Correspondence.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 426, 22 November 1861, Page 2

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Colonist.

Sib—ln the Colonist newspaper of Friday I read that two gentlemen, members of the Provincial Council of Otago, had had a dispute upon a point of grammar, and that none of the other members present ventured an opinion upon so erudite a subject.

You submit the matter to our ' Eighty-pound-a-Year Schoolmasters,' they being expected to know a thing or two. Now, although lam but a pupil, of one of these same masters, and not sufficiently advanced to perceive the/profound labyrinth' from which the learrled members shrank, I will venture to prove that the sentence in question is grammatical as it stands, and that the alteration proposed by.Mr. M'Glashan violates the first and simplest rule in English syntax. The sentence is as follows:—' It shall be lawful for any person whosoever, with or without a warrant, to,' &c. &c.; and Mr. M'Glashan proposes to substitute * whomsoever' for ' whosoever,' the objective case for the nominative. Whosoever is a compound.relative pronoun, signifying 'he who,' and when used in the objective case must be governed by some verb or preposition, expressed or understood, which in this sentence it manifestly is not; on the contrary, it is evidently the nominative to the verb 'is,' understood. Let us place the comma after person, substitute 'he who' for 'whosoever,' and supply the verb 'is,' it will then read ~' It shall be lawful for any person, he who is with or without a warrant,' &c. Now, if whomsoever were correct, we must substitute 'he whom,' and it will read 'he whom is,' &c—-an objective case a nominative to a verb!—which is what master calls a palpable absurdity. I am, Ac, A Boy at Appleby School. November 18th, 1861.

lo the Editor of the Colonist.

Siß—Knowing the interest you take in the education of the people—whether done by state aid or left, like everything else in a free country, to individual enterprise and talent, I make no excuse for sending you the following abstract of the evidence of a lady, most successful in the literary world, before the Royal Commissioners on Education. It relates principally to the training up of girls. It will be seen that this lady differs with our pluralist Inspector, as she says that 'girls should be taught as much as possible by women,' and that they should be 'subject exclusively to the control and supervision of women.' Perhaps some recent events have modified the Inspector's views on this matter.

This lady mentions that in the schools of her parish girls between thirteen and fourteen are' taken into the household of the resident subscribers and employed in-domestic work in the morning, still attending school in the afternoon. One of the main points which this lady urges is the importance to a girl of the influence of those.whom from childhood she has been accustomed lo respect—the great element of personal influence, without which no lasting moral good can ever be effected. Girls whose attendance at school is interrupted by home claims cannot thoroughly acquire more than an elementary education, which is far better than a superficial acquaintance with a larger range of acquirements. She concludes by questioning whether any directly public schools, however well managed, would supply what is wanted. The veiy fact of publicity must neutralise the advantage to be derived from them, by tending to diminish the simplicity and retiring modesty which are a woman's best, and in fact her only, safeguard. Girls should as much as possible be taught only by women, and while, under education be subject exclusively to the control and supervision of women. If the problem of the education of our English girls is ever to be wisely solved, it must be, not by Government, but by English ladies, working with self-denying efforts, and exercising, each in her own sphere, that quiet but deep and most efficacious influence which especially belongs to women, and which is a talent for which they must hereafter render an account.

Watering Fruit Trees.—A Californian pager mentions the following plan of irrigating fruit treei (invented by Mr. John W. Carey of San Jose). Take a bucket, an old paint can, or anything that will hold water, fill it and place it near the tree. Take a bit of rope, sea grass, or hemp, wrap it twice round the body of the tree, slightly below the top of the bucket, suspend the two ends in the water. There you have the whole apparatus. It acts upon the principle of the syphon, and keeps the body of the tree constantly wet, feeding the roots with a steady supply of moisture. This proves an effectual remedy for the borer, and works every way to his entire satisfaction. The backet should be filled as often as once a-day, and no other care is necessary.

A Useful Hint to Swimmers.-—A correspondent of the Held says that cramp in the legs may be easily and instantly cured, thus:—'On the moment of its seizure in the calf of the legs, th* instep should be forcibly drawn up or flexed oh the leg, and the cure will be as sudden as tho attack. I have tried, this very^maiiy times, and it neverfails/ a*' ' *

Cleanliness.—With what care and attention do the feathered race wash themselves, and put their plumage in order; and how perfectly neat, clean, and elegant do they appear. Among the beasts of the field, we find that those which arei the most cleanly are generally the most gay and cheerful, or are distinguished by a certain air of tranquility and contentment, and singing birds are always remarkable for the neatness of their plumage. So great is the effect of cleanliness upon man, that it extends even ta his moral character. Virtue never dwelt long with filth; nor do I believe there ever was a person scrupulously attentive to cleanliness who was a consummate "villain. —Count Ruhford.

The Foot of the Horse.—The horse's foot is one of the most ingenious and unexpected pieces of mechanism in the animal structure, and scarcelyyielding to any in regularity, and in complexity of parts, under simplicity of design. The hoof contains a series of vertical and thin lamina of horn, so numerous as to amount to about five hundred, and forming a complete lining to it. Into this are fitted as many lamin* belonging to the coffin-bone; while both sets are elastic and adherent. Ihe edge of a quire of paper, inserted, leaf by leaf, into another, will convey a sufficient ideaof tins arrangement. Thus tiie weight of the animal is supported by as many elastic springs as there are lamine in all tlie feet, amounting to about four thousand ; distributed iv the most secure manner, since every spring is. acted on in an oblique direction. Such is the contrivance for the safety of an animal destined to carry greater weights than that of its own body, and to carry those also under the hazard of heavy shocks. —Macoulloch. Money is the sinews of war, and tho herald of peace. Few vices will often obscure many virtues, Contempt of a man is the sharpest reproof,