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I LUCILLE. My fnend Dumcan sLmpCy gave me credit for beinlsf oat of my senses when I told him of my resolution; but Gartier Vemauit, Rol, and other officers whom I knew were loud in their praise, and drank my health with great enthusiasm at table d'hote. Most of them, however, fltron^y advised me to join some band of franc-tireurs; but there were several reasons a^inst this. In the first pLace wben I bad paid my hotel bill I bad very little money left; and besides, most of the companies of franca-tireurs were got up by country gentlemen at their own expense, and were ohieCy composed of their tenants, gameikeepers, etc., and I was too proud to accept any position of that sort. "I thiok 1 can manage it," said LavaUette to me the next morning. "You must come with me to the Mairie, »nd we will soon make a Frenchman of you; but let me tell you beforehand, it's no chijd's play." "I know that," I answered. Accordingly we went to the Mairie, wliere I signed a number of papers. I was then told to report myself at the lieadiiuarters of the 30th MobLLes of the Loire that afternoon. "I need not remind you my dear fel- low," said LavaUette as we returned Ikome. "that from henceforth we shall be no longer equals. "Of course not," I answered; "I am foUy aware of that I if 1 am in your company â€" and I hope I shall be â€" I shall have to brush your cCiothes, etc." "I will try and get you in my com- pany if I can," he said: and much to my delight be was able to do so. From that time for the next month my life was hardly worth living. Be- fore leaviag England two years pre- viously I had been in tlie Volunteers, so that I knew something about drllil and how to handle a rifle. The old sergeant who had charge of the recruits quickly found that out, but for alil that I was not >et off in the least.: Drill in the morning ajnost before daybreak, driU St noon, drill at nigM, varied by fatigue utiea, which if anything, were worse. OnJy on Sunday, or once o;' twice n. week could I fLnd time to see Lucille. Jt was impoasibtle for me to maJie any appoint- ments, aa the time was not my own. Howev»r. one evening I found time to call at the hotel. "I've got suoh grand news to telil you," Bbe said, as she kissed me. "We will dine ajt the cafe near the bridge, wtiere it is quieter, and I willl' tell you all about it. You know that picture you did for me? Weill, I've sold it for £16; here's the money," and at the same -.tioie abe pUicea four lOO-franc notes in my band. I was very hard up at the time, so much so that I was thinking of pawn- in<r my gold watcib that my aunt had given me. This was a regular godsend, and when I had finished thanking her I said, "You wiilt let me buy you a lit- tle present, won't you f* 'Not unless you will promise not to give more than twanty-five francs for It." "Very well," I answered, and the next day I bought her a locket for that amount. It was a beggarly pre6ent,but I knew her to oweM to have got her anything better; if I had disobeyed her, she would probably have thrown it away. That evening, having a little time, I went with her to the Alcazar, but had to leave long before the per- formance was over, so as to be mto barracks. It was about a week after this that we received orders to go to the front . to form part of the 16th Army Corps under Chanzy, who at that time was beginning to moke that reputation which stamped him.on the French side, as the most successfuili general of the war. As we received ooly one day's no- tice, my laat and only ct^nce of seeing LuoiUe would be that evening, even u my duties did not prevent it aStogether. However, about etg<hit o'cOook I man- aged to get sway. I hastened to (he Axazar. The man at the stage-door knew me, as he had often seen me with Lucille. He demured somewhat to my entering, but a 5-franc piece had the desired effect. The caporal was sound- ing. I knew I must lie back by half past eight, and it was some Idttle dis- tance to the barracks. I knocked loudly at her door. "Come in," said a voice. Lucille was in a pink dmss with lituck lace over it. In her raven hair was a red rose. Her guitar was in a corner; she was going to sing some Spanish •ong. She was just Balancing at a piece of music as I entered. I saw all this in a moment. There was a look of great surprise on her beautiful' face as she looked up. "Henri I" "LuciMel" I cried, "I have no time; we are off to-morrow early." "To-morrow !" sihe exolaimed, aghast. "I have come to say good-bye. You will remember me? You will keep your â- promise f" I said, all in one breath. At that momenl through the thin partition, I could hear the shouts and bravos of the audiemce,â€" a song was just finished. There was a knock at the door. "Mamzelle, mamzelle," said the voice of the caM-boy. There was a look of intense love and tenderness in her bright, bewitching eyes. "Good-bye, my darling I" she cried throwing ner arms rouiud me, and kiss- ing ino with al'l the ardor of her passion- ate Southern nature. "Di> not fear; I will never forget you, and when you come back you ahaW have m<) for youi' owTi." Then after one long clinging kisB,sbe caught up her guitar and bur ried out, her eyes bright wiih the teari she vainJy tried to keep Imek. I followed her up the passage, I heard the shouts and olappiugs that greeted her but I co»i!d not stand any more; i hiirried book to her room,3o that no one might, see my emotion. Her things were strewn about the tiny den of a place. On a table were her little gloves and a rose; I took these and hurried out, fearing if I stayed my resolution would break down. The next motning, ere it was light, we commenced our majoh towards Blois. It was bitterly cold, and the wind swept in gusts over the snowy fields. There was not many more than sixty of us Mobiles- Wa were under tb? Mimmand of LavaJJette and Lieut- Maul Brevet. Most cf my comrades were good enough sort of fellows; their physique would not have compared i/enr well with an English regiment of that day, for short service was then nnknown. StiU they were animated with a spirit of patriotism, which madej them no mean (ippoiK ats under a gen- eral of Chanxy-^ calibre; the Germans ! themselves admitted this. On the march no great order was I kept. The men went along in a slov- \ en.y easy manner, many of them with i their hands in their pockets and their rifles slung on their backs, smolcing and I chatting as it suited them. I I think 1 may say f was very popular ' among them; for poor as I was, I was j very much better off than most of them, ' and having laid in a large stock of tobacco, which I soon found very in- convenient. 1 was compel'led to give a great part of it away. This brought me an immense numljer of friends. I did not think it necesairy to tel<l them that the weight of ninety-six rounds of ball-cartridges, a heavy cowhide knapsack, and accoutrements was the chief cause of my generosity. Among my comrades there were two or three that I should have liked under any circumstances, especiaily one named Jacquemart, an organist by profession in Bordeau.':. He was barely twenty, but he was betrothed, as he very soon let me know, to a girl in Toulouse, and being ot a very sentunental disposition, was everlastingly talking about her. Being in love myseltf, I listened to iiis raptures on the beauty of hia fiancee with ~ rather more complacency than some wouM have done. 'There was aa- oti3er named Bord, the editor of a paper at Bayunne. He was married and had a family, and was continually specu- lating whether he should ever see them again. We stayed at Blois nearlly a week when we received orders to join the rest of the battalion of Beaugency. However, when we arrived at the little village of Lorges, abutting on the forest of Maj-chenoir, orders came for us to march straight for Patay, where our battalion had since gone. We then learned tluit we formed part of Bourdilton's brigade, included in the 1st Division under Admiral Jaurequi- berry of the IBtis. Corps under Chanzj. That evening, 29th Novemtjer, we biv- ouacked in the open with some of the artillery of the Ivtb Corps that we had fallen in wittk. Up to this time we had heard firing on the extreme left, but had not seen anything of the enemy, not even an ubiquitous Uhlan. We were destined, however, very soon to receive our baptism of fire. The next morning we felll in with our ow-j battalion near the village of Oreeres; they bad been marching all night, and seemed very worn out, not to say demoralized. The company to which I found myself appointed was commanded, I was glad to find, by Lava.'lette, and formed part of the avant-garde. We received orders to bold the village of Toumosis. Our t)attalian was under Commandant Le- roy, and as we wished to see Lavaillette about the Mobiles be brought with him from Tours, our company fur the time being was under a young lieutenant named Beaumoy. On our way we came across a large convoy of wounded belonging to the 17th Corps (then in retreat before Von der Tann), which had suffered severely in the fighting round C'haleaudun. The sight of these poor feilows many of whom had not had their wounds dressed for days, had a very depressiiig effect on our spirits; in fact i was now able to see tor myaeU what I had thought all along, that however good a general Chanzy might be, our cause was hopeless. I was now able to con- firm what i bad beard often enough, that so long as fortune favors thenx, the French troops will hold their own with any; but that once let them know defeat, and it takes them a Umg time to recover their former dash. I noticed tliat in many of the rough jolting coun- try carts that contained the wounded, some were dead. These had probably passed peacefufily away, quite unnoticed by their groaning comrades. The blood trickled through the straw, leaving on the frozen road a regular trail. After pusaiug tlie wounded we came on an anuuuiuitiun column, and we were warn- ed bv some chasseurs who were escort- ing It that there were Uhlans in the district belonging t ot he division of Gen- eral Stolberg, one of the moat daslung of German cavalry officers. Owiug to thi^ undulating nature of the ground it was iiup<>8sil<> to see far lUiead, but we re<^ouod that we were near the village . Bord, who was marching beside me, was wondering whether we should get aaything to eat when we reached there, when suddenly im our right on the ridge of a slight incline on the crest of which there was a wood, we saw a Uthilan watching us under cover of tihe trees. Perceiving he was discovered, he disappeared. This was the first lime I had ever seen one ot tjhe redoubtable horsemen, and my spirits rose at the thought of having a brush with them. The lieutenant feel- ing his respousibilitjf, ordered the"halt" to be sounded, intending to wait for the remainder ot the^xittaliion to come up; but as, after waiting a little time, he cnuld see nothing of them, he de- cided to push on caul ioualy. We hod gone some little distance, and I was thinking, as I often did, ot Lucille and what she was doing, when suddenly came sweeping down the road (which took a siiarp turn to the right .atxiut a hundred yards in front ot us) a squad- ron of Uhlans. Lieutenant IVaumoy.as we afterwards learned, completely lost his head, and if he gave any orders, we did not hear them. There is nothing more trying to the nerves, especially of young troops.tban receiving a aharge i>f cavalry, even if there is time to prepare for it; but in this case there was not, and many, as soon as they saw the Ulhlans, jumped over the ditch at the side of thu road. We in the front raniks, however, knew nothing of this ttlil afterwards. "Steady, mes anfautsi wait for them and fire low," roared Sergeant Largo- mont. a great fair-haired Norman at the side of me. i reserved my fire till they were aljout twenty paces off, and then I singled out one who seemed com- ing straight at me. I hit the horse,but the next moment they were upon us. I rememljer parrying one thrust with my bayonet, but the next minute, some- how, I d<Hi't know how it happened, I found myself in the ditch, and for the time bailf-stumned. "Come onl" cried Jacquemart, shak- ing ray arm; "they've taken the lieu- tenant, and they wifltl be back in a moment." The whole squadron had passed like a whirlwind. They had now pulled up about two hundred yards from us. They had. however, l<ost several men aod borsea. "If we can reach that wood we shall lie 8)He," said Jacquemart; and to run better, he threw oft hia knapsack, as (lid also a young lad of eigttteen whom I had kMown at Tours, Chalot by name, who seemed regularly dazed. B-.-ing very active and strong I did not see the force of throwing lh&i.e a.way. I followed Jacquemart and the other, tnadtng my chaaaepet an I went. Just then som^ ha.lf-a-dozen Ulilans jumped the ditch, with rhe intention of cucting us off, and some others who were nearer them, from reaching the wood. They succeeded in capturing some. Two of the Uihlans came straight for us; I took steady aim at the foremost, but missed him. Jacquemart was equally unfortunate. "Surrender 1" he shouted in German. He was close upon us; I couild see he was an officer, and he had his revolver ready to fire as soon as he was near enough. "Give me your gun." I said to Chalot, and taking it from hdm, I fired again. "Bravo I" shouted Jacquemart as the horse stumbled, throwing its rider over its head, not tan paces trom us, where he lay seemingly stunned. The other Uhlan, seeing this, wheelied off to the left. We ran forward. "Get up!" cried CHialot, kicking his prostr-ite foe in the ribs. He looked up vacantly, taking in the situation, he rose, giving me his revolver. 1 then saw his arm was broken. Taking him with us, we quickly reached the wood. We found that we bad lost six men and that a dozen had been taken prisoners, inaluding the lieutenant In command. We coiud see them taking our men off, but it was impossible for us to fire on them, as our own men were in the middle of them. All this happened in a much shorter time than it taikes to describe. Ser- geant Largemon.t now took command, and we marched back, and in about an liour met our battalion, and then we found that through the stupidity of the lieutenant we had got too far in ad- vance, and taken the wrong road. However, about three o'oIjdcJc m the afternoon we took possession of the village without meeting any opposition. That evening, as I was going on guard, a comrade told me that a franc- tireur liad tjeen inquiring for mea "A franc-tireur I" I exclaimed; "I don't think it can be for me." "His name is Jacques Morot; be has only just arrived with about twenty of them; they have brought in about haJ.f- a-dozen prisoners. He said he wanted to see you particularly; he's a very good- looking young fellow, slightly built, very dark eyes and olive complexion." Tlie corporal came round,and wonder- ing who it couHd posaibly be, I started off with the picket. It was a bitterly cold night that 30th November. The moon was not strong, but the sky was clear and the stars shone brightly. Me- chanically I stamped up and down chanically I stomped up and down, partly to keep myself warm, and partly to keep myse.f from going to sleep; for nearly sixteen hours we had been on the march. In the woods on the opposite side of the valley all was dark and quiet: yet we bod seen Uhlans on the outskirts only a few hours before, though as we bad no cavalry to spare, no reconnaissance had been made. Down below on tihe right some village was burning most likely lUie work of same disappointed Uhlans. My tiiaugbts naturadjv turned to Lucille, and as I beard the village clock in the ctd church tower strike the hours, I thought of what she was doing. "Now," I said to myself, "abe is going to sing, now they are cheer- ing tier, nomr she is going back to the hotel, now â€" " but my thoughts were rudely interrupted by a siharp crack^ ling lire on my right, which, however, soon ceased, and was probably a false alarm of some of our conscripts, who fancied tihat every moving object in the darkness must be a Prussiaov (To be Comtlnaed.) THE HISSING LINK t'lalaic4 to Have Brrn l'nplarc4l by â-  Frrnch Travrllrr. The .sensational news comes tu a waiting world to-day, on the authority of a French traveller, that "the miss- ing link" has been discovered, and alive. Paul d'Enjoy, an explorer, who has lieeu investigating a little known region in Indo-Ctiiua, on the frontier of Anoam, iu th» discoverer. He bos I een tiavflling in a mountainous disirict, in about 12 degrees u. lat., and 104 de- grees e. lung. It is a region uf deu.st? forests, in which lurk savage races. Approach is of'(.eD dangerous. Among them is a tribe called the Moi. Une day as d'Enjoy was going through the woods with a strong baud of follow- ers they come upon a small group of Moi, who instantly took to flight with the exceptional of one individual, who was gattieriug honeycomb in a tall tree. When be «iiw the travellers be cuffle dmvu the truuk with bi.s feet fl^t tu th(.> bark, apparently not using bis tail, and atteuiptx.'d tu escape. Hut they had surrounded the tii-e, and after a struggle ellfecied his capture. Some of the party understood the Mui language, for d'Enjoy tells us thiii the wild mun gave ihfm some infur- maiiou atioui hi:* pt'oplc, though in- terrupting his discourse with solus and howLs. All bis ra.'o, he â- taid, former- ly pofrsessed tails, but they are no binger universal appeudages, becau^sc many of the lrilH> had ceiused to be of pure Moi blood through iiHermarriage, tspeciiUly in the c;ise of those dwtlliug on thv ouiskirts of the country, witu lailles-s tribes. The wild man's com- panions bad escaped, but they led Ix'hiud ihem, in a long, lunnel-siiaptil. but, built ot dry leaves, some polished stones, bamboo pipes, copp«'r bracelets, and huad collars, iTiesc were said io be obtained from their Aniiamese neighbors, with wbom they occasion- ally traded, though they are danger- ous customers, and have iiu scruple al kin<K-king a creditor on the head by way of payment. They are said to burn their dead, and bury the ashes in baml>oo pots, differing in this re- spect from their Chinese and other neighbors. The prisoner wa.s ex- tremely savage in aspect., and thai is the character of the race. Their hair Is exceptionally rougbi, sticking out like the spurs of cocks, and the sur- rounding pt'o^hle treat them as savages, Ix-asts, and apes, so that they are m- ma gradually exterminated. M. d'Enjoy's account is disappoint- ing in details. He does not even de- M.>ribe the creature'.s tail, nor tell ti.s h"i'gbt, color, and features. He only adtia that many of the race have pe- ;uJiarly accentuated ankle bones. Thu" one he captured poisoned the coolie in cliargc of him and escaped. iMi mu OF mm bpd. He Acts as Judge, and Counsel, and Dispenses Even-Handed Justice. "This yere court," liegon Judge Hoke, of Sandy Bend, as he laid a gun on the table Iwfure him and looked around the room, "thiii yere court la now open and ready "tor bizness, and that Chinymon with a cough had bet- ter hang on to it ur get out of doors." "First and foremost," resumed the Judge, after getting his pipe alight, "this yere court didn't want to Ije a court, ka,3« he don't go much on law, but having bin appinted ac-ourt, he ar' detarmined to go ahead and du the best tie kin. The ca»e before us ar' that of Jim Peters, varsua Abraham Jones, and the critters ar' present and ready to do any amount of lyin' to win the case. Abe has demanded a joory trial. I believe, but he won't git it. When a critter demands a joory trial in this court it's a refleckshun on the court bersell, and anybody refleck- m' on the court wonts to be mighty bandy with a gun." "No reflection was meant, Yovir Honour," said the Sawyer for tlie de- fendant, as he arcse. "That you. Soi Jackson t" queried His Honoux. as he lifted his eyes. "Waul, nowr. you sot down and stay nailed to your cha'r. This court knows a reClechehun from a jack-rabbit, and can't be luunbooziled and toyed witli. She feels lierseli perfeckly uumpetent to decide any ca.^e which may be brung before it, and thar ain't no need fur any taik from the lawyers. If you differ with this court, Sol Jack- son, now's the time fur sayin' so and pruducin' yer dockyments I" Mr. Jackscn had no "dockyment" to produce, and turning to the lawyer who represented the plaintiff. His Hon- our continued:â€" "And the court don't want to bear from you either, Jim Burden I law- yers' gab is aul rigiht in sartiu cases, t>ut m this case we don't want any. I'm jedge, joory, and jiwyer fur both sides, and if any critter finds fault with my deciahuffl he kin hev it out with mo arterwards. The case should never hev cum before a court of jaw, but it's yere and it's as foUeru;â€" Jim Peters and Abraham J ones own a boss in pardnership. It's a pesky ule tkuas. i*lind in one eye and lame in all four legs, and notiody but a Chinj'uion vvouia giv' f JO fur it. They .uses that ale hutis in the diggius and gels along all right till three days ago. Then Abe CUIUS to Sandy Bend and gits drunk, and when a Chiuyman cuius ailung and offeri Jim 9;^U fur the ole buss be can't take the rhino quick °nuff. When Alie sobers up and goes home be wants tu know alKiut that ole how. Jim leljs him. He's got the money and he means to keep it. "Now then, what does Abe du under the sarcumstauoes I What would this yere couj't or must any other decent critter dof Why, he'd out with a gun and demand half that buss money, and git it in three dhake^, and then go over and lick the Chiuyman and ^it the h<- -: .lack fur bis owu." , The .1 ..iJge paused tu look Abe over from top to toe in a contemptuous way, and then striking the table with bis fist, he exclaimed: â€" "Ar' Abe Jones a man or a rabbit? if he war a man. would be hev walk- ed away from Jim Peters and cum down tu me at the Ited Dog saloon, whur 1 was ru»bed with bizness, aud demanded justice? That's' what he did, an dhe had two guns buckled around him and kauwed that his pard wasn't forty yards eft. If this yere lase wa-i carried to the Supreme Court. Abe Jones woulil be hung to the nearvcit tree and nobody would at- tend bis funeral, but it ain't goin' up tbar. It's guin' tu tie settled right yere and now and forever. .\.'< I says, he cuiiiii tu me as 1 was rushin' the drinks (ur the Uar City crowd, and be has tears in his eyes as be sajs: â€" "'Jedge, I'm a pilgrim as has Ijeen wronged.' j "'Wronged as how?' "'By my p<ird se-lin' me out.' ' "'And what d'ye wont yere/' " 'Jeatice. Je<lgeâ€" jestice. I'm ap- pealin' to the law (ur a squar' deal.' "Ho himg on (ur iestioe. He cried tur law. lie moaned around (ur what he's gittin' yere. I luid to quit the Ijar aud Issoo a warraut fur Jim I'e- lers, and so the ca.se is afure this court. Jim,, git onto yer feet and look the court in the eye. Now. then, did ye scM tbat mewl to a Chinvuiau fur $20 ?" "i did Jedge." "Aud kept the cash?" ' "Every blamed red of it I" "And did ye expect Abe Jones to sho<it his half outer ye f" "riiai's what." "But he didn't." "Ue never cum a-nigh me, sah." "That's 0.11, Jim. Now. .\be, hist yer karka-e into view. [Xtea yer pard yere owe ye bullif of $20 I" "He do. Jedge." "And ye kin shout two banded?" "I kin." ' "But ye don't mean to shoot?" • "I'm arter peace, Jedge â€" plain jes- tice. We've got law and jest ice in these parts, aud I wants 'em." i "Yo wanta 'em, an' ye'll git 'em. Aba Jones I This yere (Xiurt don't hesi- tate to say that Jim played ye low; down, but that was between parrti*. and yo liad two guus aud both waa leaded. He expected to lie shot at, and waited all night fiu' ye. Ye might hev won glory and renown and got yer money, but ye missed yer chance, evnd -went down inter yer boots iu.stead. rhe verdict of this court is that. Jim Peters or' fined seventeen dollars." "What f-ur ?" asked Jim. "Fur sellin' out yer pard, and lie- As a court and a man. I' d advise y4 to put down the cash and then ax tiie> furty-tive men- in this room togo over tu the iieil Utju eainou and bev a nip at'yer expen(*. 1 ain't sayin' that Jina Peters wil Ibse cepuiaehtm by sellin' ye out, but if my front name was Jinx add my 'hind name was Peters, I'd set) 'em up fur the cro^^ d arter ye got through, and thus sorter squar" myselfi That's aiU. and this yere court is nowi busted up fur the rlay." AN INSANE HUSBAND. Fearfal C'raeUlei Isfllcted on Wii ITUIbâ€" He I'Mtl to Mxlorate Ber Jolats. Dr. Charles Laffinn, a young physi- cian of New York city, w^as committed to. the insane ward in Bellevue hospi- tal by Magistrate Cornell in the Har- lem Police Court un Saturday upon the complaini: of the Rev. J. D. Freeman, of Milton. Nova Scotia. The doctor was arrested at his home on a chargn of assault preferred by his wife, Clara. Dr. Freeman is her brother. Dr. Laf- finn and Miss Freeman wera married in June last. The unhappiness that followed was told by Dr. Freeman in cuurt. On July 1 they took a house on Maiiison avenue, and since then, ac- cording to her brother, Mrs. Laffinn'a life has been one constant suffering, mental and physical. The Rev. Or. Freeman says:â€" "My suiter (Hara haa suffered in five short months since bev marriage more than seems possible, and without complaint. She assured ma that Dr. Laffinn's cruelties began the first week of their married life. He« body is covered with scars and bruiaaa inflicted t>y her bust>and. He is ex- tremely jealous, and without cause. He repeatedly beat bis wife, and one ot bis pet tortures was to dislocate her joints and snap them back into position. While the people in the bouse were convinced that sumetbing was wrong in the dixtor's apartments tbey neven heard a word of complaint, ur a si'ream for help, and so made no attempt to investigate. On several occasions the doctor, so my sister tells me, has held her by the throat upon a IxmI until she was black in the fac-e. At intervals of two or three weeks since the marriage be has taken poison, arsenic, murpbins, and once took 59 grains of opium in une duse. Puison appeared to have lit>- tie etfect upon him, but it frightened his wife, and that appears to have been bis aim. He must be insane." Two weeks ago Mrs. Laffinn notified Dr. Fnwman of her trouliles. and l}oth b« and her brother Mr. Lemuel Freeman, o( Worcester. Mass., went to New York. On Friday. Dr. Freeman, after seeing the busliand's cruelty, took bis sistar away. kaae I knows ye've got jest $17 of that money left. Abe Jones, ye ar' fined $'^, which suui also kivers the coat." "But how does it cum so i" protest- ed Abe. "It cum so from 'pealin' to the low and wantin' .jestice, when y© could hev K"Uffed yer piard and got yer money. I don't say as ye had belter leave these diggin's andnetver show upagin, but 1 do say, bein' as ye've made one mis- take, ye'd (letter bekecrfu'l- ofaiiutber. CHRISTMAS HOLLY. No one can bell when holly was first used for Christmas decorating, though it was certainly at or soon after the Chris- tian era. Indeed it may have lieen long before, fur some of the traditions con- cerning it have an oppesa-ance of anti- quity about them which cannot be ig- nored. Thus it is said that holly is or was a sacred tree to destroy which was to insure disease M disaster. An early legend, ordinary tale, runs in this way: A youthful hunter lost bimself in a forest, and his supplies running out he was in danger ot starving. No game could he discover, and in the midst of bis distress a wild beast, the like of which he had never seen before, ap- peared. Taken by suiprise. he seized the bough of a tree, tore it off and prepared to defend hiin-self with it. It chanced to be a holly tree, and the mo- ment be disfigured it be fell to the ground and was turned into a stone. His brother, after many months' search- ing, was informed by a friendly fairy of the mishap that bad l)e(allen his brother, whose Ixidy he w.is told would lie found lying under the l>ough he bad torn u((. A churm was given the searcher to enable him to restore the headstrung youth to life, and after a lung journey the Uisk was accumpiish- e<l, aud the two lirothers were reun- ited. - j THbl CHIUSTMAS BREAKFAST. I The main dish at the Christmas break- fast should be chicken, fried in the southern fashion. Wash and cut up a young chicken and let it lie in saltwa- ter tor about half an hour. Cut up some'*" fat salt pork and try it in a pan until the gre.isi' is extiacled, but not browned. Wipe the chicken dry. Pep|)er and dredge with flour. Fry in the grease until each piece is brown on both sides. , When the chicken is fried, pour a cup I of rich milk into the pan, thicken with a tablespoonful of (lour and one of but- ter. Chop some parsley into it. boil up once aud poui- over the chicken. Potaloe* a la creiue form an excellent acconnMUlinieiit to liiis Christmas dish. Chop some cold Imiled pot,ato«!8 into a boiling sauce made by mixing 3 table- spoons o( melted t)Utter, a little chopped paisley, [lepper, a cup ot rich milk and a cuuplo of .s^Hons ot flour. Light, delicious muffins, a flaky omelette and t be perfect coffee, without which no breakfast is a suircess, should Ci/mplete the Christmas breakfast. CHIUSTMAS AT.OSBOHNE. The royal boar's head, the baron of beef aud woodcock pie, which arc indis- pensable for a British sovereign '.s Christ- mas teed, are all sent from Windsor to Osljornc ready cooked. The Ixiar's head is brought in in solemn state, proceeded by choir boys singing a carol as follows: The queen's bonr's hea<l in hand 1 bear Btniecked with boys and rt-semory, Aud 1 pray you, my people, be merry, (juot euiia in convivio Caput apri defero Reddens laudea Domino. Lord steward has provided this In honor of the king of bliss, On Christmas to be served In Regiuenae Atriu Canut apri defero Reddens Uiudea Domino. â€" ExolKing«k