THE 33EW-YORHER. 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Hampton Tracts. For the People. Sanitary Series, 
Nos. 1 to 5. New York: Putnam & Sons. Price 8c. 
each. 
The first of the scries Is by Helen W. Ludlow, 
and has (or Its subject The Health Laws of Moses; 
the second Is on the .Duty o( Teachers, by E. \V. 
Colllngwood; the third, Preventable Diseases, by 
Mrs. M. F. Armstrong; the lourth, Who Found 
Jamie? by Helen W. Ludlow ; the filth, A Haunted 
House, by Mrs. Armstrong. These useful little hooks 
deserve to be extensively read. The “ tracts ” are 
condensed and strong statements of the funda¬ 
mental laws of health, with Illustrations of the re¬ 
sults of breaking these laws, and advice as to the 
best and easiest way of Living in obedtSnce to them. 
The editing committee promise that the series 
“will provide, as simply and in as attractive a 
manner as possible, carefully prepared Informa¬ 
tion upon all points directly connected with phys¬ 
ical life,”—as cleanliness of tire person and house, 
ventilation, drainage, care of children and Invalids, 
preparation of food, etc. 
-♦ ♦ ♦ - 
MAGAZINES FOR FEBRUARY. 
Sunday Afternoon comes laden with good 
things. Our experience with this magazine during 
the first year or its existence, leads us now always 
to expect that every number will contain bright, 
suggestive papers on social reiorm topics, nor are 
we ever disappointed. The February number con- 
rains the lollowtug articles ot this class: A Pair of 
Home Missionaries, As to Sunday Dailies (a capital 
article). The Littleton Reformers, (a paper which 
all women could read to advantage), and At the 
Door of the Tabernacle, each and all of which trill 
repay perusal. Caroline Healey Dali contributes a 
paper on that charming woman, Anna Jameson. 
Ministers and Hobbles, by W. M. F. Round; A Con¬ 
ventional Conscience, What is Conscience, The 
True Story of Hans Christian, Paper Roses, A Just 
aud Faithful Knight of God, Sunday In Water 
Street, Kaslna Al Anwar, aud The still Hour, com¬ 
prise all the articles In tlic body of the magazine. 
The Editor’s Table discusses Where Is the Church? 
Theatre Going; Notes on Current Events. 
The Phrf.nologic.vl Journal, opens with a 
life-like portrait and phrenological and biographi¬ 
cal sketch of Senator John P. Jones, of Nevada. 
It contains also portraits and sketches of the late 
Bayard Taylor, American Minister to Germany, 
and also of the Marquis of Lome and Princess 
Louise. 
The chapter on Brain and Mind discourses on 
Organic Quality, its nature and Influence, Illus¬ 
trated with nearly a dozen engravings. Strange 
Plants are also Illustrated. The Unfolding of Mind 
through Conflict and Sin Is an interesting paper. 
The Health Department Is well sustained by 
the articles on Dietetic Delusions; Experiments 
in Magnetism ; aud the Proper Position m which 
to Sleep, while our social relations as men and 
women are discussed In single-Blessed ness; can 
the Sex of the Human Cranium be determined? 
There is also a great amount ot valuable, informa¬ 
tion in the Editorial Department, Answers to cor¬ 
respondents, etc. The publishers or this Journal 
have made a reduction in price. It Is uow pub¬ 
lished at $ 2.00 per year, with liberal premium offers 
to subscribers. 
Prof. Emil dc Bois-revmo.vd opens the Popular 
Science Monthly with an able article entitled 
Darwin vs. Gallonl, in which the rival doctrines 
of teleoloou and natural •vfoctum are discussed and 
compared in ft very Instructive ami dispassionate 
way, although the writer is evidently a sLrong be¬ 
liever in the latter mode of accounting for the 
phenomena of organic life. Prof. Joseph l,e Conte 
follows writ ,i second and concluding paper on t he 
.Scient ific Relations of sociology lo Biology, point¬ 
ing out m t his article \ he true position of Sociology 
as the chler of all the sciences, how It has been 
made possible through the development of others, 
and how It Is characterized by the possession of 
methods and data that are peculiarly Its own. 
'The Crystallization of cold. Silver, aud other 
Metals, by Thomas J. Gtegan, Is an illustrated and 
untechnleal account of the various beautiful cry¬ 
stalline shapes taken by some of the precious 
metals, and the conditions under which the phe¬ 
nomena occur. Tu ihe next article. Herbert 
Spencer before the English Copyright Commission, 
we have some strong common sense forcibly ap¬ 
plied to a very Important question; and few, after 
reading It, will fall to understand why Mr. Spencer 
was called before tho commission a second time. 
The Formation of Mountains is an Illustrated ac¬ 
count of a series of experiments performed by Prof. 
Alphonse. Favre, of Geneva, lo show the formation 
of the great Irregularities of the earth's surface by 
means of lateral thrust and crushing due to the 
process of cooling. 
People who believe in “ bumps," as well as those 
who would locate the mental faculties a little, deep¬ 
er than the scalp, will be Interested in “The Old 
Phrenology and thu New,” by Dr. Andrew Wilson. 
With the aid of Illustrations the writer makes sad 
work with the professions aud teachings of t ire old 
phrenologist s, and shows how mueli more reasona¬ 
ble is the. explanation which recent science has to 
olTer. "Backgammon among the. Aztecs," by Ed¬ 
ward B. Taylor, is an Instructive paper, on the 
high antiquity and wide diffusion of one of our 
common games. «Planetary Rings and New 
Stars,” by Prof. Daniel Vaughan; “Miles, Ticks, 
and other Acarl,” by E. R, Lelfuid (Illustrated); 
“Typhoid-Fever Poison,” by Dr. Ely Van de 
Worker; and a sketch by Prof. George B. Pres¬ 
cott of Mr. Elisha Gray, who la Introduced, as “ the 
Inventor of the Speaking Telephone,” and of whom 
a portrait is given, mi up the body of t he number. 
'I’lie departments are all good, the Editor’s Table 
and Popular Miscellany especially so. The former 
Contains some lrenriia.nl remarks on the ** Morality 
ni Copyright,'' and an explanation of the present 
attitude of science toward the question whether 
the so-called elements are elementary or not. 
I New York: D. Appleton & Co. Fifty cents per 
number, $5 per year. 
JjOt (©omni. 
OOND'JCTED BY MISS FAITH K1PLBX. 
THE SAFEGUARD. 
A baby crept to his father's knee. 
And was lifted up aud lulled to rest, 
Till the blue eyes closed, so tlrod was he, 
Aud his little head fell peacefully 
At ease on the ready shoulder there. 
While the baby band so soft and fair. 
Lay like a shield on his father’s breast. 
Of old 'tvvas said that when men drew near 
To fierce temptation or deadly strife. 
And lost their way in a maze of fear, 
Or perilod their souls for worldly gear, 
By a way unknown an angel ba nd 
Would lead them out of the dangerous land. 
Into tho light of a noble life. 
The story is true for the world to-day; 
We see uo white-robed angels mild; 
But- out of the dark aud perilous way 
Whore men nud women forgot to pray, 
Iuto thu peace of a purer laud 
They arc led by a gnu Me, shielding hand. 
The hand of r little helpless child. 
[Elizabeth \V. Denison, in Sunday Afternoon. 
-- 
LETTERS FROM A COUNTRY GIRL.-No. 11. 
MARGARET B. HARVEY. 
And now I would like to talk a while about mu¬ 
sic. Of course, what 1 have to offer upon the sub¬ 
ject, will be of little practical value to those who 
have no Instrument. So I will linger long enough 
to say. Get one! One woman will say she can¬ 
not afford It, another, that she won't have any 
until she can buy a Steinway grand. But mends, 
while you are waiting, your time is passing, your 
fingers are stiffening, and your taste is settling 
Into a perpetual crudity. Don't he above starting 
with a low-priced piano, and the knowledge gained 
upon It may either aid you or encourage you to 
procure a better ono. I venture to say, that If you 
use as little us seventy-five dollars for tills pur¬ 
pose, you will be able to receive more than the 
worth of the money In return, even It you buy 
second-hand. As for organs, you can purchase 
just as good anew one as anybody needs lor a 
hundred dollars. But I suppose every woman 
must have her heavy black silk and her gold 
watch a nd her Paisley shawl, whether her house is 
adorned and her mind cultivated, or not. It Is her 
business, not. mine. 
Music, i believe, is the highest art, the noblest 
science and the grandest pursuit which can occupy 
the human mind. Of all tilings earthly, It exercises 
the greatest sway over mankind, and of all things 
earthly. It is the most incomprehensible. How cun 
we expLaln why combinations of certain notes fill 
the heart with a sense ol pure joy, holy sentiment, 
elevated patriotism, or yearning tenderness, and 
a non deep sadness and wild despair? And tills not by 
any trick of form or color appealing to thu eye, -not 
by any set phrase or idiom, conveying an exact, un¬ 
mistakable meaning, — but simply by vibrations 
striking the. ear. It seems, Indeed, an unutterable 
language between soul and soul, the struggling 
efforts of a wandering, awful spirit to speak to us 
who but faintly comprehend, the tongue in which 
oirly seraphim can fitly hold converse; the one re¬ 
ality of this lower world that wo expect to find 
again in heaven. 
OPERATIC MUSIC. 
Thinking thus of music, It must follow that I 
consider an opera the subllmest product of human 
genius. When t hrough a long extended composi¬ 
tion any mortal Hum by such lee-ble inst ruments as 
mere sounds can cont rol a mighty multitude, and 
compel its members at his will to experience In 
rapid succession, simple pleasure and careless 
joy, ami deepest longing, intensost grief, fiercest 
hate, noblest sacrifice, highest hope uml grandest 
triumph. I say, his creative and governing energy 
is something godlike. He Is greater Than a poet, 
for It is the poet's thought as echoed in the strains 
to which it Is wedded, that Is carried home to Lite 
heart and life to remain forever; he is greater than 
a painter, for his songs fly through the atr aud 
are transported bodily into far distant regions In 
wtdeh the picture Is scarce heard ot; he Is greater 
than builder or monarch or conqueror, for his work 
remains indesiructiblo long after theirs has 
crumbled into dust, rue more we know of music, 
the more angelic we may become. 
I hope at this tate day, that I have shocked no 
one by coming out so strongly lu favor of the 
opera, if 1 have, lie or she is the very one who 
does not knowhow largely opera lie must - has en¬ 
tered Into our every-day Hie The sweetest songs 
and the most beautiful hymns that wo have, might 
be described by this term,which many have learned 
to pronounce so contemptuously. For instance, 
“The Lost Rose or summer," is "operatic,"—it. is 
from Martha: “Sleep, Gentle Mother,” Is from 11 
Trovatore: "Then You'll Remember Me," Is from 
The Bohemian Girl. The church tune Ovlo, is from 
Norma : Fading Light, from Dor Frevsehutz, while 
that grand air Seymour, or N on Weber (as it Is 
sometimes more fitly called}, Is from uberou, by 
the same author, Weber. And many a time, 1 
hope, has your heart swelled aud your eyes filled 
with tears to the enchaining strains of Manouh, by 
Rossini. 
Now that some ol my friends mean to set out in 
earnest and i>Uuj. 1 would advise them right here 
to leant all about operas that they can. This does 
not. touch upon the question of 'toinrj to tho opera, 
which I leave for others to discuss,—but. covet a 
knowledge of such music above all other kinds. 
And when you have fairly learned your scales and 
gained control over ringers, and are ready for a 
••piece,” attempt .something classical, There are 
easy arrangement. 1 ! for beginners, no more difficult, 
lr one determines to tvoi k hard and count .•omrf/p, 
than many pages of exercises. Don’t, ladles, don’t 
fool away your l imo on exercises,take at once some¬ 
thing which will draw you out, and which, when 
thoroughlymastered.wlll be,after allyour endeavor, 
a possession of some value. When with infinite 
trouble you have learned a lot of little runs and 
tinkles, you don't want to play them, and nobody 
cares to hear them. If the object of practicing 
them bate gain uwdom of hand, this can be at¬ 
tained Juki as surely on a real composition, -only, 
don’t get discouraged. Make it a rule nrrrr to give 
up a piece alter having once, commenced it., oven it 
you don’t kuow It for months. The next one will 
be ten times easier. 
BALLADS AND POLKAS. 
Don’t waste your hours and energies upon com¬ 
mon ballads, polkas and schottishes. There is, 
usually, nothing in them but, a “cute ” trick of ex¬ 
pression, or a rather “ smart” jingle, of which one 
soon grows weary. And as they depend on exact 
rendition for effect, they require practice which 
might be Tar better employed. You can just as 
well lea rn Meyerbeer's exquisite song. --Thy Flow¬ 
ery Banks. 0 Flowing River," .from the llugenOts, 
or one of Abt’s melting melodies, “ When the Swal¬ 
lows Homeward Fly,” or “Guardian Mother," os 
you can learn “Johnny Morgan,” or “ Whoa, 
Emma!” Instead of noisy, bombastic, stamping 
marches, written by nobody knows nor cares whom, 
take the really spirited and mftgnlflcent ones from 
Faust and Norma. V careful student had far bet¬ 
ter be busied with Mendelssohn's Songs without 
Words than with some trilling, merely prett y snow 
Drop or Rose Bud pieces. We are Immortal beings, 
remember; we have plenty to do in these lives ol 
ours, and we cannot afford to choose less than the 
best,—not only lor the time Involved, but the influ¬ 
ence upon us. If we want our hearts made pure 
and our tastes refined, we must first or all give 
preference to those things best calculated to do 
tills for us. 
Because I have exalted the opera and kindred 
music, 1 do not mean to imply lhat there Is no 
merit, In less pretentious compositions. But 1 do 
say, set up a high standard first, and if possible, 
reach it, then you will be able to judge ol good 
elsewhere. Nothing, however humble, If wrought 
out lu a sincere, loving, fender, unselfish spirit, 
Is worthless, so you must aim to cultivate not 
only a correctness but a breadth of taste. You 
will often find a priceless gem, like Wilson’s 
Shepherd Boy. among the mountains of rubbish 
around you. 
THE SPIRIT Of MUSIC. 
As a general rule, that winch comes the near¬ 
est to swaying completely the emotions,approaches 
most nearly to perfection. Dance music, with 
which, alas, too many ot our girls spend their 
leisure, 13 of little real value. It serves only to 
please the ear during the brief excitement 
of the passing hour. For seasons ol melancholy, 
of loneliness, ol aspiration and oi faith, tt has 
nothing to give, ’those who cultivate a love 
for soft reveries and walling misereres and 
divine psalms, trill seldom find ihelr playing un¬ 
acceptable and unappreciated. Yet if you must 
have dashing waltzes, choose those which have 
more to recommend them than Llielr sparkling 
mori'Cnent-those which sing of Hashing waters 
and swaying tree-tops and reveling fairies, such 
are Strauss’s compositions which have a witchery 
inimitable. He who can hear unmoved the bril¬ 
liant, “ Beautiful Blue Danube," or the charm¬ 
ing “Thousand aud One Nights” must be callous 
Indeed. Of course, you will find it profitable to 
learn a few simple polkas aud cotillions to amuse 
the children,—but. don't consider them part of your 
own music. 
VOCAL music. 
Bo tar 1 have spoken only of the piano. Many 
persons eminent for their musical culture have 
pronounced It a very imperfect instrument, giv¬ 
ing preference to the violin and the organ, this 
may be true, we would all, L think, rather hear 
gay sounds In the orchestra and solemn ones In 
tbc church, than In our parlors. But as an ac¬ 
companiment to t he voice It would be difficult to 
find a substitute available for our homes. It. is 
claimed that lis notes arc sharp and clear-cut, 
having neither the human-like thrilling of the 
violin nor the blending swell of the organ, but 
for singing, this is no drawback, as the vocal tones 
must rule the instrumental ones. The fewer and 
simpler the chords tho belter. Never believe that 
the most expensive piano or the greatest i iclluy 
In execution will ever take the place of a good 
voice. Whatever also you do. sue/. Women In 
the country. 1 believe, have a better chance to 
practice the high notes lban women in the city . 
Let one of t he latter scream lu her room, and she 
may be sure it. will he known, a nd her breaks too 
but one of the former may go out into the woods, 
as 1 have repeatedly done, and gain control or her 
abdominal muse! s and expand her chest utid ex¬ 
ercise her vocal i ■hords with no fear or intrusion. 
Let your improvement In singing keep pace with 
your advancement In playing. It Is a high art io 
be able to slug well to a correct accompaniment, 
simple ballads, and tho old, familiar Irish, scotch 
and “ darkey” songs arc always fresh and sweet. 
I have supposed Unity mi are going on without a 
teacher. Of course, the more lessons you can t ake 
the better; but, at tlie same lime, no one eau do 
your work for you, and nothing need hinder your 
doing It by yourself. Vou can learn all the keys 
and scales from a manual, and after that It is all 
practice. But It is a little more difficult, I think, to 
lcum to sing by note without, a teacher. You can 
only become able to read by picking out the notes 
one by one and trying them on the piano, and t hen 
striving to grasp the true sound with the voice. 
Yet keep on and on. and byc-and-bye, as an emi¬ 
nent organist said, you will “ begin to see.” 
ORGAN PL VYING. 
Now a word to the lady who has an organ. You 
will probably first waul lo play Inmlltar church 
and Sunday-School hymns, as perhaps you would 
If you hud a piano. This Is well, for in any pursuit, 
make It yield you pleasure and profit as -non as 
pos. lbln; put don't let this 1JC all. Just as grand 
composers have left music suitable tor the organ as 
any for the piano. Think of your rich heritage of 
chants, masses, oratories aud sonatas. There are 
published books of voluntaries made up of selec¬ 
tions from the wonderful creations of Mozart, Han¬ 
del, Hayden and Beethoven. Any music dealer 
can send yon such a book on application. 
Again 1 will say, practice. You must try if pos¬ 
sible to get in, at the very least, it half-hour’s work 
daily—but as much more as you can, short oi neg¬ 
lecting things more Important, that is. It anything 
is more Important than your rest and comfort and 
culture, but I know that some of your neighbors 
will talk, and say you are giving yourself airs, or 
leaving duty undone. I might say, “ Don’t mind 
them,” but I know you will mind them, at, least, 
enough to be annoyed even If you are not fright¬ 
ened into giving up your effort. Yet you can re¬ 
member that If you overlooked a hundred little- 
odds and ends of time, in which you might just as 
well he seated before the Instrument, as idle by the 
fir", they would find no fault with you, and you 
would end by knowing nothing,—then you can 
choose, determining which rate would he the more 
dreadful, to be talked about, or to be ignorant. 
But I shall suppose that you have decided wisely, 
so I will tell you, for your encouragement, that r 
know of a young man who learned to play on a 
painted board a ml succeeded finely. Better do this 
tha n not aLtempt,—for he learned the correct linger¬ 
ing of many difficult, pieces, and when he did get a 
piano at last, practice soon took.! he stiffness out of 
his hands, l shall have to talk, one of these days, 
about habits of study, so that, r can make you be¬ 
lieve. that you have time if you will take tt. And 
now I will close by saying, success to your music. 
Success need not. necessarily mean amazing ease 
in execution, nor ability to perform a difficult com¬ 
position (a very simple piece is frequently very 
beautiful), nor the power to show off In public, 
though lr, may Include all of these. But It. does 
mean amusing the chltdren, entertaining a friend, 
comforting a dear one, or mingling In private wor¬ 
ship, in short, adding to the pleasure, (he loveli¬ 
ness and the devotion of the home. 
♦-»- 
OLD MAIDS AND OLD BACHELORS. 
. 1 . s. 
Old maids are useful. They can cook, sew and 
take care of children, nurse sick people, and gen¬ 
erally play the piano. Old bachelors areuseless. 
They do not even know how to drive nails or split 
wood. 
Olcl maids are amiable. If one wants anything 
done that requires patience and kindness of heart, 
a single lady Is sure to be the one to do It. 
Old bachelors are ill-nature' 1 .. They snub chil¬ 
dren, despise, babies, and hate young mothers, and 
are always so busily employed in seeing that 
other people take good care of them that they have 
not a moment, to give to anyone else. 
Old maids are nice looking, and “young for their 
years.” Old bachelors generally have red noses, 
rheumat ism In their knees, bald heads, and mouths 
that, turn down at the corners. 
Old maids ctm make a home of one little room, 
and cook delirious meals for one over the gas-jet In 
cunning little tin-kettles, besides making all their 
own wardrobes, old bachelors need an army of 
tailors, waiters, cooks, distant relatives and hotel 
landlords, to keep them eomrortable. \V hen old 
maids are ill they tie up their heads In pocket- 
ha ndkerridofs, take homoeopathic pellets out ot 
two bottles, alternately, and get well again. 
When old bachelors are 111 they go to bed and send 
for four doctors; have a consultation; a mantle- 
plere full of black bottles; all the amiable married 
men who belong to the ulnb to sit up wii h them at 
night, besides a hired nurse; they telegraph to 
their relations: and do their best to Impress the 
world with the idea that they are dying. 
When an old rapid travels she takes a sandwich, 
a piece of pound-cake, a buttle of lemonade in a 
hand basket, and lunches comfortably lu the car¬ 
riage. When an old bachelor travels he orders a 
dinner in courses at the station, and raves because 
he has not rime to eat It heroic the "fifteen minutes 
for refreshments’* are over. 
Old maids drink weak tea and it cures their 
headaches. 
Old bachelors drink strong liquor which gives 
them headaches. 
Old maids are modest; they think their youth is 
over and their beauty gone. lr. after a while, 
some autumnal love Is given them, they take It as 
a sort, of miracle, and hope people will not laugh 
at them for “many tug so late in life." 
Old bachelors believe rn.it all women are in love 
with them, and thill, they must cartlully guard 
themselves from traps laid, to inveigle them into 
matrimony. They also fondly Cherish the belief 
that should they eventually become married men, 
the world expects them to exhibit great taste In 
women by their choice, anil that the “other fel¬ 
lows” will laugh if their portion be not tender 
youth and beauty; also that when they marry, 
many women will, expire of jealousy. 
BE HAPPY. 
T. A. GERE. 
Nature, everywhere, tells us to be happy 
Never mind your age. cheerfulness Is not a re¬ 
proach to gray hall's. Take a l mt from the leaves 
of the trees. How they chatter wllh the squirrels 
and laugh ai the dew drops nil summer! Yet, 
when they mil, how gladly they mingle in a merry 
romp or joyous dance In the breezes of autumn. 
A POSTPONEMENT. 
The Illustrated article on Painting on China, 
promised for January, was delayed in consequence 
of our Inability to procure just the engrav ings wo 
wanted. We hope lo be able to get them in course 
of a few weeks 
In response 1 o many requests we -hall give de¬ 
sign v i i Crewel Work, in lirnu, of Ft bruary is. 
Ritual oi' March 1st will contain Illustrations of 
( ross-Stitch, a style of ornamentation very much 
in vogue for embellishing household linen. 
