persists in hanging it among
mine. Then comes Harper's Monthly and the Century, not forgetting the
Sanitary Journal. On the other side of the room we find the Inter Ocean,
Democrat, and several other political papers fairly representing both
sides, also some standard books of valuable information; and last but
not least, the PRAIRIE FARMER Map which you sent for my club.

Now, this may be considered a pretty large outlay for a common farmer to
make, but outside of life insurance, I consider it my best investment.

In this selection I get the cream of all matters of practical importance
to the farmer. From THE PRAIRIE FARMER I get the latest and most
reliable information of the great central ruling markets of the West
Chicago, which has saved me sundry times from three to five cents per
bushel on wheat, sometimes paying the price of the paper twenty times
over in one transaction. From the C.G. I get the Eastern markets, while
Colman gives the St. Louis; and by a close study of the three a farmer
can always make enough to pay for twenty or thirty dollars worth of good
current literature for the use of his family. Then the F. and S. is
always full of delightful reading for the boys, refining their cruel
propensities, and teaching them to be kind to the feathered tribe which
are the farmer's friends. By reading it they soon lay aside their traps,
nets, and snares, with which they capture whole covies of the dear
little Bob-whites, and disdain to touch a feather, only when on the
wing, and then with their light, hammerless breach loader. Such reading
as that ties the farmer's boys to country life, and makes them contented
under the parental roof-tree until they are ready to build up homes of
their own. The Journal tells them all about tile making and drainage, a
very necessary accomplishment when they get their own homestead.

The pictures in H.W. furnish a fountain of amusement for the little
folks, and teach them--with a little help--many things that will be
useful to them in life. As a matter of course the "Bezar" is for mother
and the girls, and [***]
consultations [***]
before the fair, a [***]
daughters, your [***]
good when she insisted [***]
be put on the list.

A boy or a girl with [***]
the Century in their hands, [***]
room, with a bright clear lamp [***]
has no thought of city life, or [***]
In those bright pages the [***]
outer world painted in all its various [***]
so interesting and so fascinating [**