666 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
OCTOBER 5 
luster succeeding it. It should be well 
washed with some good soap, rubbed thor¬ 
oughly into the scalp, and then as 
thoroughly rinsed; a drop of ammonia in 
the water will be found an improvement. 
It must be well rubbed with towels, the 
bang, if worn, adjusted in its proper place, 
and the hair dried, either in the sun, or in 
the vicinity of a fire. If very dry a little 
vaseline may be rubbed into the roots, 
but not on the hair itself. Borax, though 
often used in washing the hair, is not ad¬ 
visable, rendering it too dry and brittle. 
Some women think that the proper way to 
dry the hair is to rub it gently between the 
bare palms of one’s hands, but this is a 
very tedious process. Certainly it is always 
a convenience if one can get a second person 
to dry one’s hair, and to wash it, but this is 
not always possible. As for hair revivers, 
it is well to leave most of them alone, but 
sometimes simple remedies will promote 
growth or prevent it from falling out. 
For one of these, which has often done 
good service, take five cents’ worth ofbitter 
apple, and put it to steep in half a pint of 
rum. Let it steep for three or four days, 
then rub the liquor into the scalp daily 
with a bit of flannel. It seems to invig¬ 
orate the scalp and promote the growth of 
hair; it is certainly a harmless remedy. 
WASTED ENERGY. 
J. H. G. 
T HE most approved cannons (the Italian 
model of 1879) convert but 17 per 
cent, of the total energy of the powder into 
work. An ordinary steam engine under the 
most favorable conditions converts into work 
less than 10 per cent, of the power repre¬ 
sented by the coal. Man considered as a 
machine is vastly superior to the results of 
his handiwork: for when he applies his la¬ 
bor to a definite object he converts 22 per 
cent, of his energy into work. But while 
he is superior to a machine in the results of 
his labor when directly applied to a definite 
object, he is vastly inferior to it, in that by 
far the greater part of his labor is wasted 
altogether. This waste of energy is to me 
one of the most lamentable things in the 
world. I am conscious of it and so are you. 
We read the works of great authors, Homer, 
Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, and 
what is the result? We have simply wasted 
our energy in ascending a literary liight, 
which the pressing duties of life will not 
permit us to maintain; we study music, 
wasting energy which would make us suc¬ 
cessful in almost any sphere in acquiring the 
rudiments of an art which is virtually val¬ 
ueless both to ourselves and the world. A 
man gets a mania for politics and goes 
into it. He gets the nomination for some 
office; he wastes energy enough to plant a 
whole farm only to learn that his opponent 
is more popular than himself. One or two 
such experiences will usually shut off the 
waste of energy in that direction, and so on 
fid infinitum. We are ever striving to ap¬ 
pear what we are not, and cannot be. I 
have often thought what a blessing to man¬ 
kind an instrument would be which would 
accurately measure us—physically, men¬ 
tally, and spiritually. How much misdi¬ 
rected effort, ungratified ambition—unreal¬ 
ized heart longings it would save us. 
In the absence of any way by which we 
can determine how to so exert ourselves as 
to obtain the best results, it may not be un¬ 
profitable for us to consider for a few 
moments some of the sources of waste en¬ 
ergy. 
One of the most prolific causes of waste 
energy lies in our system of education. 
We spend the best part of our lives in fit¬ 
ting ourselves for a sphere into which we 
are destined never to enter. It is a rule 
rather than an exception that men, and wo¬ 
men too, have less education or what passes 
for education at 30 years of age than at 20. 
Almost all the instruction obtained in early 
life is forgotten as we come to life’s more 
urgent realities. In other words, we spend 
the best part of our lives in fitting our¬ 
selves for what we are not and cannot be. 
We cultivate the unreal and sacrifice the 
real. Let us take up one of the commonest 
mistakes of life as well as the most radical 
source of waste energy—the waste of wait¬ 
ing for opportunities. The desire to say 
some great thing has prevented the utter¬ 
ance of many a wholesome word, and anx¬ 
iety to accomplish some wonderful work 
has crushed in the bud many an humble 
deed of exceeding grace and sweetness. We 
wait for something to turn up instead of 
turning something up. 
“Every claim of duty, the employment of 
each minute, the daily vexations or troub¬ 
le* we are called upon to bear, momentary 
decisions that must be made, the casual in¬ 
terview, the contest with sin or sorrow in 
that every-day dress, all these, and many 
others as small and as constant, are the 
real opportunities of life. These we are 
continually embracing or neglecting, and 
out of them we are forming a character 
that is fast consolidating into the shape we 
give it, for good or for evil. Those who are 
waiting for important crises, overlook 
the great fact, and drift aimlessly along 
the current that seems to them so placid 
as to require no effort, but which is bear¬ 
ing down with fatal swiftness all those who 
do not energetically breast its waves and 
resist its power. 
There are doubtless, in the lives of all, 
great crises, large opportunities, marked 
epochs. But he who waits for them will 
be ill prepared to meet them when they 
come. The strength to pass through them 
nobly and worthily, must have accumulat¬ 
ed, little by little, in the patient and reso¬ 
lute struggle of every day life. He who 
fails here will surely fail in greater things. 
If we neglect our little opportunities, we 
shall lack the power to embrace the larger 
ones. Chances are lying open to us every 
moment of our lives. We need not wait 
for them, they are waiting for us to em¬ 
brace them. If we watch through a single 
day we shall doubtless discover hundreds 
of opportunities of both doing and receiv¬ 
ing good, that we have perhaps hitherto 
passed by in indifference, and by diligent 
assiduity in seeking for and embracing 
these, we shall be prepared to encounter 
the fiercer storms of life that await us, or 
to take advantage of the future that may 
open for our good.” 
Sydney Smith says: “ Let every man be 
occupied in the highest employment of 
which his nature is capable, and die with a 
consciousness that he has done his best.” 
“Blest work; if ever thou wert cursed 
of God what must his blessing be.” You 
are waiting for opportunities—wait no 
longer—there is work to be done—work to 
be done here—in church service, in Sunday 
school, in society—for society is but the ag¬ 
gregate of individual effort. The success 
or the failure of society is but the ag¬ 
gregate failure of its individual members. 
We must accept society as evidence of in¬ 
dividual characters and work for it ac¬ 
cordingly. Above all remember that any 
criticism of a society of which you are a 
member is but another way of finding fault 
with yourself. 
•' Let us then be up and doing with a heart for any 
fate. 
Still achieving still pursuing, learn to labor and to 
wait.” 
“ If thou can’st plan a noble deed, 
And never flag till It succeed. 
Though In the strife thy heart should bleed. 
Whatever obstacles control. 
Thine hour will come; go on true soul, 
Thou’lt win the prize, thou’lt reach the goal.” 
ONE OF GRANDMOTHER’S TALKS. 
MRS. S. H. ROWELL. 
I DECLARE, it does seem real good to 
get back home once more! No, I do not 
enjoy city life! I do not believe I drew a 
real, good long breath all the while I was 
in Judge Gibson’s house! It was so close, 
and smoky, and smelled so strong of gas 
and soot that I don’t wonder folks are sick¬ 
ly, and the children are feeble and puny. 
It is more of a wonder that people there 
raise as many babies as they do, than that 
so many die! What on earth people huddle 
into cities for, is more than I can tell! They 
die of starvation, and want of breath by 
hundreds in the hot weather, and freeze to 
death in cold weather. There are lots of 
homes in the country where folks could 
find work enough to do, and have pure air 
to breathe, and trees and grass and posies. 
Oh, dear! it is strange how people will leave 
pleasant homes to go to live in a city! 
I suppose Alice Gibson does enjoy it. She 
has a nice house, and fine furniture, and a 
grand turnout when she goes to ride, but 
she is not a happy woman, she is pale and 
looks so tired all the time, and her chil¬ 
dren are poor sickly sufferers. She took me 
up to the grand cemetery one day for a ride. 
She has more children there than she has 
in her elegant house; and she will have 
more^of them to carry there, for I never did 
see such a weakly set as the Gibson chil¬ 
dren are, in all my life! As true as I am 
alive, I never heard a good hearty laugh 
from one of them all the four weeks I 
was there. They crept around the 
house like so many mice; they areallcrook- 
ed and go stooping about, as though every 
step hurt them, I don’t believe one of the 
children are real glad they are alive; they 
don’t have any fun, but all they care for is 
to eahcake and candies, I should suppose 
their mother would know better than to 
give them such stuff. It spoils their appe¬ 
tites, and gives them the toothache. A good 
dish of bread and milk would be so much 
more wholesome for them than pound cake 
and bon bons: I never thought Alice would 
make such a woman, but you cannot tell 
how girls will turn out. She was a real 
smart business girl, and if she had married 
a poor man, she would have been a happier 
person than she is now. Yes, and she would 
have been a better woman too, for she 
would have had something to live for 
and to do in the world, and she would have 
brought her children up to be useful and do 
something with their lives. Ah well! I gave 
the Judge and Alice a piece of my mind be¬ 
fore I came away, about the way they were 
raising their young ones; and the Judge 
looked as if I was wild, when I told them 
what I thought, but he said, perhaps I was 
right about it, that he knew there was a 
mistake somewhere, for their children were 
all invalids, and he never could understand 
why it was so, for both he, and Alice, were 
healthy, when they were young. Yes, but 
you were raised on good plain food, and al¬ 
lowed a chance to run in the dirt and grow 
up strong and active. Very true, very true, 
he said, and they will find it so in the end. 
-- 4 « »- 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
S MILES reminds us that energy enables 
a man to force his way through irk¬ 
some drudgery and dry details, and carries 
him onward and upward in every station 
of life. 
Not owe or twice In our rough Island story 
The path of Duty was the way to glory. 
—Tennyson. 
Horace says that he who idles away the 
time for which he is paid, does himself 
greater injury than he does his employer, 
for he is erecting an insurmountable 
barrier between himself and progress.—N. 
W. Penhurst. Life has given nothing to 
mortals without great toil. 
Dr. John Hall says we should keep clear 
of personalities in general conversation. 
Talk of things, objects, thoughts. The 
smallest minds occupy themselves with 
personalities. Personalities must some¬ 
times be talked, because we have to learn 
and find out men’s characteristics for legit¬ 
imate objects; but it is to be with confiden¬ 
tial persons. Do not needlessly report ill 
of others. There are times when we are 
compelled to say: “I do not think Bouncer 
is a true and honest man;” but when there 
is no need to express an opinion, let poor 
Bouncer swagger away. Others will take 
his measure, no doubt, and save you the 
trouble of analyzing him and instructing 
them. And as far as possible dwell on the 
good side of human beings. There are 
family boards where a constant process of 
depreciating, assigning motives and cut¬ 
ting up of character goes forward. They 
are not pleasant places. One who is healt hy 
does not wish to dine at a“dissecting table. 
There is evil enough in man, God knows; 
but it is not the mission of every young 
man or woman to detail and report it all. 
Keep the atmosphere as pure as possible, 
and fragrant with gentleness and charity. 
We would do well to heed some of the 
maxims of the Talmud. It says that we 
should love our wife like ourself and honor 
her more than ourself. Who lives un¬ 
married, lives without joy, without com¬ 
fort; without blessing. He who forsakes 
the love of his youth, God’s altar weeps for 
him. It is woman alone through whom 
God’s blessings are vouchsafed to a house. 
She teaches the children, speeds the hus¬ 
band to the place of worship, welcomes him 
when he returns, keeps the house godly nnd 
pure, and God’s blessing rests upon all 
these things. He who marries for money, 
his children shall be a curse to him. 
He who hath a virtuous wife hath a 
greater treasure than costly pearls. She 
openeth her mouth with wisdom, and her 
tongue is the law of kindness. 
Domestic CcoiiORU) 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
“AT HOME” ON THE FARM. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
‘ ‘ /^OME, stir the fire, and close the 
L shutters fast, let fall the curtains, 
wheel the sofa round”—for autumn has 
come—and once more we gather around the 
hearth fire and think over the summer past 
with its many pleasures, and its disap¬ 
pointments as well. Crowded into the 
housekeeper’s daily routine are many 
things at this season of the year—and happy 
is that pantry when the stores are all safe 
for winter use, for I was lately told the sad 
experience of a young girl who put up the 
summer fruits while her mother was absent 
in Europe. An enterprising younger 
brother on the lookout for jam made the 
discovery that the jars were “ fizzing ” and 
that the floor was covered with the ferment¬ 
ing fruit. Poor little housekeeper! She 
will give a good deal more care next time to 
the security of her winter’s supply. 
Just now “around the house” we are 
troubled with apple thieves, and it is a pity 
some law could not be put in force to pun¬ 
ish such offenders just as people who steal 
apples from a fruit store in the city are 
punished. Where’s the difference? Speak¬ 
ing of this, we were lately both amused and 
annoyed by petty theft in a new direction. 
The Provincial Experimental Farm at 
Ottawa sent me to be tested some new va¬ 
rieties of grain, which I gave to one of the 
boys who is chiefly interested in grain farm¬ 
ing. At the season of ripening we found 
on several occasions some of the city people 
who summer here trampling the grain, and 
carrying away sheaves of the oats and barley 
for their parlor decoration and Christmas 
work, without as much as saying: “By 
your leave. ” My boy, who is a bit of a 
philosopher, wondered how it would do to 
pilfer the same value in any of their stores 
and trample on the goods—and thought it 
unfair that the rule wouldn’t work both 
ways. 
It has been a poor season for bees here, 
the wet weather making their food scarce. 
I was surprised to be told that so much 
spurious honey is manufactured, glucose 
entering largely into the composition. The 
bees give liberal weight in the pound .sec¬ 
tions, for, when full, they are sure to be 
over weight. In many country places bee¬ 
hives are an article that thieves delight to 
honor, and it is not at all uncommon to find 
one’s apiary a hive or two short some au¬ 
tumn morning just as now and then the 
hen roosts are visited. But the other day 
(a Sunday too) an innocent craft came up 
the river, a simple row boat with four occu¬ 
pants, and in open daylight took away a 
bag full of sweet corn from a field quite 
near a house. The fact that the owner 
went to church while the public thus 
poached on his grain, was rather a poser as 
to rewards and punishments. 
The Rural’s Sunday evening talks to us 
are fresh, original and delightful; we enjoy 
them very much. In most country places 
there is a great lack of a good social element, 
both for week days and Sundays. If one 
does not want to join with those who live 
only for present pleasure, there is little 
chance of social life in a scattered com¬ 
munity, and the Sunday evening talks 
would be a good institution to bring people 
together, and develop the best that is in 
them—often to mutual advantage. 
In every work that he began.he did it. 
with all his heart and prospered.—2 Chron., 
XXXI., 21. 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
O NE of the newest fads is making bed 
spreads, bureau covers, etc., of 
heavy butcher’s linen. A very pretty 
spread may be made with a border of 
daisies in white and yellow. In the center 
have a cluster of long-stemmed daisies, 
with fluffy grasses and oats or wheat min¬ 
gled with them. The edges are fringed out 
and knotted. If one prefers there may lie a 
double row of drawn-work above the 
fringe—through these run in and out nar¬ 
row pale-blue ribbon. Forget-me-nots 
also make a pretty design for a spread. Use 
wash floss for the embroidery. 
* * 
* 
IN late years it has become very fashiona¬ 
ble to devote much time and thought to 
Pi$'rcUancou$ Advertising. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castorla, 
When s he was a Child, she cried for Castorla, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorla. 
When she had Children, she gave them Castorla 
