comes domesticated, yet it is alway rather feared than trusted. If he can obtain admission to the diningroom at meal time, he will take his station behind your chair like a waiter, but wishing to be himself helped, instead of helping you. And should you fail to help him as well as yourself, he will give you an admonitory kick every now and then. A modern traveler says this creature approaches a stranger, creeping and snuffing cautiously, and with such an innocently expressive countenance, that roguery would never be surmised to exist under it. But when he thinks he has obtained a sufficient introduction, he claps his fore paws on your shoulders, as if to caress you, and raising himself suddenly upon his tail, administers such a push with his hind legs, that the chances are he will send you heels over head. This is all done in what he seems to consider as facetious play, but with a view to examine your pockets, and see what cakes you have for him. THE PALACE AND FURNITURE OF ICE. N Parley's Magazine for 1835, we I find the following account of the marriage of one of that class of persons once known as the King's Fool, or Jester. "In former times, Kings used to have Jesters or Fools, as they were called in courts. They were not fools, however, in our American sense of the word, for in some instances, they were wiser than the kings for whom they made sport. "In the year 1754, the Jester of the Emperor of Russia was married. at St. Petersburg; and persons from neighboring nations were invited to join in the marriage procession. Among the crowd were seen no less than forty different nations. The Kamschatdales, on sledges drawn by fine dogs; Laplanders, on sledges drawn by rein-deer; Bucharians, upon camels; Kalmucks, upon oxen; Circassians, upon noble spirited horses; East Indians, upon huge and heavy elephants; and lastly approached the Jester himself, drawn by bears. "A very large gallery was built for the occasion, where the people of each nation were allowed to amuse themself in their own way, and to have music and dancing; producing, one would think, a curious confusion of sounds. Each nation had also a dinner prepared and served up in their own favorite style. "The new married couple, conducted by the laughable escort we have just mentioned, repaired to a palace of ice, built on the frozen river Neva, where all the ornaments were of ice, in perfect order. Not only the furniture and chandeliers were made of it, but even the cannon; and these last, though a grand national salute was fired with them, did not burst. The expense of the Russian Emperor, on this occasion, was most enormous." DARE AND DO. "Dare forsake what you deem wrong, "Do what conscience says is right, DESPOTISM may communicate learning, but it can not impart vitality. HERE are some naughty children in the world. I wish there were not so many. They are not good playmates, nor kind as brothers and sisters. Here is a picture of one of this kind of children, and also of a good little girl. Just look at the boy! Who could love such a person, or wish him for a playfellow? His kind little sister stands near him, crying. Her brother is very naughty, and tries to tease her in every way that he can. She had her playthings all placed nicely on the stool, when her brother came in and upset the stool, threw her playthings about the room, and to complete her sorrow, he even tore off the head of her beautiful doll. There he stands, holding the doll in one hand, and its head in the other! How ugly he looks! I am sure this boy does not love his sister as a good boy would. He can not be happy, when he teases her so much. Look at him again! Do you think he is happy? Now who would like to be such a naughty boy? I can not believe that any one who sees this picture of a naughty boy would be willing to be like him. Have you a little sister, or brother? Could you be happy if you were naughty toward your sister, or brother? I am sure you will say no; and I hope you will try to always be kind, then you may be happy with each other. Naughty children are apt to be cruel toward animals. Some delight in killing flies, some in teasing dogs, some in throwing stones at frogs in a pond, others in pinching the cat's tail, or in throwing stones at pigs, cows, and geese. Sometimes they quarrel and fight with other boys. Those who do such cruel things when they are children, are very apt to grow up bad men. There are a great many other cruel acts that these naughty children do; but I do not like to write about them any better than I love to see them. I MUST NOT. I must not be angry, I never must quarrel I must not be angry Or be peevish and cry, Or sulky and mute.-Selected. THE LILY OF THE VALLEY. Yet we love the lily well, Come, my child, and do not spurn "Tis not beauty that we prize; Fair and sweet when beauty's past: DON'T KILL THE BIRDS. The little birds!-how sweet they sing! Don't kill the birds!-the pretty birds Don't kill the birds!-the happy birds So innocent to look upon, They claim our warmest love. Selected. Our Museum. 0 RIGIN OF STERLING MONEY.-During the reign of Richard I., King of England, or about 1190, money, which was coined in the eastern part of Germany, became of great demand, on account of its purity. The inhabitants of that portion of country where this pure coin was made, were called Easterlings; hence the name Easterling Money was applied to the coin brought from that region. Soon afterward some of the Easterlings, who were skilled in coining, were sent for to come to London and bring the process of coining to a state of perfection there. This was accomplished, and the English coin took the name of Sterling Money, which it retains to the present time. ILLEGIBILITY.-The following anecdotes will illustrate the misfortune of illegible writing, and hint at the importance of giving more attention to this subject, not only in regard to penmanship, but also in the construction of sentences. An English gentleman once applied to the East India Company to procure an office for a friend of his in India. Having succeeded in obtaining the appointment, his friend wrote him a letter of thanks, alluding to his intention of sending him an equivalent. The Englishman could make nothing of the word equivalent but elephant, and being pleased with the idea of receiving such a noble animal as a present from his friend, he was at the expense of erecting a large and expensive building for its accommodation. In a few weeks the equivalent came, which proved to be not quite so large as an elephant, for it was nothing more nor less than a pot of sweetmeats. In a letter describing a school, the writer wished to say, "We have two school-rooms, one above the other, sufficiently large to accommodate three hundred scholars," but he actually said, "We have two school-rooms sufficiently large to accommodate three hundred scholars one above the other." What rooms! What a pile ! MASSACHUSETTS IN OLDEN TIME.-In 1627, there were but thirty plows in all Massachusetts, and the use of these agricultural implements was not familiar to all the planters. From the annals of Salem it appears that in that year it was agreed by the town to grant Richard Hutchinson twenty acres of land, in addition to his share, on condition "he set up plowing." Why does coke burn without smoke? Because it is the distilled coal remaining in the retorts after being freed from all gases and vapors. Dr. Arnott observes, that "a pound of coke produces nearly as much heat as a pound of coal;" but we must remember that a pound of coal gives only three-quarters of a pound of coke, although the latter is more bulky than the former. Why is a man jumping from a carriage moving with great speed, in danger of falling, after his feet reach the ground? Because his body has as much foward velocity as if he had been running with the speed of the carriage, and unless he advance his feet as in running, he must as certainly be dashed to the ground, as a runner whose feet are suddenly arrested. APRIL.-The Romans gave this month the name Aprilis, from aperio, to open, because it was the season when things opened. From that came the English word April. APRIL FOOL.-Many persons have endeavored to find the origin of April Fool, or All Fool's Day; but we do not remember to have heard that any one ever fully succeeded. It probably owes its origin to the fact that in early times kings, queens and emperors, were in the habit of employing men for the purpose of making sport, or diversion for them and their guests. To fill this office it required ready learning and a flow of sparkling wit. Sometimes these persons were men of extensive knowledge, and under. stood several languages. In those times the birth-days of great men, and also days on which they performed some great ex1649. Three married women were fined five shil-ploits were afterward observed. The King's Fool, lings each for scolding. or Jester, being a celebrated character, it is quite. 1653. Jonas Fairbanks was tried for wearing probable that some particular day was observed on great boots, but was acquitted. his account, and that this fell on the first day of April From a very early period this day has been considered as one set apart for all kinds of mirthful folly and practical joking. The custom of playing off little tricks on this day, whereby ridicule may be fixed upon unsuspecting persons, appears to be universal in Europe and America. It is very remarkable that the Hindoos practice similar tricks on the 31st of March. In England and America, the person on whom the trick is imposed, is called an April Fool; in Scotland, a Gawk. A favorite jest in England is, to send one upon some foolish errand, as to obtain the History of Adam's grandfather; or to ask him how the spot of mud came on his face; and a thousand similar tricks. ENIGMA. From B. Durfee and A. K. Tolman, of Mr. Perry's Family School, Pepperill, Mass. I am composed of two phrases, in all 26 letters. My 23, 4, 8, 2, 5, 20, is hard for some to keep. My 21, 15, 13, 4, 22, is a very sweet substance. "The cubical contents of a chain" may be ascertained by placing it in a vessel filled with water, and then ascertaining how much water has been displaced by it, allowing each gallon of water to contain 282 Answer to the enigma in the February number. "An attentive scholar." The answers to the enigmas in the last number will be given next month. Send them in. No one had told us who invented the Multiplication Table, when the matter for this month's Museum was written. Have you found out his name? B General Intelligence. IELA'S COMET, during its last visit to our Solar System in November, 1845, was rent in twain. The two pieces were seen both in Europe and America. One was larger and brighter than the other, and side by side they retired into the distant regions of space, in the same path which the unbroken comet would have pursued; yet these fragments continued to separate gradually from each other as they pursued the course of their orbits. The time for the re-appearance of this comet will be in July of the present year; its return will be looked for with great interest among astronomers. Should it again visit us, it may reveal some knowledge of the physical constitution of these mysterious wandering bodies. SCHOOLS.-During the year 1851, there were taught in the public schools of the State of New York, 726,291 children. The whole amount of money expended for school purposes, including teacher's wages and library money, was $1,432,696. Of this sum, $1,100,000 is furnished by the state; $300,000 of which is from the income of the School Fund, and $800,000 is raised annually by a state tax. In the City of New York there was expended, during the past year for the support of Free Schools, the sum of $416,519 84. The whole number of scholars that attended these city schools was about 100,000, with an average daily attendance of 40,000. The State of New Jersey appropriated, during the past year, the sum of $250,859 51 for the support of common schools. There are 1,612 school districts in that state, and about 88,810 children that attend school. Pennsylvania has 9,303 common schools, and 453, 732 children attending them. The amount of school money raised last year, was $914,376 96. LEUTZE'S Painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware, has been sold for the sum of $10,000. It is 20 feet in length by 13 feet in width. When the artist had spent four years in painting it, the canvas was damaged by fire, and its re-painting occupied him nearly two years more. It is one of the most popular paintings ever exhibited in this countryand one that inspires in the beholder a deep patriotism and a veneration for him who led our armies triumphantly through that darkest hour-the midnight in the struggle for our country's liberty. |