bas gone before, aud bo keeps it. constantly fresh 
in the Blind; but, in Geography, the parts ore so 
independent of each other that it makes little 
difference whether the student begins at the be¬ 
ginning, the middle, or the end to learn it. 
Again, the newspaper is the principal means of 
refreshing the memory on Geography, and, un¬ 
fortunately, the habit of reading newspaper's is 
seldom formed till long after the Geography is 
laid aside and its contents are in good part 
forgotten. 
Erents continually happening in different 
quarters of the globe, such as the war now wa- 
gingon this continent and bringing into prominent 
notice places whose location wo are puzzled to 
determine, and oven whoso existence we had 
forgotten, show us the importance of frequently 
reviewing our geographical studies. Few of us 
are so well-read in Geography that we might not 
profitably gCf over the latest published work on 
that science at least once a year. To say nothing 
of the advantage of studying the accompanying 
riiaps. enough amusement and instruction can be 
derived from looking at the pictures with which 
the Geography abounds, and reading the defini¬ 
tions and descriptions it contains, to bo worth 
spending a few evenings, every winter, with such 
a book. The changes that conquest, purchase, 
and treaty, from time to time make in Political 
Geography, arc iu no other wav so well under¬ 
stood and remembered as by tracing boundary 
lines on the map. Even persons who have kept 
themselves informed of such changes by news¬ 
paper reading, on comparing maps of twenty or 
thirty years ago with those of recent date, are 
surprised at the difference. The best educated 
persons among ns can hardly look over the 
columns of a single newspaper without finding 
their knowledge of Physical Geography at fault. 
No, we do not bestow the cure and pains to make 
ourselves acquainted with thus science that its 
merits demand. It deserve® far more of our time 
and attention than grammar or mathematics, but 
it generally receives far less. We commence the 
study of it at an early age, lay it aside without 
half learning it, and never take it up again. Pet 
us amend in this respect a. 
South Livonia, N. Y., 1863. 
BODILY CARRIAGE, 
Instead of giving all sorts of rules about turn¬ 
ing out the toes, and straightening up the body, 
and holding the shoulders back, all of which are 
impracticable to many, because soon forgotten, 
or of a feeling of awkwardness and discomfort 
which procures a willing omission; all that, is 
necessary to secure the object is to hold up the 
head and move on, letting the toes and shoulders 
taka care of themselves. Walk with the chin but 
slightly above a horizontal line, or with your eye 
directed to things a little higher than your own 
head. In this way you walk properly, pleasur¬ 
ably, and without any feeling of restraint or 
awkwardness. If any one wishes to be aided in 
securing this habitual carriage of body, accustom 
yourself to carry your hands behiuri you, one 
hand grasping the opposite wrist, Englishmen 
are admired the world over for their full olieste, 
and broad shoulders, and sturdy frames, and 
manly bearing. This position of body is a favor¬ 
ite with them, in the simple promenade iu the 
garden or gallery, in attending ladies along a 
crowded street, in standing on the street, or in 
public worship. Many ikthoiis spend a large 
part of their waking existence in the sitting posi¬ 
tion. A single rule, well attended to in this 
connection, wmuld bo of incalculable value to 
multitiulos—use chairs with the? old-fashioned 
straight backs, ft little inclining backwards, and 
sit with tho lower portion of the body close 
against the back of the chair at the seat; any one 
who tries it will observe in a moment a grateful 
support to the whole spine. Aud wo see no rea¬ 
son why children should not be taught from the 
beginning to write, aud sew, and knit, in a posi¬ 
tion requiring the lower portion of the body and 
the shoulders to touch the back of the chair all 
the time. A very common position iu sitting, 
especially among men, is with the shoulders 
against the chair buck with ft space of several 
inches between the chair back and the lower por¬ 
tion of the spine, giving the body the shape of a 
half hoop; it is tho instantaneous, instinctive, and 
almost universal position assumed by any con¬ 
sumptive on sitting down, unless counteracted 
by an effort of tho will; hence parents should re¬ 
gard such a position in their children with appre¬ 
hension, and should rectify it at once.— Hall's 
Journal of Health. 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker 
GEOGRAPHY. 
RULES FOR WINTER. 
Never go to bed with cold, damp foot. 
In going into a colder air, keep tho mouth res¬ 
olutely closed, that by compelling the air to pass 
circuitously through the nose and head, it may 
become warmed before it reaches the lungs, aud 
thus prevent those shocks and sudden chills 
•which frequently end in pleurisy, pneumonia, 
and other serious forma of disease. 
Never sleep with the head in the draft of an 
open door or window. 
Let more cover be on the lower limbs than on 
the body. Have an extra covering within easy 
reach in case of a sudden and great change of 
weather during the night. 
Never stand still a moment out of doors, espec¬ 
ially at street corners, after having walked even 
a short distance. 
Never ride near the open window of a vehicle 
for a single half minute, especially if it has been 
preceded by a walk; valuable lives have thus 
been lost, or good health permanently destroyed, 
Never put on a new boot or shoe in beginning 
a journey. 
Never wear India rubber in cold, dry weather. 
If compelled to face a bitter cold wind, throw 
a silk handkerchief over the face; its agency is 
wonderful in modifying the cold. 
Those who are easily chilled on going out of 
doors should have some cotton batting at tached to 
the vest or other garment, ho as to protect the 
space between the shoulder-blades behind, the 
longs Iming attached to the body at that point; 
a little there is worth five times the amount over 
the chest in front 
Never sit for more than live minutes at a time 
with the back against the fire or stove. 
Avoid silting against cushions in [tho backs of 
pews in churches; if the uncovered board feels 
cold, sit creel without touching it 
Never begin a journey until breakfast has been 
eaten. 
After speaking, singing, or preaching in a warm 
room in winter, do not leave it for at least ten 
minutes, and even then close the mouth, put on 
the gloves, wrap up the neck, and put on cloak 
or overcoat before passing out of tho door. The 
neglect of this has livid many a good and useful 
man in a premature grave. 
Never speak under a hoarseness, especially if 
it requires an effort or gives a hurling or a pain¬ 
ful fueling, for it often results in permanent loss 
of voice, a life-long invalidism. 
JitssiK in .a little worker, 
l<oves to sow and knit, 
Roe Its the baby in the cradle, 
I.OV06 to sing to it. 
Every one may find a helper 
In her willing: hand ; 
Pray don’t say you think “ supply 
la greater than demand. ■’ 
lovely, lively, Imppy^jESSiK, 
I luppy all the day, 
Play may not he work for Jbbsik 
H ut her work is play. 
Idle hands are very apt to 
Make a weary heart, 
Hut right employment true enjoyment 
Ever will impart [Little 1‘itg 
Look rxo over a work on Geography for the 
first time in fiffecn or twenty years after studying 
that science at school, oueis surprised to find how 
much good reading it contains. It is. not only 
one of the most instructive, but also one of the 
most entertaining of books. Its descriptions of 
the land ami the water, surface of the glolw and 
the natural and artificial divisions of each; the 
variety of information it affords concerning the 
climate, soil and productions of different portions 
of the earth; its account of the inhabitants of dif¬ 
ferent countries, their government, education, in¬ 
dustry, manners and religion, their modes of 
travel, the extent of their commerce, the amount 
and variety of their manufactures; iis frequent, 
mention of important events in the history of 
different nations, all render it a most useful 
and delightful study. The illustrations, too, with 
which our school Geographies arc embellished, 
form a very interesting anil attractive feature of 
the book. Views of principal cities and import¬ 
ant public buildings, noted fortresses, magnifi¬ 
cent bridges, splendid cathedrals, mOaquea and 
temples, towering pyramids, majestic ships and 
steaming engines; pictures of beasts, birds and 
fishes; representations of the physique and cos¬ 
tume of different races; groups of laborers, show¬ 
ing the particular industry of States and Coun¬ 
tries,— as lumbering for Maine, lead-mining for 
Wisconsin, cotton-picking for the South, cane- 
culture for the West Indies, and wine-making for 
France; scenes of battle, victory, defeat, surren¬ 
der, and treaty; illustrations of natural scenery, 
as mountains, prairies, caves, deserts and cata¬ 
racts; representations of different modes of trav¬ 
eling-practiced in different countries, from the 
railway train of Europe and America, to the dog 
team of Kamtschatka, all heighten the instruction 
and amusement, afforded by the letter-press of 
the Geography. 
Ah “to him who wears shoes it is the same us 
if the whole earth were covered with leather,” 
so he who knows Geography thoroughly, is the 
erreau-st Of travelers— has explored all parts of 
FREDDY AND THE GUNNER. 
Down under the blue water of tho river, where 
tho sunshine falls with a dimmer light than up 
here on dry land, a little dinner, with all its fins 
spread and scales flashing, r was swimming about 
in quest of a breakfast. All! there it was just be¬ 
fore him, a delicate little morsel, and with a quick 
dart he seized it Poor little cunnerl ho did not 
soo the line above it. lie saw nothing, feared 
nothing, till the sharp hook pierced him, and he 
felt himself drawn up, up out of the beautiful 
water where ho could breath, into the air Where 
ho could not, till lie lay gasping, panting, quiver¬ 
ing in a basket at tho bottom of a fishing boat 
The gasps came slower and slower; it would soon 
have been all over with the poor little thing lmd 
he not found art ndvocuto to plead for him. 
Freddy II. was one of the fishing party that 
day, and as his father took out the hook and threw 
the fish into the basket with the others, Freddy 
exclaimed, “Oh, father, dont throw him into the 
basket; he’s such a little fellow, do lot him go 
again.” 
“ Woll, he’ll count ouo if ho is little,” said bis 
father. 
“ No, father he wont count but half a one—don’t 
throw him in,” Freddy Htill pleaded. 
“Oh, yes, throw him in,” said his father. Rut 
Freddy grew more urgent “ Please don’t father, 
he isn’t good to eat, and ho is such a little fellow.’’ 
Freddy prevailed; overboard into the cool water 
went the Conner, with a very sore mouth I fancy, 
but still the happiest little fish that swam that 
day. 
The sport went on, and ns tho large, plump 
fish came splashing out of the wafer and lay 
sparkling in tho basket, nobody’s line was so 
often pulled in, hand over hand, as nutster 
Freddy’s. 
“ Why, Freddy,”said one gentleman, “ how dooa 
it happen that you catch more fish than all the rest 
of 118?” 
“ 1 don’t know sir,” said he; then iu a moment, 
as his eyes lighted up, he added. “I guess it Is 
because I begged for the dinner.” 
God bless yon, little Freddy, and may yon ever 
ho found, as now, the advocate of the feeble, and of 
“him that hath no helper.” It is not wrong to 
catch fish for food, since Christ's own disciples 
were fishermen, hut let us also remember how He 
said, “ Blessed are the merciful.” 
CONVERSATION IN THE GRAMMAR FAMILY. 
Tuk children of tho ancient individual, En¬ 
glish Grammar, were holding a confab one day, 
when their father was absent. 
“ Truly,” said Vmm, “ although wo are so com- 
mcm , no one can say we are not proper in our 
conduct; while the Verbs are oftener imperfect 
than perfect iu their ideas.” 
“Well,” said a spruce young Verb, “you are 
certainly possessive of some singular qualities, 
and there is nothing so objective in our character 
as in yours.” 
“Ah,” said little Conjunction , “how you love 
to quarrel! You would not live united a single 
day, without me and Preposition to allow your 
relations to each other.” 
“Alas!” exclaimed Interjection, - what strong 
and sudden emotions 1 always betray at such 
conversation!” 
“ The politeness of all of you,” spoke up 
Adjective and Adverb, as they gazed around with 
an important look, “would be imperatively noth¬ 
ing, without the example of such persons of 
quality as we are to tell you the lone, place, and 
manner of doing things! Von do not realize it, 
but we arc a positive advantage to youl” 
“And who would conjecture.” said little Arti¬ 
cle, “that so small a child as I could limit the 
signification of all your haughty Nounsand Pro¬ 
nouns! The Participles, too, are forever tolling 
of their past actions being so perfect, but we all 
know that all of them who are present now are 
very imperfect, always ending in i-n-g—just as 
nothing docs!” 
“So you are having a warm little dispute,” 
said old English Grammar, entering at this mo¬ 
ment, “ I think I shall lay down about thirty 
rules for you to obey, and with but a few excep¬ 
tions either. Seeing as you do, having so many 
advantages of language, it is strange you should 
make such a poor use of them! 1 am sorry to 
see so many of you improper and irregular, 
while you are imperfect also! But it always will 
lie so; a family with the best of training will 
make a parent more or less trouble !”—Boston 
Cultivator. 
HISTORY OF JANUARY. 
It is Very appropriate that this should be the 
first month of the year, as far as tho northern 
hemisphere is concerned; since its being near 
the winter solstice, the year is thus made to pre¬ 
sent a complete Horins of the seasonal changes 
anil operations, including equally the first move¬ 
ments of spring, and the death of all annual 
vegetation in the frozen arms of winter. Yet 
the earliest calendars, ue the Jewish, the Egypt¬ 
ian, and Greek, did not place the commencement 
of the year at this point. It was not done till the 
formation of tho Roman Calendar, usually attrib¬ 
uted to the second king, Nutna Pompilius, whoso 
reign is set down us terminating Anno 672 15. G. 
Nil in a, it is said, having decreed that the year 
should commence now, added two new months 
to the ten into which the year had previously 
been divided, calling the first Janvarins, in 
honor of Janus, the deity supposed to preside 
over doors, (Latin Janxui, a door,) who might 
very naturally be presumed also to have some¬ 
thing to do witli the opening of the year. 
According to Verstegan, in his curious hook, 
“The Restitution of Decayed Intelligence,” our 
Saxon ancestors originally called this month 
Wolf inonut—Wolf-montli, “because people were 
wont always in this month to be in more danger 
to be devoured of wolves than in any season else 
of the year, for that, through the extremity of 
cold and snow, these ravenous creatures could 
not find beasts sufficient to feed upon.” Subse¬ 
quently the month was named, by the same peo¬ 
ple, Aofler-Yulo—after Christmas. It is rather 
odd that we should have abandoned tho Saxon 
names of the months, while retaining those of 
the days of the week. 
HEAT OF THE HUMAN BODY. 
One of the most useful im-iruments which the 
ingenuity of man has dev Led is the thermome¬ 
ter. This instrument, does not enable us to esti¬ 
mate the actual quantity of heat contained in a 
substance, but it indicate® the proportion of that 
subtle element which is sensible that is recog¬ 
nizable by the sense of touch. Tho dusky 11 indu, 
clad in his solitary cotton garment, and the Lap¬ 
lander in his suit of fur, are placed under the 
most opposite conditions in relation to the heat 
of the sun; the Indian is exposed during the 
whole year to Sol’s most ardent beams, whilst 
but a scant share of its genial rays goes to warm 
the body Of the Laplander. Rut, if we placed 
tho bulb of a thermometer beneath the tongue of 
a Hindu, we would find tho mercury to stand at 
OS degrees of Fahrenheit’s scale, and if we re¬ 
pealed the experiment on a Laplander we would 
obtain an identical result. Numerous experi¬ 
ments of this nature have been made on individ¬ 
uals in most parts of the world, and the results 
have proved that the temperature of the blood 
of a man is 98 degrees fall., whether he ho in 
India or at Nova Zombla, on tho steppes of Rus¬ 
sia or tho elevated plateaus of America. This 
invariability of the temperature of the bodies of 
men appears the more wonderful when it is con¬ 
sidered that the range of the temperature of the 
bodies of the medium in which they exist exceeds 
160 degrees Fah. 
The human body resembles, iu some degree, a 
steam boiler with innumerable safety valves in 
the form of pores in the skin. Perspiration is 
caused by the heat of the body converting the 
water in the animal frame into vapor, which es¬ 
capes through millions of pores in the cuticle. 
Tho expansion of this vapor over the whole sur¬ 
face of the body exerts a refrigerating action for 
the removal of surplus heat from the animal 
system. When the pores of the skin are closed 
and perspiration prevented, the surplus which 
had generated iu the body is prevented Irorn es¬ 
caping, and death ensues. A clean cuticle is as 
necessary to health as good food and water.— 
Scientific American. 
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS 
Tilts is a new year, and it is not the only new 
thing under the sun. There have been new caps 
and mittens and sleds, new toys aild picture books, 
new dolls aud drosses. There have been new 
smiles on rosy cheeks, and new love and hope in 
happy hearts. Almost every child that leads 
this column is taller and heavier than he was two 
weeks ago. Some of you have had presents 
which your friends have been slyly preparing, 
working late in the evening or hidden away in 
their rooms, until at length one pleasant morning 
you found an agreeable surprise.^ Now f want to 
tell you of a gil t you can make for them in return. 
It will take yon all the year to make it; it is time 
to begin it now. It la something more beautiful 
than any thing they have given you, and yet it 
will not cost you any money; you have all the 
materials now on hand. Ami although it will 
take a great deal of time, you will not feel the 
loss, for you can be busy making it while you are 
doing something else, while you are working or 
studying or playing. And though your friends 
may not for a great while suspect what you are 
about, yet they will be happier from the (lay you 
first begin. What do you think it is, this present 
you can get. up for next Christmas, which will 
not cost a Cent of money and will be worth more 
limn any gil t you have ever lmd since you were 
old enough lo remember? This year they have 
given you new books and playthings; next year 
you can give them new boys and girls. Not only 
new ones but better ones. I know a boy that, will 
1><< a new lx>y when he learns to shut the door be¬ 
hind him, and clean his ljootfl, and hungup his 
cap. I know a girl who, if she always came to 
breakfast in season, with smooth hair and bright 
face and a kind word toi‘ her little brothers, would 
make tho whole family think the good time com¬ 
ing had already come. I know some very good 
children, but never om* that might not lie better, 
if ho only bad a bravo resolution and a year’s 
time in which to try. -Springfield Ileptuhlican. 
STRATEGY. 
A Trojan horse Incident in the array, a day 
or two since, was related to me by an Intelligent 
friend. Gen. Sumner, on last Friday, dispatched 
twenly-five dragoons on a foraging expedition. 
They lmd not proceeded far beyond our lines, 
till a guerrilla band of rebels captured wagons 
and teamsters. As soon as word came to head¬ 
quarters of the division, Gen. Sumner ordered 
ten wagons to be filled with armed soldiers, and 
to proceed to the same place where the rebels 
had carried of their booty, and to lie concealed 
in the bottom of their wagons. The ruse was 
successful. The guerrillas, some forty in num¬ 
ber, came upon the party, dismounted, and pro¬ 
ceeded to capture, as they supposed, a fresh sup¬ 
ply of horses and wagons, when our soldiers, 
concealed, ns in the Trojan horse, came out aud 
captured every rebel and his horse, and Roon re¬ 
turned lo camp with tho enemy and prisoners, 
horses ami wagons, which a few hours before had 
been taken from us. The incident created quite 
an amusing sensation.— Cor. Cincinnati Gazette. 
Geui.ooy.— To see in granite rock and plastic 
clay and old red sandstone the story of all time, 
page by page, without blot or erasure or any 
such thing; to find in proper folio the lithograph 
of leaves unraveled to a younger sun. of leaves 
that fell, perhaps, in the first frost in Eden; to 
read the “ register ” of all the guests in this great 
caravansary, as they came and went: to find the 
diamond in disguise amid its swarthy brethren 
of the coal; to read the ago of running streams 
in pebbles of chronometers, and time the thun¬ 
der of cascades over their smooth-worn thres¬ 
holds; all this and more does Geology do for the 
seeing eye, and thus kindle Nature's face with 
the light of a sublime expression. — Maine 
Toucher. 
Thirst worse than Hunger.—' The disturb¬ 
ance to the general system which is known by 
the name of raging thirst is far more terrible tlmn 
that of starvation, for this reason; during the 
abstinence from food, the organism can live upon 
itsowti substance; butduring the abstinence from 
liquid, tho organism has no such source of supply 
within itself. Men have b?on known to endure 
absolute privation of food for some weeks; but 
three days of absolute privation of drink (unless 
in a moist atmosphere,) is perhaps a limit of en¬ 
durance. This is the most atrocious tortureover 
invented by Oriental tyrants; it is that which 
most effectually tames animals. Mr. Ashley, 
when ho had a refractory horse, always used 
thirst aa the most effective power of coercion, 
giving a little water us the reward for every act 
of obedience. The histories of shipwrecks paint 
fearful pictures of suffering from thirst; and one 
of the most appalling cases known is the cele¬ 
brated imprisonment of one hundred and forty- 
six men in the Black Hole of Calcutta.— Jilaclc- 
io ood. 
Words i.v tub English Language. —The 
Edinburgh Review enumerates the number of 
words in the English language acquired in child¬ 
hood at one hundred, and this by an imitative 
process which waxes active as the child becomes 
an adult. If he does not belong to the educated 
classes of society, he will at no time acquire 
more than three hundred or three hundred and 
fifty. Upun a stock of twice that amount he may 
mix with learned men, and even write a book, 
and this when our entire vocabulary contains 
thirty-five thousand words. 
Humming-Bird’s Nest.— A California paper 
thus describes a humming-bird’s ucst, in the gar¬ 
den of William Hawley, in Marysville:—“ The 
nest coutuins two of their young. It is about tho 
size of a black walnut, of a very fme texture, 
almost white, much resembling woolen cloth, 
and firmly bound to the twig of a peach tree, 
within three feet of the ground. The young 
birds are not much larger than grains of coft'eo, 
and present a very singular appearance.” 
A Thoughtful Boy. —We know a little chub¬ 
by-faced boy who being taken down town and 
suited to a now jacket and pants by his father, 
made the following remark us they were about to 
take the cars for home:—“ Now, father, you have 
spent so much money on me to-day that I can’t 
bear to have you spend any more, so you just 
jump iuto the car and ride home and I’ll trot 
along on the side walk and save you three cents.” 
There waa thoughtfulness for an eight-year old- 
If there be any such art as teaching, we ask 
how it came to pass that a man shall be consid¬ 
ered fully qualified to exercise it without a day’s 
practice, when a similar attempt in any other art 
would expose him to ridicule. 
In the second half of the 15th century, Russia 
waa but 18,000 square miles in extent Now it 
covers 392,000 square miles. In 1722 the popular 
tion of the empire was fourteen millions; now it 
is sixty-five millions. 
A man’s money seldom grows more than half 
aa fast as his love of it 
When we think of good the angels are silent 
when we do it, they rejoice. 
