MOOKE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICUTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
(Bbucntioiml lEpartnunt. 
BY L. WETIIERELL. 
TEACHERS’ STATE ASSOCIATION. 
The annual meeting of the New York 
State Teaehers’ Association will be held in 
the city of New York on the Yth and 8th of 
August The order of exercises which we 
published last week, should have been cred¬ 
ited to the Journal and Advocate from which 
we copied. 
We hope that every part of the State 
will be well represented at this meeting. 
In order that this may be done, l^t the 
teachers of the several counties appoint del¬ 
egates—and if there is no county organi¬ 
zation by which this can be done, then let 
each active and enterprising teacher, male 
and female, appear self-constituted dele¬ 
gates for the county in Avhich they labor, 
and we will guarantee that the Association 
will receive all such into full membership. 
The Erie Railroad Company, will, if properly 
protected, carry teachers over the road to 
attend this meeting for half price. We 
doubt not that other companies Avill be lib¬ 
eral. Accomodations, at a reduced price, 
have been provided for Delegates during 
the session. Let every teacher then who 
can make it convenient to do so, attend:— 
the business to be transacted is important 
DETRACTION. 
Detraction is the act of taking some¬ 
thing from the reputation of a person, with 
the intention of loAvering him in the estima¬ 
tion of his felloAv men. There are various 
ways of doing this murderous act—such 
for example, as representing a person’s 
worth as being less, much less than it re¬ 
ally is — imputing to him faults, vices or 
crimes of which he is entirely innocent— 
charging upon him motives of action, cal¬ 
culated to destroy his influence. These 
are some of the ways the detractor em¬ 
ploys to undermine and destroy the repu¬ 
tation of one, who, perhaps, has never done 
his maligner any harm, but contrawise, has 
done him many favors. 
Two of the commandments of the deca¬ 
logue have for their end or aim the keeping 
of the tongue in subjection. “ The tongue” 
says an inspired apostle, “ is a fire—a world 
of iniquity—an unruly evil—full of deadly 
poison.” Hoav often has the truth of these 
Avords been verified in the history of man. 
Every.man, Avoman, and child even, that 
reads these remarks, can bear testimony, 
either from observation or experienee—and 
most likely from both—to the evil conse¬ 
quences of detraction. The Avorld is full of 
it. Parents indulge in it in the presence of 
their children—ministers are not entirely 
free from it in the pulpit, nor in the social 
circle—teachers have been found guilty of 
it—and in fine who has not, if we except 
Him, Avho when he was reviled, reviled not 
again. 
How much of heart-burning, suffering, 
wretchedness and woe Avould be banished 
•from earth if the sons of men Avould imi¬ 
tate the example, and follow the precepts of 
Him of Avhom it was said. He spake as 
never man spake. In harmony Avith the 
spirit and temper of his master were the 
teachings of him Avho was sent out to in¬ 
struct the Gentiles. Hear him:—“Then- 
throat, (speaking of man’s nature,) is an 
open sepulchre; they have deceitful tongues 
and the poison of asps is under their lips.” 
(To show the force of this comparison it 
may be Avell to say, that death ensues in 
about tAventy-four hours after the bite of an 
asp.) “They are whispere^-s, backbiters, de¬ 
spiteful.” Again: “Detail evil speaking 
be put away from you, and be ye kind one 
to another.” TheAvise man says—“There 
are six things, tha_t the Lord hates, and the 
seventh He detests; and this seventh is the 
person Avho soAveth discord among his 
brethren.” “Have you heard any.thing 
injurious or prejudicial to your neighbor? 
Repeat it not; let it die with you.” .IlaA-e 
you heard any thing that has a tendency to 
injure your own reputation ? Repeat it not 
until you have ascertained Avhether the per¬ 
son charged really gave utterance to the 
evil Avords that sink into your heart—and if 
so, inquire concerning the provocation, and 
it may be that you Avill thus trace it to the 
door of your OAvn heart. If otherwise a re¬ 
conciliation may be brought about and peace 
and friendship be restored. This course 
will cost you much less of mental suffering, 
than that Avhich is too often pursued, to Avit., 
instead of seeking an intervieiA’’, seeking to 
Tl’li'i’ilij'J'lj"'' H0WLAN0S-j5_C>l 
PHIPPS UNION FEMALE SEMINARY, ALBION, N. Y. 
This popular and flourishing school for young 
ladies is situated in the delightful and healthy vil¬ 
lage of Albion, Orleans county, N. Y., and for the 
last year has been under the supervision as Prin¬ 
cipal, of Mrs. H. L. Achilles, (formerly Miss C. 
Phipps,) the original founder of the institution. 
It has now been in operation some sixteen years, 
and has from its commencement alwaj's received, 
as it justly deserved, a liberal share of public pat¬ 
ronage; but since the return of Mrs. Achilles, 
about a year since, after several years absence, its 
success has far exceeded any former period, and it 
now may bo ranked among the first institutions of 
the kind in the State. 
The Seminary building is a beautiful and spa¬ 
cious edifice, four stories high including the base¬ 
ment, occupying an elevated and commanding 
site, in a central part of the village, and surround¬ 
ed by extensive enclosures for pleasure grounds 
and shrubbeiy-. The rooms for the accommoda- 
avoid any intercourse whatever with tiie 
person whom you have some reason to be.- 
lieve is your detractor. 
The root of detraction, of evil speaking, 
is selfishness in its most hideous form; and 
every person avIio is under its control 
would “ O/^OTwaa-like” kill the good name 
of his brothei*to enhance his own conse¬ 
quence. There is one consolation which all 
may enjoy in this Avorld of detraction: it is 
this, that notwithstanding our reputation 
and good name may be taken aAvay from us, 
character still remains—and this, no detrac¬ 
tor, no calumniator can rob us of. Live, 
then, so as to have the approval of reason 
and conscience, and never be guilty of 
speaking evil of any one. 
A MOTIVE FOR STUDY. 
One of the best methods of rendering 
study agreeable, is to live with able men, 
and to suffer all those pangs of inferiority 
which the Avant of knowledge ahvays inflicts. 
Nothing short of some such pOAverful mo¬ 
tive, can drive a young person, in the full 
possession of health and bodily activity, to 
such an unnatural and such an unobvious 
mode of passing his life, as study. But 
this is the Avay that intellectual greatness 
often begins. The trophies of Miltiades 
drive aAvay sl^i. A young man sees the 
honor in Avhi(®knoAvledge is hold by his 
felloAV-creatures; and he surrenders every 
present gratification, that he may gain them. 
The honor in Avhich living genius is held, 
the trophies by Avhich it is adorned after 
life, it receives and enjoys from the feelings 
of men—not from their sense of duty; but 
men never obey this feeling Avithout dis¬ 
charging the first of all duties; Avithout se¬ 
curing the rise and groAvth of genius, and 
increasing the dignity of our nature, by en¬ 
larging the dominion of mind. No emi¬ 
nent man Avas ever yet rOAvarded in vain; 
no breath of praise Avas ever idly lavished 
upon him; it has never yet been idle and 
foolish to rear up splendid monuments to 
his name—the rumor of these things impels 
young minds to the noblest exertions, cre¬ 
ates in them an empire over present pas¬ 
sions, inures them to the severest toils, de¬ 
termines them to live only for the use of 
others, and to leave a great and lasting me¬ 
morial behind them. — Sidney Smith. 
As a man is under God the master of 
his own fortune, so he is the master of his 
own mind. The Creator has so constituted 
the human intellect that it can only groAv 
by its OAvn action, and by its own action it 
Avill certainly and necessarily groAA'. Every 
man must educate himself. His books and 
teacher arc but helps. 
The sting of fate must be met as Ave meet 
a bee’s; for unless Ave remain quiet, the 
sting remains behind the festers. 
tion of boarder.s, and for study and recitations, are 
conveniently laid out, and the order, regularity, 
and moral influence which every where prevails, 
renders it one of the most inviting situations for 
the education of young ladies, to bo found in tho 
country. 
Besides the advantages and facilities above de¬ 
scribed, as appertainfng to the Seminar)- itself, 
there are in the village, at convenient distances, 
well established and well regulated churches of 
tho Baptist, Presbyterian, MothodLst and Episco¬ 
palian orders, for the convenience of the pupils 
to attend Divine worship as they may severally 
choose, or as directed by their parents or guar¬ 
dians. 
The course of instruction embraces all the 
English branches taught in our best institution.?, 
besides Music—vocal and instrumental. Drawing, 
Painting, Fancy Needlework, and the French, 
Latin, Spanish and Italian languages. 
LITERARY NOTICES. 
Journal of Educ.a.tion, and Teachers’ 
Advocate: Published in Ncav York on 
the 1st and 15th of each month, at one dol¬ 
lar a year, in advance: Edited by J. Mc- 
Keen and E. P. Allen: Corresponding- 
Editor, S. S. Randall; —all gensflemen of 
experience in educational matters. Such a 
corps of Editors with the fact that the 
Journal is “The Organ of the Netv York 
State Teachers’ Association,” should cause 
it to be taken and read by every teacher in 
the State. Yet there is some reason to fear 
that this is not the case. We cannot see 
hoAV any teacher can afford to be Avithout 
an educational paper. Some plead poverty 
as a reason for not taking a paper Avorth a 
dollar a year:—this excuse Ave never be¬ 
lieve. We have taken the Massachusetts 
Common School Jo^irnalsmcc, 1838, Avhen 
it Avas first published, and have a complete 
file of all the numbers down to the present 
time—and coxdd not be induced to part Avith 
them, unless we could re-place them. 
We should be glad to see more commu¬ 
nications in the Journal and Advocate from 
teachers in different parts of the State— 
more facts and experience relative to the 
art of teaching—more that is the history of 
Avhat has been done, and is doino-—then 
Avill the “State organ” be improved in both 
variety and richness of tone. We commend 
tCe Journal to parents, teachers and friends 
of popular education, and shall be glad to 
forward the dollar and name of any one 
Avho Avishes to take it. 
The Fuilosoi'iiv or S.^cred IIis roRV : with I’articular 
Reference to the Authority oftlie Uiblo for Man’s Eating! 
Flesh, Drinking Wine, &.C., &c. liy Sylvester Gr,\- 
ii\M, Author of Lectures on the Science of Human Life. 
Northampton, Mass.: John .Metcalf. 
This is a serial Avork, the first three num¬ 
bers of which have been published. It is 
noAV more than three years since the last 
number Avas issued; and Av-e bemn to fear 
that the author has relinquished his work. 
We hope, howeA-er, that this is not so. It 
is a AVork of deep research and investigation, 
and Avill, Avhen finished be of great value to 
the Biblical and Theological Student. We 
are anxious to see the Avork completed; and, 
as the author did not begin to construct 
Avithout first sitting doAvn and counting the 
cost, Ave hope and expect to see it finished. 
Ends of Education. —“The great ends 
of all study, of all acquirement, are ability 
and disposition to discharge more effectual¬ 
ly our duties as men and as citizens. * 
He Avho is not a better brother, neighbor, 
friend and citizen, because of his superior 
knoAvledge, may very Avell doubt Avhether 
his knoAvledge is really superior to the igno- 
* ranee of the unlettered many around him.” 
The institution is designed for both a Boarding j 
and Day School. Young ladies who board in the ^ 
institution are placed under the immediate care of 
tho Principal and Assistant Teachers, from whom 
they receive over)- necessary attention requisite for 1 
their health and happiness, and tho cultivation of | 
their minds and manners. The number of differ¬ 
ent pupils who have attended a part, or the whole 1 
of the past year, is about 300; and the number in ' 
attendance tho present Term, is 175, which affords 
a satisfactor)' evidence of its increasing prosperity ' 
and usefulness. I 
We are informed that Mr. and Mrs. Achilles, ^ 
Avho are tho proprietors of the Seminary property, ^ 
design to make it their permanent residence, and ' 
that the latter will continue to discharge the duties J 
of Principal. In conclusion, wo take pleasure in ' 
recommending this popular and well established 
institution, to the favorable regard and patronage 
of tho friends of sound and practical female edu¬ 
cation throughout tho country. « 
PREMATURE EDUCATION. 
That tbe Education of Children should ' 
not be forced, like lettuce in hot-houses, is ‘ 
becoming a popular idea. The more haste, 
in such business, the less speed. We find 
the following opinions of learned authorities 
on this important subject: 
Of ten infants destined for different A-oca- 
tions, I should prefer that the one who is to ' 
study liirough life, should be the least learn¬ 
ed at the age of tAvelv-e.— Tissot. 
Intellectual effort in the first year of life 
is injurious. All labor of mind Avhich is 
required of children before the seventh 
year, is in opposition to the laAvs of nature, 
and will proA-e injurious to the organization 
and proA-ent its proper and mature develop¬ 
ment. — Hufeland. 
Experience demonstrates that of any 
number of children of equal intellectual 
poAvers, those that receive no particular care 
in infancy, and Avho do not begin to read 
and write until the constitution begins to 
be consolidated, but Avho enjoy the benefit 
of a good physical education, very soon sur¬ 
pass in their studies, those who commenced 
earlier, and read numerous books when very 
young. — Spurzheim. 
A BEAUTIFUL ALLEGORY. 
Mr. Crittenden Avas engaged in defend¬ 
ing a man Avho had been indicted for a cap¬ 
ital offence. After ah elaborate and pow¬ 
erful defence, he closed his effort by the fol- 
loAving striking and beautiful allegory: 
“ When God, in His eternal counsel, con¬ 
ceived the thought of man’s creation. He 
called to Him the three Ministers Avho wait 
constantly upon His Throne—Justice, Truth 
and Mercy; and thus addressed them: 
“ Shall We make man ?” Then said Jus¬ 
tice, “ 0 God, make him not; for he Avill 
trample upon thy laws.” Truth made an- 
SAver also, “ 0, God! make him not, for he 
Avill pollute thy sanctuaries.” But Mercy, 
dropping upon her knees, and looking up 
through her tears exclaimed, “ 0, God! 
make him; I Avill Avatch oyer him with my 
care, through all the dark paths Avhich he 
may have to tread.” Then God made man, 
and said to him, “ 0, man! thou art the 
child of Mercy; go and deal Avith thy broth¬ 
er.” I 
The jury, Avhen he finished, Avas drowned 
in tears, and against evidence and Avhat 
must have been their own convictions, bro’t 
in a speedy verdict of not guilty. 
The grave buries every error — covers 
every defect—extinguishes every resent¬ 
ment. From its peaceful bosom spring-s 
‘ none but fond regrets and tender recollec¬ 
tions. AYho can look down upon the grave 
j of an enemy, and not feel a compunctious 
throb that he should have warred Avith the 
poor handfid of earth that lies mouldering 
before him. 
The fetters of rhyme are no more than a 
bracelet to the true poet. 
)uniiai| Jlrabing. 
A SABBATH THOUGHT. 
BT J. B. BIZBT. 
Another Sabbath dawns — all calm and bright < 
Are earth and sky, and I’eace on snow-wblte wlngl ) 
Floats down, and by her saint-like Influence briogB ( 
To hallowed rest the storms and fears of night, ) 
Hushing our i.earts in unison with Light, S 
And Love, and Happincs;, till the spirit Sf rings ) 
In adoration to the King of kings, A 
Its Father and its God, for Rest and Light; ) 
Rest from the toils and cares of daily life, ( 
Light from the Spirit and His wil’.ten will,— S 
A day when we may pause from earthly strife, ) 
And gain a sense of blessedness to fill A 
Our hearts witli praise, for means and mrreies given, ) 
Here to prepare our souls for endless life in Heaven. ( 
POETRY AND R ELIGION. > 
Poetry and Religion are related in na- s 
ture. The essence of both is the same.— a 
W hat is poetry? Many definitions have ; 
been attempted in ansAver to this question, s 
It is, says Johnson, the art of pleasing; it is, a 
says an old authority, (Aristotle,) imitation. > 
“What is poetry?” asks Ebenezer Elliot; a 
“ it is impassioned truth.” Wltat is poetry ? a 
Were Ave asked, in other words, what is its \ 
essence and its soul, Ave should reply, it is ; 
love, pure, refined, insatiable affection for ) 
the beautiful forms of this material universe, ( 
for the beautiful affections of the human ) 
soul, for the beautiful passages of the his- I 
tory of the past, for the beautiful prospects a 
Avhich expand before us in the future. It \ 
is this which makes personification the life ; 
of poetry. A 
The poet looks upon nature, not Avith the ( 
philosopher, as composed of certain abstrac- ) 
tions, certain “ cold material laws,” but he i 
breathes upon them and they quicken into a 
personal life, and become objects, as it were, ? 
of personal attachment. The winds, with > 
I him, are not cold currents of air, they are s 
messengers, they are couriers, the messen- a 
gers of destiny, the couriers of God; the > 
rainbow is not a mere prismatic effect of s 
light, but to the poet, in the language of a 
the son of Sirach, “it encompasseth the ( 
heavens with a glorious circle, and the hands | 
of the Most High have bended it;” and, < 
Avith Campbell, he exclaims, as he looks at a 
the beautiful apparition— ( 
“ As fresh in yon horizon dark, ' 
As young ihy beauties seem, < 
As when the eagle, from the ark, J 
First sported in lliy beam.” J 
The lightning is not merely an electric j 
discharge, it is a barbed arrow of vengeance, < 
it is winged with death; the thunder is not \ 
so much an elemental uproar as it is the J 
“voice of God;” the stars are not so much < 
vast and distant orbs as they are eyes look- \ 
ing down on earth Avith intelligence, sympa- J 
thy, and love; the ocean is not a dead as- < 
semblage of Avaters, it is a “ glorious mirror, < 
Avhere the Almighty’s form glasses itself in ! 
tempest;” the sky is not to the poet a “ foul 
and pestilent congregation of vapours,” it is 
a magnificent canopy “ fretted Avith golden 
fire;” nay, to his anointed eye every blade 
of grass lives, every flower has its sentiment, 
every tree its moral, and visions, as poetic 
eyes avow, hang in each leaf and cling to 
every bough.” This perpetual personifica¬ 
tion springs from that principle of love 
Avhich teaches the poet to regard all men as 
his brethren, the whole earth as his home, 
to say not only of the meanest of his fel- 
loAV-creatures “[a man’s a man for a’ that,” 
but to throw his own excess of soul into 
dumb, deaf, and dead things, and to find^ 
even in them, subjects of his sympathy and 
condidates for his regard. 
THE SIN O F DOIN G NOTHING, 
In an old religious magazine there are the 
following questions, on the words “ Curse 
ye Meroz.” The writer says:— 
“ By Avhose authority ? The angel of the 
Lord. 
“What has Meroz done? Nothing. 
“Why then is Meroz to be cursed? Be¬ 
cause he did nothing. 
“What ought Meroz to have done?— 
Come to the help of the Lord. 
“ Could not the Lord do Avithout Meroz ? 
The Lord did do Avithout Meroz. 
“ Did the Lord sustain, then, any loss ? 
No; but Meroz did. 
“ Is Meroz then to be cursed ? Yes, and 
that bitterly. 
“ Is it right that a man should be cursed 
for doing nothing ? Yes, Avhen he ought to 
do something. 
“ Who says so ? The angel of the Lord, 
* —‘That servant Avho knew his Lord’s will, 
’ and did not according to his will, shall be 
' beaten Avith many stripes.’ Luke xii. 47.” 
DAYS OF RE POSE. ' 
A recent and terse English author, in 
speaking of the temporal advantages of the 
Sabbath, compares the fifty tAVO days of 
rest, with Avhich the year is interspersed to 
patches of verdure, watered by ever spring¬ 
ing fountains, that dot the inhospitable wil¬ 
derness, and Avhich invite its fainting travel¬ 
ers to exhilaration and repose. The figure 
is not less true than beautiful. The Sab¬ 
bath is strictly the poor man’s day—the day 
of his rest and peace. The Sabbaths of 
our lives are like ports that fringe the sea 
of human industry, into which we may run 
our barks in times of distress, and where 
we may repair our losses and afterwards 
rencAV our voyage through time to eternity. 
