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JIM THE__TRAMP. He was a bad lot 3 Elaine, and police had all at various times: £40k! him so, and he quietly accepted their judgment, knowing it to be pretty near the “In. An outcast from his very babyhood, l Magistrates, jail chap waist chance had he ever had? Left by an -xznfeeling «be brought up a workhousc loundling, until 5: was old enough to be bound ’prentice and 6st guardians could wash their hands of him «wirely. A drunken saddlcr covenanted - melothe, board, and teach him his trade ; ~ and at his hands poor Jim had a dog's life, snail, goaded to madness by every species -<1£ ill treatment, he struck his master and -t&:d. For a while he tried hard to get work in the villages through which he passed; Feat no one would take on the stran '6 friend- fltns lad, and so he made up his m' to en- list .for a soldier. .If only he had reached York an hour or " 'L‘Iro earlier, her Majesty's army had gained ' .1. useful recruit, and poor Jim would have had a chanccc to rise and become a credit to as: service. llut ill luck would not let him . go. .He was routed out of an old stable by A amoulous member of the city police, and ' charged next day with sleeping out at night, ~rarsouie equally heinous crime, the result mother to die in s roadside ditch, , like had been taken to the nearest Union, to nn‘n want to work for any masterâ€"an’ u ...'t, neyther." He expected an angry lecture and round abuse for refusing; but the other said quiet- ly, stroking his boot with the handle of his 3 hunting-crop : “That is a dangerous way of thinking. my friend, and will get you into trouble again. You are a fool not to try and pull up a bit; but you know your own af- airs best. { for on anyway. Look out." He tossed a hal -crown to Jim with careless, easy good- nature, and, shaking up his horse, trotted off with a nod and “ good luck." How costless a word or two of sympathy are, and yet how priceless they may become l How easy to be gracious, and yet how far- reaching the results ! \Ve scatter kindly reetings here and there as we journey on ife's roadway, and lo ! they spring upbright flowers to gladden some sad, weary wayfarer. “'e perform thoiightlessly now and again trivial services of courtesy and forget them; but they shine in lone loveless hearts as glit- tering stars to cheer the midnight sky. Hugh Boyntou, smoking his high-priced Havana after dinner that evening in the luxurious case of his favorite lounging-chair had utterly forgotten all about the few words and the silver coin which he had thrown to the tramp whom he had over- taken as he rode home from hounds. Jim, I 3x3“ 11,,“ he was committed m prism, for, curled up underthc .cc ofaclover rick for once uvam days. of surlfd‘cspcct; and when that happens to man or boy, heaven help him, forliis doom is sealed. Jim mine out of jail utterly reckless, with ~ 1 wild hatred of everybody and everything. He thought no more of soldicring or getting’ cnces. , . . . . , i'_ . . .. . , . . ' ' “us broke (10,”, 1,15 lust shred. tinned the ha_i L10“:l ox LI. and oy er in his 3 hand, and thought of how in his life he had been spoken kindly to by a real gentleman. l ,. . . l rive dreary years passed over Jun 5 luck- ~ less head, their monotony broken by police- , court, prison-cell, and vagrant-ward experi- lIclnid wandered up and down "park, but. let himself drift resolutely to the ‘ some dozen counties, and seen the inside of - Valli. . - o f , u v v . He soon got into vicious companymnd most of their jails, and now, as Christmas ' before many Weeks were over was again drew dear, had drifted towards York ; not ~ “in the clutches of the law. The down-hill that he had any particular reason forgetting road is an ciuisy one, and the pace always I there, butbccausc it lay in his way north, .mpid, and so at thirty years of age he was I and he happened to he making in that dii'cc- lei-catty widely known to the authorities as a. tion,why, not even lichiinsclfkncw,for north awniirined rogue and thief, who would not .stick at triilcs when once he was roused. He Once or south, east, and west were alike to him. had had a run of bad luck lately. ‘i'T'es,1'iicrc was no doubting it, he was an Q twice he had found a cusual’s Welcome and mut-and-out bad lot ! And he looked it, too, -_ an be slouchcd along the country lane with - rb‘LXl'dS deep in his empty pockets and his brad bent to meet the rain which the Tuvcnibcr wind drove in his face. But he ‘ was too much used to discomfort to hch the weather, and plcddcd sullcnly on through the puddles in the deepening gloom, half asleep, and so utterly careless of everything .Izmmd that he never heard the beat of hoofs «until u. cheery voice cried : “ Now, my good -: Mow, if you do not want. the whole road to yourself, perhaps you will let me pass.” Jim never looked round, but sliink closer rm the dripping hedgerow expecting the "Jmmeman to ride on without another word, kit something quite unexpected happened, 3.9x- mhc cheery voice said “ Thanks E” US: was the first time any one had ever ' thanked the good-for-nothing, and he stared Ia, -.'in.bln.nk amazement, and saw a man of - at his own age, in red coat and to )-boots ‘flrntifully bespattcrcd with mud, coking “imam at him from the back of a weight-car- rying. hunter without the least gleam of aver- “ afienorsuspiciou on his pleasant, fresh-color- ossifmie. "" You look rather done up ; been long on like road 2” “A week nn' more l” The reply bras maly enoughâ€"not that Jim resented the question, but simply because he was so used mfmsults and rough speaking that the idea «if .1. “ blooniin swell” s caking civilly to «web as he took im utter y by surprism " ". Going home ‘2" _ 'Jim ' gave a contemptuous grunt. ‘* Never Wynn, guv'nor !" “Poor chap lBut you live somewhere, I an?“ e 2" ‘tlhyes ”â€"â€"wi'th a grim chuckleâ€"NI live vmmet'heresâ€"anywlicres. I’se not like some rinks, must have everything ti -top. No ; 'Pshut’s nob my style. Ye'vo a lg house, in 4m, and lots of slavoys to wait on yo. I! Eves just where I can, and has to fend for ~ Wayland don't often get my meals rcg’lar. ” And the cruel contrast between himself ’ and his companion filled the tramp’s heart ruin-h bitter thoughts. Why have some folks elm good-filings of life and others none of 353m '3 Here was a man no older than him- - “with line clothes on his back and a horse mnarry him ; while he, poor fellow, had to »W along ankle deep in the mud with scarcely .a whole thread to cover him. “fly, the very horse was along way better ' mi and more cared for : it at least had a ' ~wm,dry stable and plenty of food waiting 'Smr it, while he had never a resting-place nor vani‘ust of bread to eat, , Again the cheery, kind tones startled Fin: “But you have friends somewhere, I so pose l" “.‘o ; not me! There‘s never a single and, guv‘nor, in this wide world as cares a tap for me; and when I lies down some day .deies inaditch, thcrc'll noan be, man, m, or child. as'll miss me. Nonc’ll be sandy, ’ccptiu' the parish bums ns‘ll have to Just me underground, and they‘ll grud re “Eats-5; of that even." Jim gave. a short ug y ‘fisgglz and slouchcd on, the water squish, squish, squishing out of the ga ing rents of {his old boots at every step. aims-xi tho “ swell " to ride off now and have him to the rapidly deepening gloom mad the wild, cliccrlcss night ; but the horse and kept steadily alongside of him, and his 3'33»! spoke again. “Can’t you get into regular work man ,seutcnccd Inn 151:.” this tramp business ?" “‘ no ; there‘s nonc‘ll have the likes of inc. 5 don't look ivspcct'ible run-ugh." " Nonsense. mun. llun‘t get down on rt luck, but pick yourself up; Now. look B's-‘2 will ink:- it.‘ .‘kiin could not lvclicvc his cars. trtvally tall-1m: In him :15 if he was :in hun- «2.3. man, and no! wtnc N‘I‘l of vermin or asrnmvzous l-mst. .\ rml " tipltop gcntlc- rant," too. He llllls’. be lllllildlvll. ism m1 cycs \t'ci’t‘ looking; coolly enough at inn- and their mun-r was siying, "\Vcll, slim do you my 3" i “‘ Yer don‘t know what I be : I'm a bad slept under cover; but he had arootcd objec- tion to its concomitants, and choose rather the cold and exposure of the open air. ' for somehow the near approach of the festi- ! l l liwith snow. He shiveer and buried himself I val of peace and good-az'll seemed to have shut up men’s pockets, and sharp refusals and scornful silence were all he got from those of whom he asked help. The afternoon was closing as he found him- self in the long straggling village of Nnrston, footsoro and done up. The lights at the the groccr’s shop tlirewn broadband of bright- ness across the road, and Jim could see a man in a white apron busily piling up a pyramid of loaves which a boy had just )rought in crisp and hot from the bakchousc. "Now then, what is it '2" cried the shopman sharply, ashe scanned J im’s tattered appear- ance " Will ye give give me ynn ov them little uns, guv’nur ? I’m high clcmmcd” ; and he nodded towards the bread pile. “ No, certainly not ; I never give to beg- gars or tramps.” “ I’ve not tasted bite nor sup this blessed day, God knows.” “ Can’t help that ! Come, get out of the shop, do you hear ?-or I’ll set the constable onto you. The likes of you ought not to be allowed to go about the country. Dome, of} with you !" So the social outcast went forth into the night hungry and insulted, and the sleek tradesmen rubbed his hands and stacked his loaves, congratulating himself the while on his refusal to countenance a worthless vaga- bond, who, regarded from the lofty stand- oint of olitical economy, had no right to live on tfie earth. And yet Mr. Jonathan Dinner was wont to pose on political plat- forms as the heaven-sent champion of the masses. Then, indeed, his sympathy flowed out in such a mighty torrent towards the universal brotherhood of man that there was not so much as a drop left to give a crust or even a civil Word to a starving tramp at his door. Three times did Jim try his luck down the length of the villa 0 street, with no better success ; and then e ave it up and bitterly him and faced the bleak open country again. He dragged himself along for a. few weary miles, then opening a ate crawled into a. half ruined cowshcd an flung himself down upon some brackcn and straw litter in the furthest corner, and dozed off. 'Wlien he woke up the moon had risen, and Was shin- ing in through the chinks of the roof, and Jim could see the countryside was white completely in the brackcn and tried to sleep again and forget the cold and his hunger. He had almost succeeded, when the sound of voices came to him on the still night air, and a minute latcrtlirce men en- tered the shed. “ Curse the cold l" rowlcd one as he drew back just within the . iadow. “ Curse him, vou moan,“ said another, as I ‘3 ‘lu‘m 9" he leaned a thick oak cudgcl agninstthe wall and began to blow upon his numbed fingers. “I‘ll do more than curse him when th’ time. comes." answered the first speaker. “ -\_v, he‘d best not have taken us i‘ hand. \‘ays he, when with the rest of t‘beuks he and Jeff: ‘Thc poaching ixisvttils shall be stopped, if I have to do it single-handcd.m " \\'cll. he'll be singleâ€"handed to-night anyways, for he‘s no groom wi' him. So he 2-: I will give you ;~_ chance “av-self, if . can try what he's good for wi‘ thrcc ov us; ych. .lm k Sumo niic' 1;,” mo ' li‘s ptzst [\vcl‘vc n " llr‘ll find it :i touin job, I'm thinking. “ is t‘wirc right. l‘mb‘l" M " Snrrly _! llis lllill‘t‘ steps hiin : but I‘vc ; .h\\'~.‘xl for it. and she'll catch beautifully. now; he onghtn't to be long." l “ llist '. inatc : thcrc's \vhccls. l t'vnw on." The three nu-n went out quicklv. nndJini. Now for‘t. 3 i'vo been in qizml of! enough," l-lm-u-«l , li'llrm‘ing to the door. saw iln-m leap into Jim, fer-1mg winchnw he chum 1m; ml“. ihc road and hide in the hedge on the --p- , wlicthcr \ ankcc trainers are so great he- X323 new-found patron in. "‘ I dare say you have. and deserved if. j But I llt‘llthc von can pull around yet ; Slime “ll-“- who. _ Hymn like; and. .is l sud. I will give you chance. of regular work and pay. you take it 3" in the depth of Jim's warped nature there ,glistunered smuiething like a spark of gmti~ l V . . u . . I 32m»: and a dim longing after a new life, n-r' _ nummuit ; but old habits wch {on strung I suddenly plunge and stagger forward. positc side : then he stole down to the grate, out of more curiosity to watch what their In a few minutes the ring of 5 hime grew louder, and a high-wheeled dog- “fll ; curt spinning round a corner came mpidly down the lane. It was occupied by one figure-only. the red glow of whose ciizar {Iledl’lit‘ll in the frustynii':uinl just as Ihc scent nfi'. rtncliml Jim he saw the horse The Zim- Zaizn. and the clouds closed darker again ‘fll'V‘Sll-W“ Lil-n llmlt‘ it“ Wi‘l’k- the animal u. for shank his head and xiidin tones which I 1"” hl‘m'll.“ ‘m'l ll“? ‘ant‘T. mmwn 013' his 3135 10 be civil: “ Sn, «gm-‘11.,“ yu- mfimllalnncc by the shock, shot out on to the was... - but it's no :0 new. I fill 110 good furl snow. Bt'fun’: he mul-l rise, the men were «sailfish but cadéing and txuxiiping, my “upon him but somehow he managed to \Vell, here is a supper and a bed . The sight was too much for the furnished them what he knew about the crater. fellow and he pushed his way into the shop. thing the Mexicans are superstitious left the houses of his ellow-creatures behind i ,shake them clear and struggle to his feet. | Be faced themboldly,a.nd met their rush with a right and left haner which sent one to the I 'round, but the other two closed in upon m. Jim looked on with languid interest. Evi- dently it was some magistrate wavlaid by three men who had a score to settle against him. It was no business of his. anyway, and though three to one was hardly fair he was not going to interfere. The gentleman fought well, whoever he was, and again sent an assilant backward with a. well got t i HOW ROD WAS LED. BY KATE SC)! NEE GATES. Two ladies stood by Sue Ingram's counter waiting for chain «3. “ Indeed we are," responded Mrs. Cur- rier. “ It does my heart good to see the {Sung people so thoughtful and earnest. I've en feeling so anxious all day about one in particular : Rod Carter." Sue gave a little start as she caught the in blow. But the odds were too heavy. and “inner bllt “Either lady “Ollced in the cudgels told. He began to stagger and ‘ve ound, and ablow on the head beat im ( own. “Give it- him, lads. if we swing for’t," cried the tallest of the three villains, jumping upon him, mad and blind with rage. A ray of moonlight fell upon the upturned face of the fallen man: it wastliat of the gen~ tleman who five years ago had talked with Jim in the lane! In aninstanthewas overthc gate and at the men like a tiger-cat, and so ! sudden was his on set that they gave 'round; then, seeing he wnsalonc,tlieyrushcc athim with oaths and threats. “'euk from want of food and half dead with cold, pour Jim had never a chancel’or a. few seconds he holdup doggedly against the shower of blows: then feeling he was done for, stooped suddenly, flung his arms round the senseless Squire, I and with one last cil‘ort managed to roll into I the deep ditch, kccping himself uppermost. I The brutes jumped down and strove to make him loose his; hold of their victim: but stun~ nod and blinded with blood, he clung fiercely to Hugh lloynton, sheltering his body with his own. The world began to spin roundâ€"another and another heavy blowâ€"a chiming of fur-off l bellsâ€"n hollow buzzingâ€"mud thenâ€"black night- for ever. Next morning they were found together 'in the blood-smeared ditchâ€"one living and the other dcud. Hugh Boynton often wonders, as he looks at the white cross which he put up over a ‘liameless grave, who his preserver was. lint the recording anch will one day tell how Jim the trump, the “out-ziud-out bad lot," gave his life for the man-who once spoke BNTOMBBD IN A ORATER. The Remarkrhlc firm-y Told by a Party of Explorers in New Mexico. A party who have been exploring the crater or lava beds about twenty miles south- west of Albuquerque have returned, and vouch for the truthfulness of the story relat- ed by J. A. Beeton and R. \V'. London. These two gentlemen stated that on their way to the Malpais they met a. Mexican who volunteered fora few dollars to go and show As a. He _~ - had scarcely tasted food for awcck, and had llimdly to 1mm almost forgotten the feel of a copper coin ; and shun the vicinity of the lava. beds, but this man agreed to go. He piloted the Al- buquerqueans to afcavc on the highest point, through cracks in the floor of which a. warm vapor ascended. Viewing the surroundings for a. few seconds the men were startled bya low rumbling sound, like distant thunder, and the lava beneath their feet trembled. The Mexican fled immediately to the open air, but before the gentlemen could realize it a portion of the bottom of the cave fell, and they with it, into intense darkness. Neither was injured, but the ground upon which they fell seemed to away to and fro. Fortunately one of the party had a candle and seine matches, and alter innumerable attempts to light it the candle was made to burn. When light was obtained a lake of water, black as pitch, lay at their feet, while the opposite shore appeared to be moving from right to left. It seemed that they had landed on a floating island or a. huge mass of lava which has probably been eddying around in this strange whirlpool for centuries. The Mexican soon returned to the mouth of the cave, and, lowerin lariats, by the aid of their horses ulled t e imprisoned explorers out of their ondage and to the surface once more. An- other party is being organized :and will visit the crater. The Marking of Bird's Eye Maple. Prof. Beal finds that the peculiar mark- ings in bird’s eye ms 10 do not occur in young trees up to about t ree inches in diameter, nor very high up in trees which are very much pitted at the base. A specimen taken 50 feet above the ground showed no trace of bird's eye, while another from near the base of the same tree was very strongly marked. If the cause of these formations could be discovered and used to produce the marks, it would add greatly to the market value of the timber, for the wood of this maple and other trees somewhat similarly marked is comparatively scarce and in great demand for veneers. Into Sahara's Desert- Undaunted by the fate of Camille Douls, the young explorer who was murdered inthe Sahara about a year ago, a. M. Fernand Fou- rcau has nowplunged boldly into the country of the Touuregs. He was dissuaded from his enterprise by his friends and the Goverm ment of Algeria, but all to no purpose. The Geographical Society, as well as the Govcrn~ nicnt gives him nothing but sympathy, and no one believes that he will come alive out of the mysterious desert where several of his intrepid fellmv-country men have already ‘ perished. l ___._________.._. If Chicago cannot $0011 raise the guarantee fund 0 fSlOJN'KLOIN) the \Vorld's Fair will be taken away, and probably given to New York. A Common remark of n drnnkard is that he is making a beast of himself. It seems sometimes to happen, however, that a beast I is made .i drunkard. A Sydney, N. S. \\'., correspondcnt who appears to regard the - incident as ;\ jokc, lush-ad of an act of abso- t lutc wickedness, writes : " I am not aware ‘lievcrs as ours in whiskey as a medium of Dutch courage to weakâ€"hearted animals. 'Aboui this time last year a horse called ,Southcrly Buster had no less than three ‘lmtllcs of whiskey poured into him just , before startin" inn race. It made the horse 3 tight as 0. lord, and duringr the running he . got mixed up with the pailiug fence and his 'jocky was badly hurt. \\'hen the Buster 3 got up he was staggering all over the course "and started wu'iging his head with a ludiv g crous. drunken nor.â€" Australian horses often “have stiff ‘ nips' given iln-in, but the Buster 3 is the iirst horse I have seen pmpcrlv drunk I . . .. - and winking at the crowd. ' I E l a l “ He used to bein my Sunday-school class, on know," continued Mrs. Currier, ” but 8 has not been much lately ;he has gotten in with a set who do not help him much, I fancy. Some of our boys coaxed him into oneofthe xneetings,hov.'ever, and he is really very much interested. I hoped he would decide the (piestion last night ; Icould see he was just alting between two opinions, but he was not quite ready to decide. The worst of it is he could not come tonight, as he had a previous engagement. ” Sue started again at this and looked a trifle conscious. “ I’m so afraid he will be drawn back,” she heard Mrs. Currier say next, “Some- howI have a feeling that if he wilfully stays away to-night, and puts off deciding until a more convenicmt season, the Spirit - will cease to strive with himâ€"now, any way. I am so anxious about it.” “ Here’s your change, madam,” said Sue, just then. There were tears in gentle Mrs. Currier‘s eyes as she turned to take it. " My door,” she said, obeying a sudden impulse us she glanced at Sue's saucy, piqu- unt face, “ my dear, don‘t forget your re- sponsibility in influencing your friends and associates. It will be a. dreadful thing at that lustflny to have any one say we led them astray, away from the right; will it not '3" Sue had no answer ready for this query, and the ladies passed out. ‘ ‘30 Rod is interested in religion, is he ‘3" she thought, as she put. things to rights. “Won- der what Mrs. Currier would have said if she had known his engagement was to take me to the theater. I suppose she would have besouglit me to let him ofi'and send him to meeting. Perhaps I on vlit; But I don’t get very much fun, and I on’t see why he can’t decide before or after just as well. Still.” and Sue fairly shuddeer at the thought, “it would be awful if he should get over it at the play and then blmncmc for it.” All day long Sue was perplexed and troubled, and as unlike her usual merry, saucy self as possible. “\Vhatever in the world am I going to do?” she thought as she started for home at night. “I wish Mrs. Currier had gene some- where else shopping. I don’t see what earthly difference it makes ; the meetings last a. week longer, and Rod can go every evening for all of me, but if I give up the theater to-night the dear know 8 when I'll get another chance to go. I guess if Mrs. Currier had to work as I do, and didn’t have any more fun than I do, she wouldn’t think it. such a. simple matter to give it up. It’s all nonsense, any way. I’m not responsible for Rod’s not de- ciding. He had time enough this week, but he hasn't improved it, and very likely he wouldn’t to-night, even if he went to the meeting. I’m not going to give up my good time unless he asks me to.” And having come to this decision Sue has- tened her steps and tried to think no more about it. But in spite of her best endeavors she felt any thing but comfortable as she made preparations to go. She even kept Rod waiting fully ten minutes while shestood in her own room, but and jacket on, and thought it. all over again. It ended, however, in her coming down witha half-recklesslook, and they started out» But Sue found» her companion very sober and absent-minded, yet, while it increased her own disquiet of mind, she up arently did not notice it, but laughed an chatted incessantly. “1 We've lost our car and will have to waita few minutes," said Rod, as they reached the corner. “ What got. into you, Sue? I never knew you to keep any body waiting before, especially when there Was a good time on hand." I Didn’t you? Well, there aIWays has to be a. first time. you know,” Was Sue's only reply ; and then fora few minutes neither of them spoke. Sue seemed to see Mrs. Currier’s earnest face, to hear her saying,” Don’t forget your responsibility ; it will bea dreadful thing to healr any one say we led them away from the rig it." , Rod was trying in vain to quiet his troub- led conscience. “ There’s no use in my feeling so uncom- fortable. l’ll go to the meeting to-morrow night, and decide one way or the other and be done with it. ’ But, suggested something within, suppose something should happen before then ; things do to people many times when they least expect them. What if it should be too late tomorrow night ! Rod shook himself impatiently. “ Here‘s the car," he said, with a look of relief ; but just then they both heard the church bell. “ Don't forget,” it said to Sue ; “' Come now," it seemed to Rod to plead. For an instant their eyes met, andSue, with nick intuition read the struggle in Rod's ace. “ It will be a dreadful thing to hear any one say we led them astray." How those words rang in Sue's cars ! “ Yes," she said to herself, “it would be horrible, and Iwill not run the risk of it for all the fun in the world; if Rod goes away from the right it shall not be my fault." The. car was close to thcm, and liod put out his hand to help Sue, but she drew brick. “ \Vo won’t go to the thcutrc to-night; we will go to the meeting, and if] \vcri: in your place, >mdney, I wouldn't hesitate any longer. I‘d make up my mind for the rii'ht to-night." cliod turned and looked at Sue, too sur- prised to nilt‘flk. “' How did you know '.'" lic askcd.pre;~,cntly. “O. I found it out," she answered, am they went up the church steps. It was an intensely solemn meeting ; the text was “Choose yo this day whom ye will serve.” It came to Rod like a command. After the sermon, when the minister came down from the pulpit, and, looking anxiously intn tin: faces before him. asked if thcrc were not some who would choose now whom they would serve, find was one of the first to l'lSir. “I have chosen Christ for my Muster," he , said. and there. wms' a real ring of joy in his voice, "and, God helping me, I will serve him faithfully all the rest-of my life." Two heads bent suddenly as he spoke. ‘ “Thank God," mid Mrs. Currier, softly. , ” “'hlfldellghl “lmee‘lngs we melmVlnS!" walked hnme_to gather. “I cannot tell you Mrs. \\ alker said. how happy and thankful I am that I have l proclaim. t sure, and her degradation more crucl than iii- herself ; but Sue said never a word ; only sudden rush of tears blinded her eyes. "I can never thank you enough, Sue! for your help to-night," said Rod, as they decided. “I am \ery Vlad also; but you need not thank me, Rm . for I think I helped myself to decide, as well as you," answered Sue. "I did not do anything worth mentioning for you. yet it made inc happier than I ever was before, I think, to feel that I had helped even the least bit. If God will only accept and help me I want to serve him, too." Theâ€"Sun-Dsnce of the Sioux. Licut. Schwatks contributes to, and Fred- eric Remington graphically illustrates in, the March C cntury a curious custom of the Sioux. From this article we. quote the fol~ lowing : “ \thn all had assembled and tho medicine-men had set the date for the begin- ning of the great dance. dedicated to the sun, the ‘sun-pole ’ was selected. A handsome young pine or fir, forty or fifty feet high, with t 10 struightcst and most uniformly tapering trunk that could be found within a reasonable distance. was chosen. The selection is always inzulc by some old woman, generally the oldest one in the camp, if there is any way of determining, wholcads u num- ber of maidens guily dressed in the beautiful bcudcd buckskin gowns they wear on state ‘ occasions : the part of the maidens is to strip the tree of its limbs as high (LS )os:llilc withâ€" out felling it. \Voc to the gir who claims to be a maiden, and joins the procession the old sqnnw forms, against whose claims any reputable warrior or Squaw may publicly Her punishment is swift and tcrcsting. “ The selection of the tree is the only special feature of the first day‘s celebration. After it has been stri iped of itsl branches nearly to the top, the iriishwood and trees for a considerable distance about it are rc- movcd, and it is left standing for the cere- mony of the second day. “ Long before sunrise the eager partici- pants in the ncxt‘grcat step were preparing themselves for the ordeal ; and a quarter of an hour before the sun rose above the broken hills of white clay a long lincofnnkcd young warriors, in gorgeous weir-paint rind feathers, with rifles, bows and arrows, and war-lanccs in hand, faced the clst and the sun-pole which was from five to six hundred yards away. Ordinarily this group of warriors numbers from fifty to possibly two hundred men. An interpreter ncuruic csthnutcd the line I bclicld as from a thousand to twelve hundred strong. Not far away, on a high hill overlooking the barbaric scene, was an old warrior, a medicine-man of the tribe, I think, whose solemn duty it was to announce by a shout that could be heard by every one of the expectant throng the exact moment when the tip of the morning sun appeared above the eastern hills. Perfect quiet rest- ed upon the line of young warriors and upon the rent throng of savage spectators that blacked the green hills overlooking the arena. Suddenly the old warrior, who had been kneeling on one knee, with his extend- ed pnlm shading his scmggy eyebrows, arose to his full height, and in aslow, digni- fied manner waved his blanketed arm above his head. The few warriors who were still unmountcdnow jumped liurriedl ' upon their ponies; the broken, wavering line rapidly took on a more regular appearance ; and then the old man, who had atlicrcd him- self for the great effort, hurlei forth a yell that could be heard to the uttermost limits of the great throng. The morning sun had sent its commands to its warriofi on earth. to charge. “The about from the bill was re-echocd by the thousand men in the valle ; it was can ht u by the spectators on tie hills an the on line of warriors hurled themselves forwar towards the sun-pole, the objective point of every armed and naked savage in the yelling line. As they converged towards it the slower ponies dropped out, and the weaker ones were crushed to the rear. Near er and nearer they came, the long line be- coming massed until it was but ii surging crowd of plunging horses and yelling, gesti- eulatin riders. When leading warriors had reache a oint within a hundred yards of the sun-p0 e, a sharp report of rifles sounded along the line, and a moment later the rush- ing mass was ashect of flame, and the rattle of ride shots was like the rapid beat of a drum resounding among the hills. Every shot, every arrow, and every lance was di. rooted at the pole, and bark and chips were flying from its sidcslike shavings from the ro- tary )it of a planer. “’hen every bullet had been disclmr red, and every arrow and lance had been hur ed, the riders crowded around the pole and shouted as only excited savages can shout. “Had it fallen in this onslaught, another pole would have been chosen and another morning devoted to this pcrforinancu Though this seldom happens, it was thought that the numerous assailants of this pole might bring it to the ground. They did not, however, although it looked like u. ragged scarecrow, with chips and bark hang- ing from its mutilated sides. “That such a vast, tumultuous throng could escape aceidcnt iii all that wild charg- ing, firing of shots, hurling of lances and arrows, and great cXcitcmcnt Would be bordering on a miracle, and no miracle hap- pened. Uni: of the great warriors was trampled upon in the charge and died late that evening, and another Indian was shot. The bruises, sprains, and cuts that might have been spoken of in lc.~'.€ci' ailhirs “’l'll' here unnoticed, and nothing wu's heard of them." I *â€" ._..__._‘-_â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€" I Great-Grandmother at Fifty. 'l'hc youngmt grindgrandnmtht-r in Ann-r- l('1l probably lives near l’umonix, California. Her name is Francesca ffoi'dollzi, and bur age is but fifty years, She is a poor Spanish { woman who has lived in that region foruvci: thirty years. She was married when but fifteen years old, and her eldest daughter married when a little over seventeen years old. Mrs. (.‘ordollzi was but thirty-three years old when she was a grandmother. llcr eldest granddaughter was married last Api'ilat thcagcof sixteen years, and now that a great grainl-daughtcr has Imcn born into the family there is great rejoicing among the (fordollas and their Spanish rc- lativcs. Mrs. (for-lulla is in superb health, and bile says that if the record of the family ’ keeps up Hlll: will have the felicity of holdingr her great-greatgrandchild upon her knee before the biblical alloted time for her on. earth is measured out. â€"â€"â€"â€"--â€"-.o.â€"â€"-â€"â€"â€"â€"â€" l You will never regret having sacrificed a pleasure to fulfil a duty, ! l -‘ W’ . 25's.. camâ€"‘- Li ‘5 l