204 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
THE CAT-BIRD. 
3®atarnl Bistort], 
dRuuntional ■Department. 
BY L. WETHER ELL. 
TO KNOW IS BETTER THAN TO REMEMBER. 
The desire to know is one of the first 
wants that manifests itself in the child—a 
desire to know beyond present attainments 
and experiences, however limited or exten¬ 
sive those may be. The cravings of the hu¬ 
man mind for knowledge are insatiable. It 
never rests satisfied with present acquire¬ 
ments, but desires to investigate and to 
know what is not known, as well as to un¬ 
derstand what has long been known. There 
is usually activity enough on the part of 
every one, if rightly directed, to make him 
an intelligent, and not unfrequently a 
learned man, unless it has been paralyzed 
by bad treatment. 
The desire to know grows upon what it 
foods—strengthens and increases by indul¬ 
gence. Now it not unfrequently happens 
that both children and older persons, have 
aching voids, which they wish to fill with 
knowledge that is unfit, or too high for them. 
The desire to know often defeats itself by 
not pursuing the only way that leads to the 
much coveted object, by undertaking to at¬ 
tain it in some other way than the ono or¬ 
dained by necessity. How many, alas! have 
failed of becoming scholars, not because 
they were lazy or idle, or lacked the desire 
of knowledge, but becauso they would not 
drill over the first elements of the art or 
science whose fruits they craved. 
What is thoroughly known and under¬ 
stood is remembered—but the converse does 
not follow, to wit, that what is remembered 
is known and understood. How many 
school lessons are memorized, verbatim , and 
if required, literatim, without the learners 
gaining the most distant conception of any 
thing but words or letters. Memorizing 
words and rules, without getting notions or 
ideas, is one of the great evils of the mod¬ 
ern system of education. To avoid this 
evil, some have run into the other extreme 
—of not requiring children to commit any 
thing to memory from the book. Of the 
two evils we deem the former the least—but 
both should and may bo avoided. The 
memory should be cultivated, but not at the 
expense of the understanding — neither 
should the understanding bo made to suffer 
and languish for the want of the aid which 
a good memory furnishes. 
To know is better than to remember, be¬ 
cause it furnishes a higher degree of enjoy¬ 
ment—not that knowledge can do without 
memory, though memory is often divorced 
from knowledge. Make the child know as 
well as remember—then you.give power; 
but on the other hand if you make him re¬ 
member what he does not know, you load 
him with a weight without giving him any 
power to sustain it. How many are thus 
burdened with formulas that they are as ig¬ 
norant of as is the horse of the moral char¬ 
acter of his rider. 
The child’s progress when at school should 
be judged of rather by what ho knows than 
by what he remembers and can repeat, per¬ 
haps, by rote. 
Parents often misjudge here by supposing 
that their children know all that they can 
repeat, or that to know and repeat are sy¬ 
nonymous. Children, for example, have 
been known to study geography a long time 
in what were denominated good schools, and 
to be able to answer the questions found in 
the book studied, with great promptness 
and accuracy, when asked whether the Ni¬ 
agara river runs into Lake Erie or Lake 
Ontario, answered that it runs into the for¬ 
mer. Theie is a wonderful difference be¬ 
tween the radiant face of a child inspired 
with the confidence and pleasure furnished 
by knowledge, and the dull face of a mere 
memorist. 
Now if it bo true that a child loves knowl¬ 
edge for its sake, and that he does few will 
question, and fewer still will deny, whonce 
that apathy that so frequently seizes upon 
the mind soon after being sent to school ? 
Is it not reasonable to attribute it to the 
fact that the course of education is not suit¬ 
ed to the child’s capacity and wants ? Many 
a child has entered the school-room full of 
anxious hope and longing desire—all alive 
with curiosity, buoyant with life, and after 
a series of years has left it with very small 
acquisitions—with a most thorough convic¬ 
tion of the truth of ono of the wise man’s 
proverbs, that much learning is a weariness 
of the flesh, and is on the whole happy that 
he knows no more, or is little encumbered 
with this weariness, for he has not the 
works of Nature to explore, having neither 
curiosity nor desiro to gratify in this direc¬ 
tion. Ho feels contented to obey the voice 
of instinct, though its light be dim compar¬ 
ed with it as enjoyed by the brute animals 
which are destitute of reason, that noble 
faculty given to man by his Creator. 
The course of education pursued with 
every child should be such as is adapted to 
his physical and mental organization—then 
will he ever bo in love with knowledge and 
always ready to avail himself of every op¬ 
portunity for its acquisition. To know and 
to remember will then ever be his highest 
happiness. 
We knew one family of children, and had 
tlio pleasure of instructing them, whose 
fathers’s highest pleasure seemed to be de¬ 
rived from teaching them, and he taught 
them so that they knew and fully under¬ 
stood the subjects suited to their age. His 
son when eight years of age knew more of 
arithmetic, geography, grammer. philosophy, 
the art of composition, reading, spelling 
and music, and had read more good books, 
in short was far better educated than chil¬ 
dren generally are when they leave school 
at the age of sixteen years. One of his 
daughters took one course of music lessons 
on the piano with a teacher of the art, and 
after a comparatively short time of practice 
could play better than those who had been 
taking lessons upon the instrument for 
years. She had been taught both the sci¬ 
ence and art of music by her father—that 
is vocally—and knew as well as remembered 
what she had learned. 
All, whether parents or teachers, should 
endeavor to make children under their care 
and instruction, know and fully understand 
what they are taught. There is a recom¬ 
pense awarded to such that none can know 
but such as have seen the beaming eyo and 
radiant face lighted by the torch of knowl¬ 
edge. To know is better than to remember. 
If you would both know and remember— 
first know and understand and then you arc 
sure to remember. 
EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.-NEWSPAPERS. 
How little is the value of a good weekly 
paper understood! The farmer who has 
learnod the price of stock, provisions, &c., 
oi’ has ascertained that a certain farm is for 
sale, that an auction is to be held on a cer¬ 
tain day, or that Mr. A. B. or A. M. teaches 
school in a certain village, has found out 
something that will perhaps be useful to 
him; but those are a small portion of the 
good that he, or his family, may derive from 
a good family newspaper. 
The father who sonds his son (now in his 
“ teens,”) to school threo or four months in 
a year, and keeps him at homo during tho 
remainder, with no booka but those that he 
used at school, or perhaps a few others that 
he himself used in his early days, may think 
that he is doing tolerably well with the 
youth, so far as education is concerned.— 
But ho will probably find that his son, like 
thousands of others, (himself, perhaps, 
among the number.) is deficient in two very 
important respects; viz., that his knowledge 
is not sufficiently practical, (the fault of the 
schools, perhaps, rather than of himself,) 
and that he is very ignorant of the world 
in which ho is to live and bear a part. His 
son may mingle with society, but lie will 
learn little of the world, or of what is going 
on in it. He will not bo intelligent —ho 
will not keep up with the age in which he 
lives. 
A good family newspaper is an invaluable 
appendage to every family. It is a sine qua 
non, to every individual claiming to be in¬ 
telligent. In this ago of the world, no ono 
is justly entitled to this claim, who does 
not in some degree keeji up with tho times 
—who does not know merely what is go¬ 
ing forward in his own immediate vicinity, 
but also in tho country, and in tho world. 
I will close, then, with two reasons why ev¬ 
ery family should take at least, one good 
paper. 
1st, Becauso of its advantage on tho score 
of education. Were I now to have my 
choico in regard to the further education of 
my children, (they have a tolerably good 
English education,) either to have them 
continue their studies at school till of age, 
but to be deprived of all newspaper reading, 
or to have the lattor without the former, I 
would not hesitate a moment. Parents 
greatly misjudge when thoy think that 
money paid for a good nowspapor is thrown 
away; (for a poor one it is no better, and 
for a bad ono it is worse than thrown away,) 
since without it they deprive their families 
of all general information. The newsjjaper 
for one year is worth more to any young 
person, than ono quarter's schooling in any 
ordinary country school, (and porhaps in 
some high schools,) although it may cost 
less. 
2d, Because a good paper, by cultivating 
a habit and a fondness for reading, will pre¬ 
serve the young froni forming habits of idle¬ 
ness and dissipation. Ono of the strongest 
temptations to vice and dissipation is fur¬ 
nished to the young by tho want of em¬ 
ployment, especially during the long eve¬ 
nings of winter. Old books afford them 
little amusement and little instruction, be¬ 
cause young persons can hardly be persua¬ 
ded to use them. Give them the variety 
THE CAT-BIRD. 
The Cat Bird is a very common and nu¬ 
merous species in the United States; and 
one as well known to all classes of people 
as his favorite briars, or blackberry bushes. 
In spring or autumn, on approaching thick¬ 
ets of brambles, the first salutation you re¬ 
ceive is from the cat bird ; and a stranger, 
unacquainted with his note, would instantly 
conclude that -some vagrant orphan kitten 
had get bewildered among the briars, and 
wanted assistance, so exactly does the call of 
tho bird resemble the voice of that animal. 
Ho is unsuspicious, and extremely familiar ; 
for whether in th® woods or in the garden, 
where he frequently builds his nest,he seldom 
allows you to pass without paying his re¬ 
spects to you in tho usual way. The nest 
is composed of dry leaves, weeds, small 
twigs, and fine dry grass, lined with fibrous 
roots. The birds show no great solicitude 
for concealment, though few are more in¬ 
terested for tho safety of their nest and 
young. The eggs are four or five, of a blu¬ 
ish green color. 
The cat-bird is one of our earliest song¬ 
sters, beginning generally before the break of 
day, and hovering from bush to bush with 
sprightliness, when there is scarcely light 
enough to distinguish him. His notes ai'e 
more remarkable for singularity than melo¬ 
dy. They consist of short imitations of 
other birds, and other sounds ; but his pipe 
being rather deficient in clearness and 
strength of tone, his imitations fail where 
these are requisite; yet he is not discouraged, 
but seems to study certain passages with 
great perseverance, uttering them at first 
low, and as he succeeds, higher, and more 
urnishe 1 by the well conducted weekly 
paper, and they will enjoy it, and improve 
by it. Parents give your children a good 
paper. You will find none bettor than the 
Rural. h. 
Down East, June, 1852. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Elements of Intellectual Philosophy. De- 
, signed for a Text-Book aud for Private Reading. 
By Hubbard Winslow, A. M. Boston : Crocker 
& Brewster. 
The author has attempted to exhibit in 
this volume the most important principles 
of Intellectual Philosophy, divested of dry 
technicalities so far as possible—constructed 
with reference to encouraging and eliciting 
free inquiry—to show tho difference be¬ 
tween the powers of the mere animal and 
man—to trace mental phenomena to their 
physical source—and finally to adapt the 
study both to the popular and the educated 
mind. From our personal knowledge of 
tho author, and a cursory examination of 
the book, we commend it to tho notice of 
teachers, and all interested in the study of 
tho mind and its functions. 
A Manual of History of the United States, 
for the use of Schools. By Daniel B. Scott.— 
New York : C. Shepard <fc Co. 
This work, liko tho preceding, is the pro¬ 
duction of a practical teacher who felt as 
overy teacher has, the want of a good text¬ 
book for teaching tho history of our own 
country. Several good books have been 
prepared, but when used by the teacher in 
the school-room have been found defective. 
The author commences tho narrative with 
the discovery of America in 1492, and contin¬ 
ues down to 1850. Its excellency consists 
in its brevity and arrangement, they being 
such that tho child can both comprehend 
and retain a knowledge of tho subject of 
tho narrative. J. Me Maiion & Co., 142 
State St., have it for sale. 
N. Y. STATE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The Seventh Annual Meeting of the N. 
Y. S. Teachers’ Association will be hold in 
the village of Elmira, Chemung county, 
commencing on the first Wednesday of Au¬ 
gust next, at 10 o’clock A. M., and continue 
at least two days. Elmira being situated 
on tho New York and Erie Railroad, in the 
contral southern portion of tho State, and 
boing but a few hours ride from the two ex¬ 
treme cities, New York on the East, and 
Buffalo on tho West, it is expected on this 
account that there will be a larger number 
in attendance than there has been for sev¬ 
eral years past. In addition to this favor- 
free,—no ways embarassed by the presence 
of a spectator, even within a few yards of 
him. On attentively listening to him for 
soino time, you can perceive that he intro¬ 
duces into his performance all the odd 
sounds, and quaint passages he has been 
able to collect. Upon the whole, he merits 
a place among the most agreeable of our 
general performers. 
Few people in tho country respect the 
cat-bird. On the contrary, it is generally 
tho object of dislike; and the boys of tho 
■United States entertain great prejudice and 
contempt for this bird, its nest, and young. 
Tho principal cause of this dislike, seems to 
be some similarity of taste, and clashing of 
interest, between the bird and the farmer. 
The cat-bird is fond of lai’go ripe garden 
strawberries ; so is the farmer, for tho good 
price thoy bring in market. The cat-bird 
loves the best and richest early cherries ; so 
does tho farmer, for they are sometimes the 
most profitable of his early fruit. The cat¬ 
bird has a particular partiality for the finest 
ripe mellow pears; and these are also the 
particular favorites of the farmer. But tho 
cat-bird has frequently the advantage of the 
farmer, by snatching off tho first f ruits of 
these delicious productions; and tho farmer 
takes revenge, by shooting him down with 
his gun, as ho finds old hats and scare¬ 
crows are no impediments in his way to 
these forbidden fruits, and nothing but this 
resource can restrain his visits. Tho bo vs 
are now set to watch the cherry trees with 
guns ; and thus commences a train of preju¬ 
dices and antipathies, that commonly con¬ 
tinue through life. 
The cat-bird measures nine inches in 
length ; at a small distance he appears near¬ 
ly black ; but is of deep slate color, and the 
tail-coverts are deep rod. Tho female dif¬ 
fers little from tho male. — JYat. History. 
able location, tho Executivo Committoe as- 
suro their follow teachers and friends of 
education throughout tho State, that they 
have been making, and will continuo to 
make, all necessary preparation to insure 
an interesting and profitable session. 
Reports may be expected on tho follow¬ 
ing subjects: 
School Libraries, Town and District.—A. G. 
Salisbury, Syracuse, committee. 
Teachers department in Academies.- 
committee. 
Teachers’ Institute, with a plan for the State.— 
H. G. Winslow, Nunda, committee. 
Union and Central High Schools.—W. W. New¬ 
man, Buffalo, committee. 
State Teachers’ Periodical.—T. W. Valentine, 
Albany, committee. 
Revision of the Constitution.—Joel Blackman, 
New York, committee. 
Committees have also been appointed in 
each county in tho State to obtain such ed¬ 
ucational statistics in their several counties, 
as may bo of interest and value to tho As¬ 
sociation. Those County Reports will bo 
looked for with a great deal of interest, as 
thoy will be expected to contain an ixmount 
of information on educational subjects which 
can be obtained in no other way. 
Tho following named gentlemen havo 
i consented to be present, and lecture before 
tho Association: 
Professor George Spencer, of Utica—Subject: 
“Thought and language relatively considered.” 
Hon. Ira Mayhew, of Michigan — Subject: 
“ Education of the five senses.” 
Rev. C. N. Chandler, of Elmira—Subject: “ The 
relation of Common Schools to the perpetuity 
and prosperity of our Republic.” 
Prof. Anson S. Upson, of Hamilton College- 
Subject :-. 
Rev. Dr. Murdock, of Elmira—Subject: “ The 
necessities developed by railroads and telegraphs, 
for a more advanced state of education in the 
masses.” 
Prof. Charles B. Anthony, of Albany—Subject: 
Miss Elizabeth Howard, of Tioga county, is 
expected to read an essay—Subject: “ The state 
of education on the Island of Hayti.” 
Among the general subjects for discus¬ 
sion maj- be mentioned “ The Albany Uni¬ 
versity,” “Randall’s amendments to our 
School System,” “ Operation of the present 
School Law,” “ Tho subject of establishing 
a State Board of Examiners, with Auxiliary 
County Boards,” and many other subjects 
of interest to teachers. Many of our most 
experienced and distinguished educators 
are expected to be present, and take a part 
in these discussions, and it is hoped that all 
who are engaged in our “ great and good 
cause,” will make their arrangements to be 
present, and take an active part in the pro¬ 
ceedings of the meeting. 
N. P. Stanton, Jr., Buffalo, President. 
N. W. Benedict, Rochester, 1st Vice. 
D. M. Pitcher, Owego, 2d “ 
A. R. Wright, Elmira, 3d “ 
E. S. Adams, Albany, 4th “ 
J. N. McElligott, N. Y., Cor. Sec by. 
H. G. Winslow, Nunda, Rec. “ 
Oliver Abey, Buffalo, Treasurer. 
Executive Committee. 
uhhntlj JUabtngs. 
For the New-Yorker. 
LIFE’S PHANTASIES. 
BY IDA FAIRFIELD. 
To meet and part—to hurry on, 
From busy day to day— 
New ties to form, and then to break, 
Disoslving like the snowy flake 
Beneath the sunny ray. 
This is our troubled journey here, 
Swift from the cradle to the bier. 
Change follows change—and every scene 
A different hue doth wear; 
* Now morning lights the azure way, 
And now the evening shadows play, 
Through all the ambient air. 
To-day in different form appears, 
From that it wore in earlier years. 
We scorn what is—and forward reach 
Some greater good to win ; 
Scarce heeding with a mournful sigh, 
Tbe flowers wich bud, and bloom, to die, 
The present hours within. 
Or if we clasp some joy to-day, 
To-morrow it has passed away. 
We vainly strive for lasting good, 
In years that will not come; 
We furrow deep our brows'with care— 
The toils of age in youth we bear, 
Thus shortening life’s brief sum. 
And still, a vague and strange unrest, 
Forever haunts the human breast. 
• Why toil we thus ?—earth hath no joys, 
Which earth may not dispel; 
Soon booms upon the unwilling ear 
The thrilling note which all must hear, 
Of time’s expiring knell. 
And the sweet dreams, the soul hath known 
Are realized, in Heaven alone. 
June, 1852. 
THE SABBATH. 
There is no land where—all religious ob¬ 
ligations aside—the Sabbath is so necessary 
as in this country. Wo should becomo bar¬ 
barians without it. Already tho lust of 
money and distinction, acting upon natures 
lashed by our peculiar institutions into the 
most vehement emulations, wrinkles almost 
every brow, and makes anxiety a constant 
presence and power at which strangers gaze 
and wonder. Our very pleasures have this | 
dash of impatience about them ; and our 
days and hours, hurried on in the whirl of 
constant excitement, lose their distinctness, 
and mingle in a misty mass in which the 
better reasoning faculty can distinguish lit¬ 
tle that accords with the natural purposes 
of life. Were this hurried way of life, this 
eager hunt of gold or rank uninterrupted, 
it would soon sweep away before it all that 
elevates and purifies human nature, or gives 
the grace and goodness of life. 
Tho Sabbath stays tho severer pulse ot 
society, it opens tho low and dark clouds 
that gather round tho heart, and lets in tho 
light of better thoughts and loftier feelings. 
To lose this recurring dispensation from tlio 
curse of tho impetuous life-struggle, would 
be to render our destiny that of tho dun¬ 
geon slave. Wliilo, therefore, we regard the 
desecration of the Sabbath as primarily of¬ 
fensive as a violation of a divino flaw, we 
condemn it as a war against tho better chari¬ 
ties of life—as a wrong done to tho heavy 
laden—as a step taken onwards to barba¬ 
rism. 
We see with great regret a constant ten¬ 
dency to tho loss of the Sabbath. This is 
the greatest in those communities where the 
pulse of society is most rapid and uninter- 
mittent, and where the worship of mammon 
or of pleasure is as perpetual as it is ab¬ 
sorbing. This hostility to tho Sabbath is 
manifested in tho success of the Sunday 
papers, devoted to business and pleasure, 
and in the devotion of tho day to idle en¬ 
tertainments. 
They who invade tho day of rest do a 
wrong to tho race at large, and aid in weak¬ 
ening a divine institution given in mercy, 
and inseperable from tho interests of civili¬ 
zation.— JYorth American. 
DOMESTIC PIETY. 
If there bo one cause more bittor than 
another to man, it is to be the offspring of 
an irreligious homo; of a home whore tho 
voice of praise and prayer ascend not to 
God, and where tho ties of human affection 
aro not purified and elevated by tho refin¬ 
ing influence of religious feeling; of a 
homo to which if the cares or sorrows of 
his life shall bring religion to tho heart in 
after days, that heart cannot turn without 
bitterness of feeling, without anguish and 
vexation of spirit. If there be a curse to 
ady country where the truths of religion 
are known, the deepest and bitterest curse 
which can bo inflicted on it, is a multitude 
of homes like that which I havo supposed. 
Such homes send forth their sons uncheck¬ 
ed in evil thoughts, unhallowed in their 
habits, and untaught in love to God; the 
namo and cross of Jesus Christ stamped 
perhaps upon their forehead, but not writ¬ 
ten in their hearts; and they send them 
forth to prey upon tlio land, and to becomo 
its curse and its destruction. 
But on tho other hand, there is a blessing 
to tho religious home which no tongue can 
speak; no language can describe! Tho 
homo where in early years tho heart is train¬ 
ed to a love of God, and to take pleasure in 
his worship and service interweaves with 
the existence of man, holy affections which 
die not with the circumstances that gave 
them birth, which last long, even though 
thoy may for a season be forgotten and neg¬ 
lected, and which exercise at least some 
check upon the evil of tho human heart, 
and often, nay commonly recall it to hear 
again the voice of God, and to turn to tho 
aths of holiness and peace. How great, 
ow unspeakable i6 the happiness of a land 
where homes like this are common.— Rev. 
Henry John Rose. 
