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A 'â-  ^^',â- - '^ f » Church ItalU ut ChrlstiuM. •â- \\'ak3 mo t>) ulgli:, lay iii j'Jii;!', dear. Tint Im»jrli '.r. TiitCnristin:!' I<<'!1k, K.^X'/tftitdcldai'. Tuhlyh and i.)-.vylU'l t^iiifc'jt*!!. , H'WO'ii th.i I-'ai!i.'i-!iA-. luswell. -H^iwU'Hl tho I-Uii^im! fi â- :; I ' f'aMifi lo uniii what w'a lia'-l louo>-- H>w G'xl thu I'uracIotM, Who iii tho chawto wo'.iib fovmuit the Bab« so -- " lu i).piv5r and glory cajno tho birth to aid Riid greet. •â-  Wako ina, that I tha t-vulvoiiiuutli long SI 1/ b'.ar tho Koug AlDUt with iiiu hi tha warUl's throne: Tn it tro»«urod icy? of Christmas-tide Mm/ with mint* n';tir of gluoiii abidu. Til } Chriatiiiart Carol riuu Dcoii in my htart, >vh jit I v'^)uld sing. l!» jli of tho tw"lvo good day 1 Itu iia- uost yiold it diitoous lova and praise, Insuriu,; b;i^ppy muiithc and halluniuc coiumon waya. •' \Vak>5 iiie Htjaiu, my t.iothar, dear, Til it I may hoar Til 1 pjfll of tho departing year. O'l, W'!i; 1 lov" tho Btip of tima K'l luld moTii to that familiar ohlmo ; l''a r fall tho tmias that sloop Th • Old \ oar a tha daws of sloop, Til 1 Now guMii 8uflly in. With 1' ip j-i to swi'Ot, saJ iDumorios akin I Ijoag may that 8oi;lhiui| cadaaoe, ear, heart, cou- Buioiice v'nl" THE mU OF 1 :^n A NOVEL. Ths row wasi this. Anioujj tho Boers agsomhl.'l for the 'â-  iiaohtinaal" festival was a w IMiii j-.vii giaut jiamcl Van Zyl. This mai'd atieiigth was a matter of public: notori ity all ovir th.i uouiilry, and many werelh.' (eats which were told of Iiim. AinO'i;!o''ioni it wis sail that ho could bear tho weijjlit of the after part of an African buck-wagsjoa on liisshouiJcrs, with a load o' three thousand pounds of corn upoii il, wliile tho wheels wore greased. He stoO'i abjtit six foot sevjii high, weighed eightcou Bt-jneand a half, and had a double rOwc' teeth. On tho ovonin-; in ijuestiou this rjin4rkabl« siieciiiien of liuuiauity was fiittiiv Oil liis wag;>jn-box with a. pipe, of which th.- size was proixirtioiiate to his own, cli.i.liod firmly between his double row o' t-Mith. About ten Daces from him (itood II youug Euglishman, also of lar^e size, t^iough ho :Ooked quite small beside tha glint who was contemplatiug the |>b0no'.a>''iioii oi: the waggon- bo.\, and woud»riM^ h v./ much he measured round tho ches'. Tiiat young Knglishman^ had juatgot otf B newly-arrived wagdorf, and his nam : was .Icreuiy Jones. Toth.'s.- »lvAu>,< a cringing Hottentot boyofs'iiiU size. Tho Hottentot is evi- dently th . Boi-vant or slave of the giant, and a man Btandiug by Jeremy, who imder Htauds Dutch, informs him that he is tell iug his master thi.t nil ox has strayed. Hlu.vly the giant rouses himself, and des^ei'idi ^ from the waggon-box seizes the tromblin^ Tottie with one liand, and, tak- ing a ri 11 of b iflalo-hide, lashes himself to tho waggon-wl-.-el. " Now,' remarked Jeremy's uo'iuaint- »avv, • jvtM ^i\[ jj^o how a Boor doalii with a ni^'gcr." " You J >u't tneiin to say that great brute is going to biat that poor little dtvil ?" jai!t then n small fat woman put her head on* of a t^'nt pitoheil by tho waggon, and inq .;;oU what the matter was. 81ie was tho giant's wife. Un being informed of th • str lying of the ox, her wrath knew no bo auU. " Blaa' em I slant du swartsel !" (Thra-ih him 1 thr:.sl> ;;<o bl.ick creature;, sho cvi.>d out ii< .-> snii.i - lice, running to the wiggi^'., and witli her o.vn fair hands draw! ig out a huge " sjambock," that is, a strip of prepared hippayotamus-hide, used to drivj f'.e aftnr.o.xen with, and giving it to her spsuse, " Cut the liver out of the black dovi! I" she went on, " but mind you don't hi*, his head, or he won't bo able to go to w.irk afterward. Never iiiiiid about maki:ig the blood come ; I have got lots of Malt to rub in." Her hirangue, and the sight of the Hott.nito* tied to the wheel, had by this timo nttraotod ()uite u crowd of Boers and Englishmen who were idling about the mark't-s-juare. " Softly, Vroiiw, softly, I will thrash «noigl', to satisfy even you, and we all know that luu^t be very hard where a blaek creatu' is in question." A rour cf laughter from the Dutch people round greeted this sully of wit, and tlie ^ant, taking the sjambock with a good- humoVi.d smile, for he was, like most giants, o*»y-te!iipt(red by nature, lifted it, whirhd V.is grevt orio, as thick as the leg of an av m^e man, round his head, anil broug'.il it dow.i on tho back of the miser- able Hottentot. Tho poo;- wretch yelled with pain, and no wonder, for the greasy old shirt li'i wore was divided clean in two, togethr with t!i(- skin ijoneath it, and the j laughter from the xrow^ which had now collected, in which the giant juiiied very heartily vvhwi it was iijtt-rprctod to him. (iivingiJijreiny ft â- .hove to cue aide, he again lifted the i^reat 'sjauilKiok, for the purpose of bringin}{.it dajwn on ttio Hotten- tot. . Another second vRucL. 4<'''ei}ik^li''fl snatched tho whip from his haiul, aiid"sent it tiying fifty yards away. Then realizing that his antagonist was really in earnest, the great Dutchman solemnly set himself to crush liiui. Doubling a fist wliidi was the size of a Welsh leg of mutton, he struck with all his fctrength straight at the Knglishman's head. Had the blow caught Jeremy, it would in all probability have killed him ; but be was a practised bo.xer, and without moving his body, he swung his head to one side. Tlie Uoer's fist passed him harmlessly, and striking the panel of the waggon, wont clean through it. Next instant several of the giant's double row of teeth were rolling loose in liis mouth. Jeremy had returned the stroke by a right - haiidur, into which he put all his power, and which would have kuocked any other man backward. A great shout from the assembled Englishmen followed this blow, and a couutor-sliout from tho crowd of Dutch- men, who pointed triumphantly to the hole in the stout yellow-wood panel made by their champion's fist, and asked who the madman was who dared to stand against him. The lioer turned and spat oat some of his superfluous teeth, aud at the same instant a young Englishmau came and caught hold of Jeremy by the arm. P'or heaven's sake, my dear fellow, be careful ! That man will kill you ; ho is tho strongest man in tho Transvaal. You aro a fellow to bo proud of, though." " He may try," said Jeremy, laconically, stripping off his coat and waistcoat. " Will you hold these for me?" Hold them 1" answered tho young fellow, who was a good sort ; '• ay, that I will, and I would give half 1 have to see you lick him. Dodge him ; don't lot him strike you or ho will kill you. 1 saw him itun an ox once with a blow of his tibt." Jeremy smiled. •• Ktop," hesaid. " Ask that coward if I best him, if ho will let off that miserable beggar .'" and he pointed to tho tremblinj} Hottentot. The (]uestion was put and tUo great man answered " Yah, yah I" ironically, and then expressed Ids intention of knocking Jeremy into small pieces in the course of the next two minutes. Then they faced one another. The yiant was a trifle over six foot Boveli high ; Jeremy was a trifle under six foot two and B half, and looked short beside him. But one or two critical observers, looking at the latter now that he was strippocl for the > the ground entirely waffluig 6ff the blowj,.*hout,'h he broke its fjiroe. Ci-asUing ^rojgli his ^uard, it struokhiiii on the forehead, and for a momant/iie dropi)cd Mnseless. His second rusl(e4' up and daslied some water over him, a)id in a^iotber instant li» was on his legs agiiu ; but for the rest of tlut round he contented himself wifli dodging his adversary's attack, at which the Dutch- men cheered, thinking that his iron Btrength was broken. But presently, when for the sixth time Jeremy came up with the same quiet look of determination in his eyes, and, except that the gaping of the nostrils and the twitching of the lip showed a certain measure of distress, looldng but little the worse, they turnetl with anxiety to examine the condition of tho giant. It was not very promising. H-.> was perspiring profusely, and his enormous chest was rising and falUng irregularly. Wherever Jeremy's strokes had fallen,- too, a ^rcat blue bruise had risen. It tvas evident that his condition was tho worst of the two, but still the Boers had liitle doubt of the issue. It could not be th.it tha man who had once for a bet (jnellod the strngsles of a wild ox, holding it for the simce of live minutes by the horn, coiUd be wor.sted by an English lad. So they called on iiim to stop i>laying with the boy and crush him. 'Thus enoourage<l. the giant came on, striking out with fearful force but wildlv, for he could not box. For thirty seconds or more Jeremy contented himself with avoiding the blows ; then, seeing an oppor- tunity, he planteil a heavy one o:. his adversary's chest. Thi» staggered him and threw him off his guard, and, taking the offensive, Jeremy dodged in right under the huge fists, and hit upward with all his power. " Thud, thud I" The so\md of the blows could be heard fifty yards off. Nor were tliev without their effect. The giant staggere<l, and, amidst fearful shouts and groans, fell like an o.xe sliut^k with a [lolo- axe. But it was not over yot. In another moment he was on his legs again, aud, spit- ting out blood and teeth, came reeling straight at Jeremy, a fearful and alarming siwctacle. As he "came, Jtremy again hit him in the face, but it did not stop him, and in another second tho huge arms had closed round him and held him like a vice. " Not fair ! no holJi'.ig I" shouted the Englishmen, but the Boer held on. Indeed, he did more. Putting all his vast strength into the effort, he strained aud tugged, meaning to lift Jeremy up and dash him on the ground. But lo 1 amid frantic hhouts from the crowd, Jeremy stood lirm, moving not an inch. Wheraupon the Boers called out, saying that ho wa« not a mortal, but a man (losBessed with a devil. Again the Dutchman gripped him, aud this time Huceeded in lifting him a few feet from encounter, shrewdly guessed that the Dutchman would have his work cut out. Jeremy ilid not, it is true, scale more than fourteen stone six, but his proportions were perfect. 'I'he great doe]) chest, the brawny arms, not very large, but i>. mass of muscle, the short strong neck, the cjuick eye and masxive log, all l^spoko the strength of a young Hercules. It was evident too that though be was so young, and not Vot como to his full power, be was in th.; mo.-<t iM.rfect training. 'J'lie Ud3i , on the other hand, was enormous, but his flesh was somewimt soft, t^till, knowing his feats, the Eiulishmen present slyhed for their champion, feeling that he liad no chance. I''or a moment they stcou facing each other, tlii-n Jeremy made tt feint, and, get ting in, planted a heavy blow with bis left hand on his adversary's chrsc. But lie was to pay for it, for next second the Dutchman got in bis right hand, and Jeremy wasiifted dean olf his feet, and sent flyir.g Imckward among thecro»-d. The Boers cheered, the giant sniilud and the Knglisbmen looked sad. They knew how it would lie. But Jeremy picked himself up little the worse. The stroke had struck thu nniscles of his chest, and had not hurt him greatly. As he advanced the gradually-inureasiug crovvil of Englishmen cheoreii him warmly, and he swore in his heart that bo would justify those cheers or die for it. It was at this juncture that Kruest and Mr- Alston came up. exclaimed the former, in the situation at n blood was pouring from tho gash " Ahamachtcr ! diit is een iicKer shani," (Almighty ! that was a nice one), said the â- old woman, at which the crowd laughed again. But thcro was one man who did not laugh, and that man was .Icreiny. On the contrary, his dear eyes flashed, and his brown cheek burned with indignation. Nor did li-:i stop at that. Stepping forward ho placed hiinsr'lf between tho giant and the howling Hottentot, and said to tho former in th'j most nervous English, " You are a coward I" Tho Boer stared at him and smiled, and then asked what the " I-higlish fellow" was " flood heavens it is .Jeremy." Mr. Alston took glance. •' Don't let him see you, you will put him off," he said. " Oct behind me." Ernest obeyed, ovorwlielnietl. Mr. Alston shook his bead. He recognized that Jeremy had a poor chance, but he did not say so to Ernest. Meanwhile Joremy came up and faced the Dutchman. Encuurage<l by his late success, presently his advers ry struck a tremendous blow- at him. .leremy (lodged, and next instant succeeded in land- ing such a fearful right ami U-ft full on the giant's face that the latter went reeling backward. A yell of frantic excitement aiose iroiii the English portion of the crowd. This was I indeed a David. 1 The Dutcbniau soon recovered, and in i his turn, rendered more cautions, kept out lot Jeremy's reach, trying to strike him I down from a distance. For n ronndor two I no important blow was struck, till at last a brilliant idea took possession of tho young follow who had charge of Jeremy's coat. " Hit him about the body," ho whispered; "he's soft." Jeremy took the advice, and next round succeeded in getting in two or three blows straiglr. froui the shoulder, niul every one ... I . I r , of thcni bruised the huge bodv sadly, and sayiatv Somebody t ranslated Jeremy s ,„„,|g j^ ,,^4,,^^ short of wind. ' remark, whereupon the Boer, who was not , ^^^^ ,.„„,„, ,,^ repeated the same tactics. and ! , « bad-natured lellow, nmilea again, ana ; ^^^^.j,,;, ,,i„,„^.if „ ^t^oke on the shoulder remarked that .fcremj must be yi-'l'lf 1 that for a moment rendered his left arm than the majority of "accursed J'^nRlis 1- ! i.elpless. Before another second was over men. ' 1 hen he turned to con in ue ti-.rash- ; ,„„vever, be had his revenge, and the blood nig the Hottentn but o tho mad ,^^„ ,; fr„,„ ,,;, „,,verHary's lips. Enghshmui, was still there. I Ins put liim j A.nd now did the popular excitement on ^'"â- ,, . , ,.,.,. r, 1 ,., ,,, .' both sides grow inteiiae, for to the interest •• 1-00 sack, can ; ik is \ J^" Zyl !. ((-et attaching to the encounter was added that â- out, fellow, I am Van Zyl !) rhis was ^f „,|,tioiial interpreted to Jeremy by tho liystauders. " All right, and tell him that I am Jones, a name he may have heard before," was the reply. " What ilocs this brain-sick fellow want ?" shouted the giant. Jeremy explained that he wanted him to stop his brutality. " And what will tho little man do if 1 refuse V" . "I slmll Iry t;0 make you," was the answer. This remark was reccivi^^ivith a shout of feeling, which xvns then at high state of tonsicii. I'JugliHhmen, Dutch- men, and a mob of Kafirs yelled and shouted, and each of Uie foviner two felt that the honor of his people was on tho issuu. And yet it was an nnn(|ual fight. " I believe that your friend will be n match for Van Zyl," said Mr. Alston, coolly, birt the flash of his eye belied his coolneas: "and 1 tell you what, lie'rs a devilish fine leljbw too." At that nionient, however, an untoward thing happened. Tho giant struck out his strongest, and .Toromy could not succeed in By George, he will throw him next time," said Mr. Alstou to I>russt, who was shaking like a leaf with tUo excitement ; "look! he is turning whi'.u; the grip is choking him." And, indeed, Jeremy was in evil oase, for liis senses were fast being crushed out of Iiim in that fearful embrace, and 1il was thinking with bitter sor'.ow that he must fail after all, for un Englishman does not like to bo beat even wli?ii he h is fought his best. Just th(ViM was, wb-n thi.igs were beginning to swim around him, that a voice lie love<l, and >wh^h lie had been listening for this mrxliy nio.iths, ran^ in his cars; whether it was fancy or -.vb ther he leallv heard it he knew not. " llemember - Marsh Joe,' Jir- ny and lift him. Don't bo boat. For (iod's sake, lift him I' Now there was a triok, which 1 will not tell you, my reader, but whidi a fimous Eastern counties WTestljr, known I's Marsh Joe, had taught to Jeremy. So woll luid he taught bim, indeed, th.ii at the age of 17, Jeremy had hoisted his teacher with ids own trick. Just at the moment that Jeremy Ivsard the voice, the giant shifted his hold a, little, preparatory to making a fresh effort, aud thus enabled his antagonist to fill his lungs with air. Ernest saw the broad whito chest heave with relief (for by this time most ot the upiwr clothing of th-i combatants had been wrenched away), and tho dark»!iing eye grow bright again, and h' kjiow that Jeremy had iieard him, and that he would conquer or die where ho was. And then, lo and biliol 1 I Just as -'.e Boer, leisurely enough â€" feeling tli.it he was master of the sitnation â€" preparwl himself for the final struggle, suddenly the English- man advanced his right log a faw indie's, and with the rapidity of lightning entirely shifted his grip; and then he gathered himself for the effort. What mighty reserve of Btrength he drew on, who can say ? but Ernest's voice had excited it, and it came at his call ; and lie did n thine that few living men couM have done, and the fame whereof will go down in South Africa from generation to generation. For the lithe arms tight'-ned and gripped till they sunk in almost lav.d with the flesh of his mighty foe, and th-'ii slowly h«> liegaii to gather purchase swaying backward aud forward. " Make an end of him I Make an end of him!" shouted the Boers; but behold! their champion's eyes are starting from his blackened face ; he cannot stir. To and fro sways .Jeremy, r.nd now the giant's feet are lifted from tho ground. And then one mighty effortâ€" gallant Jeremy ! up, still np above the gasping ot the wonder-stricken crowd, up to Iiis shoulder â€" by Heaven, over it I Crash 1 Van Zyl fell, to be carried away by six strong men, a cripple for life. CHAPTER XXV. KIINEST'S LOVK-I,KTTKn. Cheer after cheer ai-0!"'>froni the English- men around, and angi-y curses from the Dut-hinen, as Jeremy turned to look at tho senseless carcass of tho giant. But, even as he turned, exhausted Nature gave out, and he fell fainting into Ernest's .irnis. Then did selected individuals of his fBllow-countrymen come forward and bear him reverently to a restauran* called the "European," where tho proprietor â€" him- self an old Eton fellow â€" met him, and washed and ilotlnd ant' restored him, and vowed with teais in his eyes that he, Jeremy, should lite at his expense for as long as he likedâ€" ay, oven if he clioso to drink nothing meaner than champasne all day long ; for thus it is that ]-".nglishmen greet one who injnisters to that deeijest rooted ot all their feelings â€" national pride. And then, when nt length ho hail been brought-to, and rereshed with a tumbler- full of dry Monipolc, and wonderingly shaken Ernest by t le hand, the enthusiasm M of the crowd outside buist its bounds, and ])oured into tbe restaurant, aud, seizing Jeremy and the chair whereo:i he sat, they bore him in triumph round the uiarket- Biiuare to the tune of " God Save the Q'leen," a proceeding that would have eiicieid in provoking a riot hatl nfct an aide- de-camp from His Exoellanoy tho Bpecial Couimissionor, who sent a message begging that they would desist, succeeded i:i per- suading them to return to the restaurant. And hero they all dined, aud forced Jeremy to drink a great deal more dry Monciwle than was good for him, with the result that for the first and last time in his life he was persuaded into making au after-dinner speech. As far as it was reported it ran something like this : " Dear friends (choeis) anl Englishmen" (renewed cheers) pause â€" " all making great fuss about nothing (cheers, and shouts of ' No, no !'). P'ight tho Dut'jhman again to-morrowâ€" very big, but soft us putty â€" anybody fight him (frantic cheerir.g). Glad I wasn't thrashed, as you all seem so pleased. Don't know why you sve pleased ; 'spose you didn't lika tha Dutchman. 'Fraid he hurt himself over my shoulder. Wonder what he did it for ? Sit down, now. Dear friends, dear old Ernest, been looking for you for long while," and he turned his glassy eye on to Ernest, who cheered frantically, under the imj>ression that Jeremy had just said something very much to the point. " Sit down, no-w (' No, no ; goon'). Can't go on, quits pumped â€" very thirsty, too (' Give him some moie cham- pagne ; open a fresh case'). Wish Eva and Doll w-ere here, don't you, (loud cheers) ? Gemman (cheers), no, not gemmaii, friends (louder cheers) â€" no, not gemman, friends â€"English brothers (yet loiider c heers), I give you a toast. Eva and Doll, you all know 'em and love 'em, or if you don't you would, you see ; if you did, you know." Frantic outburst of cheering, during w-hich Jeremy tries to resume his seat, Igut grace- fully drops on to the floor, and begins sing- ing " Auld Lang Syue" under the table, whereupon the whole comiiany rises, and, with the exception of Ernest and a jovial member of the Special Commissioner's staff, who get upon the tabl > to lead the chorus, join hands and sing that beautiful old song with all the solemnity of into.xica- tion, after which they drink move cham- pagne and jointly and severally swear eternal friendship, especially Ernest and the member of His Excellency's stafl, who shake hands and bless each other, till tha warmth of their emotions proves too much for them, and they weep ii chorus there upon the table. For the rest, Ernest had some vague recollections of helping to drive his newly, found friend home in a wheelbarrow that would i>ersi8t in upsetting in every sluice or ditch, esi>ecially if it had running water iu it ; and that was about p.ll he did remember. In the morning ha wolio uj), or rather first became conscious of ixiin in his head, in a little double-bedded room attached to the hotel. On the pillow cf the bed opposite to him lay Jeremy's battered face. For awhile Ernest could make nothing of all this. Why was Jeremy Iheie ? ^\â- he^e were they ? Everything turned roujjd and seemed phantasmagoriul ; llu only real, substantial thing was that awful pain in the head. But presently things beg^D to coma back to trim, and tho eight of Jeiemy's bruised face '--v-alled th-; fight, and the fight recalled thj dinner, and the dinner brought back a vagu-i recoli.jcfion of Jeremy's speech and of something he had said about Eva. What could it have boon ? Ah, Eva I Perhaps Jeremy knew s mething about her; perha))S he had bioiiglit the letter that had been so long in coining. Oh, how his heart went out toward har I But how came Jeremy there in bed before him ; how came be to be in South Africa at all ? At that moment his reflectijns were interrupted by the entry of Mazooku, bear- ing tho coffee which it is tha national habit in South Africa to diink early in tho morning. The martial-looking Zulu, who seamed curiously out of place carrying cups of coffee, seeing that his master was awake, salutoil him with til"? customniA' " K< is," lifting ono of the cups of coffee to give er.iphasis to tho word, and nearly ujisetting '.I ill the effort. " Mazooku," said Ernest, severely, "how did we get here ?" The substance of th-j retainer's explana- tion wos as follows : Wlieu the moon was getting low, vanishing, indeed, behind the " horned house" yonder (the Dutdi Church with pinnacles on it), it occurred to him, waiting on tho verandah, that his ir.aster must be weary ; and as most had departed from the " danco" in tho " tin Iviuso" (restaurant), evidently made happy by the "twala" (drink), ho entered into the tin house to look for him, and found him over- come by sleep under tho table, lying next to tho " Lion - who • threw - oxsn-over-his- shouldor" (i.e. Jeremy), so oveioom" by sleep, indeed, that it was quite in possible to conduct him to the waggon. This being so, ho (Mazooku) considered v.'liat was his duty under the circumstances, and canio to the accurate conclusion that th<j best thing to do was to put them into the white in.an's hod, since he know that bis master did not love tho floor to lie on. Aiicordingly, having discovered that this was a room of beds, he and another Zulu entered, but wore per- plexed to find tho beds already occupied by- two white men, who had lain down to rest with their clothes on. But, under all these circumstances, he and tho other Zulu, con whereupon Mazooku, having saluted the awakened "Lion" with much fervor, and spilled a considerable (juautity of hot coffe» over him in doing so, took his departu* abashed, and at length the two friends weiw left alone. Thereupon, rising from their respective pallets, they took a step in all tho glory of their undress uniform into tho middle of the little room, and, after tha manner of Englishmen shook hands and called each other " old fellow." They then. went back to bed and began to converse. " I say, old fellow, whatou earth brought you out here ?" " Well, you see, I came out to look yoa up. You" did not write any letters, and they began to get anxious about you at homo, so I packed up my duds aud started. Your uncle stands unlimited tin, so I am, travellijiL' like a prince in a waggon of my own. I heard of you down in Maritzburg, and guessed that I bad best make f<nr Pretoi ia, ond here I am and there you ara^ -^ and I am terribly glad to see you again, old ' , chap. By Jovo, what a head I have 1 But* ^ I say, why didn't you write ! Doll hatf 1 broke her heart about it, and so did yotur un.-'le, only he would not say so." ' I did write. I wrote from Sikukiui'B . eountrj, but I sumiose the letter did nofe fetch," answered Ernest, feeling very guilty. " The fact is, old fellow, I haduM the heart to write much, I have been â- Â» confoundedly down on my luck ever siao* that duel business." (To be continuad.) A Lonely ChristmiiS. (Detroit Ftoo I*ross.) There was u pair of stockings to hang ob at our house last Christmas, a pairoC stockings with a hole worn in one little foot and the heel worn thin in the other. This year there are none to hang up. Last year we haunted toy stores an t con- fectioners for the newest and nicest thiu^ for our boy. This year we passed t) le gay- windows w-ith bowed heads aud iching hearts. I see tears in my wife's eye as vr» pass some happy mother with a ilu or white mittened little hand hold tightly in her own, while the merry little lad by her side looks laughingly up in her face. I cannot keep my own liiie from trem,> bling, or my teur-(iimme<l eyes from gazing wistfully at that dear little fellow with tha blue eyes and golden curls, perched high oa his father's shoulder so that he can locJc over the heads of the crowd standing ia front of the gay toy store. I held my owm boy so last year. Ho walked these soma gay streets with his little hand held in his mother's. Ho rode home on my lap in the boras cars that day before Christmas. He climbed up and put his arms around my neck to whisper to me a wonderful " soekit." This secret whisper always was : " I lub you. l>apa." And after w-o had coaxed him into hia night clothes that night, and after we had heard his little prayers with the final " Go<l bless papa and mamma," we put bim to be<l and filled tlie two little blue stock- ings so full and pileil high the chair oil which they hung. We could hardly sleep for thinking of what ho would do and say- when tho Christmas morning came. This year we rode home alone in the car. Wc sat silently in our little parlor. Uy wife tried to read a new copy of her f avorit* magazine, but I <;ould sec that her eys* were clo8e<l behind its pages. I said I would go out on tlie porch and smoke. But my cigar was not lightetl in the whole hour I remained without. Thoy were having a C'hristmas tree for my neighbor's little boy in the house acroaa the street. I could see the tree with tlia pretty boy dancing around it. I knew and felt that he was safe in tba arms of One who carries the young lambs in His bosom, that greater love than mina was around him, a lovo that could forever shield him from all trials and sorron-s i but 1 could not help crying out : " My baby, my boy, I want you myself." The curtain of our parlor was up a few inoiies, and I could see my wife on ber knees, and n-hat diil she have in her hands, kissing them agnin and again, with sobs and tears ? The little stockings we hung up last Christmos eve. Perhaps we will, as the neighbors say, " outgrow it" by and bye, or " get luwd to it ;" but this is tlie first Christmas ws have ha." to live tlirough since the baby died. My wife carries this little »erae in her pocket-book : We Khali roaiii on tho bauks ot tbe Klver of I'oace, Anil dwell ou its crystal tide. And 0110 of the jovs of our Hoawu will be The little bov that diad. A Kry to KU RabUs. Winks- 1 wish, Mrs. Winks yoa duties of Whak Mr. would read this article on tin wives. Mrs. Winksâ€" I haven't time now. does it say '! " Well, it snys, forvuie thing, that it is the duty of a wife to cultivate assimilation, and, so far as possible, have the same tastes as her husband." " I never thought ot that." " 1 suppose not." " No, but if you'll bring a bottle of whis- key homo w-ith you, I'll try." The French press has L.-.en warned not to publish any military news that woidd ba of use abroad. „_ ..^ ^ It is stated that the Russian reserves sideriiigThatrherr first" thoiigld siiou'lirbo ''^^e been called out. Marked movements tow-ard their own master, had taken the liberty of lifting up the two white men, who were slumbering pr'jfoundly after the " danco," by the head aud by tho l-.eels, and putting them out in the s.veet cool air of tho night. Having thus " made a place," thoy then conveyed first Ernest, and having removed his r'oth?s, put him into one bod, and next, i,i consideration ot his undoubted greatness, they ventured to take of troojis have been noticed in Bessarabia] On Saturday night a safe bd.mging t« George J. Bradley, of Port Hope, was opened and an iron box containing a lot of deeds, |)olicies and other papers abstracted. Mr. Percy Sherwood, Chief of tlie Do- minion Police Force, has secured a coupla of counterfeit $'2 Dominion bills of tho recen* I issue. The work is so cleverly done that it is difficult to detect the counterfeit. The the "Lion- who, etc.," himself and put him signature of Mr. Nash, of tho Financa 111 the other. He was a very great man, Department, is so well executed that hs the "Lion," ond his art of throwing | says himself it would be hard to swear that greater men over his shoulder could only be â-  it was not his own handwriting attributed to witchcraft. He, himself AW>„t i.,>ir »„„<â-  o • i 1 1 ,. (Mazooku), had tried it on that niorning I ,,,,tiâ„¢ JC-r"* '' ," <; ""^ last evening T„ifi, o u.=„t„ „,,•«, ,vi,„.,, \,^u..A o .ii„v.V I'lrties m Nordheimer s Hestanrant, whioU with a Basutu, with whom he had a sl'ght ;„ „i»„rf,,„i „„,., ,1 » ., V,'\ "; !•"- . '. â-  ... . . .» . IS situmea next door to tho recently burned "ontreal, hoar ' before thoy had time difference of opinion hnt the resnlt had not NorZermerTlairS, "^^^^rt^T^^^!:"^: !;!""""1\?:'' """bio, and almost I ontreal, hoard a sudden tho Basutu had kicked him in tho stomach, and forced him ,to drop hiui. Ernest laugliod as heartily as hi.s liead- to leave tho dining room the gable of Nordhcimcr's ;A\ smash through the roof, ache would nllaw at thisstory, aud -n doing l'"'il''i'f,";''J'*„*''"'« f^t â- '•. -'^'^ '""â- "«• so woke up Jeremy, x^.o at once clasped rml,.^ « ,^tf *''"[ 'W^iZ' ''â„¢'' ,^1? his hands to his hea.l a-ad looked round, ' 2^,7*^ â- "'^1'"^"' '^Kf^'^' °" ^vh.ch ' tire insurance is not available. 3 ' . â- i!,v>