A-y r 
#li«ati0fial. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
LEARNING TO SPELL. 
The common way of learning to spell by 
studying columns of words ns arranged in spell¬ 
ing books, though a somewhat dry, mechanical 
method, still answers the purpose of making a 
great many excellent spellers. In the good old 
times, when spelling schools were more frequent 
than now, and the practice prevailed of choosing 
sides, Saturday afternoon, the pupil who could i 
Btand up longest or “ spell down the school,” 
was the hero of the neighborhood till some rival 
had the good fortune to win away his honors. 
Good spelling was considered a great accom¬ 
plishment in those days; and to he called the best 
speller in school was accounted a high distinc¬ 
tion. A system of training that makes correct 
spellers need not be complained of, though it 
may possibly be improved. 
Many educated persons declare that when 
they come to put. words on paper, they are apt 
to get confused, and find themselves unable to . 
write correctly, without the help of the dic¬ 
tionary, mauy words with which they are 
familiar enough, anil which they have no trouble - 
in spelling orally. This difficulty has been met 
by the plan introduced, some years ago. of re¬ 
quiting pupils to write on their slates the spelling 
lesson, word by word, as pronounced by the 
teacher. The advantages of this method are, 1 
that each member of the class spells every word 
of the lesson; that it affords a good exorcise in 
writing as well as in spelling; that it accustoms . 
the learner to the way of spelling he will have 
most occasion to practice in after life; and that 
by writing the words one impresses the forma¬ 
tion of them more strongly on his mind than by 
dwelling on them with the eye, only, or listen¬ 
ing to others’ spelling. Whether tins method is 
much in use in schools, or not, it certainly de¬ 
serves to be. 
There is still another meaus of improvement 
in the art of spelling which ought to be care¬ 
fully cultivated in early life, because, in after 
years, it is our main dependence for becoming 
acquainted with now or unfamiliar words. I 
refer to the habit of observation in reading. 
One can scarcely glance at, the contents of a 
newspaper w ithout meeting more or less strange 
words—proper names if nothing else—the or¬ 
thography of which can generally be fixed in 
the memory without conscious effort, if the 
reader be accustomed to attend to the formation 
of words as his eye passes over them. Persons 
of various reading are constantly coming upon 
word new to them, though perhaps of ancient 
use, which it would bo tedious to stop and study 
as children do their spelling lesson, but which 
they may have occasion to write some time, aud 
it is, therefore, certainly desirable to remember 
them. A habit of attention in reading Will soon 
enable them to do this without appreciable 
pains. And the irregularity of our orthography 
makes the cultivation of such a habit of special 
value to the reader and writer of the English 
language; for without great caution, and the 
exercise that daily reading gives, the best edu¬ 
cated often find themselves at fault on very 
common words. a. 
South Livonia, N. Y., 1864. 
— t • - - 
“SHE KIND 0’ WISHED ME TO.” 
There are somo of our teachers whom we 
respect for their moral worth, educational abili¬ 
ty, and the conscientious manner in which they 
discharged their duties as teachers. There are 
others, at whose feet wo sat in our childhood, 
whom we do uot respect for any of the above 
reasons. There is one a good-hearted old maid 
—whom we respect only for her good judgment 
in locating us in the school room always sand- 
PARK 
HAVANA, CTLEBAl. 
ilm.nm 
Life and Correspondence op Tukodokk Parker j 
Dy .Tons Weiss. Two volumes. New York: D. 
Appleton & Co. t 
The hare announcement of the Issue of this work is I 
sufficient to awaken a desire for it on the part, of those l 
familiar with the political history of the country the H 
past twenty years- For, whatever we may think of s 
Theodore Parker’s theology, of lus political opin- ( 
ions, aud of the tendency of the influence he exerted, t 
there can he but one opinion as to his ability and po- " 
gition as a thinker and scholar 
Here arc a thousand pasre«, a large proportion of 
which are occupied with his letters to friends, orobra , 
cing his opinions on all sorts of subjects, and giving 
glimpses of his character which the mere reader of his 
political essays would never obtain. 
It Is almost always the case that the more Intimately : 
we know men, especially such as occupy a prominent 1 
public position, the better we shall like them—the more 
will wo respect t fteir character. This is almost invari¬ 
ably the case where our impressions have come to us 
through tiie medium of the partisan press. And The¬ 
odore Parker had few friends among the partisans of 
either of the dominant parties of his time. Religious 
sects and their organs distrusted him. It. is well then, 
now that he la dead—It would have been well before, 
perhaps—to examine the evidences which are furnished 
eoncirniog trie parity of Ida life and aim-. Even his 
enemies may find cause to modify their opinions con¬ 
cerning him, and give to hls memory the charity they 
honestly withheld from him while living. The lessons 
wc may learn from an analysis of such men’s characters 
and animating motives, may atfbct favorably our rela¬ 
tions to, and opinions of, public men now living. At 
least such biographies may always be read with profit. 
For sale by Steele & Avery. Price $6 
Tihbtv Pokms. By William Cttxlkn Bryant- NcW 
York: 1). Appleton & Co. 
It would ho unnecessary labor for us to commend 
these poems to our intelligent readers. Mr. Bryant 
is ono of the- very few poets whose poems are not made 
tip of words merely pnt together so that they will 
jingle. Each word In its place is fitted there, and has 
an use Ukc each stone- in an arch. The first poem of 
this work is “ The Planting of the Apple Tree,” which 
has been so generally read. The first stanzas tell the 
whole story of the planting: 
“Come, let us plant the apple tree. 
Cleave the tough greensward with the spade; 
Wide let Us hollow hod he made; 
There gently lay the roots, aud there 
Sift the dark mold with kindly care, 
Aud press it o’er them tenderly, 
A-, round the sleeping infant's feet 
Wc softly told the oracle-sheet; 
So plant wo the apple tree- ” 
No horticulturist, could have described the mode 
better, nor in fewer words. We should delight to give 
the whole of thi s poem had we space now. At planting 
time we will publish it. It is worth the price of the 
book to every onb who loves trees. The “ Song of the 
supplying more than fifty public fountains, sup¬ 
plies many private dwellings. There are tsvo 
public promenades,— Isabel Scgunda, which 
runs through the heart of the city, and Pasco 
Militar, running from the outer edge of the city 
to the foot of the hill Principe. The first is 
more than a mile in length, laid out with a 
broad carriage wav, with shaded walks on each 
side, and several fountains and statues; the 
second is more modest in its arrangement; but 
one side of it. is laid out the public botanical 
garden, in which stands the summer residence 
of the Captain-General. 
The climate of Havana is the perpetual sum¬ 
mer of the tropics, modified by the moist and 
cool sea-breeze, occasioned by the trade-winds, 
during the hottest part of the day. The aver¬ 
age height of the thermometer during the win¬ 
ter season is 8.W Fall., aud In summer 87°. It 
rarely rises above ffO*', and rarely falls below 
70°. This latter point is only reached during 
the gales from the north, Avhich blow at inter¬ 
vals between November and March, when the 
thermometer occasionally falls as low as 60°. 
This equable climate has rendered Havana a 
popular resort for invalids from the north. The 
nights arc always cool and pleasant, and as the 
sea breeze, sinks with the sun, it is gradually 
replaced by that from the land, which comes 
laden with aromatic perfumes. 
Havana is a large commercial center, and a 
city of great wealth; and its proximity to our 
shores renders it, in its commercial features, 
largely American. 
SCIENTIFIC GIAiNJHGB 
The Boquet in Wine.— A French profes¬ 
sor named M. Bertholet has been induced to 
examine the influence which oxygen has over 
wine; and he has concluded that it is most un¬ 
favorable, destroying the boquet, which is re¬ 
placed by a most disagreeable flavor. He 
found, by passing a current of oxygen into the 
choicest wines, that this result—the destruction 
of their boquet —followed. His experiments 
demonstrate the necessity of preserving wine 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
THAWING OUT PUMPS. 
Almost every winter we come across people 
who are having terrible times with their pumps 
being frozen. We see them at work with hot 
water, and hot irons, trying to thaw them out. 
If they are but slightly frozen, they are success¬ 
ful, and the pumps once more resume their 
appropriate function of supplying water for 
man aud beast. Not so when the ice is frozen 
several inches, or feet, as the ease may be. All 
their efforts then with hot irons and water, arc 
unavailing. Their last resort is to take up the 
pump, and take the frozen log into the warm 
air of the kitchen, and let it remain, to the great 
discomfort of all concerned, until the ice once 
more returns to its fluid state. 
Now this is all unnecessary, for there is a 
much simpler and better way. Salt is an effec¬ 
tual solvent of ice. By its use the worst frozen 
pumps can be relieved. If the pump is only 
slightly frozen, a handful or two dropped in at 
the top, so as to come in contact with the ice, 
will render it liquid in an hour or two. If the 
case is desperate, the quantity of salt must be 
increased. Repeat the dose, from time to time, 
until the object is accomplished. I once re¬ 
lieved a pump-stock, in two days, that was 
frozen over eight feet, and had defied all our 
efforts with hot water and red-hot Tods. The 
next time the pump freezes, try the salt! 
Rolling Prairie, Wis., 1SB4. L. L. F. 
OUR FOOD. 
SCIENTIFIC \NTNGS. We find, the following credited, to a work I 
- called' '■ Medical Common Sense, M which may 
The Boquet in Wine.—A French profes- be appreciated by those who like and feed upon 
sor named M. Bertholet has been induced to pork three times a day. three hundred and 
examine the influence which oxygen has over sixtv-five days in the year; 
wine; and he has concluded that it is most un- “One of the most common causes of blood 
favorable, destroying the boquet, which is re- impurities is the use of pork. It has been said 
placed by a most disagreeable flavor. He that all things were created for some wise 
found, by passing a current of oxygen into the purpose. This is undoubtedly true, but hogs 
choicest wines, that this result—the destruction were never made to eat. We read that Christ 
of their boquet —followed. His experiments used them to drown devils; they can never he 
demonstrate the necessity of preserving wine appropriated to a more beneficent use. As an 
from the action of the oxygen in air, since the article of diet, pork exerts a most pernicious 
Wiched between two pieces of calico. And the Sower" ts another rural poem in which we. have been 
following from the pen of William Pitt greatly Interested There nro rural and home pictures 
Palm kr, of Now York, awakens many smack- >“ it wlU touch the heart and quicken the man- 
ing reminiscences, for which that good old maid f * ' arra Brtam J u , Ul( ; 
. • M . , ffirmar .h poet. The thoughtful farmer can under*Land 
is responsible. Wo cuunot forego the pleasure? iuiti a pp rec j ate poems. And they will add to the 
of giving our readers—especially the ancient pleasure, and lucreaao the enjoyment of his daily life, 
ones—a few moments of quiet internal enjoy- For sale by Strrlh & Avert. Price $1.95. 
ment, by publishing it: -- 
A district school, not far away, Pblayo. An Epic of the Olden Time. By Elizabeth 
Mid Berkshire hills, one winter's day, 1 ■ Footer Beacq. New Vork. D Appleton & Co. 
Was humming with its wonted noise As an Epic, this work possesses somo merit, and the 
Of three score mingled girls and hoys, narrative will excite Interest In those fond of reading 
Some few upon their tusk intent, of the day s of chivalry and romance. This Epic is 
But more on furtive mischief bent; based upon two legends fumlahod the author by Wash 
The while the master’s downward look inoton Irving. The poem opens during the sufferings 
Was fastened on a copy book, of the Christians while the Moons were in the height 
Rose sharp and clear a rousing smack! of their power, 'l'he verse limps occasionally, but the 
As 'twere a battery of bliss measure is pleasant and generally smooth; and there 
Lot off in oue tremendous kiss! area few vivid picturepaasnges. It is a story of in 
“What's that)"’ the startled master cries, trigue, treason, battles, bravery, heroism, love and ro- 
“ That, thlr,” a llttlo Imp replies, mancc. For sale by Steele & Avery. Frieo $’h 
“ Watli WUliam Willltk, if you pleaUie, ■ i 
I saw him kith Thuthaunah Peathe!" ^ a- 
wml, tot. 
Like a wretch o'ortaken in his track, - — 
With stolen chattels on his back, 
Will hung his head In fear and shame, HAVANA, CUBA 
And to I ho awful presence camo— 
A great, green, bashful simpleton, Havana is the capital aud metropolis of 
The but of all good-natured fun. Cuba. Its population is said to be about 200,- 
With srnilo suppressed and birch upraised, 000. It is built on a tongue of land formed by 
The threatener faltered, " I’m amazed the sea on one side and the land-locked basiu 
That you, my biggortpupu should of tko harbor on the other. The harbor has 
Beforu tho'whoie'set'school to boot- a U:UT0W for :lboUt half a mik ‘» 
What evil genius put you to’t?" n opens into a tuple-headed bay, containing 
“ ‘Twos she, herself, sir,” sobbed the lad, about nine square miles of surface, with a 
“ I didn’t mean to be so bad; • depth of water of from oue to six fathoms. 
But when Susannah shook her curls, There aro six. forts beside the walls of the city 
And whispered l was ’fraid of girls. and the citadel, used for the defense of the city. 
And dursn't kiss a baby’s doll. The largest of these forts, La Cabana, requires 
I couldn’t stand it, sir, at oil, .... " . .. . ‘ . 
T> . „ 7. ’ . 2,000 men to garrison it in tune of war. The 
But up and lussed lier on the spot. ’ ° 
i know-boo hoo-i ought to not, 8tr ^ 01 the dty w narrow, regular, am! 
But, somehow, from bur looks—boo hoo— paved with square blocks of granite. 
I thought she kind o' wished me to!” The private dwellings are constructed oi 
*-♦- stone, with Uumeuse doors and windows. Tin 
Will is that living fate of which exterior city la lighted with gas, and supplied with watei 
necessity is but the form. . by an aqueduct seven miles long, which, beside 
HAVANA, CUBA 
Havana is the capital and metropolis of 
Cuba. Its population is said to be about 200,- 
000. It is built on a tongue of land formed by 
the sea on one side and the land-locked basiu 
of the harbor on the other. The harbor has 
a narrow entrance for about half a mile, when 
it opens into a triple-headed bay, containing 
about nine square miles of surface, with a 
depth of water of from oue to six fathoms. 
There aro six forts beside the walls of the city 
and the citadel, used for the defense of the city. 
The largest of these forts. La Cabana, requires 
2,000 men to garrison it in time of war. The 
streets of the city aro narrow, regular, aud 
paved with square blocks of granite. 
The private dwellings are constructed of 
stone, with Uumeuse doors and windows. The 
city Is lighted with gas, and supplied with water 
by au aqueduct seven miles long, which, beside 
prolonged contact of 10 cubic centimeters of 
oxygen—50 cubic centimeters ot air—is suffi¬ 
cient to destroy the boquet; ot a quart of wine. 
It is to the slow penetration of oxygen into 
bottles, that this gentleman attributes the de¬ 
struction of flavor which every wine expe¬ 
riences at last. The reason that the racking off 
of new wine from the vat to the cask does not 
produce a similar result, is that new wine, 
being saturated with carbonic acid, disengages 
a portion of it when exposed to the air, so that 
it is in a great measure preserved, a very small 
volume of air disengaging a considerably greater 
volume of carbonic acid. The decomposition of 
wine in bottles half full, and the diminution of 
the flavor well known to all connoisseurs, are 
caused by the action of oxygen. 
Making Ice by Steam.— This is fast becom¬ 
ing a business in the \v arm climates. It is done 
by evaporating ether, or any other similarly 
volatile liquid, in vacus. and again condensing 
the vapor to liquid, so as to be used afresh. In 
this way 52 degrees of cold are easily obtained, 
and thus ice is readily produced. The British 
government employs these machines In India 
and at the Cape of Good Hope. At Calcutta, 
this machine-made ice is said to be driving the 
Boston ice out of market. Machines are made 
in France, and exhibited at London, which pro¬ 
duced ice of such perfect purity that pieces of 
it could be put into the drink that is to be 
cooled —solid transparent ice without spongi¬ 
ness. As the volatile Liquid used is only the 
aqueous solution of ammonia, the cost of making 
it is very slight. 
Signs of Sm all Pox.—The Eclectic Journal, 
in an article on small pox, admonishes physicians 
uot to be hasty in passing their opinion that any 
eruptive disorder is that loathsome disease, 
until they prove the following diagnostic symp¬ 
tom:—“Now we offer this secret to the profes¬ 
sion—so soou as the eruptions appear, and by 
pressure with the point of the finger may be 
distinctly felt the small, hard substance, precisely 
as if a small, Jine shot had been placed under the 
cuticle of the skin. This peculiar appearance 
belongs to no other eruptive disease. We have 
applied the term secret, here; for w kilo it is and 
lias been known to a few physicians, it is not 
influence on the blood, overloading it with cai> ' 
bouic acid gas, and filling It with scrofula. The 
hog is hot a healthy animal. From its birth it } 
is :in inveterate gormandizer, and to satisfy its 
eternal cravings for food, everything in field or 
gutter, however filthy, finds a lodgment in its 
capacious stomach. It eats filth, wallows in 
tilth, and is itself but a living mass of filth. 
Now, when it is remembered that all our limbs 
and organs have been picked up from our 
plates—that our bodies are made np of the 
things we have eaten —what pork-eater will 
felicitate himself with the re flection that, accord¬ 
ing to physiological teachings, he is physically 
part hog. ‘We have been served up at table 
many times over. Every individual is literally 
a mass of vivified viands; he is an epitome of I 
innumerable meals; he has dined upon himself, 
supped upon himself, and, in fact, paradoxical 
as it may appear, has again and again leaped 
down his owu throat,’ 
••The humoral properties, and inflammatory 
effects, which pork imparts to the blood, actually | 
teud to generate vermin in the system. Grub 
in the liver, kidneys, lungs, and other organs, 
not unfrequently have their origin in the use of 
this filthy article of food. The Gazette Medi¬ 
cate also asserts that the • tape-worm only 
troubles those who eat pork.’ It further re¬ 
marks. ‘that the Hebrews are never troubled 
with it; that perk butchers are particularly 
liable to it; and that dogs fed on pork are uni¬ 
versally so afflicted—in fact, it turns out that a 
small parasite worm, called ORYSTICKUOUS— 
from two words signifying & small sack and a 
tail which much affects pork, no sooner 
reaches the stomach, than, from the change of 
diet and position, it is metamorphosed into the 
well know ti tape-worm; and the experiments 
of M. Kuchenmeister, of Zittoria, made with 
great professional care and minuteness oi detail, 
upon a condemned criminal, have established 
the fact beyond contradiction.’ ” 
--- - »< ■ » - ■ 
To Prevent FORGING Bank Notes. — A 
new idea, to prevent the forgery of bank notes, 
etc., has just been started. It consists in using 
a single sheet formed of several layers of pulp, 
superposed, of different nature and color, ac¬ 
cording to requirements. The cheek it gives to 
alterations of documents is excellent. It only 
A WORD TO FARMERS BOYS. 
“ Farmer Boy,” of Homesfield. who, by the 
way, is an agent of the Rural, addresses the 
young Rural readers under the above heading, 
and relates his experience in determining his 
vocation. He says;—"Since the age of 16, your 
humble servant has been sorely afflicted with a 
desire to change his sphere of action, and find a 
more congenial occupation in which to labor. 
After considering the propriety of entering al¬ 
most every profession ever heard of, he conclud¬ 
ed to become a common-school teacher. He 
taught three terms with good success, he flatters 
himself. He had by this time begun to dislike 
the idea of settling on a farm as a farmer,— 
which was his natural vocation —and after dis¬ 
cussing the policy of studying law, entered 
mercantile life as a clerk. He continued in this 
business five months, — quitted it in disgust, 
and returned to the farm contented to remain 
there. 
“I might have told you of all my castle-build¬ 
ing. It would have filled a moderate volume. 
You perhaps know something of these castles 
built in the air. But you have my experience. 
Such is, in brief, the result of the hopes and 
aspirations of my airy days. And mine, I im¬ 
agine, is not a solitary instance of restlessness 
and discontent. 
“ My advice is, that whatever your vocation, 
if it be honorable, stick to it. The business to 
which you have been schooled is emphatically 
your business. Change is sometimes advisable; 
but I give you three reasons for staying on the 
farm:—1st, It is healthier than any other busi¬ 
ness; 2d, It is the easiest business, the testimo¬ 
ny of some to the contrary notwithstanding; 
3d, It is the most independent business. You 
are not a cramped and servile minion, but a 
free thinking and a free acting man in the fullest 
sense of the wont. You can become a better 
informed as well as a more honest, temperate 
and noble man. A word to the wise is sufficient. 
And, young friend, be wise and do not leave the 
good old farm-home, that ba3 kept you so long 
and so well, for the dwarfed life which you will 
live in the city.” 
The Editor thinks “Farmer Boy’’ has given 
some, good advice—all the better, since he speaks 
from experience. Perhaps there are some far¬ 
mer boys who will not agree with him, and 
have arguments and experiences to the contrary. 
If so, let them reply. 
FOUR PAIRS OF HANDS. 
“Grandmother,” said a little girl, “I wish 
I had four pairs of hands to help you with.” 
“O,” thought the old lady, “How happy I am 
in having a grandchild so ready and willing to 
comfim my old age. Four pairs of hands! Ac- 
‘ cowling to that 1 am afraid I shall hardly find 
f enough to keep one pair busy." 
In the afternoon grandmother went into the 
woods to cut herbs. “You will spread supper,” 
j she said to the little girl; “put on the brown 
j loaf, and a mug of miLk and the cold mutton, 
e and make a cup of tea.” And the nice old lady 
s put on her Shaker bonnet and took her way to 
^ the woods wishing the four pairs of hands could 
go with her. 
Sunset filled the earth with the golden light, 
when grandfather from the brick-yard, and 
f grandmother from the forest turned their tired 
" feet toward the cottage. Each thought of sup- 
* per. and what a good sauce hunger was to give 
it a relish. Grandmother also pleased herself 
on the way fancying her little girl trotting 
r about the old kitchen, and making its gray 
s walls cheerful with her nimble fingers and glad 
The old lady came into the porch. There sat 
grandfather, tired and alone, leaning on the top 
of his staff. No supper, no teakettle singing, no 
little grandchild to welcome her. •• Where is 
Elsie ? Has she fallen in the well P* asked grand¬ 
mother, her kind old heart going pit-a-pat. She 
looked out at the east window. There was Elsie 
j swinging on the gate. “Elsie, Elsie,’’ called 
grandmother, “ why did you not get supper as I 
bid ye, child?" 
“ O, because—” drawled Elsie. 
“For my part I had rather have what one 
pair of hands will do than what four pairs can 
promise,” said the old lady. 
Ah, selfish people are always generous with 
just that which they don’t happen to have. 
TEST OF INNOCENT ENJOYMENT, 
_ 
If any of onr pleasures are such that the 
thought of our holy Brother in heaven cannot 
mingle with them, we may be sure they are 
wrong. If they were guiltless. His presence 
would only deepen and brighten them. If they 
are foolish, or gross, or hurtful, or cruel, they 
will cower beneath His pure eyes. Perhaps 
there is no better test of their innocence 
than this;—Would I like to see Jesus here and 
now ? Only we must not imagine that He wall 
be displeased to find us in any other than a sol¬ 
emn mood. He is uot only our Prophet, Priest 
and King —He is our Brother. When did the 
sudden entrance of our elder brother ever chill 
our mirth ? Only when it was contemptible, so 
that we knew it would shock his purer taste, or 
wound his nobler heart. k 
Our Divine Friend will rejoice in our joy just r 
so long as it is untainted; but If it seems incon- p 
gruous to ask Him to go with us to any place of j 
amusement, we may be assured it is no place for A 
us. If there is anything in our merriment ^ 
which would offend His ear, then it is not fit for \|“ 
has been known to a few physicians, it is not alterations of documents is excellent. It only wmeu ww,u ™ uu ^ ~ 
mentioned in any of the standard authorities, require* that the middle layer be colored of a us..Let Hun be blended with all our thoughts- 
, ,, delible or destructible color, l he chemical lm Him be the confidant ot all our teelings — let 
uor does the writer claim the credit ot the di* ^ omployed iu obliterating the writing will kt ^ ° heartv , vmudthv £ everi , 
covery. After this, all works upon practice also destroy tills color, which cannot again be 118 rely upen - - j ^ 
will add this unfailing diagnostic symptom.” restored while the paper surface remains white, phase of experience. - or. u. More. 
JV _ _ fciah 
____—----— 
