MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
Cfciiffltiotial. 
BY L. WETIIERELI.. 
“ Having light, we seek to impart it.” 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
An English Grammar, on Synthetical Principles, 
Illustrated by Exercises for Grammatical ^An¬ 
alysis: With numerous examples of False Syn¬ 
tax: Adapted to all Classes of Learners. By 
George Spencer, A. M., Late Principal of the 
Utica Academy, N. Y. New York: Mark H. 
Newman & Co. ' 1851. 
The author of this work excludes from it 
“ Orthography” entirely, says but little of 
“Prosody,” substitutes the word “Excla¬ 
mation” for Interjection, “Form” far Case, 
“Form” for Voice, “Potential Indicative 
and Subjunctive,” for Potential Mode, the 
“ Participal Mode” for Participle, the “Per¬ 
fect-Present Tense” for Perfect, the “ Per¬ 
fect Past,” for Pluperfect, “the Perfect 
Future” for Second Future, and dispenses 
with the word, Government, and the idea 
connected therewith. These are some of 
the peculiarities of the new grammar. Our 
opinion is, that the author’s new nomencla¬ 
ture will not be adopted by teachers of 
English Grammar. This, of itself, we deem 
O 
sufficient to condemn the work as a text¬ 
book for Schools. 
First Lessons in Composition, in which the Prin¬ 
ciples of the Art are developed in connection 
with the Principles of Grammar; embracing full 
Directions on the Subject of Punctuation, with 
Copious Exercises. By G. P. Quackknbos, A. 
M., Rector of the Henry street. Grammar 
School, New York. New York: D. Appleton 
& Co. 1851. 
We are pleased with this work. Teach¬ 
ers will find it a better aid for beginners in 
the Art of English Composition than Par¬ 
ker’s Progressive Exercises. We give a 
brief enumeration of the distinctive features 
of the book as follows: “ The development 
of the principles of composition in connec¬ 
tion with those of grammar; the easy steps 
by which it proceeds according to the in¬ 
ductive system; the illustration of every 
point with exercises; the method of analys¬ 
ing subjects; and the frequency of reviews.” 
We commend this work to teachers. 
INSUBORDINATION IN SCHOOLS. 
Within the last fifteen years, a wide¬ 
spread interest has been awakened through¬ 
out this commonwealth, in behalf of com¬ 
mon schools. Much valuable information 
has been circulated, and an active public 
spirit has been enkindled in the great work 
of popular education. Old and unsightly 
school-houses have been pulled down, and 
neat, commodious buildings have been erect 
ed in their room—text-books upon all 
branches pursued in common schools, of the 
latest and most improved forms, have been 
put into the hands of the pupils—the towns, 
to a considerable extent, have vied with each 
other, in the effort to procure, by liberal 
pay, thorough and accomplished teachers 
—Normal schools have been established 
for the better training of teachers—institutes 
have been held in various parts of the State 
to help on the great work; and all this is 
well. But while there has been such a 
decided advance in this department of edu¬ 
cation, it may fairly be questioned, whether, 
in respect to the order and good govern¬ 
ment of schools, at least in some of our coun¬ 
try schools, there has not been such an 
actual decline, as to counter-balance, in a 
great measure, all these improvements. 
No one who is acquainted with the economy 
of a school-room, can doubt that a winter 
spent under a steady and wholesome system 
of school government, even with very in¬ 
ferior books and apparatus, is worth more 
to the pupil and to society, than the same 
schooling with all the modern improve¬ 
ments, if the school-room all winter, is only 
a scene of half-smothered rebellion. Good 
government, with “Scott’s Lessons” for a 
reading book, “Murray’s Grammar,” and 
“ Daboll’s Arithmetic,” is worth vastly more 
than poor government with the most ap¬ 
proved modem appliances. 
In regard to school government* we can¬ 
not but think, that the times are sadly out 
of joint Society seems, at present, to be in 
a kind of transition state. Having aban¬ 
doned the old theories on the subject, it is 
feeling its way after something, it knows 
not what. There has been and is yet, a 
great amount of transcendental speculation 
upon this matter—an attempt to realize 
what probably never will be realized. A 
confused public opinion demands that the 
teacher shall not do this, and that he shall 
not do that. It comes clamoring around, 
yea, into the school-room, reproving and 
condemning him in the presence of his 
pupils, for what he has done, and prescribing 
to him the rule* by which he is henceforth 
to walk. Such is the state of things in many 
school districts at the present time, that the 
teacher’s life is, of necessity, a system of 
slow torture. He is required to spend the 
winter in the school-room, without the 
privilege of governing his school, even if lie ; 
is endowed with the requisite ability. 1 f lie : 
has the tact, possessed by only a few teach- , 
ers in all, of carrying things along swim¬ 
mingly on the free will basis—throwing the 
government into the hands of the pupils, 
and reserving to himself, only that system 
of management, by which he can turn one 
thing against another, and thus ride the 
elements, he may, perhaps, live a very 
comfortable life. But if he lacks this tact, 
and really attempts to set up what is in 
truth a government, then he must look out 
for storms. 
Mr. A., a man who is governed by his 
son at home, thinks that things have come 
to a strange pass, if that son cannot be pet- 
mitted to govern the schoolmaster. He 
i hastens to the school-house to see what the 
difficulty is, tells what an excellent lad his 
boy has always been, and suggests that the 
fault must rest on some other than him, if 
there is any trouble now—the boy all the 
while standing by, looking injured and vir¬ 
tuous. Said an old lady once, in conver¬ 
sation, “the children of the next generation 
will be well-governed, you may be sure.” 
“ How so ?” asked the person with whom 
she was conversing. Because,” said she, 
“ the children of the present generation have 
been so accustomed to govern their parents 
and teachers, that they will never give up 
the reins or consent to be governed by any¬ 
body.” 
From what we hear in various quarters, 
we judge, that the difficulties connected 
with school government, instead of diminish¬ 
ing, are rather on the increase. Many 
schools have been broken up or rendered 
almost worse than none, this very winter, 
through a spirit of insubordination. Parents, 
who have theoretically right ideas respect¬ 
ing the importance of government and order, 
are too apt to throw aside their principles 
when their own children are in difficulty. 
They allow themselves, in su©h circumstan¬ 
ces, to do and say that which they would 
condemn in another. 
From the very nature of the case, the 
government of a school must be in principle, 
an absolute government, subject only to the 
restraining influences of society around, and 
in the present condition of things, there is 
but little danger that this power will be 
abused. The teacher cannot maintain order 
and decorum in the school room, if grown 
up men and women, outside of the school, 
assume the direction of his affairs, or encour¬ 
age restlessness and rebellion on the part of 
those who should be subject to his authority. 
While we are not in favor of cruelty any¬ 
where, we are entirely willing that a scholar 
who is determined upon making disturbance 
in a school should be thoroughly punished, 
and if perchance he should be punished 
somewhat too severely, it is best in ordinary 
cases, both for him and for the community, 
that he should have very little of the pub¬ 
lic sympathy. Perhaps our readers are 
ready to say the same—but we would sug¬ 
gest to them, whether they may not some 
of them be at fault in reference to this very 
matter. Do you by your practice, aid and 
encourage a good, substantial school govern¬ 
ment, or do you weaken the teacher’s author¬ 
ity, by your remarks before your children, 
and by your readiness to interfere upon 
every slight occasion, with the affairs of the 
school ? _ 
NATURAL vs. ACQUIRED HABITS. 
Cecco maintained that nature was more 
potent than art, while Dante asserted to the 
contrary. To prove this principle the great 
Italian bard referred to his cat, which, by 
repeated practice, he had taught to hold a 
candle in its paw while he supped or read. 
Cecco desired to witness the experiment, 
and came not unprepared for the purpose. 
When Dante’s cat was performing its part 
Cecco lifted up the lid of a pot which he 
had tilled with mice. The creature of art 
instantly showed the weakness of a talent 
merely acquired, and, dropping the candle, 
flew on the mice with all its instinctive 
propensity. Dante was himself disconcert¬ 
ed, •id it was adjudged that the advocate 
for the occult principle of native faculties 
had gained his cause. 
Harvard College. —Prof. Edward T. 
Channing has resigned his post of Boylston 
Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory in Har¬ 
vard College. Pro£ Channing is the oldest 
professor connected with the undergraduate 
department of the college, having held his 
office for over thirty years. 
Prof. Brown, who was not elected Pro- 
fesser of History by the Legislature, has 
been appointed “Instructor” in that depart¬ 
ment by the Corporation. 
By annihilating the desires you annihi¬ 
late the mind. Every man without passions, 
has within him no principle of action, nor 
motive to act.— Hevetius. 
A natural gentleman finds his way in, and 
will keep the oldest patrician out, who has 
lost his intrinsic rank. 
WINTER EVENINGS AT HOME. - (NO. S.) 
Thomas. —Now father, you have given 
me a prettv good dose of carbon and car¬ 
bonic acid and its wonderful properties. I 
find bv my reading that oxygen, which 
composes one-fifth of the air we breathe, is 
also an important agent of nature. 
Father .—It is so, and a more generally 
diffused agent than any other in the works 
of creation, and found in all the productions 
of the earth. Without its presence we 
could not exist a minute. It composes 
eight parts in nine by weight, of all the 
waters of the globe. All the earths, limes 
and alkaline, vegetable and animal produc¬ 
tions, owe most of their peculiarities to this 
substance. Aquafortis and sulphuric acids, 
without it are harmless simples —all the 
vegetable acids, gums, sugar, starch, alco¬ 
hol ; in short, almost all the metals except 
silver and gold, are found joined to this all 
pervading substance. 
T. —What are the most familiar effects of 
this substance, that we see and observe in 
our every-day affairs ? 
F. —The tarnishing of metals—the black 
scales about the blacksmiths anvil, and 
Spanish brown and Venetian red is iron in 
a high state of oxidation. It is the cause 
of the red color of bricks—the cause of the 
hardening of the turpentine of the pine 
into rosin, and the rancidity of butter and 
oils. 
T. —If it possesses much weight it is an 
important item in the works of creation. 
F. —Certainly. It is not as heavy as 
carbonic acid by any means, but a trifle 
heavier than atmospheric air; constituting 
one-fifth of the aerial fluid that surrounds 
the globe, and eight-ninths of the water, 
and having a finger in every thing that 
exists with the exception of the pure metals, 
charcoal, the diamond and a few other un¬ 
important substances. We may consider it 
as composing nearly one half of all the sub¬ 
stances, with which we are acquainted. 
T. —Well, I give up. I never suspected 
that such an invisible substance could be so 
important an agent in the present appear¬ 
ance of all things. 
F. —Yes, combined with about 50 or 60 
substances that are now called simple and 
uncompounded, it composes the universe. 
T.— Always excepting, I suppose, the 
a re at mass of things mixed with carbon. 
F. —Certainly, but remember that those 
substances that are carbonated, are com¬ 
bined with it in the state of carbonic acid 
gas, which is carbon or coal dissolved in 
oxygen—two parts of oxygen to one part 
carbon. 
T. —Where does wood which makes 
charcoal get its carbon from ? 
F. —It is supposed that it is taken up by 
the spongioles, or fine fibres of the roots, in 
the shape of carbonic acid dissolved in the 
water of the soil, and which was produced 
by the fermentation and decomposition of 
vegetable matter; and from absorption from 
the air. 
T. —Yes, but the common wood of trees, 
has not to me any of the appearance, or 
qualities of carbon or coal. 
F. —That is true, and it is difficult to ex¬ 
plain how the ligneous fibre is deposited 
from the sap and made to appear so dif¬ 
ferent a substance, as when it is charred or 
burned; here oxygen has no other agency 
except in taking its leave; its presence is 
fatal to its production. 
T .—So I should infer from the manner 
in which it is produced, for it has to be ex¬ 
cluded from the air in the coal pits. 
F .—That is so, for when air is freely ad¬ 
mitted ashes are only produced, which con¬ 
tain potash. 
T. —Well, where does the potash come 
from ? the coal does not contain it,*as I un¬ 
derstand. 
F. —You corner me there. Potash when 
divested of its oxygen, is a bright fluid 
metal, not unlike quicksilver, and is called 
Potassium, and where it exists in the wood 
or where it goes to in the charring process, 
is difficult to say. It is only produced when 
wood is burned with free access of air. 
T. —Well, father, I guess we will call it 
a draw game, and quit for to night, or you 
will exclaim (!) that I am a little crooked 
thing that asks questions (?) — aninterroga¬ 
tion point 
Bell metal is an alloy of 22 parts of tin 
and 78 of copper. 
PHILOSOPHY OE EATING. 
Use Jyut two or three kinds of food besides 
bread and butter, at a single meal, and 
never eat anything between meals. You 
should eat at regular hours, and but three 
times a day, with two intervals of not less 
than five hours each, nor more than six. 
Cold water retards digestion, and so does 
anv liquid, if much is taken during or soon 
after a meal: half a glass at a meal is 
enough. From an hour and a half after a 
meal, until within half an hour of the next 
one, you may drink as much water as y r ou 
desire; it is best, however, to drink but a 
swallow or two at a time, With an interval 
of half a minute or more; otherwise you 
may take more than nature requires before 
you know it, just as in eating fast. If too 
much fluid is taken during meals it dilutes 
tbc gastric juice, thus weakening its powers 
of dio-estion, and retaining- the food longer 
o o o 
in the stomach than is natural; it also causes 
acid stomach, heartburn, fuliness, belchings, 
and bad blood; producing, according to cir¬ 
cumstances, a dryness, or rawness or sensa¬ 
tion in the throat, as do indigestions from 
other causes, whether from quality or quan¬ 
tity of food. 
All errors as to diet arise from quantity 
or quality, and I propose one safe rule to 
each, applicable to all persons, and under 
all circumstances. 
As to quality, the general rule is to eat 
that which you like best, and which you 
find by close observation and experience is 
followed by no uncomfortable feeling about 
the head, hands, feet, or stomach. 
As to quantity, take as much at one meal 
as will allow you to become decidedly hun¬ 
gry by the next meal; this can only be de¬ 
termined by consecutive observations; but 
remember, never swallow an atom of food 
unless you are hungry; never “force” a 
particle of food on yourself; the brute creation 
cannot be induced to eat or drink, if slightly 
ill or excited, guided only by their poor 
blind instincts, and we who are as much 
higher than they, by the “reason” that is 
within us, ought to feel ashamed to act less 
wisely; and yet, nine-tenths of all our ail¬ 
ments, acute and chronic, enter here; and 
nine-tenths of them all might be cured thus, 
if taken in reasonable time, and if properly 
persevered in. 
The finer all food is cut with a knife, be¬ 
fore put into the mouth, the sooner and 
easier it is digested, on the same principle 
that a large piece of ice placed in a vessel 
set in water will require a longer time to 
melt, than if it were first divided into many 
small pieces. The gastric juice dissolves 
solid food from without inwards; hence food, 
especially all kinds of meat, should be cut 
up in pieces not larger than a pea, before it 
is placed in the month, taking in as many 
pieces at a time as is convenient. This pre¬ 
caution would not be needed were persons 
to eat slowly, and masticate their food prop¬ 
erly, but our national habits are otherwise, 
nor is there much hope of a speedy change 
in this respect. 
After Dinner. — An hour after dinner, 
and half the time for other meals, do not lie 
down, do not sit to sew, or maintain any 
stooping position; do not ride on horse-back, 
or study, strain, lift, or perform any labor, 
bodily or mental; a leisure stroll in the open 
air is best; or reading a newspaper; these 
require no mental effort. While walking, 
keep your hand behind you, and your chin 
on or above a horizontal line—and endeav¬ 
or to feel in a good and cheerful humor 
with yourself and all the world.— Dr. Hall 
HEALTH AND DISEASE. 
their geographical distribution. 
Endemic fever, including remittent and 
intermittent, prevails in North America, the 
West India Islands, the West Coast of Af¬ 
rica, Syria, South Italy, the Ionian Islands, 
and in general in the low and marshy dis¬ 
tricts of warm countries. L ellow fever is 
endemic in the West India Islands, between 
latitude 5 and 40 degrees north; its north¬ 
ern limit in Europe is the latitude of Gib¬ 
raltar. Diseases of the digestive organs are 
most prevalent in India, West and East Af¬ 
rica, the Cape of Good Hope, England, Gui¬ 
ana, &c. Disease of the liver greatly pre¬ 
dominates in the East Indies; while con¬ 
sumption is most conspicuous in Great Brit¬ 
ain, Newfoundland, Canada, and Jamaica. 
Dropsy is most prevalent in West Africa, 
Great Britain and Guiana. Among the 
different countries the most striking con¬ 
trasts are sometimes exhibited; thus the 
West of Africa is to Europeans most fatal, 
while the south-east is the most healthy 
country on the globe. 
In the year 1700, one out of every 25 of 
the population died in England. In 1801, 
the proportion was one in 35; in 1811, one 
in 38; and in 1848 one in 45; so that the 
chances of life have nearly doubled in Eng¬ 
land within this period. In the middle of 
the last century, the rate for Paris was one 
in 25; now it is one in 32. — Keitk Johnson. 
Those who befriend genius, when it is 
struggling for distinction, befriend the world 
and their names should be remembered. 
LACONIC SERMON. 
BY A LAYMAN. 
The Sabbath a Delight.—I saiah, SS-13. 
The Sabbath is a delight to the Christian 
only, and to him not always. That he may 
find it thus two things are necessary: 1st. 
He must be in a suitable frame of mind to 
perform certain indispensable duties; and 
2d.—He must commence them betimes. 
1. In order to find the Sabbath a delight, 
the Christian must have a proper sense of 
the sacredness of the day, and must enter 
heartily into its duties. He should begin 
the Sabbath, like every other day, with 
prayer; and his reading and conversation, 
unlike that of other days, should be con¬ 
fined to religious topics. He should be 
prompt and constant in his attendance on 
the ordinances of the Lord’s house; and’ 
young or old, identify himself with the 
Sunday School, doing all i;i his power to 
keep up its interest and to make it a bless¬ 
ing to the community. His heart should 
be open to convictions of duty as the phi¬ 
lanthropic spirit of the age developes new 
phases of benignity, and' his sympathies 
should flow largely in every channel of 
promising and sacred enterprise. 
He who takes an opposite course from all 
this; omits morning devotions; spends his 
time while at home in reading secular pa¬ 
pers or in worldly conversation; permits 
his thoughts to wander “ like the fool’s eye 
to the ends of the earth,” and to brood 
over pecuniary concerns during half the 
day; excuses himself when in health, from, 
half the services of divine worship; pleads 
inability to teach in the Sunday School, or, 
if occupying the place of an instructor, 
takes no pains to prepare himself to hear 
and comment upon the lesson; and checks 
the outgoings of his heart on benevolent 
missions; he knows nothing of the “ feast 
of fat things ” which the day is designed 
to afford, and its last hours close upon him 
in a spiritually weakened condition. During 
the week thus began, he may with propriety 
keep up the wail of the melancholy prophet, 
“ My leanness! my leanness! wo unto me.” 
2. In order to find the Sabbath a de¬ 
light, the Christian must commence his du¬ 
ties with the commencement of the day itself. 
Worldly people, as a general thing, per¬ 
vert the meaning of the words day of rest 
—often devoting the first day of the week 
to rest in its fullest sense. Such things are 
to be looked for amongst them. . It always 
has been so; it probably always will be.— 
Nevertheless, it is a sinful habit, practised 
by whom it may be, and the Christian is 
expected to avoid it. But does he ? Alas! 
there are exceptions. Let me give an illus¬ 
tration. 
My nearest neighbor is a professor of re¬ 
ligion. Himself, his companion and two 
children, constituting the family, are mem¬ 
bers of an evangelical church. The family 
rise on week days, Mondays excepted, at 
the usual hour for working people. Sab¬ 
bath mornings, while the sun is south of 
the equator, they rise as late as eight o’clock 
—two hours past their usual time. They 
sit down to breakfast usually while the bell 
is ringing for the Sunday School, so that 
the children are always late, if they are 
able to attend even a part of the exercises. 
The mother rarely finishes her work in sea¬ 
son to prepare for the morning service.— 
Family prayers are always omitted in the 
morning, and usually in the evening, ex¬ 
cept on Sundays. All the family attend 
church in the afternoon, but rarely any of 
them in the evening. This exercise in¬ 
trudes upon their hour for retiring, which is 
about half past eight (at least an hour ear¬ 
lier than at other times,) that they may rise 
on Monday at three o’clock and get the 
usual weekly washing out of the way be¬ 
fore breakfast. Thus their Sabbaths are 
more sadly curtailed than poor Paddy’s up¬ 
per sheet, which was too short at one end 
only. I need not say that the holy day to 
such a family — the picture of which is 
drawn from life and not too strongly color¬ 
ed—is not a delight. 
Ah! how much better than this, it is to 
spend the day as the divine word has 
taught, and an enlightened conscience dic¬ 
tates. Then shall we be enabled to respond to 
this beautiful sentiment of Mrs. Follen : 
How sweet, upon this blessed day, 
The best of all the seven, 
To cast our earthly thoughts away, 
And think of God and heaven. 
