(IBtatotional Jfpartnirat. 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
THE LYCEUM AND LECTURE SEASON- 
Lyceum takes its name it is said from 
Lyceus, son of Apollo. The Lyceum was 
a celebrated spot near the banks of the II- 
lissius in Attica, where Aristotle taught phi¬ 
losophy ; and as he taught his disciples while 
he walked, they were called peripatetics, 
and his philosophy, the philosophy of the 
Lyceum. The modern and popular use of 
the word means an association of young 
men for literary improvement. 
In Massachusetts it is provided by law 
as contained in the Ilcvised Statutes of 
1846, that “Any twenty or more persons in 
any county or tovyn in the State may asso¬ 
ciate together for the purpose of mutual 
improvement and the promotion of common 
education, and may become a corporation 
by any name they may choose to adopt.— 
Such corporation may hold real and per¬ 
sonal estate to any amount not exceeding- 
twenty thousand dollars.” Lyceums, deba¬ 
ting societies, and associations of various 
names, for improvement in declamation, 
composition and other departments of use¬ 
ful knowledge were quite as common and 
even more so fifteen years ago than now.— 
The reason for this falling off is owing, in 
part, to flooding the country with cheap 
literature, as it is popularly called, though 
in the end it often proves to be of the 
most costly kind, judging from its corrupt¬ 
ing influences. Another reason may be 
found in the multiplication of secret so¬ 
cieties. 
These associations formerly had a good 
efiect upon the minds and characters of 
young men. Meeting once a tveek to de¬ 
bate or discuss some question or resolution 
previously given out, led to the reading and 
studying of history, the science of political 
economy, the science of government, and 
other interesting and useful subjects. How 
much better thus to discipline the mind to 
think and investigate, than to spend the 
hours of leisure in novel-reading, as thous¬ 
ands are now doing—and instead of invig¬ 
orating the mind and storing it, {is it were, 
with useful knoAvledge, weakening and dis¬ 
sipating its capacity for improvement.— 
Many of the towns and villages in the Bay 
State sustain their Ijyceums with such abil¬ 
ity during the winter season, as to render 
them places of general resort for the citi¬ 
zens once a week. 
Many of the distinguished statesmen of 
this country first developed the power for 
public speaking which rendered them emi¬ 
nent, in the village Lyceum. How can the 
young men in the rur{il toivns better em¬ 
ploy a portion of their leisure hours between 
the present time and the first of April 
next, than by organizing and sustaining- 
good Lyceums? Let the experiment be 
made. 
Another popular way of diffusing knowl¬ 
edge is by literary and scientific lectures. 
These have a tendency to awaken the mind 
to thought, reading- and study. It is now 
about twenty-five years since lecturing be¬ 
came popular. And there is no man, 
probably, to whom the people are more in¬ 
debted for this mode of instruction than to 
Sylvester Graham, the author of “ Lec¬ 
tures on the Science of Human life,” and 
“ Philosophy of Sacred History.” 
Boston is more highly favored with valu- 
cible courses of lectures than any other city 
this side of the Atlantic. Last autumn and 
winter there Avere ten or tweh^e different 
courses of literary, scientific and sesthetical 
lectures delivered in the Athens of Ameri¬ 
ca—and they were well attended. The 
LoAvell Institute, endowed by the late Mr. 
Loaa'ell, provides annually four or five 
courses of twelve lectures each. These 
are free to as many as can gain admission 
to the Hall where they are delivered, and 
are usually scientific. Many of the large 
cities and towns make provision for public 
lectures during the winter. It would be 
well to greatly extend this mode of impart¬ 
ing instruction to the people on useful and 
practical subjects—not that they can rely 
entirely upon this manner of acquiring 
knowledge, but, as one of the most success¬ 
ful ways of AV{iking up a community to the 
importance of thought and study. 
Our rural readers, who are surrounded 
with all the luxuries of bodily comfort, 
should neither forget nor neglect to provide 
mental pabulum commensurate with that 
which they haA-^c so nicely provided and so 
plentifully stored up for themselves and 
their friends. This is well, and shoAvs that 
you are good husbandmen: but as the body 
is of more value than raiment, so forget not 
that the mind and soul are of infinitely 
greater value than the body—and if he 
Avho neglects to provide food and raiment 
ment for his body be branded an infidel, 
what shall he be called who fails to provide 
for the culture of those noble attrbuites 
which distinguish man from the be{ist that 
perisheth ? 
We trust that what Ave have said will 
aAvaken many of our readers to the impor¬ 
tance of making preparation for systematic 
mental cultiA-ation the coming Avinter. Pro¬ 
vide yoursclA'CS with a fcAv good books—or 
if you have already done so, read, mark, 
learn and inwardly digest their contents.— 
To our young friends especially, we would 
say let no opportunity for improvement pass 
unemployed. Get knowledge —it is power 
—and forget not to get wisdom—for it is 
the chief thing* 
EARLY EDUCATION-DUTY OF PARENTS. 
L. Wktherell, Esq: — Dear Sir: I was 
pleased to see in the RuRALX»f the 10th inst, 
your strictures on Vercelius’ communica¬ 
tion — and I hope that you will continue your 
useful labors in the important cause. Many 
of the educated, and otherAvise intelligent 
community, do not appear to realise the im¬ 
portance, {ind absolute necessity, of stimu¬ 
lating and encouraging parents to do their 
duty to their tender offspring, in cultivating 
their physical, intellectual and moral jaoaa'- 
ers—for it is to pcirents that Ave must look, 
and on them avc must depend for the im¬ 
provement of the rising generation, and the 
moral advancement of society. 
Parents too generally do not rerilise at 
j what an early period of life the physical 
I and moral training can be applied to ad¬ 
vantage. The first impressions are easiest 
rniidc, and the first training, if judicious, is 
the most influential. As soon as the in¬ 
fant by Nature’s impulse begins to moA'e 
its limbs, it is to season and prepare them 
to perform the necessary purposes of life; 
and as soon as the organs of hearing {ind 
vision begin to awaken its perceptive poAV- 
ers, the infant mind begins its groAvth, 
which has to form the intellectual and mor¬ 
al being. 
And much, very much, depends on those 
Avho have to give the tender plant its first 
direction, what its riper years Avill produce. 
It is generally admitted that the physical 
and moral training of youth must com¬ 
mence at home, yet it is most shamefully 
neglected—but the intellectual training is 
too often thought to belong to schools and 
the teacher. What is the intellect, that its 
training can be so easily transferred from 
the parent to the school m{ister ? It is the 
intellectual man—it is his immortal soul, that 
luis to direct him through the checkered 
scenes of life, {ind enable him to know good 
from evil, and to judge between right and 
wrong; and it is the proper training and 
intellectual culture that forms the intelli¬ 
gent and moral being, and its training be¬ 
gins Avith the cnidle and only ends with the 
grave.- 
A mother once inquired of an eminent 
divine Avhen she should commence the mor¬ 
al training of her son. “ What age is he ?” 
“Three years.” “ Then, madam, youhaA'e 
lost three years of the most important pe¬ 
riod of his life for moral instruction.” But 
it is said you must admit, that, to teach 
scholastic acquirements is the school-mas¬ 
ter’s duty and not the parent’,-. It is not 
so: more depends upon the parent than 
the teacher for the child’s progress. If 
there is no interest taken in the child {it 
home, his advancement at school will be 
but slow, and too generally very superficial. 
No child should be sent to school to learn 
its letters, nor its abs, (if they do but know 
them.) It is not for want of time nor means 
that children do not receive their first les¬ 
sons, by their mother’s side, or on their 
father’s lap; it is for want of inclination, 
and because they do not realise the im¬ 
portance of this, their imperious duty, to 
their children. And the blandish enconi- 
ums which are often lavished upon^com- 
mon schools, adds much to this state of 
things, and give to Mr. State the super¬ 
vision of common schools, and it will much 
increase the evil. 
It is not for want of time, nor means, that 
parents so often neglect the intellectual 
training of their children. View with Avhat 
{ittentiA'e care mothers dress and decorate 
their little ones when they are to go abroad, 
or to be seen at home. The time and ex¬ 
pense of this equipage is ten times more 
than that bestoAved on mental culture; yet 
the one is to gratify vanity, the Aveakest 
trait in human nature, and the other is to 
cultivate and dignify the immortal soul. 
And Avhy is this so? One great reason 
is that the former is made the special duty 
of parents—they alone are held responsible 
for its performance—if neglected the fault 
is their OAvn; and the other is too often con¬ 
sidered a transferable duty, that can be 
done by others, and Ave are not responsible 
for the neglect—and this is one great rea¬ 
son Avhy the intellectu{il training of children 
is so much neglected. Stimulate and en¬ 
courage every member of community, to 
perform his soci.il duties, and especially 
parents. 
Give to moral honesty, and intellectual 
culture that individual responsibility and 
popular respect that is noAv given to show 
—make those inestimable virtues more val¬ 
ued, than a fine coat and gloves—and we 
shall have more honest men, and fewer strut¬ 
ting dandies. Assist those Avho need it, 
help them avIio are not able to perform their 
part. To assist the maimed, lead the blind, 
feed the hungry, and clothe the n{iked, are 
Christain duties, commended by our Crea¬ 
tor, and social bonds Avhich no good man 
CA’-er wishes to neglect. 
But help not themAvho do not need it— 
remove not from aiiy one those responsible 
duties Avhich must be learned by pnictice. 
He Avho has the use of his limbs, cannot be 
benefitted by using crutches, nor leaning on 
his neighbor’s arm. A child would never 
learn to Avalk if it Avas always carried, nor 
ever run if it Avas never allowed to stumble. 
And such is equally the case A\dth our 
social and domestic duties—and none more 
so than literary acquirements; each must 
learn for himself. 
It is not liberal cndoAvments to schools 
that will make Avise men, or scholars even; 
it is perseverance and industry, Avhen there 
is a natural {ibility to learn. Many of the 
Aviscst and best of men, never had the ben¬ 
efit of much schooling. State appropriation 
to common schools, for those who need it, 
is just and proper. But prompt those Avho 
have the means to do iheir duty, and it 
Avill affect much more good than the State 
can ever do. 
You say most trul}', base the elective 
foinchise on literary acquirements and it 
Avill do more to adviince learning, than 
State funds or State supervision can ever 
do. And it Avould be perfectly just {ind 
proper to do so—for no one ought to be 
allowed to put in a vote who cannot read 
its contents. I rem{iin, most sincerely. 
Yours, WiLLi.VM Garuutt. 
Wkeailand, N. Y., Oct. 28, 1850. 
3)fiiturnl M 0 tori]. 
THE THRASHER, OR BROWN THRUSH. 
This is the largest of all the American 
thrushes, {ind is a Avell known and distin¬ 
guished songster, and from the tops of hedge¬ 
rows, apple or cherry trees, he salutes the 
opening morning Avith his charming- song, 
which is loud, emphatic{il, and full of variet}^ 
At that hour, you may plainly distinguish 
his A'oice at half a mile’s distance. These 
notes {ire not imitative, but sol^y hisown. 
)inii)ai] llraiiiiig. 
AN EXTRAORDINARY CALCULATOR. 
There is a German at present residing 
in London, whose calculating powers seem 
to outbid those of the celebrated Geo. Bid¬ 
der. At the Institute of Actuaries the eve¬ 
ning Avas occupied by the appearance of a 
gentleman named D.ize. The first question 
asked him Avas the product of a number 
consisting- of five figures by another number 
of figures, and the correct number Avas given 
almost instantjineously. The balloting b{ills 
which laid just been used for the admission 
of a noAv member, Avere throAvn from the 
box loose upon the tiible, and Herr Daze, 
after taking a single glance and then turn¬ 
ing aAvay, declared tiie tot{il number to be 
68, Avhich proved to be correct Avhen the 
balls AA'ere counted and returned to the box. 
It should be remarked in this c{ise that some 
were lying much nearer together than oth¬ 
ers, and they Avould appear to {in ordinary 
spectator to be so confused {is to puzzle even 
an experienced 'calculator hoAv to avoid 
reckoning some of them twice. He then 
gave the product of two numbers to 12 fig¬ 
ures, multiplied it by 7, and repeated the 
hitter product backwards Avithout an error 
in any figure. He was then {isked the cube 
of 457, which Avas correctly given, 95,443,- 
993, almost instantly. lie Avill divide a 
number by another consistingof tAvo or three 
figures, and will write doAvn the answer at 
once in one line without any apparent inter¬ 
mediate process. In as rapid a manner he 
gave the fiictors to 7,421, namely 41,181; 
but it would take up too much time to state 
all the surprising proofs of this singular gift 
of calculation. We may merely mention, 
as one instance, that he multiplied a num¬ 
ber consisting of 12 figures by another num¬ 
ber of 12 figures, and gave the product cor¬ 
rect in one minute and three-quarters. 
Deferred. —A notice of Adams’s series 
of scliool books, in type, but necessarily de¬ 
ferred until next week. 
Early in May, he builds his nest, choos¬ 
ing a thorn-bush, Ioav cedar, thicket of briers 
or cluster of vines for his situation. It is 
constructed of small sticks, dry leaves, and 
fine fibrous roots. He often attacks the 
black snake in defence of his young, and 
Avith success, as his bill is strong and poAA^- 
erful. His food consists of worms, cater¬ 
pillars, beetles, and berries. He also des¬ 
troys viist quantities of grubs, which he 
scratches from the ground. He is {in active 
and vigorous bird, flying generally Ioav from 
one thicket to another, Avith his long, broad 
tail spread out like a fan; he has a single 
note or chuck Avhen you approach his nest. 
He inhabits North America, from Canada 
to Florida. ’They are easily reared and be¬ 
come very familiar in confinement 
The thrasher is elcA'en inches and a half 
long; the whole upper parts are of a bright 
reddish brown; loAver p{irts yelloAvish Avhite; 
the breast and sides are marked Avith point¬ 
ed black spots, running in chains. The 
Avings are crossed Avith tAvo Avhite bars. 
NEST-BUILDING FISHES. | 
Prof. Agassiz delivered some oral re¬ 
marks at the late scientific convention upon j 
tlip. care wUloh certain fishes take of their 
young. Having {illuded to the loAvcr species 
of the fisli, which lays its eggs, and leaves 
its young, Avho never know parents, and rise 
but to be SAviilloAved by larger species, he 
said, that Avhen he arrived in this country, 
he heard of fish that did protect their young 
but could get no farther information on the. 
subject. The Professor then proceeded to 
detail an incident Avhich came under his OAvn 
observation hist May. When Avalking on 
the sea-shore at-, he saw Iavo catfish 
rushing from the shore to the Avater. He 
Avent to the place from Avhich they started, 
and he saiv a black mark fromed where they 
had been. There Avere two tadpoles in it; 
and by and by he saw the two catfish re¬ 
turn to the spot, and looking as if to see if 
their spaAvn had been disturbed. They got 
on their nests again. lie Avatched them for 
aAvhilc, and threAV a stone to disturb them. 
They ran into the Avater as before; but, in 
ten minute.s, they returned agiiin, and, in 
this manner, he disturbed them and they 
returned, four times, Avhich conAunced him 
that they were anxious to return to their 
young and protect them. 
A Tame Liox. —A correspondent of the 
NeAv York Herald, Avriting from Paris, says: 
“ There has been in Piiris for the last two 
Aveeks, a French officer, recently returned 
from Africa, who has for his companion in 
the street, a magnificent lion, which follows 
him like a dog. The name of the animal is 
Emir, and never have I seen a more splen¬ 
did specimen of the king of the forest.— 
'Though I did not like much to be near his 
wild majesty, I ventured the other night to 
{ipproacli him, and, horesco referns! he 
licked my hand as a dog would do. The 
French proverb says that Ave must not play 
with fire, and I fear one of these days the 
lion will find his wild niiture, and commit 
some bloody deed.” 
A Singular Tree.— In the Island of 
Goa, near Bombay, there is a singular vege¬ 
table—“the sorroAvful tree beciiuse it 
only flourishes in the night At sunset, no 
floAvers are to be seen, and yet, half an hour 
after, it is quite full of them. They yield 
a SAveet smell; but the sun no sooner begins 
to shine upon them, tluin some of them fall 
oft’, and others close up; and thus it contin¬ 
ues floAvering in the night the whole year. 
The Upas 'Tree. —Lieutenant Morehead, 
of the St Mary’s sloop of war, brought to 
the United States an Upas tree from Bata¬ 
via. This tree, of Avhich so many Avonder- 
ful stories have been told of its poisonous 
q-aalitie.s, put forth loaves a few days before 
the vessel arrived at Norfolk. 
“AND ALL MUST DIE.” 
BY CHARLES COLLEGE. 
Sweet flower ! so j’oung, so frc.sh, so fair ! 
Briglit pleasure sparkling in thine eye— 
Alas ! e’en thee lime will not spare. 
Anti thou must die ! 
The heart with youthful hope so gay. 
That never, never breathed a sigh— 
Must weep o’er pleasures fled away, 
And must it die ? 
Nay ; though the rosy cheek may fade. 
The virtuous wish, the purpose high— 
The bloom with which the soul's arrayed. 
Can never die ! 
THE WORLD GROWING BETTER. 
The condition and moral aspects of the 
Avorld, as the great theatre of action, de¬ 
veloping the character {ind conduct of men, 
is a theme of tibiding. interest. In the Oc¬ 
tober number of the Biblical Repository, 
Rev. Mr. Barnes closes a very able article 
in the following language: 
Our hist thought is, that the world is 
groAving better than it Avas. It is better 
than it Avas in the time AA'hen Greece and 
Rome flourished; than it Avas in the time 
of the Christian Fathers; than it Avas Avhen 
Councils Avere held at Carthage, at Nice, 
at Clermont; than it Avas in the days of 
chivalry; than it Avas in the days of Eliza¬ 
beth and James; than it was in the days of 
the Pilgrims; than it Avas a quarter of a 
century ago. There are those who do not 
believe this; and there is a class of orators 
and writers—usually old men, who are al¬ 
ways endeavoring to prove that things are 
growing worse. This kind of argument 
and gloomy foreboding Ave ahvays expect 
to find among tlvose who are loo indolent to 
keep up Avith the march of the world; 
amonii those who are covetous of a wanino- 
spiritual power; among those who, by neg¬ 
lecting to improve themselves, have lost 
their influence, and who see others gaining 
the ascendency; and often among those 
Avho have advanced far in the journey of life. 
The belief that the world is groAA'ing 
Avorse, is frequently among the first indica¬ 
tions of approaching age, and it is one of 
the sadnesses of that condition of life, that 
they who are becoming old see around 
them only evidences of determination and 
decay, and that their minds are embittered 
by contrasting those evidences of decay 
with the brighter things Avhich the world 
possessed Avhen they Avere young. We 
Avould have every man adopt it as a settled 
truth to bo adhered to all along his journey 
of life; in all times of cliange, and tlisap- 
pointment and sorrow; when the sun shines 
and when clouds come over the sky; Avhen 
in the hey-day of youth, the soberness of 
middle life; and when the shades begin to 
lengthen; Avhen he goes forth from college 
halls on the voyage of life, and Avhen near 
the close of life he looks b;ick over the ca¬ 
reer which he hiis run; in the church, or 
in the State; in reference to our OAvn coun¬ 
try, and in reference to all lands, thiit the 
world is growing better—that our own 
country is making advances—thiit the 
church is increasing, in numbers, in purity 
{ind in knowledge—and that there is a sure 
and steady progress toward the universal 
triumph of Christi{inity, and of civil and 
religious liberty. 
IIow TO Disarm an Enemy.— It is said 
that bees .and Aviisps Avill not sting a person 
Avhose skin is imbued Avith honey. Hence, 
those Avho are much exposed to the venom 
of these little creatures, Avhen they have oc¬ 
casion to hive bees, or take a nest of Avasp-s 
smear their fiice and hands Avith honey, 
which is found to be the best preventive.— 
When we are annoyed with insult, persecu¬ 
tion and opposition from perverse and ma¬ 
lignant men, the best defence against their 
venom, is to have the spirit bathed in honey. 
The Greatest Blessing. —I h{ive known 
Avhat the enjoyment and advanhiges of this 
life are, and what the more refined pleas¬ 
ures which learning and intellectual power 
can give. I noAV on the eve of my depart¬ 
ure, dechire—that health is a great blessing; 
competence, attained by industry, is a great 
blessing; and a great blessing it is to have 
kind, faithful, and loving friends and rela¬ 
tives ; but that the greatest of all blessing’s, 
as it is the most ennobling of all privileges, 
is to be indeed a Ghristain.— Coleridge. 
A Moorish Kino’s Estimate of Earth¬ 
ly Grandeur. —Abderame, or Abdalrah- 
man the Third, the great Caliph of CordoA^a, 
left in his OAvn hand this estimate of earthly 
grandeur and felicity: — “ Fifty years have 
I reigned. Riches, honors, pleasures, I have 
enjoyed them all—exhausted them all. 'The 
kings, my rivals, fear me, and envy me, yet 
esteem me. All that men desire has been 
lavished on me by heaven. In this long 
space of apparent felicity 1 have ciilculated 
the number of days in which I have been 
really luippy: they amounted to fourteen. 
Mort{il 3 , learn hoAv to appreciate greatness, 
the world, and life,” 
Man is sometimes the slave of ten thou¬ 
sand imaginary necessities. 
