APRIL 24 
274 
A SCHOOLMASTER AROUND LOOSE 
Four or live days ago a man about forty years 
of age, lookiog as If he had been drawn over a 
dirty floor for an hour or two, called upon on< 
of the members of the Board of Education and 
introduced himself as William Cannon Harri¬ 
son of Saginaw county. He was politely re- 
c civet], and he commenced business promptly 
by saying: 
“I’m a-looklng for a situation as a school 
teacher.” 
“Ah, ha!” replied the member, wondering 
why the man wasn't looking for a wood pile. 
“ J could have, brought a idle of recommends 
so high," continued the man, measuring with 
his hands: •* but recommends don’t amount to 
nothing.” 
“And have you any school in view? *’ asked 
the member. 
“J want to get in here, in Detroit,” replied 
the man. “ Wbat wages do you pay ? ” 
“I'm afraid-” began the member, when 
the schoolmaster interrupted: 
“Ob, well, 1 n’pose you pay going wages, and 
that's all I can ask for. J don’t want to put on 
style and live high, as Fit. getting a leetie oid 
and ought to save money.” 
"As I was going to remark-” said the 
member, when the schoolmaster suddenly in¬ 
quired : 
“ Do thay allow licking in the schools here? 
If they do, I’m tlm mail you want to dress the* 
boys down ! I've had ’em come for me by tin 
dozen, and it would do your heart good to set 
the way 1 laid 'em! Why, when I had that 
school in Itiy County 1 thought nothing o: 
licking thirty scholars n day, besides hearing 
twelve classes recite? I'm an old screamer, i 
tell you, and there’s fun In me when you get j 
me woke up ! ” 
“I hardly think-’’ commenced the mem¬ 
ber again, when the schoolmaster jumped up 
and said : 
“ Of course you won't take me unless T pass 
examination; but I hain’t afraid of not pass¬ 
ing. I'd like to see a word I couldn't spell! 
For instance: -‘Catarrh, 0-st-1 -a-r-r-h- catarrh.' 
‘Dandelion, D-iHi-d-e-l-l-o n dandelion.’ <>■ 
try me on words of four sy!lu..les : Lugubri¬ 
ous, L-u-g-u-b-r-i-o-u-s — lugubrious.’ OhJ I 
can knock the socks right olT’n these swell¬ 
head teachers, and not hall try!" 
“ I should like to help you,” put in the mem¬ 
ber, “ but-” 
“Oh! you needn’t think I'm behind on ge¬ 
ography," interrupted the teacher. “ For in¬ 
stance:—What Is an tat hums ? An isthmus is a 
narrow strip of land connecting two larger 
bodies. Is the world round or flat? Hound. 
Why is it round? Because it Is. Which Is the 
largest river in the world? Thu Amazon. 
Which is the highest mountain? The Andes. 1 
might go oa for seventy-live days this way, and 
then not tell you half I know ! " 
“You seem to bo pretty well posted in ge¬ 
ography ; but as I wanted to toll— ” 
“And on grammar, too!" exclaimed the 
teacher, jumping up again. “What is a noun? 
A noun is the name of any person, place or 
thing. Give us an example:—Man, dog, cat, 
coon, coat, Jack-knife, fish-hook, gate-post. 
What are tho principal conjunctions? And, as, 
both, because, for, if, that, or, nor. either, 
neither, and so forth, and so forth. Oh! I’m 
right on the roof of the meeting-house when 
you sling grammar at me ! ” 
The member was getting desperate, and as 
soon as he could get in a word he said : 
“ I will take your name, and as soon as a va¬ 
cancy-" 
“And I know arithmetic from cover to 
cover,” excl&fuied the man, standing up again. 
“ I can go through tho tables like lightning 
through a hayst ack, and when you get to frac¬ 
tions and cube root, I’m awful — I weigh a ton 
and a half, and still growing. 'Rltbmetic's my 
favorite study, and I’ll give fifty dollars to find 
a man who'll saw Sums in two and plane ’em 
down as quickly as J can." 
ills speech took the wind out of him, and the 
member managed to say there was no vacancy 
at present, bin be would take his name and 
consider his i use as soon as one occurred. 
“ I’d like to commence right off,” replied the 
man ; but am willing to wait. Here’s my name, 
and the minit 1 get your letter I'll come down 
a-flying. If you got me you dou’t get much 
style, hut you get solid old common sense and 
genuine education. You won’t see scholars 
playing hide-and-coop around the wood-box, 
or marbles on the floor—no, you won’t! ” 
And he went down stairs.— Detroit Free Press. 
-- 
LITERARY LABOR. 
A great deal of brilliant work has been done 
at a dash, and is still done. Byron wrote “ The 
Corsair” in ten days, at the rate of two hun¬ 
dred lines a day, and sent it to press as it was 
written, publishing it with hardly a correction. 
Lope dc Vega wrote three hundred dramas lor 
the stage in one hundred days, upon the prin¬ 
ciple upon which an athiete now and then 
walks one hundred miles in one hundred 
hours ; and it has been reckoned that the aver- 
nge amount of his work was nine hundred lines 
a day. Voltaire wrote “ Zaire ” in three weeks, 
and "Olympia” io six days: Dryden wrote his 
“ Ode to 8t. Cecilia” at a sitting. Theflnestof 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems, " The 
L tdy Geraldine’s Courtship." was the work of 
twelve hours. It was written to complete the 
original two volumei of her poetry, and to send 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
out with her proofs to America. But as a rule 
the best work is not to he done at a dash In 
this style. “ What do you think of ‘Olympic?’ " 
Voltaire asked one of his friends, after that 
work was published ; “ T wrote it in six days." 
j “You should not have rested on the seventh 
day,” whs the answer, and the answer was wise 
{ as well as witty. 
8 ha k < pea re was not one of those slap-dash 
workers: and Shakspcare, with his thirty-four 
plays, has conquered the world. Dickon 0 , 
when he Intended to write a Christmas story, 
shut himself up for six weeks, lived the life of 
a hermit, and came out looking as haggard as a 
murderer. Tom Moore, with his effervescence 
and sparkle, thought it quick work If he added 
seventy lines to “Lilia Itookh" in a week, 
although living out of the world In his writing 
box In the Peak. Blanche produced his bur¬ 
lesques ut an equally slow rate, thinking ten or 
a dozen lines a day good work. The author 
of “Caste,” and “School,” was one of the 
slowest of workmen. Even Albany Fonbiaiiqiie 
often wrote his articles In the Examiner six 
oimes over before lie thought them fit to go to 
press and sometimes ten times over. Hep- 
worth Dixon, it Is said, wrote his “Two 
Queens” eight times. That exquisite trifle of 
KlnglaoeV, “ Eoliicn,” was re-written live or 
six times, and kept in his desk almost as long 
as Wordsworth kept “The While Doe of Ityl- 
stone,” and kept like that, to be taken out for 
revision and correction almost every day. And 
that is the way in which good, honest work— 
I work I hat is to be read to-morrow and the day 
I after to-morrow—must be written. ,Scotts and 
Scribes only turn up once In a century.— Gentle- 
man's MiHKizUw, 
-- 
A STRANGE DREAM FULFILLED. 
A CL'JUOt'S fulfillment of a dream occurred at 
the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., under my 
own ey e. A man named Joe Williams had told 
a dream to many of his fellow-soldiers, some of 
whom had related it to me months previous to 
the occurrence which I now relate. He 
dreamed that wo crossed a river, marched over 
a mountain, and camped near a church located 
In a wood, near which a terrible battle ensued, 
and In a charge, Just as we crossed the ravine, 
he was shot in the breast. Oa the memorable 
7th of December, as w© moved at double- 
quick to take our place in the line of battle 
then already hotly engaged, we passed Prairie 
Grove church, a small, frame building belong¬ 
ing to the Cumberland Presbyterians. J was 
riding on thy flank of tbc command and oppo¬ 
site to Williams as we cam© In view of tho 
nouse. “This Is tho church, colonel. I saw in 
my dream,” said he. I made no reply, and 
never thought of the matter again ut til Jn the 
evening. Wo had broken the enemy's line and 
were In full pursuit, when we cam© up to a dry 
ravine in the wood, and Williams said ; “ Just 
on the other side of the hollow' l was shot in 
my dream, and I will stick my hat under my 
shirt.” Suiting the action to tho word, as lie 
ran along ho doubled it up und crammed It in 
his bosom. Scarcely had lie adjusted It before 
a Mlnie ball knockod him out of the line. 
Jumping up quickly, he pulled out his lint, 
waved It over his bead and shouted:— “I’m all 
right! ” Tho hull raised a black spot about the 
size of a man's hand just over his heart, and 
dropped Into Ids shoe, —ifen. L. W. Inwis, in 
Texas Christian Advocate. 
-•■♦**- 
BEAUTIES OE MANHOOD. 
To the l>oy, the world beyond his immediate 
surroundings is only a plctuie. He does not 
know how r**;;I are the sorrows, the passions, 
Die ambitions of men. its absorbing interests. 
Its heroes and its martyrs, arc hoard of by him 
without understanding or with indifference. 
His spi rt. Ids lessons, his home life, are alone 
real. But there will come a change. The ordi¬ 
nary slow growth into manhood, with its busi¬ 
ness nr professional pursuits and widening 
relations or startling events, such as the death 
of a parent or some intellectual or spiritual 
uppeal, striking out the latent soul, will make 
vivid and earnest what was indistinct and unin¬ 
teresting. bike a stereoscopic picture before 
it is put in the stereoscope, t ha life of man lias 
no body orreality; but W’hen the boy awakens, 
as with the picture within the instrument, so 
with him, a solidity and naturalness will be ac¬ 
quired by the external world, and he will feel 
what it is henceforth to live aud move amongst 
these granderand graver forms. Many mistakes 
will he commit, false estimates will he form of 
proportion and perspective, the earnestness of 
his new conceptions will burry him into extrav¬ 
agances and generous errors; but If there is 
truth in his nature and nobleness in his spirit, 
just views will he formed, and l lie day in which 
it is given him to work will find him not un¬ 
mindful of the responsibility which arises from 
a knowledge of Die coming night. 
--♦“*-<»- 
POISONED WITH TEA. 
Dr. Kncggs of New South Wales, writing 
from there says that the Australians are enor¬ 
mous tea drinkers, and that multitude! c>f 
cases of tea poisoning constantly occur. In 
speaking of this subject the London Sanitary 
Record declares that evidence is rapidly accu¬ 
mulating that tea, like alcohol, is a very bad 
narcotic, and that the temperance party, who 
advice it as a substitute for alconol, will have to 
answer for it at the bar of scientific opinion. 
We are of a similar opinion. Those who desire 
to see thissubject fully discussed, arc referred 
to the chapter on tea in the book we have just 
published, entitled, “ Eating for Strength.” 
ic J.'iter;u;u florid. 
j&tbbath Reading. 
WHAT I LIVE FOR. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Wooden anil Brick Buildings. Published un¬ 
der ibe Directum of A. J. BlCKXKLL. New 
York: A. J. Mlcfcnell & Co. [Two volumes, large 
quarto. Price, $12-] 
For the practical house builder, or anyone 
contemplating work of the nature treated of in 
this book, a more valuable collection of aug 
gostivo 1.1ustrations could hardly he gotten to¬ 
gether. The plates are UK) In number, and em¬ 
brace almost every variety of wooden and brick 
house which could be wished for. In addition 
to these, it contains a schedule of charges en¬ 
dorsed by tho American Institute of Archi¬ 
tects, ns weJI as specifications, form of con¬ 
tracts, &e. The great care expended upon this 
work inis produced cue which in every way 
sustains tho reputation of the BtCKNEMs in 
such matters, ami adds one more to their al¬ 
ready numerous and valuable contributions to 
architectural literature. These volumes will 
prove very useful, for the designs of residence-, 
churches and other edifices ate not only well 
Illusiruted and described, but so practical anti 
comprehensive as to lie easily understood by 
those who are not professional builders or 
architects. Indeed, the work merits and should 
receive attention from all interested in the 
subject of building. 
Protection and Free Trade : An Inqicrv 
wiiether Protective Duties cun benefit the In- 
teic-tM of a Country Jn tnc Aggregate; moulding 
an Examination into tin- Nature id Value, (tea 
the Agency id the Natural Puree* In Producing 
It. It) Isaac Burrs, [l'ono—pj». IM 1 New York: 
G. P. Putnam's SOM.-. 
This work is from Die pen of one who was 
long an able and prominent journalist, and Is 
written with the logical ability which charac¬ 
terized Its author. Mr. Jit.rrrs died in Novem¬ 
ber Just, but entrusted the publication of this 
work to his friend and physician, Dr. \V. \V. 
Ei.y of Rochester, who. In a prof ace (embracing 
a brief but appropriate and appreciative bit - 
graphical sketch of tho deceased author.) says 
it “ was nearly ready for the press, and is printed 
as he left it, except that a brief conclusion, 
found in uu unfinished state, and containing 
nothing essential to the argument, is omitted." 
The work 1 b an argument for free trade, based 
upon principles rather than upon statistical 
premises, and will be read with interest hy 
many students of political economy. An excel¬ 
lent steel plate portrait of the author prefaces J 
tho volume, which Is published in the best style 
of the Putnams. 
The Dairy Cow. | Boston: A. Wli.L'A.us & Co.] 
This is a monograph of the Ayrshire breed 
of cattle by E. Lewis Stuktevant, M. D., and 
I nvr. for those who love inc, 
For those 1 know are true. 
For the heaven that smiles above me. 
And awaits toy spirit, too; 
For all human tics that bind me. 
For the task by God assigned me, 
For the bright hours left behind me, 
And the good that I can do. 
I live to learn their story, 
Who’ve suffered for my sake. 
To emulate Lhclr glory. 
And follow in their wake ; 
Bard , martyrs, patriots, sages. 
The noble of all ages, 
And time's great volume make. 
I live to hail that season, 
By gifted minds foretold, 
When men shall live by reason, 
And not alone by gold— 
When man to man united. 
And every wrong tiling righted, 
As Eden was of old. 
I live to hold communion 
With ail that In divine, 
To feel there Is u union 
’Twlxt nature's heart aud mine. 
To profit by affliction, 
Grow wiser from conviction, 
And fulfill each great design. 
I live for those * lu> love me. 
For those who knew me true. 
For the heaven that smiles nhove me, 
And awaits tny spirit, too; 
For the wrong* that need resistance, 
For the cause that lacks assist ance. 
For the future In the distance, 
And the good that I can do. 
--- 
LIFE'S TRAGI DY. 
SuBEi.MEUin this world know I nothing than 
a peasant saint., could such now any where be 
met with. Such a one will take thee back to 
Nazareth itself: thou wilt sea tho splendor of 
heaven spring forth from the humblest depths 
of earth, like a light shining in great darkness. 
It is not becnu.e of his toils that I lament for 
Die poor. Wo must all toll, or steal (howsoever 
we name our stealing), which Is worse. No 
faithful workman finds his task a pastime. The 
poor is hungry and athirst; but for him also 
there is food and drink ; ho is heavy-laden and 
weary, but for him also the heavens send 
sloop, and of the deepest. In his smoky cribs, 
a dear, dewy heaven of rest envelopes hi in,and 
fitful glitterings of cloud-skirted dreams. But 
what do 1 mourn over is that the lamp of his 
soul should go out; that no ray of heavenly or 
even or earthly knowledge should visit him; 
but only, In the haggard darkness, like two 
specters, fear and indignation. Alas ! while 
Die body stands so 1 1 road and brawny, must the 
soul lie blinded, dwarfed, stupefied, almost 
annihilated? Alas! was this, loo, a breath 
of God; bestowed in heaven, but on earth 
Joseph N. St< rtbtakt of South Framingham, I never to be unfolded? That there should one 
Mass., with an appendix on Ayrshire, Jersey 
nod Dutch milk; -their formation and pecu¬ 
liarities. In this volume the Ayrshire e nv is 
treated of as it milking animal, a butter pro¬ 
ducer, cheese producer and a meat producer; 
also their worth and adaptability are discussed. 
The history of Ayrshire*, including documen¬ 
tary history of origin, is given. Theie is also a 
list of importers and importations. The vol¬ 
ume Is illustrated, neatly printed, and contains 
informat ion of interest to every Ayrshire breed¬ 
er and dairyman. 
The Discarded Wife; Or, Will She .Succeed? 
By Miss hii.lZA A. DL’crV. [Drum—pp. 525.] 
Pldl’a : T. B. Peterson a Bros. 
Tins is a new novel by one of the most origi¬ 
nal of American story writers, and who has at¬ 
tained considerable popularity. The story is 
well told, und its taking title will attract many 
readers at a time when so much is said arid 
done on the subject of discarded wives (and 
husbands also), divorce, etc. 
The Giimy'x Prophecy; Or, The Bride of an 
Even fog. By Mrs. Emma D, K. N. south worth. 
[t2aw»—gp. 4->5J. 1'iiilactelpiiut: T. B. Peterson 
A Brothers. 
THIS Is an absorbing story by a prolific and 
popular author. It is published in good style, 
and belotigs to the scries of the uniform edition 
of the complete works of Mrs. Soutiiworth 
being issued by the Messrs. Peterson. 
Perfect Love Ca-tcih Out Fear. By Katha¬ 
rine SEJRjWiCJi WASHIIL’KN, author of ‘"i he 
Italian Girl,” “ lna,” Ac. Ituiao—pp. 3ln.J Bos¬ 
ton : Lee A Shepard. 
The title of this volume will attract atten¬ 
tion, and its contents will prove absorbing to 
those fond of well-told tales. In externals it 
Is creditable to a house whose publications are 
always issued in good style. 
man die ignorant wiio had capacity for knowl¬ 
edge, this I call a tragedy, were it to happen 
more than twenty times In the minute, as by 
some computations it docs.—( trlj/k. 
- -♦♦♦ -- 
THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 
Whatsoever the future may have in store, 
tho kingdom of God on earth is a present fact, 
and has been a fact ever since the first awaken¬ 
ing of a human heart to the divine impulse: 
it is the supreme reality of our human life, it is 
present with us |ti the hearts of all godly per¬ 
sons; it is present in our hearts, if we have in 
us aught of the unselfish lore of man and God. 
It is a reality for us to increase or to lessen 
according to the faithfulness or unfaithfulness 
of our hearts. Whenever wo disobey Die c 
science In us, whenever we arc false or sinful, 
we lessen this kingdom of God on earth ; 
though we prophesy in the name of the Lord, 
and do all manner of wonderful works, none 
the le*s are we diminishing Hi-; kingdom here 
if wo do not III! will, aud by ©very faithful 
prayer and thought, and word and acDon, by 
every grace, secret and inward, or outward and 
expressed, by every right disposition of our 
hearts, we extend the kingdom. If we have 
the seeing eye, we shall perceive the kingdom 
of God alike in the least action which Is purely 
done by the least of human beings, and in the 
vast united action of mankind extending roen’d 
the whole wide world, and over many ages, up¬ 
holding and advancing God’s truth and right. 
Aud according as w© arc faithful or unfaithful 
are we helping or hindering the coming of the 
kingdom.— Franois T. Washburn. 
♦ » ♦ - 
RELIGION AND ENJOYMENT. 
The Galaxy for May is a very interesting and 
readable number. Jt presents an admirable 
table of cooteuts, comprising several entertain¬ 
ing biographical sketches. 
The Haunted Tower— by Mrs. HENRY WOOD, 
author of “ East Lynne” and other novels—has 
been issued in cheap form by the Petersons of 
Philadelphia._ 
The Foggy Night at Offord—by Mrs. HENRY 
wood, author of “East Limn." i'c.,—has just 
been issued in an octavo pamphlet by the 
Petersons. 
It is an error to imagine that devotion en¬ 
joins & total contempt of all the pleasures and 
amusements of human, society. It checks, 
indeed, that spirit of dissipation wnich is too 
prevalent. 3t Dot only prohibits pleasures 
which are unlawful, but likewise that unlaw¬ 
ful degree of attachment to pleasures in them¬ 
selves innocent, which withdraws theattention 
of man from what Is Berious and important. 
But it brings amusement under due limitation. 
Without extirpating it. It forbids it as the 
business, hut permits as the relaxation of life 
Lor there is nothinginthe spirit of true relig¬ 
ion wD;ch is hostile to a cheerful enjoyment of 
our situation in the world. 
