Writ ton for Moore's Buret New-Yorker. 
THE POWEB OP WILL. 
THE AELLOSCOPE. 
Ameoioan Leaves : Familiar Notes of Thought and 
and Life. By Sajiuel Osgood, author of “The 
Hearthstone,” “Bindies in Biography,” “Student 
Life.” etc., etc. [L2mo. pp. &*).| New York: 
Harper & Brothers. 
Tms volume contains fifteen essays, each, ss the 
title Indicates, concerning some phase of American 
life. All but one of them arc reprinted from Harper's 
Magazine, There ts nothing remarkable in Dr. Os¬ 
good's stylo, and nothing very brilliant in his ideas; 
but he writes good, fair, unpretentious English, and 
generally talks sound, common sense. The papers 
hero gathered have one of tho most desirable of all 
qualities in essays — a smooth, flowing motion that 
carries the reader through to the end, if one* ho be¬ 
gins their perusal. The mechanical execution of the 
volume is quite handsome. For sale by Stko.k Jk 
A.VBRY. 
Worship rs tub FAarav and School-Room, A 
Manual of Devotion. By Rov. W. T. Wti.ib. |8vo. 
pp. 640.] Bpringlleld, Mass.: W. J. Holland & 
O0.-I8G6. 
This volume Is made np of Scripture Godsons, with 
prayers written expressly for and suited to each, by 
eora? nf tho most eminent divlnosof many denom¬ 
inations. Rack lesson is prefaced with an appropri¬ 
ate piece, of music, rendering the. volume admirably 
adapted to the devotion of families, schools and meet¬ 
ings generally. It is highly commended by some 
bttndred of tho more prominent divines of the day. 
Sold by W. J. Holland & Oo., «7 Main St. 
float resting on a column of mercury, lu stub ft 
manner that the combined ebiunbors, whose, spe¬ 
cif gravity remains the same, are bnoyod up 
more or less, according as the surrounding 
atmosphere la more or less dense, and the motion 
resulting from fluctuations Is communicated to 
a hand on a dial plate, from which any person, 
without tits elightest Hoietititte knowledge, may 
read the Indications. 
Fig. 2.—B is a cistern containing mercury, and 
C is n. tube, sealed at tlie top, rising from the 
cistern, in this tube the mercury rises in vacuo* 
This, it will be observed, is precisely similar to 
tho ordinary cistern barometer. In the tube, C, is 
another tube, .J, floating in tho raoroery. This 
tube is air-tight, and at the. bottom is fastened 
by a rod (i.) to the crow-bar (l,) which is by 
means of the rods (m m,) fastened to the frame¬ 
work, by which all the chambers (I I,) from four 
to six in number, arc fastened together. The 
tops of these chambers are globes (j/g,) forming 
part of them, and there is also a crowning globe 
(F,) which, like tho vortical chambers, is air-tight, 
and is connected by the arms (If,) with them. In 
thus globe is a tabu, (w,) or as it were a very deep 
dimple from the bottom, the only object of 
which is to receive ft stationary, upright spindles 
(r, lig. 8,) that prevents the apparatus from Up 
ping over, or having any motion but the verti¬ 
cal one. Tho air inclosed in the cylinders (F. F.,) 
and tho crown globe (F,) is condensed, to make 
sure that it shall always be heavier than U 10 
amount of atmosphere it displaces; for wore the 
yM utinoaphoro over to become 
]' WW heavier than this Inclosed air, 
, jq the latter would tend to act as 
A ' \ a buoy, and ft trouble would 
m|HL arise elm liar to that which 
^ ’’ one wonld experience In try- 
JXj. lag to weigh a balloon with 
anrrn common nealev. 
~ 1 Mi ra Figure 2 shows a section of 
rJ H§9 *’* ie u i'Per part of tho instru- 
rnent and tho arrangement by 
| LqfiitD which motion Is coiniuunlea- 
Fxa. B. ted to the hand on the dial. 
Tills is very simple, aud la accomplished by a 
.gv taut thread, with a<l- 
>\ It jading screws, fast- 
m Li\ g ' ened nboyo and bo- 
F Wir/ low to the frorne- 
JPV' work which bolds 
tho air-chambers lo- 
mfrff \ gother, and passing 
\ /P around the axle of 
Krai 4. Fig. 4 shows alior- 
izontal section, seen from the top. 
Fig. 5 represents tho dial. Tho slot (S,) has 
O an Indicator passing 
through it, which 
shows the variations 
of inches, like a 
common barometer. 
The circumference 
is divided into a 
scale wliieh will rep¬ 
resent a variation of 
a thousandth of ho 
inch in the height 
Fin. 6. of the mercury. 
Operation. — Suppose that, from any cause, 
• tho atmosphere grows denser. Its weight will 
American lUngaslnes, 
It there could be a periodical combining the host 
features of all our American magazine*. It might 
come very near the Ideal of a porfect monthly. If 
anything were wanting, it would bo In respectol 
good pootryand tales. Of the former especially there 
la a woful lack in nnr periodicals. There are enough 
correct rhymers and versifying moralists; hot of liv¬ 
ing and powerftil poetry, either popular ballad or 
ringing lyric, very little la produced. And our best 
tales still crane from over sea; though one would 
suppose that American lire, with Its rapid changes 
3 nd sudden downfalls and uprisings, odors the best 
possible held for tho writer of short, iutense Bt-orior. 
Hxcoptiiii; those two features, our periodicals rank 
high and well deserve tho liberal patronage which 
We have good essayist.*, keen sat irists, 
THE KENTUCKY GIANT 
Tuia is a jolly companion to the German 
Dwarf, [given in tho Rural of Jau. 19,J and, 
tike it, never tails to produce roars of laughter 
when porfonned at an evening company. 11 is 
necessary to huvo two persons to represent tho 
giant, and tho method of enacting the part is 
beet explained by the accompanying engraving. 
It will be Been that ouo boy puts on a long 
oloalf, and porches himself 
upon the ahouldore of his 
9 ^ companion, who arranges tho 
folds of the cloak so tliat tho 
llrl'T In P iirtB shown by tho dolled 
/Fn'Tx : t\ lines in the illustration, aro 
1 / 5-: ,1 ontiroly concealed from tho 
I ' '■ 1 ^ y j °y ed of the spectators. Tho 
I j || boy who does tho head and 
| (/• j| shoulders ol'the giant should 
i j!'"{ carry a long stiff, as a cune, 
< 1 |‘I and, if he wear a ptovo-pipc 
i :.j 1 hat, with a feather in It, it 
/ Si <1 will greatly heighten the of 
j j y|I \ r > feet. Tho giant's wife may 
| also bo represented by one 
i neraon. with the assistance 
" * vi of a cano aud piece of lath, 
tho latter eighteen Inches long, fastened about 
four inches from tho top* or end of tho former, 
thus forming a cross. Tho person representing 
the giautoss attires himself In an old dress. A 
long shawl la pinned over the lath, an old bon¬ 
net placed on tho end of the cane, and tho prepa¬ 
rations ore complete. The giantess usually walks 
into tho room and protends to look lor a nail In 
the wall (thin gives the performer an opportunity 
of concealing his face,) and, after looking at the 
wall a minute or so, ho stoops down as low os he 
can, at the same lime being’ careful to lower the 
cano. Lie then gradually rises, until ho stands 
upon tho tips of hia toes, and as he does so, he as 
gradually raises tho cano with tho bonnet and 
shawl upon It, until he appears to touch the coil¬ 
ing. The lath represents tho shoulders of tho 
giantess, tho bonnet her head, and the cloak 
Tho giantess, if 
Fxoimn 2. 
they receive, 
genuine humorists and rollablo scientific. men, who 
contribute in their page* their best productions. And 
the magazine offers the best possible medium for in¬ 
troducing a new writer to the public, lie is sure of a 
fair hearing, which Is not always the case when one 
makes hiB da’rut In a bound volume; aud if hia com¬ 
position bo of a peculiar kind, the list of a popular 
monthly will pretty surety Include enough who ear* 
appreciate It to make him a respectable audlonce. it 
Ls not to be wondered at that periodical literature has 
boon so greatly increased uf late; but it is curtain 
that some of these von torus which have Hut out with 
grand promises must Boon die aud disappear, as thoir 
predecessors have before them, either from want ot 
brain capital or from mismanagement of their re- 
Kiurcee. 
Ynfl An. antic Monthly still holds its place as the 
acknowledged head of American magazines; but one 
of Us competitors at Icaat is pressing dose upon it 
and may soon aurjta*» it in popularity if not in pres¬ 
tige. The Atlantic has tho advantage of including in 
Ha list of contributors tho standard authors and liter¬ 
ary authorities of the country; but a vast deal of 
journey work la done for It by third and fourth-rate 
writer*. Besides this, it. has an overpowering souse 
Of He great reputation and the necessity for preserv¬ 
ing 1L The consequence 1b that it approaches tho 
hravlnees of tho review. Tho currant number opens 
with tho second insLallroofit of Dr. Houiis*’ Btory, 
which, it hootob to be understood, is to be the attraction 
of tho magazine, this your, and contains, among others, 
the first article of Prof. Agassiz on “ Glacial Phc- 
tna In Maine,” and one ou “ Comic Journalism ” 
THE AMERICAN AELLOSCOEK 
killed or wounded. Tho present insurrection 
has been going on several months, and though 
the Turks tar outnumber the natives, but little, 
if any, progress liaa been made in subduing it. 
The sympathies of Christum Europe, govern¬ 
ments as well as people, ore generally with tho 
Cretans, notwithstanding tho factthatmonarebies 
usually discourage rebellious. It is impossible 
to any how It will end; but if some of tho groat 
powers of Europe become involved — which 
seems not unlikely — it may result in stripping 
Turkey of all hor possessions tJila Bide of the 
BoaphoruB, ami perhaps inn,partial coinpetifia 
tlon to Austria for her loss at Hadowa. Mcan- 
whlle, subscriptions and other scheme* for the 
relief of the brave Cretans, who will shortly be 
suffering for tho necessaries of life, oro being 
started in Russia, England and this country. 
of the distant tempest. And when all other in¬ 
dicators give promise of an undisturbed sky, and 
speak no other language than that of the visible 
horizon, tho ASllosoopo will speak distinctly 
aud correctly of changes marching on their way 
a week or more before the hands of other instru¬ 
ments hro affected by their coming. 
Tim cost of tho Aelloseope is from 81,000 to 
810,000. A splendid one, eight feet high, with 
all tho metal parts, except the boae, plated with 
pillver and burnished, has been constructed for 
tho I’arla Exposition. I’rof. Ci.i.m bM e.xldbitod 
his invention—the result of twenty-flvo years of 
study and exporim-at—to tho scientific men of 
Europe, and lias received the most flattering 
testimonials of their appreciation of its useful¬ 
ness. And if it shall prove, t*y furtlier testa, to 
possess nil the merit claimed, as above stated, 
the Afllloacopo will reflect credit upon l*rof. 
(JyjH as its inventor, and Western New York as 
tho place of its origin. 
WuiTINO IN CVFHKRH AND IN SHOUT- II AND. 
—Tiioso abbreviated inudiw of writing arc not of 
modem invontiou. The ancients Lftd ingenious 
cyphers for thoir secret dispatches, and sent prl 
vuto orders to thoir commandors or ambassadors, 
which could not i*« opened, so *w to bo legi¬ 
ble, without a peculiar contrivanco or tlio key. 
Ccesftr’B usual method was to wr'ibv by agreo- 
raent the fourth letter of tlio alphabet for tho 
first; for example 1) for A, and so on, varying 
the arrangement occasionally. The Romans had 
also short-hand writers, a enoson number of 
whom wore employed by Cicero to take down a 
speech of Cato. Martial aud Aurioniua bear testi¬ 
mony to tho surprising skill of some of them. 
mmz 
0EETE —THE ISTJEBEOTIOH 
noinc 
by one who evidently lias had eximrieoco of wlwt he 
dUcu.Haea. 
Tim Galaxy, our only fortnightly, has achieved, 
perhaps, the most wonderful success that ha» i>ror he- 
faiton a periodical in this country. It is tins most 
democratic of any that we have, admitting discus¬ 
sions on auy topic of public Interest, except partisan 
politics and sectarian religion; and by giving the 
o&moe of the authors it save* itself from shouldering 
any perplexing responsibility. It professes to, and 
nnd .mhtedly docs, publish alt article,* solely for thc-ir 
merits, without regard to their authorship. And 
though its editor, tike nil othcrB, is liable to mlsjudg- 
njonl. It will probably bring out enough now writers 
of ability, who might have waited forever lor recogni¬ 
tion by the older magazines, to give it a regular and 
reliable corpe in the future. 
It/iueuiiH’ MoxTiii.r still liolds its place with thoBo 
who like an Illustrated magazine with a good deal of 
historical and descriptive mnUer Tho noticeable fra- 
turv-i Of the current number arc* an article enlitlod 
* Something Aljout Flalios,” with lllustratioiiB of one 
hundred and fourteen species, very finely ocgravizt, 
and uini! j*agce of most vlllainoua doggerel, purport¬ 
ing to dovcrlbe a visit of Diedrinh Knickerbocker to 
modem Now York, which exhibits a scarcely leas 
“plentiful lack of wit" aud imagination than of cor¬ 
rect versification and pure English. 
Beadle’s Monthly, which has just entered upon 
Its third volume, is a readable, illustrated periodical, 
filled up with contributions from tho pens of our 
minor Uterati. The most noticeable article in the cur¬ 
rent narntK-r Is on Edgar A. Poe, by Mrs. K. Oakes 
Bmlth. Bhe lauds him to tho skies and overlooks his 
terrible failings, as only a foolish woman could; but 
Oa she was a personal friend of his, her contribution 
to our knowledge of him will be welcome. Poe la 
the sphinx of American literatures aud wfll probably 
continue to be its most interesting character until 
llawthomo Is bettor understood. Mrs. Smith makca 
one statement which takes ub by surprise, aod which. 
If true, ia not generally known. Bhe says:—It lit 
asserted that Poe died in oons--x}tioec« of a drunken 
debauch. This is not truo. At the instigation Of a 
woman, who considered herself injured by him, ho 
was cruelly beaten, blow opou blow, by a rufliau who 
know of no better mode of avenging supposed injn- 
rh-s. A brain fever followed, his friends hurriod turn 
i a way, and ht* reached hia native city only In breathe 
his last.” 
Northern Lights, an Illustrated weekly, is one of 
gl the latest of the new comers in this Add. it Is edited 
>i by “Edmund Kirkc” aud Mrs. Julia Ward IIowc. If 
future numbers aro not a great improvement upon the 
;T thrive that have been iseuod, its career mast be short 
Indeed, nnlesa the purse of its proprietor Ir; very long. 
fourteen t,o illly miloa broad, containing 4,020 
square miles, and is situated in the Mediterrane¬ 
an, eighty-one miles from tho extremity of tho 
poninsulaof Moreu. A chain of high mountains, 
covered with forests, runs through the whole 
length of tho Island, from east to west, The 
higlioat peak is the colehratod Mount Ida, wliieh 
rises 7,670 feet above tho sea, Into the region of 
perpetual snow. On tho north sldo the country 
slopes gradually to ft fertile coast with good har¬ 
bors. On tho Bonlh side the shore is stoep and 
rocky. Grain, wine, oil, wool, flax, silk, cotton, 
honey aud cattle might be produced In abun¬ 
dance, did not thu oppressions of tho Turks 
discourage the industry of tho inhabitants. The 
population at one time numbered 1,200,000, bnt 
at present, ia reduced to 800,000. In Grecian 
mythology Crete is made the scene of many ad¬ 
ventures of the gods and heroes. Hero Satukn 
is said to have reigned, and altor wards Minos, 
1.800 years before Christ. After the banishment 
Ricmsuisu’s Head. —Richelieu's heud is mak¬ 
ing some stir iu the foreign newspapers. It 
appears that several heads uro in existence, ac¬ 
credited to the groat Cardinal. One wits lately 
buried at Borbonuo. A Paris correspondent of 
the London Star says:—“Morimedassures tho 
country that he possesses another; and now wo 
are Informed that there has boon discovered, in 
the Rue dea Boulangers, on adust heap, a human 
skull bearing the followiug inscription :—‘This 
is the truo howl of Cardinal Richelieu.’ Tho 
wmmismiro de police of tho quarticr — having re¬ 
markably little to do during this rainy weather— 
is going to institute inquiries as to whence this 
occiput Is derived. 
covers the whole deception, 
well done, is sure to be greeted with shouts of 
aug hter.— The Play Room. 
YOU CAN’T CATCH IT 
Y on can’t catch i t, boys or girls. Y ou may be 
as fleet of toot ns tho antelope, or you may fly 
os ou tho wings of on eagle, but you can’t over¬ 
take it. 
Cannot overtake what • 
The bad word which has passed your Ups! It 
has fled to heaven, and written itself upon the 
book of Goo. Yon cau’t catch it. 
The w icked deed you performed! It soared to 
the judgment, aud was stereotyped on the mem¬ 
ory* ot the Judge. You can’t catch it. 
Tho sinful thought you indulged! Its image 
was caught by the light of Cod’s eye, and pho¬ 
tographed ou the roll of y»ur history. You 
can't catch it. 
Beware, then, O children, what you think, 
what you do, what you say. 
Eono Answers.—W hat must be dom^o con¬ 
duct a newspaper right t Write. 
What is necessary for a farraor to assist him ? 
System. 
What would give the blind man the greatest 
delight f Light. 
What is tho beet counsel given by a Justice of 
the Peace 1 Peace. 
Who commit the greatest abominations ? 
Nations. 
Fossil Remains re Illinois.— It is stated that 
the loss'll remains recently found iu tho coal beds 
of Bollville, HI., constitute tho lower jaw of an 
immense carnivorous roptilo, which probably be¬ 
longs to some hitherto undescribed species ol 
the Baurians, which inhabited the tropical woods 
and savannas of the West before tho bed of the 
i Mississippi was formed. This discovery Is AO 
important one, since as yet but few remains of 
the larger animals ol the carboniferous period 
have been discovered. 
march’s llbiess. The riddle is this :—In Prussia 
proper, (that is, in old Prussia, and not iu any of 
the new provinces sewed on to tho kingdom by 
the va'dloguu,) there lived a blind beggar; that 
blind beggar had a brother; that brother died; 
the tnan who died had no brother ; what relation, 
then, was the blind bi^gar to the man that died ? 
This was loo much for Bismarck; nor were his 
feelings alleviated when it was suggested tliat 
the “blind beggar” might have been tho sister 
“ ot the man who died,” which was, in fact, the 
simple truth ol the matter. 
Envelopes. — In the vicinity of Aberdeen, 
Scotland, aro five paper mills, which employ two 
thousand five hundred persons. In the city the 
paper i.-t mode into vurioas forms, grocers’ bags, 
cards, euveioDes, The most important item 
is envelopes, which are there wamiluctured more 
extensively than anywhere else in the world, one 
million being turned out every day, most, of 
them folded and stamped entirely by machinery. 
It is one of the worst ot errors, to suppose 
tliat there is any other path of safety than that 
ot duty. 
Intellect Is not the moral power; conscience 
mid honor, not talent, mako the man. 
The more merit a man has, tho more does ho 
applaud it In others. 
