220 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAR 30 
away winter clothing in is a wrapping of pre¬ 
pared tar-paper. It is really better than 
camphor, and without the disagreeable odor. 
Of course, all the garments thus laid away 
must be both cleaned and mended. 
* * * 
Did you read what Dora H. Vrooman said in 
a recent Rural about fretting? We believe in 
her doctrine. As somebody—we think it was 
Dr. Johnson—once said, the ability always to 
see the bright side is worth £5,000 a year. If 
there is no bright side, we can always shine 
up the dark one. Nothing is so bad that it 
might not be worse—in any case fretting will 
not meDd it. Fretting not only makes us all 
miserable, it injures the digestion, spoils the 
complexion, and drags our faces into wrin¬ 
kles. So, since it does no good and much 
harm, let us abjure worry, and sing like 
Autolyeus: 
“ Jojr on, jog on. the foot-path way. 
And merrily hent the stile—a! 
A merry heart goes all the day, 
Vour sad one tires in a mile—a.” 
* * * 
Among cotton fabrics the loveliest styles 
are among the challies. They are as beautiful 
in patterns and colors as any of the printed 
silks, very handsome ones costing about 17 
cents a yard. Many are in close oriental 
patterns of mingled color; others resemble 
the French flowered silks. They may be 
trimmed with a little ribbon or velvet; a girl 
who can make her own gowns—we hope all 
th* Rural girls can do that—may make a 
challi gown handsome enough for best,” 
without exceeding the sum of four dollars. 
OUTINGS IN NEW ENGLAND. 
III. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
A S the laddie had been greatly interested 
in reading the Life of Agassiz, he was 
eager to go to Cambridge and see the remark¬ 
able museum there established by him, and 
which since his death has been supported by 
his son, Alexander Agassiz, out of his own 
private fortune. Agas=iz, pere , said that 
he never had time to make money, but the 
means whereby he prosecuted his scientific re¬ 
searches came to him as if by magic from the 
pockets of the rich, while the son, who is 
almost as famous as was his father in science, 
is undeniably wealthy. A daughter of Agas¬ 
siz, the elder, is now Mrs. Quincy Shaw, and 
she is at the head of the Boston Kindergar¬ 
tens. Auother daughter married a man 
named Higginson, who, in the secession war, 
received a sabre cut across his cheek and lip. 
A gentleman once said to him, “ Mr. Higgin- 
sou, I would give a thousand dollars for a cut 
like that! ” 
If it were not for crossing the Charles 
river—bridged for horse-cars and other vehi¬ 
cles—one would never know that Cambridge 
was not a piece of Boston, and in crossing the 
Charles we could but recall Longfellow’s 
poem. 
“Tbou hast tauRht me, silent river, 
Many a lesson, deep and long: 
Thou hast been a generous giver; 
I can give thee but a song.” 
As neither the laddie nor myself had been 
in Cambridge, we counted ou our fingers the 
places we wanted to see—the Museum, Har¬ 
vard University including its Memorial 
Hall, the house which was Agassiz’s home, 
the Longfellow house, the elm under which 
Washington took command of the army, and 
Mount Auburn whi<-h probably holds the 
ashes of more famous people than any other 
American cemetery. 
As Cambridge is an old university town— 
as age is reckoned in this new country—it is 
the very sort of place about which one would 
hope to find nothing new or smart, and in¬ 
deed there are no show places, but there’s a 
quiet, unpretentious, informal air about it, 
that is exceedingly solid and resp°ctable. 
Memorial Hall, Harvard’s Valhalla, is the 
most pretentious and conspicuous building, 
and because of its collection of portraits its 
interior is of great interest. As it was vaca¬ 
tion time, the bronze image of John Harvard, 
sitting in a bronze chair in the University 
Campus, was the only suggestion of a college 
man about. This statue represents a young 
and handsome man—and I could but contem¬ 
plate the bigness of the oak that had grown 
from the little acorn that he planted. Har¬ 
vard was an English clergyman who died in 
Massachusetts in 1(538, and he left by will the 
halt' of his es’ate and his library to a “ col¬ 
lege” to be established at Cambridge, for the 
establishment of which £400 had been voted 
by the Colony Court some eight years before. 
The half of Harvard’s estate amounted, ac¬ 
cording to some statements, to £800; accord¬ 
ing to others, to much less, and I have some- 
yyUere read that IJurvard was the son of a 
man so illiterate that he could not read. The 
college charter of Harvard declared the ob¬ 
ject to be “ the education of the English and 
Indiau youth of this country, in knowledge 
and godliness.” Probably more than 10,000 
men have graduated from Harvard, but the 
craving of the Indiau youth for knowledge 
has not drawn very heavily on any of the 
educational institutions originally designed 
for bis benefit. 
The Agassiz Museum contains a great 
many wonderful things arranged in scientific 
order—and the arrangement was the great 
point with Agassiz—but the things that I 
found most beautiful were specimens of the 
ocean bed flora,brought up by deep-sea dredg¬ 
ing. When plants are put in jars of alcohol 
for preservation, the coloring matter in them 
is changed or destroyed,and they are left white 
and translucent, their beauty being entirely 
of form and structure, but nothing could 
well be more exquisite. A botanist gave me, 
not long ago, a native orchid in bloom, the 
seed stalk of the previous year still standing 
from the root, preserved in alcohol in a glass 
jar, and it is ever a thing of beauty. A clear 
glass fruit jar does very well for the purpose 
if taller than the plant,and the alcohol should 
be diluted with three parts of water to one of 
alcohol. 
The wooden house which was Agassiz’s 
home, stands on a corner and is directly on 
the street, with no yard intervening. It is 
high and rambling and was evidently ‘‘added 
to” as more room was needed. The universi¬ 
ty buildings constitute quite a village in 
themselves. The yellow house that was 
Washington’s headquarters, and which was 
still further immortalized by Longfellow’s 
residence in it, would at once be recognized 
by any one familiar with the pictures of it. 
It is at a discreet distance from the street,and 
the horse-cars pass it. It is still occupied, I 
am told, by one of Longfellow’s daughters, of 
whom the eldest, Alice, is a moving and con¬ 
trolling spirit in the Harvard Annex for 
Women. The two younger daughters are 
married. Their mother was a Miss Appleton, 
of a wealthy Boston family, and the Long¬ 
fellow children also inherited quite a fortune 
from their mother’s brother, familiarly known 
as “Tom ’ Appleton, a very witty and at¬ 
tractive man, and Boston people still love to 
repeat his witty sayings. A son of the poet, 
Ernest Longfellow,is an artist,and his pictures 
are peculiarly poetic and dreamy in theme 
and treatment. He married a girl of excep¬ 
tional beauty, with decided artistic talent, 
and she was a great comfort to the father in 
his declining days. 
Across the street from the Longfellow house 
is the Lowell estate; but I was told that the 
poet had lived there but little, and neither 
that nor the Longfellow place had the 
trimmed and sheared look which is popularly 
termed “ swell,” and there was an evident in¬ 
tention on the part of the present guardians 
to let things comfortably grow at their own 
sweet will. I believe that the Longfellow 
house has been painted in the sam9 shade of 
pale yellow ever since the poet’s purchase of 
it, and yellow was probably its original color. 
The old elm under which Washington took 
command of the army, is girdled with tar, to 
protect it from insects, and all the “ sacred ” 
elms in New England are encompassed with 
similar contrivances. It bears a tablet re¬ 
cording its greatness. The elm tree in the 
Common, that was older than Boston, was 
blown down 10 or 12 years ago, but a de¬ 
scendant quickly grew up in its place, and is 
protected by an iron tence. It is a pleasure 
to be in a city where trees are revered, and in 
the Common, with its 48 acres, are 1,300 trees, 
maples, lindens, tulip-trees, sycamores, oaks, 
aspens, etc. Both the Botanic Garden and 
the Arnold Arboretum were left for another 
time. 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
T ALMAGE says every wise woman build- 
eth her house. As no boy ought to be 
brought up without learning some business at 
which he could earn a livelihood, so no girl 
ought to be brought up without learning the 
science of self-support. * * * His advice 
to all girls and all unmarried women, whether 
in affluent homes or in homes where most 
stringent economies are grinding, is to learn to 
do some kind of work that the world must 
have while the world stands. 
When a plant is alive, says Drummond, it 
finds both the sun and the rain beneficial, and 
they both co-operate in making it grow; but 
if it is dead, the very sun and rain, which 
before nourished it, now rot it. If the love of 
God is in a soul, whatever comes, be it the 
sunshine of prosperity or the rain of calamity 
(for, as Longfellow says, “ Into every life 
some ram must fall,”) all things work together 
for gcod; but if the soul ip dead, the dealings 
of God with M?em onjy jjqrndql. glossing 
bestowed awakens no gratitude, and affliction 
only hardens and embitters. 
The Christian Union reminds its readers 
of a truth w'hich cannot be repeated too often, 
when it says that all the world loves a lover, 
and it loves him even more if he is a married 
lover. Married lovers have courteous, lov¬ 
able children. The world grows gentle be¬ 
fore them, and the prosy people who scoff at 
flowers and poetry after marriage look at the 
married lovers with a sigh and wonder if it 
is possible to turn back the written pages in 
their life’s history. No; but it is possible to be¬ 
gin a new chapter on the blank page of to¬ 
morrow. 
The Central Christian Advocate says 
there are few things more difficult than to 
manage persons who are always stirriDg up 
strife. They are rarely fully conscious of the 
effect which they are producing, and so take 
offense at the slightest intimation that 
they are not conducting themselves in the 
most Christiau manner. They generally act 
as if they were on the defensive, and take to 
themselves the credit of forbearance. In 
fact, they are partly the victims of their own 
imaginations, and being of a suspicious char¬ 
acter besides, they constantly provoke per¬ 
sons to resist their critcisms and encroach¬ 
ments on others’ rights . 
Bishop Huntingdon says that if the 
Church would have her face shine she must go 
up into the mount and be alone with God. If 
she would have her courts of worship re¬ 
sound with eucbaristic praises she must open 
her eyes and see humanity lying lame at the 
temple gates, and heal it n the miraculous 
name of Jesus .. 
The N. Y. Observer says that in imitat¬ 
ing Christ we are to remember that we can¬ 
not copy his character in all.its points; as, for 
example, his sufferings can never be ours, nor 
can we make an atonement for our own or 
others’ sins. We cannot work miracles, nor 
become like Christ in his knowledge and 
power.. 
We cannot upon the other hand, take 
Christ as our example in the works of repen¬ 
tance and sanctification, for he knew no sin, 
neither was guile found in his mouth, and 
therefore.be had no need of repentance; he was 
always holy, and therefore cannot offer us an 
example of change of heart and of progiessive 
sanctification. 
As it would be futile to attempt to imitate 
God in knowledge, and perhaps might lead to 
unholy pride, so it would be vain for us to at¬ 
tempt to imitate Christ in the peculiar attri¬ 
butes of his official character as Saviour and 
Mediator. 
An Interesting Origin.— Thatcher’s 
Orange Butter Color was originated and per¬ 
fected in the study of colors in grasses and 
traced to cream and butter with one of Beck’s 
fine London microscopes.— Adv. 
Domestic Ccfmoimj 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
The poorest god that a woman ever wor¬ 
shiped is her own face. talmage. 
EXTRACTS FROM SUNDAY EVENING 
TALKS AT THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
66 A SOFT ANSWER turneth away 
/A wrath, but grievous words stir up 
anger.” Prov. 15., 1. 
My own faults and short-comings are 
brought to my notice so frequently and forci¬ 
bly, and the imperative necessity of fighting 
them is impressed upon me so urgently, that 
when subjects of moral and religious moment 
are considered, my thoughts immediately 
turn “ towards home.” 
This text has suggested itself to me a great 
many times of late. No one needs thoroughly 
to learn and fully to appreciate it so much a s 
I. Naturally impulsive and quick-tempered, 
I am too apt to make the first reply that 
comes to my mind, and I am obliged to con¬ 
fess it is more often a “grievous word” than 
a “soft answer.” At one time I fully believed 
that one “might as well say it as to think it.” 
Now, I known that a hasty, harsh, cruel 
thought is far better unspoken, for the feel¬ 
ing which gives rise to such words dies away 
more quickly, and leaves not one half so much 
to regret. Moreover, one’s thoughts do not 
cause pain or anger in another; whereas one’s 
words may. 
The truth of this proverb is apparent. Its 
practical bearing on thiugs of every-day oc¬ 
currence is evident. We all know that “least 
said soonest meuded.” Ah! if we liyed up to 
it, how many unpleasant differences, fierce 
quarrels and broken friendships would never 
occur! 
I recall two instances in Bible history, 
which enforce the truth of the proverb. 
When Gideon’s army of 32,000 men had 
been reduced to 300, and the army of the 
Midianites (his enemies) lay along the valley 
like grass-hoppers for multitude, Gideon was 
enabled, by his stratagem of trumpets and 
lamps in pitchers, to put the Midianites to 
flight. Then he sent messengers to the men 
ot Ephraim on the mountain, saying, “Come 
down against the Midianites and take before 
them the waters unto Bethabara and Jordan.” 
This the men did and on the way took two 
princes of Midian and slew them and brought 
their heads to Gideon on the other side of 
Jordan. The men of Ephraim said to Gideon, 
“Why hast thou served us thus, that thou 
calledst us not when thou wentest to fight 
with the Midianites ? And they did chide 
with him sharply.” 
Gideon replied, “ What have I done now in 
comparison of you? God hath delivered into 
your hand the princes of Midian, and what 
was I able to do in comparison of you?” Then 
their anger was abated toward him when he 
said that. “A soft answer turneth away 
wrath.” 
An incident in the life of David furnishes 
an instance of “ grievous words ” stirring up 
anger. Immediately after the death of Sam¬ 
uel, David with a few of his men went to the 
wilderness of Paran. Not far away there 
lived a very wealthy man whose name was 
Nabal. He and his wife are described thus; 
“Abigail was a woman of good understand¬ 
ing and of a beautiful countenance; but 
Nabal was churlish and evil in his doings.” 
On a day especially appointed for feasting 
and giving portions one to another, David 
sent ten of his men to Nabal with this mes¬ 
sage, “ Peace be both to thee, and peace be to 
thine house, and peace be to all that thou 
hast. And now I have heard that thou hast 
shearers; now thy shepherds which were with 
us, we hurt them not, neither was theie aught 
missing unto them all the while they wore in 
Carmel. Ask thy young men and they will 
shew thee. Wherefore let the young men 
find favor in thine eyes, for we come in a 
good day; give, I pray thee, whatever cometh 
to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy 
son David.” 
Nabal said to the men, “ Who is David? 
and who is the son of Jesse? There be mauy 
servants nowadays that break away every 
man from his master. Shall I then take my 
bread, and my water, and my flesh that I 
have killed for my shearers, and give it unto 
men whom I know not whence they be ? ” 
When the men told David how Nabal had 
received bis message, he was enraged and 
immediately started with 400 armed men de¬ 
termined to kill Nabal and all his servants. 
“ Grievous words, ” etc. When Abigail was 
told by her servants how Nabal had replied to 
David and how David’s men had protected 
them when they were keeping the sheep, she 
resolved to try to appease David’s wrath. 
She gathered together a quantity of bread, 
wine, sheep ready dressed, corn, raisins and 
figs, and started out with her servants to meet 
David. When she came near to him, she 
bowed down and besought him to take no 
notice of Nabal's words, but to accept the 
food she brought for himself and his men. 
David received the offeriug, and said to her, 
“ Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, which 
sent thee this day to meet me: and blessed be 
thou, which hast kept me this day from com- 
iug to shed blood, and from avenging myself 
with mine own hand. Go up iu peace to 
thine house.” Her “soft answer” turned 
away his wrath; her husband’s “grievous 
words” stirred up “anger.” 
CHERISH THE HOME-LIFE. 
T HE discussion of hired help in a recent 
Rural, only touched lightly ou one 
point—a point that many seem to think of 
little importance. It is the introduction 
very often of a totally inharmonious element 
into the home, when the hired man eats with 
the family of his employer, it may often 
seem a necessity; but a family that can be 
satisfied to have a succession of such men al¬ 
ways at its board, has lost or never possessed 
PiscfUaucouis gulmtijeittfl. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castorta. 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castor la 
Whon she became Miss, she clung to Castorla, 
when she had Children, she yp them Castorla 
