MOORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
dKmtafionnl Dtjmtfmtnt. 
BY L. WETHEBELL 
SCHOOL SYSTEM OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
The framers of the first Constitution of 
tho State of Pennsylvania, enjoined upon 
tho Legislature as a duty, “ as soon as con¬ 
veniently may be to provide by law, for the 
establishment of Schools throughout the State 
in such manner that tho poor may be taught 
gratis.” This provision remained practically 
a dead letter from 1790, till 1834, a period 
of forty-four years. 
Laws for the instruction of the poor a3 a 
distinct class, at tho public expense were 
early passed, but no schools established and 
opened during that period. Colleges were 
endowod; Academies founded in nearly 
every county; “but tho Republican provis¬ 
ion of our Constitution,” says Mr. Bur- 
rowes, a Pennsylvanian, “which evidently 
contemplated the general establishment, by 
public authority, of a system of rudimcntal 
schools ‘ throughout the State/ in which all 
without distinction, might be taught tho 
first elements of knowledge, was worse than 
disregarded. Indeed, a litoral compliance 
with its lottor was actually mado to violate 
and destroy its sense. Tho ‘ poor’ assessed 
as such — classed as such — put into lists as 
such — wore publicly handed over to the 
chance tuition of such schools as private en¬ 
terprise, the desire to speculate in such stock, 
or indolence to earn a living by manual la¬ 
bor, had ‘established’in tho township. But 
where none of these motives — to the ten¬ 
der morcies of which the Legislature had 
left tho children of tho destitute — were 
sufficiently active ‘to establish schools,’ this 
assossed, and enrolled, and badged class ot 
tho Stato’s paupers, was left in utter igno¬ 
rance;— an ignorance, thank God ! which, 
if it did leave them poor scholars in fact, 
saved them from being taunted and pointed 
at as ‘ poor [pauper] scholars’ by their more 
fortunate companions.” 
In 1834, tho Legislature enacted the first 
Common School Law; and by an amend¬ 
ment in 1836, Free Schools became a fixed 
fact. Gov. Geo. Wolf is entitled to tho 
highest credit in effecting this result; and 
second only to him, is mentioned the name 
of his successor, Gov. Joseph Ritner. 
By a recent act of the Assembly the Com¬ 
mon School System is in operation in every 
one of tho 1,400 Districts of the State. In 
these there were in 1850, 9,200 schools, 11,- 
600 teachers and 500,000 scholars. Tho 
cost of teaching the pupils severally per 
quarter for six months during which the 
schools wore on an average, kept open, was 
$1.40; and the total cost of the system for 
tho year was $1,400,000. 
During the years that have passed since 
the adoption of the new school system, tho 
number of schools has increased from 7G2 
to 9,200; of teachers, from 808 to 11,500; 
and of pupils, from 32,544 to 500,000; the 
annual cost of the system has boon increas¬ 
ed from $300,000 to $1,400,000 ; and during 
tho aforesaid period of sixteen years the 
people of Pennsylvania have expended $15,- 
000,000 in support of the present system, 
besides tho largo sums expended to sustain 
tho numerous private Academics, Semina¬ 
ries and Schools engaged in the great and 
good work of educating the children of the 
Commonwealth. 
These facts exhibiting the present state 
of tho School System of tho Keystone State 
were taken from an Address, delivered by 
T. H. Bcrrowes, Esq., before the Educa¬ 
tional Society of Lancaster county, which 
is probably doing more relatively for the 
advancement of public education, than any 
other rural county in the State. 
THE LIFE OF ES0F. 
Esop’s Fables have charmed, delighted, 
amused, entertained and instructed more 
children and youth than any other known 
book. And it is not a little remarkable that 
among this multitude of readers and admi¬ 
rers, so few should have ever inquired—Who 
was Esop ? When did ho live, and where ? 
Some have even doubted whether Napo- 
eeon Bonaparte ever lived.—That Esop 
lived, no one over thought of doubting, any 
more than of asking when or where. That 
he lived are agreed—as to the particular 
place there is no more certainty than con¬ 
cerning Homer’s place of nativity. 
Some have maintained that he was a 
Lydian, horn at the city of Sardis; others, 
that ho was a Thracian of the city of Mc- 
sembria—but more are agreed that he was 
native of Phrygia, either of tho town of 
Armorium or Cotyseum, both situated in the 
same province. Those who havo claimed 
for him a Lydian or Samian birth, have 
grounded the probability on the fact of his 
having spent the greater part of his life in 
these places. It is certain that during his 
slavery his habitation a part of tho time 
was in the island of Samos ; and after he 
was freed, he lived in (he court of Croesus 
king of Lydia. It is allowed by all that ho 
was a slavo from his youth—that he was 
the most deformed of living men—resem¬ 
bling Homer’s Tiiersites, is doubted though 
affirmed by Planudes, who adds that tho 
word Esop signifies tho same asiEthiop and 
was'given him because of the blackness of 
his visage;—this statement is also doubted. 
Eustathius says that eetho in the future eeso 
signifies to shine, as well as to burn ; and 
that ops with o long signifies the eye ; so that 
the name Esop, signifies a man with shining 
or sparkling oyes. It is affirmed by tho 
same author that Egop had such an impedi¬ 
ment in his spoech that ho could hardly ar¬ 
ticulate sounds. On the contrary, it is as¬ 
serted in a Greek fragment of his life, that 
Esop had an excellent disposition, and uni¬ 
versal talents—and withal a particular incli¬ 
nation and aptitude for music, which is not 
very consistent with his having a bad voice 
and being dumb. 
Esop’s first master,—for it is said that ho 
had many, was an inhabitant of Athens — 
this was no small advantage to him, for 
Athens was the mother and nurse of science 
and polite learning. His master probably 
had him instructed — for slaves might be 
taught in the palmy days of pagan Greece, 
though Christian civilization has long since 
forbidden it and fixed severe penalties for 
tho transgression of the law. Hero he not 
only learned tho Greek language but moral 
philosophy, a fashionable study at that time. 
The Sages of Greece, celebrated men, devo¬ 
ted themselves to the study of natural phil¬ 
osophy and the subtilties of abstract science; 
others were reputed wise only as they es¬ 
tablished some moral truth embodied in a 
moral sentence by their prudent and virtu¬ 
ous lives. Esor from the meanness of his 
birth, together with his servitude could not 
givo authority to sentences and precepts— 
so he composed fables which so charmed tho 
minds of even the most ignorant, that they 
by the pleasure received, becamo impressed 
with the truth underneath the narration so 
pleasing and so full of novelty. 
Esop has been called tho inventor of 
fables. Quintilian attributes it to tho poet 
Hesiod who relates tho fable of the hawk 
and tho nightingale thus rendered by 
Cooke: 
While now ray fable from the birds I bring, 
To the great rulers of the earth 1 sing. 
High in the clouds a mighty bird of prey, 
Bore a melodious nightingale away. 
And to the captive, shivering in despair, 
Thus, cruel spoke the tyrant of the air, 
Why mourns the wretch in my superior power ? 
Thy voice avails not in the ravished hour. 
Vain are thy cries; at my despotic will. 
Or I can set thee free or I can kill. 
Unwisely who provokes his abler foe, 
Conquest still dies him and he strives for woe. 
The oldest fable known is that of Jotiiam 
—found in tho Old Testament. Esop’s fables 
have been declared to ho much more useful 
because more pertinent than those of tho 
poets. That he wrote all his fables during 
his days of bondage is not claimed. It was 
then ho first became enamoured with that 
pagan morality whose workings made him a 
freeman—and not only a freeman, but one of 
the wisest and ablest men of G reece, finding 
for companions princes and kings as well as 
scholars and philosophers. 
Many other incidents of his lifo might be 
narrated had we room. Esop was put to= 
death by the Delphians to whoso city ho had 
been sent by Crcesus with a large sum of 
gold in order to offer magnificent sacrifices 
to Appollo, and also to distribute money to 
tho citizens. Difficulties arising between 
them, Esop used severo language concern¬ 
ing them, which so provoked them that they 
determined to put him to death. Thoy 
sentenced him to be precipitated from the 
rock Hyampia, a punishment commonly in¬ 
flicted on sacroligious persons. As they 
were on the point of throwing him off, in 
order to deter them from so execrable an 
act by the apprehension of Divine Justice, 
which suffers no wickedness to go unpunish¬ 
ed ho told them the fable of the Eagle and 
the beetle. Tho Delphians were not deter¬ 
red. Thus diod one of tho most ancient and 
interesting authors. 
A French writer breaks his article up in¬ 
to short paragraphs, of two or three lines, 
sometimes containing only two or three 
words, or even one. An Englishman march¬ 
es his sentences up almost in solid column. 
An American’s aro neither as short as the 
one nor as long as tho other. 
Education is incompatible with self indul¬ 
gence, and the impulse of vanity is too of¬ 
ten mistaken for the impulse of nature; 
when Miss is a wit, I am apt to suspect her 
mother is not overwise. 
THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 
Natural Bistort}. 
THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE- 
From tho singularity of the nest of this 
species, from the brilliant color, and its pre¬ 
ferring the apple trees, weeping willows 
walnut, and tulip trees to build on, it is gen¬ 
erally known ; and is as usual honored with 
a variety of names, such as hang-nest, hang¬ 
ing-bird, golden robin, fire-bird, &c., but 
more generally the Baltimore bird. Few of 
tho American orioles equal this in the con¬ 
struction of their nests ; ho gives them, in 
in a superior degree, warmth, convenience, 
and security. He generally fixes on tho 
high bending extremities of tho branches, 
fastening strong strings of hemp or flax 
round two forked twigs ; with the same ma¬ 
terials ho fabricates a strong, firm kind of 
cloth, not unlike the substance of a hat in 
its raw state, forms it into a pouch six or 
eight inches in depth, lining it substantially 
with soft substances well interwoven with 
tho outward netting, and lastly finishes with 
a layer of horse hair; tho whole being sha¬ 
ded from the sun and rain by a natural pent¬ 
house, or canopy of leaves. 
Tho birds of this species havo all a com¬ 
mon form of building, but thoy do not build 
in exactly tho same manner. Great differ¬ 
ence will be found in tho style, neatness, 
and finishing of tho nest. Somo are far 
superior workmen to others. So solicitous 
is the Baltimore to procure proper materi¬ 
als for his nest, that the women in the coun¬ 
try must narrowly watch tho thread that 
maybe bleaching; and tho farmer must se¬ 
cure his young grafts, as this bird will carry 
off the former, and tho strings that tio tho 
latter, to serve his purposes in building. 
Tho principal food of tho Baltimore con¬ 
sists of beetles, caterpillars, and bugs, par¬ 
ticularly one of a brilliant glossy green.— 
His song is a clear, mellow whistle, repeated 
at short intervals, as ho gleans among tho 
branches. There is in it a certain wild play¬ 
fulness and naivete extremely inteiesting.— 
It is not uttered with the rapidity of our 
eminent songsters, but with tho pleasing 
tranquility of a careless plowboy, whistling 
merely for his own amusement. When 
alarmed by an approach to his nest, ho 
makes a kind of rapid chirruping very dif¬ 
ferent from his usual note. He inhabits 
North America, from Canada to Mexico, 
and is found as far south as Brazil. It is 
seven inches long; tho head, throat, upper 
part of the hack and wings aro black; low¬ 
er part of the back, and whole under parts 
are bright orange, deepening into vermilion 
on the breast; tho back is also divided by a 
hand of orange, tho tail is black and orange. 
Tho plumage of the female is lighter and 
duller than that of tho male. These birds 
are several years in completing their plum¬ 
age.— Library of Mat. History. 
Of all learning tho most difficult depart¬ 
ment is to unlearn ; drawing a mistake or 
prejudice out of the head is as painful as 
drawing a tooth, and the patient never 
thanks the operator. 
A critic should be a pair of snuffers ; he is 
often an extinguisher and not seldom a thief 
Give your children education, and no ty¬ 
rant will trample on your liberties. 
THE CHAMELEON. 
Ax officer in Africa thus writes of the 
habits of this animal: 
As some of tho habits of the chameleon 
may not bo generally known, L will take the 
liberty of mentioning a few of them, which 
came under my own observation. One 
morning, on my return from parade, I saw, 
close to my own tent, a very large chamele¬ 
on hanging on a bush. I immediately se¬ 
cured him, and provided a box for him to 
repose in. In tho course of a few days ho 
became quite familiar, and having seen them 
before, I knew how to gain his affections— 
which, in tho first place was done by feed¬ 
ing him well; and, in the next place, by 
scratching his back with a feather ! I used 
to put him on my table at breakfast, and in 
the course of a very few minutos I have 
seen him devour at least fifty flies, catching 
them in the most dexterous manner with his 
long and slimy tongue; nor does he ever 
move from his position; but so sure as an 
unfortunate fly comes within roach, so sure 
lie is caught, and with the rapidity of tho’t. 
In the forenoon I always gave him a large 
slico of water-melon, tho whole of which 
he devoured and he generally supped on as 
many flies as ho could manage to entrap, 
setting at dofianco the “noblo Hamlet’s” 
theory of tho chameleon’s dish. Promises 
would not havo suited him at all, being, at 
tho end of each day. considerably more like 
a crammed capon than an air-fed chame¬ 
leon. 
It is not true that this animal will change 
color according to what ho is put on; but 
ho will change shade according as ho is 
pleased or displeased. His general hue is 
a bright green, with small gold spots over 
his body ; he remains at this shade when ho 
is highly pleased, by being in tho sun, or 
being fed, or scratched, which ho delights 
in. When angry—and he is very easily 
made so—his hue changes to a dusky green, 
almost black, and the gold spots aro not to 
be seen; but 1 never could perceive any 
other color on his body but green, in a va¬ 
riety of shades; the spots enlarge very 
much when he is in good humor—so much, 
indeed, as to give a yellow tinge to tho up¬ 
per part of the animal; but in general they 
aremeroly little yellow spots here and there 
on the back and side. I carried him to Sici¬ 
ly, where he died, much regretted. 
WONDERFUL SAGACITY OF THE ELEPHANT. 
late' Ikjiarfmraf. 
In the Island of Ceylon, the value of tho 
elephants for performing heavy labor can 
scarce bo estimated. A late traveller saw a 
troop of them at work near Colombo, in the 
Commissariat timber yard, in the civil en¬ 
gineer’s department, in removing or stowing 
logs and planks or rolling about heavy mas¬ 
ses of stone for building purposes. I could 
not (says he.) but admire the precision with 
which thoy performed their allotted task, 
unaided save by their own sagacity. They 
were ono morning hard at work; though 
slowly, piling up a quantity of heavy pieces 
of obony. The lower row of tho pilo 
had been already laid down, with mathemat¬ 
ical precision, six logs side by side. Those 
thoy had first rolled in from the adjoining 
wharf; and when I rode up, they were en¬ 
gaged in bringing forward tho next six for 
the second row in the pilo. 
It was curious to observe theso uncouth 
animals seize ono of the he&vy logs at each 
end, and by means of their trunks lift it up 
on logs already placed, and then arrange it 
crosswise upon them with tho most perfect 
skill. I waited whilst they thus placed the 
third row feeling a curiosity to know how 
they would proceed when tho timber had to 
be lifted to a greater height. Some of tho 
logs weighed nearly twenty hundred weight. 
There was a short pause before tho fourth 
was touched ; but the difficulty was no soon¬ 
er perceived than it was overcome. The sa¬ 
gacious animals selected two straight pieces 
of timber and placed one end of each on 
the ground, with the other resting upon the 
pile so as to form a sliding way for tho next 
logs; and having seen that they were per¬ 
fectly steady and in a straight lino, the four 
logged laborers rolled up the slope thoy had 
just formed, tho six pieces of ebony for the 
fourth layer on the pilo. Not the least 
amusing part of the performance was tho 
careful survey of the uile made by ono of 
the elephants after placing each log. to as¬ 
certain if it were perfectly square with the 
rest. 
The sagacity of those creatures in detect¬ 
ing weakness in tho jungle bridges across 
some of tho streams of Ceylon, is not less 
remarkable. I have been assured that when 
carrying a load, they invariably press ono of 
their fore-feet on the earth-covering of tho 
bridge, to try its strength ; if that feels too 
weak to carry them across, thoy will refuse 
to proceed until lightened of their load. 
On one occasion a driver persisted in com¬ 
pelling his elephant to cross a bridge against 
tho evident wish of the animal; and as was 
expected by his comrades, the rotten struc¬ 
ture gave way, elephant and rider were pre¬ 
cipitated into tho river, and the latter 
drowned. 
The Gray Squirrel. — This animal is 
remarkable for its beauty and activity, and 
is common throughout the United States. 
It is generally found in hickory and chest¬ 
nut woods, whore it feeds on nuts, and lays 
up a hoard for the winter. They construct 
their nosts with care on the tops of tall 
trees, and seldom leavo them during the 
cold woather. They do a great deal of mis¬ 
chief in tho corn fields, by destroying and 
carrying off'a great quantity of corn. They 
are very easily domesticated, and in captiv¬ 
ity aro very playful and mischievous. The 
gray squirrel is commonly of a fine bluish 
gray, mingled with a golden color.— Ma- 
turalist's Library. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
“WOMAN’S RIGHTS.” 
BY HENRY SHUTTS. 
One of tho most important, but ono of 
tho most difficult things for a powerful 
mind, is to bo its own master ; a pond may 
lay quiet in a plain, but a lake wants moun¬ 
tains to compass and hold it in. 
We have little moral faith in those who 
havo nover boon imposed upon. 
WOMAN’S LOVE. 
’Mid ambition's cankering strife, 
Sought in Legislative hails — 
Or on fields with carnage l ife, 
Where (lie reeking sabre falls 
Vengeful on a human foe — 
Shall she brawl ?—or strike the blow ? 
In tho Pulpit lifted, may 
She confront the public gaze ?— 
Mingle in the wordy fray 
Of Forensic life—or raise 
From the “ stump ” her treble voice— 
Or in ale-house slang rejoice ? 
Still forgetting quite her sex, 
Shall she elbow through the mart, 
Where trade’s sordid cares may vex, 
And rude contact freeze her heart ?— 
Are not these degenerate days, 
If thus woman seeks her bays? 
As soon would I see her wear 
“ Breeks,” or board, or face of brass, 
And with coarse and swaggering air 
Whiff cigars, or tip the glass — 
And in Bacchanalian Bights, 
Scream '* hurrah for Woman’s Rights!” 
To adorn with heart and blind, 
Home’s pure, sacred, calm delights — 
To be modest, meek, refined — 
These are woman’s “ vested rights 
Love, and Intellect, and Soul, 
Give her limitless control. 
Or in converse, or with pen, 
Let her at the hearth-stone shine. 
Making every home of men, 
Of intelligence a shrine, 
But let no domestic care 
Want for due attention there. 
To be honor'd, lov’d, obey’d, 
And true dignity maintain, 
In Home's peaceful, quiet shade, 
Woman still let her remain. 
And ne’er seek for “ rights” apart 
From her tmpirc of the heart. 
Cobleskill, N. Y., 1852. 
For the Rural New-Yorker. 
THE SEASONS AN EMBLEM OF LIFE. 
Time, ever changing and varied, brings 
the four revolving seasons with their endless 
vicissitudes. First comes tho young and 
gladsome Spring, with sunny smiles that 
wreathe the earth with charms; changing 
the groves from their sombre hue to one of 
pleasant green ; filling the air with the per¬ 
fume of tho flowers and the melody of 
birds, seen in every valley and heard in ev¬ 
ery bough. This season is tho emblem of 
childhood ; so pleasant—so lovely—so free 
from cloud and care. 
With stealthy step, time passes on, and 
young Spring yields her place to youthful 
Summer. The waving fields assume a gold¬ 
en tinge, and tho merry harvest song is 
heard through all our happy land. Tho 
bounties of a kind Providence are lavished 
upon us—all hearts are filled with gladness. 
The buoyancy of youth gives place to tho 
firm strength of riper yoars and the activi¬ 
ties of busy life. This is man’s best season 
and should bo faithfully improved. 
Autumn, with a stately step approaches. 
Tho sighing winds aro moaning a farewell 
requiem o’er tho departing summer. Tho 
sere and yellow leaves, come circling down 
to earth, and all the beauties of field and 
forest are slowly passing away beneath tho 
chiiling north winds—leaving to nature only 
her most sombre aspect. This season is a 
monitor to warn us of our dissolution. 
Old Winter closes the scene, spreading 
his snowy winding-sheet over the dying year, 
whoso beauty and joy only lives in fading 
and sorrowful memories. This season is 
like age—the last refuge to the care-worn 
pilgrim, tho grave will soon open to receive 
him to its chilling embraces—but it is a 
Winter to bo followed by an eternal Spring 
in another world. Pattie. 
Daniel Webster, in one of his masterly 
speeches, paid the following beautiful tribute 
to woman: 
“ May it plcaso your honors, there is 
nothing upon this earth that can compare 
with the faithful attachment of a wife ; no 
creature so persevering, so ready to suffer 
and to dio. Under tho most depressing cir¬ 
cumstances, woman’s weakness becomes 
mighty power; her timidity becomes fear¬ 
less courage ; all her shrinking and sinking 
passes away, and her spirit acquires the 
firmness of marble ; adamantine firmness, 
when circumstances drive her to put forth 
all her energies under the inspiration of all 
her affections.” 
A Beautiful Turn. —A little girl was di¬ 
rected to open tho door for General Wash¬ 
ington, as ho was leaving a house whore ho 
had been visiting. Turning to her ho said, 
“ I am sorry, my little dear, to give you so 
much trouble.” “ I wish, sir,” sho replied, 
“it was to let you in.” 
As that gallant can best affect a protend¬ 
ed passion for ono woman who has no true 
lovo for another, so he that ho has no real 
esteem for any of tho virtues can best as¬ 
sume tho appearance of them all. 
Opinions are estimated by their truth, 
preferences by their propriety. 
The mercy of men is to ho just, tho jus¬ 
tice of women is to bo merciful. 
