THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
gets them now out of new stuff, and mother’s “ cut ” 
will not satisfy trim. He Is not In the way now, 
and there is a heavy pain in mother’s heart as she 
thinks he will never need her much any more. The 
innocent eyes have a deeper meaning la them now. 
They have taken Into their depths the reflection of 
a face younger than mother’s, and life begins to 
look real to them. 
The world is full of homes where, these pictures 
will he recognized and hung up as family portraits 
homes where there are no sounds of young voices 
now. They grow away into the great world so 
soon, and we put away the nameless feeling of 
desolation as we do the cast-off toys of their chil¬ 
dren ; and when the evening of life approaches the 
heart goes back along the line of time, anti is once 
more with the children In the dear old loug aga— 
Cincinnati Saturday xisjUt. 
Figure No. 4.—A handsome Pompadour, with a 
neck ruche and a long jabot. Wide Insertion is 
selected for the body of the Pompadour, the stripe 
being joined under a tiny band of silk. A narrow 
line of Swiss insertion heads the frill of lace edging 
the Pompadour, and underneath It Is laid a strip 
of silk of the color of the piping. The seam con- 
OOND TOTED BY MISS FAITH RIPLEY 
The visions of^a dainty girl darling very soon van¬ 
ish before this positive piece of prose, who kicks his 
sturdy heels through the delicate pink souks Intend¬ 
ed for Ills sister, and who grows red as a turkey 
cock’s head at Thanksgiving times when he is ex¬ 
pected to show off before callers. He persists In an 
abnormal development, or nose and a pufflnesa about, 
the eyes, along with several other tricks known 
only to Interested parties. Parents and nurses be¬ 
come reconciled and accept them on trust, seeing 
no other alternative. He emerges from his puffy 
and rosy obst inacy to a roly poly wide awake thing 
of beauty, which is a joy fully one-half of the time. 
There Is a process from Infancy to little boyhood, a 
sweet time, when the man-child Ls half baby, half 
angel. In the clear depths of his innocent eyesls 
a world of hope and trust and love. Ills white 
brow Is as fair as a freshly-opened lily, and his lips 
as sweet as liermosa roses. He ls most witching at 
this age, for the peculiarities which mark the enfant 
terrible are yet undeveloped. He Is an armful of 
love aud beauty and promise and dread and hope. 
Love him while yet there Is no guile on the tender 
lips, no sin In the unwritten soul, no touch of the 
world upon (lod’s flnlshed work. 
on.u-rEu n ,— 1 “git tie old horsey! 
“ Mercy, what a noise! Look at that chair, with 
a string tied on the arms and made fast to the 
wilting desk and flower stand, all to be driven tan¬ 
dem by that young Imp In knit shirt and fancy hat 
and sines ! Who upset that work-basket? and, 
good gracious, what work has been made with my 
wool and thread! There’s the Graphic torn to 
scraps and stuffed In the cuspadore with my screw¬ 
driver that I lost a week ago. What, Is he doing 
with that cat? and, dear me. 11 he hasn’t thrown 
grandma's spectacles Into the grate.” 
HER OPINION OF THE PLAY 
BY VANDYKE BROWN 
Do I like it? I think it’s .lust splendid! 
You see how 1 speak out my mind, 
And I think ’t w ould he better if men did 
The same, when the> feel so inclined. 
But no, you’re all dumb as an oyster, 
You critics who Bit here and stare, 
Look grave as a monk in his cloister 
You lmve’nt laughed once, I declare. 
I’m sure there's been lots that was Jolly, 
And more that’s exciting, you’ll own : 
Why, I pity the poor hero’s folly 
As if be were some one I’d known! 
And wasn’t It grand and heroic 
When ho shielded that friendless girl Sue? 
’Twould have quickened the pulse of a stoic, 
But. of course, sir, it couldn’t rouse you! 
And then for the villain, De Lanccy- 
Now doesn’t lie act with a dash ? 
Such art and sneli delicate fancy. 
And—did you observe his moustache? 
He made my very blood tingle 
When he threw himself down on his knees— 
Do you know if he’s married or single? 
Yes, the yjJUaiu—there laugh if you please! 
I admit 1 know nothing of action, 
Of unities, plot, and the rest. 
But the play (fives complete satisfaction, 
And that is a good enough test. 
Yob, I know you will pick it to pieces 
In your horrible savage review. 
But, for mu its interest increases. 
Because ’twill be censured by you. 
I should think ’twould be awfully jolly 
For tin 1 author to make such a hit -, 
How he pricks all the bubbles of folly 
With his Sharp little needles of wit’ 
I am sure he is perfectly charming, 
Or he never could write such a play— 
I declare, sir, it’s really alarming 
To have you Bit staring that way ’. 
And oh. if T only' were brighter 
And not such a poor little, dunce, 
I Bhould so like to meet with the writer. 
For I know J should love him at once, 
Yes, I should, though you think it audacious, 
And I’ll tell him so. too, which is more, 
And—you ure the author-good gracious ! 
Why didn’t you say so before ? [Bazar 
A WORD OR TWO 
ANNIE L. JACK 
A writer iu the Literary Department oi tne 
rural takes exception to the fact that so much 
space Is devoted to cooking recipes, fashion ftttrt 
fancy work, and no effort, made toward mental im¬ 
provement. I am sure the Editors of the paper are 
willing to do all In their power tef provide variety 
for their readers, and they know well that nothing 
is more necessary than the best preparation of 
food; that the fashion patterns, so often slighting¬ 
ly spoken of. are very useful In a family, and a 
great saving of dressmaker’s bills, and that even 
fancy work, home-made, besides being a pleasant 
recreation. Is a cheap form of household adorn¬ 
ment. If any one doubts it, let him inquire the- 
price of such articles at a, fancy store and see what 
a saving Is effected by having them home made, 
while the work ls generally better done. But the 
writer speaks a few words that I can fully Indorse, 
when mentioning the Society to Encourage Studies 
at Home. I am now in the fourth year of ray con¬ 
nection with this charming method of study, and 
have found It both instructive and delightful. My 
children being under seventeen. I became a mem¬ 
ber. and have had such pleasant instruction, such 
helpful “ pen-talks” with earnest, talented women, 
that I feel under a life-long obligation to them tor 
glimpses of botanical and geological knowledge, 
and for help In all departments of natural science 
that I should not otherwise have obtained, There 
are bromines now in several cities, and it will al¬ 
ways be a wonder to me that so ma ny gifted women 
give tiielr time and thoughts to aid their unknown 
sisters without reward except that of their own 
good conscience. 
lines, which causes the fullness to fall m cascaue 
waves that may or may not be tacked at each side. 
The blossoms In rids instance are all tba’ seem 
necessary to hold the frills In place. White and 
black lace Intermingled make a pretty half-mourn¬ 
ing ornament of this kind, and violets may be sub¬ 
stituted for rite roses. 
Figures Xus. i> and This fichu is square across 
the back which extends as deep as a yoke; while 
at the front It descends In squarely outlined tabs 
nearly to t he bell,. The foundation Is coarse Brus¬ 
sels net. on wlxlch strips of Valenciennes Insertion 
are flatly sewed so as to show spaces of the net 
between them. The entire edge, Including the 
neck and the. overlapping front, has a border of 
deep lace set, on with a trifle of fullness. The cuff 
is firmed 1,1 The same man ' 
ner, with a frill finishing its 
pointed top. If preferred, 
fancy net may he used for 
the foundation with good 
effect , eit her in the Spanish or 
* 'Ulpure variety, and of course 
—the holder must match the 
net. Knots of velvet, satin. 
No. G. plush, or grosgrain ribbon 
may he used at the top and bottom of the clostag, 
or clusters of flowers may be substituted tor eit her. 
I would Ukc to say a word or two In praise of 
1 using blade luce In making 11 chits and jabots. The 
average woman when she wishes to make her 
black or dark silk look “dressy,” almost invaria¬ 
bly decides to use an enormous quantity of white 
lace. For myself. I Have always disliked a great 
splash of white oti a dark dress, and it seems 
strange to me, that women should so seldom tone 
down the intense whiteness by a judicious mixture 
of black lace, and that they should appear so blind 
to the greater elegance and richness of all black 
lace articles sis decorat ions for black silks. 
A little friend of mine found bevself w-ilh “ noth¬ 
ing to wear,” and an luvlration to receive calls at 
the house of a friend on the lirst of January. She 
decided that her train black silk would have to do 
service once again, and she set. about devising how’ 
with a small expenditure she could make It present 
a festive appearance, site nad visions of a hlsick 
tulle ovur-dre.^s. but that would have been too 
DESCRIPTION OF CUTS 
HOW A SEDENTARY LIFE AFFECTS WO¬ 
MEN. 
Figure No. l.— A fichu Jabot Is here illustrated. 
It Ls composed of two standing frills of narrow 
Valenciennes lace, which form the neck, and to 
these are attached two lulling frills of much wider 
lace; a band of foundation lace serving to stay the 
arrangement In the proper outline. Where the 
wide frills meet at the neck they arc joined by a 
were formerly subjected, and the result is In too 
many eases want of sufficient occupation for 
needed bodily exercise. It says; “The fruit of 
this state of things are strikingly exhibited iu cer¬ 
tain observations made by the late Dr. Robertson, 
a Manchester surgeon, who in his practice as a 
specialist for women’s diseases, found that In wo¬ 
men who themselves performed all their house¬ 
hold work there was no trace of certain complaints, 
that these complaints begin to make their ap¬ 
pearance In women with one servant, become more 
pronounced with w r omen who have two servants, 
or worse st ill with those who have three sen ants, 
and so on.” On rite other hand we observed a 
statement the other day that since the suspension 
of labor in the mills of New England on account 
of the panic, many of the female operatives have 
sought employment as domestics, and as a conse¬ 
quence there Is much more sickness among them 
than, there was previously. This would seem to 
show that housework Is not as healthy as labor In 
cotton and woolen mills,—Troy Times. 
No. 4. 
Where’s Harry ? Run to the kitchen and see. 
All the eggs are broken in the basket of folded 
clothes, and the milk for pudding has been ted to 
the cat and dog. Bridget Lannlgan is In a tower¬ 
ing rage, and says, " l’hat s the use of slilavlu to 
kape ckme wld such a young divll furulnst ye ?” 
Miss Frigidity Fnssbuncb calls, and Ls horrified by 
being requested to “ be a horse and let. Harry ride 
straddle to Boston.” She ls questioned, also, on 
many delicate points. He gets very close to her 
aud asks what that white stuff on her face Is, and 
what ittukes her wear such a funny little hat. 
A few years of this juvenile terror and then there 
appears another stage of the boy. He gets a fever 
only appeased by marbles. It Is useless to head off 
this phase; If It Isshut off In one direct ion it breaks 
out more violently iu some other, rt goes tlu-ougli 
a period of six or seven years and costs much mor¬ 
tified pride, lie Is afflicted with rats, pigeons and 
other boyish complaints, which are harmless, but 
annoying. He brings in dirty steel traps to amuse 
his side sister, who grows worse under It. and In 
Ills solicitude ho straps his legs fast to six feet of 
stilts and stoops to outer the door of her room, to 
the horror and dismay of his mother. He brings 
His Life Treated In three Chapters 
CHAPTER I,—“IT’S A BOY.’ 
Ills advent is heralded in the brief but strong 
sentence just quoted. No matter what hopes have 
CANCER CURE 
Mbs. W. c. Gifford, Jamestown, X. Y„ Ls the 
name and address of the laity who sent us the arti¬ 
cle on Cancer Cure which we published some weeks 
ago. As we know nothing whatever of the cure in 
question, we shall have to refer all Inquiries to the 
lady above named. 
Devonshire Lace Co.—Can any of the Rubai 
readers give the address of the above-named com¬ 
pany ? 
No. a. 
been indulged in concerning girl babies, there Is 
something in the pithy announcement “ It’s a boy,” 
