PUBLICATIONS

The Youth's Companion

FOR 1884.

THE COMPANION presents below the Announcement of its Fifty-Seventh Volume. Its unusual character, both in the range of its topics, and its remarkably brilliant list of Contributors, will, we trust, be accepted as a grateful recognition of the favor with which the paper has been received by more than 300,000 subscribers.

Illustrated Serial Stories.

A Story of English Rustic Life, by	Thomas Hardy.
The Foundling of Paris, by	Alphonse Daudet.
A Boys' Story, by	J.T. Trowbridge.
The Covenanter's Daughter, by	Mrs. Oliphant.
A Story of Adventure, by	C.A. Stephens.
My School at Orange Grove, by	Marie B. Williams.

Science and Natural History.

Eccentricities of Insanity, by	Dr. W.A. Butler.
Common Adulterations of Food, by	Dr. J.C. Draper.
The Home Life of Oysters, and other Natural History Papers, by	Arabella B. Buckley.
Wonders in Ourselves; or the Curiosities of the Human Body, by	Dr. Austin Flint, Jr.
Insect Enemiesof the Garden, the Orchard and the Wheat-Field, by	A.S. Packard, Jr.
Demons of the Air and Water.A fascinating Series of Papers on Sanitary Science, by	R. Ogden Doremus.
The Youth Of the Brain, "Speech in Man," "Animal Poisons and their Effects," and Other Papers, by	Dr. W.A. Hammond.
Strange Ways Of Curing People. A Description of Curious Sanitaria,—the Peat, Mud, Sand, Whey, and Grape Cures, by	William H. Rideing.

Encouragement and Advice.

Hints for Poor Farmers, by	C.E. Winder.
The Failures of Great Men, by	James Parton.
A Dietary for Nervous People, by	Dr. W.A. Hammond.
Hints for Country House-Builders, by	Calvert Vaux.
The Gift Of Memory, and Other Papers, giving Instances of Self-Help, by	Samuel Smiles.
A New Profession for Young Men.The Opportunities for Young Men as Electrical Engineers, by	Thomas A. Edison.
At the Age Of Twenty-One.A Series of Papers showing what Great Men had accomplished, and what they proposed doing, at that period of their lives, by	Edwin P. Whipple.

Original Poems.

BY ALFRED TENNYSON,
VICTOR HUGO,
THE EARL OF LYTTON,
J.C. WHITTIER,
T.B. ALDRICH,
DR. CHARLES MACKAY,
And Many Others.

Illustrated Adventure and Travel.

Shark-Hunting, by	T.B. Luce.
Four Amusing Stories, by	C.A. Stephens.
Outwitted. An Indian Adventure, by	Lieut. A. Chapin.
A Honeymoon in the Jungle, by	Phil. Robinson.
Wrecked Upon a Volcanic Island, by	Richard Heath.
Stories of the Cabins in the West, by	E.J. Marston.
Adventures in the Mining Districts, by	H. Fillmore.
The Capture of Some Infernal Machines, by	William Howson.
Breaking in the Reindeer, and Other Sketches of Polar Adventure, by	W.H. Gilder.
An American in Persia, by the American Minister Resident, Teheran,	S.G.W. Benjamin.
China as Seen by a Chinaman, by the Editor of the Chinese American,	Wong Chin Foo.
Stories Of Menageries. Incidents connected with Menagerie Life, and the Capture and Taming of Wild Beasts for Exhibition, by	S.S. Cairns.
Boys Afoot in Italy and Switzerland.The Adventures of two English boys travelling abroad at an expense of one dollar a day, by	Nugent Robinson.

Reminiscences and Anecdotes.

Stage-Driver Stories, by	Rose Terry Cooke.
Stories of Saddle-Bag Preachers, by	H.L. Winckley.
My First Visit to a Newspaper Office, by	Murat Halstead.
Queen Victoria's Household and Drawing-Rooms, by	H.W. Lucy.
Child Friendships of Charles Dickens, by his Daughter,	Mamie Dickens.
Our Herbariums; Adventures in Collecting Them, by	A Young Lady.
My Pine-Apple Farm, with incidents of Florida Life, by	C.H. Pattee.
Bigwigs of the English Bench and Bar, by a London Barrister,	W.L. Woodroffe.
At School with Sir Garnet Wolseley, and the Life of a Page of Honor in the Vice-Regal Court of Dublin, by	Nugent Robinson.
Student Waiters. Some Humorous Incidents of a Summer Vacation in the White Mountains, by	Child McPherson.

The Editorials of the Companion, without having any bias, will give clear views of current events at home and abroad. The Children's Page will sustain its reputation for charming pictures, poems, and stories for the little ones.

Issued Weekly. Subscription Price, $1.75. Specimen Copies Free.

SPECIAL OFFER.—To any one who subscribes now, and sends us $1.75, we will send the Companion free to January 1st, 1884, and a full year's subscription from that date.

Address,

PERRY MASON & CO.,
41 TEMPLE PLACE, BOSTON, MASS.

Please mention where you read this Advertisement.

For nothing lovelier can be found
In woman than to study household good.—Milton.

THE SCHOOL-MARM'S STORY.

A frosty chill was in the air—
How plainly I remember—
The bright autumnal fires had paled,
Save here and there an ember;
The sky looked hard, the hills were bare,
And there were tokens everywhere
That it had come—November.

I locked the time-worn school-house door,
The village seat of learning.
Across the smooth, well trodden path
My homeward footstep turning;
My heart a troubled question bore,
And in my mind, as oft before,
A vexing thought was burning.

"Why is it up hill all the way?"
Thus ran my meditations:
The lessons had gone wrong that day
And I had lost my patience.
"Is there no way to soften care,
And make it easier to bear
Life's sorrows and vexations?"

Across my pathway through the wood
A fallen tree was lying;
On this there sat two little girls,
And one of them was crying.
I heard her sob: "And if I could,
I'd get my lessons awful good,
But what's the use of trying?"

And then the little hooded head
Sank on the other's shoulder.
The little weeper sought the arms
That opened to enfold her.
Against the young heart, kind and true,
She nestled close, and neither knew
That I was a beholder.

And then I heard—ah! ne'er was known
Such judgment without malice,
Nor queenlier council ever heard
In senate, house or palace!—
"I should have failed there, I am sure,
Don't be discouraged; try once more,
And I will help you, Alice."

"And I will help you." This is how
To soften care and grieving;
Life is made easier to bear
By helping and by giving.
Here was the answer I had sought,
And I, the teacher, being taught
The secret of true living.

If "I will help you" were the rule.
How changed beyond all measure
Life would become! Each heavy load
Would be a golden treasure;
Pain and vexation be forgot;
Hope would prevail in every lot,
And life be only pleasure.

—Wolstan Dixey.

A Chat About the Fashions.

Although the lady readers of The Prairie Farmer have probably by this time made up the heavier part of their winter wardrobe, still a few suggestions may not be out of place, for the "fashions" is a subject of which we seldom tire.

In discussing the subject of silk and silk-culture at the late Woman's Congress, Mrs Julia Ward Howe said that "although silk is said to be depreciating in value, and is not quite as popular as formerly, yet we must confess it lies very near the feminine heart," at which statement an audible smile passed over the audience, as each one acknowledged to herself its truth.

We are glad to see that wrappers are becoming quite "the thing" for afternoon home wear, and a lady now need not feel at all out of place receiving her callers in a pretty, gracefully made wrapper. The Watteau wrapper is made of either silk or brocaded woolen goods, conveniently short, the back cut square at the neck, and folded in a handsome Watteau plait at the center, with a full ruche effect. A yolk portion of silk fills in the open neck and is sewed flatly underneath to the back. The side seams are curved so that a clinging effect is produced at the sides. Jabbots of lace extending down the front, and a prettily bowed ribbon at the right shoulder, with a standing collar at the neck, and a linen choker collar give the finishing touches to the toilette.

Velvets and velveteens seem to be taking the place of silk, and are really quite as cheap. In fact, velveteens are cheaper, as they are so much wider. A suit of velveteen is fashionable for any occasion—for receptions, church or street costume. The redingote or polonaise is very stylish and pretty, especially for a tall, rather slight person. For a young miss the close-fitting frock coat, with pointed vest effectively disclosed between the cut-away edges of the coat fronts, is much worn. The latter curve away from the shoulders and are nicely rounded off at their lower front corners. An underarm dart gives a smooth adjustment over each hip, and in these darts are inserted the back edges of the vest. Buttons and buttonholes close the vest, but the coat fronts do not meet at all. The coat and long-pointed overskirt can be made of any heavy material, but the vest should be of silk; a deep box-plait on the bottom of the underskirt made of silk to match the vest will make the suit very stylish and pretty.

There ought to be great satisfaction among the wearers of bonnets and hats this season, because they can so easily have what they want—big or little, plain or decorated, as they please. For a person with dark hair, gold braid loosely put around the edge of a velvet capote is very becoming. Bunches of tips are worn much more than the long, drooping plumes, though both are fashionable; while birds—sometimes as many as three on a hat—are often preferred to either. We notice upon the street a great many elegantly dressed ladies with but a single band of wide velvet ribbon fastened somewhat carelessly around the bonnet and tied in a bow under the chin. Unique it may be, but undoubtedly the taste of the wearer, would be the verdict of the passer by. In fact, one can scarcely be out of the fashion in the choice of a bonnet or hat, but care should be taken that it be just the thing for the wearer, and that it be properly put on.

I firmly believe in the doctrine that "good clothes tendeth toward grace." What woman can not talk better when she knows she looks well? She can then forget herself and lose all self-consciousness, which is a state most devoutly to be desired by all women—particularly our young women. So, girls, study your costumes, especially the "superfluities," or "furbelows," as they are wont to be called; make yourselves look as pretty as you possibly can—and then forget yourselves.

I wish all our lady readers might have been here the holiday week, for the stores were perfect bowers of beauty. It was a pretty sight in itself to watch the crowds of happy-faced children, with their little pocket-books in their hands, at the various counters buying presents for father, mother, brothers, and sisters. Children always enjoy Christmas more when they can make, as well as receive, presents. So I hope all our little readers were made happy by both giving and receiving.

I am sorry I could not give you a more satisfactory talk on the fashions, but our space is limited this week. I hope the ladies will not forget that our "Household" department is open to them, and that they will contribute anything that may be of interest to the others.

Mary Howe.

A Kitchen Silo.

The farmer's wife in the Netherlands has long been using a sort of a silo. Probably she had been doing so for long years before M. Geoffrey began experimenting with preserved stock food in France. The Netherland housewife's silo consists of an earthenware jar about two feet tall. Into one of these jars in summer time she places the kidney bean; in another shelled green peas; in another broad beans, and so on. Making a layer about six inches deep in each. She sprinkles a little salt on top and presses the whole firmly down. Then she adds another layer and more salt. She leaves a light weight on top to keep all well pressed down and exclude the air, in the intervals between pickings for often the harvest of a single day will not fill the jar. When full, she puts on a heavier weight, and covers all with brown paper. She thus has green vegetables preserved for winter. The ensilage is said to be "more or less good, according to taste."

Chicken Salad: Two common sized fowls, one teacup of good salad oil, half a jar of French sweet mustard, the hard-boiled yolks of ten eggs, half a pint of vinegar, one teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, eight heads of celery, one teaspoon of salt or a little more if required. Cut and mix the chicken and celery and set away in a cool place. Mash the eggs to a paste with the oil, then add the vinegar and other things, mix thoroughly, but do not pour it over the salad until about half an hour before serving, as the celery may become wilted.

Soft Gingerbread: One cup butter and two cups sugar well worked together, three eggs well beaten in, one cup New Orleans molasses, one cup good sweet milk and five cups of flour into which has been stirred one teaspoonful baking powder, not heaped, two tablespoonfuls ground cinnamon and one tablespoonful ground ginger. Bake in small dripping pans not too full, as they will rise.

Mixture of two parts of glycerine, one part ammonia, and a little rose water whitens and softens the hands.