k
THE AEEMJATOK.
Could you evor imagine such a
stupid, lazydooking creature be
ing ' selected for a pet! Yet in
Louisiana and Florida it lias been
tamed and petted. Stranger still
it has been u-or,sliipj>ed as a god
for the sacred crocodile” of the
Bast; is tlie same as its prototype
in the Western world if we except
a want of firmness in the scales.
Long ago, when Kgypt was a
pro.siievous country, vast temiile.s
were built in its honor. In Thebes,
that great city, it was fed on all
manner of delicacies, and adorned
with costly trinkets, and the silly
people even covered its scales with
gold lenf. It was then, no doubt,
a strangely beautiful object; at
least the beautiful Bgyptiau queen
felt complimented wlien Antomy
called Iier his “sei'iient of old Nile.”
Hut this creature was not only
loaded with favor.s while living,
but embalmed after deatli. Near
an aueieiit city tlierc are now re-
maiiiiiig huge grottoes cut in tlio
liraestoiie in which arc great luuu-
bors of tliese mummies.
fVe will not attempt to state
the exact length attained by the
old patriarchs in their favorite
swamiis, but we do know that
they are generally over-estimated.
Ordinary alligators vary from six to
twelve feet. Their feet and legs are
small a!id feeble, and seem dispropor-
tioued to tlieir bodiesi
Ugly as the alligator unque.stiouably
is, its eyes are really beautiful, they
called forth from Job one of the most
striking tigures of Eastern imagery,
be says they are “like the eyelids of
the morning,” some travelers thinl;
them as deserving the attention of the
poets as the eyes of the gazelle. The
ancients thought the alligator had no
toiigne; tlie great lihstorian ILrodotrs
says this was why it was worsliipped
by the Egyptians—as an emblem of
mystery, but upon examination tliere
is found in its month an unformed mass
of flesh, wliieli modern scientists pro
nounce a tongue.
Those long jaws are not one solid
bone for then they might be ea.sily
broken, but are made iq) of .sections
bound together as the string binds a
cross-bow. Tlie prineqial food of the
alligator isflsli, and its “rais.sion” is to
assist in destro.ving the many millions
thrown up by the rivers in the annual
overflow.
The noi.se that the alligator makes is
not unlike the grunting of a good-na
tured hog, but at times it resembles a
lion’s roar, and ILsteuing attentii ely
yon can feel the air vibrate. No won
der that those ancient people of the
Nile were awed by the voice of their
god waking up the waters of tlie still
nnexidored rivci’, and echoing throngli
the mysterious gloom of their wild
forests.
Mr. James Lament, one of the
most eminent of Englisli geogra
phers, writes to the London Times
a letter about the pole, in which
he says : “I beg to express my
firm belief, founded on all I have
seen^ on all I have heard, and on
all I have read, that all around
the north pole, as around the
south pole tliere lies an eternal
mass of ice a thousand miles in
diameter and perhaps miles thick
in the centre. And, further, I do
not believe that eithorsliip, sledge,
mail, beast, bird, or balloon will
ever get across it.”
now MAliK TWAIN LOOKS.
Mark Twain looks like anything
but a linmorist. Two deep wrink
les between the eyebrows mar a
face otherwise as fresh and fair as
a boy’s. His .slight figure, bis
nervous way of twitching his
bands and stroking his moustache,
and the apparent embarassnient
of his manners, suggests a modest
clerk or an overworked book-keep
er. lie rarely laughs, at least
openly, although his friends say
he constantly grins internally
at the funny people and situa
tions that force themselves on his
busy brain.—Hartford Letter.
Two smugglers adopted the
ingenious plan of building a store
at Trout river, just on tlie Canada
line. One door opened into
Cnnada and the other into Mew
York State.
DEEDS OF KINDNESS.
How many deeds of kindness
A little cliild may do,
Altliongli it lias so little strength.
And little wisdom too.
Siqijiose the little breezes,
Upon a summer’s day,
Should think themselves too small to
cool
The traveler on his way.
Who would not miss the smallest
And softest ones that blow,
And tliink they made a great mistake
If they were talking so ?
It wants a lovely siiirit,
Much more than strength, to prove
How many things a child may do
For others by his love.
ALAS, POOK TODDIE.
Among the sudden marvels of
the book-world in the last few
months was the achievement of a
pleasant writer who imitated the
gentle act of the Master, wdien
“He took a child and set iiiin be
fore them.” Toddie and Budge
have been for some montlis on
their travels as “Helen’s Babies,”
and bid fair to journoy as widely
as the English language is spoken.
And now that, within a day or
two past, it is known that a fa
therly heart guided that writer’s
pen, and that it was a study of
his own household pet, and "that
now Toddie is dead, snatched
away one night of the present
week from a Brooklyn home by
one of the sudden maladies of
infancy, the intelligence will
move thousands of hearts to sad
ness, as at a common loss. But
Toddie has not lived in vain. He
will be always Toddie, never to
part with the attractive graces of
infancy, and widely and long be
a missionary of young childhood,
inspiring in human hearts and
homes admiration and love, and
tlie patience that oftentimes is the
less easily wrought setting of both,
when their subject is a restless
and active-minded sprite, a hu
man interrogation point. In
many households there is a mem
ory ot Toddie, or some other of
his school, like him departed.
Happier those where the lost
one is simply translated, than
they who see their household pet
more completely lost and over
grown in the vices that too often
assail these little folk when their
feet have grown firmer in the
paths of the world, and have
taken np its grossness ,and soil
ing.—Brookhjn Uniom.
“Did you do nothing to' resus
citate the body ?” was asked of a
witness at a coroner’s inquest.
Yes, sir. We searched the pock
ets,” was the reply.
TKATNG HIS MEN.
The battle ot San Jacinto, b^•
which Texas gained her indepen
dence, was fought on April 21,
l(S3(i. Gen Houston commanded
the Texans and Santa Anna the
Mexicans.
On the morning of the battle,
Di.af So ill, the commmidtr of a
spy compain’, suggested to Gen
Houston that it was expedient to
burn a bridge over a bayou, son e
eight or nine miles distant, to
prevent the advance of reinforce
ments to the Mexicans.
‘Canyon do it?’ asked Gen.
Houston, ‘without being cut to
pieces by' the Mexican cavalry ?’
‘Give me six men,’ replied Smith,
‘and I will try.’
‘Take them.’
Returning to his company.
Smith said, ‘I want six men. ]
am going to burn the bridge. I
want six men who are willing to
follow me throng]], or perish in
the aticmpt.’
Six horsemen rode forward as
volunteers. They passed within
gun-shot of the rear of the Mexi
can cavalry, reached the bridge,
burnt it, and set out on their re
turn to the camp. Reaching a
deep, dry hollow, about thre-
quarters of a mile from the main
army, Smith ordei'ed a halt.
‘I will ride np the high ground,
he said to ids men, ‘far enough to
see whether any of the Mexican
horsemen are near, so that we
may avoid them.’
The men saw their captain ride
forward a hundred yards or so,
and then, dropping suddenly
down on his horse’s neck, gallop
towards them.
‘What news V they asked as he
came np.
‘Tlie praiie is full of Mexican
cavalry.’ Eyeing each man as if
he would look him through, the
captain asked, ‘What shall wo
do I’
‘You are our leader !’ cried the
men. ‘We will follow where ymu
lead.’
‘I shall not go back. My or
ders are to return to the camp,
and I will do it or die in the at
tempt. If any man wishes to
make his escape, I now give him
permission.’
‘Lead on. We follow.’
‘Are 5-onr arms all right ? We
will go down the dry hollow to
where it joins the bayou, and
tlion, in Indian file, run to the
level ground above. Then we
sliall be not a hundred ynirds from
the enemy. When discovered,
we’ll raise the Texan ymll, and
charge at full speed through their
1 lie. They will, no doubt, kill
me, my boys ! But I will make
an opening for the rest of you to
pass.’
The men rode in Indian'file af
ter their leader, each one deter
mined to cut his way'through the
Mexicans or die in the effort.
Through the dry hollow they
passed up outlie high levelgronnd,
and saw—not a Mexican horse
man, but their own camp near
by.
Tlie hearty laugh of Deaf
Smith revealed to the brave men
that tlieir leader had been putting
tlieir courage to the test,—though
not in an honorable way.—Youth’s
Companion.
SWEET MVSXEHT
It is not detracting from some of
the great revival preaching of these
times, to say that, as far as human
means are concerned, the sweet
mystery of music is the right arm
of its power. Circumstances had
prevented our attending any of
these meetings, but a reason for
their mighty results was made
very clear by' the following cir
cumstance.
After the usual morning service
in one of tlie Brooklyn churolis a
few months since, the minister
introduced the choir-leader of the
then recent Moody and Sankey
meetings in New York City'. He
led the audience in a half-hour
“praise-meeting,” which must
ever be a tender spot in memory
to all who were present. There
were many dewy eyes among the
people as their hearts were raised
to the Mount on the wings of such
touching sacred song as is not of
ten heard on earth. It was expe
rience to all present which left no
ground foi wonder why Saul had
the spirit of evil calmed within
him by the sweet mysteiy of the
strains of Judah’s Royal Jlinstrel.
Somotimos,as we .sit in the gloa-
niiiig and muse on these things,
we wonder if the churches would
not be the portals to heaven for
many' more than they are, if their
singing was led b^ those souls
fired from the -pure altar oi
God’s love, instead of from the
lights of the operahouse. We
wonder, too, if there are not some
who hope they have found the
pearl of great price, to whose
stewardsliip the precious talent of
musical genius and culture have
been committed, wlio are hiding
it in tlie napkin of indolence.
Perhaps, if some such would lis
ten, they would hear the still
small voice of concience calling
them to go and use this talent in
Mission Sabath-schools and in
neighborhood prayer-meetings.
It may be that golden harvests
are waiting in such fields for their
reaping, ’mid the ripple of songs
that shall bear redeemed ones on
and on to the banks of the river
of life. Sure we are that such
work is waiting for some who may'
well accept it thankfully and
earnestly, asking the Master to
permit and to help them to do it,
and do it faithfully and humbly.
—Church Union.
A nervous man, whose life was
made miserable by the chattering
of two blacksmiths, prevailed
upon each of them to remove, by
the offer of liberal compensation.
When the money was paid down
he kindly inquired what neigh
borhood they intended to remove
to. “Why, sir,” replied Jack,
with a grin. “Tom Smith move.s
to my shop, and I move to his.”
THE
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