foe il)f Bomtg. 
Be careful about taking cold this damp and 
muddy weather. Spring is an unsettled sea¬ 
son, with many sudden changes of tempera¬ 
ture. It is a battle ground where the heat of 
Summer and the cold of Winter seem to fight. 
One day will be warm and pleasant, and the 
next will be cold aud blustering. Keep on 
your warm clothing. Don’t get angry be¬ 
cause mother wants you to do this. She knows 
more about it than you do. Keep your feet 
dry. Be sure and wear your rubbers when¬ 
ever the ground is damp. Let the boys keep 
their boots well greased. 
Some of the boys may think they are a 
little too smart and manly to plant and tend 
flowers. Some boys seem to think that the 
growing of flowers is regular girl’s work and 
not suited to men. They make a great mis¬ 
take when they so decide. The great trouble 
with most of these men w ho seem so hard and 
stern and make work so monotonous is that 
they have never cultivated any of the finer 
and better feelings. They leave all such work 
to the ‘•women folks” and then growl because 
their wives and daughters want dowel’s aud 
Other pretty things. I want my boys to make 
men of a different stamp. We want all the 
flowers and pretty places we can have. Never 
make fun of the girls for working in the 
flower garden. You wall show yourself more 
of a man by helping them with the harder 
part of the work, or even tending a few flowers 
yourself. Some boys that I know have no 
sisters. Mother would like to have a flower¬ 
bed in Wont of the house, but father is too 
busy, sometimes, to do the work. Now boys, 
put yourselves ou mother’s side and see that 
the work is done this Spring. With a little 
extra work you can make the place so beauti¬ 
ful that father will notice it aud wish he had 
done the work himself. 
Kansas State Reform School. 
Dear Uncle Mark: Do not from the head- 
ins of my letter imagine me enclosed by high 
walls and surrounded by vicious youngsters; 
but on the contrary, in one of the brightest, 
happiest homes in the whole State of Kansas. 
As yet, the State supports no Reform School 
for girls, and the building is all too small even 
for boys alone. The present number of in¬ 
mates is a little above 100, but as many more 
boys in the State would be here but for lack 
of accommodation. A fen- years ago I was 
utterly ignorant of the workings of reform 
schools, and had but a vague idea of them as 
something cruel and dreadful. Had I known 
even a year ago that I would eventually make 
my homo in such an institution. I should have 
considered my days of happiness at an end, 
but not so has it proved. It is the aim of the 
superintendent and matron of this school to 
make a home for every boy under their charge 
while the employes are made to feel in every 
way that they are at home and may enjoy 
home privileges. 
No strangers could come to our house with¬ 
out feeling at once that the work was done 
for the boys by some one who had an interest 
and care for them. 
I cannot express what I would better than 
in these words of our superintendent: “We 
endeavor to make all our surroundings home¬ 
like aud our discipline not coercion, but prac¬ 
ticing obedience to law and duty until it be¬ 
comes a fixed principle. To train the mind 
and body—in short, to make men of those 
who have erred is the object of the Reform 
School.” 
A majority of the boys sent here have hail 
no home life of the right kind, aud the lessons 
they learn in kindness aud good manners will 
be of inestimable value to them, to say noth¬ 
ing of the practical education they receive in 
all the common branches. Just now a line of 
50 boys passed out, aud I can hear them laugh¬ 
ing and shouting, enjoying their recess ex¬ 
actly as other boys do. 
The arrangement of the institution is such 
that, each boy attends school half of the day 
and works the other half. 
In time we will have shops where the boys 
will work at their trades, but now their work 
* is all about the house or farm, and we are as 
one large family, each member with sjieeial 
duties. Many of the boys working under 
ladies, are as neat and apt at house duties as 
girls of their age would be. 
The Christmas holiday was made full of de¬ 
lights for all, and though I’ve spent a great 
many jolly Christmases, never one came up 
to the standard of this last. Every boy ex¬ 
pressed himself, as having had the best time of 
bis whole life, and if you could have seen the 
laurel and mottoes, candies and nuts, hoard 
the music and entered into the spirit of the 
day, you could understand it all. 
The farm contaius 100 acres, through which 
Soldier’s Creek flows in unaccountable turns 
and twists. New buildings are being erected, 
and within a year we will see great changes 
for the better. From the front of our build¬ 
ing wo have a good view of Topeka, two or 
three miles to the South, t hough the country is 
so level we can see but a small part of the 
city. The State house though incomplete, is 
the most prominent building, and may be 
plainly seen from our front door. 
I really supposed when I left Ohio that T 
was coming West but it is all “Out West” here 
as it was at home, and the people are so like 
those I have always known, and so many are 
from Ohio, 1 cannot realize that I have not 
some-how brought the good old Buckeye State 
right along with me. 
We have had a terrible Winter, as who has 
not? but Topeka and vicinity has not suffered. 
The poor and inexperienced on the prairies 
have bad everything to bear, and hundreds, it 
is supposed, have frozen to death, while others 
have lost great numbers of cattle. After all. 
it is not to be wondered that we talk so much 
iu our daily life of the weather, for it is a 
powerful agent in the universe. 
Very truly yours, rertoa knowlton. 
[We are glad to know about those boys. We 
all hope they will make good men. There is 
no reason why they should not, with such good 
influences around them. One great secret of 
success in life is the art of learning how to 
obey. No man or woman has any right to ex¬ 
pect obedience from others, till he or she can 
obey the right. The easiest and best time to 
learn how to “mind” is when we are boj's and 
girls. Remember that. Those who do not think 
so will find it out to their sorrow.—u. M.] 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mark: I will drop you a 
line, as the boy said when he went fishing. I 
am nine years old, and I live on a farm. We 
have five horses, eight head of cattlo and 
many hogs and chickens. I like the horse 
best. I often ride our horses over the prairie. 
1 tried to have a Little garden last Summer, 
but I failed. The chickens hoed it too much. 
Pa is going to fence the yard, so I want to 
make a gardeu, where we can try some of the 
Rural seeds. From your nephew, 
CHARLES W. PRACOP. 
[You dropjx-d the line aud caught a place “in 
print.’’ I hope the other boy did as well, 
Fence out the chickens by all means. They 
have less business than weeds in the garden.— 
u. M.] 
Dear Uncle Mark: I am a little girl 12 
years old. I have never written a letter be¬ 
fore, so I thought 1 would say a word or two 
for you aud your nieces. We live on a farm 
of 33 acres. We have two cows aud one 
Arabian colt that will be 30 years old next 
Fall. For pets, I have three cats. I have a 
flower bed, but not a very largo one. I hope 
Cousin Annie Roberts will write a longer 
letter next time. I have five sisters who are 
married. I have two brothers: the youngest 
is 21 years ol(L I have 14 nieces and nephews 
My youngest brother has a yoke of oxen. My 
grandpa lives with us; he is 83 years old. 
Your niece, EMILY blanche Rhodes. 
[That colt has seen considerable history. I 
hope your flower bed will be larger this year, 
—IT. M.] 
Letters have been received from George Greethurst; 
Ralph E. Swartz; Abrara H. Prince; He tin M. Hauser; 
Pressa Maud; Franlde Willoughby; J. G. Campbell; 
May Greethurst; William Heaton; Mattie E. Heaton; 
John E. Cory; Ada May Cory; Lizzie B. Lynn. 
Pi.atfUancou.s! gUmtisinfl, 
THE UNITED STATES MAIL. 
On the end of a business house on Market 
street, Philadelphia, adjoining the new United 
States Post Office, there is an exceedingly sug¬ 
gestive picture, in two panels, giving the old 
aud the new ways of delivering the United 
States mails. 
The one indicates a very little to do, with 
leisure in which to do it. The other, much to 
do, for which haste is required. To one who 
is familiar with the growth of the postal ser¬ 
vice, this picture starts a very interesting 
train of thoughts. One of these brings back 
the old stage-coach and the horseback rider, 
and the fact that Vietween these two the work 
of distributing the mails of the country was 
divided. Over against these come to mind the 
facilities of the present day, with the high rale 
of postage reduced to figures hardly more than 
nominal by comparison. From the external 
mechanical changes the mind turns to the Con¬ 
tents of the letters both of the old time and 
the new. 
One of the most engrossing topics in which 
people everywhere always have had, and 
always will have a common interest is the 
matter of personal health. 
A large class of writers seeing iu the public 
press the statement of cures by the Compound 
Oxygen Treatment, which has been so widely 
advertised, at once write to the references for 
fuller particulars. The patients who have 
been cured are so numerous, and they have so 
freely spoken of their restoi’ed health, that the 
divided task has been to many a light one. 
But one lady iu Maiue writes us that she has 
answered letters from nearly every State, and 
from some sections very many. 
Hon. William D. Kelley, member of Con¬ 
gress, answers a very large number, saying 
that, he owes the good health he has enjoyed 
for 10 years to the treatment. Hon. William 
Penn Nixon, Editor of the Chicago Inter- 
Ocean. receives hundreds of inquiries as to 
the genuineness of his testimonials, and as to 
the permanence of results. These he answers 
through the mail, as it w as through a letter 
received from a relative iu Boston that he 
learned first of the value of the remedy. 
Once in a while one too hard pressed finds it 
necessary to ask relief from part of the task, 
as in the case of a prominent member of the 
bar of Topeka, Kansas, Hon. H. P. Vrooman, 
whose title came through service in the courts 
for a term as judge. He is also prominent, in 
temperance work, being Chairman of the 
State Executive Committee of the Prohibi¬ 
tion Party of Kansas. In one of his letters he 
says. “I have been interrupted about 20 times 
since commencing writing.” This brief state¬ 
ment gives some idea of the value of his time. 
The reason for his being called upon ou this 
subject, and letters written to him, is found 
in a letter to Doctors Starkey & Palen, June 
27, 1882, telling of the benefits his wife had 
received from their Compound Oxygen Treat¬ 
ment. We quote exactly: “Iu the interest 
of suffering humanity, I send you for publica¬ 
tion an account of the almost miraculous 
cure which your Compound Oxygen per¬ 
formed iu the case of my wife. Her condition 
was a very peculiar one. She had a compli¬ 
cation of diseases, dyspepsia, tor] iid liver, or 
liver complaint, as her physicians have always 
called it, and general nervous prostration. 
“If you will refer to my description of her 
ease, when I made the first order for your 
Treatment, in December, 1877, you will see 
that she was suffering from severe attacks of 
colic and vomiting. These attacks first came 
once in two or three months, when she would 
vomit herself almost to death’s door, and un¬ 
til she would raise a large amount of green 
bile. When her stomach was relieved from 
this she would become better at once. But as 
soon as a certain amount of bile would again 
accumulate, there would be nuotlier attack of 
colic and vomiting. Each time the attacks 
came at shorter intervals, and were more 
severe, until she became so weak aud exhaust¬ 
ed that we are mere she could no/ hare lived 
many days longer, hail not your Oxygen 
Treatment come just as it did and saved 
her, for the colic aud vomiting had become 
almost perpetual, ami her strength and life 
irrre nearly exhausted. 
“ire could see a change in her condition 
from the first inhalation , for she never had 
so severe an attack of colic afterward, aud 
had more strength to endure the pain and 
retching. She continued to gain steadily, 
and for the past four years has had no severe 
attacks. If she is threatened with one, she 
takes an inhalation or two, and so escapes any 
Severe paroxysms. 
"We have used in all nearly live Home 
Treatments iu four years. One of our boys, 
fourteen years of age, had an attack of inflam¬ 
mation of the bowels, which left him iu a very 
bad condition. The Treatment did him near¬ 
ly, if not quite, as much good as it (ltd Mrs. 
Vrooman. 
“I think it but right that we should make 
known to others what Comi>ound Oxygen bos 
done for us and therefore send you this state¬ 
ment for publication.” 
Such a statement of necessity attracted 
wide attention, especially among invalids, 
who naturally wanted particulars. These, 
Judge Vrooman has iu all cases cheerfully 
given, so far as his time would permit. This 
he lias Continued to do for nearly four years, 
to the gratification of all who need such aid. 
At the same time his business engagements 
have made it desirable that a portion of the 
time thus occupied might be saved. This 
wish he expresses in u letter, dated February 
24th, 18815, It is as follows: 
“Since I sent you my testimonial, which 
you published in June, 1882, I have received 
scores of letters from all parts of the United 
States asking almost all kinds of questions 
about the Oxygen, etc.; but the main thing 
most of them wished to know was whether 1 
do really exist, or whether 1 am a mere myth, 
and you only humbugging the people with fic¬ 
titious names for the purpose of deceiving 
them. 
“And now I wish to say to the public fur¬ 
ther (if you will publish it), to save my answer¬ 
ing so many letters, that my wife has not 
been compelled to take any more treatment 
for nearly five years, since which time her 
health has beou constantly improving, and 
she weighs more than she ever has before, 
and she has borne a fine, healthy boy, now al¬ 
most four years old. who, of course, is smart, 
he being the seventh son. 
“I impart this information to show the pub¬ 
lic that Compound Oxygen is not merely a 
temporary relief, but that it will permanently 
cure and give new life and vitality to the 
whole system; and if any are still solicitous 
to know whether I am or not, I will say in 
the language of Daniel Webster, ‘I still live,’ 
aud may be found with my law sign still out 
at 155 Kansas Av., Topeka, Kansas. 
“I hope what I have said may remove some 
doubts concerning the ]>ermaueney of the 
cures performed by Compound Oxygen, and 
that afflicted ones may not delay too long in 
testing its efficacy.” 
The request that Judge Vroonan makes that 
we print his statement, we cheerfully comply 
with, and agree with his thought that what he 
has said should remove some doubts. What 
he has written to patients, has undoubtedly 
helped many to accept the evidence so freely 
and abundantly given of the curative power 
of Compound Oxygen. There are others com¬ 
ing forward to divide the task with him, and 
a very interesting letter just at hand, giving 
in one report the record of results iu three 
cases, oue thousand miles apart, will serve to 
show bow this relief Ls coming. The writer, 
Rev. Isaac Leonard, of Sperry, Iowa, says : 
“1 have been able to labor iu my old field 
beyond all ray expectations. Some Sabbaths 
have four services, and some weeks preaching 
every evening. 
“My old friends express their surprise 
that I appear so young and vigorous. For 
tliis 1 am largely indebted to your Compound 
Oxygen Treatment. Mv nephew, James L. 
Leonard, (if Iona, N. J.. writes me that he 
has been able to accomplish more the past 
season than for four years past, all owing to 
the Compound Oxygen. 
“My sister, Mrs. Mary 8. Leonard, has gone 
to Lake Worth, Fla., at the urgency of her 
physician. Shu writes me that she discontin¬ 
ued the Compound Oxygen Treatment on ar¬ 
riving there, but that, she became so nervous 
that she could not sleep, and became so miser¬ 
able that she hardly knew what she was doing. 
She then resumed the treatment, and iu one 
week was quite comfortable again. I see 
many that need the Compound Oxygen, aud 
am not slow in recommending it. You are 
at liberty to use my letter as you desire, with 
the hope that others may derive the same 
benefits that my friends and I have received 
from the use of the Compound Oxygen Treat¬ 
ment. 
“P 8.—Two of my friends whose address I 
enclose, have applied to me for your iftldress; 
one in the 8tatc of Indiana, and one in Bur¬ 
lington, Iowa. They want to see your Trea¬ 
tise. Please respond.” 
These letters show the widespread interest 
in this method of treatment for diseases, and 
in the vivid light they throw on the freedom 
of communicat ion between different parts of 
the country, give emphasis to the thought of 
how great an institution is our United States 
mail. 
A Treatise of nearly two hundred pages, 
entitled “Compound Oxygen,” its mode of 
action aud results, giving full and interesting 
information, is mailed free to every applicant 
by Dks. Starkey & Palen, 1629 Arch St., 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
^ 00 Instant relief. Final etire In in days, and 
‘ “W* never returns. No purge, no salve, nosup- 
DOPl terry. Sufferers will learn "f a siniplo remedy, 
free, by addresslug J. MA MO N, 
78 Nttagnu Street, N. Y. 
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IT DiVO to sell ourjuibber Printing Stamps. Sam 
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