24o 
THE RURAL N 
From Day to Day 
A laugh Is Just like sunshine, 
It freshens all the day, 
It tips the peak of life with light 
And drives the clouds away; 
The soul grows glad that hears It, 
And feels its courage strong— 
A laugh Is just like sunshine 
For cheering folks along! 
A laugh is just like music. 
It lingers in the heart. 
And where its melody Is heard 
The ills of life depart; 
And happy thoughts come crowding 
Its joyful notes to greet— 
A laugh Is just like music 
For making living sweet! 
—St. Louis Republic. 
• 
Omk of the newer styles of ribbon belts 
is made of inch-wide satin ribbon laid 
on a foundation in narrow folds, closing 
under a full pompon of the ribbon, with 
four streamers of varying lengths, end¬ 
ing in metal spikes. Although the belts 
still slope down in front, there is a re¬ 
action against the excessively pointed 
effect, which has been greatly exagger¬ 
ated, and the belts seem to be growing 
a little wider. 
One of the favorite arguments of our 
vegetarian friends (and their numbers 
increase year by year), is that a man’s 
character is influenced by his food. This 
argument recalls the following, wherein 
the idea is carried out to a logical con¬ 
clusion: 
‘T think,” said A. Bronson Alcott, in one 
of his conversations, "when a man lives on 
beef, he becomes something like an ox. 
If he eats mutton, he begins to look sheep¬ 
ish; and, if he feeds on pork, may he not 
grow swinish?” “That may be,” said Dr. 
Walker, of Cambridge, who was one of the 
listeners. “But, when a man lives on 
nothing but vegetables, I think he is apt 
to be pretty small potatoes.” 
• 
New patterns in printed Swiss are dis¬ 
tinguished this year by the use of white 
designs on colored grounds. Violet, 
gray, pink, mauve and blue, wi+L. desigpis 
in solid white, are much more showy 
than when the coloring is reversed. In 
materials for shirt waists Roman stripes 
are to be very fashionable; narrow 
stripes of vivid red, blue, green, orange, 
purple, black, yellow and white forming 
a dazzling combination. The waists are 
usually made with perfectly plain backs, 
and the shoulder seams are longer than 
last year, giving a drooping effect. The 
sleeves have more fullness, both at the 
top and around the cuff, the cuff being 
inches wide. 
In Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensi¬ 
bility” (a book which, with “Pride and 
Prejudice,” we expect to read over 
aga.p. every alternate year of our life), 
the romantic heroine asserts that a wo¬ 
man who has reached the mature age of 
27 could not possibly feel or inspire any 
warm affection, the period for such sen¬ 
timent being long past. Concerning 
this point of view expressed by Mari¬ 
anne Dashwood, a recent writer says 
that it is one of the conventional ideas 
that early marriages are more likely to 
result happily than late ones. There are 
strong reasons for believing exactly the 
contrary to be true. The supposedly 
greater difficulty in mutual adaptation 
after character has lost something of 
the pliability of early youth is more 
than compensated in other ways. lu 
mature life men and women are more 
reasonable in their expectations than in 
the twenties, and therefore less liable 
to disillusionment. They know of a cer¬ 
tainty what youth holds as a theory, 
that “it is love that makes the world go 
round,” but they also know that it is 
the steady, everyday love of a lifetime, 
to which the romantic passion of youth 
bears little resemblance. With the ex¬ 
perience which brings a fuller compre¬ 
hension of life, there is also usually 
more self-control and greater forbear¬ 
ance toward the defects of others. These 
are probably some of the reasons for the 
fact abundantly conflrmed by observa¬ 
tion that late marriages have, on the 
whole, equal chances of happiness with 
those made early in life. 
* 
Fuencii knots, such as are used in em¬ 
broidery and lace stitches, are now a 
very fashionable trimming. On silk or 
flne cloth rows of them often trim a vest 
one size. 
or stitched straps, while on colored 
linens white French knots are put be¬ 
tween rows of braid or insertion. They 
are very easily made. A needle thread¬ 
ed with double silk or linen is drawn up 
through the material, the thread twisted 
twice around the point of the needle, 
and through these twists the needle is 
put down again into the material at the 
point at which it was brought up, fas¬ 
tening securely underneath. With very 
little practice it is easy to make the 
knots all even. 
Opinions as to the wholesomeness of 
food are often the result of personal 
constitution and healthful environment, 
as the following quotation will show. 
“I’m a conflrmed dyspeptic; that’s the 
reason I look so old,” said Mr. Collander, 
gazing almost enviously at the red-bronze 
face of his former chum at college, who 
had dropped down from the country into 
Mr. Collander’s city office. 
“What you need is simple country food, 
man,” said his old friend, clapping him 
heartily on the shoulder. “Come and visit 
my wife and me on the farm for a while, 
and we'll set you up. It’s rich city living 
that’s too much for you. Now take break¬ 
fast, for Instance. All I have is two good 
cups of coffee, a couple of fresh dough¬ 
nuts, a bit of steak with a baked potato, 
some fresh biscuit or muffins, and either 
griddle-cakes or a piece of pie to top off 
with. What do yov, have?” 
The city man looked at his red-cheeked 
friend, who stood waiting for the confir¬ 
mation of his idea. 
“A cup of hot water and two slices of dry 
toast,” he responded, soberly. “But if you 
think a simple diet like yours would help 
me, I will make one more attempt to be a 
healthy man^/^_ 
The Rural Patterus. 
Every mother takes delight in fash¬ 
ioning her baby’s clothes. The charm¬ 
ing little gown illustrated is simple of 
construction, at the same time that it is 
in every way adequate to the little one’s 
needs. As shown, it is of French nain¬ 
sook, with trimming and yoke of flne 
needlework, but English nainsook, Per¬ 
sian lawn, India linen, dimity and a host 
of other dainty white fabrics are suit¬ 
able. The yoke can be made from tuck¬ 
ing, all-over lace or needlework, the 
trimming can be lace or embroidery, as 
preferred, or flannel gowns can be fln- 
ished with a simple hem or frill with 
fine tucks above. The yoke can be 
square, round or pointed, the pattern 
providing for all three. The skirt is 
simply straight and full, the correct 
outline being indicated at the top for the 
EW-YORKER. 
application of all three yokes. The 
sleeves are in bishop style, with tiny 
folds at the hands, and the neck can be 
finished with a standing or turn-over 
frill, as preferred. To cut this pattern, 
2% yards of material 36 inches wide will 
be required, with % yard of all-over 
tucking or needlework, 4 yards of Inser¬ 
tion, and 3 yards of wide needlework 
edging, and one yard of narrow to trim 
as illustrated. The pattern No. 3740 is 
cut in one size only; price lU cents from 
this office. 
The shirt waist shows variations with¬ 
out number, but in all its forms retains 
the essential characteristics that have 
endeared it to the feminine heart. The 
smart design shown is admirable in 
every way, and will be found generally 
becoming. The slight fullness formed 
by the tucks means the soft, graceful 
folds that are so well adapted both to 
slender and stout figures, and the back 
gives just the tapering effect required 
by the latest mode. As illustrated, the 
material is French flannel in a pretty 
shade of pink, the buttons are of dull- 
finished gold, and the belt of flexible 
metal braid, showing stripes of pink and 
and gold, held by a simple dull gold 
buckle. All the season’s materials are 
suitable, however, taffeta, henrietta, 
cashmere, albatross, all the soft-finished 
satins and silk flannels. The waist is 
made over a fitted lining that closes at 
the center front. The fronts proper are 
laid in three tucks at each shoulder, be¬ 
low which they fall free to the waist, 
where the fullness is arranged in gath¬ 
ers. Down the center is applied a ta¬ 
pering box pleat that is stitched near 
each edge, permanently to tho right 
front and hooked over invisibly or but¬ 
toned on to the left. The back Includes 
three tucks that correspond with and 
meet those of the fronts at the shoulder 
seam, are stitched in the back to the 
waist line, where they lap with slight 
fullness. The sleeves are in bishop 
style, finished at the wrists with pointed 
cuffs. At the neck is a standing collar 
3716 Shirt Waist, 
32 to 40 in. bust. 
that also is finished with a point and Is 
lapped over at the center front. To cut 
this waist for a woman .»f medium size 
four yards of material 21 Inches wide, 
3% yards 27 inches wide, 2% yards 32 
inches wide, or two yards 44 inches 
wide, will be required. The pattern No. 
3716 is cut in sizes for a 32, 34, 36, 38 and 
40-inch bust measure; price 10 cents. 
March an 
DFATHtK^ 
inBUSINESS 
.AN»SOCIETY 
Colonel 
THomas 
WentwortK 
Higginson 
Writes of the social life 
of the young man of the 
mid-century. 
Mr. Bartlett 
Of Hibbard, Spencer 3c 
Bartlett, tells of the con¬ 
ditions under which the 
young man of the period 
served his business ap¬ 
prenticeship, and com¬ 
pares the old times and 
opportunities with the 
new. 
Many other just as in¬ 
teresting articles regu¬ 
larly appear in 
THE SATURDAY 
EVENING POST 
OF PHILADELPHIA 
A splendid weekly magazine, handsomely 
printed and illustrated. Founded 1728 by 
lienj. Franklin, and continuously published 
(or 178 years ; now has a circulation of over 
•lOO.OtM) copies weekly and increasing at the 
rate of a thousand new subscribers a day. 
We will send the Post for Three Months 
(13 weeks) to any address on receipt of only 
25c; also two interesting books: “The 
Young Man and the World” and “The 
Making of a Merchant.” They contain 
famous articles taken from recent issues of 
the Post, written by such men as ex-Presi- 
dent Cleveland; Senator Beveridge; former 
Senator John J. Ingalls; Harlow N. Higin- 
botham, of Marshall Field & Co.; Robert C. 
Ogden, of Wanamaker’s, and others. 
ThoCiirtU t’uljIUlilng Company, I’lilluclolplila, Pa, 
NEW BECKER 
Washing Machine. 
A fair trial will convince the most 
skeptical of Its superiority over all 
other Machines. County rights for 
sale. Agents Wanted. Circulars free 
N. G. BAUGHMAN. York, F». 
TERRIFF’S 
PERFECT 
WASHER 
SENT ON TRIAL at whole- 
sale price. If not satisfactory money 
will be refunded. 80I.U under a 
PO.SITIVK UUAKAXTKK to wash 
as clean os can be done on the, 
washboard, even to the wrist- 
aad neckbands of the most soiled' 
shirt, and with far greater 
eiise. Does not wear out the 
clothes. Economizes soap, 
labor and time. AGENTS 
WANTED. Exclusive ter¬ 
ritory given. Big money 
made. For terms and prices 
Address, 
Portland Mfg. Co., Box 14, 
Portland, Mich. 
Meat smoked in a few hoars with 
KRAUSERS’ LIQUID EXTRACT OF SMOKE. 
Made from hickory wood. Gives dne flavor. 
Cleanest, cheapest; free from Insects. Send for 
circular. £, KllAUSEH At BRO., Milton, Pa. 
SEND MO MONEY-b.t 
order any of our Sewing Machines sent C. O. 1).. on !t0 
- days’ trial. If you don’t find 
them superior to any other 
offered at the same or higher 
prices or are dissatlsfled for 
any reason, return them at our 
expense and wo refund your 
money and freight charges. For 
iijilO.uO we can sell you a better 
machine tlian those advertised 
^ elsewhere at lilgher price, hut we 
I would rather sell you better Qunllt.v 
laud Give Pntisfnetloii. Our ele¬ 
gant Arlington .Fewcl.d ron lientl, 
i|llti.r>f>. OiirNo.!» KnII l{eurliig Arlington, 5 drawer, 
drop henti, iMS.dft. Write for largo flluntrated cata¬ 
logue FKKK. CASH BUYERS’ UNION, (Inc.) 
ir.8-lG4 W.Vaii Bureii St., It-343, Chicago 
Washing Wslies? 
Our Dish-Drier will save yon 
mm m ^ - half the time and labor. Sent by 
press for IL Yonr money back If dissatlsfled. Mnd 
r oircalar. B. B. Dlvlne&SoB.LoohSheldrake. N.I. 
.ADIES 
