by this house, as well as a list of the premiums 
given to those who purchase given quantities 
of tea. The teas offered are of excellent 
quality and are remarkably cheap. Those 
who desire to order their teas in bulk will do 
well to examine this circular. The firm is 
doing an enormous business, and will do what, 
they promise. The circular may be obtained 
at 33 Vesey street. New York. 
Keystone Poultry Yards. —Circular from 
E. J. Chandler, Kenuet Square, Pa. Descrip¬ 
tions of Plymouth Rocks, Light Brahmas, 
Wyandottes, White-crested Black Polish, Buff 
Cochins, White Cochins. Mott led Javas, Laug- 
shans, Bantams, White Guineas, American 
Dominiques, Toulouse Cleese, Pekin Ducks and 
Mammoth Bronze Turkeys. Those who have 
not yet secured eggs for hatching should send 
for this circular. 
Standard Roofing.— Circular from A. F. 
Swan, 4(1 Cortlandt Street,♦few York. This 
roofing is excellent for use upou stables aud 
poultry houses. Both the roofing and the 
tarred felt are impervious to water and air 
aud are vermin-proof. The standard 3-ply 
roofing is said to make a thoroughly fire¬ 
proof roof. Let all those who are interested 
in building, send for the circular. 
class, she recites accurately her own lesson, 
and listens with all her energy to the recita¬ 
tions of the others. When 50 years have thus 
been Studied, essays are written on the leading 
topics of the period, and are read at the class 
meeting. If, for instance, the period covered 
be 1450—1500, the topics might lie commerce, 
literature, “Savonarola, 1 ' “The French in 
Italy,” “The Dawu of the Reformation,” art, 
architecture, printing, etc. 
I once belonged to an interesting class in 
English literature, in which we divided the 
literature into periods, following the division 
or “Collier’s Literature.” Then, omitting all 
the minor names, we selected the greatest 
men of each period, learned all we could of 
their history, and recited selections from their 
works, arranging our selections at each meet¬ 
ing for the next, so as to avoid repetition of 
favorite passages. 
Still another class took the cities of Europe, 
proceeding as follows: Loudon was first taken; 
one member of the class was appointed to 
write a brief history of London, telling about 
its foundation, its fires, its plague, its growth, 
its great events, etc. Another wrote an ar¬ 
ticle on the churches of London, St. Paul’s 
and Westminster Abby, being most fully 
treated. Another took the palaces; another 
the “Tower;” another the remaining public 
buildings; another the “Art of London;” an¬ 
other the “ Literati of Loudon ; ” another 
“In London with Dickens;” another “In Lon¬ 
don with Johusou.” etc., almost ad infinitum. 
London alone occupied the class for a whole 
Winter. 
This last plan of study involves more books 
of reference than the others; hence the diffi¬ 
culty of pursuing it in the country. 
If. however, some of you girls will put by 
the endless fancy work, so tedious, expensive, 
aud ugly, and will study together, history or 
literature, instead of crazy-quilts and splash¬ 
ers, you will accomplish a winter’s work 
more beautiful and more durable than could 
ever be the result of all that busy idleness, 
which employs your fingers only. Give your 
undergarments a few neat tucks, instead of 
the hideous ornamentation of heavy, home¬ 
made trimming, ami employ the active minds 
God has given you in learning something of 
His work in this wonderful world of ours. 
If you have any leisure in the Summer, there 
is ail ap“- : ramity, with the aid of O simple text¬ 
book, of learning something of botany, geol¬ 
ogy. or natural history. If your home is too 
isolated to enter into any such plan of study 
as I have described, you will find delight and 
improvement in such books as Macaulay’s 
and Jeffery's “Essays,” Plutarch's “Lives,”etc. 
Disraeli’s “Curiosities of Literature” is a won¬ 
derful omnium gat hr min of interesting 
things, and is the best book I know of for a 
“pick up.” In my own country neighborhood 
it has been Hu- book of the Winter; we have 
all been quarreling over the possession of the 
four volumes. If dinner table talk is very 
drawling and trivial, it would he a good 
plan for some such sister as “Charity Sweet¬ 
heart,” to have the hook beside her plate, aud 
to say, perhaps, “ Just, listen, father, to tho 
wonderful thiugs old people have accomplish¬ 
ed!” After she lias read Disraeli’s page of the 
“Achievements of Old Age,” the conversation 
will drift into another channel than the hired 
man and the potatoes! Another book, full of 
wisdom, a book to bo read over and over 
again, is “Whately’s Annotations of Bacon’s 
Essays.” It is not a volume of easy chat like 
the “Curiosities of Literature.” but demands 
much careful thought I don’t see, however, 
why our intelligent farmers and their wives 
aud grown children should not appreciate 
just such a book. The chapters on “Super¬ 
stition,” on “Riches,” on “Studios.” on “Youth 
aud Age,” are but a few among the many, 
that offer the richest food for thought. 
“But,” some of you will say, “where are 
we to get all those books?” Will you lie as¬ 
tounded, if I reply: Buy them? To buy a 
book seems to mo tho lost possibil¬ 
ity that occurs to people in general; and 
yet, in no other way will a little money do 
so much. Two dollars for some luxury of 
dress or table is readily given, and two dollars 
will purchase for you a counsellor and friend 
for your life-long—a poet to lift you into a 
higher world, a philosopher to guide you 
through this one by nobler paths than you your 
self could find. Of course,book-purchasing must 
be done little by little. No one knows bet¬ 
ter than 1 the limitations of a slender purse. 
But, if you can afford lmt a single book a 
year, that is a possession for your life. The 
“Life of Robertson,” of which I wrote iu a 
former paper, costs $3.00, and you will read 
his letters aud lectures ami addresses with 
increasing relish, as long us your mind grows 
aud your character develops. Whatoly’s 
“Annotations” costs, 1 believe, about $3.00 
—and it gives you the most famous words 
of the great Inductive Philosopher, illus¬ 
trated by the condensed wisdom of one of 
the most celebrated modern thinkers and 
theologians. “The Epochs of History” are 
about 90 cents apiece; and you will have 
noticed bow cheaply may be procured single 
volumes or w hole sets of the standard poets 
and novelists. Don't buy paper backs! One 
durable book is worth a dozen of the perish¬ 
able. And don't buy any ephemeral litera¬ 
ture. Build up, no matter how slowly, a 
little library for yourselves, composed of the 
hrst authors in each department. Read those 
volumes over aud over; read them so as to 
absorb all their great thoughts and high 
teachings, so as to appreciate all their deli¬ 
cate handling of our noble language, so as 
to make them almost integral parts of your 
own minds. Try sometimes’ to write from 
memory an abstract of your history or biog¬ 
raphy; learn accurately such passages of prose 
and poetry as most impress you, “Despise 
not the day of small things.” Be content, if 
need be, to give only half an hour a day to 
your books—but give that thoroughly, and 
your life will be a perpetual growth. You 
cannot become petty household tyrants, or 
despicable gossips in such society. Every 
year w ill see you largor-Blinded, larger-heart¬ 
ed, better poised women—whose souls are full 
of sweet charities, from whoso lips come 
words of gracious wisdom—women of each 
one of whom may be said: “Strength and 
honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice 
in time to come.” a country housekeeper. 
It is wisdom for those in health and strength 
to lay by in store for days of feebleness and 
old age, and then to hold the estate in their 
own hands while life lasts. A happy little 
grandmother of mine lived on to ?? years iu 
her little home, renting out her farm, except 
the Orchard and garden, and welcoming to 
her home her children and grandchildren, 
some of whom always lived with her, but set¬ 
ting her own little table to the last, even when 
a daughter’s family oectipipd partof the house. 
Though often dining with (hem, she preferred 
to feel that she was a house-keeper still. She 
was one of the happiest old people 1 ever knew, 
and “the best company” for old folks or young. 
OLIVE. 
omcstic (Dcmtotraj 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MATLE, 
HOUSEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA. IV 
for Wo men. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS RAY CLARK. 
One year ago to-day I held thee first 
Within my loving arms. Where art thou, sweet? 
I see thee not; thy cradle empty stands; 
And thou art gone; thy earthly home knows thee 
No more. I cannot cause this human heart 
To cease to long tor thee. Was mother-love 
Created changeless, deathless, but to have 
Its tendrils rudely snapped, no more to be united? 
This Is thy birthday, and I 
Thy mother, cannot take thee in my arms; 
Upon thy lips uo birthday kiss can press; 
For thou, a little while ago, didst have 
Another birthday: through thine owu sufferings 
Thou wusi born Into the realms immortal. 
Why do I weep? What cause have 1 to mourn? 
Thy little life has left no stain upon 
Thy pun . .tow; soul; a snow-white bud, thou canst 
Unfold iti Heaven’s lift t. In loveliness 
More lovely still ror fits thine early call. 
Hadstthou staid here, my child, tliou wouldst have 
been 
Another tie to bind me to the part 1 ' 
But now thy little hands reach out to me 
From - but fair laud, and still, a little child, 
An an- el eld kl, *hall lead me on. 
Hast thou in, in ed of me? Canst thou at once 
Become content to live apart from thine 
Own mother? At every turn I miss thy smile, 
Thy merry shout, thy nestling head. Then in 
My grief I pray that thou knowst not the pangs 
Of parting; that to theeluy place be tilled. 
One moment thou was! here, my baby, mine. 
The next thou wast an angel bal>o, arid yet 
My baby still. And who shall say but. what 
To thee my loving, tender thoughts shall reach 
And make tliee glad, as did niy fond caresses. 
Tnere Is a pleasure In the thought, though none 
May say that it Is truth. The grief 1 know 
Can never come to thee. M,v sorrow o’er 
Thy grave hast spared thy sorrow over mine. 
My thoughts are full of thee and thy new life. 
Design for marking Towels for Glass. 
ONLY A MOTHER-IN-LAM’ 
WHAT TO READ AND HOWTO READ IT. 
Poets and story-writers never tire of pic 
taring a mother’s devotion and self sacrifice 
for her children's good. But the instant one 
Of these children many, what a change lakes 
place. At once she is transformed into that, 
terrible being, a “mother-in-law.” She is the 
same woman stilt, with the same deathless 
love for her children, but she has “out-lived 
her usefulness” by tho common verdict, and 
it is time she should “step down and out.” 
The public press is responsible for much of 
this change of sentiment with regard to once 
honored parents, Its ceaseless slurs on the 
class referred to must have its evil effect upon 
the young. They quickly catch the tone aud 
repeat the stale jests regardless of t he hearts 
which they wound like poisoned arrows. 
It is a very sad thing to see the son of a 
widowed mother marry a young girl, and 
bring her homo to rule in Ids mothers’ house. 
Instead of taking a daughter's place, she as¬ 
sumes that all a mother-in-law’s possessions 
are hers by right ami that she can use, or 
carelessly destroy them as she pleases, angry 
at nuy remonstrance, and ever ready to com¬ 
plain that a mother-in-law is so much in the 
way. Girls! do not accept such u position un¬ 
less you are ready to take a daughter’s place iu 
the home. Weigh well the whole matter be¬ 
fore hand. Half the troubles of life Ci,me 
from want of thought. Remember that what 
ytu bring to your new home is your own, sub¬ 
ject entirely to your control, what belongs to 
your mother-in law is exclusively hers, unless 
given to her son you may lie allowed to use it 
as a favor, but always subject to her control. 
If you do not like such a view of the case, 
do not take tpon you such a relation. But 
hav ing assumed it remember to deal justly as 
one who must give an account to the Judge of 
the widow. 
CONCLUSION. 
“It goes without saying,” as we nowadays 
love to say, that iu these very desultory aud 
familiar talks, I have not attempted to lay 
down any definite course of reading, or, iu- 
deed, to do more than touch upon the confines 
of the great world of books well worth our 
study. Writiug for busy and ] iraetieal people, 
I have endeavored only to give them a few 
hints as to the employment of their rare hours 
of leisure, and to set their feet in better paths 
than those that lie among the literary weeds. 
If, however, any ambitious young girls can 
make the time for a course of study iu history, 
I would recommend to them Freeman's his¬ 
torical series consisting of small and well 
written text books on England, France, Ger¬ 
many and other prominent, nations. If any 
of my young readers are fortunate enough 
to have already a good grounding in the his¬ 
tory of their own country and of Euglaud and 
France, they cannot do better than to study, 
with careful reference to maps and chart, an 
admirable series entitled “Epochs of History,” 
each volume prepared by some historical 
specialist. A perfect chart of history is one 
published by A. S. Barnes of New York, and 
arranged by Miss Ida Whitcomb. A large 
page is devoted to each century or half cen¬ 
tury, and one sees at a glance all the 
contemporaneous monarehs and principal 
heroes. Blank spaces are left, wherein the 
student writes her owu synopsis of each 
reign. I know of a class formed for the 
study of history, which proceeds iu this way: 
the young women meet every fortnight: each 
one carefully prepares the history of 10 years 
of a certain country, one taking England, 
another France, etc. At a meeting of the 
Pi^cUancott# 
When Baby wee slot, we gave her Caatorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castoria, 
When ahe became Mies, she clang to Cmetoria, 
When aha lied Children, ah* gave them Caatoria, 
