NEW-YORKER. 
THE RURAi 
iMui£ for fljc Jjotmg 
PYRAMIDS AND OTHER THINGS. 
fee, the testivities of Christmas and New Year 
are over; Santa Claus lias, i trust, been very 
liberal in bis girts to all my nieces aud nephews 
ami satisfied all their wishes and expectations. 
Now, at the beginning of the New Year, lei 11 s start 
out with the determination to learn all we can both 
In school and at home, to employ every moment iu 
some useful occupation, In fact, to do our very best 
in everything the whole year round; when New 
Vear comes again we can then take some pleasure 
1 n looking back on the work we have done In the 
past- year. I have received no answers as yet to the 
uuestlons asked last week, but, of course, I shall 
siKin hear from some of my clever relatives; mean¬ 
while, I have concluded to tell you, lu a very brief 
sketch, something about 
THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT, 
which, perhaps, all of you may have heard men- 
iloued, but. all of you may not. know what they 
really are. Those who have studied geography 
know that in the northeastern part of Africa is a 
country called Egypt, which in very ancient times 
was noted for Its prosperity and civilization; but 
Us glory has declined lung ago, and In our day it Is 
of interest mainly for hs history, lor the peculiar 
river Nile, which flows through the country from 
north to south and empties Into the Mediterranean 
sea, and for the pyramids. 1 suppose that none, 
01 at least but. v ery few, of my nieces and nephews 
have studied geometry, and are therefore puzzled 
» to the menuing or the word pyramid. A pyramid 
Is a solid body with a plane base and terminating 
in a polul at the top. 
The pyramids of Egypt, are huge stone structures, 
situated on the left bank of the Nile,on the border 
between the great desert of .Sahara and the 
D-rUlo valley of the Nile. They were built about 
r-iHio years ago by the kings That then ruled over 
Egypt. These kings hud the peculiar belief, that 
alter death, soul and body should again be united, 
and they live a second life on earth If their bodies 
couhl be preserved for 3000 years without decom¬ 
posing, and It was for the protection of their 
corpses that the pyramids were built. 
By referring to your maps of Egypt you can read¬ 
ily find Hie city of ralro, and not far from this city 
are situated the three largest pyramids. The 
largest, one of these was originally (isay originally, 
for owing to t he destructive hand of time and man, 
it Is now somewhat smaller) -isi reel high and too 
A rt on each side at the foot of the structure, and 
covered an urea of 577,600 square feet, or over thir¬ 
teen acres, if you try to comprehend the*’ num¬ 
ber you will gel some Idea of this immense struc¬ 
ture. 
The outside was at first smooth, but now it is 
■worn off so as to form great steps all the way from 
bottom to top. inside are several passage-ways 
tiiai lead to the chamber within where the body of 
the king was placed. 
There ure in all between sixty and seventy 
pyramids, each of which is supposed to have serv¬ 
ed as t he tomb of a king, but now the chambers are 
all empty, and we have no record ot what, became 
or the bodies, whet her or not t he soul did come 
back, after the lapse of three thousand years, and 
claimed what formerly belonged to It; but as we 
do not believe in any such absurd superstition it Is 
more reasonable to suppose that the tombs have 
been robbed by explorers and adventurers. From 
tills brier description or the pyramids y ou win be 
able to understand what is meant if they are re¬ 
ferred to, and 1 trust also that you will road all you 
can find on the subject. In your books aud papers, 
rims constantly enlarging your stock or knowlege. 
Uncle True. 
TALKS WITH THE CHILDREN. 
In the first place, all the toes excepting the 
great toe are folded down under t he foot, the fleshy 
part of the heel is forced dow nward and forward, 
and a bandage (consist lug 01 a st rip of colored mus¬ 
lin four or five feet long and throe inches wide) is 
wound hack and forth in a figure of eight, over the 
folded uk*,s, across the Juki op and around the heel, 
pressing Unit towaixl the great toe to shorten the 
root. The bandage is wound snugly at first, and 
then tightened a little at each succeeding opera¬ 
tion. This gradually throws the insiep up and 
'it tually breaks it. so that when the bandage Is re¬ 
moved the front part of the toot may be moved like 
a door upon Its hinges, 
t taler this treatment the foot soon becomes 
merely a mass 01 tones covered with tendons and 
skit. The growth above the foot Is checked, and 
the leg'tapers from the knee downward. “in the 
couree of six or eight years, if daily attended to, 
the elongated bone of the heel, which Is about all 
thru is left of this part, of the foot, Is brought with- 
in a few inches or the great toe; the broken Instep 
and folded toes are bound together with the ankle 
in an ugly bunch bulging outward above what 
seems to be the foot, and the great toe and the heel 
alone are thrust Into the little embroidered shoe, 
and it is pronounced a perfect lady loot." 
(tig how ridiculous! It you were to examine 
this tiny shoe you would find a block of wood in 
the heel, making it about an inch higher than the 
tesi oi the soli*. This makes the woman look as 
though she were walking upon her tiptoes, as she 
wriggles along, throwing out her arms in balance 
herself. Such ladles tire* obliged to use a cane, or 
rest their hand upon the shoulder of their attend¬ 
ants. The latter method is considered very gen¬ 
teel. They wear wide embroidered trousers, which 
conceal the bunch above the -.hoe, and one would 
suppose that, their feet were small but well rurmed. 
It is almost Impossible for a gentleman of another 
nation to secure the privilege of examining afoot 
thus deformed, but the Rev. Mr. Houghton, by the 
help of a lady who taught In a mission-school tor 
girls, gained permission to look at a girl's foot; and, 
by the liberal use ot money, when in Shanghai, 
lie persuaded an plderly woman to remove the 
bandage from her foot, so that he Is able to describe 
the process or “ making a toot.” 
I wish to tell yon more about tills curious custom, 
but 1 fear It will make this talk too long, so 1 will 
wait until some other time, letting you have a 
chance to be thankful,'that you can trot about on 
your own, dear, free fleet. 
- --. 
A TOO COMMON STORY. 
said he would 
from Hie next 
circumstances to the conductor, and paid his fare 
out of other money be had wiib him. 
The conductor gave assurances of the honesty of 
the attendants at, the hotel, and 
send a telegram to the proprietor 
Station. 
I lu judge observed that he w ould send back bis 
sen am to recover the mouey. with instructions 
how to rejoin him. 
The conductor was astonished that the master 
was both willing to trust his servant tn a free Mate, 
away from Ids control, and to put into his posses¬ 
sion eleven hundred dollars. The judge, however, 
had no anxiety atout his servant, who, from the 
next station, took the first train back, secured the 
money, and rejoined Ids master aecorellng to in¬ 
structions. 
At the clos* of the anecdote, the judge said to 
me that he would have entrusted to that man’s 
keeping every dollar he was worth, and that, too> 
without a thought of Ills abusing the trust, 
some persons in a higher position would not be 
Injured by trying to apply to their own conduct 
the lesson taught in this narrative.—Youth's Com¬ 
panion. 
THE EFFECT OF POLITENESS. 
A brave, active, Intelligent terrier, belonging to 
a lady friend, one day discovered a monkey belong¬ 
ing to an itinerant organ-grinder, seated upon the 
bank within the grounds, and at once made a dash 
for him. The monkey , who wan attired In Jacket 
and hat, awaited the onset with such undisturbed 
tranquility that, the dog halted within a few feet of 
him to reconnoitre. Roth animals took « long, 
steady stare at. each other, hut. the dog evidently 
was recovering from fils surprise, and about to 
make a spring for ihr Intruder, At tills eriUoal 
Juncture the monkey, who hud remained, perfectly 
quiet hitherto, raised his paw and gracefully salu¬ 
ted by luting fils liai. The effect was magical; 
the dog's head and tall dropped, and he sneaked off 
and entered the house, refusing to leave it, tilt he 
w as satisfied that his polite but mysterious guest 
had departed. Ills whole demeanor showed that 
he felt the monkey was something “ uncanny,” 
and not to be meddled with.—Nature. 
CAST THY BURDEN. 
, East thy burden upon the Lord, and lie will sustain 
thee.” 
.iknnie e. .1. ax.gek. 
I SIT by a bright, coal fire, while the snow fails 
swiftly without. A chubby little toy in the next 
house is anxiously watching the storm with eager 
black eyes. There has not been snow enougl°to 
give, him good sliding, and he wants to try his 
( hristinas sled. Perhaps If tills very small boy 
were in Lapland Instead of Massachusetts, he would 
not like snotv so well. 
Did you ever hear of people using snow-hanks for 
cradles ? in Lapland, when fathers and mothers 
go to church, they roll the babies in fur and dump 
them into a snow-bunk outside the church door, 
while (hey go inside and enjoy the service without 
being disturbed. Sometimes there will be thirty 
babies, all in a row. Don't you think that is rather 
a cool performance ? I sometimes wonder If our 
eustouvs seem as curious to people of other nations 
as theirs do to us. For Instance, there lies before 
me a tiny shoe. It Is exactly three aud two-eighths 
Inches long, atout an Inch broad at the heel, and 
runs to a fine point at the toe; yet it lias been 
worn oy a full-grown woman. This seems very 
strange to me, but I have seen them even smaller 
ilian tills, and they arc worn two inches and a half 
long. 
Ah! Don’t you pity the poor, little Chinese girls, 
who have to endure terrible torture in order to 
wear them 7 Do you ask why ? For 1 he same rea¬ 
son that some of you win be advised to wear cor¬ 
sets—because It Is the fashion. Would you like to 
know just how this torture Is carried on? You 
may suppose, as l used to, that It la commenced 
when the victim is a baby, and that the whole foot 
is compressed, and never allowed to grow, so that 
it alt enters the shoe. Rut this Is not the case. 
Rev. R. O. Houghton, In his books “ Women or the 
Orient ” says, that the binding of the foot is sel¬ 
dom, It ever, commenced before a child Is five yearn 
old, and in most cases not until she is six or seven 
This allows the limbs a good stare and growth, and 
the poor, little girl learns how to walk firmly. 
There are women who make this then- business 
put sometimes the mothers take it In hand 
Here are two extracts from the local columns of 
1 ecem New \ ork journals which w r e commend to 
the notice of young lads who propose to enter com¬ 
mercial life. 
A middle-aged, educated gentleman, cashier of 
the dock department, was arraigned for embezzle- 
menl of funds belonging to the city, lie was, it 
appears, a man of refined tastes, with an especial 
fondness lor flowers, which he Indulged to th.Mj.ill 
extent, of Ids ow n means. 
He was tempted at last to Indulge In unusual 
ouila.i in the Importation of rare tulips and orchids, 
and began to ‘’borrow” the money m small sums 
li'oin the treasury. At t he time ol detection he had 
embezzled over fifteen thousand dollars, all of which 
had been expended In green-houses and plants. 
The second case was that of a young mall who 
came with high recommendations from the West, 
where he had always deservedly borne a good char¬ 
acter, to New 1 ork, where lie oblained a position in 
an established firm as book-keeper. A few months 
ago he was led Into debt for some trifle, Innocent 
enough In Itself, a bit of brlo-a-brao, or unwonted 
flner.v In dress. Other young fellows, he thought, 
could do It; why not he ? 
His creditors pressed tor payment; the lad hud 
but hair the amount needed. Passing a gambling- 
house, it, occurred to him that he could make It all 
right by a lucky throw. He went in, threw and 
lost. 
The next day he too “ borrowed” from the drawer 
a few dollars to try Ills luck again, lie lost; bor¬ 
rowed again and again, until he had stolen two 
hundred dollars. 
Then luck turned, and lie won one hundred and 
eighty dollars, lie staked it all and lost. The next 
day he was discovered, arrested, and is now lu 
prison. For the indulgence 01 that petty whim, or 
bit of vanity, lie lias sacrificed character, position, 
and all hope for the future, and taken up the life 
of a felon. 
There is a singular uniformity in the histories of 
almost all defaulters. The,\ arc not thieves b.v na¬ 
ture. They are templed to some apparently 
innocent indulgence-vvhat more harmless than 
flowers 7 They always mean only to “ borrow" t he 
money from their employer. They always 
confident they will repay it, and the 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA. 
I am composed of 75 letters: 
My 43, 15 , 27, 8, 7,19, 8, 33, 47, in unlawful. 
My 5, c, 58, io, 40, 4, 3, 46 a musical arrangement. 
My 31, 13, 21, 6S, 43, 9, 4. 49, 12, 27, 19, IS the time Of 
the year when a plant puts forth Its leaves. 
M.v 3 (j, 25, 24, 30, 29,35, 40,71, 32, 22 an owner of land 
in fee-simple. 
Myii 2 , >5, ivt, li, 14, 39 , 34 , 55, 42 one addicted to 
adulutlon. 
My 67, 1, . 01 , 7.\ 17, 9, 51, 4, 23, 61 , 52 a mill Itivad- 
venturer. 
My 28, 33, 20, 37, 45, 03, 50 to that place. 
M.V 44. 00, TO, 65, 6, 20, 72, 51, 53, 54, 49 porta il 1) gtO 
the healing art. 
My 59, 57, 6s, 69, la u tax. 
My <3, .4, uO, io. iy, in, 3 j 4 i t 27 transgression. 
My whole Is a text ot Scripture. 
Answer la two weeks. Litter 
One. 
FRACTIONAL PUZZLE. 
One-fourth of vine, one-fourth of wine, 
Then add one-fifth of chime; 
one-fourl h of toad, one-fourth or load, 
And now one-fifth of rhyme; 
One-fourth or hung, one-flftli of young, 
And then one-fifth of grind; 
And one-third or you will bring to view 
A writer of master mind. 
Answer in two weeks. 
Nei,l. 
-HI 
CHARADE. 
are 
miserable, 
My first belongs to every one, 
\Vhnt should vve do without ll ; 
My second Is a common word, 
Nothing new about ll; 
My whole we all would like to be. 
For one i do not doubt It. 
Answer m two weeks. Mary Waeev. 
- *** -- 
CROSS PUZZLE. 
hackneyed tragedy always ends alike—In the pris¬ 
oner’s dock. W’JU our boy-readers heed t he lesson 7 
—Youth’s Companion. 
l. Part of a house. 2 . A piece of beef. 3 . To 
cover. 4. called loudly. 5. Candy, c. An 
t.hetlc person. 7. .Molasses, s. A fight, 
form a town of South Carolina. 
lf*j~ Answer in two weeks. 
apa- 
Oent nils 
Bai.to. 
A SLAVE’S DEVOTION." 
CENTRAL PUZZLE. 
3. Dan- 
Tiie late Judge chambers, of Maryland, an inti¬ 
mate friend of Daniel Webster, was once travelling 
In Pennsylvania, It was years before our Civil 
War, and the Judge was accompanied by his *• body- 
servant,” who was very strongly attached lo his 
master. 
While staying all night at a hotel in an Inland 
town, the Judge took from Ills pantaloons pocket 
Ids pocket-book, containing eleven hundred dollars 
and slipped ll under the pillow. 
The next morning he was called at an early hour 
thai he might.take the first train. Consulting uis 
watch, lie round that he must dress In a hurry, or 
he would be left, nis haste caused him lo forget 
bis pocket-book, and It was not until the cure were 
conveying him swiftly from the town that he re¬ 
membered Where he had placed It. 
When the conductor approached to collect, the 
rickets, Hie judge searched his pockets, aud then 
he became aware of his loss. He mentioned the 
l. A fruit. 2. A surgeon’s Instrument, 
ger. 4. Relating to one’s birth. 5. A niggard. 0. 
A disease. 7. An animal, a. A river ot Europe. 
9. a small pie. in. Dust from burnt coni, words 
of live letters, with centrals forming a i lly of Vir¬ 
ginia. 
jy Answer In two weeks. 
Dr. 
DOUBLE ACROSTIC. 
L A city of Turkey in Asia. 2 . A i lly of Turkey 
la Europe, 3. A city of United Suites or Columbia. 
1 . A city or Peru. 5 . a town of Michigan, initials 
and finals form two Grecian law-givers. 
cy Answer lu two weeks. 
Mu. 
TRANSPOSITION. 
Nam rokws roinf uns ot mis, 
Tub inoevvna’s rokvv si vener neod. 
cy Answer in two weeks. Annie Young. 
Aast thou a care, whose pressure dread 
Expels sweet com To: t frem thy bed * 
To thy Redeemer take that caro, 
Aud change anxiety to prayer. 
Hast thou a hope, with which thy heart 
M’ould almost feel it death to part 7 
Entreat thy God that hope to crown, 
Or, give thee strength to lay it down 
Hast thou a friend whose image dear 
May prove an idol wenehipped hero 7 
Implore the Lord that naught may l>e 
A ttlutdou- between heaven and thee. 
What’er the rare that breaks thy rest, 
What’er the wish that swells thy breast, 
Spread before Ciod that wish that care, 
Aud change anxiety to prayer. 
-♦♦♦■ 
RELIGIOUS NOMADS. 
“ 'Chat shall we do with tramps?” Is a question 
which Is agitating society. The army of tramps is 
fast increasing. Tramps come to our houses by 
day asking old clothes or cold victuals. Tramps 
are found sleeping at night In barns, barrels and 
boxes. Tramps seek shelter from the cold In sta¬ 
tion-houses, stables and cellars. Tramps are found 
walking on the railroads, camping in the woods, 
and prowll ng along the highways. The women are 
a raid of tramps; the children run away from 
tramps; the men hate tramps. W hat shall we do 
with them? some of the states have passed ex¬ 
terminating hnvs. in some cities the police are 
very vigilant and watchful. But the tramp nuis¬ 
ance continues. 
Well, t hese are not the only tramps. We have a 
class ot religious nornads who (ravel from church 
to church, as gypsy vagabonds travel from town to 
town. They are with one pastor ns long as he 
shows them exelusive attention, and then become 
the adherents or another. They are In one sect 
awhile, and then try another, and at last drift Into 
some sort of eoific-outerisfn. The prevalent modes 
of evangelism are calculated to produce a race of 
religious trumps, Men and women are taken from 
their religious firesides and their altars of wor¬ 
ship to crowd Into some lodge hall,where a colossal 
choir and various kinds or atirueUon hold excited 
throngs. When the work is over, the “tramp bus¬ 
iness” is brisk, and the nomadic wanderers are 
found everywhere. Each great revival of this sort 
needs three of another kind to follow It lo save the 
things. 11 scattered, and gather up the things It 
threw about In confusion. And If you say a word 
on tills, .von are charged with not being In favor of 
revivals. Your resistance Is greeted with an Impugn¬ 
ment of motives. The lime Is not far away when 
the churches will awake to the evils or any system 
that, produces a race 01 religious tramps, that 
breaks up the established church life, that, forms 
nomadic habits among Christians. And all this 
the modern system does most effectually. 
READING HYMNS, 
A correspondent of The standard has Hie fol¬ 
lowing iu say of Hie custom of reading hymns be¬ 
fore singing is generally practiced by the clergy 
and has often seemed to me lo be in exceeding 
bail taste and disrespectful to the congregation. 
No doubt many will deem such a statement a rude 
one. and a reflection upon the clergy not warranted 
by the fact In the case and unwarranted warfare 
upon a time-honored custom. Well, let us see. 
M hat was the origin of the custom of reading 
hymns before singing? simply this: no books In 
the hands of the congregation or singers, and ln- 
abilliy of the masses to read the hymns If supplied 
with books. In a large majority of our congre- 
gations, the causes which originated 1 lie custom no 
loiiger exist. 
D a pastor desires hts congregation to read.with 
Dim the Scriptures In concert, he docs not read 
over the chapter first and then ask the congrega¬ 
tion to read It with |(|m. 11 he should the infer¬ 
ence would he i hat lie had serious doubts of the 
ability of Ills congregation to read. Now, Is there 
any essential difference between that, and reading 
a hymn all through and Hum asking the assembly 
to repeat It lu song? 
But every good mie has Us except ions, and these 
may b$occasions where It would be advisable to 
read a stanza or two and possibly the whole 
hymn. The preacher may know that the choir or 
leader of the congregational singing may need u 
few moments for preparation, and in such a case 
il might be the pleasantest way of passing a pain¬ 
ful silence to repeat a stanza or two of the hymn 
Again, If Lire preacher knows himself to be an ex¬ 
traordinarily good reader of poetry, R is kind In 
him 10 give Ills audience frequent specimens of 
his ability anil accomplishments lu that direction, 
ruder all other circumstances, with Intelligent 
congregations there Is no further use for perpetua¬ 
ting Hie old custom of reading in extenso, hymns 
before singing. Who will second my motion for 
atolulon ? 
much souls us have once been in the anna of God 
in the midst or all oppositions, are as men made all 
of fire, walking In stubble; they consume anil over¬ 
come all hindrances: all lUmcultles are but as 
vvhcistones lo Ihclr fortitude. The moon will run 
her course, though tlm dogs bark at her; so will 
all those choice souls who have found warmth 
under t’hrtst’s wings run their Christian race In 
spile of all difficulties and dangers. 
We should vutlier make easy channels for the 
water of lire, than desire to raise land-floods from 
our broken cisterns.—[Bergellus. 
_ Never venture on any uctlon, unless you bring 
God to it; nor rest satisfied, unless you carry God 
from lt„—[Quarles. 
