OCT.25 
695 
ment to the United States, went to Newport in the 
summer. He was altogether a gentleman, of sin¬ 
gular grace and charm of manner, and remarkably 
intelligent. Indeed, in social graces and wide 
knowledge of the world tmra were few gentlemen 
In Newport who were comparable to him; but he 
was politely requested, to eat at a second table be¬ 
cause he was not perfectly white. He was, In 
fact, of mixed negro blood. Another gentleman, 
more than twenty years ago, crossed the Atlantic 
on the same ship with some southern gentlemen. 
They had the pleasantest Intercourse during the 
voyage, for the gentleman In question was unusual¬ 
ly well educated and reflned. He was not especially 
dark in complexion; but as the voyage was end¬ 
ing, he requested the captain to mention to the 
Southerners that he was a grandson of a slave. 
Upon hearing the astounding truth, ills late pleas¬ 
ant companions were ready to. cast him into the 
sea. 
This sense of caste, is due to the prejudice of race. 
It is a wrong which the law no longer sanctions, 
but it survives socially. It. Is a relic of barbarism, 
and how sacredly It is cherished the attitude of 
the hotels, largely sustained by private feeling, 
however loudly it, may he publicly condemned, 
plainly shows. Vet it is a mero prejudice un¬ 
worthy a generous nature aud a civilized people. 
The debt of Christendom and of civilization to the 
Hebrew race is incalculable, and the root or the 
prejudice Is hut the tradition of Christianity that 
Jews crucified Christ. It Is a terrible retribution. 
A whole race Is held responsible for the crime of a 
Syrian mob two thousand yeare ago. Men of no 
Christian principle whatever flout better men to¬ 
day because other men murdered the founder of 
Christianity. The mischief of this hotel exclusion, 
which the law, indeed, prohibits, is that It fosters 
this revolting prejudice—a prejudice which Is 
barely urged as Its own Justification, and which 
both by our religious and political principles Is es¬ 
pecially unworthy of Americans. — Editor’s Easi/ 
Choir, Harpers for October. 
-- 
Society op tiik tumnf.d.— \ curious Institution 
still exists In Paris—the Society of the Uanmed. 
These damned are dramatic authors, and they 
meet once a month and cllno at Brebaut’s. Their 
number has no fixed limit, only every member, to 
be eligible, must, have been hissed. An eminent 
dramatist is selected as chairman, and holds the 
post for three months. Ills election generally fol¬ 
lows close on a splendid failure. M. Mellhac, M - 
Dumas, Jr., M. Zola and M. ofTenbach have all 
filled the chair and presided at the monthly dlunor. 
These dinners are given on the last Friday of the 
month, and are extraordinarily hilarious .—The 
Theater. 
Jot outfit. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS FAITH RIPLEY. 
ONLY A LETTER. 
Only a letter that came last nipht, 
A dear, little love-bird, winged with white, 
That whispered the word* in the maiden's ear 
Of the sweetest sons that a maid could hear. 
And saui? it over ami over uiraiu, 
Aye! the charmed din and the soft refrain. 
And the burden wan thin—so old. ho new, 
“ Do you love me as I love you ?” 
Only a letter, by Cupid sent. 
That maketh the maiden’s heart content. 
That brimjeth the bluahessweet and shy, 
Aud tpe teil-tale light to her azure eye! 
A missive read in the shadiest nook, 
And dearer far than the choicest bool:. 
Then hid with (he precious things and few, 
Tied with a band of love’s own blue! 
# 41 I I fe 4 • 
Only a letter that came this morn 
With tho heaviest weight that, could be born3; 
And yet it (teemed to the man in gray 
But a trifle light, as he passed his way. 
A wife Is stunned by the sudden blow, 
A mother’s heart Is filled with woo, 
For the bird of omen tells a talc 
That would make the stoutest spirit quail. 
Only a letter, thin and white, 
That Inis robbed u homo of its Joy and light. 
That has hntnc, by the cruel news it boro, 
That funeral erupts on the outer door! 
A missive clutched with hopes and fears, 
Aud drenched with mourners’ scalding tears; 
Read and re read with lips grown white. 
Then laid with a shuddor out of eight. 
• [Chicago Times. 
-- 
A VISITOR. 
MBS. J. E. S. 
Dear “ Cluiutes."— Every one ought as she 
gathers in bo willing to give out. Many are willing 
but want of practice, a fear or not being able to 
write well, or a dozen and one other reasons de¬ 
ter them Irom putting t heir thoughts upon paper. 
While the peculiarities of other people should to a 
certain degree be respected there Is no reason 
why we should cater to our uwu or wish others to. 
Having read with much Interest the various ar¬ 
ticles of the Woman’s Club and received some 
very valuable suggestions; and being under great 
obltgat Ion to our Editress fur permitting us space, 
It appears to mo that In no way cau I so well 
pay the debt I owe as In writ ing about some things 
t hat I am doing; also Inquiring about other things 
t hat I want especially to know. 
Want ing a place for brushes, slippers, combs etc., 
in tho bathroom 1 rook a piece ot striped blue and 
white tlcklug aud made t wo wall pockets. lu No. 
1.1 let n. run up behind the mirror leaving just 
spaces cuough to readily take out or put in the 
brushes at a, and e, and the sllppen at b. In No. 
•2.1 made two sets of pockets, l, a, 3, t and r> tor 
brushes etc., G, 7 and s for tootli brush and combs. 
After stitching all around the edges of the back 
piece aud twice between the divisions of each 
pocket they were finished In feather-stitch with 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
scarlet yarn around the pockets and edges. Hav¬ 
ing a mania for driving nails, I put a shlngle-nail 
In each of the corners and the middle of the op¬ 
posite sides aud drove them into the wall. They 
are so firm that should I want to tako them down 
It might be a little difficult. Better so than to have 
them so slipshod as to be an annoyance, lustead 
of a convenience and comfort as they were de¬ 
signed. 
So many things are done carelessly that, 
I can not afford to do anything slack. And too, 
wp know not how many slight their work because 
you or I do. All have an influence either for 
good or bad. It may be an unconscious one, 
that Is, we may not realize how little or how 
much influence we do exert; still every act, 
word or look In the presence of others leaves Its 
impression, so also does our dally work leave Its 
Impression, and the manner In which tt Is done 
fades not slowly away. Annoyance has been so 
platnly depicted upon the human face divine that 
now whenever I put a tidy upon a chair, sora or 
sofa-pillow it is fastened so well and firm that It 
remains as placed. The man of the house says 
“ those tidies behave so well that they are a 
luxury.” 
More especially came I to the “ Club” to present 
the subject of using atunn Many articles are 
written by eminent M. D’b about its being deleter¬ 
ious to the stomach etc., and the use of baking pow¬ 
ders hi which It la found Is being discouraged, In 
other words using alum it Is claimed produces a 
hundred and one ailments to the consumer. It 
occurs to me that those who have studied up tnia 
matter ought to be shown some respect for their 
opinions untU we prove them false. If aJurn Is 
hurtful why put It into pickles 7 Why put It into 
bread ? Why use it except for medicinal purposes 7 
Wc can not afford to harden our pickles or whiten 
our bread at the price or our health 1 
- ■ ♦♦ ♦ - - 
A VIRGINIA LETTER. 
Dear Miss Ripley:—How time flies ! Summer 
is gone, and I have not written. “ Why ? The 
answer to this question would All a volume. Im¬ 
mediately after the hurry of spring work came the 
berry season. And this would bo Chapter l. Af¬ 
ter putting up many gallons of strawberries, I 
found It was “ Love's Labor Lost,” for they be¬ 
came tough and all went to juice. The mere heat¬ 
ing results so. Blackberries do belter, but rival 
all tho blacks In the South for working. 1 soon 
found it would not do to trust them In my dark 
closet of preserves, and 1 had to give them a pro¬ 
bation In the spring-house. But whortleberries do 
behave well and retain all their attractions In im¬ 
prisonment, rigid or careless. That which will 
sour the disposition of any other fruit has no effect 
upon Uils. I always Ukc 
To Cau Whortleberries. 
Put one pint of water in a kettle, All with fruit; 
pour over It one pint of sugar, let It get hot 
through; fill the Jars while In the hot water— 
(why does’nt some enterprising Yankee invent a 
crate and holler accompanying his jars, tor hold¬ 
ing them In the water/)—with the fruit, leaving 
the syrup, to which add more fruit, UU alt the 
cans are full. Lilt rrom the water and seal. 
Then came the harvesting of early matured veg¬ 
etables, dried beaus and their hulls. I always 
save the hulls in tubs along with tho bran, waste 
salt, nubbins of sugar corn, etc., and pour boiling 
slops over them as a warm porridge for my cows, 
on winter mornings, in Summer, when iho grass 
Is green, they do not need them, and In Fall, 1 feed 
them the bottom leaves of the. cabbage, the tur¬ 
nip tops and whatever will not keep for winter. 
After harvesting these and rushing through a 
thousand other little preparations, I ran down 
homo (parental) for a spell. Hero l saw many 
things. The Pinafore and Tournament were chap¬ 
ters for other papers; and 1 must give inch) 
Mark’s hoys a description of the watermelon patch 
belonging to the cousin who came homo with me 
from that tine old farm. I knew she wus accus¬ 
tomed co good uvtng. so l tried (vainly often) to 
Improve my dishes, she liked 
WnlllcH ami Corn-baiter Cubes. 
Two eggs well-beaten, stir In a little flour, then 
one teacup of buttermilk, la which has been dis¬ 
solved one teaspoonful of soda, one teacup of 
sweet milk, then the remainder of one quart of 
flour. For batter-cakes, stir In meal Instead of 
flour. I so plenty or lard la baking-or gravy, or 
butter. For dinner wc had 
Fruit Pmhliu^. 
one egg well-beaten ; one cup sweet milk; one 
aud a-half cups of berries; half cup of sugar; one 
spoonful of butter; one cup bread crumbs. Bake 
in a shallow dish, 
Roll (steamed.) 
Line steamer with pastry, fill with alternate 
layers of fruit and thin dough; 6tearn one hour, 
turnout on a large dish ; (It. looks like a big, white 
cheese), and serve with sugar and cream In Sum¬ 
mer ; with hot sauce In winter. I like cool things 
In Summer, and hot In Winter. 
One afternoon I was getting a nap after the fa¬ 
tigues of superintending dinner, and cousin called 
to me “ Here Is something will arouse you,” and 
began reading that “ Vigorous Protest ” by “ a 
W oman,” about scouring the coffee pot wtthasbes, 
and I dirt feel Just a little indignant at first, and 
resolved to reply to It, and next morning, (for I 
always write In the forenoon when I am fresh) be¬ 
gan “ Woman thy name Is Frailty” and wrote a 
long piece proving the carrying out of my Idea of 
economy in using ashes and water instead of soap¬ 
suds. For the alkali—and greaso (accumulating 
from butter used in parching coffee) unite and 
make a soap for cleansing and sweetehlBg. only 
those pots used and blackened by fire need scour¬ 
ing. My new and third coffee pot, never was nor 
ever will be scoured till It- becomes leaky and like 
the other two has had the second and third bottom 
put tn; then when accidentally smoked, it will be 
brightened by rubbing (no friction) with ashes. I 
never allow any new thing with a high polish to 
be scoured. It at once takes on a pewter look, and 
I supposed this would be taken for granted. I 
have never so much as cleaned my watch chain by 
shaking It in suds In a bottle, though “ old gold ” 
Is so fashionable, I like It to glitter with new luster 
If the Intricacies do hold dust. 
Yes, i wrote an article, but before I sent It, we 
took a trip to one of the greatest curiosities In Vir¬ 
ginia. A lake on top of the mountain four thou¬ 
sand feet above the sea. Then I forgot the coffee¬ 
pot woman, aud went. off Into writing of “Bald 
Knob, Mountain Lalce, The Cascade, Pompey’s 
Pillar,” and wrote eight pages of foolscap, and 
could have w ritten for weeks of the beauties and 
wonders ot this spot . I saw the mountains of five 
States from the highest point lu Virginia where, 
the Alleghany covets a greater breadth than la 
any other State. I brought away a wealth of 
lichens, mount,aln-ash berries and plants, and will 
submit to be advised what to do with them to pre¬ 
serve them la the most attractive form. Of 
course “ A Woman ” will be the proper person to 
enlighten me and here she may expend her super¬ 
abundant supply of information to some purpose. 
Then we went to the Fair at Wyihovllle anti I 
caught many Ideas, and a cold, I took tuy shell 
frame and a premium on It, (as welt as on my 
horse Harry Hot spur.) The frame was oval cut 
from a thick plank, left rough aud covered with 
putty. Little spiral shells were sun k into the putty 
for the Inuer and outer margins; at the top, and 
bottom and sides a rose was made by pressing 
the hinge-point of bivalves Into tho putty 
around a pointed shell, beginning with small 
and gradually Increasing and expand Ingas the pet¬ 
als of a rose. The spaces were filled with other de¬ 
signs and a ground work of small Insignificant 
shells. It is best to frame a wreath ot shell flowers 
on a back ground of black velvet. Use wax or putty 
or white lead. Into pink wax, press a spiral and 
surround It. with bivalves with the hinges out. 
These are smooth and pinkish and look like dahlia 
petals, make sprays of leaves by threading on sil¬ 
ver wire small rice. Four or five smooth white 
shells secured by wax make pretty single flowers 
and may be worn at t he throat or tor ear-drops. 
I had such a spray on a black card beneath the 
frame, held by a photograph holder made of ob¬ 
long bivalves, fastened to a little square of onyx 
bought at the Centennial asaspeclmcn of William 
Emperor of Germany’s mantle-piece for which he 
paid {25,ooo. The onyx and shells were the same 
color, creamy opaque with wavelets of greenish 
transparency. With white putty l stuck the lit¬ 
tle pair on at the hinge, open at the top just wide 
enough to admit a photograph and It holds the 
magnificent dark ground picture of my cousin, on 
a little bracket, apparently, sawed walnut, but 
only stained paste board. m. l. s. 
Reeds island, Va. 
-» «- ♦- 
HIS METHOD vs. HER METHOD. 
So much has been said and written about want 
of system and thoroughness on the part oi women, 
that T a member or the much maligned sex. 
offer tbe following facts as evidence that want of 
thoroughness Is nut as much a matter of sex as is 
generally supposed. 
There are at present two prominent societies for 
aiding those who desire to improve their minds. 
The one, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific 
Circle, the other, the Boston Society to Encourage 
Home Study. The first named Is managed by 
men—a clergyman being at tho head of it, the 
other, is under the control of ladles. The former 
should be characterized by thoroughness, that 
being pre-eminently a masculine attribute, It re¬ 
port speaks true. A review of the plan or each 
society's work will best illustrate which Is supe¬ 
rior. 
'i ho Chautauqua Circle, Is a four years course, 
the time required for study being an average of 
4u minutes reading each week-day. from Oct., l to 
Jnlyl. Those who tVel so disposed can devote 
hours to studying, but the time per day, specified 
above, is considered by the management sufficient 
for the student to perfect himself In the list of 
studies given. For the year lSTD-lsso, the follow¬ 
ing are Uio appointed studies: 
(itiucral Hi-dory of Route. 
Text-Book on Roman History, 
Primer of Latin Literature 
Ptolfoeophj of tlic l“lau of S»1 vat ion. 
Text Book on Christian Evidences. 
Lufflisli History anil Literature. 
Mow to Get Strong nml How to Stay so. 
11 1 story of the I 'ulr.vt Ktntes. 
Tost Booh on Aiuerb-.ni History' 
Primer or Maori cau Literature. 
Biology, Botanical aud. Geological, 
text-lioo|; on Bioloiry. 
Postal card blanks for t lire.'.quarterly reports are 
furnished all members, on which students are re¬ 
quested to (lire the names of (he books they have 
read, and the number if hoars devoted to reading, 
tUls constitutes a report. 
“ I now repeat what I said in my closing address 
ot last year, that the ground of your acceptance of 
the C. L. S. C. will he the statement ot the simple 
fact that, you ha ve read the required books or their 
equivalents,” so says the official circular. 
In nine months with to minutes study a day, It 
Is expected that students will master the elements 
of some eight or nine studies, and the “ ropoi-ts * * 
consist of a simple statement of the number of 
hours employed In studying. Fray, what Idea of 
progress can be gained by knowing that a student 
has read a book for three or four hours ? He may 
In that time have thoroughly mastered a dozen 
paragraphs, or he may have skimmed through 
thirty or forty pages. It would seem that cram¬ 
ming a pupil with a few facts about half-a-dozen 
different studies, and rating him by time expended 
in study, Instead of by the amount of information 
acquired. Is hardly calculated to “develop the 
habit of close connected, persistent thinking,” 
which the Circle declares It Is their object to do. 
The Boston Society allows the student to select 
her course of study. Usually but one course Is 
chosen; some, however, take two, and a very’ few 
three courses. One study constitutes a course, 
which Is not measured by years, but by books, so 
the student, by little or much study, herself de¬ 
termines the length ot the course. By concen¬ 
trating all her efforts-on one study, the student 
becomes thoroughly posted on It and acquires a 
stock or available information, instead of dividing 
her time and energy among several studies, no 
one or which can she, by any possibility, gain more 
than a smattering of. 
After the course has been selected, the address 
of one of the society Is given, to whom the student 
semis monthly reports, which consist of notes 
taken on all she reads. The notes are taken from 
day to clay from mem ora, and the Society corres¬ 
pondent returns them to the student with expla¬ 
nations, corrections, etc. When the book is fin¬ 
ished—not the course, but the first book of It—a 
printed list of questions Is sent the student, tho 
answers to which are designed to test her con 
selentlous application to the task assigned her. 
She has to write our, the answers from memory, 
and is allowed only 2’ r hours to do It in. Finally, 
the student Is expected to write an abstract of the 
book—not a mere catalogue of facts, but to give 
the drift of tho thought of the work. This, too, is 
to be done without any reference to books. What 
with notes and abstract, the student cannot fall 
to have a firm hold on the facts given for her con¬ 
sideration. Slighting Is not possible under so 
thorough a system. Epxa Houghton. 
•— -- — - 
THE FAIR MONTH. 
September has come and gone, and with It 
the great annual reunions ot the fanning com¬ 
munity—the Agricultural Fairs. Nothing in the 
life of a genuine farmer so tends to stir the lan¬ 
guid pulses and quicken every honorable ambi¬ 
tion as these gatherings. There Is food for every 
taste and help of some kind for every class. Peo 
pie are benefited without knowing it, in many 
ways. 
Care-worn women, whose busy lives do no' 
afford them time, or who have not room conve¬ 
nient to cultivate house-plants, have their eyes 
gladdened by the sight of beautiful flowers on 
exhibition. Tho narrow-minded farmer who trav¬ 
els In Ills Utile round throughout the year, feels a 
wholesome pang of discontent with hlsown stunted 
apple trees, as he sees the choice specimens that 
are so tasteftfily displayed. He goes home deter¬ 
mined to post himself a little better on the culture 
of fruit. 
The staid old ladles scan with a critical eye the 
samples of woolen yarn, stockings and mittens 
entered for premiums, and descant on the better 
times In their young days, when such kinds of 
work were done so much better. 
The children who have resolved themselves Into 
a •• committee ot the whole” to judge the quality of 
the candles, peanuts, and other eatables for sale, 
ore not behind the rest In enjoyment. The looker- 
od, too, has a treat in watching the different coun¬ 
tenances. and studying the varying expressions 
of the changing sea of faces. Looking over such 
an assemblage the other day, I was highly edified 
at some remarks 1 could not help overhearing 
Two over-dressed men were standing near, look¬ 
ing about them with t hat pompous air of superi¬ 
ority which cannot bo described, incipient office- 
seekers they probably were. 
“ Well,” said one. “ what, do you think of the 
show / ’ " Barely passable.” returned the oiher ; 
“ baldly worth one’s while to llirow away his 
time on; but l suppose these things serve their 
purpose by amusing the common ,ieopte.’’ 
One ot the “ common people” was certainly 
amused at their wise discourse, but 1 have often 
since found myself wondering what quality of the 
mind Is allied into action by this feeling of being 
so much ahove, or superior to common humanity. 
It certainly is not refinement, or modesty, or culti¬ 
vation, or self-knowledge, which t hus sets itself on 
a pedestal above the mass of mankind. None, 
who truly Identity luemselves with the spirit of 
our fairs can entertain such a foolish estimate of 
themselves. b. c. d. 
Elkliorn, Wls. 
EDITORIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
In our Issue for November l, will be published 
Illustrations of the latest fashions tn overskirts 
and polonaises, suitable for ladles aud young girls. 
Tho following week (Nov. s,) a full account of 
modish goods, for house and street, wear will ap¬ 
pear. 
-WM- 
Correction. —lu answer to an inquiry which 
appeared In the Re rat. New-Yorker relating to 
“ Home Sweet Home,” I would suggest that the 
word parent be used Instead of mother in tho 
second verse of the poem as given in Rural of 
oct, 4. It would then be a correct, copy of Payne’s 
original. g, y. l. 
Oak Bum, N, Y, 
