MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
(Bbnrattonal Jepartnmit. 
BY L. WETHEBELL. 
ELEMENTARY DISCIPLINE. 
Various opinions prevail as to the most 
proper time to commence tho education of 
children—some claiming that it should he 
begun much earlier than is usual, while 
others maintain that it is already entered 
upon at too early an ago. Experiei.ee, in 
discussing this subject, is met by experience, 
and observation by observation, and the 
question—When shall tho education oi tho 
child commence ?—remains unsettled, in the 
minds of many carnost inquirers. 
It is generally admitted, that the earliest 
impressions are the most enduring—this 
being so, then it would seem to bo a lair 
deduction—that as soon as the child is sus¬ 
ceptible of comprehending impressions 
made upon tho mind by words and by ob¬ 
servation, should his systematic training 
and education be begun. The capacity ol 
children like that of adults, differs, and so 
of necessity will tho most suitable timo to 
begin educating, bo earlier or later, accord 
ing to tho ability to understand and know. 
Tho arts of reading, and spelling are not 
generally, easily acquired. Yet there are 
examples, whero boys and girls read and 
spell well at the ago of four or five years: 
and it has been remarked by a teacher ol 
great observation, that if a child who has 
attained tho .ago of six years, cannot read 
easy lessons fluently, tho difficulty ol doing 
so increases with increasing years. It is 
very disheartening to a child who has at¬ 
tained tho ago of seven or eight, to be still 
unable to road easy lessons with fluency.— 
He feels keenly tho odium that seoms qui¬ 
etly to distil upon him who is denominated 
a bad reader—it is worse than being a bad 
speller. Early inferiority when one is fully 
conscious of it, is almost suro to prevent 
future progress—because it begets a hatred 
for books and literary society. 
Education then, as wo have often urged, 
should be commenced in the homo circle, 
and the mother should bo the first teacher 
—for education of some sort is sure to be 
given and received by the child while at 
home, whether it be systematic or accident¬ 
al—such as surrounding circumstances are 
calculated to impart. 
Every child should be taught to read the 
letters of tho alphabet at homo. This 
should not be required of a public teacher 
except under the most extraordinary cir¬ 
cumstances. No one is so well adapted to 
do this as the mother, in our favored coun¬ 
try—and not only should she teach the 
child the letters; but she should also teach 
how to put them together so as form words, 
and after that to put tho words together so 
as to form sentences, which constitutes the 
first steps in learning tho art of reading.— 
An old English teacher remarked many 
years since, that ho always found those boys 
to be the best readers that had been taught 
by their mothers. Further, ho remarked 
that boys thus instructed soldom had vulgar 
tones—but generally have road with unusu¬ 
al ease and elegance. This teacher says: 
“ Lot then, the child be taught to read as 
soon as tho infant faculties begin to exhibit 
symptoms of improvable expansion; his at¬ 
tention, active in the extreme must fix on a 
variety of objects. Let his book be one ol 
those objects, though by no means tho only 
one. Let no long confinement, and no se¬ 
verity of reprimand or correction attend 
the lesson. A little will be learned at the 
earliest ago, and with the easiest discipline. 
That little will infallibly load to further im¬ 
provement; and tho boy will soon, and with 
little pains to himself, or others, learn to 
read ; an acquisition considered in its diffi¬ 
culty and in its consequences, truly great. 
He, on the other hand, who is retarded, 
by the theoretical wisdom of his friends, 
till he is seven or eight years of age, has 
this burdensome task to begin, when habits 
of idleness have been contracted, and when 
ho ought to bo laying tho foundation ol 
classical knowledge. 
It is much to bo lamented, that mothers 
in the higher ranks of life, who are usually 
best qualified for tho task, seldom have time 
or inclination to tako an active part in the 
elementary education of their own children. 
The happiest consequences would flow from 
theif immediate interposition. But it must 
bo confessed, that tho employment, though 
maternal tenderness and a sense of duty- 
may render it tolerable, is by no means 
pleasurable; unloss, indeed, under the par¬ 
ticular circumstances of a remarkable do¬ 
cility in tho pupil and an amiablo disposi¬ 
tion. It may not, however, bo irksome to 
superintend tho child’s improvement under 
tho governess or servant, of whatever de¬ 
nomination.” 
Let mothers consider whether they can 
realiy employ themselves better than in the 
work of early teaching and training their 
little onos—a delightful employment. 
abbatjj Utabings. 
THOUGHTS ON AUTUMN. 
BY 1. G. WHITTIER. 
Gone hath the Sprin", with all its flowers, 
And gone the Summer's pomp and show, 
And Autumn, in his leafless bowers, 
Is waiting for the Winter's snow. 
I said to Earth, so cold and gray, 
“ An emblem of myself thou art 
“ Not so,” the Earth did seem t.o say, 
“ For Spring shall warm my frozen heart." 
_ /ty/.V/cP/V 
[Engraved expressl. for Moore’s R ral New-Yorker.] 
GREAT RAILROAD BRIDGE—NEAR PORTAGE, N. Y. 
We are sure that wo gratify tho readers 
of tho Rural New Yorker by presenting I 
them with the accompanying engraving of 
tho wonder of Railroad bridges—that over 
tho Genesee river near Portage, Wyoming 
county. It is copied from a daguerreotype 
taken by A. \V. Moore of Lancaster, and 
obligingly sent us by that gentleman. 
This bridge, of which wo gavo an extend¬ 
ed notice in our paper of Sept. 16th, is on 
the Buffalo and New York city Railroad, i 
A CHEAP, HOME-MADE TELESCOPE. j 
Eds. Rural :—In the autumn of ’42, be¬ 
ing then nineteen years of age, and natu¬ 
rally of a mechanical and inquisitive turn 
of mind, and having read some in different 
works on philosophy and astronomy, I un¬ 
dertook to make a cheap telescope; and, as 
a knowledge of the process may not bo un¬ 
interesting to all your readers, I give it for 
what it is worth. I bought a common con¬ 
vex spectacle glass of three feet focus, and 
a small glass one-half an inch in diameter, 
one inch focus, both costing 75 cents. 
I then proceeded to mako a tube as fol¬ 
lows : I took a pieco of two inch plank, 
sawed it out two inches square, put it in 
my lathe, and merely rounded ono end, but 
tho other end I diminished to about one and 
one-fourth inches. I then applied it to a 
fine circular saw, splitting it in two halves. 
Then 1 hollowed out each part, leaving 
them about one fourth of an inch thick, 
and painted th *. inside black, with lamp- 
black and spirits of turpentino. I then 
fastened them firmly together with glue, 
and made another tube in the same manner 
about four inches long, small enough to 
slide closely into tho large tube. 
I placed tho largest glass in the large end 
of the long tube, and the small ono in the 
small tube near tho end, then by sliding the 
small tube into the largo one so as to bring 
tho glasses about threo feet and ono inch 
apart, (tho sum of their focal distances,) 
and applying my eye to the small tube, I 
was astonished and delighted at the clear¬ 
ness with which I could discern distant ob¬ 
jects. I placed it upon a sort of standard, 
in such a manner that it would turn in any 
direction, and I could thon view tho planets 
with great facility. It is truo, all terres¬ 
trial objects appeared inverted, but the oyo 
soon becamo accustomed to it, and tho 
clearness compensated for tho absence of 
tho other two glasses. On pointing it at 
Jupiter, I could plainly distinguish his 
moons but not his belts. Saturn’s rings can 
be seen with it, but not his moons. Venus 
appears like a small moon through it, pre¬ 
senting the different phases of that lumi¬ 
nary. But tho rocky and mountainous por¬ 
tions of our moon present tho greatest field 
for observation, being the nearest celestial 
object, and though I have since looked thro’ 
better telescopes, there is not that difference 
which ono would naturally suppose between 
a telescope costing $2, and ono costing 
$200. Venus being now morning star, and 
in the best part of her orbit for observation 
prosonts a beautiful appearance. 
But I will close, merely saving, that such 
sketches have always been of interest to me, 
and thinking that others of your readors 
might havo similar phrenological “ bumps,” 
I submit it to you to lay bofore them or not 
as you think proper. R. C. Norton. 
Guilford, Chenango Co , N. Y„ 1852. 
Tiiere meets mo from time to time a 
youth in whom I can wish nothing altered 
or improved ; still I can feel anxious when I 
see in tho time-streams one so perfectly 
fitted to swim with it; and hero I would add 
that man, in his frail canoe, has for this very 
reason tho rudder placed in his hand that 
ho may not follow tho rude impetus of the 
tide and wave, but tho guidance of his own 
I insight.— Goethe. 
about one mile below the village of Portage. 
It is 800 feet in length with an extreme 
height of 234 feet. The'reader will gather 
from tho engraving and our former descrip¬ 
tion, tho details of its construction. Tho 
view is that presented from tho west bank 
of the river above, looking down stream.— 
On this side, the bank is steep and composed 
of barren rocks : tho other is loss abrupt.— 
About midway may bo seen the Genesee 
Valley canal, which for miles, with immense 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Great Cities of tiie World, in their Glory and 
in their Desolation. Embracing cities ot Eu¬ 
rope, Asia, Africa and America ; with a History 
of Important Events of their Time. By John 
Frost, LL. D. Auburn : Aldcn, Beaidsley & 
Co. 1852. 
This volume presents tho reader with 
brief and deeply interesting sketches of tho 
magnificent cities of ancient times, their 
fall and desolation; also, some of modern 
date. It is fully illustrated, well printed, 
and remarkably woll adapted to please and 
instruct the young—also to inspire them 
with a lovo for reading historic loro. It is 
a good book for district libraries. For sale 
at Wanzer, Beardsley & Co’s. 
The Classical Manual: An Epitome of Ancient 
Geography, Greek aud Roman Mythology, An¬ 
tiquities and Chronology. Chiefly intended 
for tho use of Schools. Compiled by James S. 
Baird. Trinity College, Dublin, Assistant Clas¬ 
sical Master, King’s School, Gloucester. Phil¬ 
adelphia: Blanchard it Lea. 1852. 
This is ono of Sciimitz & Zumrt’s classi¬ 
cal series to which wo havo before called 
attention. This will bo found well suited 
to elucidate tho Greek and Roman authors 
usually read in the junior forms of our 
schools; and, it will also bo found accept¬ 
able to tho more advanced student. Dewey 
has it. 
The Culture of the Grape, and Wine Making: 
By Robert Buchanan. With an Appendix, 
Containing Directions for the Cultivation of the 
Strawberry: By N. Longworth. Cincinnati: 
Moore & Anderson. 1852. 
This will be found a useful manual for 
those who are engaged in the grape and 
strawberry culture; also, to such as are in¬ 
terested in wine making. Sold by Sage & 
Brother. 
Harper’s Monthly for October, has been 
received. This is a good number minus 
the illustrations under tho head of comical¬ 
ities. Tho Abbotts continue their contri¬ 
butions. Memoirs of the Holy Land by 
Jacob; Tho Palaces of France, and Napo¬ 
leon Bonaparte, by J. S. C. Abbott. For 
sale at Dewey’s. 
Variety. —What inextricable confusion 
must the world for ever have bocn in, but 
for the variety which wo find to observe in 
tho faces, tho voices, and tho handwritings 
of men ! No security of person, no cer¬ 
tainty of possession, no justice between 
man and man, no distinction between good 
and bad, friends and foes, father and child, 
husband and wife, malo and female. All 
would have been exposed to malice, fraud, 
forgery and lust. But now every man’s 
face can distinguish him in the light—his 
voieo in the dark—and his handwriting can 
speak for him though absent, and be his 
witness to all generations. Did this happen 
by chance, or is it not a manifest as well as 
an admirable indication of a Divine super¬ 
intendence ?— Horne. 
How shall wo learn to know ourselves ? 
By reflection ? never—but only through 
action. Strive to do thy duty; then sbalt 
thou know what is in thee. But what is my 
duty ? That which is beforo thee—the task 
of tho day.— Goethe. 
Whatever wo think out, whatever we tako 
in hand to do, should be perfectly and finally 
I finished, that the world, if it mustalter, will 
only havo to spoil it; wo have then nothing 
to do but unite the severed— to recollect 
and restore the dismombered.— Goethe. 
labor, has been cut in this wall of stone.— 
No river in tho Stato presonts so much 
of unique and beautiful scenery as is hero 
grouped within the distance of a few miles. 
From the Upper to tho Lower fall, the Gen- 
J eseo descends 400 feet, and tho banks are 
full G00 feet high. It is fast booming a 
favored resort of tho lovers of tho pictur 
esque, and of the work of men’s hands to be 
seen there, tho Bridgo under notice will long 
remain the crowning attraction. 
| MR. RODGERS, THE ARTIST. 
In a letter from Florence, I gavo you 
some account of the statue of Ruth, by Mr. 
Rodgers, of New York. The cast is now in 
Rome, whero this very talonted artist has 
permanently taken up his residence. Al¬ 
ready it is well blocked out in marble, and 
promises, not only from tho intrinsic merits 
of tho work itself, but from the purity and 
1 beauty of the marble, to bo in all respects 
a most attractive production. During the 
progress of the mechanical part of the pro 
cess, (that of cutting out in marble,) Mr. 
i Rodgers has employed himself on some 
| works of a lighter character ono of which 
| is a very charming design representing Cu¬ 
pid, disgusted with tho mercenary lovo ol 
the present day, breaking his bow. 
Tho figuro is that of a boautiful child, 
four or five years of ago, seatod on a bed of 
flowers, supporting himself with ono arm 
I while with tho other ho pulls tho bow to- 
! wards him, tho end being caught in tho bond 
of tho lower leg, and the foot of the upper 
leg pressed against tho middle as to enable 
him to break tho bow. A quiver of arrows 
lies at his back, which ho cast off in despair 
of ever having further use for it. The 
slight scarf by which it was carried falls j 
across the lower part of his body, and forms 
tho only drapery. An arrow which ho has 
just shot from his bow lies by his side bro¬ 
ken, the point having struck against a coin 
instead of a loving and tender heart, at 
which the little god always aims. Tho ex¬ 
pression of tho face is admirable, giving just 
tho right idea of childish disgust, mingled 
with that mischievous spirit which histo¬ 
rians, poets, and lovers havo attributed to the 
wayward boy who deals in hearts. So well- 
conceived is tho whole thing that I cannot 
but suspect tho author of having dipped a 
little into another book besides that ol 
heathen mythology; I moan the strange 
book of nature, in which ono reads lessons 
of joy and pain, and learns that there are 
delightful little beings in this world, inosi 
“ uncertain, coy, and hard to please.” 
Mr. Rodgers has also conceived a very 
happy thought, which he has already devel¬ 
oped in a sketch, of representing Winter 
and Summer in their most pleasing phases. 
IVinter appears in the form of a boy, who. 
with a loose hood thrown over his head, and 
draped to suit tho season, is just making his 
first essay upon the ice. With one hand he 
holds to tho stump of a tree on the edge of 
tho pond, afraid to let go lest ho should fall; 
ono foot nearly supports him, while the oth¬ 
er timidly touches the ice to test its strength. 
Tho face is that of a sturdy, headstrong lit¬ 
tle follow. who has run off from home against 
paternal authority, and is delighted with the 
novelty of the enterprise, while rather fear¬ 
ful of tho result. Hummer is represented 
by a nude figuro of tho same size, about to 
plunge into a stream of water. Flowers 
grow upon its banks, and it is Overhung by 
shrubbery, giving a pleasing sense of shade 
and repose. 
Both of these designs are certainly as 
original as anything can be on such a sub¬ 
ject; and, as well as I can judge by the 
sketches, exhibit a high talent for expression 
of ideal character; and will, when complet¬ 
ed, form two most pleasing works, each dis¬ 
tinct if necessary, but bearing the same re¬ 
lationship to the other as the seasons which 
they represent.— JY. Y. Times. 
Let tho earnest and active, capable man, 
deserve himself and expect— 
From the great, gracious recognizance; 
From the mighty, favor and regard ; 
From the active and good, furtherance; 
From tho many, friendly good wishes; 
Fiom the One only. Love. — Goetlic. 
Tell mo with whom thou art found, and 
I will tell thee whom thou art : let mo know 
i thy chosen employment, and what to expect 
1 from thee I know. 
I soothe my wintry sleep with dream3 
Of warmer sun ami sof.er rain, 
And wait to hear the sound of streams 
And songs of merry birds again. 
But thou from whom the Spring hath gone, 
For whom the flowers no longer blow, 
Who standetli blighted and forlorn, 
Like Autumn waiting for the snow : 
No hope is thine of sunnier hours. 
Thy Winter shall no more depart; 
No Spring rerive thy wasted flowers, 
Nor Summer warm thy frozen heart. 
CHRISTIANITY. 
Christianity has the joy of liberty. It 
delivers tho soul from the c nirse of the law 
and tho bondage of corruption, and pours 
the joy of conscious fret d >rn into the heart. 
Every man feels that there is joy in liberty. 
It is tho joy of tho prisoner released, aud 
of tho slave restored to freedom; of tho 
dead brought back to life, and of tho lost 
ono saved. Such a joy expands and elo- 
vates tho soul, and constitutes the very 
strength of its inner spiritual life.—Noli, 
viii. 10. 
•Christianity has the joy of peace. In tho 
intelligent peace of the soul with God, and 
in solid peace of conscience, through the 
atoning blood of tho cross, there is a joy 
which transcends all the more gladdening 
emotions of timo, as heaven transcends the 
earth. What joy should equal that of tho 
man whoso sin is forgiven, to whom the Lord 
imputeth not iniquity, and to whom there 
is no condemnation, because lie rests his 
hopes in Christ ? In this is “ tho peace 
which passeth all understanding.” 
Here, too, is the joy of love. And how 
thrilling is tho joy which this affection is fit¬ 
ted to inspire ! When fixed and centered 
on tho perfect and divine objects which tho 
religion of Christ alone reveals, a joy is at 
onco infused into tho soul which no other 
love can yield. To love God because he 
first loved us, to commune with him as tho 
object of supremo affection, and to enjoy 
his presence, is tho highest delight of tho 
regenerated soul. And there is the joy of 
gratitude. Thankfulness, when benefits are 
received and recognized, seems an instinct 
of the soul; and in its exorcise there is a 
measure of gladness. Christianity evokes 
thehighestgratitudo. Tho uprise of thanks¬ 
giving to that Being who is tho Father of all 
our mercies; to that Savior who, in tho 
depth of his infinite love, gavo himself for 
our sins ; and to that divine Spirit who con¬ 
descends to dwell with men as tho Comfort¬ 
er and tho Spirit of truth, is attendod with 
emotions of joy which tho grateful soul 
alone can feel. 
Christianity, also, and, in fino, has thojoy 
of hope. Who is a stranger to “ tho pleas¬ 
ures of hopo ?’’ Every ono has felt that in 
it there is pure and sacred joy. Our divine 
religion summons us to “ rejoico in hope. ’ 
The hope which it imparts is ‘"an anchor of 
tho soul both suro and steadfast.” It goes 
beyond tho present, and rises amidst tho 
scenes of tho invisible, and the realities of 
eternity ; and such a hopo must have a joy 
worthy of its purity and value. The Chris¬ 
tian hopes on, is “saved by hope;” and his 
hope, when bright and fuli, is calculated to 
surround him with the very atmosphere of 
joy. And, besides its own celestial glad¬ 
ness, his religion is in harmony with all 
proper sources of enjoyment to man. It 
bids him, yea, it enables him, to extract tho 
honey from every flower which docks tho 
moral wilderness through which ho travels. 
— Spence. 
Habits.— Like flakes of snow that fall 
unperceived upon the earth, tho seemingly 
unimportant events of life succeed one an¬ 
other. As the snow gathers together, so 
are our habits formed. No single flake that 
is added to tho pile produces a sensible 
change; no single action creates,.however 
it may exhibit a man’s character; but as 
tho tempest hurls tho avalanche down the 
mountain, and overwhelms tho inhabitant 
and his habitation, so passion, acting upon 
the elements of mischief; which pernicious 
habits have brought together by impercep¬ 
tible accumulation, may overthrow the edi¬ 
fice of truth and virtue.— Jeremy Benlham. 
The Way to Hear Sermons.— At every 
point that concerns himself, the good par¬ 
ishioner turns down a leaf in his heart, and 
rejoiceth that God’s word hath pierced him, 
is hoping that whilst his soul smarts it heals. 
And as it is no manners for him that hath 
good venison before him to ask whence it 
came, but rather fairly to fall to it—so bear- 
ng an excellent sermon ho never inquires 
•vhenco tho preacher had it, but falls aboard 
to practice it.— Fuller. 
In the morning say to thyself, what shall 
I do this day which God has given mo ? 
How shall I employ it to his glory ? In tho 
evening consider within thyself and recol¬ 
lect. What have I done this day, and how 
have 1 spent it. 
There are two kinds of immortality ; that 
which the soul really enjoys after this life, 
and that imaginary existence hy which men 
live in their fame and reputation. 
Those are never likely to come to good 
that are unduttful to their parents. 
