THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
past, my Heart cringes at the thought of those 
long dark months and years. And too, some of 
you have said things (to others) that pained me 
sadly, implying at least, that I deserved all I suf¬ 
fered. I will not dwell upon this, only to say this 
much (though I presume you will not believe It), 
I know all that any of you do and more, and I say 
now that. I wronged no one, neither do I see how I 
could have done any other-wise than I did. 
I was married January 13th at Wtnnsboro, S. C., 
by the Rev. Mr. Klchson, our missionary superin¬ 
tendent. My husband returned soon after to Flor¬ 
ida, Intending to resign an office he held there and 
come North: In the meantime I chose to remain 
and continue teaching. Rut Instead of resigning, 
he lost his office (County Judge) and lost what 
property he had, so he was unable to go North, 
and I went on with my school unlll compelled to 
close It as I have said. I went North for a time, 
but in June he asked me to come to Florida, think¬ 
ing he had the means of supporting me there. I 
went, glad to go to my home, for I had never had 
one. But T stayed only three weeks. It was a long, 
hot journey there, but It was a longer one back, 
for those three weeks had been very painful ones. 
I was sick when I returned—sick In body and sick 
at heart. I went Into a hospital and stayed until 
my baby was born, October Hth. I wanted to die, 
but God would not let me. T will not weary you 
with the years that followed, years of weary strug¬ 
gle to support myself and child. 1 was under ma¬ 
tron In the Home for the Friendless, for a time; 
two summers I took charge of a house (this In New 
York city); was In Philadelphia lor a time; then 
In New Jersey; was city missionary for a time; 
was for some months la Saratoga County, N. Y.; 
taught a colored school in White Plains, New York, 
etc-, etc. I hardly know how I managed to live. 
Sometimes I did not taste meat or butter for 
months, and omv, when I was nursing my baby, a 
wee puny thing, I had nothing to eat for several 
days but a five cent loaf of bread, and only water to 
drink. And yet In the midst of this all, and while 
my heart wa shocked with suspense and bitter 
aching, so I hflgefl for nothing so much as to He 
down and die, with my baby, 1 heard the rema rk, 
“ If / had no more to trouble me than von have," 
and “How easily you take everything—It would 
kill me” So do we misjudge others. We know so 
little of the bitterness of the lot of other hearts. 
Still through It all, God’s loving hand led me, Ills 
• loving care never failed me. Ho was not punish¬ 
ing me for any wrong I had done ot hers. I do not 
know the “ Why,” but 1 know It was not done In 
anger. Always ho spared something for me. 
Sometimes l did not know one week where I could 
find shelter for the next; but It was always pro¬ 
vided before tho week was gone. 
And then my boy—I can never tell the precious 
comfort he was to me. God-sent comfort. You 
know how I always wanted to be a mother. And 
although I was In grief and suspense almost every 
moment, yet In the midst of it all, my heart would 
throb with Joy that I was a mother, though my 
next thought would be, “ Oh, my God, let us both 
me.” 
He was a tunny morsel, as monl;ey-Uke as a hu¬ 
man being could well be, and every one said I 
could not raise him. But every day of his Uttle 
life, from the very first, was most precious to me. 
I did not on re bow lie looked or anything—he was 
my baby, my own little one —my God-sent treasure, 
and he, and he alone kept my heart from breaking. 
But I am making a long story. My husband died 
May 5th, 1*75, at Pensacola, but It was six months 
before I knew the particulars or even the certainty 
of his death, lie was my husbrttuJ .—tlio father of 
my precious boy. Only Grid can nidge him now. 
In the fall or 1875 an uncle in California sent for 
me to conic out hero. I came by steamer. I was 
worn out with trouble and anxiety, and no hope of 
anything better here. I Only wanted to die with 
my boy. 
The voyage recruited my strength somewhat, 
and I tried to get something to do here. I taught 
a Chinese school lor a time, but I was not strong 
enough Io teach. Everything failed me, or I failed 
In everything. Just as al. the East. But the morn¬ 
ing broke at last, a bright, peaceful morning. God 
sent me one to love me and care for me, a true, 
good husband. 1 was married again In May iSTS, 
and my husband Is all a true woman could ask 
for. My married life now. Is ns near perfect hap¬ 
piness as any thing on earth can be. My heart Is 
all rest now. iamso happy I hardly know my¬ 
self. 
We are poor and always shall be, In purse. Rut 
rich in love, wo three, and In God's dear love. 
Our little home, (my home at last!) is quiet and 
peaceful, a resting place. My husband is a labor¬ 
ing man, a Swede by birth, rather tall and spare, 
plain looking and of very few words, but rrue 
hearted and kind, an earnest Christian, and he 
loves me. Not one thing about him, would I change 
If I could. My boy Herbert. Is fine and healthy, 
though still small. He is as smart (and good 
looking, too) as any you can show. He Is per¬ 
fectly satisfied with his “ Papa," Tie said one 
day, “ When papa first came to see us, before 
we married him, we thought he was just like any 
other man. did bit we ? We dld’nt know how good 
he was. did we mamma 7” 
As forme, these ten years have changed me, T 
am older, ain quite gray and instead of weighing 
from 125 to 180 pounds (IS I did once, 1 only weigh 
now from oft to ion, but i am pretty well, so that I 
am happy. 
In rea/llng over the above I find I have said 
nothing of the kindness of friends during my long 
nfght of trouble. God sent me many friends who 
were strangely kind 1 don't know bow l should 
have lived without them. Mercy Riddle did me a 
great many kindnesses. All I had overdone for 
others was repaid to me “ four-fold, good measure, 
pressed down, shaken together and running over.” 
and I sometimes think the best or all of tho hap¬ 
piness I have now. Is the being able to do a little 
for others again. 
Well, now, Walter, Raynor, Riddle, Lee and 
Cookies, how are you all ? 1 wonder If Mrs. Hawley 
has changed her dress yet? J have no Richmond 
news. How I wish I could see you. We are all 
so changed, no doubt, I only hope you are all as 
happy as I am now. God bless and keep you all in 
Ills holy love and keeping. We shall never meet 
here, I fear, but may no one be missing from our 
band on the other shore. Yours truly, 
Mart Roswell Willis. 
(7b be continue. d) 
-♦■-*-*•- 
ADULTERATIONS OF FOODS. 
From the Boston Transcript we extract the fol¬ 
lowing summary of a paper read before the social 
Science Congress at Boston by Geo. T. ADgeU. The 
subject with which It deals Is one of vital Import¬ 
ance and It deserves more than a passing notice. 
Unless we are prepared to subsist exclusively on 
vegetables and fruit, to live with paperless walls, 
carpetless floors, and to confine ourselves to skins 
for clothing. It behooves us to be up and doing In 
this matter of poisonous adulterations in food, 
wearing apparel, and wall and floor coverings. 
“ Take the adulteration of foods, for instance. One 
of the most eminent chemists of Massachusetts 
tells me that almost every class of articles now sold 
In this country for food Is more or less adulterated, 
and that many of these adulterations are extreme¬ 
ly poisonous. [Hayes, Bowditch.] For iustance, 
cayenne pepper is adulterated with red lead, mus¬ 
tard with chromate of lead, curry powder with red 
lead, vinegar with sulphuric acid, arsenic and cor¬ 
rosive sublimate. It is stated In the scientific 
American that probably half the vinegar now sold 
In our cities is rank poison. [Ploughman, liec, l, 
1877.] One of our boston chemists ana lyzed twelve 
packages of pickles, put up by twelve different 
wholesale dealers, and round copper In ten of them. 
[Massachusetts Board of Health Report, 1873.] 
Another chemist analyzed sixteen packages of 
pickles and found copper In all of them. Many of 
our flavoring oils, syrups. Jellies and preserved 
fruits contain poisons. The adulterations of tea 
are too numerous to mention, coffee is not only 
adulterated, hut a patent has been taken out for 
molding chicory into the form of coffee berries, 
and I am told that clay Is now molded, and per¬ 
haps flavored with an essence, to represent coffee, 
cocoa and chocolate are adulterated with various 
mineral substances. 
Several mills In New England, and probably many 
elsewhere, are now engaged In grinding white 
stone Into a fine powder for purposes of adultera¬ 
tion. At some of these mills they grind three 
grades-soda grade, sugar grade and Hour grade. 
[North Adams, c. W. Elliott, April Galaxy, 1877.] 
I am told that thousands of tons of It have been 
ground la the towns or Massachusetts. It sells for 
about half a cent a pound. Flour has been adul¬ 
terated la England, and probably here, with plas¬ 
ter of Paris, bone dust, sand, clay, chalk and other 
articles. I am told that large Quantities of damaged 
and unwholesome groin are ground in with flour, 
particularly with that kimi ••ailed Graham flour 
[To detect, adulterations of flour see Sanitarian, 
November, 1877.J Certainly hundreds, and proba¬ 
bly thousands, ol barrels of “terra alba,” or white 
earth, are sold In our cities every year to be mixed 
with sugars In confectionery and other white sub¬ 
stances. I am told by an eminent physician that 
this tends to produce stone, kidney complaints and 
various diseases of the stomach. A Boston chemist 
tells me that he has touud seventy-five per cent, of 
“ terra alba ” in what was sold as cream of tartar, 
used for cooking. A large New York house sells 
three grades of cream of tartar. A Boston chemist 
recently analyzed a sample of the best grade, and 
found fifty per cent, of “terra alba ’ In that. 
[Hayes, March 23,1877.[ Much oi our confectionery 
contains thirty-three per ceut. or more oi “terra 
alba.” [Sheldon.] The coloring matter of con¬ 
fectionery frequently contains lead, mercury, ar¬ 
senic and copper. [Massachusetts Board of Health 
Report, 1871.] Baking powders arc widely sold 
which contain a large percentage or “terra alba” 
and alum. [Baltimore News, Nov. 17, 1878, Horn 
Scientific American.] 
In 1874 a “ medical commission" of five physicians 
appointed by the “ Board of Health" of Boston, 
reported that over a million and a naif gallons of 
water were sold as milk In that city In that year, 
for which nearly |5iM,uou in money was paid. They 
state further, that this water is likely to be taken 
from Impure streams and barnyard welts, and so 
to produce typhoid fever and other Infectious dis¬ 
eases In those who drink It. In one Instance 
thirty-four eases of typhoid fever were produced 
In twenty different families by drinking mfik mixed 
with water taken from a well standing near a cess¬ 
pool. [“ English Sanitary Record.” Boston Jour¬ 
nal Feb, 25, isTfi.] Tho high death-rale amongst 
lnrants in our cities is largely attributable to adul¬ 
terated milk. In one year, lor instance [i8«8], 
while there were 4»7 deaths of “cholera Infantum” 
In Suffolk County, in the same population outside 
Lite city there were less than iftft, [Massachu¬ 
setts Board of Health Report, lsrs,] 
It Is not water alone that Is mixed with milk, 
Thousands of gallons, ami probably hundreds of 
thousands, are sold lu oar cities which have passed 
through large tins, or vats, in which it has been 
mixed with various substances, l am lohl that 
after being drawn from these vats It. tastes bel¬ 
ter and will keep longer than pure milk. Receipts 
tor the mixture can be bought by new milkmen 
irom old on payment of the required sum. lain 
assured, upon what 1 bcllovo to be reliable au¬ 
thority, that thousands of gallons of so-called 
milk have been, and probably are, sold In this city 
which do not contain one drop of the genuine 
article. Probably this Kindis principally sold to 
the poor. 
Large quantities of the meals of animals, more 
or loss diseased, are sold In our markets. Cows. 
In tho neighborhood of our large cities, are fed 
upon material which produces a huge flow of un¬ 
wholesome milk. Poultry are fed upon material 
which produces unwholesome eggs. Meats and 
fish are made unwholesome, frequently poisonous, 
by careless and cruel methods of killing. [Lob¬ 
sters, trawls, etc.] 
Butter is not only manufactured in enormous 
quantities from animal fats, obtained probably In 
many Instances from diseased animals, but this 
also is how still further adulterated with an arti¬ 
cle still cheaper. It Is estimated that during 1877 
there was manufactured In this country about 
75,00o,ft0ft' pounds of this butter. It is estimated 
that In 1878 there was manufactured not less than 
90,000.000 pounds. It Is estimated that during 1877 
more than 40 , 000,000 pounds of cheese was manu¬ 
factured here from the same material. A huge 
portion of these products are so disguised as to de¬ 
ceive the public, and are sold os the pure, unadul¬ 
terated product of the milk of the cow, In those 
products have been found, by analysis, horse fat, 
fat from bones, and fat such as Is principally used 
for making candles; and the whole prepared with 
a heat not sufficient, to kill the parasites which en¬ 
ter and breed in human bodies. It would require 
a volume to explain the adulteration or foods sold 
in our markets, many of which endanger health 
and lire: and they are constantly Increasing. 
What is being done to stop these adulterations? 
So far as I am aware, nothing whatever. 
Large quantities ol our so-called European wines 
and liquors arc manufactured here, shipped to 
Europe, reshipped and sold here as the pure Juice 
of the grape. A large portion of our California 
wines are made in Boston cellars. An eminent 
Massachusetts chemist, who has had a wide expe¬ 
rience in the analysis of wines and liquors, tells me 
that of all the wines and liquors sold In eight 
places out of ten through the state of Massachu¬ 
setts it would be safe to say that more than ninety 
per cent, are adulterated. 
Now take our drugs and medicines. Here I can¬ 
not do bettor than quote the. exact words of an 
eminent medical gentleman of Boston. He said to 
me, “ The adulterations of drags In this country 
are perfectly abominable. The physician orders a 
medicine for a patient in extreme danger. The 
medicine has only a quarter the strength It should 
have, because of Its adulteration, and the patient 
dies." 
I am told by the secretary of the Michigan state 
Board of Health that a large portion of our tin-ware 
contains lead In a soluble form. In Michigan sev¬ 
eral children have died from drinking milk which 
had been kept in tin pans of this kind. I am not 
aware of any reason w hy the lin-ware of Massa¬ 
chusetts should be less poisonous than the tin-ware 
of Michigan and Pennsylvania. 
The use of arsenic, corrosive sublimate and other 
poisons has become common In ladles’ dresses, in 
vpIIs. In sewing silks, in threads. In artificial flow¬ 
ers, In gentlemen's underclothing, In socks, In 
gloves, In hat linings, in linings of boots and shoes. 
In paper collars. In colored enameled cloths and 
doubtless In many other articles. A child lu Troy, 
N. Y., recently died In convulsions by taking ar¬ 
senic from a green veil thrown over Its crib to keep 
off files. 
Wall papers containing arsenic are largely manu¬ 
factured and sold: also poisonous papers used for 
cartel as, lamp shades, boxes, about confectionery, 
for tickets, cards and various other purposes. A 
friend of mine recently visited one of our New 
England factories where these papers are prepared. 
He found there about thirty barrels of arsenic. 
The employees were required to work only two 
days la the week. Many of them were made sick 
by that; some had died. T he proprietor kept 
away from It.. In railroad, lecture and concert 
tickets there is frequently enough arsento to kill a 
child. 
T hese arsenical wall papers are of various colors 
—green, blue, red, yellow, pearl and other colors. 
Some are cheap, some costly, some figured, some 
plain; some glazed, some ungLuzed. The amount 
of arsenic Imported into this country during tho 
year ending June 30, 1875, was two million three 
hundred and twenty-seven thousand, seven hun¬ 
dred and forty-two pounds (2,827.742). Each pound 
contains a fatal dose for about 2800 adult hunum 
beings. Yet It Is sold In our markets almost as 
freely as wood and coaL at a wholesale price of 
from a cent and a half to two cents a pound. The 
editor of a leading Boston paper has recently stated 
In bis editorial columns that it Is estimated that 
about nlghty-five per cent, of our wall papers now 
manufactured cataatn arsenic. A Boston gentle¬ 
man recently purchased In different parts of that 
city l*wenty samples of kerosene oil, and submitted 
them to a skilful chemist. He found Hurt eighteen 
of the twenty were dangerous, and sold lu violation 
of law. It Is said that the great Chicago fire of 
1S70 would never have occurred If the fluid In a 
single lamp which caused it had been of the proper 
legal standard. 
There is lltMe or no profit to the seller, who. in 
ninety-nine eases out of a hundred, would prefer 
to sell honest goods, and enrich only those manu¬ 
facturers and adulterators, some of whom, regard¬ 
less Of the laws of God and man, are Uttle. tr any, 
better than the pirates that plunder our ships on 
the ocean, or the highwaymen who rob and mur¬ 
der on the land. Laws should be enacted and 
enforced prohibiting the manufacture and sale or 
these poisonous and dangerous articles under 
severe penalties, and compelling the manufactu¬ 
rer and sellers of adulterated articles to tell buyers 
the precise character 01 the adulterations. 1 have 
not a word of fault to find with our * 1 wards of 
health.” They are dolitg great service. But this 
work Is beyond llteir power, if th?> Should ear¬ 
nestly undertake It they would be opposed at once 
by combinations of capital abd political Influences 
which would either secure their removal or par¬ 
alyze their efforts. Undcr our form of government 
there Is but one remedy, and that Is in the forma¬ 
tion of ■ public health associations" hi our cities, 
composed or lutluential citizens, supported by vol¬ 
untary contributions, employing officers who can¬ 
not be bribed or removed by outside influence, and 
who would make 11. as dangerous (0 manufacture 
and illegally sell poisonous foods and other poison¬ 
ous articles in our markets, as It is now to cruelly 
beat horses or starve cattle.” 
- ♦ - 
Advantaoks ok Cuyinu.— A French physician Is 
out in a long dissertation on tho advantages of 
groaning and crying in general, and especially 
during .surgical operations. He contends that 
groa ning and crying are two grand operations by 
which nature allays anguish; those patients who 
give way to their natural feelings more speedily re¬ 
cover from accidents and operations than the so 
who suppose it unworthy a man to betray such 
symptoms of cowardice as either fo groan or cry. 
He tells of a man who reduced his pulse from 
126 to 60 in the course of a few hours by giving 
vent to bis emotions. If people are at all unhappy 
about anything, let them go into their rooms and 
comfort themselves with a loud boo-hoo. and they 
win feel luQ per cent, hotter afterward. 
In accordance with the above, the crying of 
children should not be too greatly discouraged. If 
It. Is systematically repressed the result may be 
St,. Vitus' dance, epileptic fits, or some other dis¬ 
ease of the system. What Is natural Is nearly al¬ 
ways useful, and nothing can be more natural than 
the crying of children when anything occurs to 
give either physical or mental pain. 
-- 
REAL WORKING WOMEN. 
It is an odd spectacle to witness scores of women 
doing the work ol longshoremen on the wharves of 
St. John’s, Newfoundland. When the time arrives 
for vessels from southern Europe, Brazil, West 
Indies, and elsewhere, to take aboard their cargoes 
of salt cod, herring, etc., files ot buxom females, 
with tueked-up gowns, bared arms, and coarse 
brogans, may be seen along the wharves, carrytng 
flat barrows of fish to and fro. Each barrow has 
four handles, and is borne by two women. They 
perform the same labor as men at this business, 
but their pay Is Inferior, In fact, they seem to 
work more arduously than their male co-operators, 
and continue to do so the same number of hours. 
Women also go on the “ summer voyage" to Labra¬ 
dor, and act la the capacities of “ splitters,” “ salt- 
ers’'and -headers.” 
-♦ • » 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Parturition Without Pain. Eighth Edition, en- 
1 a reed. M. L. Holbrook, M. D. New York : Hol¬ 
brook & Co. Price, $1- 
It Is most necessary that every family library 
should contain standard works on Physiology and 
Hygiene. This Is especially true of farmers libra¬ 
ries, for while city people have doctors “ to right 
of them, doctors to left of them,” (which is perhaps 
a rather questionable advantage) and have, more¬ 
over, ample opportunity to consult medical works 
In the public libraries or to listen to lectures on 
these all-important topics; the. farmer’s family is 
dependent on the village doctor—who may live 
miles away—tor all knowledge of the human form. 
Hardly a farmer In the land but what purchases 
books which t reat of the diseases of cattle, horses 
and dogs. Books of this class havo always a ready 
sale, for the farmer knows that It Is only by the 
careful study ot diet, exercise aud rest In their re¬ 
lations to health, that he can hope to keep his 
live stock in good condition, but w hen It comes to 
a question ot children, how many books does he 
buy? how much does ho study? Most lathers 
wash their hands ot all responsibility and leave t he 
child’s life and well-being la the hands ot the 
mothers who are. quite likely, as Ignorant as them¬ 
selves. Mother-love will accomplish much, but It 
cannot supply the place 01 absolute, accurate 
knowledge of the proper care of children. The 
world Is luff of poor Uttle humans, deformed, weak 
In mind aud body, who, by reason of their parent s 
ignorauee are compelled to lead lives ot pain aud 
anguish. Attention to the simplest, ot nature s 
laws would have made them vigorous. W hen one 
reflects on the amazing, yes, appalling Ignorance 
ot parents, the wonder Is not that so many child¬ 
ren arc feeble, but that any are robust. 
The work under notice should be carefully read 
by every mother, it Is written in a clear, popular 
stylo, and the suggestions are admirable. The use 
of drug^ Is discouraged and people are recom¬ 
mended To live naturally, and by proper diet and 
exercise to become well aud to remain so. con¬ 
tributions from Mrs. Elizabeth riacly Stanton (who, 
though the mother ot seven cUlldren. maintains 
that there, need be no Ill-health among women,) 
from Mrs Duffeyand Dr. (.lenience Lozier, enhance 
the Interest and value of the book. We consider 
the work admirable In every particular and It 
would afford us much pleasure to know that every 
Rural household contained a copy of it. 
As It May Happen; A Story of American Life and 
Character, lziuo, extra, cloth. $l.5u. lhiladel- 
phiu : Porter & Coates. 
This Is a remarkable work, its most striking 
feature Ls the originality of the characters which, 
while not distortions, are still far removed from 
the conventional creations which appear in the 
average novel. The dialogue Is natural and 
sprightly and the action Is rapid. The author 
displays a skill In the development of the plot 
which la found only among superior writers; this 
ls particularly noticeable in his treatment of the 
mysterious eleuieni which plays a conspicuous 
part in the hook. The pure toue of this novel 
makes It, most acceptable to all who turn with dis¬ 
gust from the many works published In these days, 
whose questionable morality appears lo be their 
sole recommendation to public notice. 
lh)ali>n History in Short Stories. New York: 
A- S. Barnes A Co. Price $!. 
Those who must bo contented with Instruction 
In homeopathic doses will find this little work to 
be most Valuable, And even those tv ho lpjvc had 
the advantage of extensive reading will applaud 
the compiler tor this ready, accurat e and compre¬ 
hensive text-book, it Is embellished by notes on 
heraldry and the titles of nobility, and contains 
quite a detailed explanation 01 the government of 
England, la short, a book that so adequately 
adapts itself to Doth youthful and advanced rend¬ 
ers ls worthy of library nr table space. 
-- 
Lord Bcaeonsileld, when recently asked "how 
long he thought the Conservative Government 
would last," quietly replied: “As long as It pleases 
Providence to spare Mr. Gladstone to the country," 
