0 
502 
JULY 31 
East even, what a multiplication there has 
been in the last 30 years of seed farmers, gard¬ 
eners, milk-farmers, fnncy-stock-men. bee- 
men, smaU-fruit-inen, tobacco-growers in 
Connecticut and peach-growers in Delaware! 
Mixed farming there is itself responding to 
the prevailing tendency, and is year by year 
becoming loss and loss mixed:—that is, the av¬ 
erage fanner instead of raising a little of every¬ 
thing, is coming down, more and more, to 
fewer and fewer things. But in the West “the 
old order chan goth, yielding to the new” more 
markedly; a rapidly growing proportion of cur 
farmers, are cattle-men, sheep-men, horsemen, 
wheat-men, fruit-men, etc. The extent and 
success of their operations, both as individuals 
and companies, furnish food for much cheer¬ 
ful reflection ou the- part of that otherwise 
discouraged “boy,” of whom we hear so 
much, and whom it is so hard to keep on the 
farm. Since it seems easy enough for farm¬ 
ers to combine when they can get down to a 
manageable basis to combine on, why should 
they only fight their battle single-handed? 
Other forms of the world’s work are done by 
companies or partners hip—even to the publish¬ 
ing of the Rural New-Yorker; why 
should not the producers of its broad and 
meat likewise avail themselves of the strength 
of union? Cattle companies are common 
enough among us. Recently there was char¬ 
tered the “ Kansas City Hog Company,” for 
“the purpose of raising, feeding and selling 
hogs.” The “Olden Orchard Company,” of 
Kansas City, has 30,000 apple and peach trees 
planted, and aims at 100,0(H) in the near future. 
Perhaps that is the kind of farming which 
will keep the country boy at home? Without 
the specialty, however, where would the cor¬ 
poration come in? There would be no place 
for it. 
There are specialists and specialists—fool 
specialists as well as fools who are not special¬ 
ists. Borne who have chosen occupations in 
harmony with their conditions, have persisted 
and prospered; others have made unfortunate 
selections which they have followed up feebly 
and fickly, and failed. When 1 came, to Kan¬ 
sas, I found a man “going into” small fruits 
nine miles from a station with no home mar¬ 
ket, turning up for his mad purpose the very 
best of pasture seeded down by Nature before 
his time, and all but marked with the letters, 
“Reserved for .Stock.” Of course, he failed; 
he ought to have been brayed in a mortar. Not 
long ago, a correspondent, was quarreling with 
his paper because it advised him not to rest 
his case on strawberries alone, he holding that 
if the “single idea” was good, the more single 
the better! Nobody would advocate building 
a mill on a stream that was dry nine months 
in the year; but this man, farming in a simi¬ 
larly titful stylo (if he really carried out. his 
threat), has no doubt furnished a frequent 
illustration of the fate in store for 
specialists. A specialist in farming, as I 
understand the term, does not limit himself to 
a single crop, but to wlmt I may call a single 
lino of agriculture; he follows a definite and 
harmonious programme in his operations—and 
sticks to it. Farming, like eloquence, cannot 
lx- learned from books, helpful as they may be 
to both; aud colloquial speech compares to 
the flights of the orator as common farming 
does to the possibilities of achievement within 
reach of tile zealous and Btudious socialist. 
There is more in every branch of farming 
than most people dream of. 
I was a boy yet, but old enough to appreci¬ 
ate the "grind” and the uarrow outlook of my 
birth-right—mixed farming—when I read the 
story of John Johnson, of Geneva, N. Y.—the 
first agricultural specialist I ever heard ot. 
The story wax, briefly, that, having a farm 
adapted to wheat, located favorably for ship¬ 
ping, he raised wheat as his exclusive crop. 
The fertility ol' his land he maintained by the 
manure made from feeding his straw and 
Western corn to great flocks of wet hers bought 
for the purpose; That was all—wheal and 
sheep. The more sheep be fed the more man¬ 
ure and the more wheat: aud the more wheat 
he raised, the more sheep ho could feed. 
That was a definite aud harmonious pro¬ 
gramme. It had a beginning and ending. 
The man who followed it was not distracted 
by a swarm of side issues, nor frittering away 
his strength on a multitude of “Tittles;” aud 
by it he transformed a drudgery into a busi¬ 
ness! That is how the new revelation looked 
to me then; and later observations have con¬ 
vinced me that I did not over-draw its advan¬ 
tages. 
In no other way, that I know of than by 
a judicious specialty, cun the farmer elim¬ 
inate from his environment Its disadvantages, 
since every location is particularly suited to 
some tilings and unfavorable to others. In 
no other way that 1 know of can the 
farmer hope to become an expert in his call¬ 
ing, or bring to his assistance those great aids 
to accomplishment—system aud routine. 
Wyandotte Co., Kans. 
Wdmmt’s Work. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY L. TAPLIN. 
CHIMES. 
BY M A BIOS B. ALLKX. 
Pa it above t he fern aud moss. 
Fluttering blrcli and wee Hr cross, 
And the pine’s low murmuring, 
Where the frightened llehens cling 
To the overhanging edge 
Of the precipice and ledge, 
Fearless In their dainty glee, 
Wave the harebells merrily. 
From their dusky rafters hung, 
Ne’er In Belgian belfry swung 
Bells more exquisitely wrought! 
By the mountain breezes caught— 
Tossing, swnylng to nnd fro— 
While beside them bending low, 
Breathlessly 1 wait, to hear 
Echo of their chiming clear. 
But the airy harmony 
Is too wonderful for me. 
And I eaniiot Ctrl eh a strain 
Of that rare and sweet refrain. 
Yet the tiny hells still ring. 
And they shall my greeting bring 
Till, (hough ne’er so softly stirred. 
Every trembling note Is heard. 
—Jail/ Cottage Hearth. 
WOMAN’S WORK. 
SECOND PAPER. 
In our last article we spoke about woman’s 
work and the progress it ought, to lead to, if 
we hut “let our light shine out,” as it seems to 
be required of ns. And in order to do this 
we must volunteer all our energies and press 
forward to that goal which we would attain. 
Horace Mann said; “In a world so full as 
this of incitements to exertion and of rewards 
for achievements, idleness is the most absurd 
of absurdities and the most shameful of 
shames. We that, do not wish to be classed 
with the drones in this world should enlist for 
life’s service as one of God’s workers.” 
In the first pilaw, before we try to work for 
the good of others, we should see that we 
“practice what we preach,” so that the pro¬ 
verb may lie proven, “By their works ye 
shall know them.” Next, in preparation for 
this work we should see that we are making 
the most of the advantages which nature has 
given us, and the best way for improving 
these advantages is by educating and training 
the mind, so as to prepare ourselves for that 
work which we are most capable of perform¬ 
ing. One might say, what can women do 
but wash, bake and brew, or else tie an 
ornament to society ? They can be ull these 
aud more, if they only develop themselves 
into that stamp of womanhood that the world 
will be the wiser for their being, and when 
they Shall have passed away, the sweet essence 
of their blessed works and deeds shall be 
known through all ages to come. 
If a woman studies to enlighten herself, she 
not only does it for her own soul’s good, but 
for the benefit and good of others. 
Suppose that when this country was new, 
when the red man roamed in the forests of 
our now productive soil, that no other inhabi¬ 
tants ever ventured to tresspass upon that 
which they claimed their own, what then 
would tie the condition of this Republic? If 
people from one source and another had not 
come forward, and tried to enlighten them¬ 
selves, where would our progressive nation lie 
to-day ? 
It htis been said that “as is the quality of 
individual culture, so will be the character of 
the resulting nation.” This seems to prove 
itself true, for since America’s sons aud 
daughters have educated themselves and tried 
to develop that intellect which God has given 
them, we see it progressing up the steps of 
time, and by wisdom, industry and valor the 
republic of the United States has risen to 
stand against the world. And to avoid a 
downfall of this prosperous nation like that of 
Greece aud Rome, we should all strive to give 
it aid, so that it will ever continue to rise. 
MARY D. THOMAS. 
FLOWERS FOR THE TABLE. 
Ungathered blossoms lie about everyone; 
treasures of knowledge, of affection, of beaut/ 
and of pleasure are ready for hands that never 
gather them, and they fade and are gone all 
unheeded. 
These invisible things we are not always 
wise enough to recognize,but the visible flow¬ 
ers that beautify Bpring, Summer and Autumn 
should not wither unappreciated. 
A pleasaut fashion, and one that is gaining 
in favor in even the busiest families, is to 
have a vase or dish of fresh flowers on the 
table at each meal. 
There is no pleasanter time nor plaee to 
bring the first blossoms of each variety and 
tiie rare blossoms of individual plants, thou 
the meal-time aud the table. 
A bright young lady of my acquaintance 
always asks fp(’nn instance to illustrate any 
such statements as that just made; and follow¬ 
ing her preference for facts rather than 
theories. I will give a few “instances.” 
A large caster occupied the center of a 
farmer’s table, and the mustard bottle, with 
its wide top, had lost the lid, as mustard bot¬ 
tles in some households seem to have a pro¬ 
voking fashion of doing. It. was therefore 
selected to hold the bouquets for the table, thus 
making its defect an advantage. 
It was usually filled with small flowers and 
delicate leaves, such as Gilia tricolor, Lily-of- 
the-Valley, Whitlavia, Sweet Pea, the smaller 
buds of roses, Maiden-hair fern and Sweet- 
Brier leaves. Large flowers were always 
avoided, as having a tendency to give the 
caster a one-sided appearance. 
In another family an old pitcher, handed 
down t hrough three generations, ami having a 
beauty of its own as well as antiquity to rec¬ 
ommend it, was used to hold the flowers for 
the table. The pitcher was a small one, but 
large enough to hold the masses of roses, ger¬ 
aniums, chrysanthemums and ferns, and did 
its duty well. 
A low glass dish Is always used in another 
family, and pansies, daisies, for-get-me-nots, 
double balsams and the fragrant white clema¬ 
tis, known as Virgin’s Bower, make the dish 
beautiful and fragrant day after day. 
Iu a country home where the children all 
love wild flowers they vie with each other iu 
bringing the rarest specimens of each variety 
found in woods and fields. 
At a pleasant little tea given to a few friends 
by two sisters who are gifted with nrtistie tal¬ 
ent and skill, the center of the table was orna¬ 
mented with a vase of t heir own modeling in 
clay, and it contained instead of flowers the 
long-stemmed feathery spheres Hint succeed 
the daudolion blossoms. 
Late into the Fall, and sometimes all Win¬ 
ter, evergreen leaves, persistent berries and 
winter ferns can lie found iu the woods, and 
bouquets made of these do not need replenish¬ 
ing oftener than once a week. 
If anyone is on the lookout for something 
pretty for the table, he will find a greater 
variety than would seem possible if he never 
looked for beauty among the common wild 
growths of neglected places. 
Adding lieauty and pleasure to each day of 
life makes up the sum of happiness, aud means 
to that end, however simple, should be seized 
upon gladly by every one. ALICE brown. 
MIDSUMMER MODES. 
• 
At this season, half-way between Bummer 
aud Autumn, it is impossible to find much 
that is absolutely novel. Fashions are per¬ 
haps more finidy set than in the fickle spring¬ 
time, but of novelties proper there is absolute 
dearth. . The great importers drop mysterious 
hints of the wonderful fabrics and beautiful 
combinations that will dazzle the eyes of 
womankind in a month's time, but that is 
all. A study of the prevailing styles in wraps 
and gowns shows a greater regard for comfort 
and artistic fitness than formerly prevailed. 
Especially is this true as regards children’s 
frocks: 
If there is any prevailing color, properly 
sjieaking, we should give preference to gray. 
The majority of the traveling wraps show 
either some variation of this shade, or else a 
modest check. They are for the most part 
tight fitting, though some very pretty gar¬ 
ments have loose sleeves. 
Of summer costumes, washing fabrics take 
prominent rank, and here we see an infinite 
variety of style aud material. Corded ging¬ 
ham is very handsome material having a plaid 
of raised cords. A pretty frock of this stuff 
was a combination of plain navy blue with 
corded blue and red. The skirt was of plain 
material, with panel of the corded ginghum; 
bodice of the combination, with demi-vest, 
collar and cuffs of red velvet. 
Very charming are the embroidered sateens. 
A pretty frock of navy blue sateen had side 
panel and overdrees border of blue and white 
embroidery, the bodice was cut V-shaped, nnd 
filled in with embroidery sleeves of the same. 
Yoke waists in washing frocks are now almost 
invariably made with a V-shaped yoke. A 
very pretty almond-colored sateen, was made 
with vest and panels of figured goods, the 
design being a quaint oriental pattern in al- 
niond, cream, and brown. White muslin and 
lace frocks are inexpressibly dainty in appear¬ 
ance. As a rule, the make is simple in the ex¬ 
treme; its style depends entirely on the artistic 
taste of the maker. A very pretty aud simple 
skirt was of knee-deep Swiss embroidery, with 
broad tucks above to the waist; sash black, 
and jacket bodice of all-over embroidery, with 
a vest of flue tucks. 
Another gown of white India lawn had a 
sash back, side panel of embroidered rutiles, 
and front drapery hanging in straight side 
plait caught at one side by a large bow. The 
round waist was tucked back and front, the 
front V-shaped, bordered by an embroidei’ed 
ruffle. 
This long straight drapery is very popular 
in white gowns, but its beauty depends entire¬ 
ly on the grace of its draping. A charming 
gown of ecru Egyptian lace hung in charming 
folds, which were gathered on oue side, into a 
jabot, mingled with ribbon bows. 
Washing frocks for little girls are made for 
the most part peasant fashion, aud very pic¬ 
turesque they look. For older girls, a jacket 
bodice with loose vest is very becoming, worn 
over a round embroidered skirt, or full front 
drapery and sash back. 
White flannel Is a very popular material 
during the Bummer, both for children aud 
adults. We see some very simple gowns of 
this material, and some very elaborate ones. 
This white flannel makes up very smartly 
with white Yak lace. Woolen lace is much 
finer now than when it first came into vogue, 
and it often produces really charming effects. 
A pretty costume was of tine brown <5famine, 
with the entire skirt of wool lace, mingled 
light, and dark brown. The idea of draping 
heavy stuff over lace Is a novel one. The 
familiar nuns’ veiling is again coming to the 
fore in a variety of novel forms. It may lie 
had woven in lace stripes, or beautifully em¬ 
broidered in colors. 
Coming novelties cast their shadows before, 
and the knowledge is borne upon us that stripes 
will soon be the order of the day, with baya- 
derfe stripes taking the lead. Panels, and even 
entire skirts, will be of graduated bayadere 
stripes, the latter having some suggestions of 
the aboriginal blanket. It seems as if nearly 
every dress-stuff now in vogue was some form 
of dtatnine. Not the primeval wire-netting 
like fabric which first went by that, name, but 
every sort of variation from it. There is em¬ 
broidered etnmino. lace-striped etamine, bro¬ 
caded dtamine, and so on, ad infinitum. The 
embroideries and brocades all strive after 
oriental effects; some of them are beautiful in 
the extreme. Some of t he dtamine is woven 
with an oriental border in graduated stripes. 
An almost indescribable fabric was shown 
as cactus cloth. It was woven in broad stripes 
of green anti red, the entire surface 1 icing 
covered with little hairs, like the bristles of a 
cactus, green over the red stripes, and white 
over the green. 
Argentine is simply old-fashioned bardge 
revived iu bayadere stripes, like our grand¬ 
mothers’ gowns; mozambique is another re¬ 
vival of striped gauzy stuff, and we are 
likely to see the resurrection of a good many 
old favorites during the coming season. 
For information received thanks are due 
James McCroery & Co., New York. 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
The heart that is full of love to God can 
not be full of hatred to men. An atmosphere 
of perfect love drives out hate, as light drives 
darkness from the room... 
A HOLY life is made up of a number of 
small things—little words, not eloquent 
speeches or sermons; little deeds, not miracles 
or battles, nor one great, heroic act of mighty 
martyrdom, make up the true Christian life.. 
The avoidance of little sins, little inconsis¬ 
tencies, little weaknesses, little follies, indis¬ 
cretions, and imprudences, little foibles, little 
indulgences of the flesh—the avoidance of such 
little things as these goes far to make up, at 
least the nogutive beauty of a holy life. 
Judge no one by his relations, whatever 
criticisms you pass upon his companions. 
Relations like features, are thrust upon us; 
companions, like clothes, are more or loss our 
own selection..... .... 
Never fail to say kind aud encouraging 
words to those whom you meet in distress. 
Your kindness may lift, them out, of their de¬ 
spair........ 
Anything which mokes religion its second 
object makes religion no object. God will put 
up with a great many things iu the human 
heart, but there is one thing Ho will not put 
up with in it—a second place. Ho who offers 
God u second place offers him no place.— Hus¬ 
k-in . .. 
R. J. Burdette thus hits off Philadelphia; 
It was one of the pastor's host, sermons, and he 
was describing Heaven. “It was a place of mar¬ 
velous, matchless, transcendent beauty,” he 
said. “All the mansions were of red brick, with 
solid white shutters four inches thick, no Cor¬ 
nice, brass door-knobs and white marble 
steps, with angels continually scrubbing them 
through the countless ages of eternity.” “Elo¬ 
quent, preacher,” said the stranger in the dea¬ 
con’s pew, at the close of the service. “Phila¬ 
delphia man, ain’t her’ "Ah,” said the dea¬ 
con, “somebody told you.”. 
The Church Press Says: There are jour- 
ueyinga that only Increase restlessness. But 
they who journey iu the faith of duty rest in 
the home of love. They who go upon God’s 
errands are refreshed by His rewards of peace, 
JMany of^our failures pud miseries in Christ- 
