MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKERs AN AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
THE NEW YORK FREE ACADEMY. 
The above-named institution seems to be a 
model of its kind ; and for cost of buildings, 
value of appurtenances, library and apparatus, 
force of teachers employed, liberality of man¬ 
agement, and number of pupils taught, it may 
safely challenge the world for its superior. In 
the first place, let it be borne in mind that no 
charge whatever is made upon the parents or 
guardians of the pupils ; that all the advanta¬ 
ges of the institution are proffered without 
cost or expense to every youthful resident of 
the city ; that it is as free and as advanta¬ 
geous in every particular to the son of the 
poorest laborer as to the son of the wealthiest 
citizen; and that the terms of admission to 
each and all alike, are a good moral character, 
and the ordeal of a close and scrutinizing ex¬ 
amination. 
It is true that the children of the better ed¬ 
ucated and intelligent portion of the commu¬ 
nity more frequently, and to a much greater 
extent, fiod their way into the institution; 
but that is the inevitable result of the happier 
and more favorable circumstances which sur¬ 
round them in the home circle. It is the 
bending of the twig in the right direction by 
the paternal and the maternal hand, which 
gives afterwards its normal growth. But it 
is equally true that neither wealth nor high 
birth, fashionable connections nor distinguish¬ 
ed parentage, has the least advantage in bring¬ 
ing the youth of the city under the benign and 
enlightening influences of the institution. 
Of the one hundred and seventy-three stu¬ 
dents admitted into the introductory class of 
July, 1854, fifty of them were the sons of me¬ 
chanics ; thirty-nine of merchants ; twelve of 
official; ten of lawyers; ten of bankers, 
brokers, &c.; five of clergymen ; four each of 
printers and publishers, hotel and boarding¬ 
house keepers, cartmen ; three of physicians, 
and two of gentlemen. There were also nine¬ 
teen of miscellaneous trades and professions, 
and eleven not named. 
This summary presents some unexpected 
and remarkable features. In a city like New 
York, where the mercantile is the leading em¬ 
ployment, and embraces, perhaps, more active 
talent and general knowledge thau any other, 
we might suppose their children would take 
the lead in numbers in a public literary insti¬ 
tution of so high an order as the one under 
consideration ; whereas, in fact, they maintain 
the second place on the list; while the so call¬ 
ed learned professions, are altogether nearly 
three times outnumbered by the mechanics. 
The cartmen have one more representative in 
the school thau the physicians, and only one 
less than the clergymen. Of course the me¬ 
chanics in New York city greatly exceed the 
lawyers, clergymen, &c., and other things be¬ 
ing equal, ought to have a greater number of 
childreu in the academy ; but some allowances 
should be made, on the other hand, for the 
superior advantages, both of precept and ex¬ 
ample, which the latter might be expected to 
receive at home. A large majority of our 
professional meu are liberally educated, while 
our mechanics have usually had only the ad¬ 
vantages of the common school. Prima facie, 
we should suppose, the mechanics would great¬ 
ly exceed the other classes in the common aud 
lower grades of the city schools, and not oc¬ 
cupy a prominent place in the academy. We 
have no means at hand of ascertaining their 
numbers in the primary schools, but in the 
highest institutions under the control of the 
corporation, they in numbers certainly rank 
the first. 
The students admitted are required to pass 
a rigid examination, as will be seen by the 
fact that for the five years during which the 
academy has been in operation, out of the 
eighteen hundred and thirteen candidates ex¬ 
amined for admission, six hundred and forty- 
niue have been rejected. The average ages of 
the candidates admitted was thirteen years, ten 
months and nineteen days, and the average 
previous attendance on the common school 
was nearly three years. The course of study 
is as extensive and thorough as that taught 
in our colleges, aud the students at the end of 
the course graduate with collegiate honors. 
Education of Children in Onio.—Mr. 
II. II. Barney, State Commissioner of Schools, 
stages in his annual report that the total 
amount of funds and property appropriated 
to the purposes of education in Ohio, during 
the year 1854, is $2,250,457,12. 
The enumeration of youth of the school age, 
as certified by the County Auditors, furnishes 
an aggregate of 810,408, or 4,455 more than 
for 1853. 
The number of school-houses in the State is 
about 10,300, estimated to be worth $3,704,- 
720. Of these 790 have been constructed du¬ 
ring the past year, at, a cost of $340,944, be 
ing an average of $451. The amount paid 
to teachers is set down at $1,204,431 21. 
Knowledge, economy and labor are virtues 
of a civilized man ; they form the most dura¬ 
ble basis of society, and the surest spring of 
individual we’fare. Riches consequently are 
the fruit of kuow.edge, economy and labor.— 
Kozlay. 
DULL BOYS -DON'T ABUSE THEM. 
It would seem superfluous to speak to the 
readers of this journal upon the bitter wrong 
and injustice which dull children often suffer 
in school. I should hesitate to enlarge upon 
so obvious a siD, had not my experience and 
observation convinced me that it is one which 
even the most devoted teachers commit: some 
in thoughtlessness, many more in spite of 
conscience. I have seen teachers, the most af¬ 
fectionate and devoted, who were kind and 
patient in school to all—but one ; there was 
sure to be some poor little fellow, slow of 
speech, clumsy in movements, and of a heavy 
countenance, to whom the teacher was testy 
and unkind. 
Reader! are you ever guilty of this sin ? 
I know that a dull scholar is a sore trial to 
his instructor. After laboring anxiously over 
some simple point, trying your invention to 
the utmost, and all in vain, it is hard to sup¬ 
press a hasty word, or a weary sigh, to see the 
boy still hold his stolid look—no ray of in¬ 
telligence in his heavy eye ; to know that all 
your ingenuity and devotion are of no avail, 
is surely a miserable disappointment. But 
think : are you alone disappointed ? Is not 
the poor, tired child, with nerves excited, brain 
confused, and heart downcast and sorrowful, 
—is not he too worthy of some compassion? 
Will you reproach him in such a case ? Re¬ 
proach him! For what? If he does not 
understand you, may it not be your fault, not 
his? Do you notiebuke yourself when you 
reproach the child ? 
I once saw a teacher engaged in hearing a 
brilliant recitati n, where all was prompt and 
successful. The class was iu high spirits, the 
teacher in fine temper ; but when it came the 
turn of an honest looking boy at the foot, 
with large, heavy eyes, and a troubled look, I 
saw the smile of satisfaction leave the teach¬ 
er’s face before be had finished putting the 
question ; I saw the class sneer in anticipa¬ 
tion of the blunder ; ai d I saw, too, the poor 
boy, flinching from the gaze of the school, and 
the impatient, look of his teacher. He failed, 
of course. The teacher turned away with an 
expression of resignation , which was a more 
severe blow to the boy than if be had been 
struck. Reader! have you never done this 
thing? Never be impatient with dulness in 
school. Do not merely refrain from contempt¬ 
uous epithets, (for who would be so brutal ?) 
but avoid every shrug of the shoulder, every 
gesture of impatience, every sigh of disap¬ 
pointment. It is mortification enough to the 
scholar, to know ;hat he is not so bright as 
his companions ; do not add to his shame the 
sense of injustice.—S., in R. I. Schoolmaster. 
ERRORS IN SPEECH- 
1. The verb have is often employed so that 
verbs and participles following it are unfortu¬ 
nately located, as in the expressions, “ Have 
the thing done,” “ Have him perform it,” and 
the like. Good grammarians cannot approve 
this mode of employing this verb. 
2. If for though. This practice is so gen¬ 
eral that I do not suppose any general reform 
will occur. “ He made as if he would go fur¬ 
ther,” is a Biblical expression ; but the term 
though, instead of if, would be more correct 
and elegant. 
3 If for whether. This is equally general. 
“ If he goes or not is small matter”— whether 
is more proper. 
4. The so called subjunctive form of the 
verb is unnecessary. Properly there is no 
subjunctive form, except what common gram¬ 
marians term the potential mood. The con¬ 
junctions if, though, unless, except, whether, 
lest, etc., should not be suffered to vary any 
form. Tbere is no propriety of placing the 
plural form of a verb of the past tense, as of 
the verb to be, to a singular nominative, when 
prefixed by either of these conjunctions. The 
other departures from the analogy of the lan¬ 
guage are equally needless. We should al¬ 
ways write as did Dr. Webster, “ If I am,” 
‘‘If he is,” “If I was,” “ If thou wast,” “ If 
he was,” “ If he has been,” etc. A change iu 
this respect would somewhat facilitate learn¬ 
ing the verb, aud at the same time aid to 
place our language, in this particular, upon a 
footing similar to other languages. 
5. Possessive nouns and pronouns should 
not be placed before participles. The form of 
speech is unphilosophical, and incapable of 
justification. There can be no possession in 
the case. The expressions, “My doing ihe 
act, “ his dyirg,” “your pushing forward the 
enterprise,” aud the like’ are solecisms. 
A little reflection would satisfy most per¬ 
sons of the correctness of these remarks.— 
A. W. in New York Stmlent. 
Game of Marbles. —This has for ages been 
a favorite game among boys. At times it 
absorbs everything else, and becomes for a 
season the only sport of the school playground. 
It is not by any means a very desirable game, 
for several reasons. It necessarily compels to 
a stooping, squatting posture of body, and as 
the marb’e tossed is so light, it cannot tend to 
muscular action and development. But its 
moral effects are its worst features. It affords 
many temptations to dishonesty—crowding or 
reaching too near the marbles thrown at— 
jostling iu the smallest degree ihe elbow of a 
competitor—or speaking so suddenly as to 
disconcert him. For these and oilier reasons, 
we inc'ine to discourage it; especially as it is 
so likely, and tends so directly, to produce the 
love and to foster the habit of engaging in 
games of chance, and betting upon success, 
than which nothing is more injurious.—L. in 
R. L Schoolmaster. 
The peopk should understand that it is 
cheaper, and in every respect, much better, to 
look up neg'ected children aud educate them, 
thau hang them when older. 
Opinion of ourselves is like the casting of a 
shadow, which is always longest when the sun 
is at the greatest distance. 
mm 
lir 
GEOIIGE WASHINGTON: 
‘First in War,—First in Peace, — First in the Hearts of his Countrymen.” 
Born February 22, 1732. — Died December 14, 1799. 
To all who venerate the great and good, 
it will seem most proper that, on the Anni¬ 
versary of American Independence, mention 
should first be made of him who was, emphat¬ 
ically, “ First in War, First in Peace, and 
First in the Hearts of his Countrymen.” At 
such a time, it is a sacred yet pleasant duty 
for Americans to revert to the history of the 
early days of the Republic—to celebrate in 
an appropriate manner, the Glorious Events 
which gave birth to our now prosperous and 
widely extended Nation. The occasion is one 
which will naturally arouse the love of Coun¬ 
try, and quicken the pulse in every patriotic 
heart—including emotions of joy, congratu¬ 
lation and thanksgiving for the privileges 
vouchsafed to the people of this highly favor¬ 
ed land. 
On such an occasion, next to a proper ven¬ 
eration for Him who governs and contro’s 
all, should be held in sacred remembrunce 
the memory and deeds of the man who com 
bined the best traits of the Hero, the States- 
Wistful (IHto. 
MILITARY AGAINST CIVIL SERVICE. 
At various stages in the world’s history, 
different professions and employments have 
occupied ihe position of superiority and honor; 
but amoDg them all perhaps none has been 
more signally distinguished, and held so prom¬ 
inent a place at all times and in all countries, 
as the profession of arms. Among a race of 
savages, personal prowess is the sure stepping- 
stone to a chieftainship, while iu civilized 
countries a successful general commands above 
all others the plaudits of ihe crowd. Eveu in 
our owu country, enlightened as we boast 
ourselves, the bloody banner of a conquering 
military lero is the best recommendation to 
the Presidency. Who is there hardy enough 
to deny that the battle of New Orleaus made 
Geu. Jackson President of the Republic ? 
aud that the battle of Tippecanoe, aud the 
war with Mexico, elevated Harrison, Taylor 
and Pierce to the same lofty position ? It 
is not denied that all these were competent to 
fill this station, but at the same time it cannot 
be gaiusayed that noble hearted and learned 
civilians, whose lives have been spent in in¬ 
tellectual pursuits, were set aside to make 
room for these military heroes. 
Among those meu who have been promi¬ 
nent in the civil service, and whose qualifica¬ 
tions for the office of chief magistrate an out¬ 
sider would pronounce to be of ihe highest 
order, might, be mentioned the names of Cal¬ 
houn, Clay, Webster, Wright and Cass. 
Two of these received the nominations of the 
regular Conventions, but they were defeated 
at the polls by the votes of their countrymen. 
Others of them received support for the same 
high office by smaller numbers of their con¬ 
stituents, but not sufficient to give them eveu 
a chance of success. If either of these men 
had been successful generals—if they had been 
permitted the opportunity of becoming instru¬ 
ments of human slaughter—if the wail of the 
man aud the Christian—who is, and will be 
for all time, the Patron Saint of America— 
the immortal Washington. To recount, 
here, the history of one whose exemplary life 
and noble deeds are familiar to a'most every 
reader, would pei haps be a work of superer¬ 
ogation. And yet, did space permit, we 
would gladly trace the career of him of whom 
it has been well said, “ God ordained he 
should be childless, that- the country might 
1 call him Father.” Indeed we hold it to be 
the duty of the Journalist to omit no proper 
occasion, like the present, of commemorating 
this illustrious man — of recapitulating the 
events of the “ times that tried men’s souls,” 
and enjoining upon all, their obligations to 
Y ashington and his compatriots for the 
freedom and unexampled prosperity of our 
Peopie and Nation. May the story of his 
heroic deeds, wise acts and judicious counsels, 
be graven upon the heart; of his countrymen, 
and annually impressed upon the minds of the 
using generation! 
; widow and the tears of the orphan had teen 
j poured out over the bloody consequences of a 
battlefield in which ihey had been prominent 
actors — who cau doubt that all civic honors 
' would have been kid at their feet ? It is 
time a better sentiment prevailed in our coun¬ 
try, aud that a more fitting estimate be placed 
upon homely virtues aud peaceful pursuits. 
; Our prosperity and our hopes are based on 
these, and the highest rewards should be held 
| out for their encouragement. If the vaultirg 
ambition of a military man can at a single 
bound overleap the toilsome progress of years 
in any other department of life, the most pow- 
l erful inducements are held out for aspiring 
; manhood to rush into the profession of arms. 
I The choice of all officers is in the hands of the 
people, an immense majority of whom are en¬ 
gaged in peaceful pursuits. The cultivation 
of the soil, the manipulations of the trades, 
ihe management of commercial affairs, absorb 
the greater portion of our people ; and it is 
their own folly or supineness, if military men 
are exalted into idols. 
Balloon Ascension. —Two days ago we 
srave an account of the balloon ascension of 
Mr. Bannister, from Adrian. By an extra 
from the Expositor, we learn that he has re¬ 
turned to that place, having made one of the 
most extraordinary aeronautic trips ever 
known. He went up till lost to view, and was 
carried iu a south-easterly direction. He 
started at 25 minutes pavSt 10 A. M., and at 2 
o’clock and 30 minutes P. M . lauded iu the 
top ot a tree, in Red Bank, Clarion county, 
Pa . about 40 miles north-east from Pittsburg, 
lie received no injury oilier than freezing hiis 
feet. The whole distance of 350 miles was 
traversed in four hours and five minutes.—42 
seconds to the mile, or about the rate of 85 
miles per hour.— Detroit Tribune. 
It is said that, one of the incidental results of 
the Japan expedition is the discovery that ihe 
Zodiacal light is a belt extending eutirely 
around ’he earth, after the manner of Saturn's 
ring. The matter has excited a good deal of 
interest among Astronomers, and Prof. Pierce, 
of Cambridge, considers the fact established 
by the observations taken. 
For Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
PRAYER IN LITTLE THINGS. 
Ip there is any one thing in which Chris¬ 
tians generally dishonor God, it is in their 
neglect to ask his guidauce and support, his 
bless iDg on their efforts, in little things. 
If the Christian is called to endure a great 
trial, if some severe affliction is sent upon him, 
he remembers “ there is a God in heaven,” 
and goes to him for help. But the same man, 
as if ashamed, or too proud, to admit his 
weakness by calling on the Most H>gh, will 
exhaust all his strength and patience in vain 
attempts to save himrelf from the little trials 
of every day life, and then complain of the 
hardoess of his lot. He trusts iu his own 
streng'h, and God shows hiua what it can, or 
rather what it cannot do. He can easily es¬ 
cape by going to the Lord ; but as he will 
not do that, God lets him have his own way, 
since he chooses to suffer rather than confess 
he is too weak for little things. 
In the attainment of great things it is the 
same. In a great work he calls on God for 
help, and succeeds. In a little one, he says, I 
can do that myself, and fails. A woman 
once told me the following anecdote, illus¬ 
trating the duty and efficacy of prayer in little 
things. Said she, “Once when my mother 
was ill she wanted some fish. It was in win¬ 
ter and none could be got. My father, broth¬ 
er, Mr. J. and others, went repeatedly to the 
river, but could not catch one. At last I 
proposed to go ; but they only laughed at me 
sayiDg, A., it is idle for you, a girl, to try. af¬ 
ter we have failed ; but I started, telling them 
I should catch some fish. 
On arriving at the water, I threw in my 
hook, and waited, hardly daring to hope for 
success. Soon I was surprised to find myself 
pray iDg that God would bless my effort for 
my mother’s sake ; and in a few minutes I was 
almost frightened at pulling up a fish. Those 
who laughed at my proposal were no less sur¬ 
prised to see me return with two or three fish, 
enough to supply her several days. All ask¬ 
ed how I caught them, but did not learn. 
When those fish were eateD, I went to my 
room, prayed for God’s blessing on my effort 
in behalf of my sick mother, and started again 
for the water. This time F. went with me.— 
He would see how I did it, and catch some 
too. He threw in his hook beside my own, 
but while I again caught several, he did not 
get one.” suissac. 
Individual Responsibility. —The moment 
a man parts with moral independence—the 
moment he judges o. duty, not from the in¬ 
ward voice, but from the interest aDd will of 
a party, the moment he commits himself to a 
leader or a body, and winks at evil because 
divisions would hurt the cause, the moment 
he shakes off' his particular responsibility, be¬ 
cause he is but one of a thousand, or a mil¬ 
ium, by whom the evil is done,—that moment 
be parts wi h his moral power. He is shorn 
of the energy of siugle-bearted faith in the 
right aid the true. He hopes from man’s 
policy what nothing but loyalty to God can 
accomplish. He substitutes coarse weapous, 
forged by man’s wisdom, for celestial power. 
— Cbanning. 
_ Teach us to Pray —I was sitting by Cole¬ 
ridge's bedside, when he said, “ I do not reck¬ 
on the most solemn faith in God as a real ob¬ 
ject, the most arduous act of the reason and 
will. Ob, no ! It is to pray ; to pray as God 
would have us ; this is what at times makes 
me turn cold to my soul. Believe me, to pray 
with all your heart and strength, with the 
reason and the will—to believe vividly that 
God will listen to your voice, through Christ, 
and verily do the iliiug he pleases thereupon 
—this is the last, the greates achievement of 
the Christian warfare on earth; ‘ Teach us to 
pray. O Lord !’ ” And then he burst into a 
flood of tears and asked me to pray for him. 
O what a sight was there ! 
Moral Honesty —They that cry down 
moral honesty, cry down that which is a great 
part of religion, my duty towards God and 
my duty towards man. What care I to see a 
man run after a sermon, if he cozens and cheats 
as soon as he comes home? On the other 
hand, morality must not be without religion ; 
for if so, it may change as I see convenient. 
Religion must govern it. He that has not re¬ 
ligion to govern his morality, is not a whit 
better than my mastiff dog; so long as you 
stroke him, and please him, aud do not pinch 
him, he will play with you as finely as may be, 
he is a very good moral mastiff; but if you 
hurt him, he will fly iu your face, aud tear out 
your throat.— Selden. 
Moral Character. — There is nothing 
which adds so much to the beauty aud power 
of a man as a good character. It dignifies 
him in every station, exalts him in every pe¬ 
riod of life. Such a chaCracter is more to be 
desired than everything else on earth. No 
servile fool, uo crouching sycophant, no 
treacherous honor seeker, ever bore such a 
ehiracter; the pure joys of righteousness 
never spring in such a persou. If young men 
but knew' how much a good character would 
dignify and exalt them, how glorious it would 
make their prospects even in this life; never 
should we find them yielding to ihe groveling 
and base-born purposes of human nature. 
