i-3ajsjaaSjjSSt: 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
WISCONSIN. —No. III. 
EDUCATION. 
In speaking of Wisconsin, I should do in¬ 
justice to my feelings and to the subject, if 
I did not say something in regard to the 
Educational interests and prospects of the 
Stato. There is no ono thing of which she 
has so much reason to bo pi'oud, as of tho 
provision she has made for tho mental 
wants of hor children. In no State of the 
Union is tho foundation for education more 
broad, its benofitsmoro heartily appreciated, 
or its prospects more encouraging. The 
University, which is located at Madison, is 
not only chartered, but in successful opera¬ 
tion ; and for its support it has already the 
grant of forty-six thousand and eighty acres, 
which is equivalent to two townships or 
seventy-two sections. Theso lands, which 
1 lie in eighteen counties, and are now in the 
market, at their appraised value, aro rapidly 
selling, and thus supplying funds for the 
University. By tho terms of salo, ten por 
cont. is required in advance, ten years’ time 
is given, and seven por cent, interest is re¬ 
quired annually, in advance, on the balance. 
Tho provision for the University will, it is 
probable, bo enlarged by futuro grants; and 
fifty years henco, Madison will doubtless bo 
tho seat of ono of tho best endowed and 
most flourishing Colleges in the U. States. 
Liberal provision has been mado for tho 
support of Common Schools. Tho bounty 
of Congress has sot apart tho sixteenth sec¬ 
tion of every township in tho Stato for that 
purposo, and something like a million acres 
will thus accrue to tho Stato. To this may 
be added five thousand acres received ac¬ 
cording to tho provision of the constitution, 
under tho act of 1841, together with tho re¬ 
servation of five por cent, on all government 
lands disposed of in tho State. Aside from 
theso feeders of the School Fund, aro tho 
swamp and overflowed lands, which have 
been granted, and millions of acres of which 
will one day bo reclaimed. Some of theso 
aro among the most fertile lands in the 
State, and by being drained and otherwise 
improved, they will becomo highly import¬ 
ant sources of incomo. It is stated in tho 
now Gazetteer of the State—to which I am 
indebted for other facts — that this grant 
alone will amount to five million acres.— 
Those capable of judging, estimate that tho 
School Fund of Wisconsin will ultimately 
amount to three million dollars. I should 
not bo surprised if it some day reached 
nearly twice that sum. 
The system of instruction in this young 
and enterprising commonwealth, contem¬ 
plates the introduction of union schools of 
tho grade of our academies. Some of theso 
schools I have recently visitod, during my 
rambles in different parts of tho Stato, and 
find them under tho earo of as good teach¬ 
ers and in as thriving a condition, as similar 
schools in tho older States. Learning and 
talent are well appreciated in Wisconsin, 
and receive good encouragement. Wages 
for school-teaching will raise as fast as tho 
resources of tho State aro developed and its 
wealth is increased. 
Aside from provisions made by the State 
for education, academies and colleges, based 
cn privato subscriptions, aro springing up 
in all parts of tho State. I have recently 
visited colleges at Beloit, Racine, Milwaukic 
and Waukesha, and another has lately been 
opened at Appleton. Tho first mentioned 
has an able faculty, is woll endowed, and is 
doing a good work ; tho others are getting 
cleverly under way. It is not to bo expect¬ 
ed that colleges at the West, can be filled 
at once. Tho homes of the pcoplo are com¬ 
paratively now, and many of them aro not 
wholly paid for; consequently only hero 
and tlioro a farmer, a mechanic or a trades¬ 
man is able, as yet, to givo his sons a liberal 
education. There is no lack of a disposi¬ 
tion, on tho part of tho Anglo-American por¬ 
tion of tho settlers, at least, to thoroughly 
educate their children ; tho want of means 
is tho chief obstacle. 
Tho spirit which prompted tho Pilgrim 
Fathers to build tho school house by tho 
side of tho church, is beautifully manifested 
in tho rising West. As soon as a settlement 
is commenced, the mental wants of children 
aro considered, and among tho buildings 
early erected, is ono of tho “cradles of 
Democracy,” as Gov. Morton, of Massachu¬ 
setts, once called tho little red nurseries of 
learning. This high appreciation of knowl¬ 
edge, which has characterized us as a poo- 
plo, from the beginning, is one of tho most 
promising features of our government. — 
Our freedom and faith are founded on in¬ 
telligence; and with school houses and 
churches multiplying with the increase of 
population in the Wost, and dotting the 
hamlets and standing at the forks of the 
roads, all over tho land, we cannot help fool¬ 
ing that our country is safo. J. Clement. 
FORCED BLOSSOMS. 
A SKETCH FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS. 
There is a moral in tho following little 
story, which it would be well if soino pa¬ 
rents and teachers would catch. There are 
far too many instances of children who aro 
injured by study and sedentary habits In 
fact, when a boy will learn—when he takes 
kindly to his books, most parents aro in¬ 
clined to urge him on to his highest intel¬ 
lectual speed. There is a selfish reason for 
this. Boys who are fond of books, or who 
can be kept by compulsion or persuasion 
for a greater part of the day at their studies, 
are far less troublesome and expensive than 
those reckless, whooping juveniles who wear 
out clothes and smash windows. But the. e 
is a day of reckoning for all things, and in 
after years, tho boy who has paled ov r 
books, it ho lives at all, shows tho early want 
of air, exercise, and cheerful sport, in deli¬ 
cate health, or in a fearfully excitable ner¬ 
vous system. We can recall an instance of 
a child who, after being put through Virgil 
and Homer at seven or eight years of ago, 
ended as an idiot at seventeen. Unfortu¬ 
nately tho ruined health is never attributed 
to its true cause. “ Growing,” or consti¬ 
tutional infirmity, is supposed to bo the rea¬ 
son, and medical treatment and change of 
air is resorted to when no remedy can be 
of any aid. 
“ No danger of Harry’s making himsolf 
ill with study; and as he will learn I shall 
let him. He is at the head in all his classes, 
and his teacher tells us that the boy is really 
a genius. Ho caino yesterday for permission 
to commcnco French lessons— but as ho 
had a long task in Latin I hesitated.” 
“ How old is Harry, sister ?” 
“Nino last month ; and for a boy of his 
age, I must say ho is doing uncommonly 
well. He has gone through Blaker’s Natu¬ 
ral Philosophy, and now is delighted with an 
abridgment of Way land's Moral Scionce.— 
I confess I do not understand it all myself; 
but ho must, for he repoats chapter after 
chapter without missing a word There are 
boys in his class seventeen and eighteen 
years old. Why, what are you doing Laura?” 
Her sister was busily employed, and did 
not look up at first. As tho conversation 
progressed, she seemed quiet unconsciosthat 
she had taken a waxen bud from a rich clus¬ 
ter of tube roses, that stood in a vase upon 
the table before her and had forced the puro 
petals outward till tho bud becamo a blos¬ 
som. 
“ Is it not beautiful ?” said sho, giving it 
to her sister ; “ and out so long before tho 
rest.” 
“Yes, very beautiful just now; but how 
long do you think it will stay so ? It droops 
already; why could you not let it bo till it 
wars developed naturally ? 
Her remark was just—beautiful as it was 
at first, the petals soon became brown, then 
shivered. Its freshness and fragrance wore 
fast passing away. Just then a fine little 
fellow camo into the room, and, taking a 
book from the center-table, threw himself 
languidly upon tho sofa, and brushing back 
tho wavy hair from a full, pale forehead, 
commenced reading very intently. 
“Why do you not go and play with your 
cousins, Harry ?” said his mother. 
“ 0, they aro so rude, so noisy, I moan— 
I am in a hurry to finish this, too,” and tho 
boy’s eyes wero onco more fastened upon 
tho page boforo him. 
His mother smiled, w r ell pleased at his 
studiousness; but his aunt looked grave, and 
pointed to his flushed cheek, and tho pecu¬ 
liar brilliancy of his eye. 
“ lie needs exercise; you should insist 
upon his going out,” said sho. “ I do not 
wish to alarm you needlessly, but you will 
find tho truth of your own words,” and she 
hold up the withering blossom. “ Boautiful 
just now; but how long think you it will 
stay so ? It droops already; why could you 
not let it bo till it develops naturally ?” 
“ Harry,” said his mother, starting as if a 
new light had flashed upon her mind, “ I 
insist that you go into the air for half an 
hour at loast. You can finish your book 
this evening.” 
She had seen the justice of her sister’s 
delicate reproof; and we trust that if this 
little paragraph falls under tho notice of 
parents who are given to the “forcing sys¬ 
tem,” they also may be warned in time.— 
Henry is not an imaginary examplo, neither 
is ho a solitary instanco, where tho mind is 
suffered to dovelop itself at tho expense of 
tho physical powers. 
The Hidden Life. —Among tho workings 
of tho hidden life within us which wo may 
experience but cannot explain, are thoro 
any moro remarkable than those mysterious 
moral influences constantly exercised, either 
for attraction or repulsion, by one human 
being over another ? In tho simplest, as in 
tho most important affairs of life, how start¬ 
ling, how irresistible is their power! How 
often we feel and know, either pleasurably 
or painfully, that another is looking on us, 
boforo we have ascertained tho fact with our 
own eyes ! How often wo prophesy truly 
to ourselves the approach of friend or onemy 
just before either have really appeared !— 
How strangely and abruptly wo becomo con¬ 
vinced, at a first introduction, that we shall 
secrotly love this person and loathe that, 
before experience has guided us with a sin¬ 
gle fact in relation to their characters.— 
Collins Basil. 
A Promise.— A promiso should be given 
with caution and kept with care. A prom¬ 
iso should be mado by tho heart and re¬ 
membered by the head, A promise is the 
offspring of the intention, and should bo 
nurtured by recollection. A promise and 
its performance should, liko the scales of a 
true balance, always present a mutual ad¬ 
justment. A promise delayed is justice de¬ 
ferred. A promiso neglected is an untruth 
told. A promise attended to is a dobt paid. 
THE AURORA BOREALIS. 
Of all optical phenomena, tho Aurora 
Borealis, or tho Northern day-break, is one 
of tho most striking, especially in tho re¬ 
gions where its full glory is revealed. The 
site of the appearance, in the north part of 
the heavens, and its close resembianco to 
tho aspect of tho sky boforo sunrise, have 
originated the name. Tho “ Dorwentwater 
Lights” was long the appellation common 
in the north of England, owing to their dis¬ 
play on tho night after tho execution of tho 
unfortunate Earl of that name. 
Tho appearances exhibited by the Aurora 
aro so various as to ren or it impossible to 
comprehend every particular in a descrip¬ 
tion that must bo necessarily brief and 
general. A cloud, or hazo, is commonly 
soon in tho Northern region of tho heavens, 
but often bearing toward the East or West, 
assuming the form of an arc, seldom attain¬ 
ing a greator altitude than 40 degrees, but 
varying in extent from 5 to 100 degrees.— 
Tho upper edge of tho cloud is luminous, 
sometimes brilliant and irregular. The 
lower part is frequently dark and thick, 
with tho clear sky appearing between it and 
tho horizon. Streams of light shoot up in 
columnar forms from tho upper part of tho 
cloud, now extending but a few degroes, 
then as far as the zenith, and ovon beyond 
it. Instances occur in which tho whole 
hemisphere is covered with theso corusca¬ 
tions ; but tho brilliancy is tho greatest, and 
the light tho strongest in tho North, near 
tho main body of the meteor. Tho stream¬ 
ers have in general a tremulous motion, and 
when close together present tho appearance 
of waves, or sheets of light, following each 
other in rapid succession. But no rule ob¬ 
tains with reference to these streaks, which 
have acquirod tho name of “tho merry 
dancors,” from their volatility, becoming 
moro quick in their motions in stormy 
weather, as if sympathizing with tho wild¬ 
ness of tho blast. Such is the extraordinary 
aspect they present, that it is not surprising 
tho rude Indians should gaze upon them as 
tho spirits of their fathers roaming through 
tho land of souls. Thoyaro variously white, 
pale red, or of a deep blood color; and some¬ 
times the appoaranco of tho whole rainbow 
as to hue is presented. When several 
streamers emerging from different points 
unite at tho zenith, a small and denso me- 
toor is formed, which seems to burn with 
greater violence than tho separato parts, 
and glows with a green, bluo, or purple 
light. Tho display is over sometimes in a 
few minutes, or continues for hours, or thro’ 
tho whole night, and appears for several 
nights in succession. Captain Beechey re¬ 
marked a sudden illumination to occur at 
ono extremity of tho auroral arch, tho light 
passing along tho belt with a tremulous, 
hesitating movement toward tho opposito 
end, exhibiting tho colors of the rainbow; 
and as an illustration of this appearance, ho 
refers to that presented by tho rays of some 
molluscous animals in motion. Captain 
Parry notices tho same effect as a common 
ono with tho Aurora, and compares it, as 
far as its motion is concerned, to a person 
holding a long ribbon by one end, and giv¬ 
ing it an undulatory movement through its 
whole length, though its general position 
remains the same. Captain Sabino likewise 
speaks of tho arch being bent into convul¬ 
sions, resembling those of a snake. Both 
Parry, Franklin, and Bocchoy, agree in tho 
observation that no streamers were ever 
noticed shooting downward from tho arch. 
Tho preceding statement refers to tho 
Aurora in high Northern latitudes, where 
the full magnificenco of tho phenomenon is 
displayed. It forms a fine compensation 
for the long and dreary night to which theso 
rogions are subject, tho gay and varying as¬ 
pect of the hoavons contrasting refreshing¬ 
ly with the repelling and monotonous ap¬ 
pearance of the earth. We havo already 
stated that tho direction in which the Au¬ 
rora generally makes its first appearanco, 
or tho quarter in which the arch formed by 
this meteor is usually seen, is to tho North¬ 
ward. But this does not hold good of very 
high latitudes, for by tho expeditions which 
havo wintered in the ico, it was almost al¬ 
ways soen to tho Southward, while by Capt. 
Beechey, in the Blossom, in Kotzerne Sound, 
250 miles to tho Southward of tho ice, it 
was always obser oi in a Northern direc¬ 
tion. It would appoar, therefore, from this 
fact, that tho margin of tho rogion of pack¬ 
ed ice is most favorablo to tho production 
cf the metoor. Tho reports of tho Green¬ 
land ships confirms this idea; for, according 
to their concurrent testimony, tho meteoric 
display has a moro brilliant aspect to ves¬ 
sels passing near the situation of tho com¬ 
pact ico, than to others enterod far within 
it. Instances, howover, are not wanting of 
the Aurora appearing to tho South of tho 
zenith in comparatively low latitudes.— 
Lioutenant Chappell, in his voyage to Hud¬ 
son’s Bay, speaks of its forming in the ze¬ 
nith, in a shape resembling that of an um¬ 
brella, pouring down streams of light from 
all parts of its periphery, which fell verti¬ 
cally over tho hemisphere in every direc¬ 
tion. As we retire from the Polo, the phe¬ 
nomenon becomes a rarer occurrence, and 
is less perfectly and distinctly developed.— 
In September, 1828, it was obsorvod in Eng¬ 
land as a vast arch of silvery light, extend¬ 
ing over nearly tho whole of the heavens, 
transient gleams of light separating from 
the main body of the luminosity; but in 
September, 1827, its hues were red and bril¬ 
liant. Dr. Dalton has furnished tho follow¬ 
ing account of an Aurora, as observed by 
him on the 15th of October, 1792 :—Atten¬ 
tion, he remarks, “ was first oxcited by a 
remarkably red appearance of tho clouds to 
tho South, which afforded sufficient light to 
read by at 8 o’clock in tho evening, though 
there was no moon nor light in tho North. 
From half-past nine to ten there was a large, 
luminous, horizontal arch to tho Southward, 
and several faint concentric arches North¬ 
ward. It was particularly noticed that all 
tho arches seemed exactly bisected by the 
plain of the magnectic meridian. At half¬ 
past ten o’clock streamers appeared, very 
low in tho South-east, running to and fro 
from West to East. They increased in 
number, and began to approach tho zenith 
apparently with an accelerated velocity, 
when all on a sudden the wholo hemisphere 
was covored with them, and exhibited such 
an appearanco as surpasses all description. 
Tho intensity of tho light, the prodigious 
number and volatility of the beams, tho 
grand intermixture of all tho prismatic col¬ 
ors in their utmost splondor, variegating the 
glowing canopy with tho most luxuriant and 
enchanting scenery, afforded an awful, but 
at tho samo time tho most pleasing and sub- 
lime spectacle in nature. Every ono gazed 
with astonishment, but the uncommon gran¬ 
deur of tho scene only lasted one minute. 
The variety of colors disappeared, and the 
beams lost their lateral motion, and wero 
converted into tho flashing radiations. The 
Aurora continued for several hours.” 
A correspondent of the National Intelli¬ 
gencer, writing ovor a year since, offers the 
following remarks on the causes of tho Au¬ 
rora. He says : 
“A vast number of thoories and hypothe¬ 
ses havo ongaged tho attention and ingenui¬ 
ty of philosophers regarding the Aurora 
Borealis. Among other things, it has beon 
ascribed to particles thrown off from tho 
sun’s atmosphoro, to reflections of tho sun 
upon tho polar ices, to broken up comets 
and to electriciy in vacuo; while in an ear¬ 
lier ago it awakened superstituous terrors, 
being deemed ominous of war, pestilence 
and famine, and a fearful supernatural 
precursor of tho Day of Judgment. 
Tho revelations of science havo brushed 
away those delusions, and late experiments 
and discoveries show that it is an atmos¬ 
pherical phenomena, that all tho elements 
necessary to account for it exist in tho air 
and are regulated and govorned by atmos¬ 
pherical laws, as plainly as tho rainbow, or 
the hues which glow in the evening sky. 
The basis or 1 substrate’ of the Aurora is 
unmistakably a light, thin, transparent va¬ 
por, approaching tho condition of tho cloud, 
called Cirus, by meteorologists—each strat¬ 
um peculiarly suscoptiblo of magnetic in¬ 
fluences. 
Mr. Faraday, in his recent explanation of 
the power and force of electro-magnetism, 
states that ‘ tho magnetic force invests the 
earth from polo to polo, rising in ono hem¬ 
isphere, and passing over tho equatorial ro¬ 
gions into tho other hemisphere, which com¬ 
pletes its circuit of power.’ 
These ‘ lines of magnetic forco’ rise at 
greater angles in the high than in the equa¬ 
torial latitudes. In tho higher latitudes 
they encounter, and act upon, and irradiate 
tho vaporous media which form tho basis of 
tho Aurora Borealis—while the coruscations 
—the fantastic motions—the sunny hues— 
tho almost heat lightning glances, and tho 
prismatic colors, are duo to tho electro¬ 
magnetic light reflected on tho watery part 
of the vapor, and the chemical agitations of 
the elements in tho mysterious meteorolo¬ 
gical processes. 
It appears from tho foregoing data that 
tho Aurora Borealis consists of a translucent 
humid vapor, analagous to and not higher 
than the clouds ; inflated, condensed, sproad 
abroad and otherwise modified bygasosand 
chomical affinities, and illuminated by a 
‘ meteorological process evolving Electro- 
Magnotic Light.’ ” 
“ I am rich onough,” says Popo to Swift, 
“ and can afford to give away a hundred 
pounds a year. I would not crawl upon 
tho earth without doing a little good. I will 
enjoy tho pleasure of what I givo by giving 
it alive, and seeing another onjoy it. Whon 
I die,” ho added, “I should bo ashamod to 
loavo onough for a monument, if thero was 
a wanting friend abovo ground.” 
jimtkg fieafrtnf 
A PRAYER FOR THE MILLION. 
God of the mountain, God of the storm, 
God of the flowers, God of the worm I 
Hear us and bless us, 
Forgive us, redress us; 
Hreatlie on our spirits thy love and thy healing, 
Teach us content with thy fatherly dealing; 
Teach us to love thee; 
To love one another, brother his brother, 
And make us all free— 
Free from the shackles of ancient Tradition; 
And show us ’tis manly, ’tis godlike to labor! 
God of the darkness, God of the sun, 
God of the beautiful, God of each one—• 
Clothe us and feed us, 
Illume us and lead tis; 
Show us that avarice holds us in thrall— 
That the land is all thine, and thou givest to all. 
Scatter our blindness; 
Help us do right all the day and the night— 
To love mercy and kindness : 
Aid us to conquer mistakes of the past, 
Show us our future to cheer us and srm us 
The upper, the better, the mansions thou hast; 
And God of the grave, whom the grave cannot harm. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BELL IS TOLLING. 
What sounds more solemn, than tho toll¬ 
ing bell, which announces to its hearers 
tho sad tidings that another of our fellow 
mortals has passed from time to eternity ? 
And what susponso, until w r o ascertain tho 
family which has been so severely afflicted. 
This evening, as I sat busily engaged with 
my sowing, the room was very quiet, for tho 
others wero all either reading or writing; 
all was calm without; wo wero startled by 
tho ringing of tho bell. How doleful and 
mournful it sounded ! Soon it ceased to 
ring, and commoncc-d tolling. [As it tolls 
the number of years of the porson deceased, 
wo should know whether tho deceased was 
an old, middlo agod, or young person.] 
It struck, ono,—two—three—four. “ A 
child !” wo all exclaimed, and then wonder¬ 
ed whoso it could bo. Perhaps it is an 
idolized, and only child. How sad tho 
thought! But was it not kind in God to 
tako it, cro it had tasted tho sorrows and 
triafo of this wicked world ? Yet bow much 
its childish prattlo will bo missed ! Tho 
sight of tho now useless toys, will but add 
to the doting mother’s agony. 
Well do I remomber losing a little sister, 
noarly four years of age. Sho was tho 
flowor of tho flock, and none knew her but 
to lovo her, sho was so mild and gentle.— 
Oh how much wo missed her ! It appeared 
as though moro than ono was taken, when 
our band of eight was broken. Indeed wo 
thought her almost perfect. She was too 
puro for earth, and was borne on angels 
wings to that Being boforo whom we must 
all sooner or later stand. D..... 
Farmer, N. Y., 1853. 
How thankful ought ho to ho whom God 
blosses with buoyant health, and to whom 
ho imparts a hearty will for labor, and upon 
whose path His smile of prosperity rests. 
Such a one can tako sweet enjoyment with 
his own thoughts, and look forward with a 
strong hope for tho continual coining of 
better things. Thero is no thorn in tho 
past to harass—nor desire to dwell on the 
dark pictures of life. lie is content to live 
and strugglo with tho world, for his crown¬ 
ing success, though his path lies along tho 
humbler lanes of life. Thero is a reward 
ho feols above price in doing his duty, hop¬ 
ing through tho merits of the Intercession to 
reach that “ home of Glory” whore his task 
is dono and Earth fades as in a vision. 
Nature.— Boautiful is nature ! Moun¬ 
tain, wood, and valloy spoak,— There is a 
Bod. From tho moss of tho tree and tho 
bosom of tho earth it sounds,— There is a 
God. Exerything around mo, the Omnis¬ 
cient has created,—tho sun, tho moon and 
stars aro tho work of tho Lord,—witnesses 
of his power. O how groat is Ho who holds 
tho earth and tho host of hoaven, who con¬ 
ducts tho clouds and rules the thunder and 
lightning and tho whole universe. 
O, my soul, bless thy Creator—ho glad 
of his grace ! All is his, Ho w ill not forgot 
tlioo. T. 
A GOLDEN THOUGHT. 
We know not tho author of the following, 
hut it is pretty :—Nature will bo reported. 
All things are engaged in writing their his¬ 
tory. The planet, the pobblo, goes attend¬ 
ed by its shadow. Tho rolling rock loaves 
its scratches on tho mountain, tho river its 
channels in tho soil, tho animal its bones in 
tho stratum, the fern and leaf their modest 
epitaph in tho coal. Tho falling drop makes 
its sculpture in sand or tho stone; not a 
foot steps into tho snow, or along tho 
ground, but prints in characters moro or 
loss lasting a map of its march ; evory act 
of tho man inscribes itself on the memories 
of its follows, and in his own face. Tho air 
is full of sounds, tho sky of tokens; tho 
ground is all memoranda and signatures, 
and ovory object is covered over with hiuts, 
which speak to the intelligent. 
