The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

“1% ea 1 < c ‘2“. ' ‘ “mfivvvww no r; A CAST FDR FDRTUE. 2Br CHRISTIAN REID, l.\‘ ‘ ‘Lippincott's Magazme.” CHAPTER IV. ” A lab yrinth of mountains, which, arid and desolate, lose themselves in the distance; infinitely varied in form, suggesting inexpres- sible and awful oontortions ; full of deep, sad shadows, lonely, terrifyin , like a sombre and tempestuous ocean su denly petrified with awe at the whisper of God." So has a Mexican writer impressively des- cribed the re 'on of the t Sierras that lift their deco te heights above the fertile table-land. The flanks of these vast ranges, l as they stretch down to the lien-a. calicntc,‘ are clothed with tropical forests, but as they I rise above the lateau-in itself from six to ' eight thousan feet above the level of the ' seaâ€"â€"-they arebare of all vegetation, and their , rugged forms, rent and torn by volcanic ac- tion intodeep chasms andjgorgesm'ild ,inacces- sible peaks, and wonderful serrated ridges, suggest the immediate resence of nature’s most terrible and resist ess forces. No one i can shake off a sense of awe, and of a distaste amountin to repugnance, in travelling through t ese regions, so wild, so desolate, and so forbidding. It was in the midst of such a region that Derwent found himself three or four days after leavin Guadalajara. A journey on mule-back o twenty leagues had brought him into the heart of the great Sierra. Ma- dre, and when he was told that the mine was at hand he looked on a scene that for wildness, sublimity, and loveliness could hardly be matched in the world. They were threading their way along one of the 5 rent barrancas,â€"immense gorges that divide the mountains and descend often to a depth of three or four thousand feet,â€" while all around great peaks thrust them~ selves against the sky, varying only in the abrupt rug edness of their forms, invariable in the deso ate barrenness of their aspect. The roup of riders passing in single file along t e shelf-like road that overhung the . barranca. added the only touch of life to the ' I scene. There were five in the party,â€"â€"â€"Der- went, Fernandez, a Mexican named Aranda whom Fernandez introduced as one of the owners of the mine, and two servants, know in Mexico as moms. The two riders in front of Derwent were a continual source of pleasure to his eye, from the icturesque appearance which they presents ,with their silver-inlaid bridles, their elaborately-decor- ated saddles, their le ings of stamped and fringed leather, and8 their short jackets which afforded an excellent view of the pistols they wore in a belt around their waist. The two mozos behind Were, in mod- ified degree, not less striking in aspect, and Derwent had a humorous sense of his own common lace appearance in a tweed suit and ii soft fe t hat. -cess. There is the explanation, Mr. increased in size and richness as depth was reached ; and Derwent saw no reason to doubt Senor Aranda’s statement that in the lower shaft (now filled with water) the vein was eighteen feet wide and very rich in sil- ver. \Vhen they had struggled back tothe li ht of day, along the apparently intermina le tunnel, and sat down in the sweet outer air by the side of the stream, the young man spoke with quiet deliberateness. “ The mine is all that you have described it, Senor Fernandez," he said, “and appar- ently well_ worth the price asked. But, to speak frankly I do not see how the owners can afford to sell at this price, nor where your profits in the transaction are to come from.” Fernandez looked at him with a smile. “ I do not wonder that it strikes you in this way,” he said. “ I shall be glad to explain. As for the owners, what can they do but sell '3 The mine is rich, but they cannot work it: it has gone beyond them, The water is very strong, and before the shaft can be carried deeper, a. pump must be put in. They have no money for such an ex- pense." “There is ore enough in sight to pay that and all other expenses for a considerable time to come.” “To pay expenses, yes,â€"but not to make much profit when worked by the patio Bro- er- went. The Buena Esperanza yielded a for- tune in its docile ores; but the ores are now refractory, and the Wealth that it still holds can be extracted only by a large outlay of money. Capital must take hold of it, and work it ona great scale. The day is past for small things.” “That is true,”said Derwent. “This is a mine which will ield immensely, but it must, as you say, e worked on a great scale. Put the owners aside, then, where is your )l‘Ofit in the matter?” “I thou ht Morell had explained that” answered Fernandez. “\Ve expect to make our profit from you. If you work the mine, we want a share in it ; if you sell it (which I suppose to be your intention), we want a share of your profit, as a return for having put into your hands a very good thing.” “I was under the impression,” said Der- went, “that it isusually the seller and not the buyer, who pays the intermediate agent his commission.” “That might easily have been arranged,” returned the other. “\Ve need only have asked you forty thousand dollars for the mine, instead of twenty thousand, and we should have made ten thousand apiece. You cannot say that the Buena Esperanza is not worth as much as that.” “The Buena Esperanza may be worth it, Presently a rare and Welcome sound came but I should not have given it)» Derwent re_ to their ears, the sound of falling water. From a gorge that opened upon the bar- 'ranca. a small stream issued, and, crossing their path, fell in a succession of leapin cascades to the depths below. Aroad turned off into the gorge, and this they followed. It was hardly more than a trail along the bank of the stream, ever mounting higher in the midst of scenery that grew more wildly pic- turesque with every step. \Vherever there i is water in Mexico, luxuriant verdure fol- lows ; and the ravine was full of a greenness absolutely enchanting after the arid desola- tion of the scenes over which they had pass- ed. ‘ Turning to Derwent, Fernandez said that the stream would lead them immediately to I the mouth of the mine, and while he was descanting on the great advantages that water so near at hand afforded for the re- ducing of the orcs, a sudden turn of the winding way brought them into full view of a commanding mountain, and, extending his hand with a dramatic gesture, he said, “ There is the Bucna Esperanza.” It made an impressive picture, and one that Derwent was never likely to forget. Standing at the head of the gorge and closing it like a gate, the vast s opes, sur- rounded by deep canons, rose upward into a peak that dominated all the surrounding heights. “'as it the young man’s fancy that gave a peculiar air of majesty to this - towering crest, uplifted in regal calmagainst the deep-blue 1' Already, as they climbed beside the chafing stream, he could see a dark 0 )ening in its side, which led to the treasurclburied within its heart in distant ages by the wonderful forces of nature. What fairy-talc of man’s imagination can equal the realit ' of this sober fact? The chamber of Aim din was poor compared to the wealth that might- be held in the lodes to which that passage ran. So Derwent said to himself, smiling a little at his own fancies. its the ' dismounted before the arch- ed entrance 0 a tunnel draped by vines and surrounded by luxuriant 'reenery. while the stream, now near its head, dashed in white foam over the rocks just below. “This tunnel goes in a hundred and fifty feet, and cuts the vien three hundred feet below the surface," said Fernandez, “of course as you, perceive."-â€"pointing to the water issuing fk‘om it,â€"-”it drains the mine to that depth: so we can examine it. But first come up the hill and look at the crop. pings. I want to know if you ever saw any- ihing to equal them.“ Leaving their mules. they climbed up the steep, almost ‘rpcndicular mountain-side, and soon foum the quartz vein, distinctly traceable as a li ht seam, running across the slope. For a sur acesshowing. its dimensions were immense. Derwent followed it for at least a mile, and found its width ncver less than twelve feet, and often more. Various shafts had been sunk. and the rich oru piled around the mouth of each proved the value and permanency of the mine. “It had been twice in bonanza," said l-‘cniandez, “ and millions have been taken from it. I am sure. .\lr. Derwent. that you never saw such a mine offered before for so little money." Derwent was. indeed, quite sure of this. Ever ' indication proved the great value of t c property: but as his conviction of its value increaml. so also did his conviction that there was something unusual and calculated to inspire distrust. in the fact that it should be offered for so low a price. He said nothin of this to Fernandez, how- ever, until after t my bad thorou hly exam. _ faced the interior to the de h of t e tunnel. This was a long. a very la rious. and very disagreeable business: but the result «2011' firmed all that had been said. The lodes "l‘he “bot lands" of the com-t. plied. “You might, if you had never heard of the lower price,” said Fernandez calmly. I am not flattering you, Mr. Derwent, when I say that you know how to judge_ a mine. And you are aware that this mine is worth ten times what is asked for it. \Vlien Mor- ell received your letter, he said tome, ‘Here is a man who wants it mine for speculative purposes, to take into the the world and sell for a bi price. In order to succeed in this, he must iavea good mine. \Ve will sell him the Buena Esperanza at its bottom price, and then we will make our profit by sharing in his. When we have put such a property in his hands, he cannot re- fuse this.’ I am sure Morell was right, Mr. Derwent. You cannot refuse to enter into such an arrangement.” “And if I do refuse,” said Derwent,â€"â€"â€"”for I object very much to having partners in my business,-â€"what then ?” “Then we must ask thousand dollars for the mine. lowest price." There was a silence. Had Derwent fol- lowed his impulse, he would have risen to his feet, said, curtly, “I decline to buy your mine on any terms,” and, mounting his mule, have ridden away. But it required only a moment’s reflection to show that such a course would be particularly ill advised at present. Whether or not Fernandez meant to flatter him when he said that he knew how to judge a mine, the fact remained that he did know, and that he had never seen a mine that seemed to him so well worth pos- sessing as the Buena Esperanza. He had said to himself as he examined itslodcs, that if all went well with him he ought to be able to make enough out of this alone to accomplish the end he had in view. And now, after he had, as it were, seen with his own eyes the treasure that was to redeem fortune and honor for him, it was snatched away, and he had to choose between resign- ing it altogetherâ€"for to pay the additional price asked was impossibleâ€"or to share with others the profit needed by himself. It was a hard decision, mid the manner in which it was forced upon himâ€"the time and place-â€" made him say to himself that his original distrust of Fernandez was well justified. As he sat- on the green bank, with the shade-arched entrance of the mine behind him, the foaming water at his feet, and his gaze taking in idly the two mozos with the tethered animals farther down the stream, and Senor Aranda near at hand smoking cigarettes, he asked himself what he should do, with a desire for counsel and direction such as he had never known before. And while he still hesitated, uncertain how to deal with the man who he now felt sure would take any advantage of him, a sound suddenly smote on the ears of all three, which made them look at each other with a glance of surprised interrogation. you to pay forty That is our CHAPTER V. It was the sound of a horse's hoofs strik- ing on the rocky road as he'came up the gorge, the enclosing walls of which conduct- ed the sound with.~ startling distinctness in advance. There was nothinv 'et to be seen. but the sounds made it plain y evident that the rider was hurrying his animal at a pace very unsuited to the character of the way. Derwent saw the two Mexicans ex~ change a startled glance. Then Aranda shrugged his shoulders with the air of aman who foreseesa difficulty. “It is Barrera,” he said, in Spanish. “ I told you that he had threatened to come." “And what does he expect to gain by com- inv'f" asked Fernandez, with an expression offiip and eye that did not promise a very amicable reception for that hurrying rider. “He knows that» he can do nothing. great markets of i I have ‘ t) Guadalajara. But it ‘ him here.” And he closed his hand with a quick signifiuint ture. “That may be,’ said the other, cautiously. “But Barrera is a man who stops at nothing. It will be well to conciliate him if possible. “'lien he is an , he isâ€"dangerous." “And so am dangerousâ€"when I am ro- voked,” returned Fernandez. If Senor - rera comes here to 've trouble, instead of ~:onciliating I shall efy him. Then let him do his worst. He knows that he L811 do nothing." The meaning of these quick sentences did not escape Derwent, though he understood little of the language in which they were spoken. Human tones are much the same in all languages, however, and there could be no more doubt of the anger of one man than of the apprehension of the other. “What is the matter 1" he asked, turning to Fernandez. “\Vho is coming 3 ’ “We do not know,” that gentleman re- plied. “But Aranda thinks it may be the owner of the mine,â€"the man I told you of, who is dissatisfied with the bargain. If it should prove to be so, do not trouble your- self about the matter. I can manage him, and he has no poWer to do anything. ’ There was a minute’s further suspense, and then, emerging from the green foliage at the head of the canada, came a. powerful black horse, ridden by a. middle-a ed Mex- ican, who, in his picturesque bucks in dress, and his broad sombrero overshadowing a strongly-marked face, with the dark, flash- ing eye of an ea le, was by far the most im- osing figure erwent had yet beheld. glandsomer men he had seen, but none who impressed him more by an individuality de- rived from along line of warlike and un- tamed ancestors. “ I wonder how many Indian chiefs, with a strain of the Spanish liidalgo, have gone to make this man what he is l” he thought, with a thrill of irre- pressible admiration. Simultaneously with the appearance of the rider he found his sympathy enlisted on his side, and said to himself that the old fable of the lion and the fox had found another realization, when the new-comer dismounted, and, striding for- ward, met Fernandez. Whether he came in peace or war was a question that no one would have found need to ask. The first sound of his deep-toned voice was enough to show that he was ani- mated by a wrath that did not ause to dis- semble and consider phrases. t seemed to Derwent, standing by with intelligence alert and observant, that the character of each man was more clearly revealed to him by manner because he did not understand the lan uage they spoke. The indignant wrath of t 1e new-comer was not more evident than the insulting defiance of Fernandez. If he did not repeat in words that he held the man before him powerless in his hand, his manner expressed it as plainly as speech ; and there was a scorching power to exas- perate in his few, quiet sentences. Presently Senor Barreraturned and accost- ed Derwent, asking courteously if he spoke Spanish. \‘Vith very sincere regret the young man answered that he did not : and then, taking asudden resolution, he address- ed Fernandez. “VVhat does this man wish to say to me ‘2” he asked. “If it concerns the purchase of the mine, I have a. right to know.” “He wishes to tell you,”replied Fernandez, “that he has changed his mind about selling it at the price named. But this is child’s play. He has signed the bond, and has no right to interfere at all in the matter.” “ Has he not sense enough to know that i” “Who can say? You may see for your- self that he is apassionate fool , -â€"â€"the kind of man to run his head against a rock. And now and then he findsa rock of particular hardness,” he added,‘ grimly. Derwent did not reply at once. He could not say, what he distinctly thought, “You are deceiving me. This man is no fool, and there is more in the matter than you pretend.” But he decided that he would waive the purchase of the Buena Esperanza for the present. The counsel and direction which he had desired a few minutes before had come to him most unex- pectedly. He had distrusted Fernandez vaguely from the first. He now determined that he would take nothing through his hands, for he felt sure that the taint of fraud would be upon it. Entirely ignorant though he was of the point at issue between the two men before him, he was neverthe- less certain that Barrera was an honest man and Fernandez a scoundrel. After a short pause, he spoke with a decision of manner that could not be mistaken : “Be kind enough to say for me to the gentleman that he niry set his mind at rest 0 far as I am concerned. I shall not buy the Buena Esperanza until I am assured that there is harmony among the sellers. I wish to take 110 man’s property against his will. Further, I object to having the price of the mine doubled upon me, as you have doubled it within the last half-hour. we will therefore say nothing more at present of purchase.” Fernandez turned sharply and looked at him with a light. in his eyes that was al‘ together evil. “ Do you really mean this?” he demanded. “ Do you intend, after all my trouble and expense, to refuse to take the mine?” “ I regret your trouble ; but it was taken. I believe, in the line of business," answered Derwent. “ Your expense I will reimburse. But I shall certainly not take the mine with the passionate opposition of its owners.” “ This man has no power to harm you, I will warrant that.” “ But it seems that I have power to harm him by taking his propertv against his wish- es. That I will not do unless I know some- thing of the history of the bond that he evi- dently repudiatcs. Frankly, there is a look about this thing that I do not like, and I will not touch it." “ I should have taken care to keep this fool away if I had imagined that his inereappearancc would intimidate you socom- pletely."s:iid Fernandez, with a bitter sneer. “ I am not intimidated in the least,” said Derwent, calmly. “ If you think so. you are mistaken. But you do not think so. You know very well why I decline to have anything further to do with this afi‘air. Let us have no more words. It is sufficient to state explicitly that I will not buy the Buena Esperanza under the present circum- stances, at any price." Having said this, he turned and walked away. It was the only thing to do, for he felt that his own anger was rising, and he knew that nothing could have been more inadvis- able than an altercation with Fcrnmulcz. In fact. as cooler thought came to him he was conscious that he had been rash to speak so openly and decidedly. A little di lornacy would have been better. He mig t have deferred his decision until they returned was too late - l to think of that now; and ashe walked , How the Americans Treat Their ‘ 'ans. down the bank of the stream toward] the mules and the moms, he thought ruefully that his first efi’ort in MeXico seemed likely to prove a fiasco in every respect. . “'hile he stood idly watchin the whirl- ing water on its course, Senor randa came down the path and said a few words to the attendants. They at once began to saddle the animals, and it was evident that an order for departure had been given. This wasa relief ; and as Derwent moved for» ward to lend a hel in hand, hoof-strokes sounded a in on 31! fiescent behind him. He turn in time to see the powerful black horse and his rider , and to re- ceive a. courteous salutation. \Vhether or not Fernandez had ri htl interpreted him toBarrera,â€"-and thisfiie knew was doubt- ful,â€"â€"the latter obviously did not include him in his anger. There was something almost friendly in the “Adios, senor,” with which he passed. But there was nothing friendly in the air and manner of Fernandez when he appeared. If Derwent had ever doubted what was in the man, he saw it now,â€"saw the bitter and implacable enmity of which he was cap- able in lowering brow and angry glance. There were no words exchanged. Derwent would have been glad to be courteous as long as the exigencies of their journey threw them together; but Fernandez for once seemed unable to put any constraint upon himself or else did not care to exercise it. He mounted silently and rode off with Arauda, leaving Derwent to follow with the mozos. As they passed downthe canada, the onng man turned in his saddle and lOOkC( back at the majestic mountain the first appear- ance of which had so fascinated him. It formed a beautiful picture for his parting glance, standing in stately isolation at the head of the gorge, its noble summit bathed in golden sunshine, while the purple shadows of late afternoon had gathered in the deep chasms around its base. Knowing just where to look, his eye caught the light gleam of the great lode running across the mighty slope ; and with 3. ng of disappointment keener than he ha reckoned upon, he bade adieu to the hopes which it had kindled. Since there was only an hour or two of daylight remaining, they made as much haste as possible out of the barranca, and then, turning from the direct road, took their way to a ranch on the slope of the mountains, where Senor Aranda had made arrangements for them to spend the night. The next morning Fernandez proved to be in the same mood as on the preceding even- ing,â€"saying only such few words as were necessary for interpretation and direction; so Derwent, as he swung himself into his saddle, thought without much cheerfulness of the long, silent ride before him,â€"for they hoped to make Eitzatlan by night. But the ride was not destined to be so silent as he had anticipated. Fernandez came to his side, and, observing that they had both been somewhat hasty the day before, proposed to explain fully the whole history of the bond. It would have been a brutal incivility, of which Derwent was incapable, to tell the man that he distrusted his statements alto- gether ; so he listened to a sketch of Barre- ra’s impracticable and fiery disposition, of the desire of the other owners to sell the mine, of the difficulty they had in inducing him to consent to a sale, and of the man- ner in which be had since endeavored to cm- barrass their efforts. On abstract grounds Derwent . reed that it was hard that one man should have power to annoy others and injure their interests; but he said to himself that he was by no means sure on which side the injury lay, and he altogether declined to reconsider his own decision. The result was finally the exchange of a few an ry words which cut deeply on each side, am then the two men parted, Fernandez to join Senor Aranda, and Derwent to soothe himself with a cigar alone. At noon they halted for a short rest and refreshment by the side of the only water on their road. They were in the midst of a very wild and desolate country, surrounded by mountains, with a savage-looking defile be- fore them, through which their road lay. “ What an inviting place for brigands ‘1” thought Derwent, regarding the narrow ass and frowning heights. But, knowing iow sternly this little amusement had been put down in the country, he had no apprehen- sions of anything of the kind. The thought was merely suggested by the recollections of the many bloody deeds which such localities had witnessed in times past. It was not even strong enough to deter him, a little later, from falling behind the rest of the party, as they passed down a borranm with a steep mountain strewn with rocks on one side and a precipice which dropped two thousand feet deep on the other. The road at this point descended so sharply that Der- went, to relieve himself as well as his mule, dismounted and walked, with the animal fol- lowing close behind him. It was ii. dun rer- ous place, for the almost percipitous inc inc of the road was strewn with fragments of boulders from the mountain above; and his attention was altogether fixed upon the path, when the sudden falling of a rock immedi- ately before him caused him to look quickly up the mountain-side. There was only time fora glance,â€"-a glance which showed him the partially concealed form of aman behind a great boulder,-â€"when there came a flash, a report, a burning pain in his shoulder, and simultaneously the frightened mule dashed past, knocking him off his feet. He was cmscious of falling down the precipice, of throwing out his hands wildly to save him« self, of a crushing blow upon the head: and darkness followed. (1‘0 Bi: (tox'rixrizo). ....’-..-..._...__ A Willing Substitute. “Oh, what is that belt for '5” the maiden in' quired Of her lover, who sat by her side. “\Vhy that is a life-buoy, in danger re- quired,” The ha py young fellow replied. “I think ’in in danger,” the maiden went 0!), “And I need a life-buoy very badly ; I guess I must have one ere the year's gone." Said her lover: “I'll be that boy gladly." Sweet Revenge. Voice from speaking tubeâ€"“Help ! H-e-l-p ! I’ve caughta man in my room. Oh. what shall I do '.’" (.‘lerk(to himself)-â€"“That’s that funny old maid in 49." Clcrklthrough the tnbc)â€"-â€"“Lock the door: you’ll never have a chance to catch ' another."-â€"-Figaro. In his book, “My Life Amati: ‘e In- dians, ’ Bishop Whipple presents facts which should flush with scarlet the check of every man who has the honor of the American nation at heart and who hates o pression and wrong-doing. The record of, the United States in its treatment- of the Indian tribes is fully as infamous as that of the S ' s of the natives of South America and . exico : it is of a character in which cruelty, robbery, slaughter, are the salient traits. “ The In- dian,” says llisho Whipple, "is not in any gross sense an i olator. His universe is peopled with spirits. He reeo fixes a Great Spirit ; he believes in a future ife. He has a passionate love for his children, and will die for his people. He is a true men and a bitter enemy. I have never known an instance where the Indian was the first to violate pli hted faith." These are facts. History wil prove that there never- has been an Indian war in the United States in which the Indians were the dggressors. The treatment extended to the Sioux and Ojibway Indians is one instance like a thou- sand others. The latter tribe “justly claimed,” according to the bisho , arrears for.niore than $50,000, under oh treaties which had never been paid. “ They sold some of the most beautiful land in Minne- sota for a cent and a half an acre under the romise that it should become the home of a» riendly body of Indians, who would be a. protection against their enemies, the Docu- tabs.” No sooner was the treaty made than the region was opened for white settlement. He further says that the Dacotahs sold 800.- 000 acres of land for the purpose of securing money to aid in their civilization. At the end of four years all the land thus sold was taken up by white settlers, and the Ducotuhs had not received a single cent. “This,” writes Bishop Whipple, “and tho withhold- ing of their annuities in 1862 for two months, preci itated that awful massacre in which 800 0 our citizens were slain.” Is it strange that these and similar occurrences “made the checks of the bishop blush with shame?" He denounces the Indian licy in vi vorous and scathing Ian unge. It) was a b under and a crime. “ t recognized no personal rights of property, it gave no protection to- person or life; it punished no crime. Its emoluments were rewards for political ser- vices, and most of the Indian treaties were“ used as a key to unlock the public treasury. At best, it established heathen alinshouses to graduate savage paupers. He relates some of the incidents connected with this policy in the region where he served. “Three white men sed a sleeping Indian. One said, ‘I will ill the damned redskin,’ and drew his rifle and shot him. No one was punished. An Indian woman died in a border village from brutal violence. The agent was ap- pealed to and said, ‘it is none of my busi- ness.’ A mixed-blood killed an Indian woman; he was arrested and sent to the United States fort. After a confinement of three months the Secretary of \Var ordered his discharge, saying that there was no law to punish an Indian.” Such are some of the features of his experienco with the Indians. He relates athetic incidents involving the love of mot mm for their dead children and of the longing of Indians to be near the grave of their relatives. He saw an old man sitting on the bank of the Upper Mississippi and gave him some food. He invited the old man to go with him for a week during his stay in the Indian country. “If you Will go with me I will feed you, for I have plenty of provisions. and when we art I will give you all the stores I have oft.” He said: “You have a kind heart. I thank you. My old wife is sleeping in a grave yonder. I can not go away from her, for she will be lone- some.” The Indians believe that the depart- ed spirit lingers by its grave. W .-a Other Worlds Than Ours. By means of the spectroscope a very won- derful discovery has been made respecting Sirius. Astronomers had noticed that this star was in rapid motion through space, as it was found that year by ycarit was changing its position in the heavens, traversing in about 1,500 years a space equal to the ap- parent diameter of the moon, at a velocity of no less than twenty miles per second. Of course, b actual observation,the only mo- tion capa do of being detected would be that which was square to the line of sight, so that although Sirius appears to us to move across the heavens, he may be really travel- ing ina slanting direction, either toward or from us. No one would ever have expected tobc able to tell whether a star was up- proaching or receding from us, yet even this seeming insolviiblc roblem has of late years been accomplished iy the spectroscopc. l)r. Huggins, our greatest authority on this sub- ject, having identified certain lines in the spectrum of Sirius as those of hydrogen, found on comparison that these were Vdis- placed in such a manner as to indicau: that tec star was receding from us. It has been estimated that this recession, combined with the thwart motion of twenty miles pr): second, gives us the actual movement of about thirty- three miles per second. These, then, constitute some of the chief items of information about Sirius at present within our knowledge. There seems to be no reason to doubt that, in common with other suns, he has his system of planets circling round him after the inan- ncr of our own sun ; and what a system ! Vast as ours appears it is dwarfed into in- si nificance compared with a system whose ru ing orb is 5,000 times larger than that which does duty for us. There seems, also, no reason to doubt that these planets arc in- tended to be the abodeof life; it may be that at the present moment none of them present any signs of life, but I think we may infer without iinprobability, that each one of thorn Worlds has a destined period in its develop ment, during which life, similar to that which now prevails on our planet, would ho in existence. What a world such a one would be, in size perhaps not inferior to that of our sun. hiinsc f a million times larger than our earth : and it may be that as this Sirian world is so vastly superior toonrs its inhabi- tants Would be on a smile in proportion toils dimensions, a race of beings of such intellect and civilization compared with whom we are b ut savages. stimuli and Mystified. Young Wife (unrolling a new shirt)~l have a little surprise for you, Harold. \ oung Husbandâ€"410w kind of you dear! Didâ€"did on make it yourself! Young Vife (proudlijl‘lvery stitch of it, Harold. Youn Husband (holding it at arm's length) â€"l aha prize itas longaa I live, Amelia. By the wayâ€"er~-darling. what is it? n... .v._... -.-. ,