MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
173 
(®butattonal Itpartrarai 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
FREE SCHOOL STATE CONVENTION. 
To THE People of New York: —The 
question whether the State of New York 
shall, or shall not, have Free Schools, is 
to be decided at the polls in November next 
It is a question of great moment Its de¬ 
cision involves vast results. It will affect to 
an extent not fully appreciated, the Physi¬ 
cal, Intellectual, Social and Moral interests 
of the State. In a word, the Empire State 
is to be dishonored, or to be elevated by 
that vote. 
This question must be discussed. Organ¬ 
ization is indispensable. We therefore join 
in the Call for a State Convention of the 
friends of Free Schools, to be held at Sy¬ 
racuse, on Wednesday, the \2th day of 
June next, at 10 A. M. We invite the op¬ 
ponents of Free Schools to present their 
views of the question in debate. 
Invitations will be extended to quite a 
number of the most able and distinguished 
friends of Universal Education, in this and 
other States. 
We respectfully ask of every Editor of a 
newspaper in this State, at least one early 
insertion of this Call, and such notice as he 
shall deem fitting. 
A. H. Hovey, Wm. Jackson, 
Daniel Pratt, Amos Westcott, 
Dudley P. Phelps, John W. Barker, 
Chas. B. Sedgwick, Charles A. Wheaton, 
John McCarthy, Joseph A. Allen, 
Wm. H. Hoyt, Q. A. Johnson, 
John W. Jones, Lewis J. Gillett, 
P. Montgomery, George G. Kellogg, 
Daniel DcDougall, James Johonnot, 
J, M. Winchell, E. C. Pomeroy, 
P. H. Agan, Charles P. Williston, 
S. F. Smith, C. B. Scott, 
R. H. Gardner, W. L. Crandal, 
Syracuse, May 17, 1850. Committee. 
We cheerfully publish this Call for a 
State Convention to be held at Syracuse on 
the twelfth day of June next, for the pur¬ 
pose of considering the subject of Free 
Schools. We are glad that the call is ex¬ 
tended to all, whether in favor of, or oppo¬ 
sed to the system. Let every county—aye, 
every town in the State, respond to this call 
by sending delegates. Then let the ques¬ 
tion be freely and fully discussed by all— 
let the strongest objections to the Free 
School system be urged by its ablest oppo¬ 
nents, and we will guarantee that they will 
be met and fairly considered by the advo¬ 
cates of Free Schools. The advocates of a 
just cause have little to fear from free dis¬ 
cussion—while those who are suffering op¬ 
pression from unjust laws,” have much to 
hope. We earnestly invite all who feel that 
the free school law is oppressive, to go to 
Syi-acuse on the 12 th of June, and then and 
there show cause why the Stale of New 
York shall not make provision for the sup¬ 
port of free public schools. The friends of 
such schools, will then and there show that 
the system is founded in wisdom—condu¬ 
cive to the public welfare—a noble work of 
magnanimity—whose fruits will be univer¬ 
sal education—wise rulers and well-execu¬ 
ted laws. 
SCHOOL BOOKS. 
Swan’s Skhies of School Readers. Philadel¬ 
phia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. 
This valuable and progressive series of 
reading books is formed on the plan of 
teaching “ one thing at a time.” The author 
has, very judiciously, as we think, avoided 
the use of cuts. 
The lessons in part first are composed of 
words of the simplest construction, so ar¬ 
ranged as to furnish exercises in the soimds 
of the vowels and consonants, accompanied 
with the author’s directions to aid the teach¬ 
er in executing the course of instruction.— 
The chief design of l^art First is to teach 
articulation. The same obj ect is kept in view 
in Part Second, and so on tlurougli the en¬ 
tire series — comprising exercises in in¬ 
flection, emphasis, accent and punctuation, 
suited to all grades of children learning to 
read. The selections for lessons in reading 
were made and arranged Avith special refer¬ 
ence to the things to be taught and learned 
—beginning Avith the most simple elements, 
and advancing gradually to the most diffi¬ 
cult until a thorough knoAvledge of both the 
art and science of reading are given, thus 
rendering the series, a valuable aid to the 
teacher Avho is desirous of seeing his efforts 
in this department of instruction croAvned 
Avith success. 
The author of the series here noticed, 
prepared, in compliance with a suggestion, 
made by the Boston School Committee, a 
book which he named the “ instmetive 
Reader.” This volume embraces a great 
variety of subjects connected with the three 
great kingdoms of nature. It is well de¬ 
signed to be used in connection Avith the 
aforesaid series—not as a substitute for them. 
It is also, exceedingly well calculated to aid 
the teacher in suggesting topics for general 
instruction, and to furnish children and 
youth with accurate knoAvledge on a great 
A’^ariety of subjects related to the natural 
sciences. 
We commend this series, with the “ In¬ 
structive Reader,” to teachers and others 
interested in the selection of reading books 
for Schools. 
[Note.—W e give the above notice again, in or¬ 
der to correct errors which occurred in its first 
publication.] 
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. 
The last steamer brought fhe news of the 
death of this venerable poet Many will 
feel that the great light of England is set, 
that the one has vanished from the earth, 
to whom they owe some of their purest joys, 
and some of the best growth of their mind 
and character. They have long looked up 
to him Avith reverential love. There is noth¬ 
ing to disturb their tender recollections of 
him. Wordsworth lived a very happy life, 
how unlike that of Coleridge; hoAv unlike, 
especially in its close, that of Southey. Re¬ 
vered all over the world as the teacher of 
beautiful and sublime truths which shall 
never perish; having long out-lived the 
“evil tongues, rash judgments, and sneers 
of selfish men,” which early beset him, hav¬ 
ing, for many years, taken his place, by the 
nearly unanimous verdict of competent 
judges, among the very few great masters 
of song, he is now “gathered within the 
tender shade ” of the “ church-yard among 
the mountains,”'his eye not dim, with no 
stain on his character, having written no 
line which he would wish to blot 
And not alone by the cultivated, or the 
lovers of poetry, is he mourned. We can 
hardly imagine the sorrow Avhich will be 
felt in Ite vales and on the hill-sides of 
Westmoreland and Cumberland. For sixty 
or seventy years, Wordsworth has traA'ersed 
this beautiful region in all weathers, by 
night and day, catching all the varying phe¬ 
nomena of the seasons, and everyAvhere 
welcomed, in the humble cottage, and by 
the poor wagoner, as much as in the man¬ 
sion of the nobleman. There is not in this 
district a prominent object, or a striking 
phenomenon, or an interesting historical in¬ 
cident or tradition, which is not consecrated 
and immortalized by his poetry. For all 
these objects he felt a brother’s love. One 
of the last sonnets which he, wrote was ded¬ 
icated to Wansfell, a hill south-east of Am- 
bleside, from a sense of shame that its praise 
had not been sounded by him before.— 
Many a tree has been spared at his inter¬ 
cession. Many a “ modern improvement ” 
has been postponed at liis entreaty. His 
spirit is interfused in all the objects of na¬ 
ture in his native soil. And he has stamp¬ 
ed a material value on the country, more 
than a cotton manufactory or a Menai bridge 
could do. Thousands are attracted to the 
Lakes every summer, with his poetry their 
best guide-book. 
Mr. Wordsworth had just completed his 
eightieth year. When seen by the writer, 
not long since, he Avas vigorous in body, 
erect in form, cheerful in spirit, living in a 
terrestrial Eden, the object of reverential 
love among all his neighbors. With his 
commanding form, Avdth his ample broAV in 
sculpture-like repose, Avith “the shooting 
light of his Avild eyes,” he had reached that 
“ final eminence,” “ a point on which he sat 
in awful sovereignty.” Yet his manners 
and address Avere perfectly bland and un¬ 
assuming, and in admirable consistency Avith 
the spirit Avhich breathes through his poe- 
tiy. 
Of the circumstances of his death Ave 
have not heard. He was born April 7, 
1770, at Cockermouth, a market town of 
Cumberland, about tAventy miles from Am- 
bleside. His surviving family consists, Ave 
believe, of his Avife, his sister, a Avoman of 
kindred genius, and tAvo sons, one of them a 
clergyman. An only daughter, inheriting 
much of her father’s genius, died two or 
tlu-ee years ago.— Congregationalist. 
Note.— S. T. Coleridge died July 2,5, 1834. 
Walter Scott " Sept. 21, 1832. 
Charles Lamb “ Dec. 27, 1834. 
George Crabbe “ Feb. 3. 1832. 
Felicia Hemans “ May 16, 1835. 
Beautiful Allegory.—A humming bird 
met a butterfly, and being pleased with the 
beauty of its person, and the glory of its 
wings, made an offer of perpetual friendship. 
“ I cannot think of it,” Avas the reply, “ as 
you once spurned me, and called me a craw¬ 
ling dolt.” “Impossible!” exclaimed the 
humming bird, “I ahvays entertained the 
highest respect for such beautiful creatures 
as you.” “Perhaps you do now,” said the 
other,“but Avhen j4)u insulted me, I was a 
caterpillar. So let me give you a piece of 
advice; never insult the humble, as they may 
some day become your superiors. ” 
We love better to see those to whom we 
I do good, than those who do good to us. 
3ffiiscdlam]. 
“THE WORLD OWES ME A LIVING.” 
BY HORACE GREELEY. 
“ The world owes me a living, and I'll 
have it,” says some blackleg, as he finishes 
a luxurious repast; “ here landlord, anoth¬ 
er bottle of prime Madeira 1 ” Half a doz¬ 
en empty-headed fops, who sit gazing on 
by stealth in silent admiration, hail the sen¬ 
timent Avith rapturous applause. “That’s 
it; the Avorld owes us a good living and we 
will have it! Landlord, more wine here I 
we won’t go home till morning! Let’s go it 
while we are young. Who cares for ex¬ 
pense ? ” The consequence of this is, the 
pilfering of money drawers, the ignomini¬ 
ous loss of employment, genteel loaferism, 
&c., drc., until one of these enterprising gen¬ 
tlemen, in eager pursuit of the “ good liv¬ 
ing ” the world owes him, puts the wrong 
man’s name to his check, or in some Avay 
gets a ticket for the marble palace at Sing 
Sing, where the State provides a “ living ” 
for those it considers deserving, but not such 
a one as consorts with their own estimate 
of their exalted merits. 
The great error in this case, is in the ori¬ 
ginal maxim. It is false and detestable.— 
The world owes you a living ? How owes ? 
Have you earned it by good service ? If 
you have, whether on the anvil, or in the 
pulpit, or as a teacher, you have acquired a 
just right to a livelihood. But if you have 
eaten as much as you have earned, or worse 
still, done little or no good, the world owes 
you nothing. You may be worth millions, 
and able to enjoy every imaginable luxury 
Avithout care or effort; but if you have done 
nothing to increase the sum of human com¬ 
forts, instead of the world owing you any¬ 
thing, as fools have babbled, you are mor¬ 
ally a bankrupt and a beggar. 
Mankind are just awakening to conscious¬ 
ness of the duty resting on every man to 
be active and useful in his day and in his 
sphere. All are not called to dig, or hew, 
or plow, or plane—but every man has a 
sphere of usefulness allotted to him by 
Providence, and is unfaithful to his trust if 
he deserts it for idle pomp and heedless lux¬ 
ury. One man may be fitted by nature and 
inclination for an artisan, another for a sm- 
lor, but no man ever born is fitted for an 
idler and a drone. Those Avho become such 
are the victims of perverse cirqumstances, 
and a deplorably false education. 
But has not the rich man the right to en¬ 
joy his wealth ? Most certainly. We would 
be the last to deprive him of it. He has a 
natural and legal right to possess and enjoy 
it in any manner not injurious to others, but 
he has no moral right to be useless because 
he has superior means of being useful— 
Let him surround himself with all the true 
comforts and luxuries of life; let the mas¬ 
ter-pieces of art smile upon him in his gal¬ 
leries, and the mighty minds of all ages 
speak to him from his library. Let plenty 
deck his board, and the faces of those he 
loves gather joyously around. Let him pos¬ 
sess in abundance the means of satisfying 
every pure and just desire of his nature; 
and become wiser, nobler, larger in soul 
than his less fortunate neighbor. But let 
him never forget, and if he is properly 
trained, he never can, that it is a solemn 
duty to be useful to his fellow creatures, es¬ 
pecially to the depressed and suffering—to 
labor for their benefit, and suffer, if need 
be, for their elevation. 
FASHIONABLE MOVEMENTS. 
Under this heading a late Boston paper 
announces, that “ Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird are 
now at home in their old quarters. Signor 
WhipporAvill has commenced Ids evening 
concerts for the season. Mr. Gooseberry 
has made his appearance in a neAv siut of 
green. The younger Miss Violet has been 
out for seA’eral days, and created quite a 
sensation Avith her blue eyes and modest de¬ 
meanor. The Misses Rose are yet in seclu¬ 
sion Availing for the Avarm Aveather. The 
Lilac family throAv open their doors for a 
grand festival next Aveek. It is rumored 
that the Tulips, who have replenished their 
wardrobe in a very splendid manner, Avill 
attend. The beautiful Miss Pink is said to 
be preparing for a very gay season. 
The Robin troupe are giving maiinee ser¬ 
enades Avith much success. Some very sad 
reports are in circulation in regard to Col 
Swallow. He has been detected in stealing. 
This is the gentleman who originated the 
famous swallow-hdl style of dress-coat The 
Honeysuckles, Avho are notoriously a push¬ 
ing race, are already in the field. It is 'with 
deep sorrow that we record that the amiable 
and lovely Miss Snowdrop departed tliis 
hfe soon after the last snow storm.” 
A Jolly Life.—I nsects generally must 
lead a jovial life. Tliink Avhat it must be 
to lodge in a lily. Imagine a palace of ivoiy 
or pearl, Avith pillars of siU’er and capitals 
of gold, all exhaling such a perfume as nev¬ 
er arose from human censor. Fancy, again 
the fun of tucking yourselves up for the 
night in the folds of a rose, rocked to sleep 
by the gentle sighs of summer air, nothing 
to do Avhen you awake but to wash yourself 
.in a deAV-drop, and fall to and eat your bed 
clothes 1 
EVIL BOOKS AND PICTURES. 
An extract from a sermon by Rev. Hen¬ 
ry Ward Beecher:— “But I warn you, 
with yet more solemn emphasis, against evil 
books and evil pictures. There is in every 
city and tbwn of our land, an undercurrent 
which glides beneath our feet, unsuspected 
by the pure, out of Avhich, notwithstanding, 
our sons scoop many a goblet. Books are 
hidden in trunks, concealed in dark holes; 
pictures are stored in sly portfolios, or traf¬ 
ficked from hand to hand; and the handi¬ 
work of the depraved art is seen in other 
forms, which ought to make a harlot blush. 
Novels of the French school, and of Eng¬ 
lish imitators, are the common sewers of so¬ 
ciety, into which drain the concentrated filth 
of the worst creatures of the worst cities. 
Such novels come to us, impudently pre¬ 
tending to be reformers of morals and libe¬ 
ralizers of religion; they propose to instruct 
our laws, and teach us discreet humanity 
and justice! The Ten Plagues have visit¬ 
ed our literature; water is turned into 
blood; frogs and lice creep and hop over 
our most familiar things—the couch, the 
cradle, and the bread trough; locust, mur¬ 
rain and fire, are smiting every green thing. 
We are disgracing our tongue, by trans¬ 
lating into it the novel literature of France. 
I am ashamed and outraged when I think 
that wretches could be found to open these 
foreign seals, and let out their plagues upon 
us—that any Satanic Pilgrim should voy¬ 
age to France, to dip from the dead sea of 
her abominations a baptism for our sons.— 
It Avere a mercy to this, to import serpents 
from Africa, and pour them out on our prai¬ 
ries ; lions from Asia, and free them in our 
forests; lizards, and scorpions, and tarantu¬ 
las, from the Indies, and put them in our 
gardens. Men could slay these, but those 
offspring reptiles of the French mind, who 
can kill them ? You might as well draw 
sword on a plague, or charge a malaria with 
the bayonet. This black lettered literature 
circulates in this town, floats in our stores, 
nestles in the shops, is fingered and read 
nightly, and hatches in the young mind 
broods of salacious thoughts. While the 
parent strives to infuse Christian purity in¬ 
to the child’s heart, he is anticipated by 
most accursed messengers of evil; and the 
heart hisses already like a nest of young 
and nimble vipers.” 
WOMEN Y3. l adies. 
What blundering, miserable work, fo^ks 
make of it when they endeavor to ele¬ 
vate things by giving them new or affected 
titles! What vulgarity is equal to the 
thrice sodden vnlgarity of “refinement?” 
We think it was Dickens who complained 
that there were no longer any boys in all 
England—“ that the boys went out Avith 
George the Third.” A similar calamity 
has befallen us in America. We have no 
longer any women, or, at least, no acknowl¬ 
edged specimens of that interesting portion 
of the human race. The women have gone, 
extinct, (according to the popular phraseol¬ 
ogy,) and have been superseded by “ladies!” 
Alack-a-day for the change! We regard 
Avoman as “ the noblest Avork of God;” but 
“ a lady,” at her highest pitch of perfection, 
is only the noblest work of a French milli¬ 
ner. Just apply the term, for example, as 
well to the highest as to the loAvest grades 
of the gentle sex, and the ludicrous absur¬ 
dity of its use will make you chary of the 
Avord forever after. A person wishing to 
see the female Avards in a prison was an- 
SAvored by the jmler, “ Sir, we have no ladies 
here at present.’-’ A clergyman, discoursing 
of the religious inclinations of woman, in¬ 
quired with much emphasis, “ Who wore 
the last at the cross ? Ladies. Who Avere 
the first at the sepulchre? Ladies.” La¬ 
dies? God forbid. 
Franklin’s mode of Lending Money. 
—“ I send you, herewith, a bill of ten louis- 
d’ors. I do not pretend to give much, I 
only lend it to you. When you return to 
your country, you cannot fail of getting in¬ 
to some business that will, in time, enable 
you to pay all your debts. In this case, 
when you meet another honest man in sim¬ 
ilar distress, you Avill pay me by lending this 
money to him, enjoining him to discharge 
the debt by a like operation when he shall 
be able, and meet Avith such another oppor- 
timity. I hope it may pass through many 
hands before it meets with a knave to stop 
its progress. This is a trick of mine to do 
a great deal of good Avith a little money.— 
I am not rich enough to spend much in 
good works, and am obliged to be cunning, 
and make the most of a little.” 
Sowing a Name. —We have seen a young 
child express the greatest surprise and de¬ 
light on discovering in a flower-bed its name 
written in the green of the young plants, 
the seed of which had been sown in that 
form by a fond father or mother. But by- 
and-by, dear children, you will see your 
name or character, as it has been planted 
by yourself, springing up in the opinion 
people entertain concerning you, and it will 
be exactly as you have sown it. Be careful, 
then, how you soav. Do not spoil your OAvn 
name by soAving foolishly or wrongly. Re¬ 
member, every word and action is a seed 
put in, Avhich will surely spring up and con¬ 
stitute your name in the world. 
ETYMOLOGY OF THE NAMES OF COUNTRIES. 
The folloAving countries were named by 
the Phoenicians, the greatest commercial 
people in the ancient world. These names 
in the Phoenician language, signify some- \ 
thing characteristic of the places which they \ 
designate. ' j 
Euro-pe signifies a country of white com- ^ 
plexion—so named because the inhabitants \ 
there were of a lighter complexion than I 
those of either Asia or Africa ) 
Asia signifies between or in the middle— ; 
from the fact that geographers placed it be- I 
tween Europe and Africa t 
Africa signifies the land of com, or ears. 
It was celebrated for its abundance of corn, 
and all sorts of grain. \ 
Siberia signifies thirsty or dry —very < 
characteristic of the country. | 
Spain a country of rabbits or cronies. — < 
This country was once so infested with these < 
animals that they sued Augustus for an ar¬ 
my to destroy them. 
Italy, a country of pitch—from its yield¬ 
ing great quantities of black pitch. 
Calabria also—for the same reason. 
Gaul, modern France, signifies yellow 
haired, as yellow hair characterized its first 
inhabitants. 
The English of Caledonia is a high hill. 
This was a rugged mountainous province in 
Scotland. 
Hibernia is utmost, or last habitation; far 
beyond this, Avestward, the Phoenicians nev¬ 
er extended their voyages. 
Britain, the country of tin—as there 
were great quanties of lead and tin found 
on the adjacent islands. The Greeks called 
it Albion, which signifies in the Phoenician 
tongue, either white or high mountains, from 
the wliiteness of its shores, or the high 
rocks on the western coast 
Corsica signifies a woody place. 
Sardinia signifies the footstep of a man, 
which it resembles. 
Rhodes, serpents or dragons, Avhich it 
produces in abundance. 
Sicily, the country of grapes. 
Scylla, the whirlpool of destruction. 
Charybdis, the holes of destruction. 
Etna signifies furnace, or dark, or smoky. 
Syracuse signifies bad savor, called so 
from the unwholesome marsh upon which 
it stood. 
The above were gathered from a very 
ancient history of Britain. 
SIMILES FROM THE VEGETABLE WORLD. 
The fragrant white clover thrives though 
trampled under foot; it furnishes the bees 
with stores of pure honey without asking 
or receiving the credit of it Meekness and 
disinterestedness. 
^ The morning glory makes a fair show at 
sunrise, but withers as soon as it becomes 
hot Excitement without principle. 
To cut off the top of the dock does no 
good, its roots must be eradicated. Sin is 
the dock root 
The thistle has a beautiful blossom, but 
it is so armed with spines that every body 
abhors it Beauty and bad temper. 
The elder bush produces delicate and 
fragrant blossoms; but the farmer abhors it, 
because if he gives it a foot it will take a 
rod. Obtrusiveness. 
If the grasshopper eat the silk of the 
com there Avill be no harvest Irreligious 
principles in childhood. 
If you go into a field of beggar-ticks in 
autumn, when you come home your clothes 
will reveal the fact Vulgar companions. 
Cranberries hide themselves beneath the 
moss; he who Avould find them must look 
for them. Modest worth. 
“ You see hoAv such of the trees as bow 
their brcinches to the winter torrents escape 
unhurt; but such as resist, perish root and 
branch.”— Sophocles. Yielding to the opin¬ 
ions of others. 
The blossoms of the barberry blast grain 
in their vicinity. Bad temper. 
Thistle seed have wings. Bad principles. 
A Gentleman. —Did you ever see a gen¬ 
tleman? We have seen two or three in 
our day, but real gentlemen are very rare. 
A gentleman is one who treats every body 
Avith respect, whether he be black or white, 
low or high, poor or rich. He does not bow 
to wealth, scrape his knees to honor, nor 
holds his tongue when he sees wickedness 
in high places. You always receive from 
him a civil answer to your enquiry, and he 
kindly imparts to you any information in his 
his power. He Avill not say a word to injure 
your feelings, or allude to a subject to pain 
your heart Whatever may be done, he will 
not manifest angry feelings, or use imbe- 
coming language. He uses no profane or 
indecent words, smokes no cigars in your 
presence, nor spits tobacco juice on your 
floors. He is the same kind and accommo¬ 
dating individual, from one week’s end to 
another. 
Rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusa¬ 
lem. —It is stated that the Jews have ob- 
tauied a firman from the Porte, granting 
them permission to build a temple on Mount 
Zion. The projected edifice is to equal Sol¬ 
omon’s temple in magnificence. Al^ons of 
money are smd to have been collected for 
tliis purpose in America alone. 
