APRIL 26. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
137 
tnuatur. 
DULL CHILDREN. 
THE CHEERFUL TEACHER. 
I wish somebody would take up in belialt 
of dull children ;” said my friend Mary, the 
other day to me, while making a family visit at 
her father’s house. “ They are sadly abused, 
and never understood or appreciated by parents 
or teachers.” 
We were discussing the differences percepti¬ 
ble in children, and the results of those differ¬ 
ences, as well as the defective methods of 
education. Parents do not study their children 
enough, and teachers .never do, to any extent.— 
As a sample, one of my own, who, so far as 
books are concerned -would be called dull, and 
who learns from them with great labor, was put 
into a geography class this winter among schol¬ 
ars all older than himself and much more ad¬ 
vanced. The result was, that the boy became 
discouraged, and at the latter part of the school, 
when I happened to examiue him, though he 
had been kept in his class by the teacher, yet 
he could not answer a single question. The 
teacher had done as hundreds of others do, 
taken the course that would give him the least 
trouble. The scholars that learn easy and quick 
he put forward, but those who required patience 
and care to instruct, he passed over. Parents 
should look well to their teachers; first know¬ 
ing the capacity of their children. And yet, 
this same boy learns things outside of books 
with great rapidity, and facts which he hears 
narrated or discovers, are retained and acted 
upon. Out of books, he is well educated ; but 
when he is put to study one, he cannot readily 
master its contents. As an evidence of his turn 
of mind, and a hint to others, the following fact 
may be useful : 
In learning his Sunday School lessons, it re¬ 
quires the constant assistance of his mother 
before he can master them, calling for great pa¬ 
tience and not a little labor. He is fond of 
horses; and, though only in his thirteenth year, 
a good judge, and breaks all the colts. The 
question came up one day about a certain dis¬ 
ease, and I took the book and read a desciip- 
tion of it, as also the remedy. The substance 
was readily remembered, and repeated from 
only that one reading. What he took an inter¬ 
est in, and saw a necessity for, he could learn 
as readily as any one ; the great secret was to 
get his attention and make him take an interest 
in his lesson. This the teacher did not care, or 
did not know how to do. 
“ I was always a dull scholar myself,” said 
Mary ; “ I tried hard to learn, but knowledge 
would not penetrate my mind. I have cried, 
and studied night and day to keep up with my 
class, and could repeat my lessons, but know 
nothing of them. Other girls of my age and 
younger, would go away from me in our classes, 
without a seeming effort. But the time came 
when the mind and body were more matured ; 
then the cloud was lifted off my mind, and I 
saw all things clearly. Then it was a pleasure 
and a delight to study ; and I seem to acquire 
knowledge without an effort.” And so she 
' does ; and while her mates, who went forward 
so rapidly in their younger days, have folded 
up the wings of their knowledge from exhaus¬ 
tion, she is expanding hers, and disciplining a 
mind that, in its progress, will never be reached 
by them. The dull girl is so no longer, but is 
rapidly becoming the highly intelligent woman. 
She has learned how to think and furnish per¬ 
petual food for thought,—and that is the highest 
province of education. 
Yet, because a child is dull to learn, he should 
not be neglected. He should be encouraged to 
exertion, and compelled to it to such an extent 
as will not bring despair. For when the cloud 
does pass away, it will be found that after all, 
the time spent has not been wasted. What was 
before but dimly impressed upon the intellect, 
now becomes clear and distinct. 
“ I have learned more,” she continued, “ in 
the intercourse with society, and books, dur¬ 
ing the last season, than for years before. I 
feel that I had lived years in the last few 
months, and that I am three years older than I 
was three months ago.” 
The cloud has passed away, and the knowl¬ 
edge which she had been slowly accumulating, 
even unknown to herself, had come to light. A 
favorable train of circumstances developed the 
germ into a beautiful plant, and she probably 
ascribed more to the agencies which wrought 
the change than was their due. Her sympathy 
with dull children shows that she is a true¬ 
hearted, noble girl. 
I hope others will take up in behalf of dull 
children, and that both parents and teachers 
will study them carefully, and if there be any 
dull boys and girls who read this, let them take 
courage, and be hopeful, and persevering ; for 
if they continue so, their reward will ultimately 
come. They are entitled to the sympathy of 
all, and a few kind words may often change the 
destiny of one who is called a dull child.—r. 
Cultivate a cheerful, affectionate and dignified 
manner in your intercourse with your pupils. 
Man, said Aristotle, is an imitative animal, and 
the teacher who cultivates a cheerfulness of 
disposition himself, and speaks kindly to his 
pupils, will by his example diffuse the same 
spirit among them, and make both himself and 
them happy. The feelings of human hearts in 
general, and of all the little hearts within the 
walls of your school house, are linked together 
by strong and unmistakeable bonds of sym¬ 
pathy ; and cheerfulness in the teacher will 
spread like an electric current over his whole 
school, and be felt by every heart within his 
little kingdom. The teacher who treats his 
pupils with kindness and affection, will receive 
far more love and obedience from them, than he 
who never greets his scholars with a smile, and 
sometimes unnecessarily wounds their feelings. 
A cheerful, kind hearted teacher will always 
be welcome to his pupils. They will rejoice to 
see him approach the school house, even if the 
hour for study has not yet arrived; because 
they know he rejoices in seeing them happy, 
and will not interrupt their amusements before 
the regular time. But the morose and ill- 
natured teacher is ever unwelcome, and hated 
by his scholars. He is regarded as the enemy 
of their happiness, and rarely enjoys the confi¬ 
dence of his school. On the other hand, the 
teacher, especially of larger boys, should not 
forget the dignity of his ■profession, nor place 
himself entirely on a level with his pupils.— 
They should be taught to respect, as well as 
love and confide in him. Whilst it is proper 
that he should witness, approve and control their 
recreations, we think it in general unadvisable 
for him to participate in them.— Pennsylvania 
School Journal. 
MILLARD FILLMORE. 
JAMES BUCHANAN. 
PRESIDE N T1AL CAND 11 > A T E S . 
OFFICE OF EDUCATION. 
But how shall man attain a higher life ? 
Weaker than a worm, the frailest of all God’s 
creatures is he, when he comes upon the stage. 
His inherent energies are slumbering, and must 
be aroused; his affections are dormant, and 
must be enkindled ; his mind is imprisoned in 
the flesh, and must be educated, or led out. All 
the germs of power are wrapped up in his little 
frail being, but they are all latent, and must be 
developed in order to assert their power. And 
a general education, not of the intellect only, 
but of the whole being,—body, mind and heart, 
—including business, literature, esthetics and 
religion,—is the only process of developing his 
complicated organism, so as to secure his high¬ 
est well-being and happiness, and prepare him 
for the various duties, relations and trials of this 
world, and for the wider sphere and higher life 
of the world to come. 
To unfold the germs of thought and feeling, 
to enlighten the mind, direct the affections, cul¬ 
tivate pure principles and form gdod habits ; to 
develop character in beautiful symmetry, and 
thus prepare the young to act well their partin 
the drama of life ; to dignify and ennoble hu¬ 
manity, and elevate it to a plane nearer to God 
and Heaven, is, therefore, the great work of ed¬ 
ucation, and consequently the true mission of 
the teaeher.— Mass. Teacher. 
It is not the province of the Rural New- 
Yorker to mingle in politics, or utter partisan 
opinions, but that does not debar us from giving 
portraits, and glancing at fhe lives of politicians 
and statesmen who are prominent candidates— 
in fact or expectancy— for the Presidency, or 
other important positions. Hence, we purpose 
to give, from time to time, portraits and brief 
biographies of such distinguished personages as 
may be presented for the suffrages of the various 
parties, and better people, of this nation. 
One of the accompanying portraits, that of 
Millard Fillmore, is a representation of the 
nominated candidate of the American party for 
the Presidency ; while the other is that of 
James Buchanan, a prominent name before the 
Democratic Convention for a similar honor.— 
Either would probably fill the station credita¬ 
bly to himself and honorably to his country; 
and although the strife and bitterness of politi¬ 
cal rivalry may for a time endeavor to blacken 
their names, history will vindicate their fame, 
and assign'to each his true position. 
Mr. Fillmore is Passive of New York ; born 
in humble circurastaices, and receiving only a 
common school education, he has elevated him 
self by the force of his native talents to the 
highest positions of trust and honor. He has 
served his State in her own Legislature, as 
Comptroller and as a Member of Congress; 
was elected to the Vice-Presidency on the 
same ticket with General Taylor, and, on the 
decease of that venerable man, assumed the 
lofty and responsible duties of Chief Magis¬ 
trate, for the balance of the term. He is still 
in middle age, robust in health, aud honorably 
ambitious. 
James Buchanan is a native of Pennsylvania 
which State has claimed his residence all his 
life, although in an official capacity he has spent 
several years abroad. He is sixty-three' years 
old, and for the past forty years has, much of 
the time, been in the public service as a State 
Representative, Member of the U. S. House of 
Representatives and the Senate, Minister 
Russia, Secretary of State, and Minister to 
England ; which station he has recently resign 
ed, and is now on his way home, with an eye 
undoubtedly to the action of the next Demo 
cratic Nominating Convention. That body 
could with very little trouble go further for 
candidate, and fare worse. 
gfful fUu. 
RIDE ON AN ELEPHANT. 
BOOKS. 
Nations quarrel and fight; authors quarrel 
and fight; fortunate it is for the world that 
books do not fight. Folios leading on quartos 
to do battle with duodecimos, officered by octa¬ 
vos, were a sad sight. Books, in the main, are 
civil. They sometimes say things stupid 
enough and sometimes things provoking enough, 
disposing one to break the peace ; but in such 
a case a wise man will recollect that he has to 
do merely with a book, and will shelve it as the 
Admiralty shelves an obnoxious officer. We 
are permitted to thrash an author or a publisher 
—goodness knows why—but a book never.— 
Metaphorically speaking, we may cut a book 
up ; but materially speaking, we must be tender 
even of pulling its dog’s ears. And when all 
the world is smoke and flame, and when wounds 
and woes make hearts heavy, the book as a re¬ 
compense steps from its place — from dusty 
shelf or dull cupboard, it may be—to adminis¬ 
ter comfort. We verily believe that a man who 
has been used to books, chancing to die on des¬ 
ert sands, would feel gratified in his last mo¬ 
ments by the sight even of a page of Mavor’s 
Spelling-Book. Books leap ditches and bound 
over barricades. They come to us in spite of 
pestilence ; they visit us in spite of war. They 
find their way to us from St. Petersburgli and 
Moscow, though the Czar bids us defiance.— 
London Literary Journal. 
ORIGIN OF CARDS. 
Cards were invented about the year 1690, to 
divert Charles 6th, then King of France, who 
had fallen into a melancholy. 
The inventor proposed by the figures of the 
four suits, or colors, to represent the four States, 
or classes of men in the kingdom. 
By the Coeurs, (Hearts,) are meant the Gens 
de C Incur, choirmen, or ecclesiastics. The 
Spaniards, who borrowed cards from the French, 
have therefore copas or chalices, instead of hearts. 
The nobility, or military men of the kingdom, 
are represented by the ends or points of lances 
or pikes, and our ignorance of the meaning or 
resemblance of the figure induced us to call 
them spades. The Spaniards have swords, es- 
padas, in lieu of pikes. We may have borrowed 
our name from the sound of this Spanish word 
By diamonds, are designed the order of citi¬ 
zens, merchants and tradesmen. 
The trefoil leaf, or clover glass, (corruptly 
called clubs,) alludes to the husbandmen and 
peasants. The Spaniards use the figure of a 
stave or club, hastos, and no doubt we have 
given the Spanish signification to the French 
figure. 
The history of the four Kings was intended to 
represent the sovereigns David, Alexander 
Cmsar and Charles ; four celebrated monarchies 
being represented, namely—The Jewish, Greek, 
Roman and Frankish. 
By the Queens, are intended Argine, Esther, 
Judith and Pallas, typical of birth, piety, forti¬ 
tude and wisdom. Argine is an anagram for 
Regina, viz., Queen by descent. 
By the Knaves, were designed the servants to 
Knights, Knave originally meaning servant. 
Thus in one of uhe old Bible translations, St. 
Paul is called “the Knave of Jesus Christ.”— 
Curiosities of Literature. 
HOPE. 
BY SCHILLER. 
We speak with the lip, and we dream in the soul, 
Of some better and fairer day ; 
And our days, the meanwhile, to that golden goal 
Are gliding and sliding away. 
N ow the world becomes old, now again it is young, 
But “ The Better” ’s forever the word on the tongue. 
At the threshold of life Hope leads us in— 
Hope plays around the mirthful boy ; 
Though the best of its charms may with youth begin, 
Yet for age it reserves its toy. 
When we sink at the grave, why the grave has scope, 
And over the coflln man planteth—H ope ! 
And it is not a dream of fancy proud, 
With a fool for its dull begetter; 
There’s a voice at the heart that proclaims aloud, 
“ We are born for something better!” 
And that voice of the heart, 0, ye may believe, 
Will never the hope of the soul deceive ! 
THE PEW AND THE PULPIT. 
Bayard Taylor, iu his book of Eastern Trav 
els, just issued, gives his first elephant ridin 
experience as follows: 
The Rajah had kept his promise, and his big 
she elephant had already arrived. She knelt 
at the keeper’s command, and a small ladder 
was placed against her side, that I might climb 
upon the pad, as I had been unable to borrow 
howdah. I had a package of bread and cold 
roast beef, to serve me as a tiffin, but was care 
ful to conceal it from the driver, otherwise him 
self and the elephant, with all her trappings 
must have undergone purification on account of 
the unclean flesh. I took a reluctant leave 
Mr. Keene, seated myself astride of the pad, 
with the driver before me on the elephant’s 
neck, and we moved off. The driver was a Sikh, 
in a clean white and scarlet dress, and a nar¬ 
row handkerchief bound around his head. His 
long well-combed hair was anointed with 
butter, and, as his head was just under ray 
nose, I was continually regaled with the unc¬ 
tuous odors. He carried a short iron spike, 
with which he occasionally punched the ele¬ 
phant’s head, causing her to snort and throw up 
her trunk, as she quickened her pace. I found 
the motion very like that of a large dromedary, 
and by no means unpleasant or fatiguing.— 
Though walking, she went at the rate of about 
five miles an hour. I noticed that the driver 
frequently spoke to her, in a quiet, conversa¬ 
tional tone, making remarks about the roads 
and advising her how to proceed—all of which 
she seemed to understand perfectly, and obeyed 
without hesitation. 
We insist there is necessity of a correspon¬ 
dence between the preaching of the pew and 
the pulpit. To be effectual, the Gospel should 
be preached by both. The habit of devolving 
all responsibility upon the preaching of the 
pulpit is unscriptural,—it is the most unreason¬ 
able, most exacting folly of the church. The 
truth, unless enforced by godly example, and 
clothed with the persuasive power of sincerity 
and fervid feeling in professors, will be resisted. 
Warnings and appeals will fall powerless at 
the feet of the impenitent. There is a great 
waste of moral power in the practical conflict 
often carried on between religion preached and 
religion practiced. The energy and courage of 
the preacher are impaired, and the force of the 
truth is lessened. 
What solemnity gathers upon a congregation 
when the sacred words of warning or invitation 
from the preacher pass to the sinner’s heart 
through the electric atmosphere of prayer !- 
What reality does the truth of religion become, 
when it beams from the moistened eye, and 
streams out from heart to heaving heart, alive to 
the honor of God and the interests of souls !— 
Such is the testimony of universal experience 
in revivals. Happy the preacher who has an 
exemplification of the truth of his words in the 
life, faithfulness and zeal of devoted hearers.— 
In this harmony, this “ heavenly harmony,” he 
has a perpetual illustration at hand—an argu¬ 
ment that will make its way where logic fails 
—an argument which the most evil disposed 
find it difficult to gainsay or resist.— Christian 
Herald. 
MOMENTS LOST. 
ONLY A PEBBLE. 
Every other property when lost may be re¬ 
placed, when it is injured can be repaired. But, 
did ever man or angel recover one moment of 
lost time ! He alone is the traveler who never 
halts, never turns back; no tears can soften him, 
nor prayers make him relent; little reeks he of 
the truest penitence, or the most heart-broken 
sobs of sorrow. As vainly would we set about 
to recall one yesterday, as beg yonder stream, 
whose waters keep rushing on, to roll back a 
single wave. When the reckless hand of pas¬ 
sion has torn out half the leaves of the life-blood 
to light its own fires, and we count with tremb¬ 
ling fingers the few that remain, then indeed 
how solemn the thought that no power on earth, 
none in Heaven, can replace a single lost mo¬ 
ment. God may heap up years as he appeal’s 
to have done in the earliest periods of the race ; 
may prolong indefinitely the sojourn of any 
single soul in any one of his many mansions, 
but only by obliterating memory could he de¬ 
stroy the consciousness of any polluted day.— 
Selected. 
Pennsylvania School Report. —It appears 
by the last Pennsylvania School Report, that 
in the year 1855 the whole number of Districts 
in the State, were 1,632 ; number of Schools, 
10,469 ; number of Scholars, 539,024 ; number 
of Teachers, 12,143; duration of teaching, five 
months and ten days; cost of teaching per 
month, $1,58)4 ; average salary of male teach¬ 
ers, $22,29)4 ! average salary of female teachers, 
$14,89)4; State appropriation paid, $159,554; 
District tax levied, $1,354,937 ; expense of 
School-houses, $266,198 ; expense of instruc¬ 
tion, $1,151,955. 
Punctuality. —Not long since we were con¬ 
versing with a prominent teacher, and sought 
to detain him a little longer than his business 
seemed to warrant. “I cannot stop now,” said 
he, “ I must be at my school-room.” 
“ Are you always thus prompt ?” we inquired. 
“Yes,” said he, “ and that is the best way I 
know of to teach my pupils to be always in 
time. I have not been a moment behind the 
time of commencing my school in two years, 
and during the six years 1 have been a teacher, 
I have never lost fifteen minutes, ajl told, from 
my school-room, by being late.” 
As he left us, we thought we discovered one 
reason at least, why our friend was a successful 
teacher.— It. I. Schoolmaster. 
Life is to the youth an unsullied page which 
they may illuminate or blot. 
The destinies of a nation depend less on the 
greatness of the few, than the virtues or vices of 
the many. Eminent individuals cast further 
the features of her glory or shame ; but the 
realities of weal or woe lie deep in the great 
mass. The curling tops of lofty waves are the 
overpowering strength of its tides.— Colton. 
Only a pebble ! Oh man, that stone which 
you thrust so contemptuously out of your 
way is older than all else on this earth. YV hen 
the waters under heaven were gathered together 
unto one place, that pebble was there. Who 
can tell us the story of those first days, when 
the earth was in sore travail, when her heaving 
bosom belched form torrents ot fire, vast ava¬ 
lanches of hissing, seething watei^ and volumes 
of deadly vapors l When glowing, blazing 
streams of lava threw a blood-red glare on the 
silent, lifeless earth; and amidst a trembling 
and thundering that shook the firmament, a 
thousand volcanoes at once lifted up their fiery 
heads, when out of the foaming waters there 
rose suddenly the rocky foundations of firm 
land, and greeted the light that God had creat¬ 
ed ? That pebble was Life’s first offspring on 
earth. The Spirit of God moved on the waters, 
and life was breathed in the very gases that 
were hid in the heart of the vapory globe.— 
They parted in love, they parted in hate ; they 
fled and they met. Atom joined atom ; loving 
sisters kissed each other; and this love, the 
great child of the Spirit on each, brought forth 
its first fruit, the pebble. — De Vere's Stray 
Leaves from the Book of Nature. 
Operation of the Telegraph. —The tele¬ 
graph may be thus briefly described : It con¬ 
sists usually of a galvanic battery or generator 
of electricity in one city or town, and insulated 
wires or electrical conductors going out thence 
and proceeded to a register or telegraph instru¬ 
ment in another city or town, which instrument 
indicates every electrical wave or impulse that 
is sent over the wires from the distant extremity 
of the line. This requires that there shall al¬ 
ways be what is called a “ circuit,” of electrical 
conductors—that is, that the electric current 
shall have the opportunity of going out from 
one pole of the battery, through one conductor 
to the distant register, and returning through 
another conductor to the other pole of the bat¬ 
tery. When this circuit is completed, an elec¬ 
trical wave or current immediately begins to 
pass through the conductor, though they may 
be hundreds of miles in length ; and when the 
circuit is broken anywhere, it necessarily ceases 
to pass.— N. Y. Spectator. 
For ventilation, open your windows both at 
the top and bottom. The fresh air rushes in 
one way, while the foul air makes its exit at the 
other. This is simply letting in your friend 
and expelling your enemy. 
Beautiful and Truthful. —A deaf and dumb 
pupil of the Abbe Sicard gave the following 
extraordinary answers :—What is gratitude ? 
“ Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” What 
is hope ? “ Hope is the blossom of happiness.” 
What is the difference between hope and de¬ 
sire ? “ Desire is a tree leaf; hope is a tree in 
flower ; and enjoyment is a tree in fruit.”— 
What is eternity ? “A day without yesterday 
or to-morrow ; a line that has no end.” What 
is time ? “A line that has two ends ; a path 
which begins in the middle and ends in the 
tomb.” What is God ? “ The necessary being, 
the sum of eternity, the machinist of nature, the 
eye of justice, the watch-maker of the universe, 
the soul of the world.” Does God reason ? 
“ Man reasons because he doubts; he delibe¬ 
rates ; he decides; God is omniscient; he 
knows all things ; he never doubts; he there¬ 
fore never reasons.” 
The Capitol at Washington. — The new 
dome on the capitol at Washington is estimated 
to cost a million of dollars. The frame will be 
f cast iron. It is said, by those capable of 
judging, that the proportions and effect of the 
edifice will be preserved in the extension, and 
that in its enlarged dimensions it will be even 
more imposing and not less graceful than before. 
The experiment was a doubtful one, and al¬ 
though quite necessary for the accommodation 
of the government, it was apprehended that the 
new capitol might not be as perfect in its pro¬ 
portions as the old one. The capitol is one of 
the finest buildings in the world, and most hap¬ 
pily expresses the purpose for which it was 
erected.— Providence Journal. 
Little Blossoms for Heaven. —Others be¬ 
sides the aged are leaving the cares of earth for 
the rest and blessedness of heaven ; those who 
have scarcely looked beyond the rose-tinted 
boundary of infancy, whose eyes have never 
been wet by tears of sorrow or regret, whose 
hearts have never swelled with disappointment. 
Little blossoms, who linger lovingly for a few 
brief years on the threshold of Time, and of 
whom we think, even while worshiping their 
beauty and innocence are “passing away!”— 
Selected. 
Splendid qualities break forth in dark times, 
like lightning from a thunder cloud. — Lacon. 
Pretty Sermons. —“I am tormented,” said 
Robert Hall, “with the desire of preaching 
better than I can. But I have no desire to make 
fine, pretty sermons. Prettiness is well enough 
when prettiness is in its place. I like to see a 
pretty child, a pretty flower ; but in a sermon 
prettiness is out of place.” 
He who teaches religion without exemplify¬ 
ing it, loses the advantage of its best argument, 
