MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
(Biumitiomil Dfjjnrtinnit. 
IiY h. WETHER ELL. 
MANUAL LABOR SCHOOLS. 
The efforts hitherto made to establish 
Manual Labor Schools have not been suc¬ 
cessful. To many projectors, they have 
looked well in theory. In practice, however, 
the theory has proved delusive. 
A writer in the New York Evangelist says: 
“ As to manual labor, we can hardly imagine 
a greater boon to this age than a clear dem¬ 
onstration of some way by which a student 
may support himself, by such a kind and 
degree of labor as shall not interfere with 
the full application of his mental force to 
study. If some practical genius would show 
how this may be done in this city, he would 
deserve to take rank above Cartwright or 
Watt. This we regard as the great desid¬ 
eratum in education now. Education [edu¬ 
cational] Societies and denominational /cal 
may alleviate it in a degree; but some plan, 
by which every young soul that feels the 
quickening aspirations of genius, or tlie gen¬ 
erous thirst for knowledge, could manfully, 
and without incurring obligations that de¬ 
press him or degrade him, see his way clear 
to the highest scats of influence and power, 
would be worth more to the cause of educa¬ 
tion—to the church and the world, than any 
eleemosynary aid, however generous in 
amount, or however delicately bestowed.” 
This is the doctrine which we havo en¬ 
deavored to inculcate, to wit, that it is far 
better for all to bo taught to rely on per¬ 
sonal effort—to feel the responsibility of 
providing for individual or family wants and 
necessities, than to depend upon extraneous 
aid, no matter from what source it may 
come. Resources, within one’s self, tend to 
beget true independence. Those who live 
on alms, no matter whence they coino. are 
dependent. 
MORALS AND MANNERS. 
It will be generally conceded that an in¬ 
timate connection exists between manners 
and morals. A child of good manners is 
much more likely to listen to moral precepts 
than one who is clownish and uncivil. Good 
manners should be regarded as an essential 
part of every child’s educational training. 
The boy, who when sent to a neighbor’s 
house, enters and sits or stands with his hat 
on, is more to bo pitied than blamed, for 
his incivility. Ho has not, probably, been 
taught and trained any better. He says 
yes and no. and omits the titles, Mr., Mrs. 
and Miss, for tho samo reason. We make 
the following extract from a Lecture “ On 
Teachers' Morals and Manners ,” at the 
“American Institute of Instruction,” at its 
late session, by Gen. II. K. Oliver, of Low¬ 
ell, Mass., who has been a teacher 40 years, 
save one: 
Our countrymen havo gradually fallen 
into negligent habits in their mode of con¬ 
versation, and in their general bearing and 
carriage. This fault grows in part, at least, 
out of our notions of independence. We 
are so suro that we are the greatest and 
most enlightened nation on the laco of the 
earth, that whatever we do or say must be 
right, simply because we say it or do it: and 
that it is morally impossible for us to think, 
say or do anything repugnant to sound sense 
and honest truth, either in morals or man¬ 
ners. We are so sure that we must not and 
will not bow down to any earthly potentate, 
that very many of us are particularly care¬ 
ful not to bow to any body, for fear, appar¬ 
ently, of getting the neck into a bad habit 
that way. We are so specially determined 
that we will not bend tho knee to power, 
that we forego to kneel even at our devo¬ 
tions, and sit when wo pray in tho house of 
God, and rise only in complimentary re¬ 
spect to “ the sound of the cornet, the flute, 
the sackbut and all manner of instruments, 
and when we hear the voice of the singing- 
men and tho singing-women.” 
1 am so singular in my notions in these 
matters, as to believe that there is some, not 
very remote, connection between the man¬ 
ner in which a man carries bis body, and 
disposes of his hat, and sits in a chair, 
(whether upon four or two of its legs.) and 
his moral qualifications. 
Education, and you, as its administrators, 
havo something more to look after, than tho 
mere training of the intellect. The health¬ 
ful and graceful activity of the bodily, as 
well as of the mental powers, is to be cared 
for, in tho great businoss of education. A 
sound mind and a sound body are both to 
be attempted. But we, in our excess of ef¬ 
fort in cultivating tho intellect, almost whol¬ 
ly neglect the body. If a child can be 
made expert and discreet as an arithmeti¬ 
cian, and skillful as a penman, we seem to 
care but little whether he possesses any 
graces of carriage and manners; whether 
he say “ yes,” or “ yes-sir,”—“ no,” or “ no- 
sir,” or “ no-sir-oe !” whether ho can enter a 
room with propriety, whothor he can eat 
and drink decently, and not as a clown ; 
whether ho can address his equals with kind¬ 
ness, his inferiors with courtesy, and his 
superiors with respect, and bear himself 
gracefully and easily among them all. “ I 
wish,” says an English writer, “ to see our 
pooplo distinguished by good manners, not 
so much for the sake of these good manners, 
as because they indicate more than they 
show, and because they tend powerfully to 
nourish and protect tho virtues which they i 
indicate.” 
This winning spirit of true courtesy and | 
Christian refinement of manners, will dif- ! 
fuse an alluring odor about the spot devoted j 
to the Teachers toil, and cannot fail to at- ! 
tract the impressible minds and hearts of j 
those who frequent it. A grateful perfume , 
is exhaled at early dawn, from the mouths ! 
of well-filled hives, wherein “sweet honey- 
sucking bees, from out of summer velvet j 
buds, have closely stowed the pillage of the j 
fields.” All about tho busy scene where 
congregate the buzzing seekers after learn¬ 
ing’s grateful sweets, let the alluring per¬ 
fume of winning ways and mild demeanor 
rejoice their hearts. I make this an import¬ 
ant point to you. Teachers, to consider, and ! 
I say emphatically, that the school-room i 
should never be a place, the associations of | 
which are those of terror, dread and unhap I 
piness. If there be any matter calling for j 
unceasing effort on your part, it is that the i 
place of gathering, should bo to your pupils [ 
a spot of happy associations. In most in- j 
stances it is the case, especially in the conn- i 
try, that the scholar is not for a long con- 1 
tinned time, under the direct influence of J 
ho Teacher. Tho greater then should bo 
his effort to make an early and deep im¬ 
pression. But if, by his ordinary treatment 
of those committed to bis charge, such 
Teacher cause himself to be looked upon, 
as a sort of human machine, selected by a 
committee to deal out a certain amount of 
blows, and to elaborate a certain quantity 
of scolding and fretful vituperations, from j 
the infliction of which the children are to j 
to insure themselves, by a certain per cent- | 
age of knowledge acquired, (and this would 
emphatically be called, the “pursuit of 
knowledge under difficulties,”)—if such be 
his habitual and daily practice, that his pu¬ 
pils come into his presence with feelings of 
dread; if, on each morning, as they enter 
the precincts of his tyrannic realm, 
“ The boding tremblers learn to trace 
* The day’s disasters in his morning face.”— 
then, surely, to the pupils who gather be¬ 
neath his frowns, the school-room is but a 
place of misery, and their fellowship with ! 
him a fellowship of sorrow. 
OBJECT OF EDUCATION. 
The great object in the education of every 
sentient being, ought to be, tho development 
—tho expansion,—of that everlasting es¬ 
sence, the mind. And its, true cultivation 
should imbue it with thosff moral and re¬ 
ligious principles which shall shed a precious 
light along its pilgrimage, and ensure it a 
welcome to the realms of the blessed. 
Education is not a matter of dollars and 
cents—of mere Arithmetic and Grammar. 
The mind has a thirsting for knowledge, as 
the plant has for sunlight, and it is just as 
necessary in tho one case as in the other; 
for a like polity, governs in either kingdom. 
Hence, the reason that man is gifted with 
curiosity, or an impelling spirit to seek out 
and to know, and it is why it is so active in 
childhood. * 
Youth, is acknowledged to bo tho true 
seed time of life, for then, is the mind, so to 
speak, in a plastic state, ready to receive 
whatever impressions may be given; and the 
principles then implanted, like the husband¬ 
man’s seed are sure to spring up and bear 
their fruits, either to honor or dishonor. 
Hence, it is the duty of every parent and 
of every instructor of youth, to beware how 
he plants in that fruitful soil, seeds of mis¬ 
chief, that shall choke and destroy tho good. 
He who attempts to give instruction should 
bo imbued with tho spirit of Holy Writ, so 
that he may feel he lias a duty to discharge 
given him by the Great Author of mind it¬ 
self, and his highest ambition should be to 
aid that mind to become in all things worthy 
of its Giver. T. E. w. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
The Christian Review. —Tho January 
number of this Quarterly, contains articles 
on tlie following subjects : The Doctrine of 
Original Sin; Epicurus; The Distinctive 
Feature of the Baptist Denomination ; Unity 
of Race in its Higher Relations; The Per¬ 
manence of American Institutions; Works 
of Dr. Williams; Rout. Southey; Notices 
of New Publications; and Literary Intelli¬ 
gence. This review is an honor to the Bap¬ 
tist denomination; and is, with the other re¬ 
ligious Quarterlies, contributing to tho ad¬ 
vancement of Theology, Philology, Science, 
History and General Literature. 
Brownson’s Quarterly Review, for Jan¬ 
uary, discourses on the following topics :— 
Christianity and Heathenism; Willitoft, or 
Protestant Persecution; Piratical Expedi¬ 
tions against Cuba; Continental Prospects; 
Sick Calls; Literary Notices and Criti¬ 
cisms. For sale at D. M. Dewey’s. 
School Houses. —Parents should never 
allow children to go to a school-house defi¬ 
cient in the comforts of home, or where tho 
teacher does not instil a regard for the com¬ 
mon decencies and courtesies of life. 
Goon Judgment. —Tho most necessary 
talent of a man of conversation, is a good 
judgment. He that lias this in perfection is 
master of his companion, without letting 
him see it; and has tho same advantage 
over men of any other qualifications what¬ 
soever, as one that can see would have over 
a blind man of ten times his strength.— 
Steele. 
Fi\lp 
dli?; 
■ - ^ 
SHEgiiig 
HERCULES BEETLE. 
Mntunil JMorij. 
THE HERCULES BFETLE. 
One of the largest of our indigenous in¬ 
sects is the Hercules or stag-beetle, ( Lvca- 
mis cervus.) It is chiefly found in narrow 
shady lanes, generally on an oak or elm tree. 
The perfect insect attacks tho roots and 
leaves of those trees. It lies concealed in 
their stumps during the day, and feeds only 
during the evening. Linnaeus, however, 
states that its food is the juice which exudes 
from decayed oaks. Their young burrow 
in the bark and hollows of trees, and there 
undergo the usual metamorphoses. 
Its larvre, which perfectly resembles that 
of the other true beetles, is also found in 
the hollows of oak trees, residing in tho fine 
vegetable mould usually seen in such cavi¬ 
ties, and feeding on the softer parts of the 
decayed wood. It is of a very considerable 
size, of a pale yellowish or whitish brown 
color, and when stretched out at full length 
measures nearly four inches. When arrived 
at its full size, which, according to some, is 
hardly sooner than tho fifth or sixth year, 
it forms, by frequently turning itself, and 
moistening it with its glutinous saliva, a 
smooth oval hollow in tho earth, in which it 
lies, and afterward remaining perfectly still 
for tlie space of nearly a month, divests it¬ 
self of its skin, and commences pupa or 
chrysalis. 
It is now much shorter than before, of a 
rather deeper color, and exhibits in a stri¬ 
king manner, the rudiments of tho large, 
extended jaws and broad head, so conspicu¬ 
ous in the perfect insect; the logs are also 
proportionally larger and longer than in 
the larva: state. The ball of earth in which 
this chrysalis is contained is considerably 
larger than a hen’s egg, and of a rough ex¬ 
terior surface, and perfectly smooth and 
polished within. The chrysalis lies three 
months beforo it gives Iffrth to the complete 
insect, which usually emerges in the months 
of July and August. 
Bingloy has a marvellous story of their 
supposed rapacity, which, if not gravely 
stated by the reverend editor of the Animal 
Biography, as related to himself by one of 
his own intimate and intelligent friends, 
might have been supposed by tho general 
reader, to havo been borrowed from the 
Travels of the veracious Munchausen. 
“ An intimate and intelligent friend of tho 
editor informed him that ho had often found 
several heads of these insects together, all 
perfectly alive, while the trunks and abdo¬ 
mens were nowhere to be found; sometimes 
only the abdomens were gone, and the 
heads and trunks were left together. How 
this took placo he never could discover with 
any certainty. He supposes, however, that 
it must have been in consequence of the 
severe battles that sometimes take place 
among the fiercest of the insect tribes; but 
their mouths not seeming formed for ani¬ 
mal food, he is at a loss to guess what be¬ 
comes of their abdomen. They do not fly 
till most of tho birds have retired to rest, 
and indeed if we were to suppose that any 
of them devoured them, it would be diffi¬ 
cult to say why the heads or trunks should 
be rejected.” 
ANECDOTE OF A SNOW-BIRD. 
We did not know, until tho other day, 
that tho little chick-a-de-do, whoso song wo 
havo tried to translate, was such an affec¬ 
tionate creature. There is a little book, 
published in England, called “Early Days,” 
which tells a story about a pair of these birds; 
and since reading the story we have lovod 
this winter warbler more than ever, as we 
arc sure our readers will do, when they are 
mado acquainted with the story which we 
intend to tell them. This little bird, it seems, 
is known in Ireland by the name of blue¬ 
bonnet. Its food consists of grain and in¬ 
sects, especially the latter, in search of which 
it may bo seen hopping from branch to 
branch, in every position, sometimes with its 
head downward. 
On a cold day, in the month of March 
last—so says the book before mentioned— 
one of these birds hopped into the bouse of 
a friend of mine, near Belfast, and com¬ 
menced picking crumbs about tho floor and 
tables, when after remaining for several 
hours, it took its leave. Next day it return¬ 
ed, and alighted on the top of a cage, where 
it seemed to form an acquaintance with a 
goldfinch. Tho cage door was opened, and 
the blue-bonnet went in, and remained all 
day picking seeds with the goldfinch. At 
night tho strange prisoner was released; but 
as it showed no disposition to leave the 
house, it was allowed to remain in the par¬ 
lor. But the next morning, while the ser¬ 
vant was opening tho window-shutter, the 
room being quite dark, sho unconsciously 
set her foot on the poor bird, and killed it. 
It was afterwards thrown out, and its un¬ 
timely fate soon forgotten. 
But during the course of the day the at¬ 
tention of some one was drawn to an affect¬ 
ing scene out-sido, before the parlor win¬ 
dows. The mate of tho blue-bonnet was 
standing beside it, mourning its loss in plain¬ 
tive tones. It then stretched out its neck, 
and putting its beak below tho head of its 
companion, raised it up, and then sank as 
before. Afterward it attempted to remove 
the body, but was unable. A t length it flew 
away, and after some time returned, carry¬ 
ing a grain of corn which it dipped beforo 
its dead partner. Then it fluttered with its 
wings, making an effort to be joyful, and en¬ 
deavored to call tho attention of the dead 
bird to the corn. Finding this useless also, 
it again flew away, and retured with another 
grain, which it deposited in the same man¬ 
ner. It then lifted the grain, and dropped 
it upon its mate’s beak, continuing to do this 
for several minutes. Then it resumed its 
plaintive notes; but the sight was too affect¬ 
ing, and a person was sent out to remove 
the dead bird. . 
“At that moment,” said a spectator, “I 
would have given anything in my possession 
to have seen the poor blue-bonnet restored 
to life.” 
BEAUTIFUL EXTRACT. 
On not alone 
In his pure teachings and in Calvary’s woe, 
i-ay the blest errand of the Saviour here. 
Ills walk thro’ life’s dark pathway blessed yet more, 
Distant from God so iufiinitcly far 
Was h man weakness, till Me came to tear, 
With us, our weaknesses awhile, that fear 
Had heard Jehovah’s voir e in thunder only. 
And worshipped trembling. Heaven is nearer, now. 
At God’s right hand sils One who was a child, 
Born as the humblest, and who here abode 
Till of our sorrows he had suffered all. 
They who now weep, remember that He wept 
The tempted, the despised, tlie sorrowing, feel 
That Jesus, too, drank of these cups of woe. 
And oh, if of our joys he tasted less— 
If all but one passed from his lips away— 
That o\ e a m other's love— by his pattaking 
Is like a thread of heaven spun through our life, 
Ami we, in the untiring watch, the tears, 
The tenderness and fond trust of a mother, 
May feel a heavenly closeness unto God— 
For such, all human in its blest excesf, 
Was Mary’s love for Jesus.— [N. P. Willis. 
THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE DELUGE. 
BY D. W. BALLOU, JR. 
The writings of Moses contain the only 
authentic history of tho human race before 
the flood. All other accounts, therefore, 
must be regarded as more or less conjectu¬ 
ral, and valuable only as they are tnoro or 
less probable—for, liko other speculations 
about past ovents, absolute certainty they 
cannot have. 
Moses asserts in tho most plain, clear and 
direct terms, that in the days of Noah, tho 
earth was covered with a flood of waters, 
rising at least “ fifteen cubits upwards,” till 
tho “ highest mountains were covered,” —de¬ 
stroying- every thing that breathed the breath 
of life, except such as had safety and shelter 
in the ark built by him who “ found grace 
in the eyes of the Lord.” According to 
common chronology, this took place 1656 
after tho creation of the world, and 2293 be¬ 
fore tlie advent of our Savior. 
Tlie narrative of Moses is simple, consistent 
and brief. It has all tho marks of a genuine 
history of real events, written by one who 
was well acquainted with all tho particulars 
of the transaction. 
Now, this was cither so, or it was not so. 
Moses has stated what was true, or what was 
’false. Our views of what is probable or im¬ 
possible, right or wrong, have nothing to do 
with tlie fact itself—they cannot cause or 
t change it. The samo argument that would 
prove only a partial flood, might be usod to 
prove no flood at all. 
The earth in every part — in its deepest 
valleys and on its loftiest elevations—at the 
extreme north and at the extreme south— 
all over the land surface of both hemispheres 
—bears tho most certain and sure indica¬ 
tions, that at some period, not very remote, 
it must have been under water, and that 
wholly, at one and the same time. 
Marine substances, that are found only in 
salt water, havo been discovered near the 
tops of the highest mountains, situated in 
the interior of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the 
Americas. These mountains are now inter¬ 
sected by largo streams of fresh water, whose 
fountain sources can be traced to the glens 
and groves far up their rugged sides. 
Below the surface of tho ground, at differ¬ 
ent depths and in various localities, the bones 
of animals, some now extinct and some not, 
have frequently been dug up by accident.— 
It is difficult to conceive how they could 
have got in such peculiar places only by 
moans of an universal flood, for some of 
these animals inhabit climes and countries, 
which they have never been known to leave, 
and havo never been known to exist where 
their frames are found. 
Embedded in vast and solid masses of ico, 
tlie bodies of elephants and other beasts, 
whole and uninjured, have been found in 
polar regions, especially in tho northern lat¬ 
itudes of Russia. These animals are native 
to regions as far distant from tho places 
where their dead bodies aro found, as tho 
torrid is from the frigid zone. There is no 
account of any such general rising of waters 
as would be necessary to carry and deposit 
them in such strange situations, except the 
universal deluge described by Moses, and 
this would easily and naturally cause such 
changes by the extent and rapidity of cur¬ 
rents and winds. 
Wherever the foot-prints of man have yet 
marked the earth tvith his restless wander¬ 
ings, there is hardly a tribe, however savage 
or barbarous—whether on the islands of tho 
sea or on continents of land—but what 
has some record of a universal deluge, cor¬ 
responding in their main features, and in 
many of their details, to tho ono given in 
the book of Genesis. This coincidence in 
the traditions of nations of different coun¬ 
tries and languages, that, so far as is known, 
never had any communications with each 
other, and were widely separated by, to them, 
impassible oceans and seas, cannot be ac¬ 
counted for by saying that they are mere 
casual agreements, when taken in connec¬ 
tion with other considerations; but may bo 
reasonably, satisfactorily and philosophically 
explained by admitting what seems to bo 
true, that these multiplied yet concurring 
traditions, have their origin in a real, actual 
fact, and that these oral accounts of it have 
descended from age to age, through a long 
succession of generations, reaching back to 
the time of those who saw it, and knew it to 
boa stern reality and dreadful lesson, which 
the children of Adam will still do well to 
heed. 
Tho deluge was a great, and impressive 
miracle—aiid a miracle can not be explained 
on any of the principles which ordinarily 
govern the operations of Nature with which 
we are familiar, for it is beyond and above 
them. The empire of Nature’s laws does 
not extend to miracles, for it is then sus¬ 
pended by the author of both. To tlie finite 
understanding, such a catastrophe as the 
flood may seem too awful in its consequences 
and too retributive in its character, to bo 
ascribed to a benevolent being. But it was 
an act of creative power and infinite wisdom; 
and though human reason may not compre¬ 
hend it in all its grandeur and extent, it can 
securely rely on the Divine assurance, that 
it was just and necessary, and was no ex¬ 
ception to the unchangeable love of Him 
who, when he beheld all bis works, pro- 
nouced them “ good.” 
EVENING THOUGHTS. 
When in the midst of a busy day, the 
watchful cares of a guardian angel throw 
some flowers of joy in the thorny way df 
man, ho gathers them up with thanks, a 
cheerful thrill quivers through his heart, liko 
tlie melody of an iEolian harp; but the earn¬ 
est duties of life soon claim his attention and 
his cares. The melodious thrill dies away, 
and on lie must go, and on he goes, joyless, 
cheerless, and cold, every fibre of his heart 
bent to the earnest duties of the day. But 
when the hard work of the day is done, and 
tho stress of mind for a moment subsides, 
then the heart again claims its right, and the 
tender fingers of our memory gather upaga’n 
the violets of joy which the guardian angel 
threw in our way ; and we look at them with 
so much joy, we cherish them as the favor¬ 
ite gifts of life—we are so glad—as glad as 
the child on Christmas eve. These are tho 
happiest moments of man’s lifo. But we 
are not noisy, not eloquent, we are silent, 
almost mute, like nature in a mi<!-3ummer’s 
night, reposing from the burning heat of tho 
day.— Kossuth. 
f Irresolution. —In matters of great con¬ 
cern, and which must be done, there is no 
surer argument of a weak mind than irreso¬ 
lution; to bo undetermined where tho case 
is so plain, and tlie necessity so urgent. To 
bo always intending to live a now lifo, but 
never to find time to set about it: this is as 
if a man should put off eating and drinking 
and sleeping, from one day and night to an¬ 
other, till ho is starved and destroyed.— 
Tillotson. 
