103 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
(figurational Dfjnirtmnit. 
BY L. WETHEHELL. 
A SCHOOL MONTH.-INQUIRY ANSWERED. 
IIon. A. C. Flagg, when Superintendent 
of Common Schools, decided that a school 
month consists of twenty-six days, exclusive 
of Sundays. 
“The Revised Statutes, (vol. 1 , p. 600.) 
provide, that when the term month is used 
in any contract, it shall mean a calendar, 
and not’a lunar month : and that ninety one 
days shall be considered a quarter of a year. 
Twenty-six days will therefore constitute a 
school month, being the average number o' 
working days, after deducting Sundays. If 
the school is dismissed on the afternoon of 
Saturday, the teacher is not required to make 
up the time after the expiration of his 
month ; and if he keeps the whole day, he 
does not gain time thereby, but must con¬ 
tinue his school until the month is fully 
ended.” 
The same decision was afterwards made 
by lion. John A. Dix. 
The reader will see that every public 
Common School teacher when required to 
do so, must teach twenty-six days for a 
month. He cannot unless by special con¬ 
tract, be compelled to teach on Saturday 
afternoon. Neither can ho make up lost 
timo by keeping school Saturday afternoon. 
WHAT IS MAN 1 —HIS EDUCATION. 
The qualifications of teachers is a subject 
of incalculable importance. If put in the 
shape of a question, it can be answered only 
by inquiring, what a teacher has to do. This 
again can bo known only by knowing the 
character of the materials upon which he 
has to work. This brings us to the inquiry, 
“ What is man ?” To answer this question 
requires an abler pen than mine. I shall, 
therefore, barely open the subject and leave 
it for “ wiser heads and abler pens.” 
1st. Man is a social being. That is, he is 
a being fitted for society—whose highest en¬ 
joyment, whoso greatest perfection, can bo 
realized only in a state of society. Yet he 
must bo fitted for this society by the culti¬ 
vation of his social nature, without which he 
will add little to its social improvement. 
2d. Man is an intellbctual being. TJiat is 
he thinks, reasons, judges. Yet his mind’ 
his intellect, requires training, cultivation, 
to develope its powers, and to fit him for 
using them for his own, or the general good. 
3d. Man is a moral being. That is, his 
actions.possess a character of right or wrong. 
His moral character springs from his intel¬ 
lectual, his rational character. Ho thinks, 
ho reasons, he knows ; therefore his actions 
become moral or immoral, right or wrong, 
according as they harmonize, or clash, with 
the general good. 
4th. He is a responsible being. That is, 
he is under obligation, is accountable, to 
some power higher than himself. His re¬ 
sponsibility grows out of his other attributes. 
He knows what is right and wrong; he is 
therefore responsible. But my subject 
grows upon my hands, and I feel myself in¬ 
capable of doing justice to it. I have said 
enough, however, for my present purpose. 
If 6uch is the character of man, what 
should bo the character of society—of the 
world ? Evidently such as to allow the full 
development and exercise of all the attri¬ 
butes of the beings that compose it; those 
attributes, I moan, whose object, end and aim, 
are, tho advancement of society. But is so¬ 
ciety, is the world, such ? Let observation 
answer. 
But how is the world to become such ?— 
Evidently through tho influence of Educa¬ 
tion. By this, I mean, every thing that goes 
to form tho social intellectual, and moral 
character of man. 
The teacher is ono of those who are to 
bear a part, an important part, in this great 
work. “ What manner of spirit, then, ought 
he to be ?” What should be his qualifica¬ 
tions ? Let each ono judge, for himself.— 
In attempting to answer this question, I 
should fail to do it justice. I.close, there¬ 
fore, with one or two remarks. 
1st. Education consists in training the 
whole man, as a social, moral, intellectual, 
influential and responsible being. Do our 
teachers realize this ? Do they act accord¬ 
ingly ? 
2d. The acquisition of knowledge consists 
in treasuring up ideas , Is education con¬ 
ducted accordingly ? H. 
Down East, Feb., 1852. 
Bad Spelling. —In a late letter from a 
President of one of our colleges, on the 
subject of education he says,—“ Spelling 
and Reading are generally badly neglected, 
and very many boys who are sent to Col¬ 
lege cannot write an English letter without 
disgracing themselves by their intolerable 
orthography.” 
Men of principle are generally principal 
men. 
TRACY FEMALE INSTITUTE, ROCHESTER. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
I3y I 
Miller: From the Third London edition.— 
With a Memoir of the author by Louis Agassiz. 
The Old Red Sandstone: or New Walks in an 
Old Field. By Hugh Miller. Illustrated with 
numerous engravings. From the Fourth Lon¬ 
don Edition. 
These valuable and popular works, pub¬ 
lished by Gould & Lincoln, Boston, have 
been before the public for some time. They 
have received the highest commendation of 
the Press, and will be found highly enter¬ 
taining and instructive, as they have been to 
most who have read them. 
Tiie Religion of Geology, and its connected sci¬ 
ences. By Edward Hitchcock, D. D., LL. D., 
President of Amherst College, and Professor of 
Natural Theology and Geology. Boston : Phil¬ 
lips, Sampson A Co. 
President Hitchcock has long been known 
as a popular writer on a variety of subjects. 
His geological writings are somewhat vol¬ 
uminous. Of all his productions, this vol¬ 
ume is regarded as the most highly interest¬ 
ing. As an author Dr. Hitchcock ranks 
with England’s most distinguished Geologi¬ 
cal writers. 
TRACY FEMALE INSTITUTE. 
The Course of Creation : By John Anderson, 
D. D. With a Glossary of Scientific Terms — 
Cincinnati : Win. H. Moore it. Co. 
In Part First the author treats of tho Ge- 
ology of Scotland; in Part Second of the 
Geology of England ; in Part Third, the Ge¬ 
ology of Franco and Switzerland; and in { 
Part Fourth, of tho General Principles of 
the Science. No reader of Geological works 
can rise from the perusal of this book with¬ 
out the feeling that he has been profited 
by it. 
Echoes of the Universe : From the World of 
Matter and the World of Spirit. By Rev. Henry 
Christmas, M. A., F. R. S., F. S. A. Philadel¬ 
phia : A. Hart, late Cary A Hart. 
The author of this work discourses of 
Cosmogony and Astronomy,—Light,—Ge¬ 
ology— Natural History of the Ancient 
World—Science Christianized and Conse¬ 
crated—and a variety of other highly inter¬ 
esting topics. 
Theso valuable works will be found for 
sale at Sage’s, and at A lung’s. They are 
all most admirably suited for District School 
Libraries. We call the attention of Trus¬ 
tees to them. 
Thoy are books over which the leisure 
hours of life, too often, alas, spent in idle 
talk or trifling pursuits, may bo most profit¬ 
ably spent. How delightful when wander¬ 
ing over the green fields, through the rocky 
doll, or by the bill side or ovor tho moun¬ 
tain top, to be able to hold converse with 
tho All-wise Creator through His ever glo¬ 
rious works. These are tho books to awaken 
mind and quicken thought in this direction. 
And it is an interesting consideration that a 
large share of the best works on Goology 
and kindred topics, have been written by 
eminont Divines. 
This building is located on Alexander 
street, about equally distant from East Av¬ 
enue and Monroe street, and nearly a mile 
east of the Genesee river. It is constructed 
of brick, and is divided into a basement, 
three stories, and a great hall under the roof. 
The School-room, recitation rooms, and a 
room for the Library, Cabinet and appara 
tus, are in the first story. 
The building is warmed by furnaces, and 
is well ventilated throughout, having regis¬ 
ters oponing into the flues, both near the 
floor and the ceiling. A physician who has 
spent many years in traveling and visiting 
Schools and Seminaries, and lecturing on 
Physiology, on a recent visit to the Tracy Fe¬ 
male Institute, remarked, that “he had never 
seen a building so well constructed for ven¬ 
tilation as this.” The Institute is provided 
with ample grounds and garden plots. 
With such conveniences and accommoda 
tions as have been enumerated, combined 
with a somewhat retired, and an exceeding¬ 
ly pleasant and healthful location,—and tho 
energetic lady whose name the Institute 
bears, as Principal, assisted by efficient and 
experienced teachers, in tho several depart¬ 
ments of instruction,— any parent who has 
daughters to educate abroad may rest as¬ 
sured that all will ho done that reasonably 
can bo to render an equivalent for timo and 
money expended at tho Tracy Female Insti¬ 
tute. For particulars see advertisement. 
— When describing the building, wo for 
got to speak of the observatory that crowns 
this noble edifice. It is a fino place to study 
tho starry expanse, and to do which there 
seems to he hut one thing wanting—to wit, 
a good Telescope—which, we hope some be¬ 
nevolent person of wealth will furnish, for 
the sake of advancing female education. 
Jlntimii Bistort], 
EXTRAORDINARY BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE. 
HOME AFFECTION. 
“ To love the little platoon we belong to in 
society is the germ of all public affections.” 
True, most true! The innocent association 
of childhood, tho kind mothor who taught 
us the first accents of prayer, and watched 
with anxious face over our slumbers, the 
ground on which our little feet first trod, the 
pew in which wo first sat during public wor¬ 
ship, the school in which our first rudiments 
were taught, the torn Virgil, the dog-eared 
Horace, the friends and companions of our 
young days, the authors who first told us the 
history of our country, the songs that first 
made our hearts throb with noble and gen¬ 
erous emotions, tho burying-placo of our 
fathers, tho cradles of our children, are sure¬ 
ly the objects which naturo tells us to love. 
Philanthropy, liko charity, must^hegin at 
home. From this centre our sympathies 
may extend in an ever widening circle.— 
Fraser $ Magazine. 
“ In a School in Edinburgh, in which tho 
intellectual exercises were conducted in a 
most efficient manner, tho teacher put the 
New Testament into my hands and request¬ 
ed me to select any passage I might choose 
from any of the four gospels, or from the 
Epistle to the Hebrews, and read it to a 
class of about eighty boys and girls who were 
from eleven to thirteen years of age. Ac¬ 
cordingly I opened the book at random and 
road the first verse upon which my eye fell. 
Before I had finished reading it, a large num¬ 
ber of the class had turned to it and an¬ 
nounced tho hook chapter and vorso that I 
was reading. 
Astonished at this I repeated tho test, turn¬ 
ing backwards and forwards promiscuously, 
again and again; and in no case were they 
at fault. In every case beforo or as soon at 
least as I had finished the verse that I was 
reading, a considerable number of the class, 
often a majority hold up their Testaments 
and showed or mentioned book, chapter and 
verse. I then tried them by beginning in 
the middlo of a verse.—selecting verses 
whosotlivision was such that the clause pre¬ 
sented a substantive idea. This made no dif¬ 
ence,—so completely had they committed 
to memory not only every verse, hut the or¬ 
der of all, and the place where every ono 
was to be found.” 
This extract was taken from Hon. Horace 
Mann’s Seventh Annual Report. Tho knowl¬ 
edge of the Bible exhibited here, by these 
children, surpasses, any thing of the kind 
that wo have over heard of. Wo have never 
known a clergyman even, whose knowledge 
of tho Gospel History, equalled this. What 
children have done, children may do again. 
Let no young loader, after reading the 
abovo extract, despair of learning his les¬ 
sons. Resolve to do what should be done 
—what can be done, and the^ persevere un¬ 
til it is accomplished.. 
May I ever have a heart superior, with 
economy suitable to my fortune.— Shcn- 
stone. 
THE RAT. 
No other animal is placed in circumstan¬ 
ces which tend so continually to sharpen its 
wits as the rat, nor does any other appear 
to be of a more improvable nature. He is 
of a most intelligent family, being related to 
the beaver. And in civilized countries he is 
not a wild creature; for he follows the pro¬ 
gress of civilization, and adapts his own hab¬ 
its of life to it, so as to avail himself of its 
benefits. 
Tho “pampered goose,” who, in Pope’s 
Essay retorts upon man, and says that man 
was made for tho use of geose, must have 
been forgetful of plucking-timo, as well as 
ignorant of tho ritos that are celebrated in 
all old-fashioned families on St. Michael’s 
day. But tho rat might with mote appar¬ 
ent reason support such an assertion. Ho 
is not mistaken in thinking that corn-stacks 
are as much for his use as for the farmer’s; 
that barns and granaries are his winter 
magazines; that the miller is his acting part¬ 
ner, the cheesemonger his purveyor, and tho 
store-koepor his steward. He places him¬ 
self in relation with man, not as his depend¬ 
ent, liko the dog, nor like tho cat as his 
ally, nor like tho sheop as his property, nor 
liko tho ox as his servant, nor like tho horse 
and ass as his slaves, nor like "the poultry 
who aro to “come and bo killed” when Mrs. 
Bond invitos him; but as his enemy,—a bold 
borderer, a Johnny Armstrong or Rob Roy. 
who acknowledges no right of property in 
in others, and lives by spoil. 
Wheresoever man goes, rat follows, or ac¬ 
companies him. Town or country are equal¬ 
ly agreeable to him. He enters upon your 
house as a tenant at will, (his own, not yours,) 
works out for himself a covered way in your 
walls, ascends by it from one story to another, 
and leaving you tho larger apartments, takes 
possession of the space between floor and 
ceiling, as an entresol for himself. There 
ho has his parties, and his revels, and his 
gallopades, (merry ones they are,) when you 
would bo asleep, if it were not for tho spirit 
with which the youth and belles of rat-land 
keep up the ball ovor your head. And you 
are more fortunate than most of your neigh¬ 
bors, if ho does not prepare for himself a 
mausoleum behind your chimnoy-pieco or 
under your hcarth-stono, retire into it when 
he is about to die, and very soon afford you 
full proof that, though he may have lived 
like an hermit, his relics are not in the odour 
of sanctity. You have then the additional 
comfort of knowing that tho spot so appro¬ 
priated will henceforth bo used either as a 
common ccmotery, or a family vault. In 
this respect, as in many others, nearer ap¬ 
proaches are made to us by inferior crea¬ 
tures than aro dreamt of in our philosophy. 
The adventurous merchant ships a cargo 
for some distant port, rat goes with it.— 
Great Britain plants a colony in Botany Bay, 
Van Diemen’s Land, or at the Swan River, 
rat takes the opportunity of colonizing also. 
Ships are sent upon a voyage of discovery, 
rat embarks as a volunteer. He doubled 
the stormy cape with Diaz, arrived at Mala¬ 
bar in the first European vessel with Gama, 
discovered the New World with Columbus, 
and took possession of it at tho same timo, 
and circumnavigated the globe with Magel¬ 
lan, and with Drake, and with Cook.— Soxith- 
ey’s “ Doctor.” 
The Talipot Tree. —The talipot, is a spe¬ 
cies of palm troo, which is strait and grows 
to a prodigious height. Its broad leaves, 
when dried, are strong and very elastic.— 
They can be expanded or shut up like a 
lady’s fan. Whon open, they are large 
enough to cover from tho sun or rain ten 
or fifteen men, and when closed they are 
not thicker than a man’s arm. They are 
very light and and portable, and make ex¬ 
cellent tents. 
Wise Provision ok Nature. —The seeds 
of the common broom grow in little pods, 
and when fully ripe, and ready for disper¬ 
sion, are scattered by a beautiful contri¬ 
vance, through which tho edges of the pods 
contract; they burst open, and forcing tho 
internal surface outward, throw the seeds 
at a considerable distance from the parent 
plant. But for this provision they would be 
choked under the old plant for want of air 
and light. 
PRAYER. 
BY MRS. MARCIA W, HUDNUTT. 
Kray, Sinner, pray! When wild is tost 
Thy bark oh sin’s untertain sea, 
When every gleam of hope is lost, 
And Death and Hell seem waiting thee; 
When sinks thy soul beneath its load 
Of guilt and shame, in dark despair— 
Kneel humbly at the shrine of God, 
And thou shalt find relief in prayer. 
Pray, Christian, pray! When tria’s mark 
Each passing hour in life’s career— 
When stern temptations gather dark, 
And shroud thy sou! in gloom and fear. 
Ne’er let thy faith in God grow dim, 
Ne’er doubt his watchful love and care; 
Cling closer to thy Irust In Him. 
And thou shalt find relief in prayer. 
Pray. Mourner, pray! When dearest ties 
Twined round thy heartarerent in twain— 
When hope in earthly friendship dies, 
And earthly comfort all is vain, 
Then turn with a i thy griefs to Heaven; 
Tliere’8 solace for thy sorrows there, 
And freely shall its halm be given. 
If thou wilt ask in earnest prayer. 
And pray, oh, pray, whene’er ye trace 
Along this earth a thornless way— 
When not a cloud is seen o’erhead, 
Then have ye double need to pray; 
For we are apt to love this life 
Too well, if naught is here of care; 
If we ki ow not its scenes of strife, 
Our only shield from sin is prayer. 
[Aliegany Cuban. 
KINDNESS OF HEART. 
Goodness, or, in other words, kindness of 
heart, is the result of early training, second¬ 
ed by books, companions and judicious coun¬ 
sel. How its influence brightens the jour¬ 
ney of life, and makes smooth its rugged 
path. How the heart gladdens when re¬ 
ceiving some little act of kindness from some 
roal and true friend; so does one feel (ho 
glow of pleasure thrill through his veins as 
an act of kindness is done him from tho 
promptings of unaffected goodness of *heart. 
Then as it costs nothing to bestow kind 
words, or harbor kind feelings, let all culti¬ 
vate goodness of heart and mind—remem¬ 
bering that a kind word is as easily spoken 
as one that will cause pain and bitterness. 
w. E. K. 
THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 
If every Christian were in heart and life 
consecrated to tho causo of Christ, there 
would be no longing for or shrinking from 
the ministry. Every one can do much for 
God. Woman in her own quiet way can do 
as much for him as man can. The mem¬ 
bers of tho church of the most humble 
station and of tho least ability, may by good 
example recommend Christ as effectually 
as the most eloquent preacher. There is 
more done for religion, by members out of 
the pulpit than by preachers in it. Preach¬ 
ing is but one of God’s means of grace, al¬ 
though many seem to think it the only way 
in which God can bo honored. But few aro 
required to stand in the pulpit, but all are 
called to preach daily by a well ordered life 
and discreet conversation. 
God’s word, private admonition, prayer, 
exhortation, singing, all these are effectual, 
under God, in his work. Distributing tho 
Bible and tracts, visiting the poor, the sick 
and the outcast, gathering the young into 
Sabbath-schools, and all into the sanctuary, 
relieving tho pastor of unnecessary labors, 
faithful attendance on all religious meetings, 
seeking opportunities for doing good ; these 
are occasions for preaching, sufficient to 
wear out any of us. In our fields, in our 
shops, in our stores, in our offices,—on land 
or on the waters,—at home or abroad,—in 
health and in sickness,—in prosperity, and 
in adversity, we can all glorify God, benefit 
our souls and tho souls of others, and thus 
advance Christ’s kingdom upon earth, al¬ 
though his church may never call us to as¬ 
sume the office of the public ministry. 
BIBLES IN THE CRYSTAL PALACE. 
In passing through ono part of tho de¬ 
partment, we were astonished to find the 
British and Foreign Bible Society repre¬ 
sented by one hundred and fifty eight copies 
of the Word of light and life, in different 
languages. There they stood, all opened 
with their mysterious symbols—pervaded 
by tho holiest inspiration—cloven tongues 
of fire, yet dove-like as tho Holy Ghost, 
which has baptized the zeal and energy of 
this nohlo society, preparatory to tho new 
pontecostal day. Each Bible had its pecu¬ 
liarity of impress. The very characters 
indicated as plainly as tho diverse features 
of the human face, tho natural diversities 
and antagonisms which can only be har¬ 
monized by the spirit enshrined within theso 
Bibles. To my mind, this peculiar exhibition 
was the crowning trophy of English indus¬ 
try and genius.— A Buckeye Abroad. 
Endure Hardship. —As a gladiator trained 
the body, so we must train tho mind to self 
sacrifice, “ to endure all things,” to meet and 
overcome difficulty and danger. We must 
take the rough and thorny road as well as 
the smooth and pleasant; and a portion at 
least, of our daily duty must be hard and 
disagreeable; for the mind cannot be kept 
strong and healthy in perpetual sunshine 
only, and tho most dangerous of all states 
is that of constantly recurring pleasure, 
ease, and prosperity. Most persons will 
find difficulties and hardships enough with¬ 
out seeking them; let them not repine, but 
take them as a part of that educational dis¬ 
cipline necessary to fit the mind to arrive at 
its highest good.— Education of the Feelings. 
