“Look there, my dearies!” and she pointed to a little blue and white tea-pot on the high mantel-shelf above the hearth, on which they were sitting. “Last night, when they’d taken Ben away, and I couldn’t finish t’ psalm, and I couldn’t do much more praying than a little bairn thet’s flayed and troubled in t’ dark night, I lifted my eyes to thet tea-pot, and I knew t’ words thet was on it, and they wer’ like an order and a promise—a’ in one; and I said, ‘There! thet’s enough, Lord!’ and I went to my bed and slept, for I knew there ’ud be a deal to do to-day, and nothing weakens me like missing my sleep.”

“And did you sleep, Martha?”

“Ay, I slept. It wasn’t hard wi’ t’ promise I’d got.”

Then Phyllis took a chair and stood upon it and carefully lifted down the tea-pot. It was of coarse blue and white pottery, and had been made in Staffordshire when the art was emerging from its rudeness, and when the people were half barbarous and wholly irreligious—one of half a dozen that are now worth more than if made of the rarest china, the “Blue Wesley Tea-pot;” rude little objects, yet formed by loving, reverential hands to commemorate the apostolic labors of John Wesley in that almost savage district. His likeness was on one side, and on the other the words, so often in his mouth, “In God we trust.”—From “The Hallam Succession,” by Amelia E. Barr.

Discriminate in the use of AND and TO. Instead of saying “Go and see them before you leave;” “Try and help him obtain a place;” “Come and meet our friends at my house;” say “Go to,” “Try to,” and “Come to.”

Discriminate in the use of the word ARTIST. Keep artist to designate the higher order of workmen; as painters, sculptors, musicians, architects, and the like. Don’t use it to designate barbers, laundrymen, tailors, etc.

Discriminate in the use of BAD. Don’t say “I have a bad cold;” say “a severe cold.” As colds are never good, we should not say they are bad. We can have slight colds, or severe colds, but not bad colds.

Discriminate between BAD and BADLY. Don’t make the mistake, so frequently made, of saying “I feel very badly.” Use bad. Badly is an adverb, and should not be employed. One might as well say “I feel happily,” instead of happy.

Discriminate between BALANCE and REMAINDER or REST. Don’t say “The balance of the library remained unsold;” “He spent the balance of the evening at home;” “The balance of the money he left in their keeping;” “We will now have the balance of the toasts.” Use rest or remainder. Balance denotes the excess of one thing over another.

Discriminate in the use of DEPOT. The best critics contend that we should not call a railway-station a depot. A depot is a place where goods or stores of any kind are kept.

Discriminate between HAD RATHER and WOULD RATHER. Don’t say I had rather not do it; say I would rather not do it.

Discriminate in the use of POLITE and KIND. Don’t say “your polite invitation was received;” “You are very polite in being so obliging;” “They gave us a polite reception.” Use kind.

Discriminate in the use of SUCH and SO. Don’t say, “Such a handsome bonnet;” “Such a lovely girl;” “Such a rough road.” Use so handsome, so lovely, etc.—From “Discriminate.”[M]

One Means of Helping Russia.—But there is no obstacle which can not be overcome by energy, spirit of sacrifice, and courage. The Russian despotism must and will be destroyed; for it is not permitted to the stupid obstinacy of one, nor to the infamous egotism of a few, to arrest the progress and light of a nation of a hundred million souls. We can only wish the mode of execution of the unavoidable may be the least disastrous, least sanguinary, and most humane. And there is a force which can strongly contribute to this—it is the public opinion of European countries. It is strange, but quite true; Russian governmental circles are much more impressed by what is said about them in Europe than by the wailing of all Russia from the White Sea down to the Euxine.—From “Russia Under the Tzars,” by Stepniak.

The Golden Prime of ’49.—A knowledge of the characteristic features of the mining days of 1849 is essential to a full appreciation of the good sense and political wisdom shown by the miners as a class. Merchants, mechanics, farmers existed but to supply the miners; and the gold of the mines was the chief resource of California. Four fifths of the able-bodied male population were living in the mineral belt, or were on their way thither, when the working season of 1849 opened. Only four years before there had been but five hundred Americans in California; in February, 1848, but two thousand; by December, 1848, this number had grown to six thousand; by July, 1849, to fifteen thousand; and by December, 1849, to fifty-three thousand. Chiefly owing to the gold rush of 1848-53 the center of population of the United States moved eighty-one miles farther west. Within four years after the spring of 1849 the population of the new state was 300,000, and more than $260,000,000 had been dug from the gold fields.—From Charles Howard Shinn’s “Mining Camps.”

Amy Allston’s Report of Strawberry Culture.—On the 27th of May Janet and I picked our first berries for market, and from that time on we were truly busybodies. We worked early and late, being careful to have dresses short enough not to injure the vines. It was hard work for our bent, weary backs, as it grew warm, but we knew it must be done. Mother, Janet, Will and Pete did good service, and little Cecy cheered us from her wagon under a neighboring tree.

In about five weeks the harvest was over, and after taking breath, we counted our gains.

If we had to pay expenses of plowing, weeding, manure, etc., it would have greatly lessened the profits. On the other hand the season was backward, and the yield was not large, they tell me, in consideration of the fine condition of the plants and the cultivation they received, which was better than we could give a larger plot. At all events we set out half an acre more the August after.—From Helen Campbell’s “What-to-do Club.”

[M] Discriminate. A Companion to “Don’t.” A Manual for Guidance in the Use of Correct Words and Phrases in Ordinary Speech. By Critic. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1885. Price, 30 cents.