school-meeting was soon called, and it was unanimously agreed to erect a new school-house on the new road, almost exactly opposite the old spot, and as equidistant from the two Ends, it was believed, as the equator is from the poles. Here Mr. Henry taught the District School somewhat as it should be; and it has never since been kept as it was. The following article was first published in a Boston newspaper, about fifteen years ago. It was afterwards republished in the Common School Journal. Its object was not to exercise a useless ingenuity in a play upon words, but to attract a more particular, and peradventure, a corrective attention to prevalent inaccuracies of speech. These errors, more or less, still linger upon the lip. Another republication, therefore, may possibly be of some little use. At any rate, the piece will contribute a distinct variety in making up the volume. A SUPPLICATION. ABOUT sixty thousand Slaves, owned by the People of the United States, make the following supplication to their masters, not for emancipation, but for the amelioration of the condition of certain individuals of their race. MOST SOVEREIGN, rightful, anD EXCELLENT MASTERS, We are the English Language,—your lawful and perpetual bond-servants, whose names and origin, characters and duties, are so faithfully exhibited, in Noah Webster's great Dictionary. By far the largest part of us have received nothing but the kindest usage from our owners, from time immemorial. Some thousands of us, indeed, were it possible, might die of having nothing to do but sleep, shut up in the dormitory of the Dictionary, or in the composition of some most learned, or most silly book, which the mass of the people never open. But of this we do not complain. Nor do we account it much of an evil, that certain Yankees make us weary, with the monstrously long drawl with which they articulate us into use. Nor do we cry out against the painful clipping, cutting-up, and shattering-to-pieces, given us by the African race; for we serve them as faithfully as we do their white fellow-mortals,-holding that, as it regards all the relations of human beings to us, all men "are born free and equal." But now we humbly pray that you will hear what we do complain of. We complain, that certain of our brethren are exceedingly abused, and made wretched, by some thousands, and perhaps millions, of our owners. Their piteous groans have shocked our ears,-their unretrieved sufferings have pained our sympathizing hearts, for many years. We can endure no longer;-we must speak. Your ancient servants come, then, supplicating you to take measures for the relief of the sufferings of the individuals of our number, whose names and particular subjects of complaint shall now be enumerated, proceeding in alphabetical order. Arithmetic,—that accurate calculator, indispensable to this mighty and money-making nation, grievously complains that he is obliged to work for thousands without the use of A-head, and deprived of one of his two i's. Here is a picture of his mutilated form,-Rethmetic! Attacked, an important character, that figures so gloriously in military despatches, and is so necessary in medical reports, -is forced, by many, to the use of t, more than his constitution will admit. He cannot perform his necessary business, you know, |