Written for Monro's Rural New-Yorker. 
INFLUENCE OF EXAMPLE. 
Among the many influences which are exerted 
upon mankind for good or evil, the teachings of 
example are productive of great results—often 
making or marring the fortunes of many. The 
development of a principle may interest for a 
time, yet how soon it is forgotten. It occupies 
a place in the mind while it is a novelty, but 
when time has weakened its force it is passed by, 
and often lost amid scenes more recent and more 
attractive. 
Example is an ever-present scene, or a series 
of successive enactments which, ever continued, 
ever enforced, leaves a deeper impress upon 
the character of society or individuals than vol¬ 
umes of precept presented ill the choicest, lan¬ 
guage. We observe this power early moulding 
the character of the child. Before it. can speak 
the name of parent, of brother or sister, it is 
copying their actions—not by precept but by 
example—and as years have given strength to 
the growth of intellect, and principles were to be 
inculcated, (lieu has practice on precept alone 
made precept au agent of improvement 
The youth closely observes the course of his 
comrade or associate, and, how ever firm in put- 
pose. is influenced, unwilling though ho may be, 
to acknowledge it. The scholar follows the copy 
of the teacher, and from the problem solved, solves 
his problem. Individual seeks the example of 
individual, society of society, nation ofnation, and 
age closely marks the course of age; indeed our 
existence is a life of imitations. 
From youth to old age we ha ve the precedence 
of the past constantly before us. We behold 
some occupying positions of eminence, and, de¬ 
sirous of fame, how eagerly do we study the cir¬ 
cumstances winch have attended them in their 
course, and hailed as a favorable omen a similar 
occurrence in our own career. Has a society in 
a neighboring community made some change for 
its gratification or benefit, how quickly does 
another society observe it and organize it series 
of revolutions in its own. Does some noted char¬ 
acter to-day parade the fashionable promenade of 
the metropolis, attired in a newly invented garb, 
to-morrow those fashionable resorts are thronged 
with like characters of vanity and folly. As the 
pebble, itself worthless, when thrown into the 
seu produces waves, which receding shall reach 
either shore, so does this tide of fashionable com¬ 
motion roll rapidly through the land—throws up 
a wave in every town, village anil hamlet—dis¬ 
turbs every domestic circle, anti too often leads 
some of its members away from the quiet and 
comfort of'the home hearth. When we have known 
that pure and worthy precepts should be ad¬ 
vanced and firmly established, how we have 
waited in inaction until some one braver, more 
determined, and morally stronger than we, should 
prove such precepts by his example ere we gave 
our assistance to its support; and when this was 
done how willingly have we followed. 
We have many instances of the influence of 
example in our volunteer army. When the sol¬ 
dier. almost exhausted ivy the day's march and 
the conflict, which has followed, with the dead 
and dying around him. and death’s missiles fall¬ 
ing thick and fast, would gladly seek quiet and 
rest in retreat, how quickly has the example of a 
commander, dashing along the lines reckless of 
life while a nation's existence was at stake, or a 
comrade rushing fearlessly forward in the midst 
of danger, rolled back the tide of buttle, while 
history has recorded another struggle for free¬ 
dom and another victory won. And, on the other 
hand, it is not with emotions of pleasure we 
recount the circumstances of the early conflicts of 
this contest, when the examples of a few sent con¬ 
fusion through a gallant army, and upon Manas¬ 
sas’ fiercely contested field, brought disgrace 
upon the defenders of the right, and reproach 
upon their cause. Thus are wo ever observing^ 
and ever observed; ever imitating, aud ever im¬ 
itated; and as the means of happiness have been 
so freely entrusted to mankind to be employed 
for the improvement of our race, how incumbent 
upon all nobly to meet the Obligations they are 
under to those surrounding them, that thus their 
mission may be fraught with much good to 
themselves, and the world pro benefited by their 
exertions. 
Many, and yet how uncertain, are the influ¬ 
ences which are daily going out to stamp their 
impress upon the world. Many influences we 
are exerting, which too soon in the conduct of 
others we see plainly reflected, and our own con¬ 
duct-portrayed. That person who, under the 
influence of the wine-cup, goes forth with mind 
and step unsteady, is giving au example to those 
about him which, copied by younger actors, shall 
ring many changes of reproach to him through 
life, and on the sepulchre of his repose no line in 
memory of the departed shall inform the passer¬ 
by that he has not lived in vain. 
And what unholy example is that in any one 
who. seizing upon the. imperfections of another, 
without hesitation publishes them in every circle, 
when a kind word of encouragement, and a more 
charitable address, might have rescued the bur- 
* denod soul from its condition, and given it a 
higher estimate of all that is pure and enno¬ 
bling! And it is not to a few illustrations merely 
that the precincts of example are confined, but 
they extend throughout all classes of the world, 
and every department of life. Ami, realizing 
this; knowing that these means of happiness, 
this talent as it were, to be used and not hidden, 
shall he required at our hand, whether rightly 
used or not, how should we be Influenced to de¬ 
velop the better principles of our nature—to 
make proper use of this talent entrusted to us, 
winch is, and should Ire, deemed the treasure 
of all. 
Then, may we strive to promote the interest of 
those about us, ever extending the hand of assist- 
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Since singing is so good a thing, I wish all men would learn to sing. Since singing is so good a thing, I wish all men would learn to sing. 
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DIRECTORY OF HOSPITALS. 
ance to flu; needy, ever encouraging the fainting 
pilgrim toiling with US. 
And as laborers Car tho wetfiiro of our race 
Lead on in duty, and in example true, 
So act toward others, in whato’er condition placed, 
As in turn receiving, we'd have others do. s.3 
Cortland Co., N. Y., 1862. J. E. IIakkness. 
Women as Teachers. —Every well educated 
girl feels perfectly conscious, that, under favora¬ 
ble circumstances, she can conduct, upon an 
average, nineteen or twenty little innocent, pupils 
into au honorable existence. Give her a strong 
arm for discipline, and a wise head for advice, arid 
her labors fix a divinity upon the thfe of society. 
1 believe in the infinite susceptibility of children, 
and there are no evils in society, however deep- 
seated. that may not be removed by a wise appli¬ 
cation of their powers. A highly cultivated 
woman is God’s antidote for sin and suffering.— 
T. B. Wa il. 
HOW PONTOON BRIDGES ARE LAID. 
HeaIIQC A RTHRS, DliTALilMKNT of 50tii Reo’t ) 
X. Y. Vo). Bngiiieors, Oiiup opposite > 
KitUDKitiCKsni Kii, Yu., Dec. 19,1862.) 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker;—As Pontooning 
has become an important branch of Military 
Engineering, 1 take the liberty of sending you a 
description of the manner of laying a pontoon 
bridge, which you can publish if so disposed. 
Wln'ii an army wishes to cross a river by means 
of a temporary bridge, the Commander of a pon¬ 
toon bridge train is ordered to report at. a point 
near where the bridge is wanting, with a train 
consisting of such materials, and of such a quan¬ 
tity, as arc sufficient to lay a bridge across the 
stream the amount of material necessary for 
the purpose, as well as the precise spot where the 
bridge can best be laid, having previously been 
ascertained by surveyors appointed for the pur¬ 
pose. A bridge train, strictly speaking, consists 
of the following articles, viz: 
34 Pontoon wagons, each loaded with 7 balks. ] 
Pontoon boat, inside of which is placed 12 balk 
lashings. 7 rack lashings, 7 rack sticks, G row 
locks, 2 spring lines, 5 oars, 2 boat hooks, and 
under the rear axle is lashed one anchor. 22 
Chess wagons, each loaded with I) chess and 2 
cables. 4 Trestle wagons, each loaded with 2 
trestle caps, 4 legs, 4 shoos, 4 chains, 14 short, or 
claw balks. 4 Abutment wagons, each loaded 
with 2 abutment sills, 1 trestle cap, 2 legs, 2 shoes, 
2 chains, 14 claw bulks. 4 Tool wagons, loaded 
with carpenter’s and entrenching tools, spare 
cordage, &c. 2 Traveling forges. 
The dimensions of the most important of these 
materials are as follows:—The boats are 81 feet 
in length at the top, with flat bottoms, 4 foot 5 
inches in width, and 16 feet in straight length, 
bending up at both ends; width of top o feet 7 
inches; width of stern, 4 feet 7 inches; width of 
bow, 2 foot G inches with a fender upon the upper 
edge of the sides 3£ by 4 inches in size, and 5 iron 
hooks on each side of the central part, bolted 
through the sides 1 foot 4 Inches below the upper 
edge, and respectively 2 feet 7 inches apart The 
balks are 27 feet in length. 5 iuches square, and 
are notched 1 foot 3 inches from each end. and 
also d I-'ft, 0 inches further from each end: within 
these notches the lashings lay which fasten the 
balks to the hooks on each side of the boats. The 
wagons on which thoso are drawn are 13 feet in 
length between the axles, with side rails 5 inches 
by 54 inches square, between which 7 balks are 
loaded securely, and the boat is then loaded, thus 
resting entirely upon the side rails, stem towards 
the team, and lashed with 4 lashings to the wagon. 
The Chess are 13 feet long, 1£ inches thick, 1 toot 
wide, and a strip $ inch wide and 2 feet long 
taken out of each side at each end. thus forming 
a handle at the ends. The claw balks are IS feet 
long, made of two plank 10 inches wide and 2 
inches thick, with a hoop of crescent shape, 3 
iuches wide, extending the whole length, all 
bolted together, and a notch 5 inches deep, and 
G inches wide, made in the lower edge near each 
end. The other materials vary In size according 
to circumstances, and many of the articles men¬ 
tioned in th© above synopsis of a complete bridge 
train arc seldom if ever used in a pontoon bridge. 
After the bridge train arrives at. the required 
point, and is unloaded, the next duty of the Com¬ 
mander is to detail for each particular duty the 
requisite number of men, placing each squad 
under the charge of a commander, who is usually 
a Sergeant or a Corporal. The number of men 
necessary to lay the abutments and trestle work 
varies according to the abruptness of the shore, 
the depth of the water near the shore, and char¬ 
acter of the bottom; but after these are laid the 
number required for each detail is as follows:— 
Two boat crews, of three men each, whose duty 
it is to get the boats from lie* shore to their pluses, 
us they are wanted in the bridge. One anchor 
crew of three men, whose duty it. is to anchor 
each boat in its place, thus preventing it from 
floating down stream, sixteen balk carriers, whose 
duty, except the first two, it is to carry the balks 
to their places on the bridge, as the first two hand 
the bulks up from the pile. Ten balk lashers, 
whose duty it is to lash the balks to their places 
on the boats. 21 Chess carriers, the duty of two 
of whom it is to hand the chess from the pile to 
thn 20 who carry them to their places on the 
bridge; the remaining 2 chess men place the 
chess on the bridge. 2 side rail lashers, whose 
duty it is to lash the balks which are placed on 
top of the chess, on each side of thn bridge and 
immediately over the outside balks which sup¬ 
port the bridge; after putting the lashings around 
I,ho balks below and above the chess, the side rail 
lashers insert a rack stick in the lashings and twist 
it till the two balks, are bound firmly together, 
with the chess between them. When a section is 
completed in this manner, another is commenced, 
and the same routine is observed with each suc¬ 
ceeding section till the bridge is completed. 
In regard to tho rapidity with which these 
bridges can be laid, reference need only be had 
to the time of laying one near Washington last 
winter, intended as a test, of the abilities of a set, 
of men detailed from tho 50th Ileg’t N. Y. V. E. 
This set of men, numbering Cl privates, with a 
commander for each squad, detailed according to 
tho above synopsis, hud throe hundred feet of 
bridge in 35 minutes, and took it up in 23 minutes, 
leaving the balks and chess piled up on shore and 
the boats secure In their places on the shore. The 
rapidity with which those bridges can be laid and 
taken up, must occur to any one as being much 
in their favor. 
The bridges recently laid across tho Rappahan¬ 
nock near this place, would, under ordinary cir¬ 
cumstances, have boon finished before tho hour 
at which the bridge layers were attacked by tho 
rebel sharpshooters, if it had been possible to 
work to as good advantage in the night, as it. is by 
daylight. This is the first time that tho Engi¬ 
neers have ever worked under the fire o r mus¬ 
ketry, and in the battle of Fredericksburg the 
Engineers will receive the honor of losing tho 
first men. C. G. Bahhktt, 
Co. F., 50th Regt. N. Y. V. E. 
FROST MUSIC. 
I was once belated in Canada on u lino winter 
day, and was riding over the hard snow on the 
margin of a wide lake, when tho most faint aud 
mournful wail that could break a solemn silence 
seemed to pass through mo 1 i ITT- a dream. I 
stopped my horse aud listened. For some 
time I could not satisfy myself whether tho mu¬ 
sic was in the air or in my own bruin. I thought 
of tho pine forest, which was not far off; but the 
tone was not harp-like, and there was not a breath 
of wind. Then it swelled and approached ; and 
then it seemed to be miles away in a moment; 
and again it moaned, us if under my very feet. 
It was tho voice of tho winds imprisoned under 
the pall of ice suddenly cast over thorn by tho 
peremptory power of tho frost. Nobody there 
had made air-holes, for the place was a wilder¬ 
ness, and there was no escape for the winds, 
which must moan on till the spring warmth 
should release them. They wore fastened down 
in silence ; but they would Come out with an ex¬ 
plosion, when, in some still night, after a warm 
spring day, the ico would blow up, and make a 
crash and tucket from shore to shore. So i was 
told at my host's that evening, where 1 arrived 
with something of the sensation of a haunted 
man. It had been some time before the true idea 
struck me, and meanwhile the rising and falling 
iqoan made my very heart thrill again .—Once a 
Week. 
“ Vatican.”— Many who see this word may not 
understand its import. It is a pile of buildings 
covering a space of twelve hundred feet, in 
length and one thousand in breadth on One of the 
seven hills of Rome. The site was once the gar¬ 
den of barbarous Nero. Early in ihe sixteenth 
Century the Bishop of Rome erected there uri 
humble dwelling. This has been added to by 
one Pope after another, until it is now one of the 
most spacious and magnificent palaces, stocked 
with paintings, statues, books, and antiquities ot 
the rarest kind. 
Attention is requested to the following notice, 
which i t s of interest to all who have friends in the 
army, and which is therefore published: 
The Sanitary Commission have established an 
office of information in regard to patients in the 
hospitals of the District of Columbia, and of 
Frederick City, Maryland. By a reference to 
books, which are corrected daily, an answer can, 
under ordinary eircumstauees, be given by return 
of mail to the following questions: 
1st.—Is---(giving name and regiment,) 
at present in the hospitals of the District of Col¬ 
umbia. or Frederick City? 
2d.—If so, what is bis proper address? 
3d.—What is the name of tho surgeon or chap¬ 
lain of tho hospital? 
4th.—If not in hospital at present, has he recent¬ 
ly been In hospital? 
5th.—If so, did lie die in hospital, and at what 
date? 
6th.—If recently discharged from hospital, was 
lie discharged from service? 
7th.—If not, what were his orders on leaving? 
The Commission is prepared also to furnish 
more specific information as to the condition of 
any patient in the District hospitals, within twenty- 
four hours after u request to do so, from an officer 
of any of its corresponding societies. 
The office of the Directory will he. open daily 
from 8 o'clock A. M., to 3 o’clock P. M., and ac¬ 
cessible, in urgent eases, at any hour of the night. 
The number of patients in these hospitals is 
about 26,000. If found to be practicable, the duty 
here undertaken locally by the Commission will 
bo extended to include all the general hospitals 
in the country. 
Fred. Law Olmstkad, Gen. Sec’y, 
Washington, D. C., November 19, 1863. 
WHY SALT IS HEALTHFUL. 
From time immemorial it lias been known that, 
without, salt men would miserably perish; and 
among other horrible punishments, entailing cer¬ 
tain death, that of feeding culprits on saltless 
food is said to have prevailed in barbarous thnes. 
Maggots and corruption are spoken of by ancient 
writers as the distressing symptoms which salt- 
less food engenders; hut no ancient or unohemi- 
cai modern could explain how such sutferings 
arose. Now, wo know why the animal craves 
salt,— why it sutlers discomfort, aud why it ulti¬ 
mately falls into disease if salt is for a time with¬ 
held. Upward of half tho saline matter of the 
blood (57 per cent.) consists of common salt; 
and as this is partly discharged every day through 
the skin and kidneys, the necessity of continued 
supplies of’ it to the healthy body becomes suffi¬ 
ciently obvious. Tho bile, also, contains soda as 
an indispensable constituent, and so do all the 
cartilages of the body. Stint the supply of salt, 
therefore, and neither will the bile be able prop¬ 
erly to assist digestion, nor the cartilages to bo 
built, up again as far as they naturally waste.— 
Prof. Johnson. 
— » - - 
Mending Water Pipes.—A correspondent of 
the Scientific American writes:—Many of your 
readers have doubtless had more or less trouble 
at some period of their lives in repairing water 
pipes, where the water could not bo shut off, con¬ 
veniently. at the fountain head or some interme¬ 
diate point. In going to my office a few duys 
since, my way led past a place where a man was 
repairing a lead pipe which had been cut off, ac¬ 
cidentally, in making an excavation. There was 
a pressure of water of more than fifty feet head. 
His plan seemed to me to be novel and ingenious. 
The two ends of the pipe were plugged, and then 
a small pile of broken ice and salt was placed 
around them; in livu minutes tho water in the 
pipe was frozen, the plugs removed, a short piece 
of pipe inserted and perfectly soldered, and in 
live minutes more the ice in tho pipe was thawed 
and the water flowing freely through it. 
A Hint for the Aged. — Age is felt by tho 
skin before it affects any other part of the body, 
and the skin, I need scarcely say, is one of the 
most important organs of the body—it is import¬ 
ant from its extent aud from its offices. Age 
deprives it of its sensibility; it ceases to perspire 
insensibly, and becomes dry and horny; it loses 
its heat and vitality; Instead of forming a chan¬ 
nel of communication between tilt; atmosphere 
and the body it becomes a sort of armor which 
prevents everything like communication between 
them. Water and friction avert age’s attacks; 
they maintain the sensibility of the skin to the 
very last hour of life; they recruit the principle of 
vitality and extend life to the- longest term. 
QUEEN DIDO’S DEAD.-A GAME. 
Eds. Rural: — Reading in your interesting 
paper of Dec. 20th a description of the game 
entitled “Birds Fly,” I thought I would send 
you another, called “ Queen Dido’s Dead.” It is 
as follows: 
The players sit, in a circle and the leader says to 
the one at his right hand, “Queen Dido’s dead,” 
and is asked -how did she die,” to which he 
replies “doing just so," at the same time waving 
his right hand up and down. This goes around 
the ring, and when it reaches the second one 
again, the first replies by raising both hands, tlni 
third round one loot, the fourth both feet, the fifth 
hands, feet and head are all in motion. If any of 
the players do not follow the leadin’, they must, 
pay a forfeit. This is a very amusing game 
among a company of ten or a dozen individuals, 
and moreover is conducive to health hy the exer¬ 
cise it gives to all the muscles of the body. 
Onondaga Castle, N. Y., Doc., 1862. B. H. 
ABOUT BOASTING. 
Ann Strong was a sad little boaster. Though 
she meant to speak the truth, she was so vain 
and thoughtless that no one could believe her. 
She always wanted a long lesson. She would 
say, “I cun learn if all ; it is not too hard for 
methough when her class was called out to 
recite, she was very often sent back to her seat to 
study. If anything was to be done, at homo or 
at school, Ann would always say, “1 know how, 
please to let me do it;” even if it was a thing she 
could not do at all. Ann’s teacher wished some 
one to point to the names of the cities on a large 
map, so that all the girls in the class might know 
where to find them. 
“Of let me do it,” said Ann ; “I know how as 
well as can be.” 
“Yes, you may do it,” said Miss Eaton; but 
Ann could not point to a single name that her 
teacher called. 
“ You are like a silly little pigeon 1 used lo 
hear about when I was a little girl," said her 
teacher. A bright-eyed little girl, raising her 
right hand, said, “O! please tell us all about 
the pigeon.” 
“The story,” replied Miss Eaton, “is that 
when the pigeon first came into tho world, all 
the other birds came and offered to show her 
how to build a nest- The catbird showed her its 
nest, all made of sticks and bark ; and the spar¬ 
rows shewed her theirs, which were woven with 
moss and hair. But the pigeon, walking about 
in a very vain way, and turning her head from 
side to side, said, i l know how; T know how to 
build my nest as well as the best of you!’ Then 
the blackbird showed his nest, which was fast¬ 
ened to some reeds, and swung over the water; 
and the turtle-dove said hors was easier to build 
than all, for it was quite flat, and made only of 
sticks laid together. But tho pigeon turned her 
pretty head as before, and said, ‘ l know how.’’ 
At last the birds left her. Then the pigeon found 
that she did not know how at all; and she went 
without a nest until man took pity on her, and 
built a pigeon house and put some hay into it. 
“Now, children, though the story of the 
pigeon is only a fable, and not true, yet you may 
learn from it a very useful lesson. Little boys 
and girls Who are vain boasters, are laughed at 
by others, and only deceive themselves. Like 
the silly pigeon, they say, ‘I know how!’ but 
they often find to their sorrow, when it is too 
late, that they do not. Remember, my dear 
Children, that when you omjO learn to do any¬ 
thing well, you will not need to boast of it.” 
-•- 
Cinderella’s Suppers. —The French novelist 
Balzac shows in one of his novels, it is said, that 
Cinderella’s slippers were not of glass, not verre, 
hut vair, the ancient name for a very valuable 
kind of fur. the use of which was reserved by 
special edicts to the nobility. Two varieties of 
this fur were recognized grand and menu vair 
(great and small vair,) the latter of which is re¬ 
ferred to in the old English poetry aa 1 ’ Muniuver. M 
So that Cinderella's slippers, instead of being 
of such a fragile material as glass, were really of 
very line fur. Our juvenile readers especially, 
will be thanIdiiI for this information; as they 
must often have wondered how slippers that 
would bear to be danced in, could bo made of such 
a fragile material as glass. 
The happiest man is the benevolent one, for he 
owns stock in the happiness of all mankind. 
