we were always satisfied to refer to her for decision. She had purchased three cows, excellent milkers, and her dairy work was perfection. She had not spent years attending to this kind of industry in Vermont-celebrated for its excellent butter-without understanding the business thoroughly. We There was no trouble in finding regular customers in the city for all we could supply. The only difficulty was to keep from stinting ourselves, the demand was so great. But Auntie pushed against this, saying one day, when it was proposed that we cut down our own allowance, "No, girls, not a bit of it! hav'nt but one life to live, and I believe in having everything for our comfort while it lasts. The more farmers stint themselves, the meaner they grow, until what ought to be one of the noblest kinds of labor, degenerates into a slavery, narrowing down life to a catch-penny affair and making it complete drudgery at that." There were several families in the city glad to pay her an extra price for butter, saying it was really worth more as it went farther than that which they had been accustomed to having. Myron found a customer who kept a boarding-house; and she engaged all the buttermilk we had to spare. We could even have sold every drop of the skimmed milk, but that was reserved for the pigs which were fattening for the next winter. Luella's venture in the way of a feathered flock, after some mistakes and misfortunes, began to realize her anticipations of being a profitable investment. After a time, by considerable study, and reading up the best methods, she succeeded in raising turkeys, ducks, and even geese; a running stream just below the back wall of the garden making this feasible. With David's help she con structed a small dam, which kept a supply of water for them all through the summer. Janet's garden vegetables, her especial department, did not turn out well the first season, but she managed to sell considerable fruit from first to last. A line of old currant and gooseberry bushes grew down one edge of the garden; by dint of digging around these, and getting them free from the weeds, she raised a tolerable crop of fruit from them. The currant worm having ravaged this fruit. for several past seasons, it was scarce in the market and brought a large price. With hellebore, and whale-oil soap-suds she saved what would otherwise have been destroyed. Eventually, all the bushes were pruned, divided, transplanted and grown in hills, improving the flavor of the fruit as well as increasing their size. She was a faithful student of the best methods of horticulture. After awhile she uprooted all the old raspberry vines, and replaced them with improved varieties. These and her Lawton blackberries, the third season after our coming, were in full bearing, and though frail fruit for keeping fresh any length of time, by careful management, were readily sold. Myron's customers all relied on his honesty, and as he only sold to families who depended upon him for regular supplies, it was a cash business, yielding him a fair per cent. for his part, and returning money to those who employed him to sell their home produce. It was not an uncommon thing for us to receive from three to five dollars on his return from the city. One week, I know, our returns were uncommonly large; and for the three trips we counted twenty dollars! "Good for you!" Myron said, as he handed over the money Saturday night. "You'll soon git the old place fixed up, and hev money in the bank!" Each package, basket or box was marked for the several customers, with street and number attached, when entrusted to Myron's care, who received a certain per cent. of the proceeds. An old Damson plum tree, and a line of quince bushes, nearly overgrown, under Janet's vigorous treatment, were made a source of considerable income. The fruit of the latter, which were of a good stock, readily brought three dollars a bushel. Myron gauged all the prices for us, keeping himself posted on the market; so there was no danger of our over-estimating our produce, or the reverse. There was one excellence of our Lois, among the many which she possessed, that came to the front, after we were fairly launched on the tide of success. She took especial care not to have our lives narrowed down into selfish considerations alone. While careful and thrifty, she did not want us to give up our youth entirely to work, or our minds to management for gain. The first year we were obliged to be frugal, and devote a great deal of thought and time to getting along. At the end of that time, an "account of stock," as the merchant's phrase it was taken, and all the proceeds and expenditures were carefully examined and balanced. The result was, that while our first capital had been invested on the farm, it had been regained with twenty dollars surplus. "This," said Auntie, "is a fair showing, when we consider what improvements we have made, besides the stock of three cows, two calves, the swine, and Luella's fowls. I think we may venture to repair the old kitchen now. We need it more than we did last year." We formed many pleasant acquaintances in the village; found excellent neighbors, and during the winter enjoyed a social time. Janet and Luella joined the church choir and attended the rehearsals. The sewing society and library association, each had their attractions. The latter especially; for there were fortnightly meetings, from November to April, and some pleasant entertainment furnished each time, in music, recitations, readings dramas. All the town belonged to it, and though the fee for membership and yearly subscription was small, a respectable library had been gathered, the books being increased year by year. We had plenty of reading at home, and our domestic circle was a lively and happy one. or 'Roy was learning to paint in oils much to his delight. He also had a love for music, and we all took delight in singing to his accompaniments; even Aunt Lois putting in her somewhat shrill treble when sacred songs were sung. Fuel was a heavy item of expense; but the base-burning stove Myron found at second-hand for us in the city, because the folks had a steam heater put in, was bought at a bargain, and kept the sitting room warmed night and day. The sale of one of the hogs raised on the place, and what potatoes we had to spare from the two acres planted on shares, furnished coal that carried us through the winter, keeping the lower rooms (all that we used then of the house) comfortable through the cold season. We took great delight in exercising our ingenuity about fitting up the interior of the house at leisure times. Fortunately our parlor and adjoining bed-room at the other home had been carpeted with the same pattern. It was a pretty small figure in red and drab with a vine of mossy We found two Dresden china figures, badly broken, in the cupboard. These, with an immense amount of painstaking, and no little ingenuity, Roy dear, had mended, and they graced two tall carved mantels. Two large blue and white Canton jars found in the attic, both badly dilapidated, were repaired and placed on each side of the hearth and filled with grasses. From time to time we found some cast-off piece of old-style belongings, which, by the united skill of us all, we brought out in daylight with good effect, until our parlor was really a beautifully furnished and attractive room. found that our modern bric-a-brac, as Janet and Luella said, looked out of place there, so it was for the most part consigned to the corner cupboard, partially hiding its modern insignificance behind the glass doors of that old-fashioned spectacle. One old branched bronze candelebra we were especially proud of, and had it lighted on Christmas nights. (To be continued.) THE POWER OF MIND. We nipotent Mind to be withdrawn? We say of the man who is a giant in muscular strength, that his arm is mighty; but where is its power when the spirit takes its flight? That arm that was raised in terror is now nerveless and innocent, and the insignificant worm proudly triumphs over it. Power, like the mind to which it belongs, is indestructible. Physical disorganization may impede its action, but it cannot annihilate it. There is power even in the mind of an idiot. It may be fettered, like Samson, with cords for a season, but it only waits for a proper time-the time that God has appointed-when, like him, it will burst these cords, and rise with native, unobstructed freedom. But there is within us, in addition to this locomotive power, one of a much higher grade. It is the power of thought-thought that gives to man dominion over the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea-thought, the mighty instrument that moves the affairs of this world! Look at its achievements! What has it not done! has embodied itself in language, and found the means of its own preservation, so that the thoughts of ages past become the thoughts of this. It has triumphed over the elements and It made them subserve its own advancement. It has navigated the ocean, and girted the earth in spite of difficulty. It has leveled mountains, elevated valleys, and brought the ends Power is the property of mind. It of the world into neighborhood. It is, strictly speaking, predicable of has towered above the storm, scaled nothing but mind. We are exceed- the heavens, and, laying its hand upingly apt to lose sight of this truth, on the forked lightning, has borne in considering the different phenom- away in triumph its terrific fangs. ena of the natural world. We say Disdaining the tedious communicathat the storm, the lightning, and the tion by means of steam, and flying tornado are powerful; but where away on magnetic wires, with light. would be their power were the om- ning speed, it has linked together distant cities, and made them one. It has analyzed and classified the rocks, the plants, the birds, the water, and the fish, of the present and of past ages. Not content with exploring the surface, it has entered the deep caverns of the earth by the volcano's crater and investigated the phenomenon of those great respirators of nature, and determined the laws which regulate the earthquake's shock; and thus, with the familiarity of the schoolboy with his ball, it calls the earth its own. The deeds of noble daring which poets have sung, have been achieved, and sung, too, by the power of thought. It gives skill to the sculptor's chisel. It is the orator's spell-binding influence. It is music's melody, and the poet's fire. Such is the power of thought, and such its achievements. What it is yet destined to accomplish we may not say. True, in some respects it is limited; but in others its limits, if it have any, have never yet been found. Mind is on the advance. There never was a time when exulting Science gazed on more or brighter trophies than at the present. And yet it may be, that all that the wise have known as yet, in comparison of what may still be known, is as if they had been playing, as Newton said of himself, with the pebbles on the shore of the great ocean of truth. Yes, the march of thought is onward in the direction of those unknown limits. And other generations, borne on by its power to a higher stand than that of the present, may talk of discoveries within the field of their vision which do not come within the range of ours. Such is the power of all. One may bury it up, or, by energetic and patient application, call it forth, and give it wings for almost any flight. It may require long days and years of unremitting labor; but the result, when science shall bring her trophies and lay them at his feet, and the exulting heart shall swell with rapture more noble than that of the hero of the battle-field when his eye surveys the achievements of his valor, will repay him for his toil.-Ladies' Rep. PROFANITY. Profanity may almost be said to be our national sin! The land groans under the vile, atrocious, abominable oaths of profane men! Partialism is a great storehouse for oaths; but Universalism affords no means for profanity: no Universalist can swear! A swearing man, who should call himself a Universalist, will at once be a hypocrite, and so, no Universalist at all. Do any who ever listen to Universalist preaching carry out into conversation, the dogma and spirit of anti-Universalism, by cursing and swearing by taking the name of God in vain? Let all such heed the teaching of the blessed Master Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king: neither shalt thou swear by thy head, becanse thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.” Matt. 5: 34-37. In harmony with our Lord's precept, His servant James in his general epistle writes: "But, ABOVE ALL THINGS, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath ; but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." James 5: 12. In respect to this degrading habit of swearing, Rev. Dr. Lamont remarks: "It is not easy to perceive what honor or credit is connected with swearing. Does any man receive a promotion, because he is a notable blusterer? Or, does any man advance to dignity, because he is expert in profane swearing? No! Low must be the character which such impertinence will not degrade. Inexcusable, therefore, must be the practice, which has neither reason nor passion to support it." Schoolcraft, the Indian agent, says: "Many things the Indians may be accused of; but, of the practice of swearing they cannot. I have made many inquiries into the state. of their vocabulary, and have never heard of an imprecation or oath. The genius of the language does not seem to favor the formation of terms used in oaths, or for purposes of profanity." Rev. E. H. Chapin, D. D., remarks: "Profaneness is a brutal vice. The light and habitual taking of God's name, betrays a coarse na. ture and a brutal will. Nay, he (the swearer) tacitly admits that it is ungentlemanly; he restrains his oath in the presence of ladies; and he, who fears not to rush into the chancery of heaven, and swear by the Majesty there, is decently observable in the drawing room and parlor. Profanity is an unmanly and silly vice. It, certainly, is not a grace in conversation; and adds no strength to it. There is no organic symmetry in the narration that is ingrained with oaths; and the blasphemy that bolsters an opinion does not make it more correct. Our mother English has variety enough to make a story sparkle, and give point to wit; it has toughness enough to furnish the sinews for a debate, and to drive home conviction, without degrading the holy epithets of Jehovah." How painful must it be to the real gentleman, not the "gentleman" by mere caste or accident, to hear the Divine Name taken in vain. No gentleman-no true gentleman will do this. How still more painful to the Christian to hear blasphemed that worthy, heart-hallowed, heart-loved name, which is dearer to him than his life! The same remarks apply to blaspheming the sacred name of Jesus Christ, God's dear Son, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. ENTHUSIASM. A we can neither wish nor have a better rule concerning the things which a common moralist calls "indifferent" than the Law of the Spirit within us, so real spiritual progress will be attended by the clearing and strengthening of this inward instinct; in short, therefore, by the overspreading growth of a healthy enthusiasm. This is the greatest charm of character, even where it is partial and independent of spiritual influences; but the highest idea of human perfection is, that this should pervade the whole man, and, in consistency with the truest wisdom, should animate every set of actions, while the instinct guides through all delicate questions of right and wrong. The upright and faithful soul knows and feels what things do, and what things do not, impair communion of heart with its God; this is its great clue to its wrong and right; so it is alternately scrupulous where a moralizer would be bold, and bold where a moralizer would be prudish. Again, by the nourishment of its generous affections, it gains a power of impulse by which it is enabled to carry into effect its right conceptions. All know that in the practical world enthusiasm is the chief moving power, and is very effective, even when joined with a narrow and distorted judgment. Our misery has been, that the men of thought have no religious enthusiasm, and the enthusi |