Life or Abraham Lincoln. Presenting hie Early 
Llintory, Political Career, and Speeches In anrlout 
of Congress; also a General View of hia Policy aa 
President of the United Suites; with Ida Messages, 
Proclamations, Letters, etc,, ami a History or hia 
Evenlfm Adtalilttration, and of the Scenes Attend¬ 
ant upon his Tragic and Lamented Demise. By 
JViAnrri H, Barrett, Commissioner of Pensions, 
Wasbingion, D. t . $vo.—pp. 8M. Cincinnati; 
Moore, Wilatach & Baldwin. 
We hope the work wLll he extensively purchased 
and read. Tt is the most complete and attractive life 
of the lamented patriot and martyr that has yet ap¬ 
peared, The features which particularly please ns 
are the minute and apparently faithful details which 
it gives of the early life of President Lincoln ; show¬ 
ing from what an obscure origin, and against what 
tremendous odds, inborn talent and native worth of 
character will rlee and assert themselves, and how 
wisely Providence sometimes prepares men in the 
stern school of adversity for the subsequent, discharge 
of the most onerous and perplexing publics trusts. 
Voting men who arc hc'pleesly mourning over their 
lack of worldly advantages, will do well to read the 
simple record of this groat man's early life, and learn 
upon bow little virtue and talent combined with in¬ 
dustry can thrive and expand, and just what those 
qualities of mind and heart are, the exercise of which 
will ensure the only euecess worth having—that which 
is consistent with the preservation of personal honor 
and unwavering integrity. That part of the work 
which treats of the official career or President Lin¬ 
coln is very full and necurato, containing his speech¬ 
es, messages, Ac., and incidentally giving a very 
striking and condensed history of the lending eveuta 
In the late rebellion. Altogether we regard this as a 
valuable work, and must congratulate the publishers 
upon the tasteful manner in which they have brought 
it oat. It in well printed, handsomely humid, and 
finely Illustrated 
Dot is at the window 
Peeping through the pane; 
And the summer flowers 
Hear the morning hours 
Tinkled by the silver bells of rain. 
Dot a moment lingers, 
Looking at the sky; 
Then her baby feet 
O’er the carpet creep ; 
On her cheeks the roguish dimples lie. 
Dot beside her mother 
Takes her quiet place ; 
“ Ma, the sun must be 
Naughty, ’seems to me— 
How he splashes when they wash his face 1” 
[.Padjlc Monthly. 
LATIN AND LABOR 
The city of Kingston is situated at the north¬ 
eastern extremity of Lake Ontario, immediately 
above its outlet, tie St. Lawrence River, 198 
miles west of Montreal, and 105 east of Toronto. 
The city, modern as it appears, looks far back 
for its history, as its advantagou9 locale did not 
fail to attract the notice of the early French dis¬ 
coverers. It was oace occupied as a small fort 
called Cataraqui, otherwise knowu as Fron- 
tenac, and was the scene of various sieges and 
exploits before it passed, with ail the territory of 
the Canadas, from Freneh to British rule. It 
was from this point that murderous expeditions 
were made by the Indians in the olden times 
against Albany and other English settlements of 
New York, which in turn sent back here its 
retributive blows. The present city was found¬ 
ed in 1783, and incorporated a city in 183S. It 
has now a population of 10,090, and is the 
sixth commercial city of Canada. Among the 
objects of interest, are the fortifications of 
Fort Henry, on a hill upon the eastern 6idc of 
the Rideau Canal; two Martello Towers off the 
town, and other defensive works; Queen’s Col¬ 
lege; the Roman Catholic College of Regiopo- 
lis; and the Provincial Penitentiary, a little to 
the west of the city. 
and he was quick in his answer. * Well, John, 
if Latin grammar does not suit you, you may 
try ditching; perhaps that will; my meadow 
yonder needs a ditch, and you may put by Latin 
and try that.’ 
“ This seemed a delightful change, and to the 
meadow I went. But I soon found ditching 
harder than Latin, and the first forenoon was the 
longest I ever experienced. That day I ate the 
bread of labor, and glad was I when night came 
on. That night I made some comparison be¬ 
tween Latin grammar and ditching, but said not 
a word about it. I dug next forenoon, and 
wanted to return to Latin at dinner; out it Was 
humiliating, and I could not do it. At night, 
toil conquered pride; and though it was one of 
the severest trials I ever had in my life, I told 
my father that if he chose, I would go back to 
Latin grammar. He was glad of it; and if I 
have since gained any distinction it has been 
owing to the two day’s labor in that abominable 
ditch.” 
Boys may learn several important lessons from 
this story It shows how little they oftentimes 
appreciate their privileges. Those who are kept 
at study frequently think it a hardship needlessly 
imposed on them. But they must do something; 
and if set to ditching, would they like that any 
better? The opportunity of pursuing a liberal 
course of study is what few enjoy; and they are 
ungrateful who drag themselves to it as to an 
intolerable task. You may also learn from this 
anecdote how much better your parents are 
qualified to judge of these things than yourselves. 
If John Adams had continued his ditching 
instead of his Latin, his name would not probably 
have been known to us. But, in following the 
path marked out by his judicious parent, he 
rose to the highest honors which the country 
affords. 
For sale by booksellers generally. 
one another through whatever perils they were 
called to pass. We can imagine that if it had 
been necessary for one of this little company to 
take a different course from the rest, or to halt 
for a time upon the way, while the others went 
on without him, a cloud-oJ-gloom would have 
rested upon every heart, anil he who was thus 
called upon to bid farewell to his loved compan¬ 
ions would have suffered with inexpressible 
sorrow. 
But are such partings never known among us ? 
Some, who are now our mates and boon compan¬ 
ions, will soon go forth from the old sehool room, 
within whose walls they have spent so many 
happy heurs, and will see no more the well known 
faces which there they have loved to look upon. 
They will be separated forever from the little 
band of pilgrims with which they have been jour- 
neying toward that goal whither I trust we are 
all advancing. 
May the Father grant that we all be found 
walking in that narrow way which leads to 
eternal happiness. 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
SCHOOL ROOM REVERIES. 
Parchment is made of skins of sheep and 
lambs, though that kind which is used for the 
head of drums is said to be made of goat 6kins. 
Vellum is a finer, smoother, white kind of parch¬ 
ment, made of the skin of young calves. The 
method of preparation is first to take off the 
hair or wool, then to steep the skin in lime, 
and afterward to stretch it very firmly on a 
wooden frame. When thus fixed, it is scraped 
with a blunt iron tool, wetted and rubbed with 
chalk and pumice stone, and these scrapings and 
rubbings arc repeated several times on each side 
of the skin till it is fit to use. Parchment was 
employed in very ancient times, and it is carious 
that from the seventh to the tenth century, it 
was beautiful, white, and good, but that ia later 
times a very inferior, dirty-iooking kind of parch¬ 
ment came into use, which has the appearance 
of being much older than the good. The reason 
for this is supposed to be, that the writers in 
these tatter centuries used to prepare their own 
parchment, while at an earlier date it was a 
carious art, only possessed by the manufacturers. 
Parchment was sometimes so 'rare and scarce, 
that great numbers of the older manuscripts 
were erased with pumice stone, or the ink 
washed out with some chemical substance, in 
order that they might be used again for writing 
upon. 
As we approach the close of a term of school- 
life, if we have justly appreciated and rightly 
improved the advantages there presented, how 
pleasant to call to mlud the happy hours of 
study aud persevering toil, which have gained 
us the victory over difficulties which presented 
But how dark 
themselves only to be overcome! 
and cheerless is the mind which looks buck on 
opportunities unimproved, duties unperformed, 
difficulties unsurmounted, aud time, precious 
time, for which we must render a striotaccount, 
recklessly wasted aud wantonly thrown away! 
“Youth Is not rich in time, it may be poor: 
Part with tt as with money, sparing; pay 
No moment but In purchase of its worth; 
And what It's worth ask death-beds, they can tell." 
Do wo realize how fast time Is passing with us ? 
How abort a time it seems ain.ee wo first entered 
upon our school-life; and yet how soon will the 
time come when we shall throw aside our text¬ 
books, bid a final farewell to the old academy, 
and engage in the more active employment of 
business, professional or household duties! It 
seems to us as If it were but yesterday that some 
loved friend was our familiar companion; hut 
memory sadly whispers that, for years that dear 
one has been sleeping beneath the sods of the 
valley, and that tho season once more approach¬ 
es when we can plant l'resh flowers above the 
resting place of tho loved departed. 
In the Artie regions, when travelers are com¬ 
pelled to breast tho terrible wind which sweeps 
over the iee-plalus from the Polar sea, they dare 
not stop a moment to rest upon their journey, 
but push straight on to their ship, or some other 
place of shelter. Delay is death. If they yield 
for a moment to the drowsy influence always 
induced by extreme cold, they Bleep the sleep 
that knows no waking. Thus, it appears to us, 
that if scholars, working their way onward over 
the Icy cliffs of the ocean of error toward the 
goal of truth and wisdom, shall pause to look 
back, or falter lu their journey, they will bo chill¬ 
ed to the heart by tho icy breezes which sweep 
over them from the Northern ocean of Difficulty 
and Discouragement. Let us so improve the 
passiug momenta that when our school days 
are over and we shall bid farewell to all its 
pains and pleasures, we can rejoice in the 
HOW TO WRITE 
Not like this one or that; not in this way or 
that; not nico or elegant (vre are too much aim¬ 
ing at “elegance; not even to learn to write 
with true Saxon words but to write right along 
as the subject suggests. 
“Yes, but there maybe bad taste, and cru¬ 
dity of thought—in short, m my things that the 
public might condemn.” 
Then cultivate your taste, and get rid of your 
crude thoughts—in a word, cultivate yourself. 
Then yon will not utter uncultivated matter. 
Cultivate your mind up to the required stand¬ 
ard. If it is not so cultivated, and yon set up 
for a writer, you will only be disappointed. 
The world is full of such d.sappointmeats. A 
man must utter himself - that is the only true 
way. That makes our successful authors. 
They cultivate themselves; taen write to please 
themselves—as naturally as though they were 
talking, or walking, or breathing. This is au¬ 
thorship. A man must be prepared for it, if 
not, all his art will be of no avail; it will only 
embarrass. Such a writer, how quickly his pen 
will tell! Like a living stream comes the lan¬ 
guage—and it is his* ia himself. What we want 
in literature, Is, great men given to us, or mat¬ 
ter given by them, through them. Hence, lit¬ 
erature is a cultivated art, the man is eulti- j 
vated, prepared for his work. Now, iu view of 
Aurora Floyd By M. E. Braddon. Author of 
VLady Amlley’s Secret." “John Mnrchmond’a 
Legacy,” etc. limo.-pp. 37-2. New York: Tho 
American Ncwb Company. 
It would bo entirely superfluous iu us to inform the 
reader* of “Lady Audfoy’a Secret" what they may 
expect lu the volume before u«, for It would be ridic¬ 
ulous to supposo the author capable of writing other 
than wlmt le called a “ thrilling" story-a story with 
sufficient breadth of plot to admit of a variety of 
“striking" characters, who are put through their 
paces lu the most approved style, to furnish that sen¬ 
sational entertainment, absolutely demanded by the 
lovers of this claes of novel 
A MECHANICIAN, 
ABOUT ORDER, 
Put things right back in their place when 
done with. Never leave (them all about helter 
skelter, topsy-turvey, never. Whea yoa use any 
article, hoe, shovel, |iake, pitchfork, ax, ham¬ 
mer, tongs, boots or shoes, hooks, slates, pen¬ 
cils, writing apparatus, pins, thimbles, pincush¬ 
ions, needles, work-baskets, kitchen furniture, 
every article of housewifery or husbandry, no 
matter whaf 
it is, the very moment you have 
done using it, return it to its proper place. Be 
sure to have a special place for everything, and 
everything ia its place. Order, order, perfect 
order, is the watchword, [Heaven's first law. 
How much precious time is saved [(aside from 
vexation) by observing order, systematic regu¬ 
larity ! Aud little folks should begin early to 
preserve order ia everything. Form habits of 
order. These loose, slipshod, slatternly habits 
are formed in childhood,and habits oace formed 
are apt to cling for life. 
Young friends, begin early to keep things in 
their proper places; study neatness, order, econ¬ 
omy, soberly; ia everything be just, honest, 
pure, lovely, and you will have a good report. 
The a lory le full of Inci¬ 
dent, abounds In tnterwting situation*, revels la Uiffl 
cultics, and finally rewards the virtuous and punishes 
the wicked with a happy facility which ought to com¬ 
mend it to the advocates of "moral unity." Wc 
would not have any one imagine from those remarks 
that the tale is not a “good" one, iu tho common ac¬ 
ceptation or that term. It is a decidedly well-told 
story, and that l* all it is. It Is one of that purpose¬ 
less class of novels which broach no new theories of 
life and aim to unsettle no old ones, but which are 
merely deslgued to enable yoa to while away an hour 
or two agreeably, and are well calculated to effect that 
design. After the book is onco read Its fllctitloue 
scones straightway vanish from momory. and even the 
names of its characters are forgotten. Certain critics 
have wondered why such books should find their way 
into what they term the "best society;" but surely 
there are many In that charmed circle whose "time 
hangs heavy on thoir hands,” and the perusal of such 
works is just as pleasant and uuprofltuble a mode of 
relieving the weight as any other. For salo by Dar. 
row Jt Bno. 
Time Planet Mars. —Professor Phillips, of 
Oxford, has published an interesting summary 
of the results of recent telescopic observations of 
the planet Mars. No doubt remaina that the white 
patches, so long observed at the pole of the plan¬ 
et, are composed ofsnow. They change uniformly 
with, the changes in the seasons. Red and green 
patches, also have been discovered, which are 
supposed to indicate land and 6ea. By means of 
a spectorscope the presence of an atmosphere 
has been made certain, deep euough to sustain 
life, and dense enough to bear up aqueous va¬ 
pors, which may compensate in part, for the 
smaller heat received from the sun. 
What toc can Never Catch. —Boys and 
girls, what is it you can never catch, though 
you chase after it as on the wings of the windj 
You can never catch the word that has o^fl 
gone out of your lips. Oace spoken, it is oat^B 
your reach; do your best, you can never 
call it. I 
Therefore, take care what you say. Neve* 
speak an unkind word, an impure word, a lying) 
word, a profane word. 
events of onrschool life as upon u photographic 
picture. Wo may he sure that that picture 
will not be a perfect one. There will be lights 
and shades, blurre aud imperfectlous; but it 
rests with us whether as a whole it shall be a 
beautiful representation. The lights are favora¬ 
ble for this picture, for we are iu the vigor of 
health and bloom of youth. Our artists are the 
best which can be procured. Wu must remem¬ 
ber, too, that In alttiug for this picture, wo must 
endeavor to adapt ourselves to surrouudiug cir¬ 
cumstances, and to the peculiarities of ihose 
with whom we may he associated. Thus un- 
pleasant contrasts may be avoided. Let us each 
resolve, theu, that we will possess auother beau¬ 
tiful picture to hang within Memory’s halls. 
We have all of us read that beautiful allegory 
“ Tilgrim’s Progress, ” and remember that when 
Christiana aud her children set out upon the 
long and weary way toward the shining city, 
they were joined by Mercy and Faithful and 
other Mentis and fellow travelers, who were 
bound upon the same Heavenly Journey. All 
these pilgrims became attached to each other by 
the strongest bonds of friendship, and clung to 
Sherman's March Throooh -rim South With 
Sketches ami Incidents of the Campaign By Cant 
pAVin P. Uonvnouam. 12mo.—pp. 431. N'uw York; 
Sheldon & Co. 
Tma is a narrative or events that transpired uuder 
the eye of the author, while serving in General Sher¬ 
man's army In the double rapacity of volunteer aid- 
de-camp and Herald war correspondent. He claims 
not on y to give au accurate account, Horn personal 
observation, of alt the battles and sieges whieh took 
place during the wonderful "march to the sea,” but 
also to nirnlMi faithful details of social life in t h 0 
south during the rebellion. Aa we have said before, 
when speaking of a similar work, the importance or 
book# of this class Is not likely to be appreciated juet 
now, when the main incidents of which it treats are 
fresh In our memories, but it wt'l be fully recognized 
by the future historian who shall aim to give succeed¬ 
ing generations u truthful picture of the struggle for 
the maintenance of the Uniou. 
This work treats so much of the author’s own expe¬ 
riences, and of minute detailr known ouly to those 
who participated In (he campaign described, that wo 
do not fool competent to decide upon it* reliability; 
but it will be found highly entertaining, although 
written lu the careless and rather florid stylo peculiar 
to army Correspondents. For sale by Duwe v. 
The first book ever printed with types was 
the Bible in Latin. This was Issued in Mentz 
iu Germany, about the year 1450. M’Clnre in 
his Translators Revived says of this book:— 
“Though a first attempt, it is beautifully print¬ 
ed on very fine paper, and with superior Ink. 
At least eighteen copies of this famous edition 
are known to be iu existence at thu present time. 
Twenty-five years ago, one of them, printed on 
vellum, was sold for live hundred and four 
pounds sterling.” 
Men are sometimes accused of pride, merely 
because their accusers would be proud them¬ 
selves if they were in their places. 
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, 
A New Child’s Paper.— We have received two 
copies of “ The Little Corporal," a monthlypaper 
for children, the publication of which has been 
commenced at Chicago, Illinois, by Alfred L. 
Sewell Judging from these specimens, it is the 
cleverest thing of its kind yet realized in America. 
Its whole appearance is in capital taste, and 
there Is evidence in it that its editor has rare 
tact La catering for the wants of the little ones. 
—Jtoxbxiry [Mass.] Journal. 
The subscription price is f l a year. p Specimen 
copies oeu cents. 
The Constitution of Massachusetts contains 
the following article, defining, the right of suf¬ 
frage;—“Art. XX. No person shall have the 
right to vote, or be eligible to office under the Con¬ 
stitution of this Commonwealth, who shall not 
be able to read tho Constitution iu the English 
language, and write his name.” 
