MAY 22 
Ciiamij. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Three Hundred Presents, Decorative and 
Fancy Articles for Presents and Fairs. By 
Lucretia P. Hale and Margaret E. White. 
Published by S. W. Tilton & Co., Boston, 
Mass. 
This instructive little book will be highly 
appreciated by those of our lady readers who 
wish to add to the beauty of their homes. 
There are hundreds of little things that cost 
almost nothing and yet add wonderfully to 
the beauty and comfort of the home. They 
are valuable as presents, not because of their 
intrinsic 'value, but because of the fact, that 
they represent the labor of some dear friend. 
We heartily commend this book to such of our 
lady friends as arc interested in decorations. 
The suggestions regarding the conduct of fail's 
and other entertainments, will be of great 
service to those who are called upon to organ¬ 
ize such mootings in aid of the church or 
school. 
Down the West Branch. By Captain 
Charles A. Farrar. Published by Lee & 
Shepard, Boston, Mass. Price $1.25. 
This is supposed to be a record of the ad¬ 
ventures of the Lake and Forest. Club, a com¬ 
pany of boys who spend their vacation 
“camping-out” m Maine. As a rule, we think 
too many of such books arc written. They 
are all about, the same thing, and in every 
one, boys go safely through adventures that 
not one man in 500 can ever expect to encoun¬ 
ter. Still, there will always be a demand for 
such literature. As children delight in listen¬ 
ing to old stories time after time, so older 
boys enjoy the stories of adventure. As to 
the influence exerted by such stories, opinion 
is divided. The Sunday schools of the coun¬ 
try are filled with them. The present volume 
is well written and contains much scenic des¬ 
cription that is admirable. 
Salammbo. By Gustave Flaubert. Pub¬ 
lished by Saxon & Co., New York. 
This is a weird, horrible, utterly useless, 
historical novel. Flaubert was a master at 
word painting and some of the scenes in Sal- 
aminbo ai-e magnificent specimens of power¬ 
ful description. The story deals with a hither¬ 
to neglected period of the history of Carthage. 
Salamtnlio was the sister of Hannibal, and 
daughter of Hamilcai. The story deals with 
the attempts of a vast army of Barbarians to 
capt ure Carthage. Hannibal is seen only as a 
wild and vicious boy. The Carthagenians 
were a treacherous, cruel and cowardly na¬ 
tion In order to portray with truth, scenes 
in which they were actors, it is necessary to 
fill pages with cowardly murders, fiendish 
cruelty and base betrayal. For this reason 
Salammbo is not pleasant reading. 
Improvement of the Senses. By Horace 
Grant, Published by Lee & Shepard, Bos¬ 
ton. Price 50 cents. 
This is an exceedingly valuable little 
treatise on the best mode of cultivating 
the senses in children. The idea enforced 
is that the usual method of forcing a child to 
learn long lists of words or facts with the ma¬ 
jority of which he will have no connection in 
after life, is wrong. Text books are not ne¬ 
cessary in the education of young children. 
Bright object lessons and interesting talks 
about familiar objects, will be far more ser¬ 
viceable in amply rounding out the youthful 
mind. We believe this idea is in the main 
correct. Our present system of education is 
faulty in the fact that it cultivates a mechan¬ 
ical memory, and discourages practical 
thought The forms of questions for object 
teaching given in this book are admirable. 
Common Sense in the Care of the Pet 
Canary. By Mrs. M. E. C. Farwoll. From 
the Murray Hill Publishing Company, New 
York City. 
This is a bright, well written little book, 
and, so far as we see. reliable. The author has 
evidently written from practical experience. 
A bl ight, clear-voiced canary can change the 
character of many a home. All lovers of the 
little golden bird will find much to instruct 
them in this book. 
for Womm. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS RAY CLARK. 
AN OLD MAN’S MITSINGS. 
HOLLY DEAN. 
Smoking my pipe in the twilight, 
Dreaming the hoars away, 
Linking the past and future 
Into the present-day- 
Smoking my pipe lit the twilight. 
When the winter's day Is dona; 
Dreaming of fairy meat ows 
Under i he summer's sun. 
Dreaming of wondrous grottoes, 
Deep in the woody hills, 
Dreaming of silver brooklets, 
Dreaming of tinkling rills. 
Smoklug my pipe in the twilight. 
By the fireside’s cheerful glow; 
Dreaming of Spring and Summer, 
Seasons of long ago. 
Dreaming oven of Autumn, 
Leaves of crimson and gold. 
Ripened sheaves for the harvest, 
Touches of Winter’s cold. 
Autumn’s voice has spoken 
Words of prophesy true. 
Winter makes snow of the raindrops, 
Frost of the gentle dew. 
Life too has her changing seasons, 
Spring with her blossoms fair; 
Summers of golden promise. 
Autumns of sorrow and care. 
Buds of the Springtime—blasted, 
Hopes for the future—dead. 
Autumn brings leaves of purple. 
And leaves of crimson and red. 
But the snows of Winter cover 
The rustling leaves us they He, 
The leaves of gloomy purple, 
And the leaves of crimson dye. 
So I smoke my pipe in the twilight, 
And dream of the seasons gone; 
Dream In the present shadows. 
Dream of the future dawn. 
NOVELS. 
Somebody, presumably George Eliot, says 
that “There is no more infallible char¬ 
acteristic of a mediocre mind than its tenden¬ 
cy to Indiscriminate generalization.” No class 
of writings has suffered more from this ten¬ 
dency than novels. Whether novels arc im¬ 
proving or hurtful: whether young people 
should be permitted to read them or not, aud 
hundreds of kindred questions are propounded 
aud variously answered, just as if the word 
novel were susceptible of inflexible definition, 
aud covered all the qualities of a great class 
of books, as diverse in their merits and their 
influence as men and women themselves! None 
of these questions can be approached until it 
is understood what novels are read and how 
we read them. 
Of course, every rule applying to the choice 
of books in general applies to the choice of this 
class of books—only before we bring them to 
bear upon our novels we must "score them un¬ 
der,” as “Mr. Weller” says. That is to say, as 
novels take peculiar hold of our imagination 
and emotion, as they “come home to our busi¬ 
ness and bosoms,” it is peculiarly important 
that we should refuse to look into such as are 
bad or of no repute, trashy. It is a good rule 
to read only standard novels; the masterpieces 
of Scott, Thackeray, Dickens, George Eliot, 
a few of Bulwer; his "Harold,” "Iiienzi,” 
“Lastof the Barons,” "Last Days of Pompeii,” 
“Caxtons,” and "My Novel;” of Charlotte 
Bronte read “Shirley" and "Villette.” It is 
not easy to omit "Jane Eyre,” but 1 fear a 
sturdy moralist must include that among the 
“bad” books, though we are all sure that the 
gentle aud conscientious authoress did not 
see the tendency of her writing. 
Miss Muloch has written good and health¬ 
ful stories. Charles Kingsley used to say: “If 
any man wants to be a hero, let him begin by 
reading ‘John Halifax’ and ‘Henry Esmond.’ ” 
There is another of Miss Muloch more heroic 
than "John Halifax”—the exquisite, pathetic 
little story of “A Noble Life.” But I don’t 
know that I should recommend a course, of 
her writings—there is a little too much senti¬ 
ment, the lover’s love is usually almost too 
prominent, and no books are good for dream¬ 
ing girls, that ever look toward any ignoring of 
the dear home affections, which have envi¬ 
roned them since their infancy. Trust me, 
girls, yon will never find any admiration more 
fond and proud tliau that of a good father, 
nor any tenderness more perfect than that of 
a good mother! But, to return to our list. 
Good Miss Edgeworth has gone out of fashion 
of late, but, if you will read her “Helen,” 
and “Absentee,” and “Eunice,” I think you 
will be very much inclined to browse about 
among her short stories, and will begin to un¬ 
derstand the praises showered upon her by a 
past generation. With her, one thinks of 
Miss Austen so valued by literary artists for 
her inimitable delicate strokes, her “stippling,” 
as an engraver would call it. Of her stories, 
read at least “Bride and Prejudice,” to gain an 
idea of her fineness of finish. To this cata¬ 
logue many additions might be made, but is it 
not loug enough to occupy the leisure hours 
of many a mouth? And ought we not to be 
ashamed of wasting our time over the walls 
and strays of fiction, when its acknowledged 
masterpieces aro within our reach! 
There is one class of novel readers, to whom 
all novels are alike bad; another, to whom, wo 
are almost ready to say all are alike good! 
The former reads for the s ory only; to tllein 
“all is fish that comes to their net.” Could we 
turn inside out their literary stomach, we 
would find it like the ostrich’s, containing 
“feathers, nails, hair, bits of glass, and nug- 
getsof gold"in one heterogeneous mass! “Adam 
Bede” and “Aurora Floyd” are swallowed 
with impartial appetite. “David Copperfield” 
aud "The Wide Wide World” rank together. 
1 These readers care only to know whether 
Miss A, marries Mr. B-, no matter whether 
Thackeray or Mrs. Wood tells the tale. It 
would be ridiculous, were it not so pathetic, 
to hear one of these omnivorous creatures 
giving her opinion of some novel, upon which 
u great author who has spent the best of his 
heart aud brain. "Iam so interested in‘The 
Newcomes’ ”, said once one of this class—an ap¬ 
parently bright young girl. I had a regard for 
the child, and hailed her remark with pleasure. 
“Tell me what you think of it,” I said. “Oh, 
its lovely ! Mr. Clive’ is so handsome aud clev¬ 
er. Only it spoils it to have him marry ‘Rosy’, 
and it takes away all the romance to make 
‘Ethel’ a second wife,” That was all! who 
shad say that she might not just as well have 
spent her time over the poorest dime novel? 
All the pathos, all the wit, all the tender¬ 
ness, all the grandeur of the moral teaching, 
all the grace and beauty of the central figure, 
that equisite gentlemen, Colonel Newcomo, 
had passed over the reader’s pretty blonde 
head like idle air! What hope is there for 
such ? 
Now the novel reader, who really gains 
something from her book, approaches its char¬ 
acters in this manner. They live before her, 
she analyses their motives, she sees bow 
and when they might have developed differ¬ 
ently, she observes the skill with which the 
author preserves their identity; aud she notes, 
besides, all the felicities of style, all the beau¬ 
ties of description, all the charms of conver¬ 
sation, all the great lessons so often contained 
in the lives that speak to us from the eloquent 
page. Aud she sees now what is noble and 
pure, becomes only noble and purer through 
trial, temptation, and wrong. 
When such a reader has closed such a book, 
think wliat. a step upward she has taken, in 
mind, heart, character! 
To her, and to all like her, (“may their tribe 
increase!”), a novel is not merely the empty 
amusement of an idle hour; it is a new force 
brought into her life; a larger culture, a wider 
knowledge of humanity, a fresh impulse to¬ 
ward good, a fresh hatred of whatever is low, 
and mean, and trivial—to say nothing of a 
new accuracy aud elegance in that rare ac¬ 
complishment, the use of English! 
MRS. G. p. rice. 
“YOUR NOSE WILL BE OUT OF JOINT 
NOW.” 
Miss Croix was dandling the new baby 
sister on her knee and regarding her pink face 
with a grim smile, which added little to the 
beauty of her angular face. 
“Now Lena, your ‘nose will be out of joint,’” 
she said. 
The little one raised her eyes wonderingly, 
and slowly rubbed her little nose with her 
chubby hand. 
“Lena,” said mother quickly, “will you run 
down aud pick mamma two sweet pinks and 
two pansies?” 
Always delighted with such a commission, 
the little one sprang lightly to her feet, forget¬ 
ting about her injured nose, but first she 
peeped into the little crib aud said sweetly, 
“Lena’ll turn back pitty soon to see oo pitty 
one.” Turning to the visitor, she explained: 
“Baby might try for me,” and thou she tripped 
off happily down the stairs. 
“Would you spoil all that love and happi¬ 
ness, Miss Croix?” asked the mother earnestly. 
“Flease never say a word to Lena that would 
set her against, her baby sister. I know 
friends often do such things ‘just, for fun,’ 
little thinking what mischief they do. Such 
a shocking account came in the papers lately 
of a little girl of four whose mind was poisoned 
against a baby brother until she hated him 
and often said ‘he ought to be tut up. ’ Sure 
enough, when she got, a chance and no one was 
near to hinder her, she did cut up his poor 
little face with a sharp knife, using all her 
baby strength. Another little boy of whom 
I have read was stung almost to insanity by 
the nurse’s declaration that now his mother 
would not love him any more, nor even have 
him in iter room. His mother had been all the 
world to him before. He could not bear such 
a rival, so he brought in a large stone and 
crashed it dowu on the baby’s head as it lay 
in the cradle. The real murderers wore those 
who hod set the little ones against the darlings 
they should have been taught, to love. Here 
comes mother’s little girl witli her posies, llow 
sweet they are! By aud by baby can hold 
one in her little hand, and Lena can bring 
them in for her. Anti next Summer, perhaps, 
she can go out to the flower beds herself, and 
Lena can take cure of her,” OLIVE. 
Punt C5 tic Ccxmoiraj 
CONDUCTED by MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
HATS AND BONNETS; HAIR “YUM- 
YUM” STA’LE. 
E. L. TAPLIN. 
While it is always prudent to prepare for 
the summer campaign beforehand, there are 
many trifles of dress and adornment which it is 
best not to purchase until the end of Spring. 
Of course, all the sewing possible should be done 
before the warm weather, but the little niceties 
of dress can always be purchased to more ad¬ 
vantage later on. This fact is very noticeable 
in millinery articles. Styles of headgear that 
obtain in the early Spring, seldom remain in 
favor the entire season. The picturesque but 
rather loud "Peek-a-boo” hats worn last year 
are an example of this. Early in the Spring 
they were much worn, but so much were they 
multiplied in common materials that before 
the season was over they were "slangy” in the 
extreme. So, when a woman knows that one 
best hat must content her the entire season, it 
is not wise to purchase too early. 
Requirements in headgear naturally vary 
with tiie condition of the wearer; hut it may 
be stated as a sound axiom in dress that two 
inexpensive bonnets make a better show than 
one costly article. They need not by any 
means be cheap-looking. The pretty little 
capote or princess bonnets are universally be¬ 
coming, and consequently can never go entirely 
out of style. They change a little in shape from 
time to time, but a last year’s bouuet does not 
look by any means out of date. It is rather a 
delicate matter to say just how many hats or 
bonnets are necessary; but for a country girl, 
we may suggest a plain but becoming lint for 
general wear, a "Sunday-go-to-meeting” bon¬ 
net, and a white mull bonnet to wear with a 
white frock. The three might easily bo an ex¬ 
travagance if made by a milliner, but they 
are surprisingly inexpensive when the wearer 
can trim them herself. 
The prevailing mode in bonnets lias a very 
high horseshoe crown, sloping up in the back, 
and is trimmed with erect loops of ribbon and 
aigrettes or stiff feathers. It is pretty and be¬ 
coming when not exaggerated, but if worn by 
a woman with a long, thin face, becomes a 
caricature, especially if the strings are tied 
under the chin. So, in this case, one of the 
lower-crowned bonnets must be chosen, with 
the strings tied on the left side. The trimming 
must be massed on top, mid the loops, though 
erect, need not he quite so large. With a 
round or oval facu the higher bonnet will of 
course be most becoming. 
The widest latitude is allowed in color, 
though the craze for yellow has somewhat 
subsided. Perhaps the most popular of light 
colors for bonnet trimmings is absinthe green, 
a delicate an<I rather trying shade. It is much 
combined with brown. A little bonnet of 
rough brown straw may have a few loops of 
the green ribbon mingled with brown, or the 
brown loops may be lined with green. In this 
case it lightens up the bonnet without trying 
the complexion. Salmon or pale rose pink is 
very becoming to a brunette, combined with 
brown in the same way. 
The bonnet should, of course, harmonize or 
contrast effectively with the gown, so she is a 
wise virgin who selects all her wardrobe with 
a view to perfect harmony. Naturally this 
planning is unnecessary when one can afford 
a bonnet, with every gown, an impossibility in 
the majority of cases. 
If in the beginning of the season we settle 
what color is to be the prevailing tint, we can 
vary our attire becomingly without extrava¬ 
gance. It is much easier to select a becoming 
bonnet than a becoming hat. The hats are in 
many cases very eccentric in shape this season. 
They agree in one particular only; they are 
all high-crowned. The prettiest are straight- 
brimmed walking hats, very becoming to 
young faces. Comparatively few flowers are 
use'd in trimming, the most popular garniture 
for both hats aud bonnets being ribbon loops 
ami stiff feathers. Loss of .the metallic trim¬ 
mings are seen this season. 
These high hats and bonnets necessitate an 
accommodating form of hair-dressing, and the 
most popular form at present is the‘‘Yum- 
Ymn,” modeled on the style affected by the 
three little maids in the “Mikado.” It is sim¬ 
ple, and requires but little Lair. The hair is 
all combed up high, the entire strand twisted 
over once, like a Freneh twist; then the back, 
while in this position, is pulled out loose with 
the comb, from the nape of the neck, making 
it loose and fluffy. The strand at the top is 
divided into two, and rolled into two flnger- 
puffs, which ure pinned close together near the 
front of the head, so as to make one coronet¬ 
like roll. The "hang” is rolled back Pompadour- 
fashion in the middle, with loose curls on the 
When Baby was sink, wo rot* her Castoria, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castor!*, 
When she became Miss, she oinng to Castoria, 
When iihe had C! tildren, ah* gave them Castoria, 
