The Dying Year. BY E. L. BICKNELL. Perish! O dying year! Pass on to the dim, oblivious shore; Take this, this bitter tear; To those gathering waves take one drop more, And then, old year, farewell for evermore. Would that this were farewell To the strife of love, and hope, and fear; How they, with thee, have been battling here, Dying a sullen moan, Impatience the Vice of the Age. THE eager desire to press forward, not so much to conquer obstacles, as to elude them; that gambling with the solemn destinies of life, seeking ever to set success upon the chances of a die; that hastening from the wish conceived to the end accomplished; that thirst after quick returns to ingenious toil, and breathless spurrings along short cuts to the goal, which we see every where around us from the Mechanic's Institute to the stock market-beginning in education with the primers of infancy, deluging us with "Philoso Heard in the dark hours when childhood slept phies for the million," and "Sciences made Heard then by me alone, As over the death of Love I kept A lonely vigil and wildly wept. Listen, ere thou art fled; One whisper more in thy dull, cold ear; Though slumbering with the dead, Thou'lt live, great witness, to appear At Heaven's bar, of deeds done here. Why Mountains are Cold. It is a curious scientific fact that the atoms of air, as we ascend, are at greater distances from each other. If the distance between any two atoms is diminished, they give out heat, or render it sensible; whereas if the distance between them is increased, they store it away. The upper strata are sensibly colder than the lower, not because the atoms have less heat, but because the heat is diffused through a larger space when the atoms are further apart. One pound of air at the level of the sea, wlthin the tropics, may be said to contain no more heat than the same weight at the top of the highest mountain, perpetually covered with snow. It is for this reason that the same wind which is warm in the valley, becomes colder as it ascends the sides of the mountains. The diminishing pressure allows the air to expand and store away its heat. It is, therefore, not the snow on the top of the mountains which cools the air, but it is the rarity of the air which keeps the snow itself from melting. As a general law, the decrease of temperature amounts to one degree, Fahrenheit, for every three hundred feet in perpendicular height.-Rural New Yorker, easy;" characterizing the books of our writers, the speeches of our statesman, no less than the dealings of our speculators, seem, I confess, to me, to constitute a very diseased and very general symptom of the times. I hold that the greatest friend to man is labor; that knowledge without toil, if possible, were worthless; that toil in pursuit of knowledge is the best knowledge we can attain; that the continued effort for fame is nobler than fame itself; that it is not wealth suddenly acquired which is deserving of homage, but the virtues which a man exercises in the slow pursuit of wealth-the abilities so called forth, the self denials so imposed: in a word, that, Labor and Patience are the true schoolmasters on earth.-Bulwer. "I Take Care of My Lambs." LET TEACHERS and parents weigh well the significance of the following extract: "A gentleman in England was walking over his farm with a friend, exhibiting his crops, herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, with all of which his friend was highly pleased, but with nothing so much as his splendid sheep. He had seen the same breed frequently before, but had never seen such noble specimens ;and with great earnestness he asked to know how he had succeeded in producing such flocks. His simple answer was, 'I TAKE CARE OF MY LAMBS, SIR.' Here was all the secret of his large, heavy-fleeced, fat-sheep; he took care of them when they were lambs.”— Illinois Teacher. Crime and Education. Generous. A writer in the Burlington Sentinel says that in one of the back towns of a neighboring State, where it is the custom for the dis A year or two ago, an allotment being made in the usual manner for the benefit of the school-mistress, it happened that the proportion of one man was just two days and a half. From statistics collected by us during the past year, it appears that at the various assizes and sessions for this county and city, held in the year, 476 prisoners have been plac-trict school-teacher to board-round,' the foled on the calendar for trial. Of these, there lowing incident occurred, and is vouched for were but two of superior education, while no by high authority: less than 204 could neither read nor write! Of those who could read and write well, there were but 20, and read well, 5; whilst 121 could read but imperfectly. The remaining three did not appear. Surely these facts bear witness, far more efficiently than any labored argument, to the necessity of educating-morally and religiously educating the lower classes, as the only practical remedy for that fearful amount of crime which now stalks through the land-unchecked by the police or other stringencies—punished, but not prevented, by the rigors of the prison house.-Worcester Herald. THE POWER OF MONOSYLLABLES.-To one whose attention has not been drawn particularly to the subject, it will be surprising to call to mind how many of the most sublime and comprehensive passages in the English language consist wholly or chiefly of monosyllables. Of the sixty-six words composing the Lord's Prayer, forty-eight are of one syllable. Of the seventeen words composing the Golden Rule fifteen are of one syllable. The most expressive idea of the creative power of Jehovah, is expressed entirely in monosyllables: "And God said, let there be light and there was light." One of the most encouraging promises of Scripture is expressed in fifteen words all but one of which are monosyllables: "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early, shall find me." The teacher sat down to dinner on the third day, and was beginning to eat, when the man of the house addressed her as follows: "Madam, I suppose your boarding time is out when you have eaten a haif a dinner; but as I don't want to be mean, you may eat, if you choose, about as much as usual.”—Illinois Teacher. 64 IMAGINATION.-Thomas Fuller relates a curious incident, which is truly characteristic, and shows how fancy will put life into young limbs. "A gentleman," he says, having led a company of children beyond their usual journey, they began to be weary, and jointly cried to be carried; which, because of their multitude, he could not do, but he told them he would provide them horses to ride on. Then cutting little wands out of the hedges as nags for them, and a large one for himself, they mounted, and those who could scarcely stand before, now full of mirth, bounded cheerfully home." Many a teacher can take a hint from this little incident. THE Common trinkets of literature are continually changing their form, but its diamonds are never out of fashion. THE darkest cloud which overshadows human life may often appear the brightest to the angels THE heart is a cup which is empty till it over-who watch over us from Heaven. flows. We have nothing to enjoy till we have something to impart. He only lives who is not a reservoir, but a fountain. PICTURES! pictures! hang your walls with pictures. Let your children remember the sweet engravings of home. Cherish that innocent love of the beautiful. THE human heart is like a feather bed-it must be roughly handled, well shaken and exposed to a variety of turns, to prevent its becoming hard FIRESIDE DEPARTMENT. Lines in a Son's Bible. WHO has not read and re-read the following beautiful lines? Would that every son had a Bible, a gift from his mother, with these lines within it. They should be household words. With this view we insert them in the Fireside Department. Remember, love, who gave thee this, Sleeps in her narrow home. That mother sought a pledge of love The holiest, for her son; And from the gift of God above, She chose a goodly one; The source of life, and light, and joy ; And bade him keep the gift-that when She said his faith in that would be And should the scoffer in his pride, A parent's blessing on her son Goes with this holy thing; The love that would retain the one Must to the other cling. Rememer, 't is no idle toy, A MOTHER'S GIFT-REMEMBER, BOY! ANSWER to the enigma in our last, received from Eliza and Bertha : Como, Corsica, Napoleon, Columbus, Yorktown, Dneiper, Tyne, Flattery, Delhi, Shasta. My whole: "Be kind to your school-fellows and play-mates." A very pretty motto: We hope our young friends will remember it. All our young readers are invited to send in the answers to these enigmas. We think they will find the exercise interesting and profitable. For the Schoolmaster. Geographical Enigma. I AM COMPOSED OF THIRTY-EIGHT LETTERS. My 31, 17, is a river in Europe. My 13, 8, 2, 18, is an island in the Pacific. My 20, 27, 7, 38, is a river in Africa. My 31, 5, 26, 11, 2, is a city in Austria. My 21, 7, 22, 10, 27, are mountains in Asia. My 11, 23, 22, 12, 6, 21, 37, 8, is a lake in South America. My 7, 35, 31, 10, 36. 1, 15, is a gulf on the coast of Europe. My 6, 24, 19, 32, 21, is a peninsular of Asia. My 26, 11, 37, 7, 21, 12, 9, is a lake in North America. My 29, 18, 14, 4, 30, 3, is a town in Great Britain. My 16, 27, 33, 28, 26, are people who inhabit a small portion of Russia. My 34, 19, 12, 25, is a river in Turkey. My whole is one of the greatest events of American History. M. AN ARITHMETICAL PUZZLE. - Two boys each having thirty apples, proceeded to sell them as follows: One offers his at the rate of two for a cent which produces him fifteen cents; the other sold his thirty at the rate of three for a cent, and realizes ten centsboth realizing twenty-five cents. The next day one boy sells the same number, at the same nominal rate, only in quantities of five each, which he offers at two cents for the five, at which price he realizes only twenty-four cents. Why did he not get twentyfive cents for them. Telegraphic Incident. I THINK the most curious fact, taken altogether, that I ever heard of the electric telegraph, was told me by a cashier of the Bank of England. You may have heard of it. It may have been in print. I am sure it deserves to be. Once upon a time, then, on a certain Saturday night, the folks of the bank could not make the balance come right by just £100. This is a serious matter in that little establishment. I do not mean the cash, but the mistake in arithmetic; for it occasions a world nings. of scrutiny. An error in balancing has been Conglomeration--A Play for Winter Eveknown, I am told, to keep a delegation of clerks from each office at work sometimes THE object of the following paper is to through the whole night. A hue and cry was show how this play may be turned to account of course made after this £100, as if the old among children of ordinary intelligence, in assisting them to think and express their thoughts. First, each of the company writes six words on separate bits of paper. These are all thrown together in a heap upon the table. Each must then draw six words from the pile, as they happen to come, and then write a sentence or sentences containing these words in the order in which they were drawn. The following examples from an exchange paper are copied just to suggest how the thing may be done. The words selected are in Italics. lady in Threadneedle street would be in the Gazette for want of it. Luckily on the Sunday morning, a clerk—in the middle of a sermon, I dare say, if the truth were knownfelt a suspicion of the truth dart through his mind quicker than any flash of the telegraph itself. He told the chief cashier on Monday morning that perhaps the mistake might have occurred in packing some boxes of specie for the West Indies, which had been sent to Southampton for shipment. The suggestion was immediately acted upon. Here was a race-lightning against steam! and steam with above eight-and-forty hours' start given. Instantly the wires asked, "whether 1. One night a watchman grew tired. Not such a vessel had left the harbor ?" Just daring to sleep he had the wisdom to think weighing anchor," was the answer. "Stop over his lessons in Greek and Algebra to keep her!" frantically shouted the electric tele-him awake. 66 THE FIRST ROUND. graph. It was done. "Have up on deck 2. One year a man had a horse stolen, certain boxes marked so and so; weigh them and his crops were blighted; but he got his carefully." They were weighed, and one-horse back again and had a picture painted of the delinquent -was found heavier by just him, for he was a favorite with his children. one packet of a hundred sovereigns than it I saw this man smoke; he was a bad man and ought to be. "Let her go," said the myste- had no genius. rious telegraph. The West Indian folks were debited with just £100 more, and the error was corrected without ever looking into the boxes or delaying the voyage by an hour.Now that is what may be called "doing business." MASSACHUSETTS.-Some one pronounces the following on the old Bay State: Massachusetts established the first school in the United States, the first academy, and the first college; set up the first newspaper; planted the first apple-tree, and caught the first whale; coined the first money, and hoisted the first national flag; made the first canal and the first railroad, invented the first mousetrap and washing machine, and sent the first ship to discover the islands and continents of the South Sea; produced the first philosopher, and made the first pin, and fired the first gun in the revolution; gave John Bull his first beating and put her hands first to the Declaration of Independence. 3. A brave and warlike knight, All clad in armor bright, Was wandering from his house very far— He espied something bright, If Astronomy he'd known, He'd have seen that which shone If you'll list to the wind, I have often been told: His wings hid by sheaths smooth and bright, 4. This Fall a boy, flourishing round with his fists broke his father's watch. Moral: Boys should mind their business. 5. Not always doth sweet music make the heart glad, or its martial tones steel the soul for endurance; or soft notes soothe fierce anger; under its influence not every one can be aroused to boldness, for oft the timid maiden keepeth herself tremblingly aloof from the dreaded strains. 4. Seventy mad-men rose against their keepers, and escaped from the lunatic asylum.One of them who had been driven mad by the fraud and injustice of a banker, seeing a person of this description passing by and nearly torn the poor man in pieces ere assist ance arrived. 6. Emery is a mineral found in that insig-fancying him to be a cat and himself a kite had nificant atom of the universe called the earth. The man who conjectured that chair was formed from the same root as "cane seat" thinks that it is quite curious that by the change of one letter and the omission of another emery may be converted into Mary. He intends to publish a book on the "English roots." THE SECOND ROUND. "Isn't this provoking?" says the B. K."Here is blade at one end of my list and knife at the other." "And Metaphysics and Logarithms and Trigonometry between," said N. looking over his shoulders. "Yes, I say, R., it isn't fair to give such words." "You said we could take any words," said R. "Nobody but you would have written such as these." While this conversation had been going on, R. had been quietly writing his sentence, and tossed it on the table, saying, that he was ready to hear them read. 1. A rat travelling over the carpet stumbled upon a pile of old school-books. At first she thought they would be entirely uselesslessons on Geodesy und Calculus-of what use could they be to a rat? However, she concluded to make her nest of them, and so dragged them off to a hole in a rock rear by. She soon manufactured a nice warm nest, made principally of mathematics, but lined with chemistry. 2. The girl at her piano-the boy with his pencil and slate the girl by her practice strengthens her wrists, while the boy furiously does battle with his sums. 3. The pig kept eating till he grew a hog; 5. Now for K's metaphysical knife-blade. WHAT A MAN NEEDS.-A man needs to be sharp as a razor blade to comprehend metaLogarithms and Trigonometry, and a knife—to physics. He needs a slate for the study of whittle with. Now we will hear P.'s and that will do for to-night. A BEAUTIFUL IDEA.-Away among the Alleghanies is a spring so small that a single ox, in a summer's day, could drain it dry. It steals its unobtrusive way among the hills, till it spreads out in the beautiful Ohio.Thence it stretches away a thousand miles, leaving on its banks more than a hundred villages and cities, and many thousand cultivated farms, and bearing on its bosom more than half a thousand steamboats. Then joining the Mississippi, it stretches away and away some twelve hundred miles more, till it falls into the great emblem of eternity. It is one of the great tributaries of the ocean, which, obedient only to God, shall roll and roar till the angel, with one foot on the sea and the other on the land, shall lift up his hand to heaven, and swear that time shall be no longer. So with moral influences. It is a rilla rivulet-a river-an ocean, boundless and unfathomable as eternity.-Family Visitor. |