600 
THE RURAL MIW-YQRKEB. 
goo is and the cost of setting them out ; but 
also for the interest on the land until the rent 
of the money and the rent of the land until 
the fraud or mistake is discovered. More 
stringent legislation in this matter is needed 
in nearly every State in the Union. Such 
legislation should he demanded not only by 
the public at large,but also by careful, honest 
seedsmen and nursery men: for owing to the 
s evere competition to which they are sub- 
ected by dishonest and careless men in the 
same business, they are great sufferers from 
such rascality. 
LEGAL FENCES IN VERMONT. 
L M. Rutland , Vt .—What is a legal fence 
in this State? Isa ditch deep enough to turn 
cattle? 
Ans —Yes. According to the Vermont 
statutes all fences that are four feet high and 
in good repair, made of rails, timber, boards, 
stone-walls, as well as brooks, rivers, ditches, 
ponds, and hedges, or other things, which, in 
the judgment of the fence-viewers having 
jurisdiction thereof, are equivalent thereto, 
are accounted legal and sufficient fences. 
TUonum’s Work. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
What qualities go to make a popular girl? 
Study the girl everybody likes, and see where¬ 
in lie the reasons for her popularity. Very of¬ 
ten she is not pretty, or she is devoid of the 
clothes-wearing faculty we call style; she may 
not even be accomplished; but we all like her. 
The most popular girl we know is always 
called pretty, though her features are irregu¬ 
lar and she belongs to no decided type. But 
the moment she meets one her whole face 
lights up with friendliness and her first speech 
is either some merry quip or bit of kindly 
sympathy. So you see it is not very strange 
that she is loved. She is not rich; her own 
lively fancy and nimble fingers must do much 
to provide her simple gowns, but somehow 
she always has time to do so much for other 
people. Whatsoever her ban! finds to do she 
does with all her might. 
* * * 
Now, there is no earthly reason why any 
girl should not be the identical girl whom 
every one likes She must begin by giving 
every one of her best; that is to say, she must 
not inflict her worries or ill-humors on others; 
if they must come to the surface, keep them for 
solitary use only. A habit of chronic good 
temper is hard enough to acquire; but what 
a splendid companion it is for any one! 
Good temper; that is the first thing. Sym¬ 
pathy for others is the next; a readiness to 
appreciate their feelings and to respect them. 
A girl who carries out this principle fully is a 
thorough gentlewoman, though she may be 
ignorant of finger-bowls and five-o’clock teas. 
Perhaps every one does not respond to kindli¬ 
ness and sympathy; certainly it is hard to 
meet with rebuffs when one means so well. 
But that does not alter the state of the case; 
“ Put yourself in his place,” answers better in 
the long nan than the opposite but much 
practiced maxim—“ Lo®k out for number 
1 one. ” 
* * * 
We hear many unfavorable comments on our 
national manners, through we believe there is 
as much real politeness among Americans as 
among any people in the world. But, all the 
same, there is a decided lack of good manners 
among people who ought to know better. 
If there is to be any reform made, it must 
begin with the women. Courteous and re¬ 
fined women rarely meet with aught but 
courtesy from others, aDd they have the op¬ 
portunity of guiding others aright. 
We are sorry to admit it, but a good many 
girls and women never seem to think that 
their good manners are for home use ; they 
possess what we call “ company manners. ” 
There is a class, too, who may 
have politeness for home and society, 
but vvho do not display the quality in 
public places. They are the women 
who push and struggle into the street cars, 
ignoring the man who gives up his seat, brow¬ 
beat clerks in the shops, and talk out loud at 
public entertainments. These ill-bred people 
are not so numerous as some would have us 
believe: but they are met with often enough 
to be annoying. The only remedy is for each 
woman to determine that she will be the very 
pink of courtesy berself, and she will surely 
find many followers. 
* * * 
Florence Nightingale says: “Without 
women there can be no domestic hygiene. 
The finest principles aud works of sewerage, 
water supply and ventilation must, without 
the housewife, almost remain a dead letter. 
But let her be practically instructed how to 
keep air, earth and water pure, and to admit 
light into her bouse, and the health and life- 
giving machinery is complete.” 
A WORD FROM THE WEST. 
I should like to say a few words in regard 
to “Grandmother’s” Western experience, 
page 500. I fully agree wdth Grandma when 
she advises those with good, pleasant homes 
to stay where they are. But I think that a 
large numlier of those in the East are not so 
favorably situated,"and.by coming West they 
would be far better satisfied, happier and 
more independent. I am one of that vast 
body of young men, who without the means 
to buy a farm in the Eastern States, came 
West and homesteaded 160 acres of Uncle 
Sam’s free lands in Minnesota: and now I 
have a pleasant home, with good church and 
school privileges. The prospect is good for 
all the comforts and conveniences of Eastern 
civilization. 
Taken as a whole, I think Western young 
men will compare favorably with any other 
class. I am not personally interested, as a 
short time ago I found a Western lassie who 
suits me to perfection: but for the benefit of 
those who still exist in solitude, I would s-'ay 
that lots of good can be found in the hearts of 
the young “bach.” Pleasant homes depend 
a good deal upon the owners; if the whole 
family will only live to do God’s will, they 
will assuredly be happy, be the climate and lo¬ 
cation whatever it may. 
1 hope Grandmother will not think me 
presumptuous in making comments on her 
letter. I am young and rather hopeful for 
the future, and that is probably the reason 
why I see things a little differently. 
GRANDSON. 
THE GINGER VICE. 
It is not generally known that there is a 
peculiar kind of dissipation known as the 
“ginger vice.” The victim is as much a slave 
to his appetite as the opium eater or whisky 
drinker, and it is even more insidious than 
either of these practices, inasmuch as it seems 
so harmless. It is really one of the most in¬ 
jurious of such practices, in time destroying 
the coating of the stomach and dooming the 
victim to a slow and agonizing death. The 
essence of ginger contains 100 per cent, of 
alcohol, while whiskv has only 50 per cent. 
This is why ginger is a favorite beverage with 
topers whose stomachs are ho longer capable 
of intoxication from whisky. The habit is 
well known to the drug trade, and, sad to say, 
many women are addicted to it. Every 
mother should be careful bow she adminis¬ 
ters ginger to her children for cramps aud sto¬ 
machic pains. a. u. 
A NEW WORK FOR WOMEN. 
We have it on the authority of the New 
York-World, that the profession of “hired 
critic” is one of the new occupations for women. 
It is said to be a necessity in these days when 
every one rushes into print. She must have 
a thorough education, and trained discrimin¬ 
ation in literature. There are many such 
women, who, while perfectly competent to 
criticise the work of others, have no creative 
talent of their own. The same paper states 
that your sometime contributor, “ Eleanor 
Kirk,” of Brooklyn, was one of the first to 
adopt this work, and that it grew out of the 
fact that so many of her friends brought their 
work to her for judgment, help and sugges¬ 
tions, that in self-defence she was obliged to 
charge for what proved an interesting and 
lucrative employment. The method is this: 
An amateur with literary aspirations sends 
his or her manuscript to the critic, who, for 
a sum varying from $5 to $25, accord¬ 
ing to the length of the manuscrpt to be 
read, goes over it carefully with a blue 
pencil and intimates what passages had best be 
cut out whole, what sentences compressed, 
what phrases enlarged. She corrects punctu¬ 
ation. false metaphors, incorrect English and 
careless expressions. She makes suggestions 
as to the development of characters, if it be a 
story or a novel, or concerning rhythm and 
measure if it be a poem. She verifies quota¬ 
tions, aud very often refers the author to 
books where he will find good suggestions for 
his work. She declares that the work is no 
harder than that of the paid readers for pub¬ 
lishing houses, and that it interests her, and 
all the while she is borne up by the soothing 
and inspiring consciousness of the good she is 
doing and the gratitude owed her by the 
reading public. g. c. 
PROPRIETY IN DRESS. 
People of fine taste say they can always tell 
a refined woman by her dress. But one whose 
means are limited cannot indulge in the dainty 
laces, perfect gloves, and fine shoes which 
these critics declare must always show the 
real lady. We often realize this when we try 
to re-arrange a half worn costume, or reno¬ 
vate frayed collars and rusty shoes. Still, 
there is no doubt that it is easier to keep up 
a good appearance if we purchase our ward¬ 
robe with a strong sense of propriety. Polo- 
nius showed this feeling in the advice he gave 
to his son. “ Costly thy habit as thy purse 
can buy ” is one of his axioms, while he 
wi rns against gaudy extravagance. Many of 
the shabby looking women we see would be 
both neatly and becomingly dressed if they 
had arranged their purenases with discretion. 
Last spring flaming terra-cotta and bright, 
trying greens were fashionable colors. Every 
other woman wore them, and all through the 
summer we have been meeting with these 
colors in a faded condition, worn by women 
who are limited to one best dress. The same 
money, expended in a pretty and inconspicu¬ 
ous color would have resulted in satisfaction 
for the whole sea c OD. One would think that 
people could hardly offend propriety in the way 
they wear mourning ; but they do. Honestly 
speaking, 1 consider so-called mourning gar¬ 
ments a great mistake. We have no right 
to inflict our sorrow on others by making 
a parade of it, and it is,in truth.a selfish grief 
to mourn over the temporary separation 
which takes our beloved from life temporal to 
life eternal. Still, custom dictates oppnssive 
black garments, and most of us will follow it; 
but if we do we ought to be as sensible about 
it as the French or English They limit them¬ 
selves to a certain time for deep mourning, 
plain black, and gray or violets before blos¬ 
soming out into full colors. In this country 
we see many women change from crape- 
trimmed mourning to colors, or, in the case 
of many widows, keep on mourning to the end 
of their days; and it is as great an offense 
against propriety in one case as in the other. 
The heavy crape veil, worn over the face, 
certainly ought to be abdisbed. It injures 
both the eyes and the complexion, and often 
lays the foundations of future illness It is 
positive cruelty to put little children into 
mourning, but this is not done here so much 
as abroad. On the whole, I think the custom 
of wearing “mourning” might be abolished 
entirely; there are many better ways in which 
to show our love for the dead. 
patty garton. 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
Time and patience, says an Eastern proverb, 
change the mulberry leaf to satin . 
Never think that God's delays are denials. 
Hold on, hold fast ; patience is genius. 
Self-respect is the early form in which 
greatness appears — Emerson . 
He that does good for good’s sake seeks nei¬ 
ther praise nor reward,, though sure of both at 
last. 
A man who is unable to discover any errors 
or mistakes in the opinions he formerly held, 
is not likely to advance very fast in the ac¬ 
quirement of knowledge. 
Failures are stepping-stones to success— 
the solid foundation upon which to rear a 
more enduring structure thau we anticipated. 
— N. W. Penhurst ... . 
The talent of success is doing nothing more 
than what you can do well without a thought 
of fame.— Longfellow . 
H. F. Durant is reported to have said : 
“ Law is the most narrowing and the most de¬ 
grading of all professions. All human law is 
a system of fossilized injustice, and the hab¬ 
itual study of it only demoralizes.”. 
Those generals only who have never com¬ 
manded armies in the field have not commit¬ 
ted errors.— Napoleon at St. Helena . 
There’s no music in a “rest” that I know 
of, but there’s the making of music in it. And 
people are always missing that part of the 
life melody, always talking of perseverance, 
and courage, and fortitude; but patience is the 
finest and worthiest part of fortitude, and the 
rarest, too. —Ruskin. .. 
Never give up! there are chances and changes 
Helping the hopeful a hundred to.one. 
And through the chaos High Wisdom arranges 
Even success, if you’ll only hope on. * * * * 
Never give up! though the grape-shot may rattle, 
Or the full thunder cloud over you burst, 
Stand like a rock, and (he storm or the battle 
Little shall harm you, though doing its worst. 
— Tupper. 
The great difference between men, between 
the feeble and the powerful, the great and the 
insignificant, is energy—invincible determina- 
SEPT 
tion — a purpose once formed and then 
death or victory ! That quality will do any¬ 
thing that can be done in this world; and no 
talents, no circumstances, no opportunities 
will make a two-legged creature a Man with¬ 
out it .—Sir Foivell Buxton . 
CONDUCTED BY MRS AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
THE PICNre I DIDN’T GO TO. 
“ Tell me about the picnic,” said I to the 
tired, but merry party, assembled in the old- 
fashioned and quaintly wainscoted parlor at 
Farmlie. “ Was it a success ? ” 
“ A bowling success,” said Ned Wing, an 
undergraduate from Harvard, a youth of 
phenomenal hight, who wasn’t “under” in 
one stnse of the word at least. 
“ Perfectly idvllio,” said Leila Sweet, a 
bright and pretty Vassar girl, whose equally 
delicious dimples and disposition made her a 
universal favorite. 
“ Its success was a foregone conclusion, 
since Mollie packed the picnic basket and ar¬ 
ranged the party,” said Mr. Farmlie, who 
was always ready with words of loving appre¬ 
ciation for his wife, our sweet eved hostess, 
notwithstanding the fact that they had been 
married ten years. A pair of arrant match¬ 
makers they were, too, and a summer party 
at Farmlie was always followed by a marriage 
in the autumn somewhere'else. A picnic, no 
less than a dinner, or a yachting or camping 
party, must depend greatly for its pleasure 
upon the harmony of the guests, and no one 
knew better than Mollie Farmlie how to bring 
the right persons together. 
“ Such sandwiches as Mollie makes ought to 
be patented,” said.the lady from Boston. “ I 
remember quite well my'dilemma when once 
in my early housekeeping days the prepara¬ 
tion of the sandwiches for a picnic party fell 
to my lot. I searched all the cook books in 
my possession, hoping to obtain some hints on 
the subject, but to no purpose, until at last I 
reached ‘Practical Cookery,’ by Professor 
Blot. Sandwiches met my eye’in the index, 
and much relieved, I hurriedly turned to the 
page only to read ‘These are too well known 
to need description.’ ” 
“ Dodo has the pen of a ready writer,” said 
Mollie, “and she shall take my note-book, and 
from its dry details tell, in her own lucid 
way, just how to pack a picnic basket and 
what to put in it.” 
My duties as editor.proof reader,and general 
factotum, in the office of the Weekly Gera, 
had made it impossible for me to be one of this 
party, but the same nimble hands that packed 
the picnic basket, had filled my lunch box 
with a generous share of the delicacies, so I 
can add my testimony to that of .the others 
regarding their excellence. 
Imprimis then, a good sandwich supposes 
good bread, and as every lady in the land, or at 
least all those who read table talk, ought to 
know how to make this, I will take it for 
granted that you have the perfect article, 
light, sweet and not more or less than 24 hours 
old. 
Butter on the loaf so that it will’spread 
evenly, after which cut the slice, and let it be 
a thin one—just as thin as you can cut it with¬ 
out breaking. You may cut the crust off or 
not, as it seems best to you. For me I like the 
nutty flavor of the sweet, brown crust of the 
perfect loaf. If you do cut it off, let it be 
done after Che two slices with the filling are 
laid together, and use a very sharp knife, so 
as to trim them neatly; for a ragged, crooked 
sandwich is not appetizing, however nice it 
may be in other respects. 
The tilling may be of any kind of flesh, fish, 
or fowl, but to make a summer sandwich, you 
must have either the first, or the last, and it 
must be So tender that you can cut it in slices 
as thin as a dime. Spread,land cut your bread 
as above; sprinkle over it some very finely 
chopped water-cress, mustard cress, or lettuce; 
lay on this the thin ham, tongue, roast beef, 
or roast or boiled poultry; season with salt and 
pepper, and the merest suspicion of dry mus¬ 
tard ; sprinkle again with the chopped cress; 
lay on the top slice ; press together with the 
PijsTfilaimntiSi gulvwtitfing. 
When Baoy was sick, we gave her Castorta. 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castoria, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castoria. 
When she had Children, she gave them Castoria ’ I 
