AMBITION.
Adown yon rale, so cool and greeny
"Where rays of noon were never seen,
... So thick the trees were round it,
There stood a beech of giant bole,
Upon a velvet, mossy knoll;
j And birds sang all around it.
A brook flowed softly, close beside,
And tree and knoll upon its tide
Could see their glassy doubles;
The whisperiDg trees in love bent nigh,
And joined their arms when winds blew high,
Dividing all their troubles.
But O ! to be a famous tree,
And landmark great for all to see,
Was then this tree's ambition,
And now, behold, a clearing's made;
Surrounding trees the axe has laid,
vTo give the beech position.
The brook, beneath the burning skies,
Has shrunk to half its former size; ,
Ihe birds have all departed.
A landmark, now, this lonely beech,
Far-placed beyond his neighbor's reach,
Is well-nigh broken-hearted.
-flush C.Fari in American Magazine.
ONE OF MANY.
HEY had been
married for rather
more than a year
Jim Carrol and his
pretty little wife
and their babydaugh
ter was two months
old.
He was a fine fel
low, was Jim well
set up and good to
look at; chivalrous,
upright and honest
as the day. But .though he came
of good old stock of which he was
the last he was only a clerk in
'a London architect's office witha miser
able salary of 100 a year, which,
of course, hejnight lose with his situa
tion any day. It will be clear, I hope,
to the meanest understanding that un
der these circumstances he had not the
smallest right to think of matrimony.
So when he had the audacity to propose
for Marjory Linton niece and ward of
the pompous and wealthy old Joseph
Xinton of Manchester that gentleman
gave him a very short shrift and prompt
ly showed him the door. And when, a
month later, pretty independent Mar
jory ran away with the same handsome,
impecunious Jim Carrol, her irate uncle
-to use his own expressions " washed
Jbis hands of her, and closed his door
against her and her husband forever."
Af. f Til a foirilVlo oontonoft ATnTiorv rl ?d
' l i. ti i i i j:j
not irouDie nersen very mucu; uur uiu
her husband suffer it to affect his peace
of mind. He was too happy to care
whether all the rich old men in Europe
closed their doors against hiin-i-or other-
Wise.
They lived in a tiny house in a red-
bricked, pointed-gabled terrace at Cam
berwftll and thev had enoiifrh to do to
.. , J o
pay the rent, and to make ends meet
generally, especially after the baby
came. But they loved each other pas
sionately, and that made things easier.
Marjory was the most sunny-hearted
and hopeful of little women, and she
was quite sure that some day Dornton &
Cox,- awakening to a sense of Jim's
abilities, would take him into partner
ship and make his fortune.
But, alas!,' for Marjory's dreams, on
the particular evening on which this
story opens, Carrol was wending his way
homeward dejectedly enough; for Dorn
ton & Cox, having had heavy losses late
ly, were reducing their staff of clerks,
and among those dismissed to-day was
James Carrol. Jim felt stunned and
bewildered; for situations were not as
T5lentif ul as blackberries in London in
1884, any niore than they are now.
?"Oh, Jim, how late you are !" cried
little Mrs. Carrol as she flew to the
door to meet her husband. I thought
you were never coming, I had to put
baby to bed, at last."
"Had you, dear?" he answered ab
sently, as he followed her into the small
but cozy sitting room.
He looked depressed and out of sorts,
Marjory thought. Perhaps he had oue
of his bad headaches. Bat, like a wise
little wife, she asked no questions, only
poured out his tea and gave , him his
slippers. He did not eat aiiything, she
noticed, but sent up his cup again and
again, draining it each time feverishly.
He was very silent, too.
"Is anything the matter, dear?" his
wife said at last, in anxious tones.
"Y4s, Marjory," he answered, with an
effort. Then, after a pause, he told
her.
For a moment her sunny face was
clouded; this was a contingency which
they had never contemplated. Then
she said bravely:
"Never mind, Jim. It will not be
difficult for you to get another situation.
I see scores of advertisements in the
papers every day."
But Carrol was not so sanguine. He
was of " a more -gloomy temperament
than Marjory, and would not be cheer
ed, not even when baby woke up and
smiled and cooed in his face as was her
wont.
They studied the paper diligently day
after day. Carrol answered innumer
able advertisements, both by post and
personally, but in vain; though he spent
an alarming sum in postage stamps, and
returned night after night, weary, heart
sick and footsore.
The days went on; quarter-day drew
near and passed, and the Carrols' little
store of money melted away.
Another week passed. Jim search
ed with anxious diligence in each
evening's paper the column de
voted to "vacant situations," and
answered various " "--advertisements
which seemed singularly suitable. Butj
those who have, studied that column
not for amusement or curiosity, but for I
dear lifer-know that of these advertise
ments only too many are simply swin
dles, and that the comparatively few
which are bona fide are speedily secured
by those who have either the influence
or the experience, which Jim Carrol
had not. He set off every morning for
the city, neglected no opportunity, left
no stone unturned, but in vain.
In September they moved out of their
pretty home to a very small and dingy
cottage which stood alone, a little way
back from a side street, behind a timber
yard. It was not an attractive dwelling,
but it was very cheap; and the rent of
their former house was now out of the
question. To defray the various inevi
table expenses connected with the re
moval, aDd one or two other necessary
outlays, they sold some of their furni
ture, and a few other things"besides.
Marjory's jewelry had all gone long
ago.
One day, in walking westward along
Fleet street, Carrol met an old fellow
clerk, by name Archie Lyle.
Hallo, Carrol!" Lyle exclaimed,
grasping the former's hand heartily, and
turning to walk alongside. " How are
you ? Haven't seen you for a month of
Sundays. Why, you look down in the
mouth, old man ! What's up, eh ?"
"Nothing particular," replied the
other, coldly enough, "except that I
have been out of a situation since I left
Dornton & Cox. Inspecting public
buildings, when you have a wife and
child to keep on nothing, is not a parti
cularly exhilarating or lively occupa
tion, he continued bitterly.
"By Jove, no !" said the other in seri
ous tones. ;
"By the way," he said suddenly,
when they had crossed several streets in
comparative silence, "you are a good
draughtsman, are you not ? You have a
good idea of plans and that?"
"I ought to have," returned Carrol
dryly, "seeing I have been a clerk in an
architect's office for the last three
years."
"Ah, yes, to bo sure. Well, I know
designs "are wanted for a new hospital
somewhere near Manchester. The pre
mium is a hundred pounds. Now-"
'For God's sake, tell me," interrupted
the other eagerly and hoarsely, "do you
think I have any chance ?"
"Well," said Lyle, "I was going to
have a try. My father has an idea I
ought to distinguish myself in that
line; but I'm an awful duffer on plans
always was. So if you care to go in
for it it's a goodish premium it might
be worth your while. And, by the way,
Carrol, don't sign your own name for I
believe old Linton, your wife's uncle, is
to be one of the judges. . He is still no
end down on you, and it might make
a difference. See? Sign it oh, any
thing you like, and send it under cover
to me. .You can trust me not to father
it," he added, laughing. "I'll send you
all the particulars to-morrow, and let
you know whenever the things's decid
ed." "Lyle, I cannot thank you sufficient
ly," said Carrol unsteadily, though I
fear there is very little chance for. me."
"Pooh !" replied the other in airy
tones, "you've as good a chance as any
of the rest."
Carrol declined his companion's in
vitation to accompany him, and with a
grasp of the hand the two men parted.
Jim turned down a side street, and from
thence through the Embankment gar
dens to the river.
Marjory met him with her usual
cheery smile ; but he fancied her sweet
face was paler and more worn looking
than ever ; and the baby's eyes, ' un
naturally large and bright, seemed to
follow him reproachfully. . His wife
clapped her little hands joyfully when
he told her of Lyle's proposal ; and she
was so merry and hopeful all the evening
that Jim felt his spirits rise. She pre
pared a nice little supper for him, too ;
and Jim did not notice, for a wonder,
that one or two of their cherished books
had disappeared. Baby was veiy good
to-night ; she did not cry at all ; and the
evening was the most cheerful they had
passed for some time.
In the evening of the following day
came a letter from Lyle ; and as soon as
it was light the next morning Carrol
began his task. He worked hard and
patiently," but he suffered terribly from
nervous headaches; he took even less
food than usual ; and the baby's con
stant monotonous wail made him some
times feel half crazy.
At last the drawing was finished. Car
rol signed it "J sola, care of A. Lyle,
Esq.," as his friend had suggested.
Marjory thought it beautiful, and had
no doubt of its being successful; but
Carrol was not so sanguine. However, he
sent it off afr once; and Marjory already
began to calculate how long a time
must elapse before its fate would be de
cided. It was weary waiting, though; and to
Jim ay, and to Marjory too the once
dreaded pawnshop became sadly, and
painfuHy familiar. Meanwhife their
baby was slowly but surely fading away
from them.
One afternoon Carrol returned some
what earlier than usual from the city,
whither he had been in answer to some
luring will-o'-the-wisp advertisement.
It was a dull, wet day; and as be turned
up the narrow street which led to his
uome, ms ueart sanK with a curious, un
defined dread. They had been up with
the baby all night, but she had seemed
better nnd brighter when Jim left in the
morning.
Marjory met him, as she always did,
at the door. At a glance his fears were
quickened.
"What is it?" he said hastily. "The
child is she wose ?"
"Jim," she answered, looking up at
him with dry, grief stricken eyes, "Jim
baby is dead!"
He followed her silently to the room
where the tiny creature, with waxen fea
tures so like his own, lay cold and still
and smiling.
"When ?" ho asked in a choked voice.
"Just three hours ago, ' 8he replied
monotonously.
Carrol stood looking down on all that
was,left to him of his baby daughter and
smoothed the short, fluffy hair wit a a
strange, wistful look in his dark, sunken
eyes. :
"Poor little thing I" he said, sadly and
brokenly. ' "God knows what she is
spared 1" .
There was a silence, for Marjory could
not speak. The rain dripped on the
window sill outside; the wind shook the
casement and moaned in the chimney.
Then, with a quick, dry sob, Carrol took
his wife in his arms and they mingled
their tears together.
So the autumn dragged on. At last
one dreadful day, when even Marjory
broke down and when Jim looked so
weak and ill as he set off on his weary
and fruitless quest for work that it al
most broke his wife'sheart to see him
at last, privately, and with many pangs
of humbled prideMrs. Carrol wrote her
uncle. She" did not tell her husband,
for she knew that if she did nothing
would induce lum to let the letter go.
The answer came soon enough; and it so
chanced that Carrol met the postman at
the door and took the letter from him.
He gave to his wife, and waited while
she read it; then, seeing her face blanch,
took it from her trembling hands, and
with compressed lips glanced at the few
words it contained. It was short and to
the point:
Dear Marjory If you like to leave your hus
band, I will take you back to your old home.
On no other lertns and in no other way will I
help you. You took your own way; and now
vou may take the consequences.
Joseph Linton.
It is said much for Jim's utter heart
sickness that he did not even show any
displeasure at Marjory's having written.
He only said gently :
"You should not have asked him,
dear."
But the passionate little Marjory tore
up the letter and threw it into the fire
place. It haunted Jim, though. If it were
not for him, he thought wretchedly, his
Marjory would be cared for again as she
ought to be. He knew her too well to
think she would leave him. N.o word
had oome of his drawing; he had almost
given up hope; a deadly, horrible de
pression seemed to have taken possess
ion of him. Every way seemed closed
to him save one.
"Dear," he said one night with an ef
fort they had been sitting silent for a
long time in the dismantled little sitting
room "would you not like to go
back to Manchester ?"
"What, without yov, Jim ?" she cried,
with incredulous amazement in her tired
little voice. '
"Yes," very steadily.
"Ah, Jim," tones of keen reproach,
"do you want me to go ?"
"My darling, you need not ask roe
that," and Jim's voice shook slightly.
"But it would be better for you."
"Ah, my dear," she said with an at
tempt at her old sauciness, "you need
not hint; you can't get rid of me. Don't
think it!"
Then she suddenly laid her curly head
on his knee, and begaji to cry.
"O, Jim," she sobbed, "don't send me
away! How can you speak so? You
break my heart I Ah, darling, you
could not do without me, could you ?"
"Post these letters for me, King will
you?" said Archie Lyle, one October
forenoon. "I'm off in a tearing hurry
to catch a train. Don't forget them,
there's a good fellow."
"All right," said the young man
addressed, and he put the letters care
lessly into the breastpocket of his over
coat. "Hang it all !" King said to himself
the next day, "I've forgotten to post
Lyle's letters. However, I don't sup
pose it matters much. He'll be none
the wiser." He dropped them into the
first pillar box he came to, and lighting
a cigar, sauntered on his way.
On the morning of this same day
Carrol and his wife were standing, pale
and silent, at the window of their sitting
room. They were watching for the
postman. They had watched for him
unspokenly, feverishly, desparingly, for
many days. Soon they heard the sharp
rat-tat on the doors in the distance. He
came nearer. He knocked at the door
of the house nearest theirs. Then he
passed on !
"Oh, Jim!" said the little wife
despairingly.
Carrol was white to his very lips.
"Nevermind, childie," he 'said, put
ling his arm round her, and trying to
speak steadily.
"Oh, my dear, I can't help it," she
sobbed.
There was a long pause; then Marjory
said, almost cheerily, "Perhaps if you
went to Mr. Lyle, he could tell you, Jim
,f
"I did go, Marjory, yesterday," he in
terrupted, quietly, but he has gone from
home for a fortnight. If my drawing
had been successful, ho would have writ
ten before he left. Try not to grieve,
darling; it can't be helped," Jim went
on, with a sickly smile. . "We must try
something else. I may hear of some
thing to-day."
Perhaps there will be a letter to
night," said Marjory, with renewed
hope, as she bade her husband good-by
at the door.
Jim came home about six, looking ter
ribly weary and depressed. He had. been
unsuccessful once more.
"Ko letters yet, dear," said his wife,
hastening to answer the unspoken ques
tion in his eyes. As she spoke they
heard the postman's knock in the dis
tance. It came nearer nnd died away.
"Perhaps there will be" one in the
morning." Marjory went on; but her
voice faltered.
In the morning ! Another long, awful,
sleepless night of hoping against hope,
of maddening, steadily growing de
spair! Jim shuddered. He was worn
out, physically and mentally; and he felt
as though he could not stand the sicken
ing suspense longer. As lie looked at his
Aife, her wan, changed little face, with
its pale ghost of a smile, seemed to
pierce his heart.
A strange, terrible, determined look
settled round his mouth, but Marjory
was leaning her curly head against his
arm, and did not see his face.
. The room was quite dark now, but
they were still standing at the window.
For a time Carrol was very still. Then
he said :
"I am very tired, Marjory darling. I
will lie down for a while. Don't disturb
me. I I didn't sleep last night" (nor
for many nights, he might have added).
"But won't you have a cup of tea
first, Jim?"
" No, I don't care for any."
"A long sleep will do you good,
dear," she said, anxiously and caress
ingly. "You look dreadful.".
"Yes," he answered, in a strangely
quiet voice, " a long sleep will do me
good." Then, suddenly, "Kiss me,
Marjory ! "
" Ah, my own dear, disappointed
boy ! " she cried, throwing her arms
round him.
He held her to him tightly, and
kissed her again and again.
"My darling!" he said hoarsely.
" My own darling ! "
Then he let her go, and went away.
She heard him go up stairs, and his
footsteps echo in the room above.
Marjory sat at the window for a long
time, and watched the stars grow bright
er and clearer in the soft dark sky.
Somewhere in the distance a street organ
was wailing out an old hackneyed waltz
tune. ' It stirred her heart strangely.
She remembered dancing, that waltz
with Jim, so very, very long ago like
everything else that was bright and
hopeful. Even Marjory's brave little
heart was heavy to-night. What would
become of. them, she wondered. God
only knew.
The clock on the neighboring church
tower boomed out on the night air; and
as the last stroke died away there was a
sharp knock at the door. It was the
postman. Marjory took the one letter
he held out to her, and closing the door,
she went back to the sitting room.
With trembling fingers she lighted the
candle and examined the envelope eag
erly. Yes it was Mr. Lyle's handwrit
ing! Marjory recognized it without
difliculty, for it was a peculiar hand.
With a beating heart , she stole softly
up stairs she did not take the candle,
for fear of waking Jim, should he be
asleep and peeped into the bed room.
All was still. In the pale starlight she
could just make out the dim outline of
his figure on the bed.
"Jim, " she whispered.
No answer. He was evidently, asleep.
Ah ! It seemed a pity to wake him,
she thought; and perhaps, after all, the
letter held bad news. She softly laid a
shawl over him in the semi-darkness
and crept down stairs again.
After looking at the fateful envelope
for some time, she slowly opened it
She could not wait; and she knew Jim
would not mind. In another moment
she uttered a little glad, involuntary cry,
and her lips y parted in a joyful, half in
credulous smile; Could it be possible !
Yes, Jim's design had been selected as
the best; the premium would be his !
And this was not the only good news the
letter contained; for Lyle went on to
say that he had heard of a vacant ap
pointment, which he thought he couid
through his father's influence secure
for Carrol.
Marjory hid her face .in her hands;
for a moment the revulsion of feeling
was almost too much. Then in a passion
of tears and thankfulness she fell upon
her knees. But she could only say,
"Thank God! Thank God!"
An hour passed. The moon was drift
ing among the stars, and streaming in
through the uncurtained window on
Marjory's face wet with many tears.
The candle had burnt itself out.
Ah, what a joyous waking Jim's would
be! Should she lay the letter on his
pillow to surprise him when he awoke ?
Or should she rouse him I Perhaps he
was already awake.
She lit a fresh bit of candle, and, still
holding the precious letter, went up
stairs. She laid the candle, down just
outside the bedroom door, and entered
very gently.
How deadly still the room was !
"Jim 1" she said softly.
But Jim did not answer. How sound
ly he slept !
Marjory came nearer and bent over
him in the throbbing darkness. The
moon had hidden herself behind one
solitary cloud. -
"Jim !" a little louder.
Still that strange, weird hush. A
vague fear stirred her heart. She did
not even hear him breathe. What if he
had fainted!
The moon sailed out again, illumining
part of the room, but leaving the bed in
deep shadow.
JJim, darling," leaning ovepiiim and
laying her arm across hisneck, "a letter
has come! It is " With a sudden
sickening terror she stopped and raised
herself, for she felt that her sleeve was
wet!
Snatching up the candle she held it
over the bed, and by its flickering light
she saw ah, dear heaven, what did she
see?
Not her Jim, surely ?
A white, dead' face a dark-red stain
on the coverlet a ghastly wound and
cold, nerveless fingers, still holding
tchatf
Ah, cruel Jim !
A long, shudderiMg.cry rang out on the
autumn night wild agonized de
spairing. Again and again it echoed."
Then all was still.
In the asylum at S there is a fair,
slender woman, with solemn, child-like
eyes and sunny hair.
"Hush!" she says to the doctors every
day, with lowered voice and uplifted fin
ger. "Hush! Jim is asleep. I must
not wake him. He is so tired, poor Jim!
He does not know that the letter has
come. You will false me to him, will
you not Not now but when he
wakes:
tEPUOST Is ,S1UL
The Namber EICectf. o-
there can be little ,S Io3iMa
reidy exceed 250.000 injTa'J
numbers are sWinT,.-.ai"1 "t 2.
can
thisicreas7-.x;
Aether the dSeas. iZT
contagion or hhered'H 5
ghastly lepers be"iriin. i". E ttct
in thelconieTotToSs V"'' 1
x CSV u one small k?7 , P3
of . mine told me v J
counted 12. I
who was employed by a f
baker in th rt..- J . ? i-cv
is moreover estimated that J r
the hands of lepers. I f0S th
bay a man whose Lands VJ
service as a ticket collector V? Uti7
fallen a victim to the dkc rnW.
with their revolting miseries' fX1
posed, associate freely with tv. J n'
munity. They ; marry when tb 4"
they love a roving Ufe, and ihS
ua ly become fresh centres for
gating the disease. I was assmSi v"
Mr. MacGuire. the RnJL!W b.T
u x . 1 'iu tea, lent nl
the Leper Asylum in Calcutta, that 2
could testify, from often rented fv!
servations, that in the congregations d
poor people who assemble at tbefunerj
. " Wi ""uy natives, one person
in three was a leper By the saine
thonty I was told that tu oi
-"-ivy ooiium mjl
generally overcrowded, and that the
police uo not hesitate to brinjr
i " mo iu a ujlug State.
and for whom it is necessary to
turn OUt SOme less imminnnr no,, t"
deed the evil is so widesdreaj tha
.Liora .Lrunerm sam to me, one mH
almost as readily undertake to rid India1
of its snakes as of its leprosy. Moreover
the absence of Indian public opinion on
such matters, and the constitutional
calousness of - the native minil ;
the difficulty in a way that' En lish
reauers can scarcely estimate. So care
less of danger does the Indian fanati
cism make men to this evil, tliat,-in tLe
great leper hospital at Tarautarn.thft an.
thorities as I was assured hv an official
there have to hunt out relatives of the
deceased who have come in pretending
that they are leprous, and who aro actu
ally willing to. become infected for the
sake of acquiring board,' lodging and
the power of livinq: an idle life, lie
Indian desires above all thmcs to be 1
man of money, and that the leper at
rn 1 1 . . . ..
JLarantarn likes to savo two out ot tte
three rupees iallowed him monthly, ncd
either to hide them iu the ground, put
them out at interest, or invest them la
jewelry for his wife. One man had tha
acquired '600 rupees at the cost d
most wretched diet, and consequent in
crease of the disease. Xiiu.tcaiiU Co-
tury.
Tlieii and 'ow.
One hundred vears ago the world vol
rated at 731,000.000, of whom 174,01)0,
000 were Christians: now the popula
tion has doubled and the Christiisi
tripled. One hundred years ago the
church was asleep on mission won aca
the governments and nations oppl
missions; now, with little excepuou,
all welcome them. One hundred yon
ago English-speaking people had not one
mission society; now they have 10 re
ported. One hundred years ugo eua
ed men could not be induced to beron
missionaries the work was too fa
ding; now we have 7,000 missiowncs,
nearly one-third of whom aro women;
also 35,000 native agents, 3,000 of M
are ordained ministers. One LanaW
years aso there were not 300 bible coa
verts among the heathen; now there J
3,000,000. One hundred years agoC
was thought vain to hope for contu
sions from Mohammedanism; nov, V
manv parts, as in Lahore, India, bk
i- -i: n tf firs are coo
ui me leauiug mionnLi .
verted Mohammedans. Within tnep
two years more than '2,000 young
have gone from the United States a-a
Canada ana are laoonng uuo
Chicago Time.
A Swindler Betrayed by IIU Farrot
Detectives obtain their hints
from many sources, but it is noj - :
(the Paris correspondent of the
TcleyrapJi remarks) that they re
them through the instrumtaji
parrots; yet this is just what 1
the head of the Paris ,
Department. This officer has bee" ,
looking for the chief accounts 1
rof..!u TWirl ' u fellow naseAi 1
Chevalier, and, going the others f d
the rooms of a notorious rJ Liffi9Clf
-t.i j. T..t i, heard lur,,
addressed in harsh toiu-s s uCH
Victor ! there you are !" ttS-utM
for the detective, who ank
satisfied himself that tne -i faf
bird was the property of tJL;je3-tfl
whom he whs looking, . P ost
search the receiver's d for kr
of a more substantial charac.r. b0
or.,1 minntn mvestiSuon. r.Vflf
premises, he found a letter Irotu
to the receiver, in win c'
robber announced that ho was a
the name of Felix Vr .u.tto
Goron immediately set out tr
and arrested the owner of l" .,
able parrot in the railway si. -
- pfi
ha a wart oil her ..os 14 f wL 1
frowzy. Wife-Ye, John, that
native community of manv hS&t
railway tickets daily paUS? ?
this man's hands ? Anl
the same citvhnd a ia
D" O