MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
(ibttfuttonal Dtpnrtnmit. 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
NORMAL SCHOOLS. 
In an article on Normal Schools publish¬ 
ed in No. 5 of tho current volume of the 
Rural, we remarked that these schools were 
originally designed to teach the science and 
the art of teaching—that is to say, to in¬ 
struct young men and women in the way 
of teaching, governing and training the 
young, and consequently the Normal School 
is to be regarded, or should be, as a profess¬ 
ional school, like the Medical, devoting itself 
exclusively to the giving of a professional 
education. We further remarkod, that in¬ 
stead of so doing, these schools had under¬ 
taken the work of elementary instruction 
and training which belong legitimately to 
Academies and Common Schools. 
In view of the above, the Albany Atlas 
says : 
“ A little reflection, we think, will show our 
contemporary that this course was unavoida¬ 
ble. Normal Schools have been forced to 
teach principally the elements of a good 
education, just like other academies, [admit¬ 
ting that Normal Schools are academies,] 
from the supreme xddiculousness of the 
position they would occupy, if they did not. 
Without so doing they would bo enacting a 
farce that could not bo sustained for a quar¬ 
ter. 
It has been rather strongly said, ‘All 
that can be taught of the art of teaching- 
can be taught in half an hour.’ * * * * 
Suppose a set of young men, with minds 
fully trained and furnished, overflowing 
with the thought and knowledge of a full 
mind, provided with good common sense 
and general experience and tact, having 
been themselves trained in good schools by 
good teachers. Suppose those young men 
gathered for a three years course of instruc¬ 
tion in the ‘ science and art of teaching,’ and 
nothing else; and what a farce !” 
Let us test these views of the Atlas as 
well as our own, by the Report of the Com- 
mitto on Normal Schools, made in the As¬ 
sembly by Mr. IIulburd, the Chairman, in 
1844 :—“ The term Normal School as now’ 
used, indicates a seminary where pupils are 
taught theoretically and practically the art 
of communicating knowledge, and of gov¬ 
erning a school; where, in short, are ac¬ 
quired the rules of practice and the princi¬ 
ples of guidance and direction in the various 
departments of common school education.” 
“ It camo to bo understood, in the reign of 
Frederick the Second, for the first time,” 
says the writer quoted, “ that teaching is an 
art of great difficulty, which can only be 
acquired by long practice.”- [It can be 
learned now in about half an hour, according 
to the Atlas. Truly thisis an age of progress!] 
■ “ Teaching has ceased to be a handicraft, 
to bo exercised according to a few simple 
rules in a uniform manner—it has risen to 
the dignity of an art —an art, whose suc¬ 
cessful practice requires a combination of 
extensive knowlege, good sense, profound 
acquaintance with human nature in all its 
different phases from early childhood to the 
oldest parent of a pupil.” 
Prof. Stowe, commissioned several years 
ago by the State of Ohio, to examine the 
Prussian schools, expresses some of his con¬ 
clusions in the following propositions : 
“ 1. The interest of popular education in 
each State demands the establishment of a 
Normal School, that is a Teachers’ Seminary 
and Model School for the instruction and 
practice of teachers, in the science of edu¬ 
cation and the art of teaching. 
2 . Pupils should not be received into the 
Teachers’ Seminary under sixteen years of 
age, nor [mark] until they are well versed in 
all the branches usually taught in common 
schools. 
3. The model school should comprise 
the various classes of children usually admit¬ 
ted to the common schools,, and should bo 
subject to the same general discipline and 
course of study. 
4 . Tho course of instruction, in the 
Teachers’ Seminary should include three 
years, and the pupils should accordingly bo 
divided into three classes. 
Lord Brougham says, “ these schools 
should teach tho didactic art—the mode of 
imparting knowledge—the best method of 
training and dealing wdth children, in all that 
regards temper, capacity and happinoss— 
tho means of stirring them to exertion and 
controlling their aberrations.” 
Lord John Russell, in compliance with 
tho direction of Her Majesty, the Queen, 
prepared a circular on the subject of edu¬ 
cation, in which ho says: “ I beg leave at 
the outset to state my opinion, that tho es¬ 
tablishment of a Normal School for train¬ 
ing masters in the most perfect methods of 
communicating literary and industrial, as 
well as moral and religious instruction, is the 
most pressing and important of the subjects 
considered.” 
And notwithstanding all this testimony in 
favor of—and the necessity for a course of 
instruction in tho “science and art of 
teaching,” tho Albany Atlas exclaims, “ what 
a farce !” And no wonder, if this didactic 
art “ can bo taught in half an hour.” 
In conclusion, tho Atlas says—“ The truth 
is, a good Academy, which pays especial at¬ 
tention to a Teachers’ class [teachers’ class] 
incidentally, is parallol to these Professional 
Schools above mentioned. Let us not for- ! 
get that insufficient intellectual qualifications 
constituc the great defect of our teachers— j 
often combined with the want of common i 
sense and general experience.” 
A little reflection we think, “will show ; 
our contemporary,” that he has converted ! 
the Normal School into an Academy, and i 
tho academy into a Normal School. It ! 
w’ould hardly seem expedient to form a 
teachers’ class in an academy, even if “ all 
that can be taught of the art of teaching can 
be taught in half an hour.” 
In college, professional studies are design¬ 
edly excluded from tho course pursued, in 
order that mental discipline may be acquired; 
in other words that the mind may be trained 
to vigorous thought—to the art of mental 
concentration. Tho course of study pur¬ 
sued by undergraduates is well known to 
differ widely from that of professional stu¬ 
dents. The Normal School, as wo have 
shown, was established for tho purpose of 
furnishing well qualified instructors in the 
difficult art of teaching.* Every teacher 
should bo an artist. For all will admit that 
none but an artist, can make a good picture 
of a man—then ought we to expect that any 
but artists, and artists too of the very high¬ 
est order, can form rightly the habits and 
characters of men and women ? For as is 
the child so will be the man. 
THE ALBANY UNIVERSITY. 
Pursuant to a joint resolution of the Leg¬ 
islature, inviting several of the most dis¬ 
tinguished scientific gentlemen in our coun¬ 
try to address the members of both houses 
and the citizens of Albany, on the subject 
of establishing in this city a National Uni¬ 
versity, a large meeting -was held in the 
Assembly Chamber of the Capitol on 
AVednesday evening, Ilis Excellency Gov. 
Hunt presiding. Senators Conger and Bart¬ 
lett were chosen Vice Presidents, and Drs. 
Bradford and Hoyt, of the House, Secre¬ 
taries. 
Professors Bache and Pierce were intro¬ 
duced by the President, and each addressed 
the meeting at considerable length in favor 
of tho entire practicability of founding a 
great National University in this city.— 
Judge Amasa J. Parker and tho Rev. Dr. 
Potter, of this city, followed, when tlie 
meeting adjourned. 
There was also a large gathering of the 
friends of this institution at the rooms of the 
Court of Appeals, including several scientific 
gentlemen from this and other States, togeth¬ 
er with nearly all the resident Regents 
of the University. Dr. T. Romeyn Beck 
was chosen Chairman, and the Rev. Dr. 
Kennedy appointed Secretary. 
Prof. Pierce, of Cambridge University, 
from the Committee appointed to present a 
plan for the organization of the Scientific 
Department of the University of Albany, 
submitted a plan, which was read and dis¬ 
cussed by Prof.. Bache and Pierce, Senator 
Conger, Messrs. Taylor and Webb of tho 
Assembly, Mr. Ruggles of N. York, Rev. 
Dr. Potter, Mr. Meads. Lieut. Hunt of the 
U. S. Coast Survey, Prof. Perkins of the 
Normal School, Rev. Dr. Mandeville, and 
others. 
The subject of securing adequate co-ope¬ 
ration by the Legislature had been discussed 
in the Committee of which Prof. Pierce, of 
Cambridge, is Chairman. Its leading fea¬ 
ture consists in the annual election, by free 
competition, in each Senatorial and Assem¬ 
bly District, of one pupil—his tuition fees 
to be paid by the State Treasurer. 
An amendment brought forward by Sam¬ 
uel B. Ruggles. Esq., of New York, Provi¬ 
ding for the support of the pupil during tho 
first two years of his attendance at the Uni¬ 
versity, elicited discussion, but received the 
unanimous approbation of the Convention. 
If adopted by the Legislature, it can hardly 
fail to lead to important results in raising 
the standard of Education throughout all 
the Schools and Colleges of the State. 
The names of the Professors who are un¬ 
derstood to engage in the enterprise, are 
Messrs. Pierce, Agassiz, Mitchell. Dana, 
Gould Whitney, Norton, Porter, Wyman, 
Beck, Guyot, Davis, Hall and others. —State 
Register, 20th. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
The Young People’s Book : A Miscellany, com¬ 
prising Instructive Stories, Popular Anecdotes, 
and Dialogues, Glimpses of Ancient and Mod¬ 
ern History, Wonders of Nature and Art, Biog¬ 
raphies, Poetry, Riddles, Charades, Puzzles, <tc. 
By Francis Woodworth, “Author of Theodore 
Thinker’s Stories for Little Folks, “ Boys and 
Girls Library,” <fce., <fcc. Rochester: Wanzer, 
Beardsley & Co. 1850. 
This will be found a pleasing and enter¬ 
taining book for boys and girls who have 
leisure for reading. It is made up of the 
“Youth’s Cabinet,” and contains nearly one 
hundred embellishments. Put it in the 
District School Library and the young peo¬ 
ple will not permit it to become a shelf-book. 
For sale at Wanzer, Beardsley & Co.’s— 
Price, $1,25. 
The Book of Eloquence : A Collection of Ex¬ 
tracts in Prose and Verse, from the most Elo¬ 
quent Orators and Poets of other days, and the 
present time ; Intended as Exercises for Decla¬ 
mation in Schools and Colleges. By Charles 
D. Warner. Cazenovia: Mills, Crandall & 
Moseley. 1852. 
This is a compilation of American and 
English extracts, designed to meet tho wants 
of students in the art of oratory. Tho se¬ 
lections are brief and seem to be well adapt¬ 
ed to the end for which this “ new book ” 
was made by the editor. We commend it 
to teachers. For sale at D arrow's. 
THE PARSONAGE —ELEVATION, 
In continuation of our plans and speci¬ 
mens, of Rural Architecture, wo copy this 
week from Mr. Wheeler’s “Rural Homes,” 
his design of a parsonage house for a village 
minister. In remarking upon it he says :— 
“All sects who have a church in which to 
gather for assembled worship, and a settled 
minister among them to follow and to love, 
should see that the dwelling of the pastor 
is, as it were, a part of the church; for most 
sure it is that the domestic life and teaching 
of the man are worth more in the village an¬ 
nals of wavering weak ones saved, than the 
eloquence or the fervor of the pulpit. So 
the abode of that teacher, the scene of his do¬ 
mestic life and quiet home-teaching, should 
be as cheerfully made a feature in the vil¬ 
lage scene as the house of God.” 
“ The building material may be of stone, 
brick, or timber. In the particular case for 
which this design has been made, stone is 
the material selected ; but, with some slight 
modification of the roof on the front gable, 
a timber framed construction would be per¬ 
fectly suitable. In the latter the roof must 
project beyond t he face of the wall, and may 
be decorated with some simple and durably 
made large board, or be left plain, with only 
a heavy roll moulding as a cornice, support¬ 
ed by blocks or moulded corbels placed at 
intervals of a foot or two apart. 
No’s. 4, 5, and 6, are conveniently arrang¬ 
ed sleeping-rooms over the library and study 
below. In the attic, formed by the high 
pitch of the roof, could easily bo made at 
least two airy and good-sized sleeping-rooms, 
lighted and ventilated by widows in the 
gables at the east, west, and south. 
I— ft? 
GROUND PLAN. 
The distribution of the rooms on the prin¬ 
cipal floor will be apparent upon examina¬ 
tion of the ground plan. 
No. 1, is the entrance porch, a wide and 
open covered space in which, on either side, 
should be an ample seat for hospitable rest¬ 
ing of the caller at the house. Within is 
the entrance hall. No. 2, a roomy apart¬ 
ment, nine foot by sixteen, at right angles 
to which is the staircase hall, and passage 
way to kitchon below. In this design I have 
supposed tho ground so to fall away as to 
allow the kitchen and domestic offices below, 
but in any other situation whore such an ar¬ 
rangement would not be desirable, they can 
be extended in a wing from tho northern 
side of the house. 
No. 3, is a parlor or ladies’ room, sixteen 
by thirteen, the corners of which are cut off, 
to form in one end a fire-place, and in the 
others three convenient closets. 
No. 4, is a large library or principal room, 
both for general occupancy and for recep¬ 
tion of parishioners, a largo room of such 
a nature being far more desirable in a par¬ 
sonage house than a showy drawing-room, 
or parlors divided by folding-doors. This 
room is sixteen feet by twenty-five, and its 
western French windows, opening on to a 
large veranda, would be a very pleasant 
apartment. Communicating with this, is a 
private study for tho exclusive use of tho 
pastor. Annexed is a back porch, which, as 
being nearest the church, would bo tho 
readiest entrance to the minister’s study, 
and would give seclusion and private access 
to the room. 
No. 8, is tho dining-room, tho door of 
which is immediately at tho head of the 
stairs from the kitchen, or, if the offices be 
contained in a wing, a pantry could bo con¬ 
structed to take the place of the porch, No. 
7, and thus connect with tho kitchen. Tho 
dining-room is fifteen by seventeen, exclu¬ 
sive of tho projecting window. 
The sleeping-rooms are contained in tho 
floor above, a plan of which will show their 
arrangement. 
No. 1, is a chamber over tho dining-room, 
and of the same size; it is provided with two 
large closets, and attached to it is a smaller 
room, No. 9, over the hall, which would serve 
as a dressing-room, or is sufficiently large 
for a child’s sleeping-apartment. 
No. 3, is over the ladies’ room below, and 
has in it a roomy closet. 
SECOND FLOOR. 
Other plans might be made which would 
give the desired accommodation, but this has 
seemed to me to contain all the requisites of 
a simple, substantial, parsonage house, and 
has been designed to form not only a build¬ 
ing suited to the pastoral wants of its occu¬ 
pants, but to be to them and theirs, at all 
seasons, a rural home. Its cost would be 
from three to five thousand dollars.” 
Miitnml JMorij. 
ANECDOTE OF A FOX. 
Col. McLean related an anecdoto of a 
fox, which may be sufficiently curious to 
merit preservation in the columns of the 
Rural. Soon after his return from Wash¬ 
ington last winter, he one day noticed from 
the window of his library, the old house 
dog repeatedly going to and returning from 
the swamp, across the open field adjoining. 
At length his curiosity prompted him to 
go into the yard to learn the cause of those 
peculiar movements. Just then, the dog 
paused within three or four rods of the 
swamp, and after hesitating a moment, 
turned for home on the run—and one may 
well believe the Colonel’s surprise was not 
lessened when he beheld, not more than a 
couple of rods behind the dog, a fox in close 
pursuit, and sending forth at every jump a 
yelp of cruel, insulting mockery. On they 
came, until tho dog gained the fence, forty 
or fifty rods from the starting point, when 
they both paused, the fox apparently wait¬ 
ing for the dog to renew tho raco, and chal¬ 
lenging him to the contest. The insult was 
too great for Jowler to endure, though an 
advocate of peace, and with a howl of rage 
he wheeled upon his foe; and then 
“ Away to the dismal swamp he speeds,” 
with Reynard just before him. 
The Colonel called the family to witness 
tho sport, and they saw tho trial of speed 
repeatod in tho same style, nearly a dozen 
times, until the dog exhausted by running, 
and satisfied that his hen-stealing antagonist 
would soothe his wounded honor by neither 
an apology nor a fight, loft the field in dis¬ 
gust. As he mounted tho fence, the fox 
sent after him a bark of triumph, and turned 
for homo, rejoicing at his success. 
Age of Animals. —A bear rarely exceeds 
twenty years ; a dog lives twenty years; a 
wolf twenty; a fox, fourteen or sixteen.— 
Tho average ago of cats is fifteen years; of 
a squirrel or hare, seven or eight. Ele¬ 
phants have hoen known to have lived to 
the great ago of 400 years. Pigs have been 
known to live to tho age of thirty years; 
the rhinoceros to fifty. A horse has been 
known to live to the ago of soventy-two, 
but averages twenty-fivo to thirty. Cam¬ 
els sometimes live to tho age of 100. Stags 
are long-lived. Sheep seldom exceod the 
age of ten. Cows live about fifteen years. 
An eagle died at Vienna at the age of 104 
years; ravens frequently reach the age of 
100. Swans havo been known to li.vo 300 
years; pelicans are long-lived. A tortoise has 
been known to live much above 190 years. 
Witty sayings are as easily lost as the 
pearls slipping off a broken string, but a 
word of kindness is seldom spoken in vain. 
It is a seed which, even when dropped by 
chance, springs up a flower. 
labbnllj jRtabings. 
For tlie Rural New-Yorker. 
“TIRED OF LIVING.” 
BY MRS. MARCIA W. HUDNUTT. 
“ Tired of living,”—say’st thou so ? 
Thou hast been out in the morning light, 
Viewing the earth in its mantle of snow, 
Bound so stilly, and cold, and white; * 
Hast seen the streams in their icy chains, 
From whom no ripple or song was heard, 
Hast listened in vain on the silent plains. 
For murmur of bee or warble of bird: 
Hast trod ’neath the naked forest trees, 
Where naught was heard save the chilly breeze 
Laughing along through the tufted pine. 
Making dismal echo to heart of thine. 
“ Tired cf living,”—say’st thou so ? 
Thou hast seen a loved one still and pale, 
Laid in Death’s chamber cold and low, 
’Neath the frozen sod of the silent vale; 
Hast thou seen the sun of thy onward way. 
Darkened at once by a drear eclipse. 
And the terrible seal of a sure decay, 
Set on his forehead, and eyes, and lips. 
“ Tired of living,”—say’st thou so ? 
Soon will be passed the wintry gloom. 
Melted the mantle of feathery snow, 
The earth like a garden again will bloom, 
The streams from their icy chains will burst, 
Tlie groves be drest in their robes of green. 
And the starry flowers by the sunshine nurst, 
In garden and hedgerow once more be seen; 
In forest shades tfie bright hued bird, 
Will flutter and sing on each waving spray, 
And the murmur of bees again be heard, 
As earth decks herself for her gala day. 
“ Tired of living,”—say’sl thou so ? 
Know’st thou not we are wisely made, 
That as the seasons come and go, 
The darkest grief from the heart will fade; 
The fearfulest wound death’s hand can deal, 
Fanned by the wings of Time—will heal; 
Other lies round the heart will twine, 
Other stars on our path will shine. 
By other hopes will the soul be cheered, 
By other friends be life endeared. 
“ Tired of living,”—then say not so, 
Sit not down ’neath thy burden of woe, 
Look abroad, and thoul’t plainly see, 
Daily and hourly, work for thre. 
Belfast, Allegany Co., N. Y. 
EARLY PIETY-HOME. 
One of the great advantages of Home for 
tho inculcation of religion, is, that its in¬ 
structors begin early. Long before tho 
teacher or minister can gain access, the pa¬ 
rent is in daily contact with God’s immortal 
gift. Though our nature is corrupt, even 
unto death, the arrangement of Providenco 
which gives a faithful parent the opportuni¬ 
ty to bring God, and truth, and duty, before 
the dawning mind, is a most precious and 
weighty compensation. A great deal can 
be done by early training to secure spiritual 
blessings. The promises of God, like tho 
angels who welcomed the infant Redeemer, 
are a heavenly host, bright-shining and glo¬ 
rious witnesses of the fulfilment of the cov¬ 
enant. 
God has connected the moans with tho 
end. Whilst the blessing is with his Spirit, 
tho agency is with his people. That agency 
primarily consists in home nurture, early and 
piously at work, resting upon divine promis¬ 
es, and therefore industrious in elaborating 
the comprehensive and mysterious means. 
“ I will he a God to thee and to thy seed 
after thee. ” “ Train up a child in tho way 
he should go, and when he is old, he will not 
depart from it.” The raising of tho seed is 
God’s stipulation in the covenant; and the 
promise of the man is in the training of tho 
child. The early nurture of homo is of un¬ 
speakable advantage in maturing the true 
ends of education. The mysterious power 
of a right beginning is never more clearly 
exemplified than in the great work of train¬ 
ing the human soul l'or “glory, honor, and 
immortality .”—Presbyterian Magazine. 
ETERNITY. 
Look backward, and timo was when souls 
were not; look forward, and our souls will 
be when time shall not. Who will not de¬ 
ny himself for a time that he may enjoy 
himself forever ? What is the world to them 
that are in the grave, where our bodies must 
shortly be ? Or to them that are in eter¬ 
nity, where our souls must shortly bo ? 
Remember you are at the door of eternity, 
and havo other work to do than trifle away 
timo; those hours which you spend in your 
closets, are tho golden spots of all your 
time; and will have the sweetest influence 
upon your last hours. Our life is a passage 
to eternity; it ought to be a meditation of 
eternity, and a preparation for eternity. 
Hints for Life. —It is almost as difficult 
to make a man unlearn his errors as his 
knowledge. Mal-information is more hope¬ 
less than non-information; for error is al¬ 
ways more busy than ignorance. Igno¬ 
rance is a blank sheet on which we may 
write; hut error is a scribbled one, from 
which we must first erase. Ignorance is 
contented to stand still with her back on tho 
truth; but error is more presumptuous and 
proceeds in the same direction. Ignorance 
has no light, hut error follows a false one. 
Tho consequence is, that error, when she 
retraces her footsteps, has farther to go be¬ 
fore she can arriv.o at the truth than igno- 
I'anco. 
Every word spoken from affection, leaves 
an everlasting impression in tho mind: and 
and every thought spoken from affection, 
becomes a living creature; and the same 
also if not spoken, if so bo that it bo fully 
assented unto by tho mind. 
There are griefs too sacred to be bab¬ 
bled to the world; and there may bo loves 
which one would forbear to whisper even to 
a friend. 
The calculations of the selfish are always 
based on the arithmetic of folly.— Arnold. 
