the ermine, the lawn, and the helmet, and wield, unrivalled, the sword, the pen and the pencil. Let him be supreme in the cabinet, the camp, and the study; and to woman will still remain a "goodly heritage,' of which neither force nor rivalry can deprive her. The heart is her domain; and there she is a queen. To acquire over the unruly wills and tempers of men, an influence, which no man, however great, however gifted, can acquire ;-to manifest a faith which never fails, a patience that never wears out, a devotedness which can sacrifice, and a courage which can suffer;-to perform the same unvarying round of duties, without weariness--and endure the same unvarying round of vexations, without murmuring;-to requite neglect with kindness, and injustice with fidelity ;-to be true when all are false--and firm, when all is hopeless ;-to watch over the few dear objects of regard, with an eye that never sleeps, and a care that cannot change; to think, to act, to suffer, to sacrifice, to live, to die, for them, their happiness and safetythese are woman's true triumphs; this, this is woMAN'S LOVE. MOTHER AND CHILD. Young mother, may thy spirit long Thy step as firm and springy be, Thy brow as smooth and bright And that fair rosy boy! 'tis bliss To clasp him in thine arms, and press To hear his artless thoughts lisped forth To mark the gaze of his blue eye Along the smooth and fragrant turf Yes, these are earth's divinest joys, And shall they die like summer flowers, Alas! alas! the brightest morn And where the early sunshine glowed, Glad voices may grow sorrowful, And grief may lurk in wait for thee, "Twere vain-'twere impotent to wish That time should stay his wing, Autumn and winter must succeed Or fain I'd hope years, withering years, Leave him as artless and as young, And thee as glad and fair! N. H. Others may Who would not be a mother, and preside in her circle! enjoy a scepter, but here are subjects controlled by an eye, whose hearts like sweet toned instruments vibrate responses to the master tones of the great harp. Instead of the sound of arms, here is the voice of peace. And here is laid the foundation of a pure and happy country in these peaceful shades, where the mother presides, and where she rules supreme. To me there is scarcely a more holy place on earth than the apartment where the young have said their prayers and closed their eyes, and the mother is pondering on the wonders of that Being who has given them to her for mysterious objects, who has sent with them duties which she does not fear to contemplate, but would fear to neglect or overlook. Look in yonder cradle, look at those eyelids and little smiling mouth; think of the intellect which lies dormant there consider its capacities, and cease to wonder that there is anxiety and solemnity in the countenance of the mother, when silence and closing day lead her to reflection. She thinks, no doubt, of the influence mothers have had on their children; of opportunities she has omitted; of dangers and difficulties to which she is exposed. How encouraging to her, among the books that others have consulted, and the multiplied advisers who have erred and misled, that there is one friend who can infuse true wisdom into her heart. Here is none of the noise and bustle which we find in the world-here is retirement, here prayers arise for those who are in silence, and for those in worldly confusion. "Beauty!-'tis the worst part of woman! A weak poor thing, assaulted every hour A superficies which each breath of care Blasts off; and every humorous stream of grief Goff. Let every thing be done to train up children to union and cordiality: let them be guarded, and taught themselves to guard, against whatever might violate it. There will be different turns of mind; there will be occasions tending to excite jealousy, envy, and grudging; but let the demon of discord be watched against, as the deadliest foe to a family. Respectability, happiness, usefulness, all depend on its exclusion. A threefold cord is not easily broken; but a divided house cometh to desolation.-Rev. Thomas Scott. THE MICROCOSM. VOL. I. 66 We resume our labors in the preparation of the second number of the Microcosm, with pleasure in view of the diversified and rich field opening before us; and with gratitude for the confidence implied in the liberal patronage which has enabled us to enter upon its cultivation. Truly the harvest is plenteous." Many form their whole opinion of what a work is to be, from ever so small a specimen of its character without knowing the difficulty of arranging even leading and prominent points in a limited compass, or reflecting that the commencement of an enterprise must be chiefly devoted to the laying down of distinguishing characteristics and general principles. It is only by turning back and investigating particulars, one by one-subdividing again and scrutinizing anew-that we become minutely and intimately conversant with the variety and wealth of our possessions. So far from being circumscribed, we know not where to stop. The world is made up of families-and every interest and topic in the world has a bearing, direct or indirect, upon the happiness and improvement of families-from the glowing speech of the statesman, in his efforts to secure the civil liberties of the country, to the latest improvements in locomotion; as a means of facilitating social intercourse and scientific investigation. It is eminently the cry of the present day, who will show us any thing new!—it has almost superseded the inquiry, "who will show us any good." The greatest and noblest enterprise may be prostrated by the dissatisfied discovery that "it hath been already of old time." It has been a question from the days of Solomon, "Is there any thing whereof it may be said, see, this is new?" But a greater than Solomon has said, "A householder bringeth forth out of his treasure, things new and old." If we will go and look at the old routine of duties and responsibilities, which we have turned over or set aside day by day, in the light of new resolutions and new engagedness, we shall be overwhelmed with the multitude of new interests that constantly grow out of them. If there is any thing which comes before all others, (except the word of God,) for "unsearchable riches," it is the fountain of domestic joys and duties, which is ever springing up like a well of water. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION. It is far easier to make out a negative system of Education, by saying what should be avoided, than to afford any positive assistance, by pointing out the course to be adopted. The difficulty arises from the infinite variety of cases, characters and circumstances with which we have to deal; making an invariable set of rules both an impossibility and an unsafe reliance. The variety of character is as great as that of countenance-and successful education consists in the adaptation of suitable influences to every character. We often observe in a family of children, elements as unlike as those that are jarring and contending in the great world: and if the same course of management is pursued indiscriminately with each, it may operate favorably upon such temperaments as oppose it not, while it urges others in a contrary course, leaving them at last to be only represented by the fearful comparison, as " vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction." But while the difficulties of education are acknowledged to be great, and its wants innumerable, there are many rules and principles which are safe and infallible as guides to all-rich and poor, high and low, bond and free. Where a wise and judicious system is already adopted, many minor advantages and improvements may be derived from the experience and success of others. As the first great rule, nothing can succeed without system-without adherence to principles that shall be uncompromising-that will not bend, and cannot be contravened. Moral education should hold the first place in this system; physical and intellectual the next. Physical education should come before intellectual-because the latter is entirely dependent upon the healthful state of the body but moral and spiritual training should ever take precedence of both-that whenever this frail tenement sinks, it may be ready to be raised and received into that "house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Whenever and wherever the interests of the higher principle can be subserved, it should be done though at the expense of the less. When the heart and head are alike calling for instruction, let the heart have the first lesson, and it will be the better fitted to guide the head. They will thus become mutual aids to each other. When the occasion offers of a fellow creature in distress, let the child leave his studies to administer to his wants-if he has it in his power, by personal kindness and attention, or pecuniary relief-and thus teach him, practically, that mercy and benevolence are of more importance than the acquisition of science. He will return to his books with a keener relish for the self-approbation of having done well. The principles of benevolence, integrity and humility—that humility which sees it has much to learn; and which is not incompatible with self-respect and independence-should be ever kept in view; and every effort used to bring the character up to the standard of these principles. The frailty of human nature and its proneness to evil will make the task laborious and unceasing :-but "in due time ye shall reap, if ye faint not." The task is made infinitely greater by the ef General Principles of Education. 19 fects of early carelessness. Children are frequently taught much that must be untaught, before their education can be commenced on a right foundation. They are taught selfishness and self-will, when managed by opposition and deception by being deceived. We have seen numberless instances where children in early life were governed altogether on these principles :--threatened with being deprived of their food or playthings, in order to induce them to keep them-with being thrown into the street, or given to the "chimney-sweep" to enforce a reasonable command, or induce the most trifling obedience. These threats are of course never executed, and were never intended to be execu ted-but meanwhile, the child is getting its first and deepest impressions of principle and truth. Ideas of right and wrong are often established in such a school, before parents will believe their children capable of discerning between right and wrong. Education is yet in its infancy-we can scarcely form an idea of its power, until these counteracting influences shall be done away, and parents learn to consider the education of their children as commencing with their birth. Children should invariably be treated with the same sincerity and uprightness, as the most conscientious man would use in his intercourse with his fellow men. The art of stripping motives and conduct of their false colors and fictitious names, and discovering the principle involved, though diffi cult, is useful and necessary. Many parents who believe all their ef forts directed to the honorable advancement of their children in the world, would be startled to find the education of those children proceeding altogether on the basis of arrogance, self-love, and vanity. Yet this is only calling things by their right names. Facts and illustrations, with which all are familiar, bring the case more practically and forcibly before the mind. We have seen the children of wealthy and aristocratic parents called away from playing with a little barefooted neighbor, and severely reproved for such intercourse, when there was reason to believe him more upright and pure minded than many of the children of fortune whose companionship was at the same time courted. Parents cannot be too cautious in the choice of associates for their children,-but they can keep them from debasing society without inflating their self-love-and at the same time cultivate their benevolent feelings and enlist their sympathies for the poor. This can be effected by telling them that their less favored neighbor has not possessed the advantages they enjoy-has not had kind and tender and virtuous parents to watch over him and teach him the right from the wrong-and therefore is not a suitable or profitable companion. We would cultivate the gentility of the heart-let this be right, and the conduct cannot be far wrong. But there is a gentility, (so called,) in the world that is only skin deep-or rather an affectation of pre-eminence, christened by the name of gentility, and trained under select tutors until it really fancies itself made of the "porcelain pottery" of the earth, while the rest of mankind are formed of the common clay. It is the mere bodying forth of the spirit which saith to his brother, "stand by, for I am better than thou." We would |