The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-11-08

articles for the young Folks" in the YER
mont Chronicle. We copy his suggestions
about
Things We Ought to Know.
My DEAR YouSG FRIENDS A celebrated
ancient writer has truly said, "There are
some things which it is no credit for us to
knoD, but great reprodeh not to know"
Among these We may reckon:
l. Things necessary: A boy should know
how to tie his handkerchief, drive horse,
build fire, tic up bundle neatly, reckon
money, tell the points Of the compass, wind
up watch, hold his knife and fork at the
table, &C., These, and countless number
Of other things, which cannot here mention,
you will have occasion to know how to do
some of them daily-others more or less fre-
quently. If you cannot, it will often put
you and Others to great Inconvenience. II
you make the attempt and fail, or succeed
badly, you will be greatly "mortiiicd," per-
haps laughed at and reproached for your ig.
norance and ineiiciency.
"A young miss should certainly know how
to make bed, set the table. trim the lamps,
dress her hair, and arrange her own apparel
and room properly, supcrscrbe letter neat
ly, and many other things which your moth
ers will remind you Of, or what is better, you
yourselves will perhaps think Of, and try to
do. Now it is no great credit for a boy or u
girl to know how to do these necessary every.
day affairs, (though many are sadly deficient
in them,) but great discredit not to know.
II. Things common. For cxamplc,-why
does the blaze of the light, by which you
write, 60 up? Why does the moisture col.
in drops upon the pitcher filled with water ?
How is the rainbow formed? How can the
fly walk upon the ceiling overhead? Why
does water ascend in sponge? &c.
These and many other facts and processes
are daily and hourly going on around yon
and under your very eyes, and you do or
should know something about them. Do you
say. "some of these things l know, and 9TH
ers do n6t.-I think some Of them pretty
toughphilosopbical questions"
well;supposc ask you "whcther snake
has bones--wbich way the hind legs of an
elephant bend or fold"-or the very simple
question, show many toes q hen has on each
foot"-how many Of you could answer even
the last question: Could you tell me for a
certaint, whether IL has or 8, or 3 toes'
You might guess at the number or 60 and
count them. But yoa have seen them hun.
dred times and ought to know. and tho qucs
ton i. do you know to w'>iead certainty" 4"
q the Phrasd'is, 50 as to answer correctly
and at once? The truth is, my young friends
we know something about great many things,
and but tec things for certainty. The
very things we see every day and think we
know all about, We find have escaped our at
ten,ion. If We 60 to Others for information
We are but little better of. Indeed we shall
be surprised to find how few persons are ex.
tensivcly and correctly iniormed-how few,
even of the 'wise heads" around us, can give
the information we need, and whose answers
we can safely rely upon.
You see then the Importance Of beginning
To learn when young, and Of being very care
lul hop We learn from others, and observe
for ourselves. You will remember the story
of Columhus-hOw he made the egg stand
up. We should not only know how to DO
things, but be able to do them promptly.
Ill. Things near hOmc-in your own
ncighborhood, town state, county: Suppose
one were to ask you show many inhabitants
there are in your native town. or how many
in your state" Could you tell them? Sup
pose they ask you to inform them show
many counties there are in the State. -
Could you tell the number and give their
names? Could you even tell the number and
names Of the towns in your orn county,
II they farther wished to know "the length
of the State, and its breadth ut each end, ="
could they learn irOm YOU?
Again, If you were asked "what year the
battle of Bennington, was fought" or"werc
Washington died" would you not possibly
have to turn to your history before you would
be quite certain US to the answers YOU should
give?
Now there are only few OF the many
things you ought to know and il you do not
when you come to 50 out into the world
among really intelligent persons, your pride
will be wounded at every step, or whatisstill
worse. If you pretend to know them and Do
not, your answers II acted upon, may be pro
ductIyc OF great mischief to Others, and viii
be sure to bring ridiculc and contempt upon
yourselves. -.
You should not, however, confinc yourself
10 common things. You may learn u great
many things. - be you learn them WE'LL
You may inquire into the most distant and
uncommon things, provided you do not Orr.
lock those common and near al home.
But do not waste your time in reaching
after things beyond your measure, while you
fail to zee those wonderful things that are
constantly going on around you, or tample
under loot jewels Of thought that lie right
in your pathway.
~ The scriptural penny was worth in
the time Of Christ about one hundred and
City Of our cents. A penny a day, therefore,