Newspaper Page Text
340
foi\Bo^#'Gi]iiis.
T. A. BURKE, Editor.
MACON, GA.y APRIL 23, 1870.
Wonders of the Sun.
tVERY school boy of any size
knows, or thinks he knows,
that the sun is ninety-five mil
lions of miles distant from the
earth, and that it is a vast
world, from which we derive
that heat and light without which we
should not be able to live. But it is
wonderful how little the vast majority
of mankind really knowof this immense
planet. “ The farmer plows and ma
nures his fields : he then confides the
seed to the soil, and counts upon the
rain and the sunshine to bring about a
fine harvest. Does he endeavor to ac
count to himself how the rays of the
Sun operate when they thus work ? Has
he ever asked himself what this power
ful assistant is, without which his labors
would be in vain and his soil sterile —
or how it happens that night and day
succeed each other with durations
which are periodically unequal—the
why and the wherefore of Summer and
Winter, Spring and Autumn—what are
the causes of these phenomena in which
he is so directly interested, namely, the
wind and the rain, fine weather and
storms? The manufacturer who feeds
his engine with coal to transform water
into steam, and thus generates force
which he distributes to his various work
shops, scarcely dreams, either, of the
original source of all this power.”
The Sun is the life of the earth—the
common origin, the inexhaustible source
from which for ages have been derived
“ all terrestrial powers, all mechanical
and physical energy, as well as the pow
ers of all living creatures, both vege
table and animal. It is the Sun that
constitutes our globe a region of light,
heat and movement—a region of life,
instead of a dark, dreary and silent des
ert.
Have our little readers a mind to
learn more about this wonderful planet
—to take a journey of some ninety-odd
millions of miles? A railway team
would require three hundred and fifty
years to make the journey, but you will
only want a few hours, and will return
from the trip, we trust, much wiser than
you are now. During this journey you
will measure the Sun, its circumference
and volume; will weigh it in an astro
nomical balance, and with the help of
the natural philosophers, will estimate
the intensity of its heat and light. And
BURKE’S WEEKLY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
finally, after having witnessed its rota
tion on its axis, and fixed the duration
of this motion, you may explore all the
points of the immense surface of this
vast ocean of fire ; may study its storms
and furious tempests, which, from far
off, show themselves in the telescope as
spots, “and resemble gigantic pits in
to which our poor little globe would
drop like a pebble down a well.”
Having done.all this, you may retire
from it, mentally, “ until it appears no
more than a point, lost among the world
of stars.” You can then seek its place
in the great Nebula of the Milky Way,
and see that it moves about in space,
carrying with it its entire* company of
planets.
But, says the little reader, how am I
to make this journey ? It is already
made for you, and the result lies before
us—a beautifully printed volume, the
eighth of the series of Illustrated Won
der Books. In this volume —Wonders
of the Sun*— the reader is carried over
all the ground we have sketched, and
the descriptions are so .clear and the
illustrations so complete and admirable
that it seems to us impossible that one
should lay it down without having learn
ed all that is positively known of this
great planet, and very much more than
ninety-nine of every hundred readers
have ever read before.
We cannot too highly recommend this
series of books. We honestly believe
that the eight volumes published con
tain a larger amount of valuable inior
mation, in a more attractive form, than
is to be found elsewhere. We wish the
bovs and girls who read the \Y eeki.y
would buy and read these books, instead
of much of the trash that finds its way
into their hands.
*Thk Sun. By Amedeo Guillemin. From
tko French by A. L. Phipson, Ph. D. With
fifty-eight illustrations. New York : Chas.
Scribnor A Cos. Price, $1 50.
A Girlish Dog.
fHERE is a small greyhound at
Greenfield, Mo., who is very
fond of dolls. The little girls
in the family of his master
f sometimes allowed him to car
ry their dolls around the par
lor in his mouth, and he went through
the operation wagging his tail with great
vigor. One day an older sister made a
doll expressly for the greyhound, and
made him understand that it was his
property. At once he ran off and hid
it where it could not be found. Sev
eral days after, seeing the children play
ing with their dolls, he begged to be
let out of the house. He went directly
to a corner of the yard where he had
buried his doll like a bone, dug it up,
shook it free from dirt, and rejoined
the group in the house with his pet in
hig mouth, and his tail more active than
ever.
A PARABLE.
k)
rmi 1
\ DEAR ! I am so very tired of
the Sabbath.”
So said Willie, a playful
little fellow, who was longing for the
Sabbath to be over that he might return
to his play.
“ Who wants to hear a story ?” said
a kind friend who was present.
“I sir,” “And I,” “And I,”
said the children, as they gathered
around him. Then he told them a
parable.
Our Saviour, when He was on earth,
often taught the people by parables.
The parable told to the little boys was
of a kind man who had some very rich
apples hanging upon the tree. A poor
man was passing by the house of the
owner, and he stopped to admire this
beautiful apple tree. He counted these
golden pippins. There were just seven
of them. The rich owner could afford
to give them away, and it gave him so
much pleasure to make this poor man
happy, that he called him and said:
“ My friend, I will give you a part of
my fruit.” So he held out his hand,
and received six of the apples. The
owner had only kept one for himself.
Do you think the poor man was grate
ful for this kindness? No, indeed ! He
wanted the seven pippins all for himself,
and at last he made up in his mind that
he would watch his time, and go back
and steal the other apple.
“ Did he do that ?” said Willie, very
sorry. “He ought to have been ash
amed of him himself. 1 hope he got
well punished for stealing that apple.”
“ How many days are there in the
week, Willie?” said his friend. “Seven”
said Willie, blushing deeply ; for now he
began to understand the parable. And
he felt very uneasy about his heart; con
science began to whisper to him —
“ And should not a boy be ashamed
of himself who is unwilling on the seventh
day to lay aside his play ? Ought he not
to be puuished if he will not remembe r
the Sabbath day to keep it holy ?”
Good Books.
We take especial pleasure in calling
attention to the School Books adver
tised in this issue by the house of A. S.
Barnes & Cos., of New York. These
books are among the very best text
books in use, and we can commend
them as being in every way acceptable
to Southern teachers.
*<•’«
The National Sunday School Teacher ,
The Sunday School Scholar , The Little
Folks. —These publications from the
house of Adam Blackwell A Lyon, Chi
cago, are under the editorial control of
Rev. Edward Eggleston, who is win
ning a national reputation by his intel
ligent exertions in the Sunday-school
cause. They are beautifully printed,
and edited with signal ability.
The National Series of
Standard School Books,
PUBLISHED BY
A. S. BARNES & CO.,
11l and 113 WILLIAM ST„ NEW YORK.
f I WIIS series embraces about Three Ilun
-1 died Volumes of Standard Educational
Works, comprising the most complete and
uniformly meritorious collection of Text
Books ever published by a .single firm.
The series is complete, covering every vari
ety and grade of science and literature, from
the Primer which guides the lisping tongue
of the infant, to the abstruse and difficult
“ West Point Course.”
The series is uniformly excellent. Each vol
ume, among so many, maintains its own stan
dard of merit, and assists, in its place, to
round the perfect whole.
The series is known and popularly used in
every section of the United States, and by every
class of citizens, representing all shades of po
litical opinion and religious belief. In proof
of this, it is only necessary to name the fol
lowing popular works, with which every one
is familiar, and which fairly represent the
whole:
Parker «fc Watson’s Benders, etc.
Davies’ Course of Mathematics.
Willard’s Course of History.
Peek’s Ganot’s Natural Philosophy.
Steele’s Fourteen Weeks in each Science.
Jarvis’ Physiology and Health.
Wood’s Text Books in Botany.
Smith’s Orthography and Etymology.
Boyd’s Course in English Literature.
Montieth’s A McNally’s Geographies.
Clark’s Diagram English Grammar.
“ P., D. & S.’s” System of Penmanship.
Andrews & Stoddard’s Latin.
Crosby’s Greek Series.
Worman’s German Series.
Pujol’s French Class Book.
Root’s (Geo. F.) Sell. Music Books.
Mansfield’s Political Manual.
The School Teacher’s Library, 25 volumes.
Who would know more of this unrivalled
series should consult for details —
1. The Descriptive Catalogue free to
Teachers ; others, 5 cents.
2. The Illustrated Educational Bulletin-
Periodical organ of the Publishers. Full ot
instruction for Teachers. Subscription, Ten
cents :• sample free.
TERMS OF EXAMINATION.— We pro
pose to supply any teacher who desires to ex
amine text hooks, with a view to introduction,
if approved, with sample copies on receipt of
one-half the price annexed (in Catalogue,)
and the books will be sent by mail or express
without expense to the purchaser. Books
marked thus * arc excepted from this otter.
TERMS OF INTROD UCTION— The pub
lishers are prepared to make special and very
favorable terms for first introduction ol any of
the National Scries, and will furnish the re
duced introductory price-list to teachers whoso
application presents evidences of good faith.
Teachers desiring to avail themselves ot
any of the privilcyes of the profession, if not
known to the publishers, should mention the
name of one or more of their Trustees or Pa
trons, as pledge of good faith.
For further information, address the Pub
lishers,
A. S. BARNES & CO.,
New York.
The publications of A. S. BARNES A t 0.
are for sale by
J. W. BURKE & CO.,
n0147-tf Macon, Qa.