 
the grass came up very unevenly and is full of 
weeds. After several vain guesses as to the 
cause of the difference, Mr. Carman ex¬ 
plained that a hole had beeu filled iu at that 
spot, with soil from different parts of the 
grounds, aud it contained weed seeds, but the 
soil of the rest of the plot had beeu a well 
cultivated flower bed,and free from such seeds. 
Seed sown, is no doubt often condemned as 
being mixed with weed seeds when the fault 
lies in the soil. 
The seed used on these spots was a mixture 
of Blue Grass, Red Top and Timothy, the last 
as an experiment, as only tho other two have 
hitherto been sown upon the lawu. The sur¬ 
face was raked to a level with the surround¬ 
ing soil, seeded liberally, and tbe small seeds 
pressed firmly into the earth with a lawn 
roller. Within four weeks of sowing, the 
ground was covered with grass high enough 
to bo cut. a little by a lawn mower passing 
over it. 
In this way, all spots where flower beds are 
abandoned or where trees have beeu removed, 
are soon covered with grass. 
Iu the evening Mr. Carman asked of each in 
turn an account of his or her day’s work and 
the exercises of the first Field Day were thus 
ended. 
COUNTRY GIRLS IN TOWN. 
A Minnesota friend sends us these sensible 
words: 
“The following is the gist of what lately 
appeared iu a leading paper, on a subject that 
receives little atteution, I think. There are 
people who devote their lives to tho rescuing 
uud helping of unfortunates.” One half of it 
if done in season, would save a great deal of 
misery aud he aft-breakings. 
“A fruitful source of it is the coming to 
tho city of young and unprotected girls 
without friends or seeking friends that they 
do not find and thus fall into bud hands. 
A lady is employed whose business it is to 
rescue and help young and inexperienced 
girls. Girls going to New York would do 
well to note the name of Miss Etta I. Clark, 
41(5 East 2tftk >St,, N. Y., opposite Bellevue Hos¬ 
pital, and apply to her at the Bible and Fruit 
mission for advice and aid in cases of need or 
necessity.” 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
The most fascinating women are those that 
can most enrich the everyday moments of ex¬ 
istence. ..... 
Many" a character' has ravelled to shreds from 
the neglect of one broken thread. 
Many of our trials iu life come upon our 
own invitation. We plnu for them, beseech 
them, weep for them—then raise an outcry 
over their appearance. We make the pain, 
then scold because it has visited us. 
By taking revenge, a muu is but oven with 
his enemy; hut iu passing over it he is su¬ 
perior. 
Truth is ever forbearing, courting inquiry, 
while error is ever overbearing aud intolerant 
of investigation. 
Never seek to be entrusted with your 
friend’s secret; for no matter how faithfully 
