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PKAOTIOAL EDUCATION. 
An “ Alumnus Subscriber” writes us from 
Hamilton College, that “practical common 
sense must rest (not rust) in the people,” and 
the lack of this in our schools is their great de¬ 
ficiency. The first object of education is to fit 
young men and women for the practicabilities 
of life, and abstract or theoretical knowledge is 
good only as a means to that end. A teacher 
must he a practical man, and a patient, trusting 
friend to his pupils; able to control himself, and 
thus to control others. He urges less of routine 
without thought and theory divorced from prac¬ 
tice, and says: 
“I remember—it was years ago — a rebuke I 
received from my Professor for not committing 
to memory a certain theoretical principle I could 
not understand. 1 was told that it was my busi¬ 
ness to commit the words first, and let the 
understanding follow. I well remember, too, 
the indignation with which I received the nnjust 
rebuke —a feeling I cannot now cease to cherish 
towards all similar assertions. The mind is a 
mental workshop, and it is wot by a mere ac¬ 
quaintance with the identity and use of its 
various machinery that I can at once work intel¬ 
ligently and effectively. I must first get myself 
accustomed to the handling and disposition of 
the various parts of the machinery, then 1 can 
prepare for actual sendee. Strive to unite the 
practical with the theoretical, in whatever sys¬ 
tem of education you may adopt. It is time 
enough for students to grapple with the theo¬ 
retical and metaphysical departments when they 
have learned first to think, and then to act ac¬ 
cording to their thoughts.” 
MICHIGAN SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS. 
At a State meeting of County School .Super¬ 
intendents, at Jackson, Michigan, the following 
resolves were passed: 
That County Superintendents hold, before the 
commencement of the winter schools, one In¬ 
stitute in as central a place as possible for the 
whole county, to continue four or five days, or 
longer, If expedient. 
That instruction in such Institutes be made ns 
practical as possible In its character, and be con¬ 
fined mostly to modes of teaching and to the 
brauches taught in the common district schools, 
and that the instruction be given for the most 
part in the form of class recitation and teaching. 
That, in addition to the Central Institute, the 
superintendents meet the teachers of each town¬ 
ship for one day at least, to give them such 
instruction and advice as the peculiar condition 
and needs of the schools in each township may 
require. 
That examinations of teachers be held at the 
close of the Central Institutes, and that attend¬ 
ance at such Institutes bo taken iuto account, 
in estimating the qualifications of teachers, 
especially for receiving certificates for the first 
and second grades. 
That where county teachers’ associations do 
not exist, superintendents aid and encourage the 
formation of such associations in connection 
with the Institutes. 
CURIOSITY SHOP. 
Let the teacher provide himself with u con¬ 
venient box or drawer to contain the curiosities, 
and invite the children to bring to school every¬ 
thing they can of this nature. The teacher may 
himself bring specimens of all the kiuds of fruit 
within his roach. He must take pains to bring 
all the tropical and foreign production.- which 
he can obtain. He can easily procure cloves, 
cinnumou, nutmegs, pepper, coffee, dates, figs, 
prune?, lemons, oranges, pineapples, &e. These 
he may exhibit, one at a time, from morn¬ 
ing to morning, and in answer to the inquiries 
of hi? scholars, he will inform them where they 
grow and how they grow; will describe the cli¬ 
mate, soil and people of the countries in which 
they grow; the methods of culture, of gather¬ 
ing, of preparing for market, and the value in 
the countries where produced. 
If skillful at drawing, he will draw upon the 
board the plant as it appears at different stages 
of its growth. He will, when talking about all 
the native grain and fruits, give the geograph¬ 
ical limit of successful cultivation, and explain 
their value to the people who raise and use 
them .—The Normal. 
FIRM KINDNESS. 
Professor Owen says in a recently published 
letter: 
“The result of that experience induces me 
unhesitatingly to assert that the law of kindness 
is infinitely more powerful than the law of force 
or fear, and that in the few cases where the form¬ 
er falls it would actually be best for the school 
to be rid of the boy, and the army to be rid of 
the man. Whenever a youth is doing an injury 
by his precepts and example to fellow students, 
and injuring an institution more than the insti¬ 
tution is benefitting him, then I think it becomes 
a duty, after fair warning and admonition, to 
separate uim by suspension, dismissal or expul¬ 
sion. Whenever a soldier Is creating insubordi¬ 
nation among others, and various admonitions 
have failed to correct him, it is better to have 
him court-martialed and drummed out of the 
regiment, if practicable, rather than to risK his 
contamination. 
The great majority on leaving the schools 
cease to improve, because improvement is uut 
within their reach without laborious study. 
-- 
The Lyceum of the State Normal School at 
Ypsilanti, held its public exercises, May 18th, 
■with great interest. 
As this number of the Rural datc 3 so near 
the 17th of June, the ninety-second anniversary 
oi the battle of Bunker Hill, wc fitly give a view 
of the monument. 
On that battle-day 8,000 British soldiers cross¬ 
ed the narrow ueck of water from Boston to 
Charlestown, to drive off Col. Prescott, who 
had taken position, in the night, on Breed’s 
Hill, which commanded the city, with 1,000 pat¬ 
riot soldiers. The attacking officers find an 
aristocratic contempt for these vulgar “ rebels,” 
sind the regular soldiers little dreamed that raw 
militia could stand their onset. Neither under¬ 
stood the firm resolve of men determined to be 
free, and the British leaders saw their men recoil 
Various <bojiics. 
STEEET SIGH’S IN PAEIS. 
Pajus takes good care of her military renown. 
The room in which I write fronts on the Rue de 
Rivolt, a name emblazoned on the flogs of Napo¬ 
leon's battalions. Leading from the Rue de Rl- 
voli is the Rue Castiglione, another Italian bat¬ 
tlefield. So also Wagram, Austeriitz, Eytau, 
Moscow, and other battlefields won by the 
troops of the first Napoleon are kept in re¬ 
membrance. Nor arc the deeds of valor of the 
troops of the present Emperor forgotten, but 
their record of glory is kept before the people 
in the boulevard Sebastopol, In her matin, the 
j point d’Alma, and point d’Solferino. 
One would think, judgiug from street signs 
alone, that the people of Paris were very reli- 
| gious, and so they are in the matter of signs, 
j There are nearly 800 streets which are named 
after the Saints. What an array of saintly 
names the street directory presents! Besides 
those commonly known we have Saint Eloi, 
Saint Andrew of the Arts, Saint Good and Saint 
Opportunity. In addition to the streets of the 
Saints, we may walk through the “ Road of the 
Cross of the Evangelist,” the “Cross of the 
Little Camp,” the “Cross of the Wooden Wain¬ 
scoting,” or the street ol'“ David’s Small Tower.” 
Names most sacred and names profane are indis¬ 
criminately used—names which it is almost a 
sacrilege to mention — the “Street of the Holy 
Spirit,” and the “ Street of Hell!” 
Not only are such names given to the streets, 
but looking from my window 1 can see a sign 
over a store door with this inscription“ The 
Shop of the Child Jesus.’' Further up the street 
the proprietor throws out in glaring letters the 
name of his establishment—“ The Good Devil” 
—and to impress it upon you he has a pictured 
representation of his guardian spirit—an imp 
with a homed head carrying a carpet bag! An¬ 
other proprietor has put up the sign of the 
“Poor Devil.” It would require much space 
to give the curious nomenclature adopted by 
the Pax’iaiau shop-keepers; the above will suf¬ 
fice for examples. 
But in our rumblings we may pass through 
the “ Street of Ancient Comedy,” “ Street of 
the Beautiful Girls,” “ Street of the Little 
Shelf,” the “ Bouquet of the Camps, ” the 
“ Basin of Copernicus,” “ Good News of the 
j Miracles,” “Street of St. Genevieve’s Almond 
Trees,” “Street of Woman Without a Head.” 
But with Alt this and much more of sentiment¬ 
ality, we come upou streets which bear such 
and retreat from that fatal breastwork time after 
time with amazement. At last, the loss of am¬ 
munition compelled the defenders to retreat, but 
the British loss was 1,000 men, while their own 
wms less than half that number, and the enemy 
learned to respect amffear the brave “Conti¬ 
nentals.” I'V- 
Tho real Bunker Hill close by and connected 
by a ridge with Breed’s an eminflne.fi 75 feet 
above the water on whicn |lrlands the monument, 
in the ground once enclosed by that famed 
breastwork. It is a square shaft of gray Quincy 
granite, 881 feet high, 81 feet, across at the base, 
aud 15 feet at the top. A winding stairway in¬ 
side, leads up to a chamber just below the sum- ! 
honored names as these:—“Rue Beethoven,” 
“ Rue Bellini,” “ Rue Auber,” “ Rue Rossini,” 
“ Rue Beruugcr,” “ Rue Franklin, “ Rue Pe¬ 
trarch,” “ Rue Laplace.” Generals, statesmen, 
poets, painters—great names in science, litera¬ 
ture, art and jurisprudence—not only of France, 
Uut of all lauds, sire thus honored. 
It is thus that we see along the streets, in the 
very signs which have been put up, the peculiar 
features of French character—sense and non¬ 
sense, wisdom and wit, seriousness and sober¬ 
ness—a strange mixture which defies analysis. 
—“ Carletou," of Boston, Journal. 
TAKING COMFORT BEASTS OR MEN 1 
A Western journal says: — A fellow at St. 
Peter, calling himself Joe. Waggoner, advertises 
to bet §85 that ho can drink more of Veith’s 
lager beer in two hours’ time, without getting 
drunk, than nny man in Minnesota. 
We see a notice of a cock-fight at Brighton 
between Syracuse and Rochq<ter parties, in 
which §100 were spent, the leathered and spur¬ 
red bipeds badly scratched, and 1 the equally en¬ 
lightened but less plucky bipeds looking on 
greatly delighted. 
WniTTiER tells of finding a man lying flat on 
bis stomach, in the Meriimae wiod6, unable to 
roll over from drinking villainous liquor. He 
shook the poor fellow aud askdji, “ What are 
you doing?” Half awake, he.gmmbled, “Ta¬ 
king comfort.” 
Tastes differ, but we can only siy, the higher 
up WC get the richer and nobler tl*su comforts. 
It’s a long way from a pig to Humboldt. Every 
creature alter its kind, but which do you like 
best ? 
THE OLDEST RELIC OF HUMANITY. 
— 
The oldest remnant of mortality (plant is the 
skeleton of one of the earlier Pharabhs encased 
in its original burial robes and woncfrrfuUy per¬ 
fect, considering its age, which wasjdeposited, 
about eighteen or twenty months igo, in the 
British Museum, aud is justly conadered the 
most valuable of all. its archaeological treasures. 
The lid of the coffin, which contained the royal 
mummy, was inscribed with the namif of its oc¬ 
cupant, Pharaoh Mykeriuins, who succeeded the 
heir of the builder of the Great Pyramid about 
twenty-two centuries before Christ. (Inly th ink 
of it; the monarch whose crumbling pones and 
leathery integuments arc now exciting the curi¬ 
osity and wonder of numerous gazer* in Lou¬ 
don, reigned in Egypt before Abraham was born, 
and only about two ceuturies or so alter Miz- 
raim, the grandson of old Father Noah and first 
.mil, from the windows of which is a noble view 
of the great city, the hills and fields westward, 
the harbor with its forest of masts, and the broad 
Atlantic reaching far eastward. 
In 18:35 the corner stone was laid, on the 17th 
June, in the presence of L afayette, and a host 
of spectators, it was seventeen years in bulld- 
I big, at, a cost of §150,000, The architect and 
j overseer seated himself on the great cap-stone, 
as it was swung up in mid-air and safely landed 
on the lofty summit, amid the cheers of the as¬ 
sembled crowd. 
June 17th, 1843, Daniel Webster gave an 
address at its dedication, the President and Cab¬ 
inet, and a vast- audience being present. 
of the Phai'aohs, had been gathered to his fath¬ 
ers ! Why, the tide-marks of the deluge would 
scarce have been obliterated, or thegoplier-wood 
kuec-tirabers of the Ark have rotted on Mo ting 
Ararat, when this man of the early world, lived, 
moved and had bis being. His flesh aud blood 
were contemporary with the progenitors of t,hc 
great patriarch; his bones and shrivelled skin 
are contemporary with the nineteenth century; 
and the date of the Crucifixion is only about 
midway between his era and onrs. 
What a gulf of time is bridged, as it were, by 
those mouldering relics! Of all the resurrec¬ 
tions effected by the arehajologiats, that of Pha¬ 
raoh Mykcrimus is undoubtedly the most ex¬ 
traordinary and interesting. When he flour- 
ished “ remote antiquity” had jura begun. 
A Relic.—W e were shown, a few days ago, 
by Mr. William Inscho of Jefferson township, 
Noble county, Indiana, a relic of “the olden 
times,” in the shape of a pioneer powder-horn, 
upon which is rudely eut the following. Wo 
give it verbatim . 
“ I powder, with my brother Ball, 
A Ilero like, do conquer all. 
JOHN CALL HIS HORN WOODSTOCK MASS: 
MARCH 31st 1758.” 
Several scenes suggestive of the then primitive 
condition of onr country are also cut upon its 
surface. It is held in high estimation by Mr. 
Inscho, to whom it was presented by ’Squire 
Call, a descendant of the former owner. — Ligo- 
nicr Banner. 
Mr. Beecher’s Novel.— The N. Y. Ledger 
announces that it will begin the publication of 
Henry Ward Beecher’s novel in the next num¬ 
ber. The title of Mi*. Beecher’s novel is “ Nor¬ 
wood; or Village Life iu New Eugland.” The 
Ledger remarks: — “ It Is said that ou one occa¬ 
sion during Mr. Beecher's residence at the West, 
a committee from the church where he preached, 
called upou him to remonstrate against his say¬ 
ing so many witty things in his sermons. He 
replied to them, “Brethren, if you only knew 
how much I keep back yon would never think of 
finding fault with me for what I say.” In this 
story Mr. Beecher keeps back nothing. In it 
he gives lull scope to all his faculties.” “ Nor¬ 
wood” is said to be Northampton, Mass. 
An autograph oi’ Oliver Cromwell, bearing his 
signature, “Oliver, P.,’ 1 was recently sold In 
London. It was attached to a treasury warrant, 
dated December 20, 1085, for the payment of 
£500, for the benefit of the persou named there¬ 
in, “for his continued attention to the service of 
the Commonwealth.” 
Jlcaimtg toe liming. 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
KINDNESS. 
BY LEWIS DAYTON BURDICK. 
A cheerful voice 
Bids all rejoice, 
Oft making cheerful and jocose 
The melancholy and morose. 
A friendly glance 
Will oft enhance 
Enjoyments of associates, 
Increasing confidence in mates. 
A kindly tone 
lias power alone, 
To drive much bitterness away, 
Which else in human hearts would stay. 
A helping deed 
In time of need, 
Slakes such impression on the heart 
As time tan never make depart. 
Greene, N. Y. 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
LOUIS ARCHER’S TEMPTATION. 
BY SOPHIA 6. OAKRETT. 
“Halloa, there, Henry Brown ! What arc 
you hurrying home so for? Stop a minute, 1 
waut to tell you about the spelling school to¬ 
morrow night.” 
“ Father and mother have gone to Uncle 
Harper’s to spend the night; so I’m in a hnrry, 
Louis, as I have all the chores to do at the barn. 
Father says cattle and sheep ought to bo well 
cared for this cold weather; and I’ll not let 
them suffer when lie’s away. Run along with 
me, Louts, and we can talk ou the way.” 
“ You know, Henry, I mean to choose sides 
with Erastus Bluley. Everybody knows he is 
a tirst-rato speller,— one of the sure kind,—has 
not missed a word in the spoiling book for two 
winters. Those hard words Mr. Barton finds 
in the dictionary puzzle him sometimes; but he 
huuts them up before he leaves the school house. 
I believe the fellow couldn’t sleep a wink, after 
hearing a word ho didn’t know how to spell, 
until he learned it. I expect, he will be an edi¬ 
tor like Greeley or Raymond down in New 
York one of these days. Unless I study hard 1 
shall cut a poor figure spelling against, him. Of 
course bis side will beat, but we must spell our 
best. I’ll choose you first, and ho Intends to 
choose Simon Golden. Mr. Barton told us 
the pages from which he will give most of the 
words, and I want you to come over to our 
house to-night and study them with me,” 
“ But Louis, as father Is away, I cannot leave 
home. Come and stay all night with me and 
we’ll master the lesson.” 
The bay* separated, each going to bis borne, 
and early in the evening were together in Mr. 
Brown’s fitting-room, busy with their spelling 
books. All th<> bard words were, given to each 
other, and many more were sought iu the dic¬ 
tionary. Louis Archer went home before 
daylight to help bis brother fodder the cuttle, 
and joined IIenuv on his way to school. 
“Spell ‘mnemonics,’” shouted Henry, as 
Louis approached. The word was promptly 
spelled, and a dozen more iu rapid succession. 
“ I wish this was Saturday, and I’d ask father 
to let me go out fox-hunting with Mr. Col man,” 
Louis said. “ He always goes a hunting alter 
such a light fall of snow as this. I like to hear 
him tell stories about that hunting trip he took 
out West hast fall. He killed three hears and 
lots of small game besides.” 
“ What are you doing out there in the snow, 
Henry; tracking a fox?” Henry saw a little 
piece Of paper fluttering in the wind by the 
fence, and stepped from the path to get it. 
“ Hurrah, Louis! Here’s Mr. Barton’s list of 
hard words all written down, ready for the spell¬ 
ing school.” 
“ Good,” cried Louis, “ now we’ll beat 
Erastus ! ” 
The boys hurriedly read the carefully selected 
list and spelled them several times before reach¬ 
ing the school house. Mr. Barton sat near his 
desk reading a newspaper, unconscious of his 
loss. Louis and Henry were too much excited 
to attend to their ordinary duties. They copied 
the words from the paper on their slates and 
committed them. Louis meant to keep the list 
until noon, and then drop it unobserved iuto the 
teacher’s desk. At recitation in arithmetic, 
Henry failed in his usual accuracy; his figures 
were poorly made, as his mind was not at ease. 
Conscience whispered, “Tell Mr. Barton you 
found his list of words.” But he thought, “I 
dare not; for Louis will be angry. He is so 
anxious to win that be secs no harm in keeping 
it to ourselves.” At recess, Henry told bis 
thoughts to his friend, who resolutely said, 
“No, iudeed! I won’t he so foolish as that! 
I’ll put the paper Into his desk, and he’ll never 
know anything about it.” 
“But he will suspect U3 if we spell those 
words so promptly.” 
“ I don’t care. I mean my side shall beat Sib¬ 
ley’s; and you are not going to be so mean as 
to tell and spoil the fun. I won’t speak to you 
again this winter if you do! ” 
Henry felt that it would be useless to say 
more, and went slowly into the school house. 
He saw the path of duty; bat to walk therein 
woald make Louis his enemy. Before noon he 
wisely resolved to dt» right, at whatever cost. 
When school was dismissed lie walked out into 
the calm winter air. Tn his surprise Louis joined 
him and remarked, “I have been thinking the 
matter over, Henry, and find you are right. 
Wc will tell Mr. Barton the whole truth about 
it.” The two boys went in, and Louis handed 
the paper to Mr. Barton. “ Oh, sir, I was 
sorely tempted to keep that, bat I knew It 
woahl be wroug.” 
“ You have done nobly, Louis, in not yielding 
to temptation. My dear boys, if you would 
pro-per, always scorn deceit and speak the 
truth. From the experience of a life that has 
11 umbered more years than yours, I assure you 
that the path of duty is alone the path of safety.” 
