Newspaper Page Text
76
BURKE’S WEEKLY
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
MACON, Ga., SEPT. 7, ISG7.
Contents of No. 10.
George’s Aquarium, illustrated page 73
Akin, by Bayard Taylor, (poetry.) 74
Marooner’s Island, Chapter VII., by Rev. F. R.
Goulding—original 74
Editorial — Reading for Boys and Girls ; The Safest
Place during a Thunder-Storm; Exchanges;
Our Premiums; Wonderful Lakes; Vale of
Roses : Corrections 76 —77
Anecdotes 77
The Little Girl and the Bird, (poetry,) by Mrs. E.
P. M., with an illustration, —original, 77
Lost and Found 77
The Little Doves, (poetry,) 78
Jack Dobell; or, A Boy’s Adventures in Texas,
Chapter IV, —original, 78
How the Cricket brought Good Fortune 79
Time to go to Bed, ; 79
Our Chimney Corner, with two illustrations 80
Reading for Boys and Girls.
editor of th q American Agriculturist,
Jl'lyy one of our best exchanges, was recently
asked by a father for some advice as to
f suitable reading for boys and girls, from
the age of twelve to seventeen. In re
ply he gives what he terms u a few old
fashioned ideas” on the subject, which are so
much according to our own way of thinking that
we have concluded to condense them for the ben
efit of our little readers. The books to which he
had access, at from twelve to fourteen years of
age, were Plutarch’s Lives, Hume’s History of
England, Rollin’s Ancient History, and works of
that character. He thinks that it was the best
thing that could have happened for him that he
saw but little of fiction until his maturer years,
and expresses the opinion that too many of our
Sunday-School books, and works written express
ly for the young, are of this character. There is
no occasion to resort to novels for interesting
reading matter. Historical writers have as much
grace of style as the masters of fiction. Any boy
or girl of average intelligence would be charmed
with Macaulay’s History of England, Bancroft’s
History of the United States, Prescott’s and Mot
ley’s historical works, Irving’s Life of Washing
ton, his Columbus, or his “ Life and Letters,”
Spark’s American Biography, and the travels of
Stephens or Bayard Taylor. These alone would
make a respectable library, and would be as much
as any child ought to read, between the ages of
twelve and seventeen years, in addition to the
drill of the school room and the reading of the
papers. One of the pleasantest winters we re
member was that during which Irving’s Life of
Washington was read aloud in the family for three
evenings in the week, the children taking turns at
reading. All of Irving’s most genial works may
be read with profit at a later age, and we may add,
that every boy and girl at the South ought to read
the Southern revolutionary stories of our great
writer, W. Gilmore Simms, whose books are
a perfect mine of historical wealth.
The editor of the Agriculturalist thinks that
there is much less use for private libraries now
than there was thirty years ago, for public libra
ries are greatly multiplied in cities and villages,
and the best thoughts of the country are given to
the world through our periodical literature. This
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
may be true as regards public libraries at the
North, but it does not apply with us at the South,
where public libraries, except in the larger cities,
are not accessible. But newspapers and maga
zines are virtually circulating libraries, and a se
lection of the best of them ought to be found on
the centre table of every intelligent family.
—• — ♦♦♦
The Safest Place During a Thunder
Storm.
tROM statistics kept in France, it appears
that ten thousand people have been
Stricken by lightning in that country du
fring the last thirty years, and that, of
this number, two thousand two hundred
and thirty-two were killed at once. Du
ring the last ten years eight hundred and eighty
were killed, of whom two hundred and forty-three
were women.
This is a startling statement, and will surprise
many who have never imagined that the number
of deaths from' lightning was so great. It is well
enough that our little readers should understand
something about lightning, and how to avoid dan
gerous places during the prevalence of a thunder
storm.
The electric fluid, commonly called lightning,
inclines mostly to metallic bodies, especially those
that are highly polished. The next best conduc
tors are living bodies—of men and other animals.
Among the next best are living trees, full of sap.
Now, when the electric fluid leaves the clouds to
go to the earth, it is attracted to those objects
which are nearest to the clouds, consequently tall
objects, such as church steeples, trees, or very tall
houses, are most likely to receive the discharge.
It is dangerous, therefore, to stand under a tree
during a thunder storm, because the tree, besides
being taller than the surrounding objects, is one
of the best conductor’s of electricity. If a light
ning rod were attached to the tree, the lightning
would *eave the tree and run down the metallic
rod ; or if a living creature is standing under the
tree, the fluid will leave the tree, because the liv
ing body is a better conductor and attracts it. It
is safer, therefore, to remain in the open air than
to go under a green tree during a thunder storm.
T ou will ask if it is safer, then, to remain in the
open air than to go into a house. Decidedly not,
especially if the house is furnished with a light
ning rod, as every house should be; and even if
it has no lightning rod, wooden, brick or stone
houses are not as good conductors of electricity
as the green trees which surround them, and are
not as often struck by lightning.
But houses do not always escape, and it is well
to know what parts of a house are safest. It is
best to avoid the sides of the house, open win
dows and fire places, for these are most likely to
attract the lightning in case the house is struck.
It is safest to sit as near as possible to the centre
of the room, and to keep out of a draught. Es
pecially avoid the fire place, if there is a fireburn-
the heated air and soot are excellent con
ductors of electricity.
It is dangerous to be in the midst of a large
crowd during a thunder storm, because the con
ducting power is increased in proportion to the
number of persons in the crowd, and the vapor
.which arises from them. For the same reason, a
crowded building is more dangerous than an emp
ty one, or one with but few persons in it.
If you are travelling in a carriage or buggy du
ring a thunder storm, it is better to sit erect,
because the sides of the carriage may attract the
lightning, and it is safer not to lean against them.
Railroads and telegraph wires are protectors of
those portions of the country in which they are
located, because they attract and convey consid
erable quantities of the electric fluid. It is said
to be dangerous to walk on a railroad track du
ring a thunder storm. If so, it is because the
rails attract the lightning, and the living body, be
ing taller and a good conductor, attracts the current
from its course. We have known of an instance
somewhat similar, where a wagoner, driving
through a pond of water during the prevalence of
a thunder storm, was struck by lightning. In this
case, the electric fluid was attracted by the water,
but the wagoner and his horses, being nearest to
it, received the current before it reached the
water.
At another time we may have something more
to say about lightning, and the means to be re
sorted to to restore persons who have been in
jured by it.
Exchanges.
®rrE have received, in exchange, Our
1 Schoolday Visitor , a handsome month
_ ly.> at $1 50 a year, published in Phila
delphia, and edited by the Rev. Alex
cander Clark, A. M.
The Nursery, an excellent magazine
for very little children, edited by Mrs. Fanny P.
Severns. Published at Boston by John L. Shorey.
Merry's Museum and Parley's Magazine , pub
lished monthly at New York, by J. N. Stearns,
at $1 50 per anuum. Ye can recommend all of
the above as free from politics.
We have also received the Southern Boys and
Girls Monthly, edited and published at Rich
mond, Virginia, by the Messrs. Baird, at $1 50
per annum ; and Kind Words, a beautifully print
ed and illustrated Baptist Sunday-School paper,
published monthly at Greenville, S. C., at the re
markably low price of $1 for ten copies.
The Little Gleaner. —The first number of this
** Monthly Journal for Southern Boys and Girls”
comes to us from Fredericksburg, Va., and pre
sents a very attractive appearance. It is edited
by Olive O. Lee, and the terms are $1 a year.
\\ e most heartily wish it a full measure of success.
Our Premiums.
QaOAhR little friends throughout the country
/ are taking advantage of our offers of pre
miums, and are supplying themselves
7many beautiful and desirable books.
Our offer of Photograph Albums is par-
T ticularly attractive. Last week a little
girl in Millodgeville sent us five subscribers and
$lO, and received a beautiful Photogragh Album,
free of postage, which would have cost her $4 at
our counter. We have a large number of these
handsome albums, and many beautiful books
suited for presents, which we are anxious to send
out to our little friends as premiums for new sub
scribers. Catalogues will be sent, free of cost, to
those who write for them. Go on and raise your
clubs, and send on the names, with the money,
as fast as you get them. When you have forward
ed all you can obtain, select a premium, and let
us know what it is, and we will send it to you, by
mail or express, free of cost. Let us know that
you are working for a prize, and we will keep an
account of the number of names sent.
See list of premiums on last page.