PteTfUnneous ^Avivtijrtug 
LETTERS PROM THE COUSINS. 
“Where is your mother?” 
“She’s over yonder to the county house. 
She’s sorter sick au' can’t do nothin’ ter speak 
on. I’d sorter like ter see her you know, cause 
she’s the only mother I’ve gut an’ I’m the 
only boy she’s gut, an’ we’d he sorter mates. 
When do you reckon Sunday’s gonter skip a 
day or so, so’st I kin go?” It seemed almost 
cruel to tell the little fellow the truth. He 
was so eager as he looked up at me, that I did 
not Like to tell him the time could never 
come. 
“I don’t know, Johnny, when it will come,” 
I said at last. 
The eager face clouded with disappoint¬ 
ment. He pushed the mud restlessly with his 
foot and his hand fell from my coat. 
“I’m mighty sorry, teacher. I reckoned 
you’d know all about it. Seda's you don’t 
know, I reckon it won’t never come. Say,* 
he said suddenly, his manner changing, 
“bow’d you lick a man ef you wanted him fer 
ter feel it way down to his toes?” I could 
only look at him in surprise at this question. I 
had never felt that I should care to injure any 
person severely, so I had not decided which 
form of punishment would lie most painful, 
“Ye see.” eoutiuued Johnny, “I’m gonter 
lick old Johnson when I git big enough, an’ I 
want mightily fer ter do a good job. Like 
enough I won't have more’n one chance, so 1 
wanter know what ter do. I heard a feller 
read a piece onet about bilin’ folks in fat. I 
reckon I'll bile old Johnson of I kiu git a kittle 
big enough. Butyuuder's Bill Johnson now, 
I reckon I’ll git home.” 
Ho turned and ran to the gate and up the 
road. A horse’s head appeared over the hill 
in the opposite direction from that which 
Johnny had taken. The head slowly grew to 
a pair of shoulders, and at last the whole horse 
came into view. He pulled u large wagon 
load of wood over the brow of the hill and 
then stopped to rest. A man sat on the wood. 
He eyed me critically as I walked down the 
road toward the director’s house. 
“Howdy, teacher?” he said, as I came near 
him. “Startin’ iu ou school considerable 
brash aint ye? I’ve ben talkin’ ter sum of the 
boys down yunder—like enough I kin give ye 
some pints.” 
Of course I told him I would thank him for 
any information he had to offer. He took off 
his hat, rubbed his head carefully for a mo¬ 
ment, shut one eye and looked at me keenly. 
I glanced around to see what had become of 
Johnny, but be was not in sight. He had 
climbed over a fence and run through the 
woods. 
“I alius takes a big interest in schools.” said 
Bill Johnson. "I ain’t gut uo children o’ my 
own fer ter send, an’ I ain’t no great scholar,but 
I’ve throwed three masters out o’ that school 
house, so’st I sorter likes to see how things 
goes. 1 wuz a whale when I went ter school 
now I tell ye. Wis’t I cud make it so’st I cud 
go this Winter. I expect ine’n you cud lock 
horns in big style. But cz l wuz sayiu’ you 
’pear ter be startin’ iu sorter brash, don’t ye ? 
Like 'naff yer idees is all right where ye cum 
truro, but Bear Crick ain’t figured up ter 'em 
yit. Ye done a poor job stoppin’ ’em from 
playin’ “The Needle’s Eye.” Thai's whar ye 
rub agin the grain an’start lire. Then agin, 
ye sorter encouraged gamblin’ when ye let 
them boys draw them cuts for that seat. Then 
agin them boys won’t have no appetite fer let- 
tin ye alone unless ye let’em get a mouthful o’ 
spellin’book. You make’em write them words 
on the slate au’ they’ll write ye clean out the 
dees trie t.” 
He would have given me more “pints” doubt¬ 
less, but the horse showed signs of impatience 
and at last started on. So, with a cheerful 
“Good night teacher, better pickle up your 
muscle agiu them boys,” the load passed on. 
1 went back to the director’s house. He met 
me at the door. 
“1 congratulate you,” he said “upon the re¬ 
markably auspicious opening you have made. 
I feel that we have put in the entering wedge 
of civilization and that the work we have this 
day begun will bear fruit in the after history 
I was in uo condition to dis- 
Dear Uncle Mark: I am a boy nine years 
old. It has been very rainy for two weeks. 
Farmers are bothered very much to get their 
wheat sown. Apples are a large crop here 
this Fall. We raised some very niee melons 
from the seeds sent us by the R. N-Y., but 
they did not grow large; the season has been 
so dry. The cantaloupes were v ry fine, but 
not. very large. I have a young Shepherd 
dog which affords me lots of sport. 
Hillsdale Co., Mich. JOHN E. cory. 
Dear Uncle Mark: It is long since I 
wrote to you and the Cousins. I have 11 
Plymouth Rocks. My brother Johnny and I 
bought a calf from my father. It is a muley, 
and her name is Norma. My father has one 
light brown muley without one white spot 
and her name is Mol lie. We raised some very 
nice Plymouth Rock chickens this year. I am 
very much interested in the Cousins’ letters and 
the College Boy’s Diary. If you would come 
out here 1 would show you one of the nicest 
apples you have cv n* seeu. Wo have 19 apple 
trees that carried apples this year, and 14 that 
did not. I go to school now and am the big¬ 
gest of all the pupils. We have some very 
nice cabbage. Our potatoes were very small, 
because it svas so dry. Our teacher has writ¬ 
ten for the Harper’s Young People for eight 
months, as 12 of the pupils each gave five 
cents; the others did not give any. Do you 
think we should let them read our own paper? 
Another time 1 will tell you the names of those 
who paid. lewis w. peterson. 
Brown Co., Wis. 
[I have a great mind to come out and see 
those apples. As you are the largest boy ut 
school, L hope you set the others a good exam¬ 
ple. I like that, idea of sending for the maga¬ 
zine. That is a splendid plan. I wish other 
schools would do it. About letting those other 
scholars read it! I don’t think it will be fair 
for them to get something for nothing. Per¬ 
haps if they read a few numbers they will be 
glad enough to pay their share.—u. m.] 
Dear Uncle Mark: As usual. I spent my 
vacation at Grandpa’s. Last month Mamma 
and little sister went to Philadelphia to see 
Grandma, and so I stayed a month longer iu 
the country. I ride three miles ou the street 
cars to school every day, but next week 1 will 
have to go back to the city, as Mamma is 
coming home. I raised beaus, lettuce, eab- 
buge and potatoes in my garden. I planted 
my potato's according to the Rural plan— 
flat culture—and got nearly a Inure I and a 
half. Grandpa said they were the finest pota¬ 
toes he saw here this Hummer. 
For the second crop I planted enough pota¬ 
toes for next year’s planting, and some beans, 
egg plants aud celery; all did very well. 
Last night we had the first frost, but it did 
not do very much damage. Uncle Mark, you 
did not send me any seed last Spring, but 1 
forgot to give my address when I wrote to 
you, and may be that was the reason. 
Your nephew, harry b. stilz. 
Louisville, Ely. 
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ICO Doses One Dollar 
Uncle Mark went on a little trip a few 
days ago. Down on Long Island at the edge 
of the Atlantic Ocean. We went hunting one 
day and went tramping over the salt mea¬ 
dows. There was uo game to bo seen aud it 
was just as well, perhaps, for I am not sure 
that we could have killed any if it had ap¬ 
peared. Way down on the meadows we 
found a little shanty where a man and his 
wife lived. Their business is to guard the 
oyster beds. It must be a pretty lonely life. 
The shanty is built ou a little island. There 
is no shade, no good water, and surely uo so¬ 
ciety. The shanty is built on posts about four 
feet above the ground. This is necessary, for 
in Winter the high tides come sweeping all 
over everything, and sometimes even find 
their way into the house, high as it is. Great 
posts are driven into the ground all around 
the house. These are to keep the ice back. 
There was a small tree growing iu a kCg 
placed on a platform. All around it pieces of 
bags had been nailed to posts to keep the wind 
away. A flock of long-legged hens wei'e run¬ 
ning about, the house. I wondered what the 
tree and the hens do in Winter when the 
water and ice drive them away from the 
ground. There will be little room for them 
in the house, for the woman is almost as large 
as the house is. The man is so tall that he 
must have to sit down all the time that ho is 
inside. It is hard to think that a man can’t 
stand up iu his own house. It must be a 
dreary, lonely place in Winter. They can see 
the lights on the main laud, and yet know 
that their friends are out of reach. I think 
we are all lucky to find ourselves ou dry 
land. 
2S"d& ZSSSMZtt 
SuifvriTrTK for PBASTKK M llalf the 
“ \Vt H. KAV ik CO., CAMMfcJi. «• J* 
.lArii/ FOR ALL. s:H> a week and expenses 
VlIKK paid. Valuable outfit ami particulars 
V Villi iree. I'.O. VICKERY, Arot'sr.i, Maine. 
E \jl/ APJT VnilT «■ H vo energetic man 
Tl M1A | I w w • OI , woman needing 
profitable employment, to represent us in every 
county. S»l;itp per moot h uml expenses, or a 
commission on xilca if prof* 1 '*! liooiiaetaplo. 
c olio tmvs. Outfit and part.Ionian- Free. _ 
A.NDAItD SILVERWARE UO., BuS'iON, MASS. 
Sample Dock of bountiful cards, I t frames, 
12 tricks in muiUc.-wi Album verses. All for 
a 20 stamp. STAR CARD CO., Station IB, Ohio, 
I hope we are all getting ready for Winter. 
The cold weather is surely coming aud now is 
the time to make ready for it. Some houses 
need to be banked up, aud there are boards at 
the bam to be nailed on. We want all these 
thiugs done in season, then we can laugh at 
the cold. It will be uo laughing matter if we 
have to turn out in cold weather to do the 
thiugs we can do now. 
WANTED GOOD MAN 
ei i tvryo tic worker • touei hops i u l»i* MfotUjii. Salary IS7 O. 
lCeiereiiCOs.AjDLfllmmfaclnrV llouse,l>arcla,v 
SINGER 
Some people have hard work to keep awake 
in church. They don’t mean to show disrespect 
to the minister, but before they know it, they 
liegiu to nod away. When their chin comes 
dowu on their breast and they wake with a 
start, how ashamed they are. In olden times 
they used to have a man whose business it was 
to go around with a stick and poke sleepy boys 
aud girls. Such a man would find plenty to 
do nowadays, I think. When I was a boy I 
knew that I should lose my dinner if I went to 
sleep in church. You may be sure I did my 
best to keep awake, for dinner was about the 
best part of Sunday. I have tried pius aud 
pinching and kickiug to keep myself awake, 
but sometimes sleep is just bound to beat you. 
I al ways have some sympathy for sleepy peo¬ 
ple now. The best way is to make sure of 
plenty of sleep at night. If you do that you 
won’t find it so hard to keep awake during the 
day. 
That dog that I told you about last week is 
a great coward. All cruel annuals are cow¬ 
ards. Some time ago four dogs ran 
across the field. The largest was a big 
Newfoundland, while the others graded 
dowu to a little yellow cur dog. Our dog 
stood in the barn door and his master 
wanted to see a good race, so he told his dog 
to chase the others. The great fellow started 
oft as hui'd as he could go, but which dog do 
you.suppose he chased? Not the big dog that 
would have been a fair match for him, but he 
picked out that poor little cur aud chased him 
as hard as he could. That is what 1 call a 
cowardly trick. It is like a big boy jiickiug 
out some little fellow to try his strength upon. 
Whenever 1 see a boy do that, I want to see 
him well thrashed. The boy who won’t take 
“somebody of his size,” is no boy at all. 
Brewster’s Patent Rein Holder. 
Your lines are whore you put them—not under 
Mi a horse-' feel. Oue agent sold 12do*. In five days; 
/J»ouo dealer sold six do*, lit l;i days. Samples 
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100 Choice New Recitations 
for a 2c. stamp. CADIZ tA UU CO., CADIZ, O. 
Our $15 Shot Gun now $10. 
“ $15 Breechloader “ $9.50 
Allkind* nuii>*n»rantci'l lower than 
elsewhere. Solid suuiti ,u r illustrated 
oatalngue. POWELL A. CLEMENT, 
ISO Slain Mk, tliicluutttl, Ohio. 
nn|u|r ST I I) Y. Book-keeping, Business Forms, 
M U IV) t pen runt whip. Arithmetic, Shorthand, etc., 
thoroughly taught by M AIL. Olrciilaw free. 
lilt Y V NT & HTHATTOV8, Hulinlo. NY, 
PHILIP’S SPIRAL CORN HUSKER 
WITH LATEST IMPROVEMENTS, 
Will husk 000 bushels per day from llio stalk. Address 
Lock Box M i, Iludsou, N. Y. 
Dear Uncle Mark: I would like to join 
the Y. H. C. I am a girl,eleven years old, aud 
live ou a large farm iu Dakota. We moved 
hero from New York State last March. I have 
one brother aud one sister. We have raised 
yc. chickens, ami 1 have one pet, one that I eall 
Peter. We have nine turkeys, throe pigs and 
three horses ami one colt, tvyo cows and two 
calves, and I have n striped cat I call Tiger. 
It has caught 10 gophers,and I don’t know how 
many mice. We have wild geCse, ducks and 
prairie chickens around us. Pu has taken the 
Rural 26 years, and cannot do without it. 
The Garden Treasures ail came up nicely, and 
we had a handsome flower garden. I planted 
the cantaloupe seed, and the largest one meas¬ 
ured 20 inches one way and 20 the other, l did 
not think 1 could raise the largest oue, so I did 
not send it. Your niece, 
HELEN M. HAWLEY. 
McCook Co,, Dakota. 
[That cat earns his living surely.—u. M.] 
Highest minors at all Gn at World's Exhibitions for 
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avmcuts, or Rented. Catalogue., iO pp., 4to, free. 
The Improved Method of Stringing. Introduced and 
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Do not require one-quarter as mm h liming as pianos 
generally. Descriptive Catalogue by mall._ 
154 Tremont 8t., Boston. 149 WabaBii Ave., Ohioago, 
46 E. 14t 8t. UJnion 8q.>, N. Y. 
of Bear Creek.” 
pute this statement. 
School went on fairly well through the week. 
I managed to maintain reasonably good or¬ 
der, though there was considerable muttering 
at times. Jack Brawn did not come. There 
seemed to be a general desire to wait until lie 
put iu an appearance before going into open 
rebellion. Johnny Billings was my favorite 
pupil. He was a very dull little fellow, and 
could not remember his words, but ha worked 
so hard aud followed me about so lovingly that 
I could not help liking him. It was partly my 
interest iu him that led me to select Johnson’s 
for my first place at boarding ’round. * I sent 
word that I would coine, aud after closing 
school on Monday night, l started for John¬ 
son’s. Johnny had run ahead. I saw his 
white head in the barn as 1 turned into the 
yard. In answer to my knock at the door a 
harsh voice called out; “Walk!” 
Arr tin* Finest 111 Time. Style. Finish and K entrl1 
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Seud for Oatatuyiic, t, «Umotll»t* »tid lerui», free, to 
Weaver Organ un<1 I’luno Co., 
Factory, Y ork, I**. 
Dear Uncle Mark: I have written you a 
letter before, but it was not printed. We 
raisod about 100 chickens this Bummer, but 
there are some hawks around here and they 
have caught some of them. Papa shot oue of 
the hawks. 1 have a rabbit, which is so tame 
that when I call him ho will come and eat out 
of my hand. He is black und white aud his 
mime is Dick. 1 had a steel trap set, for a rat 
and caught a red squirrel iu it. I had another 
trap set iu a field and caught a woodchuck. 
We have a horse that is over 20 years old. i 
would like to correspond with Munson T. Dye, 
of Florida. 1 wrote him a letter but have uot 
received uu answer yet. I hope, if he sees my 
THE STORY OF A DISTRICT SCHOOL. 
A COLLEGE BOY’S DIARY. 
( Continued.) 
ONE MILE SIGNAL WHISTLE 
Thu loudest Mul m«»t piercingly abrlll 
whi-llv "i In ids,' made. Cun !»<■ Iteurtl up y 
tonne mile- Thu bum *!*e "f » 
60 eaillbre l). !*. Government , 
Kllle Cartridge. Mud#tn bur- 1 
ni.Iii'il brtt*« with nU-kel . 
bullet. Invuliutole ** » / 
ritual for ( «• it m » t <• 
furiiuTA. *jfcorl«mt.‘ti 
and ull who \vl>U lo 4 
attract attention ttt . 
a Ion;* dlrtanoM. t 
Call your ^ 
in e n to > 
dinner ><I\ 
“When do Sunday come in the middle of 
the week?” 
Johnny repeated the question, pulling ear¬ 
nestly at my coat. This was one of the most 
remarkable fjuestions I had ever heard. I 
knew the teacher was expected to know every¬ 
thing, but this was a staggerer, surely. 
“ What makes you ask such a question, my 
boy,” I said. I could hardly help patting the 
great bush of white hair, 
“’Cause old Johnson, he sez I kin go an’ 
see my mother when Sunday comes in 
the middle o’ the week, an’ I wanter 
see her mighty bad,” 
So at- 
traot- 
_ _ I vc a 
lllllo 
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jgP’y every oue who 
/am . ■ icci It wants it. 
.:+* You whould liuve 
J'|'n hiuoduce our 
jly; full, expensive, and in- 
t eventing eulnlogue ol 
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' whistle aud catalogue by mall, post¬ 
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• imm, jur uuh «d rnim iu «nuup.*«» 
-‘"dress KEN NIK A AI.LSON MEG, 
TSB Filbert Street, I’bllatlelpblu, Penn*. 
