MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
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TIME WASTED. 
Very few men can be found, however great 
may be their attainments, who do not lament 
the loss of wasted time and opportunities. 
Most of us have spent sufficient time even in 
District Schools to have acquired the full 
amount of knowledge usually obtained in a 
college course ; and when we add to that the 
terms passed within the halls of Select Schools 
and .Academies, (to say nothing of Colleges 
and Universities, to which comparatively few 
gain access,) so far from lauding ourselves as 
a remarkably intellectual people, we have 
good grounds for shame and humiliation at 
the meager results. 
Take for example the boys of any of our 
villages or cities, where schools are provided 
and opportunity given to attend free of cost, 
and what is the result ? A summer and win¬ 
ter attendance from the age of five to fourteen 
years, if the boy is tolerably intelligent, will 
pass him through the elementary branches, 
such as is usually taught in these schools.— 
Arithmetic sufficient for a business man, a 
degree of skill in penmanship as diverse and 
unequal as the features of the different pupils, 
a smattering of geography, and, it may be, 
grammar, and usually not much more.— 
If the youth at this age begins to aspire 
to something higher than this, he is per¬ 
haps urged on to a little more activity; 
and in two or three years’ additional instruc¬ 
tion, he obtains the ground-work of a classical 
education sufficient to admit him within the 
walls of a college. Four years more passed 
here turns him out ostensibly a learned man ; 
but far too frequently only one in name. Ilis 
opportunities have been wasted, his energies 
exhausted by anything but study, and he goes 
forth into the world a standing reproach upon 
a course of liberal learning. He has his di¬ 
ploma, it is true, and that is all. He i 3 a 
capital whist-player, but a wretched hand at 
mathematics. He can bowl a ten-stroke, 
row a boat, and run a horse; but he can con¬ 
strue Latin and Greek very indifferently, and 
as for constructing a hexameter, Virgii, him¬ 
self would never be able to scan it, and Hor¬ 
ace w r ould pronounce it barbaric. 
This is not a universal trait of character in 
college students, neither is it a solitary and 
exceptional instance, as the after life of far 
too many collegians shows. The same charac¬ 
teristics which cause a large class of Common 
School attendants to squander their time, in¬ 
duce the students of Seminaries and Colleges 
to squander theirs also ; and the results are a 
mediocrity of ta’ents and abilities, where 
might exist a glorious galaxy of educated men. 
The home circle is the place to apply the cor¬ 
rective. If parents would interest themselves 
in the studies of their children, watch their 
progress, encourage them to labor, and smile 
upon their efforts, the exertions of the teacher 
would not so often prove of no avail. 
There is established in our own city a Uni¬ 
versity of liberal learning. Three students 
from our Common Schools are annually ad¬ 
mitted to its course free of charge ; and yet, 
out of a population of school age amouuting 
to 14,786, (one-half of whom are boys, and 
therefore eligible,) the triad is not without diffi¬ 
culty made complete. Out of 146,450 pupils 
instructed in the public schools of the city of 
New York in the year 1854, about 300 only 
were receiving instruction in the Free Acad¬ 
emy ! What a commentary is this upon the 
waste of time so universally indulged in during 
our school boy days. 
LEARN ALL YOU CAN. 
Never omit any opportunity to learn all 
you can. Sir Walter Scott said, that, even 
in a stage coach, he always found somebody 
who could tell him something he did not know 
before. Conversation is frequently more use¬ 
ful than books for purposes of knowledge. It 
is, therefore, a mistake to be morose and silent 
among persons whom you think ignorant, for 
a little sociability on your part will draw 
them out, and they will be able to teach you 
something, no matter how ordinary their em¬ 
ployment. 
Indeed, some of the most sagacious remarks 
are made by persons of this description, re¬ 
specting their particular pursuit. Hugh Mil¬ 
ler, the Scotch geologist, owes not a little of 
his fame to observations made when he was 
a journeyman stone mason and working in a 
quarry. Socrates well said that there was but 
one good, which is knowledge, and one evil, 
which is ignorance. Every grain of sand 
goes to make the heap. A gold digger takes 
the smallest nuggets, and is not fool enough 
to throw them away because he hopes to find 
a huge lump some time. So in acquiring 
knowledge, we should never despise' au oppor¬ 
tunity, however unpromising. If there is a 
moment’s leisure, spend it over a good or in¬ 
structive talking with the first you meet. 
Knowledge is a common and unappropri- 
able property ef mankind—a ray of heavenly 
light which streams through the darkness of 
night.— Koslay. 
Imitations please, not because they are mis¬ 
taken for realities ; but because they bring re¬ 
alities to mind. 
FALSE EMPHASIS. 
All know how great a difference there is 
between written and spoken eloquence, be¬ 
tween the poetry of the printed page and the 
same poetry when kindled into life by the me¬ 
lodious voice., the eloquent eye, and the im¬ 
pressive gesture. The one is the marble 
statue, pure, beautiful, but lifeless ; the other 
is a living and breathing form, lull of vitality 
and grace. The rapturous harmonies of a 
Handel or Beethoven, may be turned to jar¬ 
ring discord in the hands of a bungling per¬ 
former ; so may the most sublime composition 
of the talented writer. 
An improper emphasis or a vulgar pronun¬ 
ciation is often the single step which leads 
from the sublime to the ridiculous ; and Ari¬ 
osto is not the only one who has discovered 
this melancholy fact to his shame and sorrow. 
This Italian poet, we are told, used to recite 
his own poems with so sweet a voice, that his 
friends were enraptured to hear him. He 
possessed so delicate an ear, and so sensitive 
and choleric a temper, that once, on over¬ 
hearing a potter reading some of his verses 
with a faulty accent, he became so enraged 
that he entered his shop, and proceeded to 
demolish the wares exposed for sale. In vain 
did the astonished tradesman expostulate at 
the violeuce of the stranger. 
“ I have not sufficiently revenged myself on 
thee,” exclaimed the enraged poet.. “ I have 
only broken a few -pots, and you have spoiled 
the most beautiful of compositions to my face.” 
What poet, whom the world acknowledges es 
such, has not endured a thousand similar mis¬ 
interpretations ? 
Mozart once wrote a composition entitled a 
“ Musical Joke,” some portions of which were 
underscored precisely a3 a poor performer 
would play them. The effort is of course 
highly ludicrous, but not more so than would 
be a page of Everett or Longfellow, if printed 
as an indifferent reader would render them. 
There are few really good readers among us, 
and even those who are most accustomed to 
public speaking, are often sadly deficient in 
this accomplishment. 
There are many queer examples of false 
emphasis, as well a3 those showing the power 
of emphasis — and the reader should learn to 
appreciate this power — that we hear almost 
daily. The following will illustrate this sub¬ 
ject : 
“Do you imagine me to be a scoundrel, sir?” 
demanded one man indignantly of another. 
“ No,” wa3 the reply, “ I do not imagine you 
to be one.” 
“ A careless reader once give this passage 
from the Bible, with the fallowing emphasis 
and pauses :—“ And the old man said unto 
his sons, saddle me, the ass ; and they saddled 
him." 
A clergyman once told his congregation 
that they “ had not followed a cunningly de¬ 
vised fable.” The natural inference from his 
remark would be that he did not deny the fa¬ 
ble, but that it was not a cunning fable. 
Another clergyman, noted for reading 
hymns with au abrupt emphasis, once uttered 
the word bears in the following lines so that 
it seemed to his congregation a noun instead 
o a verb : 
“ He takes young children in his arms, 
And in in his bosom, bears —” 
Many more examples of this kind might be 
given, but these will illustrate the subject, 
and we hope induce some attention on the 
part of those who read them on the impor¬ 
tance of emphasis. These, of course, are ex¬ 
treme cases, but they will make a more per¬ 
manent impression than would less striking 
ones.— Student. 
PUNCTUATION PUZZLE 
The following paragraph, extracted from 
the Portland Transcript, is a capital illustra- 
tiion of the importance of punctuation.— 
There are two ways of pointing it, one of 
which makes the individual in question a mon¬ 
ster of wickedness, while the other converts 
him into a model Christian. Let our readers 
exercise their ingenuity on the problem, and 
see whether they can discover its two-fold so¬ 
lution : 
“ He is an old experienced man in vice and 
wickedness he is never found opposing the 
works of iniquity he takes delight in the 
downfall of the neighborhood he never rejoices 
in the prosperity of any of his fellow creatures 
he is always ready to assist in destroying the 
peace of society he takes no pleasure in serv¬ 
ing the Lord he is uncommonly diligent in 
sowing discord among his friends and acquaint¬ 
ances he takes no pride in laboring to promote 
the cause of Christianity he has not been neg¬ 
ligent in endeavoring to stigmatize all public 
teachers he makes no exertions to subdue his 
evil passions he strives hard to build up Sa¬ 
tan’s kingdom he lends no aid to the support 
of the gospel among the heathen he contributes 
largely to the evil adversary he pays no atten¬ 
tion to good advice he gives great heed to the 
devil he will never go to Heaven he must go 
where ho will receive the just recompense of 
Reward." 
Unique Library. —A valuable and curious 
library is to be sold at St. Petersburg. It is 
that of the Councillor of State, Liprandi, 
brother of the General of that name, now act¬ 
ing in the Crimea, and consists entirely of 
works on Turkey, in which respect it may be 
called unique. It contains thousands of vol¬ 
umes, which for centuries have been withdrawn 
from the trade; besides a great many maps, 
plans, drawings and manuscripts. It has ta¬ 
ken the possessor 37 years to collect it. 
Every vice and folly has a train of secret 
and necessary punishment. If we are lazy, 
we must expect to be poor ; if intemperate, to 
be diseased : if luxurious, to die prematurely. 
The best way to see daylight is to put out 
thy candle. What thou caust not compre¬ 
hend, believe. 
Useful dMh 
THE PALMETTO ROYAL 
Tiie following illustrated description of this 
magnificent tropicil tree, is from Mr. Bard’s 
recent volume, entitled “ Waikna, or Adven- 
ures on the Mosquito Shore 
In the moist depressions, or valleys, near 
our encampment, we also found another varie¬ 
ty of palm, wh'ch often stands the traveler, 
under the tropics, in good stead, as a substi¬ 
tute for other and better vegetable food. I 
mean the Palmetto Royal or Mountain Cab¬ 
bage (Areca oleracea,) which has justly been 
called the “ Queen of the Forest.” It grows 
to a great height, frequently no thicker than a 
man’s thigh, yet rising upwards of a hundred 
and fifty feet in the air. No other tree in the 
world equals it in height or beauty. The 
trunk swells moderately a short distance above 
the root, whence it tapers gently to its eme¬ 
rald crown, sustaining throughout the most 
elegant proportions. 
The edible part, or “ cabbage” (as it is 
called, from some fancied resemblance in taste 
to that vegetable,) constitutes the upper part 
of the trunk, whence the foliage springs. It 
resembles a tall Etruscan vase in shape, of the 
liveliest green color, gently swelling from its 
pedestal, and diminishing gradually to the 
top, where it expands in plum-like ‘ branches. 
From the very center of this natural vase rises 
a tall, yellowish spatha, or sheath, terminating 
in a sharp point. At the bottom of tnis, and 
inclosed in the natural vase which I have de 
scribed, is found a tender white core, or heart, 
varying in size with the dimensions of the tree, 
but usually eight or ten inche3 in circumfer¬ 
ence. This may be eaten raw, as a salad, or 
if preferred, fried or boiled. In taste it re¬ 
sembles an artichoke, rather than a cabbage. 
The Indians climb this palm, and dexterous¬ 
ly inserting their knives, contrive to obtain the 
edible part without destroying the tree itself. 
By means of the same contrivance which he 
made use of in obtaining the cocca nuts, on the 
island in Pearl Cay Lsgoon, Antonio kept ns 
supplied with palm cabbages, which were our 
chief reliance, in the vegetable line. I found 
that they were most palatable when properly 
seasoned, and baked in the ground, with some 
strips of manitee fat, after the manner which I 
have already described. 
WALKING LEAVES 0E AUSTRALIA. 
Almost everybody has heard of the won¬ 
derful walking leaves of Austra’ia. For a 
long time alter the discovery of that island 
many people really believed that the leaves of 
a certain tree which flourishes there could 
walk about upon the ground. The story arose 
in this way :—Some English sailors landed 
upon the coast one day, and after roaming 
about until they were tired, they sat down un¬ 
der a tree to rest themselves. A puff of wind 
came along, and blew off a shower of leaves, 
which, after turning over and over in the air, 
as leaves generally do, finally rested upon the 
ground. As it was mid-summer, and every¬ 
thing appeared quite green, the circumstance 
puzzled the sailors considerably. But their 
surprise was much greater, as you may well 
suppose, when, after a short time, they saw 
the leaves crawling along upon the ground to¬ 
wards the trunk of the tree. They ran at 
once for their vessel, without stopping to ex¬ 
amine into the matter at all, and set sail away 
from the land where everything seemed to be 
bewitched. One of the men said that he “ ex¬ 
pected every moment to see the trees set to 
and dance a jig.” 
Subsequent explorations of Australia have 
taught us that these walking leaves are insects. 
They live upon the trees. Their bodies are 
very thin and flat, their wings forming large 
leat-like organs. When they are disturbed 
their legs are folded away under their bodies, 
leaving the shape exactly like a leaf with its 
stem and all complete. They are of a bright 
green color iu the summer, but theygraduaily 
change iu the fall, with the leaves, to the 
browu of frost-bitten vegetation. When shak¬ 
en from the tree they lie for a few minutes 
upon the ground, as though they were dead, 
but presently they begin to crawl along to¬ 
wards the tree, which they ascend again.— 
They rarely use their wings, although they 
are pretty well supplied in this respect. 
THE LOCUST AND WHAT IT HAS DONE. 
Calmet tells U3 : “ The Hebrews bad seve¬ 
ral s rts of locusts, which are not known 
among us ; the old historians and modern trav¬ 
elers remark that locusts are very numerous 
in Africa and many places of Asia; that 
sometimes they fall like a cloud upon the 
country, and eat up every thing they meet 
with. Moses describes four sorts of locusts.— 
Since there was a prohibition against using 
locusts, it is not to be questioned that these 
creatures were commonly eaten in Palestine 
and the neighboring countries.” Dr. Shaw, 
Niebuhr, Russell and many other travelers 
into the eastern countries, represent their 
taste as agreeable, and inform us that they are 
frequently used for food. Dr. Shaw observes, 
that when they are sprinkled with salt and 
fried, they are not unlike, in taste, to our fresh 
water crab fish. Bussell says th; Arabs salt 
them and eat them as a delicacy. Niebuhr 
also says that they are gathered by the Arabs 
in great abundance, dried and kept for winter 
provisions. The ravages of the migratory lo¬ 
cust have been, at particular times, so exten¬ 
sive, as to lay waste the vegetation of whole 
districts, and even kingdoms. In the year 593 
of the Christian era, these animals appeared in 
such vast numbers, as to cause a famine in 
many countries. Syria and Mesopotamia 
were overrun by them in 534. In 852, im¬ 
mense swarms took their flight from the east¬ 
ern regions into the west, and destroyed all 
vegetables, not even sparing the bark of trees, 
or the thatch of houses, af er devouring the 
crops of corn, grass, &c. Their daily marches 
were observed to be about twenty miie3 each; 
and it is said that their progress was directed 
with so much order that there were regular 
leaders among them, who flew first and settled 
on the spot which was to be visited at the 
same hour the next day by the whole legion. 
Their marches were always undertaken at sun¬ 
rise. In 1541, incredible hosts afflicted Po¬ 
land, Wallachia and all the adjoining territo¬ 
ries, darkening the sun with their numbers, and 
ravaging all the fruits of the earth. The years 
1747 and 1748 afforded a memorable instance 
of the ravages of these insects in Germany and 
other parts of Europe, as far north as Eng¬ 
land. 
THE SUN-STROKE. 
THE DAISY. 
usmgA 
Not worlds on worlds in phalanx deep, 
Need we to prove a God is here — 
The Daisy, fresh from Winter's sleep, 
Tells of His hand in lines as clear. 
For who but He who arched the skies, 
And pours the day-spring’s living flood, 
Wondrous alike in all he tries, 
Could rear the Daisy’s purple hud ? 
Mould it3 green cup its wiry stem. 
Its fringed border nicely spin, 
And cut the gold embossed gem, 
That, set in silver, gleams within ? 
And fling it unrestrained and free, 
O’er hill and dale and desert sod, 
That man, where’er he walks, may see 
At every step the stamp of God. 
NO MAN HIS OWN MASTER. 
The New York Tribune gives the follow¬ 
ing simple directions to be followed immedi¬ 
ately on the appearance of an attack of sun¬ 
stroke : 
Give the sufferer stimulants cf brandy or 
ammonia, or the two together; administer 
them constantly and freely till he shows signs 
of returning sensibility—in doing this there 
i3 little or no danger of intoxicating him or 
of harming him in any way particular—apply 
mustard poultices freely to his chest, abdomen 
and extremities, keeping his head well bathed 
with an abundance of cold water. 
The best preventives are light, well-ventila 
ted straw hats, with a wet handkerchief worn 
inside on the top of the head. Great caution 
should be observed before drinking, while; 
heated and exhausted, to first wet the head, 
temples and wrists. In India it is the com¬ 
monest accidents of the climate. Among the 
European residents there is a great dread of 
it, and every precaution is taken to prevent 
its occurrence ; persons keep within doors al¬ 
ways between the hours of eight and six, un¬ 
less called abroad by business ; and in the 
streets they wear large dome-shaped hats, 
made of the pith of the Sola tree, which is 
lighter than cork. These hats have an arched 
aperture iu the top to procure the freest ven¬ 
tilation. 
In order to resuscitate a man from the pro¬ 
found coma of coup de soleil, flagellation with 
switches or small whips has been employed 
in India, as in case3 of narcotizing with opium. 
Nitrogen forms seventy-eight per cent, of; 
atmospheric air, acting simply as a dilutent, 
or weakener of its strength. It is inhaled 
and exhaled from the lungs, without the least 
change ; nevertheless, it is indispensable to 
animal and vegetable life — neither can exist 
without it. 
CO 
S 
For Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA. 
I am composed of 20 letters. 
My 3, 2, 12, 17, 8, 15, 4 is to deviate, wander. 
My 4, 5, 12, 19, 17 is a product of the South¬ 
ern States. 
My 1, 11, 10, 2, 6 is anything very small. 
My 15, 8, 14, 13 is a boy’s name. 
My 9, 5, 7 is an interdicted article of traffic in 
this State. 
My 20, 11, 3, 19 is a sort of worm or fly. 
My 9, 19, 16, 2, 4 13 is a vegetable. 
My 13, 18, 7, 19, 10,15 is an eminent poetess. 
My whole is one of the plays of Shakspere. 
Dansville, July 13. J. B. M. 
Answer next week. 
For Moore’s Rani New-Torksr. 
MATHEMATICAL QUESTION. 
No human being is independent of his fel¬ 
low men. The claims of humanity cannot be 
laid aside like a garment, and the man stand 
forth denuded of his responsibilities and obli¬ 
gations. In one sense he is his own master, 
and that 13 as a sentient and free moral agent; 
but he is not his own master so far as the 
consequences of his acts affect others, nor as 
to the accountability which will follow him 
both here and hereafter. No one has a right 
to trifle with his own well being either physi¬ 
cally or morally ; for however humble may be 
his position, the happiae33 of others are more 
or les3 dependent upon him. As a citizen of 
the State, a3 a member of human society, as 
one of a group of friends, or of a family cir¬ 
cle, the social ties are next in strength of 
claim to those which bind him as an account¬ 
able beiDg to his Creator. 
Do you observe that lowly man across the 
street ? He is a day laborer at his trade, and 
so far as outward appearances are concerned, 
might be spared from the midst of this 
swarming human hive, and never be missed. 
Even this community would move on in its 
usual bustle and activity without hi3 aid, and 
how much less then would his absence affect 
the great community of man ? And yet this 
individual, humble a3 he seems, is of fearful 
consequence at his own fireside ; and his fall 
by vice or misfortune would be attended with 
a grievous amount of woe and suffering. He 
labors industriously through the livelong day, 
with his energies, both physical and mental, 
bent upon his occupation. He seems almost 
a part and portion of the machine he is en¬ 
gaged in superintending, so regular and clock- 
like are his movements in connection with its 
ceaseless pulsations ; but when the labors of 
the day are done, and he is released from his 
toil, we have an opportunity of seeing him in 
another and nobler position. The prattle of 
childhood greets him at the gate ; the pleas¬ 
ant smile of hi3 wife welcomes him home; 
and the tremulous voice of an aged and help¬ 
less mother, pleased as an infant at his return, 
awaken all the tender and holy emotions of 
his inner soul. He experiences a proud con¬ 
sciousness that near and dear one3 look to 
him as their stay and support, and he stands 
up in the true dignity of manhood as the pro¬ 
tector of those whom a kind Providence has 
committed to his care. Age, with footsteps 
tottering upon the verge of time; woman¬ 
hood, in the sacred relation of mother to his 
children; and infancy, weak and helpless in 
the first blossomings of life’s young spring_ 
all look to him as their guide and stay, and 
gather around him as a flock around the good 
shepherd. 
Is such a man his own master ? Has he a 
right to trifle with his own life, his own health, 
or his own moral well being ? Does not a 
weight of helpless humanity depend upon his 
physical labors for support, and upon his 
moral conduct for an example ? He stands 
as the almoner of the Creator’s bounties to 
his own household, and any deed or thought 
immediately or remotely affecting his own ca¬ 
pacities to fulfill the duties of that station, is 
an act of treason to the government of God. 
What greater incentive to act uprightly can 
an individual desire, than the thought that 
immortal souls near and dear to him are en¬ 
trusted to his care, and that a strict account 
of his stewardship will be required of him 
hereafter ? 
A mvn bought a horse and carriage, for 
which he paid $270. How much did he pay 
for each, if 3-5 of the price of the horse plus 
six dollars is equal to 2-6 of the price of the 
carriage ? c. b. s. 
Youngstown, N. Y., 1855. 
gfP Answer next week. 
ANSWERS TO CHARADES, ENIGMAS, Ac. 
Cod made both tears and laughter, and 
both for kind purposes ; for as laughter ena¬ 
bles mirth and surprise to breathe freely, so 
tears enables sorrow to vent itself patiently. 
Tears hinder sorrow from becoming despair 
and madness; and laughter is one of the priv¬ 
ileges of reason, being confined to the human 
species .—Leigh Hunt. 
Matthew Henry, a little before his deat] 
said to a friend, “ You have been used to taki 
notice of the sayings of dying men; this i 
mine—that a life spent in the service of C<x 
and communion with him, is the most com 
for table and pleasant life that any one cai 
lead in this world.” 
Answer to Geographical Acrostical Enigma The Sunshine.— The sun is not the less 
in No. 293 :—Bisecting Map of the State of New | bright for shining in a cellar, nor is it stained 
York. by so shining ; and the love of a pure heart 
Answer to Arithmetical Question in No. 293: is not sullied by falling upon the heart of the 
$184 80. wayward, the wretched, and the sinful. 
