IT IS WELL 
BY A. H. LINTON 
'I’llK iitr has home' some tonrlor words, 
As sweet ns melodic* of birds. 
And benedictions soft and clour 
Have trembled on the wailing car ; 
Hut never sweater accent* fell 
Than Faith has uttered - u It Is well. ” 
Hope sits through each to-day and waits 
The opening; of to-tnorrow’s gates. 
And Patience wear. . .. odea 
The veil that each to-morrow hides; 
Hut whether good or HI foretell, 
Faith sweetly whispers— " It Is well.” 
Alas for him who never hears 
The words that quint doubt and fears; 
Who, bent with burdens, plods along 
With never any heart for song; 
Who murmurs, come whatever will 
To bids or chasten - ii i*ni!” 
How dark the night when shine no stars! 
How dull and heavy being * bars 
When through thorn Faith can never see 
Green Adda beyond and liberty 1 
How sad the day when wailing knoll 
Is louder than the “ It is well!” 
As soothing ns A Soothing halm, 
A grand and yet a (under psalm 
Is limiting over In the air, 
Is blending with tin- mourner’s prayer. 
And suddest plaints that ever foil 
Find answer in the 11 It is well!" 
Poetry by A. IT. LINTON 
AGRICULTURE IN COMMON 
SCHOOLS. — I. 
stream - lets cold, Laugh out a - new m 
1. 0 North-land, smile a 
gam 
BY E. W. STEWART 
Advancement In Public Opinion. 
The country is now entering upon a new 
era of agricultural advancement. Forty 
years ago all the agricultural journals in 
the United States did not probably circulate 
two t.lm-'sand copies; aud these journals 
were mostly engaged in administering con¬ 
solation to the farmer upon the dignity and 
necessity of his calling; flattering him with 
tlm idea that he was the most, important 
spoke, in the wheel of human activity. The 
farmer then seemed ready to resist any inter¬ 
ference of scholars and men ot science in 
his practical allairs. He did not object to 
a few smooth words of compliment from 
them, but any attempt to advise bim In the 
practice of his art was derisively resented, 
as tlie dreaming of utopian philosophers, 
who, without ever having cultivated a crop, 
should essay to instruct him who bad been 
born aud bred to it. The farmer did not 
then believe his art to be founded upon 
general principles that, could be taught like 
engineering or mechanics- The farmer was 
o inpi’p maninulator — a custodian ot the 
of old 1 There breathes up - on the 
warm - mg air. 
sweet 
torus for fluralxst 
<D 
com - ing 
words, That balm - y breez - es gen 
DESTINED TO ILL LUCK? 
A STORY THAT OUGHT NOT TO BE ’i'AUL 
O Northland, smile in gladness, then! 
Have cheer, ye sad of heart! 
No wintry silence comes to men 
That will not booh depart. 
The air will warm to tenderness 
And melody of words; 
And love and" life again will bless 
The coming of the birds! 
Some cherished songsters we may miss, 
Some notes may never hear 
That thrilled the days with tender bliss 
In a regretted year ; 
But empty nests are with us yet, 
And each an echo keeps » 
Of songs we never can forget 
Till every singer sleeps. 
BY A. A. HOPKINS, 
For so young a man, he ol whom I am 
about to write had acquired an unusually 
much abused air, blended with not a little of 
dogged indiil'erence. The glowering, unso¬ 
cial look on his face indicated something 
dissonant within his nature. Ilis surliness 
of expression seemed all the more surly 
for the warm light that, you felt the face 
had known, —that it somehow continually 
suggested. 
lie had not gone five years past his first 
score, yet his whole appearance was that of 
a inau long used to fighting a hard fa te, and 
grown half despairing, half desperate, be¬ 
cause the odds were still against him. It 
was natural, looking at him closely, to im¬ 
agine that he carried some unpleasant se¬ 
cret, or was sorely pressed by sharp, biting 
circumstances. He seemed in no wise at 
peace with himself. And as he was not a 
solitary specimen, you can find a fair picture 
of him by lining a lrifle watchful. 
Whom he strode into the hotel in that 
frontier town, one evening in early May, he 
was glowering and defiant even beyond bis 
wont. lie went past the groups gathered 
I about the large room, unheeding their ex¬ 
cited conversation, regardless of their curious 
glances at, himself. Tie wrote his name upon 
the, register with a nervous dash, as though 
the name itself were a tiling to be rid of as 
hastily as possible. Yet it was a good name 
enough, and one with an honest sound 
Andrew Fi.int,” he wrote it, in a hand 
in the letters of even educated men and 
women; so shall we who are favored with 
the productions of gifted writers be less 
tormented by errors in orthography which 
are inexcusable. 
things are quite deeply engraved upon the 
memory, if the stripes are not upon the 
back. In those good old days a young man 
was considered quite 44 ta.rned if bo could 
read in the old English Reader, spell the 
"Ail, to be troubled,” table, bound his State, 
county, and town, write his name in good 
copy hand, and cypher in the “ rule of three.” 
Findley Murray was sometimes consulted 
on “verbs, nouns, and pronouns,” but lie 
was so Imperfectly understood by I lie teacher, 
and so profoundly misunderstood by the 
pupil, that the English tongue was about as 
much benefited as the prevailing tongue at 
the confusion of Babel. 
From this small beginning lias grown the 
modern common free school, wldcb now, in 
cities, has established a higher department 
that fits the pupil to enter college; and, fre¬ 
quently, iu the country also, besides the 
early class of studies mentioned, algebra, 
history, physiology, philosophy — natural 
and mental, book-keeping, and analysis 
of the English language, are rudimentally 
taught. 
These schools are supported by a State 
fund and a local tax upon properly, are 
under the control of a State Superintendent, 
or District Commissions, and may be modeled 
upon a uniform plan and reach and benefit 
the whole population. It will thus be seen 
elnctucr 
NEW PUBLICATIONS 
Juliette ; Or , JTow out! Forever. (Boston: 
Lee & Shepard.) If we did not know Mrs. Les- 
ptK to bo the aid liornf other volumes, we Should 
surely pronounce this, her In test addition to the 
“ Home Life Series," to he the first venture of 
some us pi rime young Kiri, with strong convic¬ 
tions in regard to religious duty, but with the 
essential umdltlesof a good writer as yet unde¬ 
veloped. As sued, wo should spouk of the story 
ns improbable in plot, weak in style, and crude 
in general, yet not without promise. Hut with 
Indisputable evidence that Mrs. L. hnaprodueed 
other, ami, wo trust, better efforts, we cun only 
say I hat the present must, liuvc been penned in 
haste, and with little core, us moral tone isex- 
eollent, indeed, and we fully upprneiut.e the high 
motives which prompted it: yet as a. specimen 
of literary work if is inartistic and untlnished. 
Wc believe it, Is possible to make religions stories 
cater to pure literary taste, as well as inculcate 
right principles. To do this I hoy must bo lifted 
out of tho Btylo of school dialogues or girlish 
compositions. ^ _ 
The True U'oman. (Boston: Lee & Shepard. 
—So much has been said regarding Woman, her 
sphere, her needs, etc., that there really doos 
seem little more to be added. And yet in the 
THE ASTOR LIBRARY 
practical application in each department > 
study, to insure the desired success ot these 
much needed Institutions. 
But these colleges will never have their 
full practical effect upon this great industry, 
till preparatory ftc/mls are provided. The 
attempt has been to build the superstructure 
before the foundation. The wise policy of 
the 44 Free School,” now almost universally 
adopted, devolving upon the State the edu¬ 
cation of all her children, will open the way 
for these preparatory schools. 
While the common school was supported 
by voluntary contribution, a uniform system 
was impossible. But they have gradually 
been emancipated from local ignorance and 
narrow sectarian views, and placed upon the 
broad foundation of State direction, which, 
we trust, will soon establish a culture ade¬ 
quate to all the ordinary avocations of life. 
These schools arc the hope of our common 
humanity. With these, properly organized, 
we may safely receive the uneducated masses 
of Europe into the family of our great na¬ 
tion, educate and mold the younger classes 
into the spirit and intelligent support of our 
free institutions. The character of these 
schools slioifld receive the serious attention 
of the statesman and philanthropist. They 
are of the deenest significance to our future 
JYole *, Critical , J3.> ptanatory^ aud Prac - | 
Hen 1, on the /took of Pnalmx. (New York : 
Harper & Brother*.) —Volumes U- nml III. of 
BARNES 4 most excellent Notesnn the Psalms are 
hero given. They conclude this portion of 
scriptural exposition, as indeed t hey constitute 
the finale of the author’s almost unvemitled ex¬ 
pository labors, which have occupied him nearly 
forty years. Mr. Baums hits almost attained to 
“three score and ten,” and feels that his work is 
wollnlgh finished. His reflection* at the «lose of 
the lust volume are natural and touching. As 
tho close of a life-work, nothing could be more 
fitting than a faithful Interpretation of the 
Songs of David. Such these volumes seem to 
be; and we have no doubt they will prove as 
useful as preceding ones from tho same pen. 
Galaxy, 
able in this well printed Id-mo., except if. be dis¬ 
cursiveness. “ UmyCE, ” tbo author, long-time 
an officer in Her Majesty’s service, in the dis¬ 
charge of his military duties visited many parts 
of tho world,— a fyot which the present volume 
seems mainly intended to set, forth. lie was an 
ent husiastic sportsman, no doubt, and has given 
some pleasant recitals of his experience; but In 
his book we find little of real value. To simply 
whilo away an idle hour, it is well adapted. 
Jffarfr, the .natch Hoy. (Boston : A. K. 
Loving.) Th is Is ono Of the “Ragged Dick Series" 
of stories for tho young, by Horatio Alger, 
Jr. It treats of street life in New York City, 
and is very entertaining. Mr. Alger mistakes, 
we think, in putting such good language into 
the mouth of a boot-black as Ben Gibson often 
makes use of, and in many respects the book is 
liiinllv a finished one, even of its class; but its 
neated, 
if 
w 
-r 
Hi 
M 
