THE RURhl NEW-YORKER 
a 
S 
and troublesome, and It was bard to bear patiently 
with his mad pranks. But time sobered him; there 
came Into hts face an expression that told of min¬ 
gled courage and kindness, he was tender with the 
little ones, and loving to all, and the other day, 
when an accident befell him, those whom he had 
most tried were most devoted In their attentions 
and sympathy. Humanity would be better If 
more men had a face as kindly and a heart as true, 
lie Is only a dog .—Boston Transcript. 
-♦- 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
A Hand Boole of Nursiii«r for family and gen¬ 
eral UflB. Published under the direction of the 
Connecticut i'rninimr School for Nuraise. State Hos¬ 
pital. New Haven Conn, -it*; j*u. 12 mo. cloth. .T. 
15. Lippinentt & Co., Philadelphia. 
We give this book hearty welcome and would 
gladly see a copy of It In every house In the land. 
It hits been truly said that a good nurse Is of quite 
as much Importance In a sick room as the physi¬ 
cian and olten renders the service of the latter 
unnecessary. The work before us recites briefly 
but comprehensively the duties of the nurse In 
the sick room and how they should he performed; 
though brief In language and simple In Its form It. 
comprises the experience of years, it Is not a 
medical treatise; there are too many directions 
for home practice already In the market for the 
public good: but It Is Intended to instruct the 
reader how best to aid the physician by properly 
carrying out his directions, and giving especial a t¬ 
tention to all the surroundlugs both In and of the 
house. We have no doubt the publication of this 
volume will prove the means of preventing much 
sickness and saving many lives. 
VinuiK Folk.**’ History of EiikIhuH. By Chau- 
lotte > 1 . Yongk. -Boston; Batua & Lauriut. 
This is a neat volume, of about loo pages, printed 
In large, clear type, and handsomely and profusely 
illustrated. As the title suggests, the work Is 
written In a style adapted to the comprehension 
of youthful minds, and the story of England's his¬ 
tory, from the time of the conquering of the Britons 
by Ca-sar to the happy and peaceful reign of Vic¬ 
toria, is presented In a manner that can scarcely 
fall to Interest and Instruct the reader. Although 
a young folks’ history, Its concise style strongly 
recommends It to older readers, who may wish to 
refresh their knowledge of English history. 
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MAGAZINES FOR JUNE. 
The Herald of Health— Contents for June: 
Physiological and Sanitary Marriage and Parent¬ 
age, by the Editor; How Children become De¬ 
formed, by Mary J. SafTord, M, D.; Alcohol in 
Melancholy and Nervous Exhaustion, by B. W. 
Richardson, M. D., F. R. S. Warning; Castles In 
the .Ur; Death Speaks; Seventeen Months on 
Fruit and Bread; A sensible Tiling to Do; Over¬ 
worked; Intrusion of visitors; Gloomy Weather; 
Opium in China; Unhealthy Intellectual Develop¬ 
ment; Death of Mrs. Sarah J. Hale; Talent not 
always Transmitted; George Eliot’s Health: 
Queen Victoria and Dress Reform; Lucrctla Mott; 
Drug taking Mania; Effects of Quinine on the 
Hearing; I.earn to Swim; Attention after Mar¬ 
riage; Current Literature: Health Foods. 
Drug Taking MANIA.—Women are rather more 
given to drug taking than men, though both are 
bad enough In this respect. Here Is what one 
of our most eminent physicians has to say on 
this subject: 
“Ur. Holmes has said that It would be well for 
the world if most medicines were thrown into the 
sea; that it might, be bad for the fishes, hut It 
would be better for mankind. For this unasked 
and Impertinent suggestion he has received a 
good deal of orthodox censure, which 1 am here 
now to share with him, lor r am of the same opin¬ 
ion as Dr. Holmes, and this opinion has long been 
a part of my Christian faith. That the major part 
of the world does not agree with us la plain. In¬ 
deed mast people seem to think that the chief 
end of man Is to take medicine. Babies take It In 
their mother's milk; children cry for It; men and 
women unceasingly ask for it. Shrewd men have 
taken advantage of this Instinct, and In most civ¬ 
ilized nations It. Is to-day one of the chief articles 
of manufacture, and of commerce, it is one of 
those things which is never permitted to be out of 
sight; but is thrust upon vou In the nursery, in 
the streets, upon the lampposts and upon the 
curbstones, along the highways, from the rocks 
which herder the rivers;,the medicine chest fol¬ 
lows you at sea, as If the sea Itself, a vast gallipot 
of uauseanls, were not enough. One might nat¬ 
urally suppose that the supply would at length 
exceed the demand! but tt does not. Everywhere 
the people arc stretching out their arms and beg¬ 
ging for medicine, blessing him who gives and 
cursing him who withholds. They believe, in 
their simplicity, that If medicines do no good, they 
canal least do no harm. They Imagine also, that 
there is a medicine which may be regarded as a 
specific for every human malady, and that these 
are known to science, and that therefore we have 
the means of curing all diseases; but the people 
imagine a vain thing Whaierer medicine is cap¬ 
able when properly administered, of doing good, 
the same medicine Is equally capable, when im¬ 
properly administered, of doing harm; and drugs 
often substitute a malady more serious than that 
which they were Intended to cure. The Irishman 
said his physician stuffed hLn so with medicine 
that he was sick a long time after he got well.— 
Dr. lYank Hamilton. 
Contents of Tub American Naturalist for 
Junk: Prof. Hartt on The Brazilian sandstone 
Reefs, Richard Ruth him. Rob. A. Bird, Biography, 
Rev. Samuel Lockwood. On the Morphology of 
the Seml-drculat Canals, Frauds Dercum. Texas 
in Its Geouofrtlc and Agricultural Aspects, J. Boll. 
Recent Literature. General Notes on Botany, Zo¬ 
ology, Anthropology, Geology, Geography and 
Microscopy. 
Jfiir $Boutfit. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS FAITH RIPLEY. 
SUNDAY-REST FOR WOMEN. 
BERTHA A. WINKLER. 
WnEN one considers the additional anxieties and 
the extra work imposed upon housewives on this 
day of universal repose from labor, It would seem 
as though the Divine Law-giver had commanded 
hut the masculine half of the race to “ Remember 
the Sabbath-day to keep it. holy.” To wives and 
mothers the approach of Sunday Is but the signal 
for Increased activity to supply the special wants 
of tile rest-taking members of the family. A 
crowning of the week’s work In one grand display 
of domestic skill and Industry in stiff arrays of 
white, glossy shirts, and fluted, ruffled dresses, a 
sumptuous table of pastry and dainties, and rooms 
scrubbed and dusted to the highest possible de¬ 
gree. All these labors are, no doubt, a pleasure to 
a thorough-going housewife, and I hearilly ap¬ 
plaud her desire to contribute to the cleanliness, 
eomrort and beauty of her home; but when It 
happens, as is too often the case., that the husband 
finds fault with the lit and set of his shirt and re¬ 
wards her labors with a wry face, or the big sons 
unexpectedly bring a roomful of company home to 
dinner and the little sods take occasion to be more 
fastidious and fretful over the coveted dainties of 
the table, thus involving the poor, harassed 
mother In a series of discouragements and vexa¬ 
tions, l think It Is high Mine that, she too made an 
effort to obtain her share of sunday-rest. The or¬ 
dinary routine of her week's work, exclusive of 
the demands which the big and little members of 
the family make upon her time and attention, Is 
sufficiently heavy to require at least one day’s rest 
for mental and physical renovation. 
But, unfortunately, a mother’s heart is deaf to 
bodily exhaustion, she only hears the hoys clam¬ 
oring for good dinners and the girls preparing for 
church, consequently the Cry of nature tor rest ts 
hushed and the good, self-denying mother alone 
remains to do the choring and to prepare the extra 
supply of good thiugs for Sunday dinners. Per¬ 
haps It she knew less Of ilie wants of others and 
left them to minister a little more to their own 
comforts, they would be more apt to realize the 
extent of her labors and learn to evince their ap¬ 
preciation of them In thoughtful moderation of 
their desires, and In endeavors to live and labor as 
much for her comfort as she does for theirs. 
I see women whose pale, emaciated features and 
weary, faltering steps plainly betray the life of 
drudgery t,o which their blind devotion, their for¬ 
getfulness of self has subjected them. Week after 
week 1 see them perforin the same tasks, bear the 
same burden apparently cheerful but in reality 
worn out and wretched, undjvlien Sunday arrives 
to bring rest to all the world besides, she alone 
remains to lOU and trudge until late In the after¬ 
noon and If then—no wee ones hindering—she at¬ 
tempts to read a book the weary eye lids close 
and sleep mercifully affords what husband and 
children have thoughtlessly denied, it is for 
these women mat I plead. They are no Iron-elad 
machines to whom the wear and tear of each 
day does but little damage. They are your moth¬ 
ers, your wives, your companions, and as such the 
Divine decree applies to them as well as you. 
With you they have patiently tolled and suffered 
through all the various vicissitudes of life: with 
you they have risen at the dawn of morning and 
faithfully labored through the heat and burden of 
each day; and with you let. them enjoy the calm 
and rest of the evening, the peace and quiet of 
the Sabbath. And It woman’s peculiar sphere of 
usefulness requires more steady activity allow¬ 
ing no stated periods of rest save those at night, 
how much more should we exercise moderation 
In our demands for ease and comfort procured at 
her expense! flow much more should we strive 
to render her duties less onerous. There are a 
hundred little tasks easily performed in a passing 
moment of leisure which we thoughtlessly' allow 
to accumulate until they require a day’s work at 
her hands. Thorn are a hundred errands we might 
run tor her on our way to and from the house and 
thus lessen the drag upon her feet without Incon- 
venlenclug ourselves, If we hut took a moment’s 
thought, our services to her consist in Uttle 
things and great results. A cheering word spoken, 
at the proper time; a ready hand to perform 
some little office tor her when required; and 
thoughtful forbearance of whatever may Increase 
her discomfort or worrtment will contribute won¬ 
derfully to her relief and promote the harmony 
and happiness of that home which she so continu¬ 
ally strives to render attractive to us. 
Let us therefore endeavor to establish a new 
order of thlnys in the domestic life, by abstaining 
from those sumptuous Sunday-feasts. the prepar¬ 
ation Of which must necessarily require some ex¬ 
tra labor which, from a religious point of view, 
should be conscientiously. It nor. humanely avoided; 
by withholding Individual desires, and require¬ 
ments which are not absolutely uecessary and by 
a thoughtful regard and observance of the moth¬ 
er’s wishes and convenience. 
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BABIES. 
1 have been thinking a good while that I would 
like to write something for Miss Ripley's departs 
ment In the Rural, and I reckon that I have got 
experience enough to tell some of the young wo¬ 
men, things they never thought about; and If 
there Is any one thing that I pity, it Is a young 
mother, trying Just as hard as she can, to take 
care of Her Ui tie baby, when she does not know 
anything In the world about It. She worries aud 
stews, because the little tiling cries and frets, and 
she can't stop It. The other day, Nellie Gray came 
to our house to visit, and she had the cuunlngest 
little bundle In her arms; there was edging, nif¬ 
ties, tucks and embroidered blankets, and such a 
pile of muslin and ribbons; well, If I had not heard 
she had a little baby, I could never have guessed 
what It was, except there was a continued squeak¬ 
ing a way down In the depths, t hat sounded no 
more like a baby crying, than It did like a mouse 
In the wall. 
“ Sakes alive! Nellie, give me the baby l” 
“ Oh, grandmother! I shall he so glad to; and 
do ten me what I shall do with It; cry, cry, from 
one. day's end to the other. Ain’t there work in 
taking care of babies, though ? but. It Is a darling l 
Just seel” and she took off a cloak, two blankets, 
and a veil; aud smoothed out the beautiful dress 
that swept clear on to the floor, as the little thing 
lay In my lap. The baby had on a thick crocheted 
sacque aud all you could see or the little mite, was 
Its bare head, puckered up face, and the tips of Its 
little red Angers. 
“Oh, how warm It is!” said the young mother, 
as she wiped the drops off.bcr face: “I hope baby 
has not got cold; It Is the first time I have carried 
hint to ride.” 
“NeUle Gray, sit down, and let me tell you 
something, you don’t know no more than a calf 
about taking care of a baby; no wonder the little 
thing cries! I wonder It is alive l Just, look here! 
the thermometer stands at DO® in the shade, and 
you are about melted in your muslin dress, and 
here Is this wee baby, bundled up with as many 
wraps as It would need In winter, and a thick 
sacque, and a pinning blanket, two flannel petti¬ 
coats, a cotton one and a dress; and as sure as 
you are alive, socks on the little feet! What on 
earth are you thinking of, to pile all this stuff on a 
two month’s old baby?” 
“ Why, grandmother! I supposed I must!” 
“And Nellie; you have got your waists and 
bands so tight, that baby can hardly draw a 
breath. No wonder at all, that baby cries! more 
wonder that the baby don't die! Now. just take 
off all these extra Hxlngs; one Skirt and the dress, 
are enough, and loosen your waists, and let the 
little atom have one good brea th and a chance to 
stretch Itself." 
Its mother did as I told her, and in a few min¬ 
utes the little thing cuddled down to sleep. 
“ Let me lay It down Nellie, I’ll show you how;" 
and so I laid It down on Its side, a little curled up 
like a kitten, and there It lay and slept, two long 
hours, Its mother going every few minutes, to see If 
any thing ailed it. •• Vou let It alone, Nellie! Let. 
her have her nap out, and she will be happy when 
she wakes up, and you will be rested too.” 
Baby never cried again alt day; she slept two 
hours at a time, and her mother was as happy as 
could be. She kissed me when she went away, 
because I had taught her to take care of her Uttle 
one. 
It Is a regular science to bring up babies, and 
girls should never get married rlU they have 
learned how to take care of children. Half 
of the babies that die, are just killed by Ignor¬ 
ance and half of those that live, are made sick and 
miserable, just because their mothers did not 
know how to take care of them properly. These 
babies are little precious creatures, aud If they are 
rightly taken care of, are but little trouble, till 
they get. old enough to creep about, and then the 
joy of seeing them active and well, pays for all 
the trouble they make. Some mothers are so fool¬ 
ish. that they will not let the little ones creep, 
because they soil and wear their clothes. Poor 
women! No wonder their children are how-leg¬ 
ged, and have weak hacks! They have no chance 
to develop aud strengthen their limbs and mus¬ 
cles. Nature knows best how to manage children, 
and they must have a chance to develop their 
powers. They do not want to be encumbered 
with long clothes they want room to kick and 
stretch,: a smart healthy child. Is far better, than a 
puny, feeble baby, trigged out, with aU the finery 
that fashion dictates; and for mercy's sake, don’t 
roast your babies alive In hot weather, by bund¬ 
ling them up so they cannot have a chance to 
breathe. Their blood circulates Jta&fc, and tbey 
require but Uttle clothing, if a cool day comes, it Is 
easy to add an extra garment. Grandmother. 
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EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENTS’ 
LETTERS. 
Some Pleasant Aspects cf Farm Life for 
Women. 
Having been a subscriber for many years, I ap¬ 
preciate the Rural, and, like many other things. 
It Improves with age. I prize the free seed distri¬ 
bution—It. has a tendency to create a love for 
flowers aud Nature's beauties, which otherwise 
might he neglected. I was quite amused In read¬ 
ing the article, in the last number ox the Rural, 
entitled “The Successtul Housewife.” 1 indorse 
the ideas contained In tr, I grant that farmers 5 
wives are many times hard-working, slaving, un¬ 
appreciated women, hut then there Is a “silver 
lining” to the dark side of their dally routine work. 
They have one advantage—they can see Nature In 
all its beauty, as their work requires them to be 
early risers. They Inhale the fresh, early morn¬ 
ing atr, so necessary to health, which the city lady 
deprives herself of by taking her morning nap 
amid the beat and dust of the city. Then con¬ 
sider that the lot of the farmer’s wife is cast in 
pleasant places, and when her ln-door labors are 
finished, she can And amusement and recreation 
out-doors by admiring Nature’s beauties. The 
fields, forests, running streams and flowers attract, 
her attention, and she can drink In all their beau¬ 
ties, and, looking from Nature up to Nature's God, 
say “He made them all for our happiness.’ True, 
If w? have a love and Interest In our work, we 
shall not find It a disagreeable task. Every kind 
of work which presents Itself will seetn pleasant 
If willing, loving hands will accomplish what 
might otherwise seem a dreary task. Farmers 
have the advantage of others In being pro¬ 
ducers, and la supplying the family needs, and 
yet they often disgrace Nature’s bountiful supply 
by bad cookery. For Instance, the invariable diet 
of pork and lard pastry seen on farmers’ tables 
counteracts the beneficial effects of country life , 
If farmers’ wives would cook more upon hygienic 
principles, they ought to be the most healthy and 
Independent people In the land. Allow me to give 
a few plain recipes, which, in my opinion, are an 
Improvement on those commonly used. 
Cream Pie Crust. 
Take equal quantities of Graham flour and white 
flour, wet with thin, sweet cream, roll thin, bake 
In hot oven as for common pie crust. It preferred, 
use wMte flour entirely; or make a crust like 
common biscuit, roll thin; or, take bread dough 
after It Is risen, knead In butter same as for bis¬ 
cuit, roll thin. Pumpkin, apple, cranberry and 
peach make excellent pies, made In this way. 
Apple Puffs. 
Make a cream pie crust, roll thin as possible, cut 
out with common biscuit, cutter, wet one of the 
puffs around the edge, place In the center a spoon¬ 
ful of apple, sauce; take another, cut, with small 
cracker cutter, a hole In the center about one Inch 
In diameter, place the ring which Is left upon the 
first one, pinch the edges together and hake In 
quick oven. 
Graham Gems. 
One egg, one coffeecup sweet milk, 1 v. teacup 
Graham flour, >, teacup superfine flour, salt, make 
a hatter to the consistency of griddle cakes, and 
hake In quick oven. Marian. 
A Letter to the Editor. 
Dear Faith Rifley :—There are many subjects 
women can Interest themselves and others in by 
having an opportunity to do so; If they cannot 
talk them over with each other, why not write and 
give each other the benefit of them ? We can, in 
that way, learn many things that will be a benefit 
to ourselves and to those who read them. There 
must be many young ladles amoug Rural readers 
who could make themselves very useful to you and 
to others, if they had a little confidence in them¬ 
selves. 1 am an old housekeeper and have had a 
great deal of experience In many matters, aud to 
impart my knowledge to others is something I 
would he happy to do If It could be done. Experi¬ 
ence Is a good school, but teaching Is discouraging 
work, unless Ode is possessed of a large stock of 
patience. Now, that, you have called my attention 
to a very useful work, I will endeavor to help you, 
and my sister readers, on any subject that I fully 
understand. 
I love to read Log Cabin Sketches; Jessie Is a 
woman after my own heart, she reminds me of my 
own makeshifts. Any woman who has any Inge¬ 
nuity can make many pretty and useful tMngs 
with but little cost. Necessity is a good thing to 
bring out one's genius. Some may never know 
they have a talent for construction until necessity 
compels them to bring It out. Young married 
people now-ardays have too much 10 begin house¬ 
keeping with, it would be better for them if Uiey 
w'ere in our friend Jessie Seabrlght’s place, for the 
few first years of their mantled life. Mothers are 
the ones to blame In these degenerate days, tor 
not putting their daughters at useful work Instead 
of keeping tnem in full dress, and they themselves 
doing all of the work. I have no sympathy for 
them. If they In after life, are reproaohed for not 
teacMng their girls something that would make 
good wives and useful women or them. Many a 
good man has been ruined by his wife’s ignorance, 
and driven from an uncomfortable home to find Ms 
happiness elsewhere. 1 would like to say a great 
deal on this subject, but not now. Carrie b. 
A Childrens’ Society. 
Every Saturday afternoon I have at my house 
from 15 to 25 children, our “Busy Bee Club." we 
call It, and I assure you that It ts rightly named, 
for a more earnest set of workers were never 
known. Our object Is to promote temperance aud 
good morals. It is not a secret society, for I do 
not believe In secret organizations for children, 
but we Invite all to our meetings and try to enter¬ 
tain them as best we can. sometimes people say 
tome, “Do you not get tired of them.”’ Tired of 
them! The dear little ones who flood my house 
with sunsiilne and joy? Tired of purity and of 
helping to train those little minds fresh from the 
hand of God ? Ah, no! How can I be tired when 
our dear Saviour' said, “Suffer little children to 
come unto me, for of such ts the kingdom of Hea¬ 
ven ?” We have fa.ss in our treasury, aud next. 
Saturday week we are to have a strawberry fes¬ 
tival. Our motto Is, Help each other, and our 
object Is to Improve. Yours truly, h. b. n. 
BonMe Repose. 
A Southern Letter. 
I have a beautiful flower garden, with many 
choice roses, Ullles. shrubs, etc., etc. I would sug¬ 
gest an exchange of plants and seeds; many of 
your readers may have more of one kind of plants 
than he or she wishes, and would like to exchange 
for others. For Instance. I have many of the 
Longlflower Lily, and would like to get the Lily 
ArraUUn In exchange, l also have the Laladum 
Esculentum, Spanish Moss, many grasses, wax 
plants, etc. I live In Beaufort, S. C, We raise 
fine bananas and oranges. Our roses are trees, 
notsMuhs. I wish you could see t hem. The So- 
rrano, Samarque, Bon stiene, Mereehat Nell and 
Malmalsm bloom all the year. 1 know they would 
astonish our Northern friends. I enjoy reading 
the Rural New-Yorker, and will be pleased to 
correspond with you about other tMngs. Respect- 
fliHy, S. I. Givens. 
Many have written requesting designs suitable 
for washable materials, and also cuts of children's 
suits. In response to these requests, 1 will pub¬ 
lish M Rural of 2 S ot June the designs asked for. 
To those who write concerning samples, 1 have 
to say that I can obtain samples of any kind of 
goods, from prints at 6Q c.. to silks at js per yard, 
and that the same are furnished gratis to subscri¬ 
bers. Faith Ripley. 
