THE R U R A„ NEW-YORKER. 
JUaOuii) tor tjjr goiiug, 
THE DEVIL-FISH. 
UNOI.K MAKE. 
“ Devii^Fisu,” you say? “ What an ugly, Irrev¬ 
erent, disgusting name I” 
Well, that Is true; It Is not a handsome name, 
certainly, hut then the gentleman that hears It Is 
almost frightful enough for such a name, hut few 
of my nieces and nephews may have heard any¬ 
thing about this animal, and fewer still have seen 
a real one or formed a clear Idea of how It looks. 
There It Is In the picture. Notice the eight long 
arms, growing out from the head and surrounding 
the mouth, with their numerous suck lug-discs on 
the under side. Notice the large, bright eye and 
the bulky, trunk-shaped body. If any one ever 
told you of such a monster, and you were not per¬ 
fectly sure that your Informer always told the 
truth, you might have doubled Its existence. 
There are many species of this class of ani¬ 
mals, which are found In the Bea the world 
over, llovll-tlah Is, however, not the real 
name—the one they always go by—Cuttle- 
tlsh la more common. They are also known 
as ootopatti, which means that they have 
eight feet, and scientists put them In the 
class OepliaUtpotla, moaning head-footed, be¬ 
cause the arms, which are also used as feet, 
grow out from the head, and when they [ 
walk, they walk with the head downward. 
Home of them have ten arms, In which case 
two of the arms are much longer than the 
others, and arc called U-ntavUts. Cuttle-fishes 
<1 lifer very much in size. Some are only a 
few Inches long, and others measure scores 
or feet. There Ls a large specimen, preserv¬ 
ed In alcohol, In the New York Aquarium, 
which measures forty root to the tips oi the 
tentacles, and yet, tills is but a baby com¬ 
pared with some that are found In the Pacific 
and I ndlau Oceans. 
The body has no structure. It Is one loose, 
flabby, jelly-like mass, Inside of wldch is a 
bone called the cuttle-bone, used in the arts 
for polishing soft metals, 'the arms are used 
both for swimming and walking, but princi¬ 
pally for catching the prey, and woe be to 
the poor victim that these long, cold, slimy. 
suakc-Ukc limbs wind about. The suckers 
hold the prey so firmly that It ls Impossible 
c o escape from their grasp, and gradually It 
ls worked towards the mouth and disappears 
In the stomach. 
Victor Hugo, the great French writer, of 
whom 1 trust many of the cousins have heard, 
says: 
“ seized by this animal, you enter into the beast; 
the hydra Incorporates Itself with the man; the 
man Is amalgamated with the hydra. You become 
one. The tiger can only devour you ; the devil-flail 
inhales you. He draws you to him, Into him; and, 
bound and helpless, you feel yourself slowly emp¬ 
tied Into this frightful Hac, which ls a monster. 
To he eaten allvo ls more than terrible; but to be 
.drunk alive Is Inexpressible." 
Many of them are also provided with an “Ink 
bag,” UUed with an inky fluid which they use as a 
weapon of defense. Whenever they are pursued by 
an enemy, they poor a cloud of this lnlc out In the 
water and hide from the pursuer. 
The color ls changeable. Generally It ls brown¬ 
ish, but when Irritated they assume a purple or 
violet color. As a means of protection, they can 
also take the color of the rocks upon which they 
walk on the bottom of the sea. 
- »♦ »- 
TO THE SONS OF THE FARMEE.-No. 2. 
KKV. A. W. MANUUM. 
Some may desire to go to the city because they 
will there have specially favorable opportunities 
to gather Information—to tincome very Intelligent. 
I do not deny that facilities for acquiring knowl¬ 
edge of certain kinds abound much more in towns 
that In rural districts. But you should understand 
that the couni,ry furnishes really better opportun¬ 
ities, In some respects, to the student than the 
city does. When once regn larly engaged as a clerk 
In a mercantile house, or as u subordinate In any 
city business, your time for self-improvement, If 
not. entirely wanting, is, at most, sadly limited. 
Your work Is apt to need, and your employer to de¬ 
mand, most, If not all, of your I line. 
It ls better to attend school in the country than 
in town, 'the fewer and simpler the attractions 
around the school, l he more likely you will be to 
study faithfully and learn fast. I do not hesitate 
to say that the farm Is a good place for gathering 
Information and cultivating the mind. There, any 
literary work is more like recreation, i know what 
II ls to iplow all day and sit down and read by 
torch-light at night. Thu night—all file year round 
—In the farmer’s home furnishes excellent oppor¬ 
tunities for mental improvement, 'there, are also 
many rainy days or other times of leisure which 
can be occupied In reading and study. As you have 
less company—less to divert your mind—In the 
country, you will there feel more interest in your 
books. They can charm you more because they 
have fewer and leas potent rivals than In town. 
\ ml you ought to learn much and have a well- 
trained mind before you wander from the circle of 
indulgent friends to risk your fortune among 
strangers. 
As to the essential literary advantages, you can 
iiml them or procure them lu your rural home or 
community. Good publications of every kind are 
numerous and cheap. You cannot spend your 
money more wisely than In the purchase of valu¬ 
able publications, both periodicals and books. 
You should be careful to spend your precious time 
on such books and Journals ns will make you ihe 
wiser for the reading. 
Hut you may have attended high schools aud 
college. If so, you will be liable to conclude that 
you ought at once to seek a place of greater prom¬ 
inence than the quiet farm-house. Don’t be in 
too great a hurry. Road! study! Work! 
Walt! if you expect to enter a literary pro¬ 
fession—one that will thrust you before the pub¬ 
lic—and feel the need of locating where there 
is more business than around your home, even 
then you will, likely, be the more respected and 
the more successful It you take time to furnish 
your mind thoroughly and to grow strong before 
you enter Into hazardous competition with the 
able and experienced. Young men, like young 
plants, do not often thrive when they are under too 
thick a Made. 
There Is also decided advantage In recognizing 
the relations between plain, practical work and 
the duties of one of the so-called “learned profes¬ 
sions.” It will be profitable, to you If you will take 
recreation from your professional studies by de¬ 
voting yourself, now and then, to some practical 
pursuits on the farm. It will harden aud strength¬ 
en your muscles and make you capable of more and 
bettor work with your mind, it will nurture that 
den stoppage was so great that It quite stunned 
me, and I must have remained Insensible a con¬ 
siderable time, for when 1 next recollected any¬ 
thing t he storm had ceased, the sky was clear, and 
the stars were shining. How beautiful everything 
was! The trees were loaded with pure snow, 
Nature’s coverlet,, with which she tucks up the 
earth to protect her from the biting cold. All 
around me l could hear Hie Jingle or the merry 
sleigh-bells. 
But <lo not think 1 am only good for urn asm amt. 
No, Indeed! Without our friendly covering, the 
tender plants would rreeze during the winter, and 
the ground would be frozen so har’d that It would 
take very long to thaw It out,, and the growth or 
everything would la* much retarded. In hot coun¬ 
tries, too, where there ls no Ice. the snow on the. 
high mountain tops ls used as we use Ice here. 
i staid for many days on the pine branch, hut 
after a time I noticed a great change in some of 
my companions. The sun was very warm, and 
after a few days they actually mritm and disap¬ 
peared. I was very much shocked by this, and my 
horror was Increased to llnd the same symptoms 
were manifested In myself. I gradually melted, 
and became part, of u pool by the roadside. After 
staying in that form for several days, the heat of 
the DKvrwnaH. 
Invaluable mentor—common sense, without which 
even the master of books Is the slave of folly, it 
will enable you to carry with you Into your pro¬ 
fession a rational sympathy with the interests and 
peculiarities Of tile great labori ng masses. It will 
develop that wisdom which will guide you in your 
efforts to utilize your powers and attainments 
for the welfare of those uulu whom you hope % be 
a benefactor. It will aid materially in the lorrna- 
tlon and maintenance of that. spirit of mutual 
trust and kindness which ought to prevail between 
those who pursue, respectively, the practical and 
professional duties In society. It. will fasten In you 
a true regard for that great, all-sustaiulng depart¬ 
ment of human labor -the cultivation of the fields 
—and save you from the disastrous folly of divorc¬ 
ing, in your judgment and feelings or by your con¬ 
duct, the two Interdependent, departments or hu¬ 
man enterprise—the plain toll of Production and 
the more Intellectual work of the learned Profes¬ 
sion. 
- ♦♦♦ - 
HISTORY OF A SNOW-FLAKE. 
TOI.U BY ITSELF. 
When 1 first began to notice the world I lived in, 
I found myself, together with my companions, 
floating In space, fur above Ihe loftiest mountains, 
where the earth looked like a dull plain beneath 
me. In appearance I was like a tiny drop or wa¬ 
ter— I was what ls called vapor, then—and l was 
one of a great company of such drops. We floated 
In the-clear air, dancing up and down, sparkling 
like a shower of diamonds. Driven by a light, 
breath of air, we floated across a great body of 
water, high above It, so that the while winged 
Shifts seemed like litt le swans beneath us. While 
we passed over the water, our number was in¬ 
creased by other drops of vapor, which were sepa-- 
ruled from the water by the heat of (lie sun. On¬ 
ward we went again, this time over the house-tops 
of a great city We could see (lie people passing 
up and down Its streets, looking like tiny moving 
specks. We paused over the city, and came again 
to the country A t lust, after we had 1 1 on led along 
for many days, we saw In the distance a lofty 
range of mountains. We went on towards ft, hut 
Just as we were about to pass over, I felt a cold 
shiver pass through me. ll was a very Strange 
feeling, unlike anything I hud experienced before. 
OI course, being an old traveler, I took little notice 
of It,, and was going on. when I saw a strange 
change in my companions. I told you before that 
we were like tiny drops or wafer. They still shone 
as brightly as ever, but their form was changed. 
They looked like thistle-down, but were of the 
most lovely forms Imaginable. Some were like 
simple stars, others were ornamented with delicate 
tracery, like terns, but they all retained one prima¬ 
ry form, that of a six-pointed star. You cannot 
see their Shape with the naked eye, but I could, 
being one of them myself. We had been changed 
by the cold air Into snow-flakes. The air seemed 
filled with ill), whirling around, and bounding up 
and down. It was like a wild waltz. 
The wind blew us fiercely about, but we did not 
care; we were wrapped up In the enjoyment of 
the hour. We went lower and lower down towards 
the earth, until at last I was stopped suddenly by | 
the branch of a pine tree. The shock of the sud¬ 
the snn again separated me from my fellows. 
Again I became a Uny drop of vapor, and again 1 
float about in the air with my companions, won¬ 
dering over the strange experiences I have been 
through. k. l. r. 
-4^4.- 
LITTLE JACK HORNER. 
“ Little Jack Horner 
.Sat lu a corner, 
Eyeing his Christmas pie; 
He nut fn his thumb 
Aim ladled out a plum. 
And said, ” Wliutu brave boy am 1 
These six lines, I suppose, are ms familiar to you 
as your A. li. C -indeed, I wouldn't much wonder 
If you knew all about Jack llorner. Mother Hub¬ 
bard, .Jack and .nil. long before, you ever knew 
there were such Uinuenls In the world as A’s and 
G's. and S's aud W’s. I do not believe you nave 
ever heard the true story of the small Jack, tills 
celebrated person In the ltlvralurc of the uursery. 
Will you listen while I tell you the story, the real, 
t rue story ? There is a tradition lu Somersetshire, 
that, the Abbot of Glastonbury, hearing that Henry 
VIII., had spoken with Indignation of ids building 
such u kitchen as the king could nut. burn down — 
It being domed over with stone—seut, up his stew¬ 
ard, Jack Horner, to present, the king an accepta¬ 
ble present; viz: a dish which, when the crust 
was lifted up, was found to contain deeds trans¬ 
ferring twelve manors to his sovereign, and Unit 
as Jack Horner traveled up to town Ln the abbot's 
wagon, he lifted up the crust. anil stole out I he 
gl ft of t he manor of White, still possessed by Ins 
descendants, and when he relumed, told the abbot 
that the king had given It to him, but, w as found, 
or suspected, to have Imposed upon his patron. 
Then there Is another version of the story: 
When the monasteries and their property were 
seized, orders were given to take the title deeds of 
the abbey estates at Wells, which were very ex¬ 
tensive und valuable. After some delay, ll w as 
determined by t lie Abbot of Glastonbury to give 
them up, and, for want Of asafe mode of conveying 
them, it was decided thaU.be most likely way to 
avoid their being seized by* any but. those for 
whom they were intended, was Id send them in a 
pastry. 
The safest messenger, and least, likely to ex¬ 
cite suspicion whs considered to be a poor lad—our 
young hero- Jack Horner, who was Lite son of poor 
parents living In the neighborhood or the grange. 
The lad set out oil his Journey' on foot, lauen 
with tlie pastry. 
It was a weary road, and, England, not be¬ 
ing so thickly inhabited us now. he aid, down to 
rest in as snug a corner as he could And on the 
roadside. 
Hunger at. last overcame him—as it will some 
small children (du you know any children who 
are ever hungry, who like bread and butter and 
sugar?) Well as I was saying, hunger overcame 
him, and lie was at a loss what to do, when lie be¬ 
thought him of the pastry aud thought; 111 ( 11*6 
would beno harm In Lasting ever so little a bit 
01 the pie which he was carrying. 
He, therefore, Inserted ULs thumb under the 
crust, when lol there was nothing hut parch¬ 
ment—poor disappointed hoy—no pudding and no 
plums, and parch menu are not very satisfying 
10 a hungry stomach. Although Jack could not 
read those parchments, be thought they might, 
he of value, fJe, therefore, pocketed one of the 
papers, and pursued his journey with the rest of 
the pastry. 
Upon his delivering the deeds, It was round that 
one of the chief ones was missing; It was thought 
that the abbot had withheld It., and nn order wa.s 
ssohl for him to be executed this was all from 
Jack’s stealing the plum. Thu sequel was that 
after the monasteries were despoiled, there was 
found in the possession of the faudly of Jack 
llorner a piece or parchment which was Ids 
title-deed of Wells Abbey—the abbot having been 
executed for withholding the deed, as wosauppoetd. 
Jack ought to have confessed stealing the plum 
aud not allowed The poor abbot to lose ids head. 
1 am real glad our plums are real, live ones, and 
not tUied tough parchment. 
FkANWS tt'i'kVkNB. 
Sabbath fading. 
THE CASUISTRY OF THE CONFESSIONAL, 
The mtstress and the Irish cook are ln colloquy. 
“ Indade, missus, and what for should I stale 
rrom ye ? I must, go and tell It all to the priest.. 
I kneel down to confess me sins; and he asks me 
so munv quasi Ions; there’s nothing ln me that he 
doesn Wad out. I daren’t tell Aim a Ue. l must 
tell hint Just what 1 took from ye, and all about It; 
the tay, the sugar, the. coffee, and all unbeknowst 
to ye. He asks me Jlst what it is all worth; aud I 
must tell him to a penny; lor I mustn’t tell a Ue 
to him, ye know, ‘is thatau,’ he says, says he. 
* Ye stop and think, and tell me ivery thing;’ aud 
his eyes look Into me very sowl. And 1 takes care 
to put It high enough, to be sure of me sowl. Then 
he says to me, says he, * Have ye got the money 
wkl ye?’ I says, ‘Yea, Father B.’ Ye know ye 
must, have the money about ye wnlu ye- go to con¬ 
fess. And thin he points up to the poor-box, hang¬ 
ing there before me eyes; and ho says, says 
he. ‘See that yc don’t lave this house, till 
ye’ve put. lvry penny of that yo stole Into Un¬ 
box yonder, lornont the post.’ And 1 must 
do It, missus, just as ho tolls mo, wld lilscj ts 
looking at me so; or I go home wld a Ue to 
the priest; and thin wlmt’s the good of con¬ 
fessing, and what becomes of toe sowl? so 
3 what's the good lo me, if I staled jour 
sugar?' 
'1 he above was a veritable occurrence ln 
the city ol Boston, not long ago. It carries 
Internal evidence of truth, so far as this— 
that an Irish servant would not be likely to 
originate the adroit casuistry ol giving to 
the poor the proceeds of her pilfering Nome 
shrewder mind than hers started t hat idea. 
Bulls that the casuistry of the confessional ? 
A certain old Hook declares of the Almighty, 
••I hate robbery for burnt offering.’ ~r<>n- 
orrgatiuuutisl. 
- - 
HOME PIETY. 
lTlsin the family life that a man s piety 
gets tested. Let the husband be cross and 
'*’4 ®urty, giving a slap here and a cuff mere, 
^ und then see how out of sorts everything 
gels. The wire grows cold and unamluble 
too. Both are toned on one key. 'I hey vi 
brate In unison, glVlng tone for tone, rising 
in harmony or discord together. The chil¬ 
dren grow up sauej- and savage as young 
bears. The lather becomes callous, peevish, 
hard, a kind of two-legged brute with clothes on. 
The wife bristles hi self-defense. 'J hey develop an 
unnatural growth aud sharpness of teeth, and the 
house ls haunted by ugliness and domestic brawls. 
Is that what God meant t.he fatnUy to be—lie 
who made It a place for love to build her nest ln, 
and where kindness and sweet courtesy might 
come to their Quest manifestations? The divine 
can be reaUzed. There is sunsldne enough ln the 
world to warm all. Why will not men come out or 
their caves to enjoy It ? Home men make It a poiut 
to treat every man’s family well hut their own— 
have smiles for all but tlielr kindred. Strange, 
pitiable picture of human weakness, when those 
who love best are treated worst; when courtesy ls 
shown to all save our friends. 
if one must be rude to any, let it be. to some one lie 
docs not love—not lo wife, sister, brother or parent. 
Let one m our loved ones be taken away, and mem- 
ntory recalls a thousand sayings to regret. Death 
quickens recoilnctlou painfully. The grave cun 
not hide the white faces of those who sleep. The 
colliu and the green ground are cruel magnets. 
They draw us farther titan we would go. They 
force us to remember. A man never sees so fur 
Into human life as when he looks over a wife’s or 
mother’s grave, ills eyes get wondrous clear then, 
and lie secs us never before, what It ls to love and 
be loved; what It ls to Injure the feelings of the 
loved. 
- «♦» 
In answer to the question, "Is It right for our 
churches to use fermented wine at the Lord’s 
Table?” we unhesitatingly answer, no. When we 
properly celebrate that sacred ordinance with uu- 
fenneoted wine, we have no misgivings ln regard 
to obeying our Lord. But on the other hand, how 
often do our el lurches use a fiery liquid which Is 
not in any sense the Irull of the vine, aud never 
was. 
Let us then leave to the votaries of Bacchus the 
Intoxicating cup. It contains a dangerous ele¬ 
ment. which Moses calls the poison of dragons and 
tlu* venom or imps. Solomon calls it a mocker 
and a deceiver. Paul calls It the cup of devils, 
and It Is appropriate for devil-worship and an 
Idolatrous feast. But let the Church of Christ 
never pollute herself with such a cup, nor call It 
an appropriate emblem of Jesus' blood.— National 
Baptist, 
-- 
Youth ls the age of folly, of valo hopes, and 
overgrown confidence. How wise many might 
have been, had they not been wise lu their own 
opinion too early 1 Lean not to great parts, lean 
not to natural or acquired accomplishments, lest 
you 1080 them and yourselves too. It was an ex¬ 
cellent saying of St. Austin, “ He who stands upon 
Ills own strength shall never stand.” All, young 
men, if you must needs be loaning, lean upon pre¬ 
cious promises, lean upon the rock that ls higher 
than yourselves, lean upon the Lord Jesus Christ, 
as John did, who was the youngest or all the dis¬ 
ciples. John leaned much, and Christ loved him 
much, oh 1 lean upon Christ’s wisdom lor direc¬ 
tion. upon His righteousness ror Justification, upon 
His blood lor remission, and upon Lila all-sufflcient 
merits lor salvation, 
-- 
Mukmukino Isa black garment, and It becomes 
none so ill as saints. 
