484 
THE RURAL WEW-Y$R«4ER. 
JULY 24 
they have taken all charity'to be tbeir prov¬ 
ince. OneTen in our vicinity is a church sew¬ 
ing society; with the money they raise they 
care for the needy and suffering in their neigh¬ 
borhood. Other Tens are engaged in mission 
work, in hospitals and in tenement-house re¬ 
form. Some do not attempt active outside 
work, but band themselves together to be pa¬ 
tient and forbearing, to bridle their tongues 
and to practice the charity that thiuketh no 
evil. 
* * * 
How can you become a member of the or¬ 
der? 
Miss Cf. H. Libbey, 18 Washington Place, 
New York City, is the secretary of the entire 
organization. She will send papers giving 
information of the work throughout the coun¬ 
try. From her the badge may bo obtained; it 
is a little silver Maltese cross hanging from a 
bit of purple ribbon; on the cross are the let¬ 
ters I. H. N.—“In His Name.” The badge 
costs 80 cents; the annual subscription is ten 
cents. Any woman desirous of joining should 
decide what direction her efforts shall take; 
if possible she should interest others to form 
a Ten; if not, she may be a “Ten” all by her¬ 
self, until she can get others to join “Look 
up and not down,” is one of the mottoes of 
the order—“Look out and not in,” another. 
And even where active work is impossible, 
the very fact of looking out into the broad 
world, instead of in towards our own trials 
and worries, will broaden our views a’d ul¬ 
timately sweeten our lives. 
A shut-in sister in Vermont asks about the 
Shut-in Tens. We only know of them by 
hearsay, but they are composed of perma¬ 
nent invalids who try to lighten one another’s 
burdens. 
* * * 
Our Texan sister who wrote inquiring about 
this order, tells us that her lot as a farmer’s 
wife has a very bright side. It does one good 
to know that real unhappiness in such a posi¬ 
tion is the exception rather than the rule. 
She says: “I have all the nice reading matter 
1 want, and can buy all I want; and can read 
as much as I like, though I am a farmer’s 
wife. I don’t wash and iron, or cook either 
(when I can get help); or make butter or feed 
the pigs, so you see I am not at all smart. I 
take all the care of my three little ones, and 
keep my house clean and in nice order, and do 
a little sewing. But I didn’t intend to tell you 
what I d : d or did not do, only I have read so 
many of the letters from farmers’ wives, and 
i t makes me indignant to think of the work put 
upon them. We live 15 miles south of Kan An¬ 
tonio, and have been farming only a little 
more than two years. Oh! I am just burning 
to have my say about that hired help question, 
and no one has yet written about the duty we 
owe to our babies. I would like to ask those 
women who work all day long for the hired 
help what becomes of the precious little souls 
and bodies God gave them to care for.” 
“THE BOOK-LENDING TEN.” 
PALMETTO. 
Mv suggestion regarding a “Book-lending 
Ten” in the Rural of Juno 0th, has brought 
to me such a shower of kindly offers to lend 
books and journals, and so many modest 
requests for the like, that I must beg the Ru¬ 
ral to add to the great good its pages already 
accomplish, by lending me a corner of one of 
them for my “Circulating Bureau.” 
I at first thought of merely giving a list of 
the “book-hungry” ones, leaving such as have 
offered to supply reading matter free to choose 
from it. This, however, might result in an 
avalanche to one person, while others might 
get none. In order to avoid this, I have made 
the following arrangement. rs. Mary J. 
Charlton, St. George JP. O. Out. asks for the 
addresses of “three or four.” I send three 
from correspondents iu “out of-tbe way 
places,” where such reading matter as she can 
spare will doubtless be appreciated.—Miss M. 
E. Gillett,Clover Creek, Highland Co, Va.; 
Sarah McLachlau, McLemoresville, Carroll 
Co., Tenn.; and Mrs. C Walter, Superior,Neb. 
These ladies write that much good might be 
accomplished by the circulation of good read¬ 
ing matter in their vicinity, as many of the 
people have little or none, and offer to keep in 
circulation anything senttothem. MissS. A. 
Little, Malcom, Seneca Falls, New York, asks 
for the names of half a dozen, to whom she 
offers to send occasional papers. I have not 
been able to provide “Wikkey” for all those 
who have applied for it, so perhaps some of 
Mrs. Little’s papers might be something of a 
substitute to Mrs. J. A. Thompson, Austin, 
Mower Co., Minn., and Mrs. S. Thomas, Dav¬ 
enport, Iowa. To any one who will pay the 
expressage on them, Mrs. Little will also send 
some nearly complete files of the Rural and 
Churchman. This may be a good opportunity 
for some slenderly stocked local reading- 
room. 
If MissE. Banta, of (Ronhrook Conn,, will 
kindly start “ on their mission of usefulness,” 
any of the books she alludes to, by sending 
one or more to Mrs. E. S. Lincoln, Holmen, 
La Crosse Co., Wisconsin, I am sure I can 
promise that chat lady will keep it going. 
Miss Banta also offers to send weekly papers 
to any who wish them and will send her tbeir 
addresses. Mrs. L. C. Whippley, of Cobden, 
Union Co., Ills., has much good children’s 
reading which she is willing to send to some 
address. 
I have before me a very interesting letter 
from Mrs, John Rice, of Carmel, Texas, who 
is willing to send books and papers. I think it 
best not to send out any books except such as 
you do not want returned, but always to send 
them with the condition that the receiver will 
keep them going. 
Mrs. Mary Waley, of Gales Ferry, New 
London Co., Ct.,will send a number of volumes 
of a paper called the “Band of Peace” to any 
one desirious of having them. All of the ladies 
whose addresses I have given above as anxious 
to receive books, are so placed as to bo able to 
circulate them to advantage where they will 
do the most good. I should like to express 
my personal thanks to those who have so 
kindly offered to help in this cause. 
GOLDEN ROD. 
M. W. 6. 
Few of the m any who have been along the 
coast iu summer, have failed to notice the old- 
fashioned (but not the less beautiful because 
it is plain and old-fashioned Golden Rod 
(Solidago). Never before have the plains and 
highways been so richly colored with its yel¬ 
low bloom. If it were as auriferous as its 
color would indicate all the farmers would be 
rich in a few seasons. The extraordinary 
plentifulness of this beautiful but otherwise 
useless flower, is doubtless due to the damp 
but warm season with no severe drought dur¬ 
ing the period of growth. A supposed efficacy 
in the plants suggested to the early botanist 
the name Solidago,from the Latin, solidare, to 
join or make firm, yet it is not utilized to any 
gi eat extent and is usually exterminated with 
common weeds. It is said that it is cultivated 
in England as a marginal flower, and that it is 
considered a rare and beautiful plant on the 
continent, being propagated by the division 
of the root. 
The European variety does not grow as large 
nor has it the magnificent coloring of our 
native kinds. The genus is mostly North 
American, there being about 80 varieties, all 
but two or three belonging to this country. 
Variations in soil, climate and even the dif¬ 
ference in seasons cause the flowers to differ 
greatly, and it is difficult to distinguish be¬ 
tween varieties and local variation. 
But one variety has fragrant leaves, and this 
is perhaps the most interesting species. It is 
the sweet Golden Rod with a slender stem two 
to three feet high. The leaves secrete “a de¬ 
lightful aromatic” oil, and an essence is dis. 
tilled from them. The flower is somewhat 
large and conspicuous, and may occasionally 
be found in rich shady woods. As early as 
July 1 the low varieties may be found in bud, 
but they do not bloom until the last of the 
month or the early part of August. A little 
later the taller and larger varieties follow in 
quick succession and keep the fields ablaze 
with light until the lingering florets upon the 
downey Golden Rod indicate the near ap¬ 
proach of winter. The Golden Rods are gener¬ 
ally found in dry, sandy soils, but some varie¬ 
ties thrive in bogs and moist places. Even 
along the shore of the sea you will find a kind 
with large, green leaves and a bold, conspic¬ 
uous flower, also a smaller variety with thick¬ 
ly crowded heads of inconspicuous flowers. 
Even from out of the crevices of rocks you 
may see the yellow plumes waving in the sun¬ 
light. 
Until last summer the beauties of the flower 
were lost upon me, but upon examination, and 
with associations and memories it has become 
a favorite flower, and I deem it well worthy of 
the favor and notice of the many flower-loving 
people. 
A FEMININE FINE ART. 
PATTY GARTON. 
In spito of the intricate embroideries so 
many of us sfrain our sight over, there is one 
particular branch we are apt to neglect now¬ 
adays, and that is darning. The other day 
I saw a girl stitching away r , her feet encased 
in dainty slippers, when a sudden movement 
brought her heel in view. She had on uavy- 
blue stockings, and I declare they were clum¬ 
sily darned, or rather cobbled, with white 
cotton! 
The fact is, we do so much machine stitching 
now that liand-sewing seems likely to become 
a lost art. Yet a machine-made seam to our 
grandmothers over-ambover stitching is as a 
photograph to a lijju water-color pnintiug, 
Two threads apart and one thread deep was 
the rule—think of stitching all the seams in 
the good man’s shirt according to that rule! 
But it was mending I wished to particular¬ 
ize. To tell the truth, when my much-worn 
sable hosiery begins—to use an old joke—to 
grow more holey than righteous, I cobble it 
myself, but so long as it is presentable every 
hole is darned with scrupulous care. To darn 
neat, round holes in a pair of fine silk stock¬ 
ings is, to my mind, an art and a perpetual 
delight. To my eyes, the ordinary under-and- 
over cross-bar, neatly done with the right 
shade of cotton or wool, is the way to mend 
hose, but I have seen some German darning 
that put it to shame. First, the straight bars 
of thread were put up and down, and then 
this was filled iu with'fine chain-stitch, a stitch 
on each thread, cross-ways. This made a per¬ 
fect imitation of the texture of the stocking; 
When done by an expert, the original hole 
could not be discerned. 
Darning one of those triangular tears— 
winklehawks. the boys call them—in cloth i s 
another valuable accomplishment. If all the 
threads are properly brought together, and 
1 he stitching is made to follow the warp, the 
tear may be made invisible, especially in thick 
cloth. 
In darning linen, the warp and woof must 
be followed with exactness; but we don’t darn 
our table-cloths now as we used. They all go 
together, like the wonderful “one-hoss shay.’’ 
A well-equipped darning bag is a test of a 
house-wife’s care and neatness. There must 
be darning cotton of all needed hues, linen 
floss, scraps of stuff, and, last, hut not least, 
there must be plenty of needles, long and 
short, and of every size. Darning with a 
thick, stubby needle is about as satisfactory as 
opening oysters with a chisel. And let every 
mother begin to teach her girls the art and 
mystery of mending as soon as their chubby 
hands will hold a needle safely—they will find 
it quite as much fun as a kindergarten. 
--- 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
Rev. F. Courtney said in a recent lecture 
that “Christianity in the person of these pos. 
sessed of it must be aggressive towards all sin. 
Just in the proportion that Christianity pos¬ 
sesses you—it must possess you; you can not 
possess it—just in that proportion it will never 
tolerate any sin, and will never give you any 
peace. 
Richter says do not despair if you fail 
once. Your repentance will be a more beauti¬ 
ful act than any you have yet done. Begin 
self-improvement, not by cultivating noble 
impulses, but by ruthlessly cutting away all 
evil that is in you. 
I have no taste of the noisy praise 
Of Kiddy crowds, a« changeable as winds: 
Servants to ehange and blowing with the tide 
Of swollen success, but veering with Its ebb. 
—DRY DEN. 
An Exchange says that no statue that the 
rich man places ostentatiously in his windows 
is to be compared to the little expectant face 
pressed against the window-pane, watching 
for his father when his day’s work is done_ 
The Independent says that the mystery 
that overhangs the future life, and not a lit¬ 
tle embarrasses our thoughts in respect to 
that life, arises from cur entire want of obser¬ 
vation and experience in regard to it. That 
life must, to a considerable extent, remain a 
mystery until we die, and learn what it is by 
experience. All effort to make it otherwise is 
labor lost. Hence, the wise way is to let the 
mystery alone, and not perplex ourselves with 
it. 
“ Ye cannot serve God and mammon,” said 
Christ in the days of his flesh. What was 
true then is still true. He who makes gold the 
supreme object of his earthly pursuit, is a 
purely selfish being, and while this is his 
moral state he cannot serve God. No man’s 
heart is large enough for two supreme objects 
at the same time, especially when they are 
incompatible with each other. 
Lowell says what we want is an active 
class who shall insist iu season and out of sea¬ 
son that we shall have a country whose great¬ 
ness is measured not only by its square miles, 
its number of yards woven, of hogs packed, 
of bushels of wheat raised, not only by its skill 
to feed and clothe the body; but also by its 
power to feed and clothe the soul; a country 
which shall be as great morally as it is mate¬ 
rially ; a country whose very name shall not 
only, as now it does, stir us with the sound of 
a trumpet, but shall call out all that is in us by 
offering us the radiant image of something 
better and nobler and more enduring than 
we; that shall fulfill our own thwarted aspira¬ 
tions when we are but a handful of forgotten 
dust in a soil trodden by a race whom we 
shall have helped to make more worthy of 
their inheritance than ourselves. 
Zion’s Herald says the world is full of anx¬ 
iety. It is tlie bape of life to multitudes. They 
are saying: “What shall we eat, and what 
shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be 
clothed ?” Anxious, oppressed, saddened 
hearts, hear the precious words of Jesus. 
What unspeakable comfort they bring when 
properly received: “Behold the fowls of the 
air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor 
gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father 
feedeth them. Are ye not much better than 
they ?” Anxious hearts, no longer repine, and 
go bowed down, moaning life away ! Look, 
up and see a Father's hand open to supply all 
thy necessities, and rejoice that he who feeds 
the “fowls of the air” will feed and fake care 
of you. 
The Methodist Recorder reminds its readers 
of the great comfort it is to know that there 
is one Friend to whom we may take our most 
secret trouble, to whom we may make known 
our every sorrow, and who can comfort us in 
our deepest affliction, and who has promised 
to guide us by bis counsel. Instead of pou ing 
our complaints into the ears of men. let us go 
to our Heavenly Friend and cast our burden 
and care on him. 
Dr. Carlisle says to make the most of an 
individual life, with all its peculiar limitations 
and possibilities; to redeem scattered, desultory 
particles of time; to look intelligently at the 
wonderful object-lessons which the humblest 
life presents as tests of our reason or faith— 
this is a great work. To be a healthy influ¬ 
ence in the home, and minister to its life, 
growth, and purity—this is a great work. Let 
us adopt the simple, yet sacred words of the 
Great Teacher, “It giveth light to all that are 
in the house.” Such is the office of a household 
lamp when put in its place. And such is the 
mission of every member of the household ... 
CONDUCT*D HY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
Stay, stay at home, my heart and rest; 
Home-keeping hearts are happiest, 
For those that wander they know not where, 
Are full of trouble and full of care: 
To stay at home Is best. 
LONGFELLOW. 
CORA LIE’S COMPLEXION. 
“Poor Coralie!” sighed careful Mrs. Adair, 
“I do not know what next to do for her. I 
think her complexion gets worse every day. 
Of course those pimples and ugly brown 
blotches denote a diseased liver, but we’ve 
paid out more than we could afford for liver 
medicine and cosmetics, and she takes daily 
walks, all to no purpose.” 
Coralie’s color was undeniably bad. She 
was a tall, dark-eyed ycung girl, with a good 
figure, and evidently healthy; yet she drooped 
and moved about listlessly, seemingly inter¬ 
ested in nothing. 
After watching for the seat of the disease, 
if there was one, and the daily habits and oc¬ 
cupations of the young girl, I discovered that 
she wore too many and weighty skirts, which 
were embroidered and trimmed handsomely, 
and not suspended from the shoulders. In the 
winter, she wore no warm flannels, but light 
flimsy under-linen. Her feet, No. 4’s pret¬ 
tily shaped, were pressed into No. 2’s narrow 
and high-heeled. Of course her feet were dis¬ 
figured with corns and bunions; she limped 
awkwardly, and half the time was forced to 
have off her “pretty” shoes. When a good, 
broad, common-sense shoe was shown her, it 
was scornfully refused. “Coralie has for a 
long time worn a No. 2 shoe, you need not 
show us more like those broad, homely bro- 
gans,” said the mother to the clerk who 
brought them out, “as just the thing needed.” 
It was the proud boast of Coralie’s mother 
that her daughter’s waist was getting smaller, 
and more symmetrical, the result of corsets 
fitting snugly, worn from the age of ten. 
No. 24 was once the size worn, and now No. 
18 is “real loose,” and I saw with regret that 
a mother could be so vain and blind, and that 
Coralie’s waist was very slender, so were her 
arms. I saw that she sat up late every night, 
indulging in ice-creams, nuts and confection¬ 
ery so freely as to destroy the relish for 
“coarse” food; that bread, butter, vegetables 
When Raby was sick, we gave her Castorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorla, 
When she had Children, she gaye them Castorla. 
