12 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 4 
“PEACE.” 
One night just before Christmas, about 
one o’clock, 1 was awakened in a very 
forcible manner, and heard a familiar 
voice saying: “ Get up ! There's some¬ 
body in the house !" There had been a 
good deal of stealing done in our town 
of late, and my first thought was that 
there must be a burglar in the house. 
After barking my shin, and running into 
every piece of furniture in the room, I 
got hold of my big stick and struck a 
light all ready for an encounter with 
the thief. 
From all the information at hand, he 
seemed to be in the next room, where 
the boy slept; so in there I marched, 
and poked my stick under the bed, 
into the closet and everywhere else that 
a man could hide. No one there. Then 
we held a council of war. It appeared 
that the original alarm came from the 
little boy. This small, four-year-old 
chap is a waif—deserted by his parents 
and left to the tender mercies of the 
poorhouse. A poor, little, homeless 
foundling that, through various agen¬ 
cies, has found a place in our home. It 
seems that he woke in great fear, and 
cried out that some one was in his room. 
After he got over his fright, he gave the 
following vivid description of his visi¬ 
tors : “ They was fly in' all around ! 
Women with wings on—what yo u call 'em ? 
Angels !” 
The idea of entertaining a company 
of angels in my house, was new to me. 
I had no wish to hunt them out with a 
club, I can assure you. That lame shin 
stole my sleep for an hour or so. I lay 
there wondering how that boy could 
have imagined such a thing. Gradually 
it came to me. This boy was to take 
part in a Christmas entertainment. lie 
was to deliver a little speech of welcome. 
Think of that homeless waif welcoming 
people to a great church ! You see that 
little chap had entered into the true 
spirit of Christmas. The beautiful old 
story of hope and faith had sunk deep 
into his little heart. The music, the 
beautiful thoughts, the tender and soft¬ 
ening influences that cluster around this 
happy season, had appealed to him. 
Doubtless there came to him in dreams 
those inspiring words that the angels 
sung so many years ago : 
“ Ghrt'y to God in the highest ! On earth 
peace—good will to men,!" 
Think of me hunting with my big 
stick for burglars with such visitors as 
that in the house ! Why they had come 
in the dead of night to keep watch and 
ward over that homeless little one—and 
the rest of us, too, for that matter. Our 
family could stand an army of such 
burglars ! I tell you, it was a great and 
wonderful thought, this idea of a strong 
and divine presence, with love and 
tenderness and power beyond all pos¬ 
sibility of earthly conception, standing 
right close at hand in light or darkness 
—in sickness or strength, in trial or 
triumph—the same steadfast hope yes¬ 
terday, to-day and to-morrow. Of course 
some grumpy fellow may say that the 
boy ate too much supper, and had a case 
of nightmare. I won’t quarrel with 
him. I simply don’t believe it! 
•* 
Well, what about it? The R. N.-Y. 
is not a religious paper, but the beauty 
of this department is that w y e feel at 
liberty to discuss almost any topic, or 
say almost anything so long as we state 
bluntly and fairly what we honestly be¬ 
lieve. We are all entering on a new 
year. There isn’t one of us that is 
entirely satisfied with the past one. We 
might like to have the public think so ; 
but away down in the corner of the 
heart, is a feeling that, after all, we 
haven’t added so much to our credit by 
last year’s performances as we should 
have done. The R. N.-Y. would like to 
feel that some life has been made a little 
bit purer, a little more thoughtful, and 
a little nobler for its influence. When 
some divine help and inspiration comes 
knocking at your door, don’t think that 
it is a thief, as I did, and go hunting it 
with a stick. It won’t steal anything 
but a lot of trouble and hateful feelings 
that you can’t get rid of in any other way. 
Last week, a friend in Kansas was kind 
enough to write: 
My neighbor wants a religious paper, but I told 
him that I thought there was lots of good, every¬ 
day religion in The R. N.-Y. 
We believe in every-day religion. We 
don’t believe in a man’s bottling up the 
duty he owes to higher things—pushing 
in the cork, and only taking it out for a 
light sip on Sundays. You are going to 
make the coming year good or bad by 
your conduct on week days. The Lord 
will see to His day—you take care of 
your six days of labor ! 
“ Peace on earth ; Good will to men! ” 
That’s our part of the programme, 
friends. The Golden Rule. Let that be 
the measure for 1896. If you have any 
hatred or ill feeling in your heart, this 
New Year’s day—wipe it out. Get rid 
of it. Who knows when you will wake 
in the night, as that little chap did, with 
visitors from the “ undiscovered coun¬ 
try ” right at your side ? Better be 
ready for that visit ! Do your part! 
Live so that this dream may come to 
pass, and the world may find : 
Peace in the quiet dales, 
Made rankly fertile by the blood of men; 
Peace in the woodlands and the lonely glen; 
Peace in the peopled vales. • 
Peace in the crowded town; 
Peace in a thousand fields of waving grain; 
Peace in the highway and the flow’ry lane, 
Peace o’er the wind-swept down. 
Peace on the whirring marts, 
Peace where the scholar thinks, the hunter roams. 
Peace,God of peace, peace, peace in all our homes, 
And all our hearts! 
* 
Well, now, after that, all we can say 
about The R. N.-Y. is to wish you a 
happy New Year. The year just closing 
has been a prosperous one for us. We 
have had our troubles and our trials like 
all the rest of you. Death and suffering 
have reached in and scarred us with 
their points of fire ; yet Time’s healing 
fingers have taken out the sting. The 
R. N.-Y. has prospered, and now at the 
close of the year, its friends are trooping 
back by thousands with words of cheer 
and praise and kindly criticism, so that 
business success for 1896 is well assured. 
We have no complaints to make—only 
thanks to those who have proved them¬ 
selves such true and loyal friends. So 
this week, instead of talking of money 
and trade, we simply say, 
Friend , A Happy New Year! 
Peace be with you! May the years 
deal with you gently and, whether you 
make the journey of ’96 with us, or for 
some reason or other separate from us, 
we wish you well! We hope that all 
your worthy ambition and undertak¬ 
ings may prosper—though we would 
hardly be human if we didn’t feel that 
we’d like to have you stay with us so as 
to have a hand in prospering that pros¬ 
perity of yours. 
It may be that when you start out to 
stop The R. N.-Y. and keep it out of 
your family for 1896, you will - be no 
more useful to the world than I was in 
hunting for that burglar. And, of 
course, we must give the names of those 
dollar winners last week. Here they 
are : 
Dec. 23—W. S. Moore, Chenango Co., N. Y. 
24—E. P. Morgan. New Haven Co., Ct. 
26— W. S. Moore, Chenango Co., N. Y. 
27— Sam’l J. Eyerly, Fulton Co., Ill. 
28— F. H. Frink, Steuben Co., N. Y. 
These men didn’t take a club and pound 
an opportunity out of the house. They 
went right up and embraced it, and thus 
earned a dollar by getting the largest 
daily clubs. There’s another band of 
opportunities that will light on January 
15 with $250 j n hard cash for the largest 
eight clubs. These opportunities are 
like angels’ visits—they are not very fre¬ 
quent. They are unlike angels in the 
fact that they have to be well clubbed 
to bring them down. Stick to your clubs 
of subscriptions and thus capture one of 
these opportunities. This is an oppor¬ 
tune time for doing it. 
^ttiiScjcIUinfousi mlteing. 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rural New-youker. 
"'Columbia 
Bicycle 
Pad Calendar 
YOU NEED IT. 
For 1896 
A Desk Calendar is a necessity—most 
convenient kind of storehouse for mem¬ 
oranda. The Columbia Desk Calendar 
is brightest and handsomest of all—full 
of dainty pen sketches and entertaining 
thoughts on outdoor exercise and sport. 
Occasionally reminds you of the superb 
quality of Columbia Bicycles and of 
your need of one. You won’t object to 
that, of course. The Calendar will be 
mailed for five 2-cent stamps. 
Address Calendar Department, 
POPE MANUFACTURING CO., 
HARTFORD, CONN. 
ASK YOUR DEALER FOR 
W. L. Douglas 
»3. SHOE BE vvorldT HE 
If you pay 84 to 86 for shoes, ex- ^ 
amine the W. L. Douglas Shoe, and 
see what a good shoe you can buy for ■ 
OVER 100 STYLES AND WIDTHS, 
CONGRESS, BUTTON, 
and LACE, made in all 
kinds of the best selected 
leather by skilled work¬ 
men. We 
make and 
sell more 
$3 Shoes 
than any 
other 
manufacturer In the world. 
None genuine unless name and 
price is stamped on the bottom. 
Ask your dealer for our 85, 
84, 83.50, 82.50, 82.25 Shoes- 
82.50, 82 and 81.75 for boys. ’ 
TAKE NO SUBSTITUTE. If your dealer 
cannot supply you, send to fac¬ 
tory, enclosing price and 36 cents 
to pay carriage. State kind, style 
of toe (cap or plain), size and 
width. Our Custom Dept, will fill 
your order. Send for new Illus¬ 
trated Catalogue to Box M. 
W. L. DOUGLAS, Brockton, Mass. 
INCUBATORS 
The OLENTANGY Incubator 
lias proved to bo the best. Have 
taken prize after prize. Brood- 
, r- only 85.00. Before buying 
elsewhere, semi for free de- 
scription and testimonials. 
Also breeder of 10 varieties of 
high-class poultry. 110 yards. 
LEAN S STEEL HARROW 
Mo Castings to Break, NoWearout to it. 
Adjustment easiest operated. Save its cost ii, 
ion. Adnpted to general fsrm purposes. HAS NO 
EQUAL. Write for proof. 
RODERICK LEAN MFC. CO. 
R/l S-irl, St 
Von 
efiolH Ohio 
SPRAYING CROPS: Why, 
When and How to Do It.— By Prof. Clar¬ 
ence M. Weed. Illustrated. 
This little book tells in plain, understandable 
English, just what the ordinary farmer and fruit 
grower most needs to know. It describes all the 
insecticides and fungicides used in spraying; all 
the principal appliances used ; tells when to 
spray; what precautions to observe ; describes 
the insects and fungi against which it is neces¬ 
sary to guard; in fact, is a complete, condensed, 
convenient handbook on the whole subject. Price, 
in stiff paper covers, is hut 25 cents, postpaid. 
nflpCRPI FAKM ACCOUNT BOOK is tiie 
nUULnO Best. Thousands in use. Price, pre¬ 
paid, 50c. Geo. A. Rogers, No. Andover Depot, Mass. 
Cider Machinery.—Send for catalogue to Boomer & 
Boschert Press Co., 118 West Water St., Syracuse,N.Y. 
First Lessons in Agriculture. 
By F. A. Gulley, M. S. This book discusses the 
more important principles which underlie agri¬ 
culture In a plain, simple way. It Is just what 
the practical farmer, without a knowledge of 
chemistry or botany needs. Cloth, $1. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
URPEE’S SEEDS, Philadelphia 
A postal card addressed as above will bring you BURPEE’S FARM ANNUAL for 1H96, if you intend to 
uurchase Seeds, otherwise the price is ten cents (less than cost). It is a bright BOOK of 184 pages, with liun- 
Ireds of illustrations and colored plates paiuted from nature. It tells all about the BEST SEEDS that Grow I 
OUR SUBSCRIPTION AGENTS 
Must have forgotten our cash premiums of $75, $50 
$40, $30, $^5, $15, $10, $5, which go to the largest 
eight clubs January 15. Four of the six weeks are 
gone, and no one has made much effort yet. We 
don’t understand it. Surely there must he some 
one who wants a $75 check these times. This is the 
best time of the whole year for subscription work ; 
yet our club-raisers have done little. Many new 
subscriptions are coming direct from farmers who 
have seen our advertisement in other papers, and 
sent for sample copies. Many more are coming 
from subscribers who send just one new name with 
their own renewals. But the agents seem to have 
left work on this contest for the last week or two. 
There are just about two weeks left, time enough 
to come in for one of those checks. Remember that 
the commission, and dollar for largest daily club are 
extra. The time is short now for large clubs ; still 
there is time enough to do something by starting at 
it at once. The checks will go, no matter how 
small the clubs. Do you want one ? 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, NEW YORK. 
