Middletown transcript., 1874-01-31
LETTERS
To the Boys and Girls Of the Middle
town Academy, Delaware.
BY REV. JOSEPH WILSON.

10 tno DOyB anu dlrlS OF Jno Mld0lo-
town Academy, Delaware.
BY REV. JOSEPH WILSON.
No. 8.-GRAMMAR, GEOGRAPHY AND As
TRONoMY.
Those branches Gas / have said,) were
not taught in the log school l-house that l
attended; and I doubt if they were taught
in Middletown at that time. though now
you have prosperous Academy.
Grammar is often considered by young
persons as dry study. I should BE- sor-
ry if knew that any Of you thought So
for grammar is an important and beautiful
accomplishment; even more 50 than play
ing on the piano.
To speak and write dramatically, is to
do 80 correctly. according to the structure
and rules Of the language you use. wheth-
sr the English or some other tongue.
To violate the rules Of grammar Gas un-
learned and ignorant persons often do) is
to be considered proof Of your swn ig.
norancs and valgarity. 1t is an old and
true adage, that Appearances is deceit
full" There (you will probably say, }
Mr.. W. you have violated grammar your
self; for you have made plural noun the
neminative to singular verb" Well, l
am glad you found it out. I just wrste it
50. to SEQ what you would say. Let me
try again-"Appearances are de.eitful."
This adage is Of very extensive applica
ton. and you must be very careful. lest
you should be deceived by the multitude
Of false appearances that will meet you as
you pass through life. There are appear
ancss in both nature and society that often
lead astray the theughtless and the unwary
In this letter will call your attention
to those appearances in nature only which
for thousands Of years were not understood
either by the learned or uulearned, and
which it is the object of geography and
astronomy to explain.
To the eye Of one who looks over the
surface Of the earth, it appears to be plain
or fat surface and the idea was universal
in ancient times that the earth was an ex-
tended plain or fat body, and that there
vas place in the far off horizon beyond
which person could not 60 without step
ping of the edge and falling into the faith
omlsss pit Of empty space.
Again to our senses, the earth appears
to be perfectly still. and to have no mo-.
tion whatever; whilst the sun, moon and
stars seem to have daily motion around
the earth. and to change their positions
according to the season Of the year. You
feel inclined to laugh at these ideas as very
ridiculous. for YOU know, or may know.
that modern science has proved that the
earth is . round or spherical body, and
that it has two motions-ths one turning
On its own axis once in twenty y-feur hours
and thereby causing day aud night, and
the other moving around the sun once
year and causing the change of seasons.
So, also. the earth appears to be much
larger than the sun and moon and all the
stars together; for the mosu seems to be
as large as the sun, and each Of them a.
bout the size of small cart wheel. Con-
trary to these appearances. the sun is
knewn to be almost million and half
times larger than the earth, and many
more times larger than the moon.
just touch on these things to impress
on your minds the Importance Of tho study
of geography and astronomy. Your books
and teachers will tell you more about these
things than have time to do. l have
said that there are false appearances in So
ciety also; and against these you must be
on your guard. Society suffers much
from false appearances. For instance,
some men make great professions of hon
esty and they are trusted by the public
but by.and-by they turn out to be great
rogues and defraud the public of millions
Of dollars. Some men (and women too, }
seem to be virtuous and good; while, at
the same time they are living in secret
sins, which, if known. would render them
unworthy Of our esteem. l may say more
about this in another letter. Goodbye.
CONQUERED By KINDNESS. Gel. L. w