God of the Sheaf! To thee alone Then shall our hearts on heaven rest; And thank that God whose mercies blest THE OLD FASHIONED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. 6 "THY grandmother," said my Uncle Toby, addressing himself to young Laura, just from London, and who was playing the battle of Marengo,' on the piano, "thy grandmother, child, used to play on a much better instrument than thine." "Indeed," said Laura, "how could it have been better? You know it is the most fashionable instrument, and is used by every body that is anything." "Your grandmother was something, and yet she never saw a pianoforte." "But what was the name of the instrument? Had it strings, and was it played by the hand?" "You must give me time to recollect the name: it was indeed a stringed instrument, and was played with the hand." 66 "By the hands alone? how vulgar! but I should really like to see one; and papa must buy me one, when I return to London; do you think we can obtain one?" "No, you probably will not obtain one in London, but doubtless they may be found in some of the country towns. "How many strings had it? must one play with both hands? and could one play the double bass ?" "I know not whether it would play the double bass, as you call it; but it was played with both hands, and had two strings." "Two strings only! surely you are jesting; how could good music be produced from such an instrument, when the piano has two or three hundred!" "Oh, the strings were very long, one of them about fourteen feet! and the other may be lengthened at pleasure, even to fifty feet or more." "What a prodigious deal of room it must take up; but no matter, I will have mine in the old hall; and papa may have an addition made to it; for he says I shall never want for any thing; and so does mamma; but what kind of sound did it make? Were the strings struck with little mallets like the piano; or were they snapped like a harpsichord ?" "Like neither of these instruments, as I recollect, but it produced a soft kind of humming music, and was peculiarly agreeable to the husband and relations. of the performer." "Oh, as to pleasing one's husband or relations, it is not the question at present; but I'll have the instrument, at any rate. Was it easily learned? and was it taught by French or Italian masters ?" It was easily learned, but Frenchmen and Italians scarcely dared to show their heads in our country in those times." "Can you not possibly remember the name? How shall we know what to inquire for ?" "Yes, I do now remember the name; and you must inquire for a Spinning Wheel." MECHANICAL TRADES. WITH the exception of a few articles that can be used in their natural state, all the rest must be worked and prepared by the hand of man, before it is fit for use. The food which serves to sustain his life, the clothes with which he protects his body against the inclemency of the weather the house in which he lives with his family, nearly every thing that serves for his wants or comforts require more or less work and preparation before it can be used. Hence the necessity of the different mechanical trades we see in the world; hence the necessity of many applying to some of them; hence also the necessity for every one who may be called to some of these trades, to examine which of them it will be more useful for him to embrace. When a man has determined upon some trade in particular, let him follow it with all the energy he is capable, and endeavor to make such improvement in it as will be useful to himself and will benefit society. A good, industrious and intelligent mechanic will, in this manner, become a most precious member of the human family-he will live comfortable and happy, and enjoy in a high degree the esteem of all those who know how to appreciate true merit. NECESSITY AND INVENTION. A CURIOUS Catalogue might be made of the shifts to which ingenious students in different departments of art have resorted, when, like Davy, they have wanted the proper instruments for carrying on their inquiries or experiments. His is not the first case in which the stores of an apothecary's shop are recorded to have fed the enthusiasm, and materially assisted the labors, of the young cultivator of natural science. The German chemist, Scheele, whose name ranks in his own department with the greatest of his time, was, as well as Davy, apprenticed in early life to an apothecary.. While living in his master's house he used secretly to prosecute the study of his favorite science by employing half the night in reading the works that treated of it, or making experiments with instruments fabricated, as Davy's were, by himself, and out of equally simple materials. Like the young British philosopher, Scheele too, is recorded to have alarmed the whole household by his detonations; an incident which always brought down upon him the severe anger of his master, and heavy menaces intended to deter him from ever again applying himself to such dangerous studies, which, however, he did not long regard. It was at an apothecary's house, that Boyle and his Oxford friends first held their scientific meetings, induced, as we are expressly told, by the opportunity they would thus have of obtaining drugs wherewith to make their experiments. Newton lodged with an apothecary, while at school, in the town of Grantham; and as, even at that early age, he is known to have been ardently devoted to scientific contrivances and experiments, and to have been in the habit of converting all sorts of articles into auxiliaries in his favorite pursuits, it is not probable that the various strange preparations which filled the shelves and boxes of his landlord's shop would escape his curious examination. Although Newton's glory chiefly depends upon his discoveries in abstract and mechanical science, some of his speculations, and especially some of his writings on the subjects of light and color, show that the internal constitution of matter, and its chemical properties, had also much occupied his thoughts. Thus, too, in other depart ments, genius has found sufficient materials and instruments in the humblest and most common articles, and the simplest contrivances. Fergusson observed the places of the stars by means of a thread with a few beads strung on it, and Tycho Brahe did the same thing with a pair of compasses. The selftaught American philosopher, Rittenhouse, when a young man, employed as an agricultural laborer, used to draw geometrical diagrams on his plough, and study them as he turned up the furrow. Pascal, when a mere boy, made himself master of many of the elementary propositions of geometry, without the assistance of any master, by tracing the figures on the floor of his room with a bit of coal. This, or a stick burned at the end, has often been the young painter's first pencil, while the smoothest and whitest wall he could find supplied the place of a canvass. Such, for example, were the commencing essays of the early Tuscan artist, Andrea del Castagno, who employed his leisure in this manner when he was a little boy tending cattle, till his performances at last attracted one of the Medici family, who placed him under a proper master. The famous Salvator Rosa first displayed his genius for design in the same manner. To these instances may be added that of the late English musical composer, Mr. John Davy, who is said, when only six years old, to have begun the study and practice of his art by imitating the chimes of a neighboring church with eight horse-shoes, which he suspended by strings from the ceiling of a room in such a manner as to form an octave. ADVICE TO APPRENTICES. THERE is scarcely any thing more necessary, than to prepare youth to discharge faithfully their duties as apprentices. These duties are two-fold:-The commission of good, and the omission of evil. Apprentices are bound, not only by their indentures, but by the law of God, to the following articles: They must not only act justly towards their master and mistress, but prevent, by every means in their power, any others from acting unjustly towards them. They must avoid every species of fraud, theft and de ceit, in word and deed, and prove that integrity and honor are their delight. They must not deem it sufficient to avoid direct robbery; but remember that they are accountable for whatever goods or materials are lost or damaged through their neglect; nay, that they are not without blame, when they do not adopt every means within their reach to save and economise their master's substance. They should not only avoid idleness, sloth, and inattention; but observe the opposite virtues, and be most active, industrious, and attentive in their employment. They should not only avoid lying, cursing, swearing, obscene words, and all public and private vices; but should tell the truth, speak with mildness, act modestly, and show themselves an example in conduct and conversation. Whilst they are to avoid all excess and extravagance in diet or dress, they should keep themselves neat and clean according to their means. They should avoid all sloth and slovenliness at their work, remembering that a dirty apprentice will never make a good workman, and that a thousand things are destroyed by dirt and filth, which would otherwise be preserved. They should not only avoid confusion and disorder, but put every thing in a proper place, and have a place for every thing. They should never keep late hours or bad company, as they are the ruin of youth. They should take care to keep the secrets of their master or mistress, and avoid reporting any thing that is calculated to distract domestic life, or create a bad feeling. They should not only avoid quarrelling or fighting with workers or their fellow-apprentices; but should act civilly and obligingly towards them, comply with their just demands; at the same time that they must discountenance any of their acts, which are opposed to the interest of their master. They should above all things set a just value upon time, which, with labor, form their estate for life. Whilst they take moderate exercise at convenient times, they must avoid all injurious amusements, and even any excess in lawful exercise. |