MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
Whew effect only, ia aimed at, the true progress 
of the pupil ia not seen. There is too much teaeh- 
ing for effect. Unless the teacher is remarkably 
honest and decided, he is compelled, to some ex¬ 
tent at least, to adopt the popular error of advanc¬ 
ing scholars more rapidly than their progress will 
warrant—in the rage to “ get through the book,” 
and to pursue "higher studies." How often, when 
engaged in an elementary school, have we been 
obliged to listen to the complaints of parents.— 
“ Why, sir, you have put my boy back in a book 
that he read in a year ago; and he tells me you 
have actually set him to cyphering in simple sub¬ 
traction, when he has been nearly through the 
arithmetic.” Yet, what else can the teacher do, 
when the child does not understand what he has 
gone over? It is superficial teaching that leads to 
shifts to get through examination day. Some 
write out a set of questions, which the scholars 
are drilled in for examination. 
Yet, this is not always safe. Sometimes the 
trick will leak out. We recollect an amusing 
anecdote of a class in geography, which the 
teacher had drilled in his set questions, till 
they could answer every one before it was asked; 
and he felt confident that they would do them¬ 
selves and him great credit. His main reli¬ 
ance was on this class. When he commenced 
their examination, it was with a very confi¬ 
dent and triumphant air. As the questions 
passed along down the class, and were answered 
with the rapidity of thought, the village minister 
and the doctor, and parents, began to open their 
eyes with astonishment at the remarkable profi¬ 
ciency which the boys had made. The teacher 
did not observe that one of the boys, whose place 
was at the foot of the class, was absent; and as he 
passed up to the head again, the question was this: 
“In what country do you live?” “Guinea!” shout¬ 
ed the boy. “What country?” says the teacher, 
wishing to give the pupil time to recollect him¬ 
self. “Guinea!” was again the thundering re¬ 
sponse; and the boy looked as though he was not 
to be frowned out of it either. “You mean, no 
doubt, that you Live in the United States of 
America,” quietly suggested the teacher. “No, 
sir; the boy that lives in the- United States of 
America, is at home. He was sick, to-day, and 
couldn’t come." On one occasiou, some small 
boys were undergoing examination in geography, 
who could readily point out, on the outline map, 
and eive the names of all the grand divisions, Ac. 
A gentleman present, wishing to test the knowl¬ 
edge of the little fellows, said: “Boys, let me ask 
yon a qaestion. What is Asia, boys 5 * Here was 
no response. “ Is it land or water —what is it?”— 
The boys continued silent. They were not used to 
such questions as that. They could point it out on 
any map—they knew it by its shape—but they 
seemed to have no more idea of it than though it 
were an arbitrary character like A or B. Those 
examinations are seldom satisfactory which are 
conducted solely by the teacher. 
Another error, not uncommon, consists in cram¬ 
ming the minds of the pupils with a great number 
of facts— burdening their memories to excess, without 
enriching their understanding—merely to make 
them appear to advantage at an examination. 
To avoid these errors, and reap the full benefit 
of an examination, it should be entirely free from 
tricks to show off. The instance is well known, of 
a teacher who once visited the school of the late 
Mr. Page. A friend afterwards asked him how he 
liked it “Why, really," was the reply, “I do not 
see what, has rendered him so celebrated. I did 
not see anything so very wcnderfuL" There should 
be nothing wonderful—everything should he pre¬ 
ceded by thorough study; often reviewed, and 
impressed on the mind by frequent repetitions; 
so that no special preparation shall be necessary. 
Such examinations we hesitate not to commend 
to our readers.—I. P., in New York Teacher. 
CRUCIFIXION OF OUR 
AMD THE 
TWO THIEVES. 
GOING OUT AND COMING IN, 
Is that home where joy and sorrow, 
Where an infiant first drew breath, 
While an aged sire was drawing 
Near onto the gate of death. 
His feeble pulao was tailing. 
And hi* eyes were growing dim ; 
He wan standing on ihe threshold 
When they brought the babe to him. 
While to murmur forth a blessing, 
On the little ooe he tried, 
In his trembling arms he raised it. 
Pressed it to his Ups and died. 
An awful darkness regteth 
On the path they both begin, 
Who thus meet upon the threshold. 
Going out and coming in. 
Going out into the triumph. 
Coming in unto the tight— 
Coming in nnto the darkness, 
Going out into the light, 
Although the shadow deepened 
In the moment of eclipse, 
When he passed through the dread portal 
With the blessing on his lips. 
And to him who bravely conquers, 
As he conquered in the strfe. 
Life is but the the way of dying— 
Death is but the gate of life ; 
Yet awful darkness resteth. 
On the path we alt begin. 
Where we meet upon the threshold 
Going out and coming In. 
Thk Twentieth Annual Report of the Mass. 
Board of Education, has been presented to the 
Legislature of that State, accompanied by the Re¬ 
port of the Secretary, and abstracts from the vari¬ 
ous towns and cities of the Commonwealth. Re¬ 
turns have been received from every town but one, 
and the statistics give the following information 
concerning the educational system of Massa¬ 
chusetts: 
The whole number of public schools in the 
State 1 b 4,300, an increase of 85 since the last an¬ 
nual report The number of scholars, of all ages, 
who attended the summer schools was 1118,746; in 
winter 200,036. The average attendance on the 
summer school was 151,621; winter school 162,580. 
The whole number of persons in the State between 
the ages of five and 15 years, 222,853. The num¬ 
ber of children under five years in attendance on 
the public schools, 14,969, a falling oil’ from the 
lust report of 632. Number in attendance over 16 
years, 21,612, a decrease of 265. The whole num¬ 
ber of teachers employed in the summer was 4,760; 
males 381, females 4,379; in the winter, males 1,688, 
females 3,223. This shows a decrease for the year 
of 40 male teachers, and an increase of 269 female 
teachers. 
The average leugth of public schools during the 
year was seven months aud sixteen days. The 
average wages of male teachers per month, includ¬ 
ing board, $43 05. Average wages of female 
teachers per month, including board, $18 52. The 
amount of money raised by taxes, for the support 
of public schools, including only the wages of 
teachers, board, fuel and care of tires, $1,213,953 65, 
an increase for the year of $70,645 79. The in¬ 
crease of surplus revenue, aud of similar funds 
appropriated only for publie schools, $8,943 05.— 
Amount of voluntary contributions of board, fuel 
and money, to maintain or prolong public schools, 
$38,520 07; income of local funds appropriated 
for schools, $40,044 55; amount received by towns 
and cities from the State school fund, $46,SOB 54; 
paid for superindeudeuce of public schools, $36,- 
370 10. Total amount returned, as expended for 
public schools alone, $1,344,304 96. 
All the towns and cities of the State except one 
have raised $1 50 or more for each child between 
five and fifteen. The number of towns which have 
raised $5 or more for every child between five and 
fifteen, is 263. The number of incorporated Acad¬ 
emies returned is 70, number of students in attend¬ 
ance, 4,708; aggregate paid for tuition, $83,763- 
66 ; number ol private schools 701, maintained at 
a cost of $205,610 62; attended by 18,909 students. 
The amount annually expended in Massachusetts 
to promote popular education, exclusive of the 
cost of school books, and of instruction in col¬ 
legiate, professional and charitable institutions is 
$2,346,309 96 — a cost of a little more than $12 for 
every person in the State between the ages of five 
and fifteen years. 
in rivers of my tears 
I come to thee, 
To hear me wretch, 
Did never close, 
Let not, O God! 
And numberless, bet 
And my poor soul be t 
bow down thy blessed ears, 
and let thine eyes, which sleep 
behold a sinner weep, 
my God! my faults though great 
een thy mercy seat 
rown, since we are taught, 
Lord! remember 
sought 
not Lord wit 
at I by my S 
his wound 
orns, my dea 
my hies 
unts, with 
my h 
forgi 
g fount, the li 
thee, 
er helps a 
cross, my 
en then, wh 
and death sin 
od! my way 
eath defe 
let 
with the 
I co 
Than 
Be th 
My crown his 
Ami th 
Quit my ac 
Oh beg for 
Thou Chri 
The liv 
And but 
All o 
For by th 
Oh hear 
Lest s 
Oh Lord! my 
In 
^.ndatthe do 
To live 
any o 
vior 
my balm, his st 
h be lo 
Redeemer, 
old thy 
pes on the 
e as well as pay 
e, the wa 
whither 
e vain, giv 
I aving hea 
II with 
me forev 
Is direct 
dthat from thee I 
e be raise 
I sweet Jes 
r merit 
rist inherit; 
pes my bliss, 
in his. 
vior, God 
eugeful rod; 
are set 
e debt 
I know, 
bould I go? 
thine to me, 
th mast be. 
aith implore 
r more 
nd keep 
e’er slip; 
then, 
say Amen. 
For Moore's Kural New-Yorker 
PASSING- AWAIT. 
It is said that earth’s brightest visions fade first 
and that the young and beautiful are chosen as 
victims of the unwelcome messenger. Bat is it 
ever thus? Are not all things transient? The 
rose, unfolding its delicate petals to the glorious 
sunlight enjoys awhile its radiance, and is not— 
The sear and yellow leaves of autumn fall slowly 
to the earth, but to mingle with the dost from 
whence they sprang. The son of ambition, re¬ 
gardless of all else, save the one object whiah he 
has in view—Fame,—presses onward, and as he 
listens to the encomiums lavished upon him, his 
spirit soars aloft; but change and decay are writ¬ 
ten on all things mortal. The child of earth has 
attained the height of his glory, and wearied with 
the conflict to which he has been nerved by un¬ 
holy ambition, his tired spirit sinks within him, 
and exclaiming “ This is the last of earth," he also 
passes from the stage of action, but not till his 
fondest earthly hopes have been realized, and 
wearied nature asks for recompense. 
How dark man’s earthly prospects, were it not 
for that blissful eternity into which he mayjenter. 
Childhood, Youth, Manhood, aud Old Age, are the 
four great dramas of life, in which every man is 
an actor. Scarce has he entered upon one stage 
ere he passes to another, and at length to the last; 
then to a far nobler and never-ending scene of 
action, “the one great drama of eternity.” His 
enjoyment ceases not when he has passed from 
earth and its pleasures, but ever living, ever mov¬ 
ing in that sphere in which he wa3 destined to 
aot, performs the high and holy mission on which 
he was sent to this dark and desolate earth, and 
has departed hence only to enter upon a wider 
sphere of intellectual enjoyment. 
Carrie M, Lrr. 
Explanation.— The middle Cross represents our Savior’s; those on either side, the two thieves. 
On the top, and down the cross, are our Savior’s expressions—"My God! My God! Why hast thou 
forsaken me?” And on the top of the cross is the following Latin inscription :—“ Inri Jesus 
Nasarenus Rex Judeorum:” the interpretation is, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Upon the 
cross, on the left hand, is the prayer of one of the thieves—“Lord! remember me when thou 
oomest into thy kingdom." On the right hand i.ross is the saying or reproach of the other:—“If 
thou be’est the Christ save thyself and us.” The whole comprised together, makes an excellent 
piece of poetry, which is to be read across all the columns, and makes as many lines as there are 
letters in the alphabet. It is perhaps one of the most curious pieces of composition to be found 
on record. 
[Thinking the above, copied from an old work, would prove interesting to many readers of the 
Rural, a lady correspondent has kindly furnished it for publication.] 
For Moore's Rami New-Yorker. 
ORIGIN AUD SEALS OP THE STATES.—NO. VI. 
For Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
TEACH THE HEART. 
The Speaker, whether in the pulpit or public 
hall, should deign to often leave the train of close 
and formal reasoning, and call the mind to those 
higher realms of thought and feeling, which flood 
the soul with divino light Analogies drawn from 
such a source, open the heart and call into active 
use its best affections, while abstract reasonings 
only speak to the intellect and foster heartlessnesn 
and pride. Let the Teacher as he has charge of 
the pliant mind, when the impressions made are 
most tenacious, instruct the heart, while he follows 
his pupil through the mazy folds of science.— 
While he teaches it should not he work, like the 
Btyle of an English writer’s figure—shaping the 
mind as the sculptor would a block of marble for 
a statue, by breaking off and smoothing rough 
points, but should be like tho training of a vine. 
The heart and mind should both be called into 
use; for as the mind is directed iu its onward 
course as the vine is to its trellis, which it may 
grasp with its delicate tendrils, so the heart will 
throw out its affections and feelings like the leaves 
of the vine, to gather life from the light and 
warmth of the world without R. A. Rose. 
Castile, N. Y , 1857. 
Oberlin, O., 1S57, 
RHODE ISLAND. 
Rhode Island was first settled in the year 1631, 
by Roger Williams. In the year 1790 it adopted 
the Constitution of the United States, being the 
last of the “ Original Thirteen" to enter the con¬ 
federation. 
Rhode Island is the smallest State in the Union, 
being about 49 miles in length and 29 in breadth, 
containing 1,200 square miles, 130 of which are 
included in Narragansett Bay. The population in 
1850 was 147,545. The climate is healthy — and 
the islands on the coast, where the sea breezes 
come in. are much resorted to fbr purposes of 
pleasure. The principal rivers are five—Pawtuck¬ 
et, Providence, Pawtuxet, Pawcatuck and Wood— 
and though these are all small they furnish many 
fine mill sites and are much used for manufactur¬ 
ing purposes. 
Small as is this State, a few figures will show 
that the manufacturing interests are not neglected. 
In 1850 there were 158 cotton factories, employing 
about 11,000 individuals, producing 95,725,612 
yards of sheetings and L902.980 pounds of yarn, 
valued at $6,(113,000: 45 woolen factories manufac¬ 
turing 8,612,400 yards of cloth and 46,000 pounds 
of yarn, valued at $2,381,825; 20 furnaces for the 
production of articles of cast iron; one, employing 
220 persons, manufacturing, annually, about 3,000 
tuus of wrought iron; 29 flouring and grist mills; 
61 saw mills; 8 tanneries; 20 printing offices, 5 
daily, 1 semi-weekly and 12 weekly newspapers. 
The capital invested in manufactures amuants to 
$12,923,176; value of manufactured articles $20,- 
000,000. The cash value of the farms of the State 
at this period was $17,070,802. 
In order to exercise the privileges of the elect¬ 
ive franchise in Rhode Island, a person must either 
be possessed of a freehold valued at $134 00, pay 
a rental of $7 00. or a tax annually of $1 00. The 
government is similar in form to that of New 
York—the officers are, however, chosen annually. 
The educational facilities of this State are fully 
equal to any of her sisters in the confederacy.— 
There >s 1 University, 46 Academies and 416 
Schools, with 20,130 scholars—96 libraries; aggre¬ 
gate number of volumes, 104,342. The total num¬ 
ber of Churches in the State is 228. 
The Christian’s Home. —As the weary traveler 
in foreign lands, beset with dangers and disap¬ 
pointments, pressing his toilsome way o'er many a 
burning plain, inhaling the heated atmosphere of 
a scorching sun by day and pestilential damps by 
night, enfeebled by disease, delayed by untoward 
accidents and haunted by dread forebodings of 
the future, seeks with ardent desire and longs to 
return to his native land—to his kindred and hia 
home,—so the Christian, “ tossed on life’s tempes¬ 
tuous billows,” harrassed by foes without and foes 
within—often cast upon the cold charities of a 
heartless world—desponding amid present calam¬ 
ity, and anon exulting iu joyous anticipations of 
the future—encouraged to press onward by sweet 
foretastes of heavenly bliss—attracted by dear 
kindred aud frieuda who have gone before and 
above all by the blest expectation of beholding 
his Savior and his God —longs to be released from 
this dark world of sin, that he may depart to his 
long cherished home, the Canaan of the skies.— 
J. A. Root. 
of the goose. It is not true that this constant 
drenching inside or out is conducive to health. 
The hydropathic doctors begia to eschew the name 
“ Water Cure" for their hospitals, and are ransack¬ 
ing the languages, ancient and modern, lor a name 
less indicative of drowning. 
To a laboring man, the daily plunge hath is a 
drain upon his vitality, constipating his bowels, 
checking the insensible perspiration, and frequent¬ 
ly produeiug slight febrile action of the skin. To 
the indolent, who are too lazy to take sufficient 
exercise, it may answer some good purpose, for it 
is equally against nature and more pernicious to 
health to idle away one's life, than to wash it away. 
Many, too, even among the strongest advocates of 
hydropathy, are afraid to be out in a shower; even 
a small sprinkle creates in them visions of agues, 
bronchitis and consumption. In my opinion, this 
shower bath sent from Heaven is about the best 
water bath one can take, and comes full often 
enough, and that persons who take sufficient out¬ 
door exercise to insure good health, need never 
fear it, even should they continue to exercise in it 
for hours. Iu such cases, where due care is taken, 
when the exercise ceases, to keep up the heat of 
the body by dry clothes or other means, I have 
never known the first instance of injury. The 
Water-Cure Doctor takes a method akin to this with 
his patient, who Is too indolent or too feeble to 
exerciao, by applying the pack sheet. No process 
is better calculated to open the closed pores of 
tho skin and promote a healthy action, and the 
water from the clouds is about the right tempera¬ 
ture for a healthy person, at most seasons of the 
year, besides being free from those impurities that 
But highly valuable as water as 
VISIT YOUH SCHOOLS 
Y'ou could not do a better thing. Y’our boy has 
the idea that you care scarcely more than a dg’s 
value about his progress there; your girl thinks 
you are too busy about more important matters to 
worry about her red tnti ons. G rumraur is dry as dust 
to her, geography is tedious, arithmetic is a bore, 
reading is horrid, writing is her special abomina¬ 
tion, If she speaks of either at the table, she is 
hushed up. You talk ot stocks and senatorship, 
of the war and free trade. The young ones learn 
to think their studies very small matters in com¬ 
parison with yours. 
But visit your school to-day. Hear a lesson or 
two recited. Learn from their teachers what their 
standing is, in what they oftenest fail, and in what 
they excel. Seo who sits next to them in the 
school-room. See how they compare In personal 
appearance, whether they look happy and at home. 
If acquainted with their school habits, you eunuol 
but be interested in them, and then yon cannot 
possibly avoid talking of them. Making these 
matters subjects of home conversation will cer¬ 
tainly stimulate them to better efforts—make hot¬ 
ter scholars of them. By all means, then visit 
your schools. Go alone, if no one will go with 
you. Yoq will always be welcomed by the teacher, 
unless he is a fit one to be turned off — Pittsburg 
Visitor. 
For Moore’s Rural Now-Yorker. 
PRIZE-GIVING IN SCHOOL. 
Working with God. —“Work, for it is God that 
worketh in you.” This beautiful union of holy 
fear, and yet holy courage, of entire dependence 
npon God, and yet unabated and jealous “diligence 
to make our calling and election sure,” is attaina¬ 
ble only, nay, I might say intelligible only to a 
spiritual mind. Not that there is any inexplicable 
mystery in their connection; men are continually 
acting in the affairs of life iu the same way. They 
clear the ground, sow their crops, go through all 
the toils of husbandry with unremitting diligence, 
and show they can do no more; they watch for 
the increase, they think of it, they talk of it with 
the deepest interest, while yet it is undeniable that 
they cannot make a single blade of wheat to spring 
up, or bear produce. The sun must shine upon it; 
the rain must water it, the earth must nourish it; 
they can command none of tfiese.— Bunyan. 
Eds. Rural: —Being a school teacher, I am much 
interested in all I find in the department of your 
paper, entitled “ 
The Educator.” In No. 6 of this 
year, a correspondent recommends a system of 
“Prize-giving” as a preventive of whispering. I 
would inquire by what means It la to be ascertain¬ 
ed whether a pupil has whispered or not in the 
course Of the day or half day, as the case may be? 
If each individual is asked whether he or she has 
whispered, can the answer be depended on? Is 
there not great temptation to prevaricate, and is 
it not indirectly teaching children to deceive? It 
is my lot to teach a school where a large number 
are, as I may say, prematurely hardened, whose 
liner feelings it would be hard to reach, — l would 
be glad to learn some more feasible method for 
such u Bohool as this. 
I have introduced the ” Rural" in this school iu 
place of a reading book fora portion of the pupils, 
that is for such os chose to subscribe—we make one 
cop^ answer for tiiree or four readers. We have 
found it very instructive, and I am certain that 
those who “ read in the paper,” improve much faster 
than those who read only in the ‘‘Reader.’’ 
Newfield, Feb., 1857. P. W. 
corrode the skin, 
a remedy is, its effectual application requires dis¬ 
cretion, and I venture to say no medicine is more 
abused or misapplied. 
Having mentioned the inward application of 
water, I will (contrary to my first intention! say a 
word of its use as a beverage, it is, I think, a l- 
miited by physiologists, that when water is taken 
into the stomach alone, there is no action upon it 
by the digestive organs, but that it is merely taken 
up by the absorbent vessels without change. Most 
of our water contains lime and other minerals in 
solution. Is not this lime left to corrode the 
stomach till food is taken and digested, with the 
residuum of which It can pass off? I nitrely ask the 
question for wiser heads to answer. Do the ex¬ 
periments with St. Martin throw any light on the 
subject? I have noticed that though limy water 
taken with meals or during digestion does uot 
produce any perceptible inconvenience—still. taken 
in large quantities or upon an empty stomach, 
especially when weary, it produces sickening aud 
other unpleasant sensatious, and that the addition 
of vinegar, with wine, eider or sugar, upon which 
the stomach can act, prevents any unpleasantness. 
It may bo well to look to this matter during the 
hot weather. r. b. s. 
Theological Seminaries and Colleges. — A 
document prepared by Rev. Z. Freeman, Corres¬ 
ponding Secretary of the "New York Baptist 
Union for Mluisteral Education,” and published 
in connection with their Annual Report, gives the 
following view of Theological Seminaries in the 
United States: 
A'o. of In- Pro- Stu- Gradual* 
stttvtions. fessors. dents, this tjtar 
Presbyterian.11 33 473 120 
Cuugregtttionul... 6 17 211 (57 
Associate Reformed Church ..5 9 Utj 28 
German Reformed Church,- 1 2 21 — 
Dutch Refurmcd Church.1 S 30 11 
Lutheran. 4 9 40 12 
Episcopalian. 4 12 69 33 
Mothodist Episcopal.......... 2 4 75 yy 
Unitarian .. 1 2 25 13 
Christian......._......... 1 5 61 3 
EXCELLENCY os CHRIST. 
He is a path, if any be misled ; 
He is a robe, H any naked be.: 
If any chance to hunger, he is .bread ; 
If any be a bondman, ha is free 
It any be but weak, how strong is he ! 
To dead men life he ia, to sick men health ; 
T« blind men sight, aud to the needy wealth— 
A pleasure without loss, a treaenre without stealth. 
[ Odist Fletehtr. 
Beautiful Simile. —Men’s feelings are always 
purest aud most glowing at the hour of meeting 
and farewell; like the glaciers, which are transpa¬ 
rent and roay-hued only at sunrise and sunset, bat 
throughout tho day gray and cold. 
Education. — Everything is education; the 
trains of thought you are indulging in this hour; 
the society in which you will spend the evening; 
the conversations, walks, and Incidents of to-mor¬ 
row. And so ought it to be. We may thank the 
world for its infinite means of impression and ex¬ 
citement which keep our faculties awake and in 
action, while it is our important office to preside 
over that action, and guide it to some divine re¬ 
sult.—J. Foster. 
Alas! little does the world know how many a 
broken heart is hidden under a cold and stem de¬ 
meanor of the face; little doss it dream of the 
anguish that ia stifled by the rigid lip of pride, or 
what feelings lie buried, but alive forever in the 
hearts of those whom it looks at dailj, as monu¬ 
ments of hard, unejmpathiuiag selfishness. It a 
written, "Bvary heartkuoweth ittowu bitterness^ 
and that concealment has been erdaiued by the 
same wisdom whioh has given to os the knowledge 
of the fact. 
As long as mankind shall continue to bestow 
more liberal applause on their destroyers than on 
their benefactors, the thirst for military glory will 
ever be the vice ot the most exalted characters.— 
Gibbous. 
It seems certain that either a man must believe 
that virtue will make him happy, and resolve, 
therefore, to be virtuous; or think that he may be 
happy without virtue, and therefore casta off all 
care but for his present interest. 
Baptist 
The whole number of colleges is 144; profes¬ 
sors, 919; tutors, 149; students, 18,581—of which 
6,581 are professors of religion, aud 1,927 have 
the ministry in view. Whole number of Alumni 
67,691. 
Too much sensibility creates unhappiness; too 
much insensibility creates crime.— Talleyrand. 
