Soldiers' record, 1869-02-27

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D e v o t e d t o t l * e I n t e r e s t s ot t l i e S o l d i e r s aijid S a i l o i ' s of* t h e I t i t e Wai*.
YOL 1. H A I I T F O I I D , CONN., F E B I l U A l l Y 27, 1809. NO. 34t
lottru.
SOLDIER'S HYMN.
There is a land where strife shall ceaso,
Wliero anus shall clasli no more ;
Where all is calm content and iieiice ;
Lord, bring ns to tliat shore!
In the rough tent, in the wild tent,
In the marches hy the way,
Be tliou the soldier's comforter.
His strength, his staff, his stay.
About the gra ves of good men gone
Make thou tlie grass to shine ;
Our armies load to victory on,
And make tlieir victories '.liine.
In the rough tent, in the wild tent,
In the niarches by the way,
Be thou the soldier's comforter,
His strength, his staff, ins stay.
And when we've done with life's events,
When the dark sliadows fall.
Help us, 0 Lord, to strike our tents
For the last march of all.
To the sad tent, to the sick tent.
To tlie dying tent, come down.
And gem the rough wood of tlie cross
With the blossoms of the crown.
''Along the Lines".
Oh, the eyes that are watching: the river's shore,
The river that gleams and shines,
Wliere our bravest and truest brothers now,
Arc waiting abng the lines.
Waiting wearily too are we.
Waiting the fate-hour's chimes,
That shall awaken the din and roar
Of battle, along the lines.
But hearts beat calmly, hearts beat slow,
'Twill he redder than blood of \dncs.
Than Liberty's sacramental wine
That shall flow along the lines.
And drearier than the solemn sighing
Of winter among the pines,
Shall come the moaning of the dying
To us, from along the lines.
Ah well! that to night the white tents gleam,
Whore the moon-beam flickers and shines.
And over the land the tidings come,
All quiet along the lines.
Only one prayer in the hush goes up
To the innermost shrine of shrines :—
" Success for our banner, wherever it streams
la battle, along the lines."
lourB at fome.
T H E V I L L A G E S B W I I ^ G - O I R O L E.
BY CHllTSTINE H. CABPENTER
A DROWSY summer afternoon hung over
the dainty little village of Mays\ille,
nestling among the green Connecticut
hills. The leaves of the clustering vines
framing the pretty white cottages just
stirred in the sunshine, while even tlie
bses and butterQies crept to shelter in the
hearts of the great red and white roses,
faintly nodding to some occasional zephyr
as it languished by. From the open
windows of Widow May's "best room" a
hum of voices stole out upon tlie scented
air, and within, more than a score of busy
hands fashioned divers fabrics into fair
shapeliness. It wns the weekly sewing-circle
of the Maysville ciiurch, for which
a fair wus in prospect, a fact tiiat formed
the secret of tliis feminine conclave.
Whoever saw a sewing circle without its
little titbits of gos^^ip? This was no ex-ception
to the rule. Pi-esently a checry
face looked up from its owner's glancing
needle:
"Do you know," said she to her neigh-bor,
"that I've quite altered my opinion
of Mrs. Wells, liitely? Pray don't start
—she has not arrived )''et:"
"How is that? Yon used to think her
tlie most extravagant woman in the vil
lage, and I'm not sure bucyou were quite
right. To my certain knowledge she
wears the most new dresses, new bonne t
and so costly, to s:iy nothing of the style
in which those children of hers are primp-ed
up 1 You don't pretend to imagine
har husband can stand it so much better
than others I might mention V
" Oh ! lio: Mr. Wells is not rich—only
comfortable."
" I can't alTonl two new dresses to ray
neighbor's one."
"Maybe you don't know how to econo-mize."
"Economize! I d like you to point out
another woman in Maysville who can
stretch out a dollar further'n I can !"
"Yes, I can do it."
''Just tell me, and I'll take a lesson
right off"
"You might profit by it, too, as I have."
"Do tell 1"
"It's Mrs. Wells."
"MRS. WELLS! That (Joes beat my
time—to set her up as my model ! Now,
I dare say, if one really knew, she spends
just three times as much."
"No, she doesn't, nor in fact any more
than you do."
'•oil, nonsense ! How do you get over
the four bonnets, and the dresses and fan-cy
furbelows one always sees about her V
The little matron shook her head saga-ciously.
"No, no, Mrs. Bru\\n, I calcu-late
the whole matter in plain figui-es.
Now, for instance: There were my two
bonnets last year, Ned thought as how I
should have something better than the
hideous things Miss Smith gets up in the
village, so I went to New York. Well,
there Avere two days lost just going and
coming at the very time I was most wanted.
I tired myself almost to death looking for
something reasDuable, and at last had to
take the nearest to my means. I thought
it would do well enough till I got home,
and Mrs. Wells called on me next day
with the very loveliest bonnet on her head
I ever saw. It never costless than twen-ty-
five dollars in the city. I mean that
gray velvet she had last fall."
"I know all about it. It didn't cost
but six dollars, and it didn't come from
the city "
"Six dollars! You must be dreaming.
And where in the name of creation, could
any one get such a bonnet in Maysville ?
Then, again, when I was in the city I saw
a dress something like that blue merino of
Susie Wells' everybody liked so much. I
thought I'd enough left to buy it for Ada.
I knew the stuff wasn't more than four-teen
shillings a yard, and it takes just
four yards; but besides, there was the
making and trimming. I went in and
priced it. It was eighteen dollars "
"And Susie Wells' cost her mother only
about nine/'
"That beats me out and out. Where
doe.s' she go to get such b;irgains ?
"Not very often out of Maysville."
"Why, I never see them. When I go
to Miss Smith for anything new, most
likely it's some notion she's borrowed
from the Wellses. I do believe ihey set
the lushions for this village for dressmak-ers
and all."
•'Well, Mrs. Wells can do it if she likes,
for the truth is she has a sure guide.
This is the secret."
"Do tell!" suspending her work to list-en.
"Yes, and what's more, Mrs. Wells
doesn't buy half those new things ready-made;
she makes them lierself."
"Oh ! it's all in gumption, then. I nev-er
had any."
"No, not that alone. I went down to
the house yesterday to take tea, and we
got chatting, and somehow we came to
talk about economy, and I said I didn't
see liow some folks managed to make
such a show, when others, doing quite as
well in the woi'ld, couldn't. 'Now, yon
don't mean moV said Mrs Wells, laugh-ing.
'Whv, yes,'said I bluntly: 'I do; I
can toll you, Mrs. Wells,' 1 went on,'
Maysville people do think you are awful
exinivagant' ' Why ? said she. 'Ijccause
you have so many new things, and nride
so costly, and the children are always fur-belowed
enough to cost a small fortune.
'Now, I'll warrant,' said she,'that all mine
and the chiUlren's new things together
don't cost me any more than yours, or any
other family in the village as large as
mine.' 'Why, how is that V said I. 'Be-cause
I make every penny tell, and just
because I've got an invaluable aid to give
me the very best advice, and keep me ac-quainted
with the newest fashions. It
I'uruislies patterns and ideas, and tells
what to get, and how to make up, so ex-plicitly,
that a body can't help imdersf and-ing.
I save all the cost and time and
trouble of going to the city, for all I have
to do is to consult my Mentor for vshape,
style and miiterial. Past experience has
proved to me that 1. can rely upon it with-out
a fear, and it is always full a month in
advance, so that I have plenty of time for
consideration. Send for the necessary
articles, and there are the directions to
make up And, beside, I have the pleas-ure
of alwa7s feeling fresh and presenta-ble.
I can always dress my children well
and tastefully, because I spare myself one
great expense, that of giving them out to
be made, as I have within my reach such
practical instructions, that it is a delight
to connive and fashion for myself. Then
I'm never at a loss for the boys either,
if my means are limited, there is sure to
occur an idea that helps me make a cheap
suit come out quite jaunty and becoming
There are a hundred and one other no-tions
to add effect to a toilet; how to cut
and ornament dresses, aprons, sacks, jack-ets,
or any of the indispensables in a
well-regulated wardrobe, even to under-clothing.
It puts to use all the odd ends
of materials one may have. Nothing can
go to wiiste.' 'I wish you would take
pity on me,' said I, 'and put me on the
right track, for I've got tired of pinching
and screwing to no purpose.' With all
ray heart. I'm afraid you have always
been, like many others, a penny wise and
a pound foolish ; but you have only to send
three dollars, and purchase a year's sub.
scription to DEMO REST'S MONTHLY MAGA-ZINE,
That is the aid, counselor, and
helpmate I've been telling you of.' "
At this juncture Mrs. Brown chanced to
glance out of the window. "I have just
finished my story in time," said she, her
voice subsiding. "There is Mrs. Wells
coming up the garden path; you shall
have her own testimony."
Bonnet and mantle disposed of, and
work in hand, the new-comer was pre-pared
for consultation by an active re-hearsal
from Mrs.Brown of a portion of her
own and her neighbor's recent discourse
Mrs. Wells's entrance had been the signal
for the resolving of the several little
gi'oups of talker^ into a general conversa-tion.
Not a few listened anxiously for
her sentence upon Mrs. Brown's narra-tive.
" I am quite prepared to endorse? all I
said yesterday," returned she at its con-clusion,
smilingly surviving her auditors,
"and I can even say more. Mrs. Brown
kindly complimented mo yesterday upon
the arrangement of my table, and more
than one of you praised the trifles in the
way of pastry and other refreshments
contributed to the refreshment table of
our last year's fair. The household de-partment
of the M AGAZINE was my guide;
it is especially devoted to items of intomst
to housekeepers. You have seen such
practical illustrations of the value of its
various receipts, that I need scarcel} dwell
upon it."
" Where did you learn of the existenco
of your oracle ?" questioned .Mrs. Hart.
" I read of it in the village paper."
" Oh, we don't take that."
" Not take t^iie Maysville Times ? I'm
surprised. Why, it's to e\ cry one's inter-est
to take the local papers. You get
your money's worth over and over. I
should as lief be out of the world as to be
without the news. My husband says he
sets as much store by them us I do by niy
Deuioi •est's Monthly, That miib-t have
been the reason why Mr, Wells did so
much better by his grain and hay than
Mr. Ilart. You see lie had the advantage
of knowing how to sell, and whot> and
where to find a good customer, and all
this through tiie paper, while neighbor
Hart, even though he's quite as shrewd
at bargaining, iiad to ti ust to luck after
all. Mr. Wells says ho finds so many
items of use to him abo.it gariknuug, and
then there are the quotations from the
city mai-kets. It won't do to trut^t to
hearsay. You want a reliable source for
such information. We watch the paper^
and are generally just about right for a
very good sale. Just make a trial of it,
and if you don't confess that you wonder
how you ever did without it, I'll pay the
cost of your sul)scription."
Before any one could reply there was a
slight stir at the doorway, and the next
momenta chorus of voices welcomed the
good shepherd of the Ma,ysville flock a-mong
his people.
" What have you there ?" said Jenny
Kip, the pet and belle par excellence of the
village, as. after the greetings wei-e ovei-,
the reverend gentleman sat down before
the table and began divesting a small
packet he had carried of its wrapping.
" Something that I fancied might be of
use and Intercast to you laaiesin the pui-.
suance of your good work; DEMOREST'S
MONTHLY MAGAZINE." There was a rap-id
interchange of glances among . the
needle-workers.
" I thought you disapproved of light
reading," ventured Miss Kip, mischiev-ously.
" So I do except when, like the literary
department of this Magazine, it is instruc-tive,
entertaining, and calculated to exert
a strong moral influence over our minds
This Monthly is a great favorite at the
parsonage. I am a regular subscriber,
tor I scarcely think we could do without
it.. What I presumed might be ofspe»ial
service now, was- this department of fash-ions,
about which I know but little^ but
which my wife affirms always contains
the most valuable suggestions respecting
wearing apparel." »
" I have just been testifying to that be-fore
you came in," remarked Mrs. Wells.
." And I remember a recommendation
from a friend of mine in Greenfield Her
husband is a builder, and she writes me
he is laudino; the Architectural Depart-ment
of the Magazine He considers this
feature alone renders it valuable, because
its plans and diagrams are good and adap-table.
My children hail its appearance
quite as gladly as I do. I read aloud to
them from its literary portion, because I
find its general tone so pui-e and elevating.
I think it a desirable addition to overy
household in Maysville^"
" And I," chimed in the minister. "My
boys and girls take special delight in its
engravings. It has inculcated a taste for
art among them. I think its refining in
fiuence, the variety it combines, ami its
neat dress, render it an ornament for any
parlor-table in the village."
" Any one of its peculiarities—iis I'ull-sized
patterns, its braid and embroidery
sheets, or twelve excellent .sheets of music
—is worth lar moi-e than the co.-".t of a
year's subscription,"suggested Mrs. Wells.
" And besides all this, each subscriboi- i-o-ceives
a valuable premium."
" I shall subscribe/' exclaimed Mi-s.
Brovm.
" And I,'! said her neighlxn-.
The words were echoed from all [)arts
of the room.
" Why not make up a olut),'' suggested
the pastor, " and give your orders to Mrs.
Wells ?"
" I should liko that very much,'' resuni-i
ed the latter.
I " 1 will tell you why, fruikly. There
are great inducements offered fortius p.itr-
I ])Ose, For twenty sul).s4^ripti0ns at tli>rce
dollars each, while evory indivduiil j-e-coives
a premium, I sho.itl(,[ come into pos-session
of a FAMILY SEWING•JMAiiiiNE,
Such a treasure !"
" You are quite deserving of such a
]»rizo, as the first to eshiblish the uierilis
of the Magazine hero," said several, in
a few short weeks Mrs. Wells's sitting-room
boasted of a sowing-machine, and
each member of the- club a copy of the
magazine,
" How do you likffl- it—how do youi like
i t ? " asked the vatiau.s MayvlUeltm^ as