n r v 
4-6 to 2-3. it' we regard the Numerator as the 
Dividend and the Denominator as tbe Divisor, 
we say, if half of Ihe Dividend be divided by 
half of the Divisor the quotient will remain un¬ 
changed: or if we regard it a? four of the six 
equal parts of a unit, we then say. dividing the 
Numerator decreases the number of parts while 
dividing the Denominator produces a corre¬ 
sponding increase in their she, hence the value 
of the fraction remains unchanged. The same 
reasoning may be applied to all the changes 
fractions undergo. 
It is unnecessary to proceed further in the de¬ 
tails of the subject here, my object being not so 
much to explain the subject in all its parts, as to 
present some considerations respecting the gen¬ 
eral treatment of the subject in teaching. There 
are one or two suggestions, however, which may 
be added 
®J« 
Written fnrMoorO’s Rural New-Yorker 
TEACHING FRACTIONS. 
WHAT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CAN DO. 
P'llHtpR v: 
Many of the terms used in scientific 
subjects represent ideas more or less closely ro¬ 
uted to the original meaning or common use of 
the words them-elves. Most ot the terms used 
OR TUE GREAT BUDHA OF JAVAN 
or BUTSZ, 
tion itself, are of this class. Whenever this is the 
case the special atlentiou of the pupils should be 
culled to such words, as the words themselves 
will serve as an index to the Ideas they represent 
Again, the substitution of other terms by way of 
explanation will many times aid pupils in ob¬ 
taining a correct idea of the terms already in use. 
Should a pupil after considerable study and ex¬ 
planation fail to fully comprehend the exact idea 
of what is meant by the Least Common Multiple , 
<ay to him that by a multi pier of a number is 
meant simply an exact dividend of that [number, 
and by the least common multiple- of two or more 
uumbers. their smallest exact dividend. So also 
by the lowest terms is meant the smallest terms 
—the smallest numerator and denominator that 
can be obtained by using a common divisor. 
As with other subjects, so In teaching Ffactions, 
let tho aim of tbe teacher he to render the minds 
of his pupils familiar with the ideas contained in 
the subject and lying at the Ibundalion of it, not 
simply to acquaint them with the mechanical 
pari, and then Dot only will he experience a de¬ 
gree of pleasure and satisfaction unknown to the 
mechanical, teacher, but his pupils also will take 
u special interest in the subject before them 
while at the same time they will acquire a knowl¬ 
edge of the subject which will be of practical use 
to them iu after life. E. m. c. 
House of Refuge, Rochester, Sept. CO, 1863. 
ancient capital of the Empire, which accounts 
for the image of the Di-bu-ts.:, (Great Budha ,) 
being so near; it may once have been in the 
center of tho capital. It now seems quito a vil¬ 
lage, comprising a few houses and quite a number 
of temples. Sic transitetc. 
Leading from the gate of the principal temple 
was the ‘-Emperor’sRoad,” Ptretching stralglitOUt 
in front through an avenue of noble trees. It 
was closed at. either end, hounded at the sides by 
low grassy banks. On each side of this via mari¬ 
na was a road for common people. Accordingly 
we rode on, but I longed to ride in the center, on 
that smooth, straight, hard road; 1 suppose be¬ 
cause it was forbidden, (for such is our nature,) 
but I refrained. Passing along in sight of tho 
A GLIMPSE OF JAPAN.* 
iu tho centre,) was at last rewarded by seeing it 
plow its way through tho billowsaiid nearing us. 
We had feared very much that Mrs. B. would 
not go, owing to the inclemency of the weather. 
But we were alt together, and off, at a quarter of 
seven. Sculling out into the bny for an oiling, 
off “ Treaty Point ” we set sail and dashed away 
merrily on our course for Kanasawa, our first 
station. It was very rough, and Mrs. B. was 
very sick, but, notwithstanding, we had lots of 
fun and laughter. We crossed the mouth of 
“ Mississippi Bay ” and one other, and passing at 
the back of “Webster Island,” a lovely spot, 
small, but a perfect maze Of enchanting shrub¬ 
bery, we threaded with a careful helm the nu¬ 
merous little hays or reaches loading inland to 
Kanasawa. These little inland bodies of water 
were very pretty, with picturesque scenery all 
about. Iu the centre of each, one could see no 
inlet or place of egress. 
We arrived at Kanasawa at about 0 A. M., 
and brought up alongside a little wharf uear a 
small bridge and in front of a clean and retired 
tea-house. We breakfasted in the boat, as jolly 
as possible the while, and mounted our horses at 
about ten. As it was ruining a little, several 
carried umbrellas, and I was fortunate enough to 
borrow a sort of rain jacket of one of our sindos. 
You should have seen mo— how you would have 
laughed. It was made of straw, and something 
after the fashion of tho rain Coats worn by the 
Amoy boatmen, of cocoanut fibre, but much 
coarser; and this seemed to lie in a state of ex¬ 
treme dilapidation. Each arm-hole was big 
enough to crawl through, t looked very Robin¬ 
son Crusoeish indeed, and seemed to bo the ad¬ 
miration of all the ladies and small boys on the 
route, who often greeted us with “ Anata, Ohiol 
Analo, Ohio!" as is the manner of the natives, 
and which, as you doubtless will remember, be¬ 
ing very freely translated, means yood mornirui . 
how arc you? We generally responded and 
passed along on good terms with all. We did 
not meet during tho whole day until In the hn- 
inore than half a 
“ got all through ” fractions ready for the next 
rule. Such knowledge,—if knowledge it can be 
called,—is properly termed “ superficial.” and s 
of but little practical value. A knowledge, not 
only of facts, lint also of the principles which 
underlie them, is necessary to a full and proper 
understanding of tho subject. 
In entering upon a new subject the teacher 
should bear in mind that respecting that subject 
the minds of his pupils arc nearly or quite a 
blank. It is important, therefore, at the very out¬ 
set, to give the pupils, by suitable remavks, some 
idea of the subject before them, and thus prepare 
them for an intelligent ami successful investiga¬ 
tion of that subject. Thus in teaching Fractions, 
something like tbe following remarks, accompa¬ 
nied by the necessary explanations and illustra¬ 
tions, might be made : 
From the repUiiions of a unit (the minds of the 
pupils having been previously remteivd familiar 
with the abstract idea of a unit,) arises, as we 
have already seen, a series of whole numbers 
called integers. Now, from the equal divisions 
of a unit, or units, arises a series of parts called 
fractions. We have just been learning how to 
JAPANESE HOUSES. 
Yokohama is a considerable town of SO,000 
inhabitants. The Japanese houses are rarely 
more than one story, and most consist of two 
rooms, a front and a back. Built of bamboo and 
mud, and rarely of stone, they are always pointed 
nicely outside or varnished, and generally kept 
very clean. All ornamentation is eschewed, 
except on tho roof, which is generally edged with 
checkered tiles. Wherever it can be afforded, a 
small garden, with dwarfed trees, is sure to bo in 
good condition; and almost in every room you 
see vases with flowers or dwarfed trees growing 
in them. 
The doors are carpeted with a very even kind 
of matting, laid in stripes a yard wide, the edges 
bound iu black, so as to make an agreeable par- 
queterie, and it in always kept very clean, even 
by the poorest classes. They take off their shoes 
before entering a house, leaving them outside 
the entrance, aud look as jealous at your hoots 
wlieu you enter as any English lady could, proud 
of a new drawing-room carpet. They never sit 
on chairs or stools, hut squat dowu on the floor 
with their feet underneath, so that they appear 
to sit on their heels. And as you pass through 
the street you seas them round a kind of square 
trough iu the front room, In which there is al¬ 
ways charcoal burning. They are either work¬ 
ing, or eating, or smoking a very fragrant to¬ 
bacco out of a small bowled pipe, enjoying it 
immensely, and putting it. out slowly through the 
nostrils; women, even girls, smoke as much as 
the men. aud with equal pleasure; or they are 
chattering with great earnestness and volubility 
in a language much softer and more liquid, less 
twanging and more harmonious, than the Chi¬ 
nese; or they are singing, accompanying them¬ 
selves on an instrument like a banjo, which they 
play with great dexterity; they eDjoy their own 
music immensely, and turn up their eyes and 
beat time and look wisely critical, all in the most 
approved style. I cannot see much, or rather 
hear much beauty in their music, though some 
of their airs are plaintive; buton the other band, 
they can see none in oura, and say it is too loud, 
and fit only for deaf people. 
THE SOLDIERS’ HARVEST. 
Din you ever go to a soldier’s harvest'/ A 
dozen mule teams are geared up, an hundred men 
detailed, and with tin kettles swung aloft from 
their bayonets, away they go over the mountains, 
to a broad corn forest of an hundred and fifty 
acres, whose owner declares himself a man of 
good character but steps lightly over his loyalty. 
Into the field dashes the train. It is splendid 
corn though ; tho ears as loDg as a marshal’s ba¬ 
ton, close get, with kernels as clean, white and 
firm as the teeth that Richard was boru with. 
The arms are stacked. Two hours finish the 
business. Two sabers do duty as corn-cutlers, 
aud the rustling ranks succumb. The boys fol¬ 
low after, gather up the forage, load tho wagons 
and away moves the train m route for camp, with 
tho strangest harvest, songs and the wildest im¬ 
aginable surroundings. No children's happy 
shouts follow the reapers; no women smile a 
welcome home. No harvest cheer makes glad 
the closing day. It, is one of those scenes con¬ 
jured up by the stern necessities and clear rights 
of war, to which let all men pray that Illinois 
may be forever a stranger.— Army Cor. Vhioago 
Journal. 
mediate vicinity of Yokohama, 
dozen of those murderous Yahonims, but Mr. T. 
and 1 had revolvers and mine was always ready. 
The ride of some Beven miles to Kamakura 
was charming, and the rain ceasing now aud 
then, still being cloudy overhead, it was a splen¬ 
did morning for riding. We passed through a 
most peculiar country; up and down through 
little valleys, or gorges rather,seeming as though 
scooped out of tho earth and solid rock by some 
giant/ hand, tho path in Us tortuous sinuosities 
winding hither and thither like a great ser¬ 
pent. We passed, on the route, through two 
great gorges or clefts in the bills, the path being 
but a few feet wide, and bounded by perpendic¬ 
ular walls of nature's own masonry, with a pro¬ 
fusion of shrubbery and bushes, and trees meeting 
overhead; si 
A PARAGRAPH FOR LITTLE GIRLS 
Every little miss who will looklup the word 
“Housewife” in Webster’s Dictionary will find 
the name and description of a little artiolu that, 
to the soldiers iu the field, is extremely accept¬ 
able. One of the public schools in Pittsburg 
sent a box of them to the Christian Commission, 
and the youthful donors have been blessed for lire 
gift by us many soldiers as there were “ house¬ 
wives” to give them. The article is simply a re¬ 
ceptacle for buttons, thread, pins, needles, tape, 
&c. Odds and ends of the work-bag furnish the 
material, though oiled muslin and other water¬ 
proof stuff is better. The moment the box 
reached the field “ do give me one, sir,” was the 
word until the last one was gone. The govern¬ 
ment would economize by issuing them to the 
soldiers, that they might mend their own clothes, 
but the school-girls must do it instead. If the 
girls of the public and private schools would set 
at once to work they could earn the gratitude of 
every soldier their presents reach. 
A Tremendous Shock.— Dr. Jerome Kidder, 
of New York, has lately enjoyed the happiness 
of receiving, with perfect safety, a shock of elec¬ 
tricity sufficient, according to the previous ideas 
of scientific people, to kill fifty men. The experi¬ 
ment took place at the Cooper Institute, under tho 
direction of the eminent Professor Vander Wede, 
of that institution. The battery consisted of six 
of the large Bunsen cuds and a Rubmkorff coil, 
of sixteen miles of wire, made by E. S. Ritchie, 
of Boston—one of tbe best makers In tho coun¬ 
try. A most formidable battery truly! The 
New York Tribune states that Dr. Kidder had 
observed that the longer the wire was used the 
greater the tension, aud consequently the greater 
the ease with which the current is conducted 
through the body. Hence he argued that the 
enormous length of the wire in the Ruhmkorll 
coil mustrender the current so highly conducti- 
ble that, in spite of its great power, it would not 
lacerate the tissues of the body. He staked his 
life on his opinion and won ii—Scl. American. 
,o[nothing like those we passed 
through on the Isthmus of Panama in 1S53. 
Father will remember. 
Occasionally, as the light rain pattered down 
on our xoaler-proof and umbrellas, we remarked 
that we seemed to be in “ the pursuit of pleasure 
under difficulties.” We arrived at Kamakura in 
about an hour, and made a fifteen minutes’ halt. 
We walked up to and about, the grand temple of 
tho Emperor. There were five or six large build¬ 
ings in the grounds, some of the temples having 
roof's of very peculiar shape aud workmanship. 
There were bridges, gateways, splendid groves 
of trees and mazes of shrubbery, and all the other 
accompaniments of a Japanese temple. The 
main temple was on the side or top of a hill, and 
was approached by a long and broad flight of 
stone steps. Kamakura is said to have been the 
* This is one of a nrrie* of letter.* from Mr T, H.iit r 
Hyatt, Jr., (son ol’our fellow townsman Him. T. H. 
HYATT, (late U. S. Consul at Amoy, China, / to his sister 
in this city, which has been kindly furnished for publica¬ 
tion in the Rural.— [Ed. It. N. Y. 
A Sinful thought or feeling is like a spark 
of fire. It seems but a little thing, and is easily 
extinguished; but it has ft tendency to consume 
and destroy; let it be fanned by the winds and 
it will ruin everything destructible in the 
universe.— Payson. 
Cicero made the following wise remark:— 
“As I approve of a youth who has something of 
the old man in him, so I am no less pleased with 
an old man w r ho has something of the youth.” 
A blunt truth is very likely to bruise a man 
without penetrating him. 
Your affectionate brother, T. H. H., Jr. 
