-A shoal of whales ran ashore lately near -The rebels, as well as the federals, claim Whiteness, on the Isle of Shetland, and, getthe victory at Williamsburg. If it is difficult ting into shallow water, immense numbersto know which side won the battle, it is very some 400, it is said-were captured by the iseasy to know which won the battle field.-landers. They were attacked both by sea and

-Captain Ericsson has planned a large sea -Congress has just passed two bills, in angoing Monitor with a single turret, plated with ticipation of the rebel army arriving immedi-iron twenty-four inches thick, and armed with ately in Washington. It would be profitable two guns, carrying a ball 1,000 pounds in to keep a small rebel army near Washington to weight. Two, at least, of these formidable march upon the Capital occasionally, when le- vessels will probably be ordered. The Monitor gislation lags. is regarded as the best of all iron clad floating things yet tested.

-Coal oil is said to be a sure destroyer of bedbugs. Apply plentifully with a small brush or feather to the places where they most do congregate. The cure is effectual and perma- -Wm. McCuan, of this city, who will be renent. Gilt frames, chandeliers, &c., rubbed collected as having done much of the stone cutslightly over with coal oil, will not be disturb-ting on the Central Bank and Jackman and ed by flies.

EDUCATIONAL.

Letter-Writing.

crosses be at once taken off an editor's devoted shoulders, were the art of letter-writing more generally and attentively cultivated.Chicago Record.

President Felton, of Harvard Univer

sity, in his inaugural address, made use of the following suggestive language:

"Our young American needs, more than the European youth, the training that shall give him composure and self-command-that shall give him the mastery of his faculties, and the habit of steady action. He is a citizen of a vast republic, wherein every man has his career to open, his fortune to make, his success to achieve. He feels, every moment, the social or party pressure, and the weight of individual responsibility. These very circumstances make the period in which we live one which tempts, the young man into premature activity. He is allured into the busy scene when his faculties are but half unfolded; his principals are as yet uncertain; his views vague, his hopes gorgeous as the rainbow, and perhaps as fleeting and unsubstantial. His tastes unformed; and his moral being crude as the unripe fruit of every summer. A solid character is not the growth of a day-the intellectual faculties are not matured without long and vigorous culture. To refine the taste is a laborious process-to fortify the reasoning power with its appropriate discipline, is an arduous undertaking.

Writing letters is an art for which extremely few are celebrated. Lady Montague, Gray, Cowper, Goldsmith, Burns, and Lord Byron, are unrivalled in this department of English literature. The hitting of the subject between wind and water-elegant familiarity, without pedantic stiffness and serpentine periods "dragging their slow length along;" the tasteful undress of the philosopher, with his cloak off at home-of the poet, taking a holiday, like one of the Homeric gods descending upon occasions to feast with Ethiopians-of the statesman, who, instead of jumping with feat oratorical, jumps against other statesmen off subject on to subject, on the floor, saying, "My dear fellow, will you enjoy with me a turn or two at leap-frog?" ?"-of the hero, laying aside his hat and feathers, and becoming as playful as a cricket, or one of his own children: this is what gives the true charm to letter-writing; and in imparting to it this air of abandonment consists the great art, the most perfect when most concealed. Letters that are treatises (apart from their value to certain line of professionals), as letters are insipid. Such, for instance, are those of the great poet and statesman, Grotius, resembling rather a huge pile of Dutch millstones, than a beautiful assortment of porcelain. Some are so impatient of letter-store the mind with sound and solid learning, writing, that they sit down about twenty min- is the work of long and studious years. It is utes before the mail goes-snatch pen, paper the business of the higher education to check and ink as they would snatch the leg of a tur- this fretful impatience, this crude and eager key at a railway station-perhaps upset an haste to drink the cup of life-to exhaust the ink-bottle-stick the letter in an envelope, or, intoxicating draughts of ambition." what is worse, fold it in a careless, slovenly manner-hastily apply the mucilage or sealing wax, and perhaps despatch it without date, or sometimes a signature.

The cultivation of this useful and ornamental art is particularly demanded in a country like this, where millions of emigrants find in it the only means of holding converse with their kindred on the opposite shores of the Atlantic, and planting republican seeds in the fallow grounds of despotism. Progress in this delightful accomplishment would make it more frequent--promote mental cultivation-increase the general happiness, and furnish an additional revenue. It merits universal cultivation. There is no department of writing so calculated to please as this, whether we find it perfected in the pages of Junius, or find it naturalized in the correspondence of two, in particular, of our American writers-Bryant and Willis. It lends the most delightful charm to the public journal; it often elevates the poor in the estimation of the rich, and lays the foundation of a future fame and fortune. And newspaper correspondence, at least, would escape the dogbasket and edify the community-and many

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READING.--Comparatively speaking, good readers are more plentiful than good spellers. As a refined accomplishment, as a pleasant social embellishment, excellence in Reading can not be too highly appreciated. "To read as one talks" is the rule; yet how few reach that standard! Short reading-lessons, selected with a view to varied intonations, emphases, pauses, and inflections, should be chosen, and read and re-read, until a good degree of excellence be attained. And let it be understood that in this branch, not less than in others, thoroughness rather than rapid progress is requisite.

The most common fault is that pupils are permitted to read too fast. Few grown persons, who are accounted good readers, take sufficient time. Let it be remembered that to read well you must read slowly. You can not expect to make a superior reader unless you follow this rule strictly. Enter what school you will, and you will find more scholars using the wrong reader than the right one. In nine cases out of ten they will be found using a book at least one grade above the proper one, and half the time two grades.

Since the sketch on the preceding page was written, the military career of Gen. Burnside has been such as to stamp him as one of our first and best generals.

for organizing his forces, he struck Newbern, and achieved the difficult capture of its miles of batteries. The advantage of this rapid series of movements has been that the Rebels "Seldom has so rapid and brilliant a series of are quite bewildered by it, and know not where victories occurred, as that which illustrates the to expect attack or prepare resistance. The Southern expedition commanded by Gen. Burn-assault upon Newbern owed much of its sucside. Delayed for a month by unexpected difficulties in crossing the bar at Hatteras, the public expectation was, for a while, disappointed. But since these difficulties were overcome, his energy and rapidity of movement have been conspicuous. First came the decisive conflict of Roanoke Island, with its 3,000 prisoners, the largest number that had then been captured at any one point, and since excelled only by the great victory of Fort Donelson. Next, the brilliant dash at the Confederate fleet, resulting in its total destruction at Elizabeth City, and the capture of that place. Then, we had the expedition up the Chowan River, and occupation of Winton, a movement which threatened Norfolk, and turned the attention of the Rebels to that quarter. After a brief delay,

cess to the promptness of the stroke. Recent accounts inform us that on the day of his arrival 16,000 Rebel troops were on the railroad between that city and Goldsborough. A hesitating or dilatory attack would have brought this force to the relief of Newbern, and rendered the capture of the batteries there a very difficult and bloody, if not an impossible, task. The occupation of Newbern was instantly followed by preparations for an attack upon Beaufort, a sea-port lying some thirty miles southeast of it, and connected with Newbern by railroad. We have now the news that this prompt attack is again successful. The enemy have abandoned the city, and Fort Maconthe most important in North Carolina-is again in our hands."

The Pension Bill.

The following is the Pension Bill as it passed the House on Tuesday last:

It provides that officers and men of all grades, in the army and navy and other branches of the service, who have been, since the 4th of March, 1861, or shall hereafter be disabled by reason of wounds or disease contracted in line of duty, shall be placed upon the list of invalid pensioners. Colonel and all others of a higher rank are to receive a pension of $30 per month; Majors, $25; Captains, $21; First Lieutenants, $17; Second Lieutenants, $15; non-commissioned officers and musicians and privates, $8. In the naval service, Captains, Commanders, Lieutenants Commanding and Masters Commanding, $30 per month; Lieutenants, Chief Engineers, Surgeons, and Passed Assistant Surgeons, $25; Professors of Mathematics, Assistant Surgeons, Paymasters and Master, $20; First Assistant Engineers, Pilots, and Assistant Paymasters, $15; Teachers, Schoolmasters, Passed Midshipmen, Captains and Paymasters' Clerks, Second and Third Assistant Engineers, Masters' Mates and warrant officers, $10; all petty officers, $8.

dred dollars, and no money shall be paid to on account of bounty, back pay or pension, such, or to any heirs of any deceased soldier who have been in any way engaged in, or who have aided or abetted the existing rebellion in the United States; but the right of such disloyal heir, or heirs, of such soldier, shall be vested in the loyal heir or heirs, of the deceased, if any there be in the order named. A special agent is to be appointed to detect and prosecute frauds against the pension law.

DISPOSITION OF SOLDIERS ON THE EVE OF BATTLE.-A correspondent of the Cincinnati Commerical says:

"Civilians naturally enough suppose the eve of a great battle to be an occasion of sad suspense and anxiety on the part of those who expect to participate in the contest. They greatly err in this. The experience of every one who has paid any attention to the matter is, that there is never more noisy levity and more apparent buoyancy of spirits in camp than when opposing armies are within hailing distance of each other. Euchre, old sledge, and their concomitants always succeed marching orders. Certain it is, there never was more shall receive only such pension as is thus pro-and Sherman than on Saturday evening last, fun-making noise in the camps of Gens. Hurlbut vided for. If any officer or other person not named in the first section has died since the 4th of March, 1861, or shall hereafter die by reason of any wound or disease, &c., his widow or his children under eighteen years of age, shall be entitled to the pension, which is to continue to the widow during her widowhood, or to her children until they severally attain the age of eighteen years, and no longer.

All commissioned officers of either service

when it was confidently expected that a great battle would be fought inside of forty-eight hours. In anticipation of the grand struggle, a number of sham battles were fought between Beauregards and Hallecks, suddenly promoted from the ranks always resulting, of course, in the triumph of the Federals and the complete

overthrow of the Confederates. You cannot

make a soldier feel 'solemn' by assurances that the conflict will be a desperate one; you cannot make him exchange 'Marryatt's best' for the last issue of the Tract Society, by telling him how many brave fellows met an untimely end at Donelson or Shiloh; you cannot lessen his joy at getting a 'good hand' by narrating the probabilities that his regiment will be exposed to a galling fire during the entire day."

GOOD ADVICE.-The Albany Journal offers the following advice to military heroes:

Henceforth let our Generals attend to the

Where any officer or other person named, shall have died subsequently to the 4th of March, 1861, or shall hereafter die, and has not left or shall not leave a widow or legitimate child, but has left or shall leave a mother who was dependent upon him for support, in whole or in part, the mother shall be entitled to receive the pension, provided the pension given to the mother on account of her son shall terminate on her marriage; and provided, that where any officer or other person has not left or shall not leave a widow nor legitimate child, nor mother, but has left or may leave an orphan sister or sisters, under eighteen years of legitimate business of their profession and leave age, who were dependent on him for support mere questions alone. Let them, for the future in whole or in part, they shall receive the pen-wield the sword instead of the stylus. Let them sion to continue until they shall severally arrive at the age of eighteen and no longer. The widow of any volunteer who shall hereafter be killed or die of wounds or disease contracted while in the military service during the present rebellion, and before receiving the bounty herein provided for, and if no widow the minor child or children, if there be any, and if there be no minor children, then the mother, and if no mother, then the father of such deceased soldier, shall receive in addition to all arrears of pay and allowances for bounty of one hun

devote themselves to slaughtering Rebels instead of slaughtering the King's English.

A BRAVE BOY.-The brave boy who, during the early part of the battle between Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing, became separated from his regiment, the 18th Missouri, and fought, by special permission of Capt. Crowley, in the 32d Illinois, proves to be John I. Shehan, of the town of Plymouth, Rock county, and not "John I. Shaw, of some village in Wisconsin." All honor to the brave boy.