MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
(Bitoationa! Itpattmrat. 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
EDUCATIONAL ITEMS. 
Newark College.— Tho farmers of tho 
State of Delaware, have subscribed $ 50,000 
for a College at Newark, on condition that 
a Professorship of Agriculture bo at once 
established. 
Rev. E. P. Barrows, late Professor in tho 
Theological Department of tho Western 
Reserve College, also Editor of the Ohio Ob¬ 
server, has been appointed Professor in tho 
Andover Theological Seminary. 
The Rhode Island Stato Normal School 
was opened for the reception of candidates 
for teachers, in Providence, on tho 1st inst. 
Prof. W. C. Larabee, was recently elect¬ 
ed Superintendent of Public Instruction in 
Indiana. 
Ovid Academy, Seneca county, has made 
provision to teach Agriculture Scientifically. 
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE. 
For several years past tho question of 
corporal punishment has engaged tho atten¬ 
tion of the community, and many have 
taken strong ground against it. Public 
sentiment has always been averse to the in¬ 
fliction of corporal punishment, arising 
partly from a superficial view of the subject, 
and partly from an undue value of the effi¬ 
cacy of tho substitutes employed.- Tho 
public have generally put forward tho abuse 
of this mode of punishment as one of the 
chief arguments against its practice. 
In some portions of the Union teachers 
were severely censured, both by tho public 
and tho press. The first inquiry propound¬ 
ed to tho humble applicant, demanded his 
opinion concerning tho use of corporal pun¬ 
ishment. An answer in its favor was con¬ 
sidered a weighty objection against him.— 
Hence, many who had never experienced 
the difficulties of a school room, became the 
most ardent supporters of moral suasion; 
and many who held responsible situations, 
seeing their popularity waning, had noither 
tho courage nor the honesty to avow their , 
real sentiments, but joined the advocates of 
the new theory, and thus apparently gave 
undeniable evidence of its superiority.— 
Every teacher who had the hardihood to 
defend tho wise teachings of Solomon, was 
in danger of incurring tho displeasuro of 
his superiors, and he could scarcely dare to 
inflict personal chastisement even as a last 
resort. In vain would he plead to be heard, 
while he portrayed tho sad effects upon a 
certain class of his pupils, whoso misdoings 
nothing would restrain but tho fear of the 
rod, the assertions of the advocates of mild 
and gentle treatment to the contrary not¬ 
withstanding. Expulsion, the only remedy 
for the incorrigible, was substituted. For 
when every kind, gentle, and judicious effort 
of the teacher has failed, personal chastise¬ 
ment or expulsion must follow. 
What has been the result of tho experi¬ 
ment ? Let the parents of our populous 
cities answer. A distinguished teacher as¬ 
serted, before tho Convention at Newark, 
last August, that the people of Boston came 
forward and settled the question in favor of 
a sound and wholesome discipline. What 
ho stated of that city we are prepared to 
affirm of others. 
In a few months hundreds were turfied 
out to run the streets. Expulsions multi¬ 
plied to a serious extent. Parents earnestly 
entreated the teacher to punish their chil¬ 
dren rather than to give them the opportu¬ 
nity of finishing their education on the 
highway. Need we add that the name of 
our city had become a synonym for riotous 
and disorderly behavior ? Truant-players 
increased to an alarming multitude. Then 
tho relapse took place, and a general revul¬ 
sion of opinion soon closed the mouths of 
those who decried a proper castigation of 
the refractory, and thus encourage insub¬ 
ordination, instead of supporting good and 
wholesome discipline. 
Theso remarks were prompted by tho 
necessity of keeping teachers and parents 
awake to the dangers of specious philosophy, 
and of warning them against tho adoption 
of the principle that a pupil can be govern¬ 
ed without restraint.— Pa. School Jourmal. 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. 
The Congress of the Union and tho Leg¬ 
islature of New York are about to assemble. 
Tho Executives of the General and of tho 
Stato governments will lay before these 
bodies respectively their annual messages— 
in other words, these high officers will render 
an account of what they have done, or sug¬ 
gest what they think should be done, to the 
immediate representatives of the people. 
The humblest citizen of this republic, no 
matter if he lives in tho remotest corner of 
the land, will have an opportunity to form 
his own opinions on the merits of the policy 
pursued by the administration, and judge 
for himself of tho propriety of the new 
measures that may bo proposed for adop¬ 
tion. Whether or not their American priv¬ 
ilege—or rather right and duty—is proper¬ 
ly appreciated, it is nevertheless one which 
the people of no other country on earth 
either possess or oxercise as the people of 
the United States do. This of itself ought 
to bo enough to make us think well of our 
popular political institutions, which are bas- 
od so securely on the principles of liberty. 
When wo consider the vast and multiply¬ 
ing interests that are necessarily confided 
to the wisdom and experience of thoso who 
are from time to time selected to manage 
our public affairs, we can noither watch too 
closely nor attach too much importance to 
the proceedings of our legislative bodies, 
whether National or State, for their acts be¬ 
come the authorized acts of the people.— 
Tho official communication which Presidents 
and Governors yearly send to tho people 
through their chosen representatives should 
always receive tho careful and candid exam¬ 
ination of all, without any regard as to what 
party or man may bo in power. 
It may be doubted if from any other 
source can be found so correct and connect¬ 
ed a history of the wonderful progress we 
have made since tho foundation of our gov¬ 
ernment as that which is embodied in the 
successive messages, and the documents ac¬ 
companying them, which have been regular¬ 
ly transmitted to Congress, in accordance 
with tho provisions of the Constitution.— 
The same remark would be equally true of 
the States composing the confederacy.— 
Tho authors of theso papers have been 
among the most enlightened and patriotic 
of our citizens — statesmen who have been 
honored with tho most responsible trusts 
for their virtue and talents — tho greater 
portion of whoso lives have been devoted to 
the service of their country. In no other 
form can be obtained so much and so relia¬ 
ble information about matters of passing in¬ 
terest, which concern us all. Our foreign 
and domestic relations—agriculture, manu¬ 
factures and commerce—revenues, receipts 
and expenditures—education, resources and 
improvements—life, character and property 
—liborty, law and order—questions settled 
and questions unsettled—things past, pres¬ 
ent and future— all come within the wide 
range of topics discussed in theso official 
communications, and all, to some extent, 
como home to the “ business and bosoms of 
men.” Their statements, facts and recom¬ 
mendations havo an authority and sanction 
that generally enables us to rely on them, 
whether they agreo with our peculiar views 
or not. 
It may be truo that messages, correspond¬ 
ence, and reports, do not constitute what 
many regard as tho most attractive kind of 
reading, but it should bo remembered that 
they havo the value of truth, the interest 
of reality, and tho consideration belonging 
to a people’s welfare, and continued ad¬ 
vancement in numbers and greatness. — 
They tell us what our government has al¬ 
ready accomplished, what it is doing, and 
more than all, what it proposes to do.— 
They furnish the people with the means of 
forming deliberate judgments of tho manner 
in which the public concerns of the country 
have been managed, and enable them to do- 
cide whether it is best longer to sustain an 
administration or transfer power to others, 
in whoso principles and professions they 
have more confidence. 
Occasionally wo see the speeches which 
crowned heads condescend to make to Eu¬ 
ropean legislatures, from their thrones.— 
Tho contrast between the messages of our 
republican Presidents and tho address of 
imperial monarchs, is great, but not great¬ 
er than tho difference in the condition of 
the peoplo under the governments which 
these rulers represent. Compare the com¬ 
prehensive survey of public affairs taken by 
tho one, and the little information given by 
tho other, and bohold the difference between 
a nation governing itself and a nation gov- 
eimed. Again, compare the financial report 
of a Secretary of the United States Treasu¬ 
ry with tho financial statements of a Pre¬ 
mier. of England; and what Amorican is 
there, who will not be grateful that ho is the 
citizen of a country, where expansive ener¬ 
gies are not destroyed by the crushing weight 
of a debt that is growing heavier and heavier 
every year, with no prospect of relief to 
give the least liopo that this life-burden is 
ever to be removed, except by tho rude 
shock of a revolution. 
In viow of theso things, it is wholly im¬ 
possible to seo how any change that would 
dismember this Union could improve our 
condition as a nation. Without in the least 
yielding to a spirit of unmanly fear, had wo 
not much better 
- “ Bear the ills we have 
Than fly to others we know not of.” 
There are wrongs which wo all lament, 
but theso can bo peacefully remedied. It 
is in tho power of the Providence that has 
hitherto watched over us as a peoplo, to 
bring good out of what seems like tho worst 
of evil, but tho maddened passions of man 
can not do it, nor tho reckless fanaticism 
that would tear down the fair temple of 
our freedom, because there is a dark spot 
on one of its pillars. 
D. W. Ballou, Jr. 
Lockport, Dec. 1st, 1852. 
jfttnMng for tljr Noting. Natural Historg. 
[The greatest curiosity we have met lately is a couple 
of stanzas of verse, the only specimen of Webster’s poe¬ 
try, so far as we know, that ever found its way into print. 
Our readers will doubtless, be curious to see them.] 
“THE MEMORY OF THE HEART.” 
“ Ip stores of dry and learned lore we gain, 
We keep them in the memory of the brain; 
Names, things, and facts—whate’er we knowledge call, 
There is the common ledger for them all; 
And images on this cold surface traced 
Make slight impressions, and are soon effaced. 
“ But we’ve a page more glowing and more bright, 
On which our friendship and our lore to write; 
That these may never from the soul depart, 
We trust them to the memory of the heart. 
There is no dimming no effacement here; 
Each new pulsation keeps the record clear; 
Warm, golden letters, all the tablet fill, 
Nor lose their lustre till the heart stands still. 
London, Nov. 19, 1836. 
For the Rural New-Yorker. 
MYRTILLUS. 
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN, BY S. D. LEWIS. 
Myrtillus bad visited tho moor on a 
calm evening; the quiet neighborhood rest¬ 
ing in the pale moonlight, and tho song of 
the nightingale, had kept him there ab¬ 
sorbed in quiet ecstasy. But now lip re¬ 
turned through the green foliage of tho 
gi’apo vine, and found his aged father in 
front of his rotirod cottage, reposing in the 
moonlight, quietly slumbering, with his grey 
head leaning upon one arm. 
There Myrtillus stood with folded arms 
before him. He stood there long; his gaze 
was fixed upon the grey-haired man, only 
at times he looked up through the shining 
vines to heaven, and tears of joy flowed 
down his cheeks. “ 0 thou,” said he, “ thou, 
most honored father, whom I prize nearest 
to God, how softly thou slumberest there ! 
How sweet is tho sleep of the righteous !— 
Thy trembling feet undoubtedly came out 
of tho cottago, quietly to celebrate tho 
evening prayer, and praying thou didst fall 
asloep. Thou hast also prayed for mo, fath¬ 
er. Ah, how fortunate am I ! God hears 
thy prayer. Otherwise why doos our cot¬ 
tage repose secure, amid boughs weighed 
down with fruit ? Why does a blessing rest 
upon our flocks, and the fruits of our field ? 
Often when thou dost shed tears of joy, at 
my feeble care for tho comfort of thy ex¬ 
hausted age, and when thou dost then look 
towards heaven, and bless mo joyfully,— 
ah, what sensations do I thon feel ! Then 
my heart swells within me, and copious 
tears gush from my eyes. When thou 
didst go out to day, leaning upon my arm, 
and the warm sun refreshed tlieo, and thou 
sawest the joyful flocks around thee, and 
the trees full of fruit, and tho productive 
region around, then thou saidst:—My hair 
has becomo grey among joys. Be ever 
blessed, fields ! Not much longer will my 
obscuro vision wander over you; soon shall 
I exchange you for more sacred fields. Ah, 
father, best friend, soon shall I lose thee.— 
Mournful thought! Ah, then, then, I will 
rear a monument upon thy grave, and as 
often as a happy day comes, in which I can 
do good to tho needy, then, father, will I 
strew milk and flowers upon they grave.” 
Now silently ho looked with tearful eyes, 
upon the grey-haired man. “How smiling¬ 
ly he lays there and slumbers, said he, now 
sobbing. Some of his righteous deeds havo 
flitted before his mind in a dream. How 
tho moonlight shines upon his cold head— 
and glittering white beard. O, that the 
cool evening wind, and damp dew, may not 
injure thee ! Now he kissed his forehead, 
in order to awaken him softly, and con¬ 
ducted him into tho house that ho might 
sleep moro quietly, upon soft furs. 
Alexander, Nov. 24th, 1852. 
INTERESTING PRECOCITY. 
It once happened that an anxious mothor 
asked Mrs. Barbauld at what ago she would 
begin to teach her children to read. “I 
should much prefer that a child should not 
be able to read before five years of age,” 
was tho reply. “Why, then, have vou writ¬ 
ten books for children of three?” “Be¬ 
cause, if young mammas be over busy, they 
had better teach in a good way than a bad 
one.” I have known clever, precocious 
children at three, dunces at twelve, and 
dunces at six, particularly clever at sixteen. 
One of the most popular authoresses of tho 
present day could not read at seven. Her 
mother was rather uncomfortable about it, 
but said that, as every person did learn with 
opportunity, she supposed her child would 
do so at last. By eighteen this apparently 
slow genius paid tho heavy but inevitable 
debts of her father, from the profits of her 
first work, and, boforo thirty, had published 
thirty volumes. 
When Alexander tho Great was asked on 
his death bed whom ho wished to succeed 
him in his empire, he answered, “ the most 
worthy.” When the fathers of tho American 
Republic wero framing a Constitution for 
the preservation of its liberties, they cher¬ 
ished the hope that tho peoplo would con¬ 
fide the administration of the new Govern¬ 
ment to “ the most worthy.” 
All tho virtues are in peril when filial 
piety gives way. 
MICE AND REPTILES-A BATTLE, 
In an English work, called “ Tho Life of 
a Soldier,” wo find tho following account of 
battles between mice, scorpions, and centi¬ 
pedes, in Barbadoes: 
In clearing tho ground for tho camp, we 
disturbed a variety of noxious reptiles, such 
as whip-snakos of an extraordinary length, 
but not thicker than a goose-quill, centi¬ 
pedes of a largo size, whoso backs wero 
plaited like a lobster’s tail, and scorpions.— 
Having heard that mice were natural ene¬ 
mies to the two latter, I procured a few, that 
I might bo a witness of their combat. Tho 
arena was the space circumscribed by a glass 
bell; and upon letting a mouse and a scor¬ 
pion loose in it, a grand display of maneu¬ 
vering ensuod—the mouse trying to bite off 
its opponent’s tail, which terminates in a 
sting, and tho scorpion watching for an op¬ 
portunity to striko him with it. Should tho 
former succeed in his first object, the latter 
falls an easy prey; but if stung, the mouso 
swells up and dies in convulsions. However, 
tho mouso is generally tho victor. Equal 
generalship is required in the engagement 
with the centipede, which defends itself with 
two small nippers, placed at either sido of 
its mouth, near tho poison-bags. 
One of our men found a largo tarantula 
on his shoulder one morning whon ho awoke; 
and it suffered itself to be removed without 
doing any injury. Ho brought it to me, as 
an amateur, and accordingly I placed it un¬ 
der the bell with one of my hardest bitten 
mice. It immediately reared itself on its 
hinder part, and, extending its long arms, 
remained motionless in this posture, while 
the mouso ran round tho bell, evidently un¬ 
willing to face its new antagonist. This 
continued a short time, and then, as if un¬ 
der tho influence of an irresistible fascination 
the mouso jumped suddenly into the arms 
of tho tarantula, which quickly seized him 
with two nippers, resembling the claws of a 
cat, and situated at either sMe of the head, 
and with such deadly effect that the little 
quadruped swelled up and burst. I next 
let loose two or threo mice at a time on the 
tarantula; but they all shared the samofato. 
THE TEXAS TARANTULA. 
But the tarantula. You remember tho elas¬ 
ticity with which you sprang in tho air that 
time you were just on the point of putting 
down your raised foot upon a snake coiled 
in your path. You wero frightened—thro’ 
every fibre of your body. Very probably 
tho snake was as harmless as it was beauti¬ 
ful. Spring as high, be as uttorly frighten¬ 
ed as possible, when you just avoid stopping 
upon a tarantula, however. Filthy, loath¬ 
some, abominable and poisonous—crush it 
to atoms before you leave it! If you Havo 
never seen it, know henceforth that it is an 
enormous spider—concentrating in itself all 
the venom, and spite, and ugliness of all 
other spiders living. Its body is some two 
inches long, black and bloated. It enjoys 
tho possession of eight long, strong legs,'a 
red mouth, and an abundance of stiff brown 
hair all over itself. When standing, it 
covers an area of a saucer. Attack it with 
a stick, and it rears on its hind legs, gnash¬ 
es at tho stick, and fights like a fiend. It 
even jumps forward a foot or two in its rago 
—and, if it bite into a vein, the bite is death. 
I have been told of a battle fought by one 
on board a steamboat. Discovered at tho 
lower ond of tho saloon, it came hopping up 
tho saloon; driving tho whole body of pas¬ 
sengers before it, it almost drove the whole 
company, crew and all, overboard. 
The first I saw was at tho house of a 
friend. I spied it crawling slowly over the 
wall, meditating murder upon the children 
playing in the room. Excessively prudent 
in regard to my fingers, I at last,' howevor, 
had it safely imprisoned in a glass jar, un¬ 
hurt. There was a flaw in tho glass as well 
as a hole in tho cork, by which it could 
breathe; but in ten minutes it was dead 
from rage. Soon after, I had killed threo 
more upon my placo, crawling about ground 
trodden every day by the bare feet of my 
little boy. A month after. I killed a whole 
nest of them. They had formed their family 
circle under tho door step, upon which tho 
aforesaid little follow played daily. Had he 
seen one of them, ho would of course havo 
picked it up as a remarkably promising toy, 
and I would have boon childless. 
I was sitting one day upon a log in the 
woods, when 1 saw one slowly crawling out 
to enjoy tho evening air and the sunset 
scenery. He was the largest, most bloated 
one 1 ever saw. As I was about to kill him, 
I was struck with the conduct of a chance 
wasp. It, too, had seen tho tarantula, and 
was flying slowly around it. The tarantula 
recognized it as a foe ; and, throwing itself 
upon its hind legs, breathed defiance. For 
some time tho wasp flew around it, and then 
like a flash, flow right against, and stung it 
under its bloated belly. Tho tarantula 
gnashed its red and venoined jaws, and 
threw its long hairy lees about in impotent 
rage, while the wasp flew round it, watching 
for another opportunity. Again and again 
did it dash its sting in tho reptile and escape. 
After the sixth stab, the tarantula actually 
fell over on its back dead; and the wasp, 
after making itself sure of tho fact, and in¬ 
flicting a last sting to make matters suro, 
flew off, happy in having done a duty assign- ; 
ed it in creation. In an hour more, a colo¬ 
ny of ants had carried it down piecemeal, and 
deposited it in their catacombs. 
WrLD Ducks fly 90 miles an hour, Swal¬ 
lows fly faster, and the Swift 200 miles an 
hour. 
A man is taller in the morning than at 
night to tbo extent of half an inch, owing 
to tho relaxation of tho cartileges. 
labbtrtff Hrabings. 
Written for Moore'sRural New-Yorker. 
THE THREE GARDEN^. 
In tho garden has been onacted tho three 
most important events in tho history of tho 
world; the temptation and fall of man, tho 
agony of tho Son of God, and his resurrec¬ 
tion. 
“And the Lord planted a garden in Eden, 
and out of the ground caused Ho to grow 
every tree that is pleasant to tho sight and 
good for food, also tho tree of life and of 
knowledge.” O, glorious specimen of na¬ 
ture’s beauty, where no flower is seen with¬ 
ering on its stalk, no plant broken by tho 
blast or parched by tho sun, but all is 
healthful, bright and beautiful. Mortality 
is not yet stamped upon nature, nor is it 
borno upon the breeze to blight tho ever 
blooming flowers.. A fit habitation for ono 
made in the likeness of God. Hero, unfet¬ 
tered by sin or by disease, ho can roam 
amid the luxuriant scenes of nature and 
hold converse with their Maker. What an 
enviable position,—nor is ho long alone; ho 
sleeps; and when he wakens from that 
slumber ho finds a partner by his side, and 
now this happy pair, the sole occupants of 
Paradise, share each others joys and coun¬ 
sels, and spend the day in sweet and holy 
converse, plucking tho golden fruits and 
flowers. 
With a single exception, every thing is 
appropriated to their use, and is conducive 
to thoir happiness. But “ ono fatal tree 
there stands, of Knowledge called, forbidden 
them to taste,”—a tree whoroof the Lord 
hath said, the day thou eatest thereof, thou 
shalt surely die. Often have thoy passed 
by it, but while the woman wanders by her¬ 
self alone, she heeds the sorpent’s glozing 
tongue, and tastes the tempting fruit; tho 
husband listens to her persuasions, partakes 
with her, and falls. The sequel wo all too 
plainly feel, too clearly know. Mortality 
with its attendant evils is introduced into 
the world. O, gloomy picture; whore shall 
pencil be found to paint tho horrors of that 
tall, or tears fit to be wept over fallen hu¬ 
manity ? Man has forfeited his right to tho 
tree of life and the favor of God, tho sword 
of Justice is unsheathed, and who can avert 
the blow ? 
There is another garden; whero oft is 
seen to enter a man, alone, or with a small 
band of followers. Let us follow him to¬ 
night to this place, of retirement. We hear, 
as if borno upon the breeze, accents of 
gi’ief. ’Tis the voice of a sufferer—listen. 
“Father, if it bo possible, let this cup pass 
from me.” Tho man is in agony—his sweat 
as becomo as it were great drops of blood, 
•ailing down to the ground. Angels are 
looking from above, and now an inhabitant 
of Heaven is seen to leave his bright abode 
and hasten to relievo tho sufferer, to strength- 
on this man of woo. A voice from the throne 
is saying, “Justice will have her demand,” and 
tho voice of Lovo and Mercy replies, “ tho 
will of the Lord bo done.” Tho spirit truly 
is willing, but the flesh is weak. 
Yes, the deed will be done; man’s misery 
will bo alleviated and his salvation purchas¬ 
ed. Justice and Mercy will meet and em¬ 
brace over fallen humanity, for this is none 
othor than the Son of God, bowed down 
under tho accumulated sins of a world.— 
Ho arises from that prayer, and calmly and 
firmly prepares to drink the cup of death, 
for all mankind. What! the Son of God 
dying for sinful, degraded man ? Well may 
tho sun withdraw his beams and the moon 
her brightness, and wondering nations say, 
Truly this is the Son of God; ’tis done, ’tis 
finished ! Angels gaze and wonder, and 
wondering, wonder; still they cannot fathom 
tho fountain of lovo and mercy that is hero 
opened, much less can it bo comprehended 
by man whose conceptions are so finite. 
There is a garden and in that garden a 
sepulcher; yes, a grave among flowers.— 
But what means that huge stone at its en¬ 
trance, and thoso sentinels watching around 
as if they feared its slumbering inmate 
might awake ? Tho word has gono forth. 
“ The deceiver said, while he was yet alivo, 
after threo days I will rise again; com¬ 
mand therefore that the sepulcher bo made 
sure until the third day,” and for two long 
nights have they kept their watchful vigils 
around that grave, and now the third is wan¬ 
ing. How eagerly do the watches listen 
to every sound, and with the fire of determi¬ 
nation in every oyo, they give their swords a 
firmer grasp as faint streaks of glimmering 
light in the eastern sky announco that tho 
third day is approaching. Vain man. to 
raise a puny arm against the mandate of the 
Eternal God. Behold, there was a great 
earthquake; for tho angel of tho Lord de¬ 
scended from Heaven, rolled back tho stone 
from the door and sat upon it, and for fear 
of him tho keepers did shako and became 
as dead men. Whero now has their cour¬ 
age fled ? whero is their boasted strength ? 
Ah ! the Son of God is rising triumphant 
over death and tho grave, and who can 
withstand the dazzling glory of tho sceno ? 
F. T. Gee. 
