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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1889-8-30, Page 2THE BRUSSELS POST, 'UNDER AN AFRIC SUN BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN, CHAPTER VI, Tom Digby'° right hand (demised, and ea Ueiten olung to hie left, oho felt hie nerved and muoolec quiver with rage. A ourioue sensation of faintness name over her, and ehe 'struggled to be firm, ae mho told herself time bhe might prevent some terrible en. counter. But there was nothing of the kind, for Ramon Dame forward eagerly, "Ale, there you are l' he exclaimed, " Had a pleaeant day!—Why where are the others ?" Did you not hear them ?•' said Digby roughly. "No.—Oh yea; I heard Senor Red- grave call. 1 messed them ae I came `through the trees. What a delightful even- ing 1 I passed three years in London, Mr, Digby ; but I never saw euoh an evening ae this.' He chatted away, ae he stepped to the other side of the mule, keeping on with• nub waiting for the other's reply. " You have bad a splendid day, but very hot down by the town. You have felt it cold up the mountain, Mr. Digby?" " Yes, very," said Digby shortly ; and he felt Helen press his hand gently, ae if ehe were imploring him not to be angry. "But you oould not have had a clearer day for the view,—Did you feel the cold much, Mies Helen?" "No—no," she said quietly. "I don't think it was very cold." "Generally ie,—I beg pardon, Mr Digby 1 Have a oigar 1' "If I refuse it, he'll take it for a declar- ation of war, and I don't want to fight.— Why should I?—poor wretch 1" "There you are," said Ramon, coming round by the back of bhe mule witk hie can open. The emaller are the best." " Thanks," said Digby, taking one. "Leb me give you a light." A match was struck, and by its light Digby naught a glimpse of the Spaniard's face, wbich was as calm and unruffled as could be. Then they went on, and retook their places on either side of the mule. " I've been very busy too," continued Ramon, " Tired ; but was eurione to hear how you had gob on ; and yet half afraid that the crater had given way and swallowed you all up," Digby felt tongue-tied ; but Ramon ohat- tared away. ' I wonder whether Senor Redgrave will let me throw myself upon hie hospitality this evening ? I called on my way up, and found that you had not returned. I lefb some fruit; and there was a fragrance from the kitchen window that was maddening to a hungry man.—Ah 1 here we are." For they had come up to Redgrave and Fraser, who were standing beside the track. "Yon, Ramon?" said Redgrave rather sternly. ' Yes, my dear sir. 1 thought I would go and meet them ; but I missed you.—My dear Redgrave, I want you to give me a bib of dinner to•night." "Certainly," replied Redgrave—and he told a polite lie : I shall be very happy." For the rest of the way Ramon did nearly all the talking ; and during the evening his conversation was fluent and highly inter- esting ae he engaged Fraeer in conversation about the antiquities of the plaoe : smoking cigars and sipping his chocolate in the most unruffled way. "Yon are making quite a collection of our minerals, I hear," he Raid in. the course of the conversation. "Yes , I have a good many." "Of course yon examined the head of the barranco on bhe west aide of the mountain!" "No ; we have not been there yet." "Nob been 1 Why, my dear air, that is bhe most interesting place of the whole. You ahould go there—By the way, Red. grave, I suppose the nearest way would be right across my plantation 4" "Decidedly," said Redgrave, who seemed puzzled by his visitor's urbanity. "Yee," acid Ramon thoughtfully ; "that le certainly the beet way. There a an interest- ing mummy cave there, too, about half -way along; bub you will certainly be delighted with the head of the barranco,—There ; I mnet nay goodnight. Going now, gentle- men ?•' ' Yee," aaid Fraoar, rising. " It is time we were back." people whom Fate ban evidently marked out for huobond and wife 4" " Fate bo hanged I W gab ban Fate got; to do with it 4'' "Do you not see thee you are making a powerful enemy of Ramon, who tae the father at hie mercy Y' "I'll pitoh Ramon down ono of the bar- ran000, if he doesn't mind what ho fn about]," pried Digby warmly, " Mind he does not pitch you down, Tom. But—aboub Helen Redgrave ?" " Well, what about her? I know what my dear old moralist le about to say : Marri- age is a eorioua thing—I have my friends to study—I ought not to be eaoh—I ought to wait—I ought to wr: to home," " Yes ; I should have said something of the kind, and also warned you to flee from danger —and temptation." "Then here we are at the moat, and I am going to get on my perch ab once, my dear old modal of wiedem ; but before I do so, here are my answers to your warnings : I am well off ;I am my own master; and I have neither father nor mother to consult. Greatest and moat cogent answer of all— Helen." Half an hour after, netting at defiance the insect plagues of the maim, Tom Digby was sleeping peacefully and dreaming of his sweet young misbrees while Fraeer was seated in his own room, with hie arms folded, gazing oub through the open window, with the darkneee visible and mental ahead. "He loves her, and— Yes," he added, after a painful sigh, "what wonder, poor boy —ehe loves him In return, Oh I I mueb have been mad—I must be mad.—And that man Ramon? Yee ; he smiled and 'bowed hie white teeth. I would not trust him fora moment. The calm was too false and treacherous. If I could only get the poor boy away 1' CHAPTER VII. A week of unalloyed happiness paee ed during which time every evening was spent at the villa, Digby grew more joyous ; the saddened look was rapidly passing away from Helen's faoe, and that of her father grew puzzled, while Fraeer'n seemed more sombre and sad. Ramon had fetched them to hie place again and again, and had oleo begged leave to accompany them in two of their expedi- tions, finding horeee and mules, and proving himself a polished and agreeable guide, baking them to various points, whose mar - vele made Fraser forget his own trouble in the excitement of discoveries dear to a naturalist's heart; while, after these jour- neys, Ramon always insisted upon the travellers aooepting his hospitality. They had just finished dinner, and Ramon had left them for a time, one of hie servants having called him away, a summons whioh, after many apologies, he had obeyed, leaving the friends together, when, pushing the jug of excellent French claret towards kis coo• panion, Digby. who was slightly flushed, exclaimed : " Taste that, my boy, and eon• fess that our host is a charming fellow and a polished gentleman. " " Yee, I confess to these," said Fraser gravely ; and just then Ramon reappeared at the floor, bearing a fresh box of oigare, whioh he banded to hie gnaets and resumed hie seat. "One of the evils of possessing planta• tion," he said. "Your men are always hom- ing with the news of some disaster.' 'Nothing serious, I hope 4" said Digby. "No, no—a mere nothing— kind of blight appearing.—Bub, by the way, you two have never visited the head of that barranco yet. Don't forget it, When will you go?" "When Fraaer'a ready. --What do you say to tomorrow ?' This was agreed to, and Digby rose as if to leave, " There," said Ramon ; " I will nob keep you fidgeting to go; only leave friend Fraserto smoke another cigar." " Really, I don't think"—began Digby, rather petulantly, " Do not %e angry, dear friend," aaid Ramon kindly. " I meat no harm. Appro. glee for me to my dear friend Redgravo.— Y ou will stay, will you not, Fraser ?" " No ; I will go with him," said the latter hastily. Then, in a hurried confnaed man• ser, as if he were mastering himself, " No," he added, " I will stay, and have a quiet Digby roes reluctantly; but it was time smoke and chat with you aboub the head of they left ; so the onetomary addsos were the barranco and what we are likely to said, Ramon making a point of going first, find," eo that Digby had an opportunity to raise .'Poor boy 1" said Ramon, with a gentle Helen's trembling hand to hie lips. Good- smile when Digby had gone. " Well, he Eight—my darling," he whispered, "I shall has won a charming girl. You and I, Mr. tell Dlr. Redgrave all," Fraser, are getting old enough to pub these i "Heaven protect him 1" muttered the thins behind," girl devoutly ; and she stood there at the "yes," said Fraser gravely ; and he eat door they lag bill her father returned ; and talking to his hoeb till quite late, thea they lingered, each slightly uneasy, According to what bad grown into a custom, but ashamed to give their fears words, and Dib found Helen and her father bythe being content to listen to the voices of the gate which commanded the steep rack, gueete, as they name clearly up through and another delightful evening, all too the still night•air, short, was spent. Music, talk of England, Redgrave felt disposed to speak to his the life there, all had their turn, and then child before retiring for the night, but came the time to go, Helen walking remained silent, beneath the great mallow stars down with " Marriages are made in Heaven," he her visitor to the gate, for the Met good. 'said to himself, ",1 feel helpless; and perhaps night—that farewell whioh takes e0 many Nelly herself may find the way out of the times to say, and was here prolonged till difficulty, and, ecmehow, I begin to like Redgrave'a voice was heard. young Digby." Tho three guests of the villa went slowly "Coming, papa," cried the girl, as ehe down the track toward the little town, with clung to Dlgby a hand. Then you go," she Ramon ohabting pleasantly about the ialand. whispered, "to the barranco tomorrow 4" "I daresay yon Englishman are disappoint. Yea ; in good time." ed at the absence of spurt," he aaid. Very "Os call Bee you at night 4" different from Norfolk, where I went on a visit when I was in England. Here we have "And you will take oare. I have heard partridges and rabbits—that is all." that some of these places are very danger- " We find plenty to amuse us," said Fraser 00"Take oars ? Yea ; for your sake," he quietly. Oh yes; 1 have seen that. Why, you whispered. "Once more, good -night,' will have a boatload of specimens,—But He ran off, bo maetor the longing to stay ; don't forget the head of the barranco beyond and with an uneasy feeling at her heart, my place, It will repay a visit ; and 0 I Helen returned slowly to the house, wishing can assist you with guides or men, pray that he had not come alone, eo as to have a command me,—Good-night," companion bank along the dark path, where "Well, Tom," said Fraser, in a sad voice ie would be so any for an enemy to do him as soon as they were alone, "what next?" harm. " I don't know, old fellow, and don't want She net away the foolish dread directly, to know," replied Digby in a tone of voice and with good nun, for Digby reached the Which nontreated strangely with the mourn- yenta about bio same time as Fraeer return• ful epoeoh of his friend, ed from hie late stay with Ramon; and after "You do nob know 4" a short chat] over their morrow's plans, they "I only know that I am surprisingly both went to bed. nappy." The ono was streaming into Digby'° room Happy Y' when he awoke the next morning with rho "Yee. Yon moat have aeon, Horace, old sensation upon him that db was very tete ; fellow, I oan speak to you as I would to a and on springing out of bed it was to find a brother. I love Helen Redgrave with all my piece of notepaper lying on hie droeaing• heart." table, on whioh was written: They walked on in silence for some time, "Yon wore sleeping eo aound9y I would and then Fraser aaid sadly " A boylab not disturb yon. 1 Moo gone on, Eat your fanny,—Come, be a man. This must go no breakfaat, and follow atyour leisure." further, Tom. Let us pack up and go Digby droned under a feeling of annoy -away, anon at hie friends detention. He did hot Digby rebook hie head, partionlarly want to join in the trip, for he "1 am auto it would be butter Mr all." had seen enough of the island, and would Digby drew a long breath, full of exulta- far rather have gone up to Redgrave'a, but tion, for the pressure of Helen's little fingers Fraeer'° start along made him immediately n seemed to cling to his hand "Dc you not see," continued Feasor, "that you aro intervening between two AUGUST 30, 1889, "Too bad of Horace," he grumbled to him. as when It had cooled down after some erup- eolf as he not off up the mountain track to, tion laundrette of years before, ho found that where it diverged, and the path led to • it seamed to curve over like a dome above ltamon'a plantations, with the house away t hie heed; ani though he followed it for some to the left in a boautitulnook whioh corn. sanded a view of the diabaab islands, For a momoub he hesitated as to whether he should walk down to Ramon's for a ohab before abarting; and he hesitated again after going a few yards ; bub finally he stopped out boldly with the hob son pouring down ; and as he went on, a oareworn face was slowly raised from oub of a clump of seml•troploal foliage, and Framer atood well concealed, watching hips till he passed cub of sight. Then, after a cautious look round ho sank beak into his pia a of oonoealment, and the birde that had flitted away returned, the ettllaess around being unbroken, save when the low deep murmur of the surf arose from far be- low. Too bad of old Horace," Bald Digby, at] he strode along, past Ramon's plantations, till the wild country began ; and recognising various plane he had passed before, the young explorer soon reached the spot where the track leading to the barranco commenced —a path growing fainter and fainter, and more obliterated by the abundant growth, till it gradually became a mere shelf on the mountain side. The dense tangle ab firsb eloped down to hie left, and up to hie right, but grew more and more precipitous, till there was an almost perpendioular wall of volcanic rook, out of which bhe shrubby growth and ferns spread out, and formed a shadowy arch, which soreened him from the son ; while a foot away on hie left there was a profound drop, the rook again going per- pendicnlarly down, and in places the eholf along which he passed quite overhung the verdanb gorge. And eo ib continued for quite a couple of hours, during which he went on along the shelf, when abundant growth hid the danger of the way ; for ib was only ab times that] he obtained a glimpse of the depths below, where some avalanche of stones had crashed down from above and swept the trees away. " He's right : it is a glorious walk," cried Digby enthusiastically ; " only, it seems so stupid to be enjoying it all alone." For another hour he went'on, °till wonder- ing that he had seen no traces left by hie friend, but soon forgetting this in the fresh glories of the overshadowed path, and the lovely glints of nubble in the zigzagging tunnel of ferns and creepers, which literally seemed to flow down in cascades of growing leafage from the wall on hie right, " Nature must have made this path," he said to himself ; " and it can only be seldom trod. Loads to nowhere, of course, and— Hillo ! here's the end," For, ab a sudden turn, after passing an angle of the rook, he found himself face to face with a huge mase of atone, which had evidently lataiy slipped from a few feet above the traok, and ocm- pletely blocked the way. "That's awkward," he said thoughtfully. " Teo steep to get over.—Ha I that's st." He smiled as he saw that to the left of the large block the green growth had been trampled down, the shelf being wide enough for any one to pass round, though the gorge seemed there to be almosb dark, so filled up was it with the tope of the trees which bristled from its aide, "The old boy has been round here for one, this morning. First time I've seen his marks.—My word, he has been chipping away here," he added, as he looked at the broken fragments of atone in the newly made curve of the path. Without a moment's hesitation he stepped down, then took another atop, for the way descended apparently, to rise again beyond the block. Then another atop on to some fagot•like brushwood laid across to form a level way ; and as he did eo, he uttered a wild cry, and snatched at the rooky side to save, himself. Vain effort, for everything had given way beneath him, and he dropped headlong, to fall, alter what seemed to be a terrible descent, heavily far below. He was conscious of an agonising sensation of pain, then of a stifling duet, of a aiokening stupefying dizziness, and than ah WAS dark - nen, How long he•lay there stunned he oould not tell ; bub he seemed to struggle into wakefulness out of a terrible feverish dream, to find that all was darkness and mental con- fusion What it all meant was a mystery; for his head was thiok and heavy, and me- mory refused to give him back the recolbes• tion of hie walk and audden fall. But he realised at last that he wan awake, and that he was lying upon what seemed to be fragments of sticks ; and ae he groped about, he touched something whioh eeb hien wondering for the moment, before he could grasp what it was he held, Then he uttered a ory of horror and recoiled, for his finger and thumb had paned into two bony orbita, and he knewthab the object he had grasped was a human skull I CHAPTER IX, Aa Digby oast down the grisly relic of mortality, he clapped his • hands to hie throbbing brow, and shrank farther away, feeling as if his reason was tottering, and for a time the mastery of hie sensation pass- ed away quickly as it had some, and he stamped one of hie feat with rage. He shrank away, for his an had rained a oloud of pungent ohoking dust, whioh hor- rified him again. But this only served to make him recover his mental balance ; and as he stood there in the utter darkneee, he seemed to see onoo more the aide of that other ravine they had skirted weeks bank, when he had drawn Framer's attentionto the climbing figure whioh they had after- wards encountered as he crept up with his basket. " I must have fallen, then, into one of the ancient mummy caves," he said, trying to speak aloud and coolly, though his words oame for the moment hurriedly and sounded excited and strange. He paused again, and wiped tho dank perspiration from his brow, " Thera," ha aaid ; "I'm better now ; so — Whab'athis ? Yes, it must be : I'm bleeding," Ho felt the beak of hie head, and winced, for it was oub badly, and a tiny warm stream was trickling down hie neck. " That'd soon doctored," he' muttered as ho folded and bound a handkerchief about his brow. "Now then : how far have I fallen, and how am I to get out ?" He began to look about cautiously, look- ing up the while in ;march of the opening through which he had oome ; bub for soma minutes he looked in vain. At last, though, he saw a dim light far above him, nob the sky or the opening through which he had fallen, but a faintly reflected gleam, which feebly ahowed something blank above hie head ; and at last he reached the conclusion that the opening down whioh he had drop• pod was not straight, but eloped to and fro in rough zigzag, "How horrible I" he muttered. "Yet what a blueing I" he added. " 1f the fall had been sheer, I mush have been killed," By oautlousprogreesion he at laatfound the side, but not until he had gone in two other directions, whioh neared to load him farther into the bowels of the mountain, feel an internee longing to be off ; and oon- Shia diaoovery did nob seem to heap him, aegnentlyy he quits upset his Spanish land- for, as be passed hi; 'mode over the rough lady by his hurried and scanty meal, vosioular lava, whioh was in plane ee sharp dletaaoe he would find no place where there was the faintest possibility of hie climbing up to the day, ' Ahoy I Frazer 1 Frozor I" he shouted alond and then paused aghaeb, for 1118 voice seemed to pees echoing hello,vly away, giving him an idea of the vastneae of the place in whioh he was confined,. And now for a few momenta hie former sanitation of horror attacked him, ese he felt that he might possibly never be able to extricate himself from the trap into which he bad fallen, and that he might go on wandering amongst tho horrors by which he was surrounded until he died of exhaustion —mad. Again be mastered his wandering mind, and epoko aloud in a reaeaurirg tone, "I am not surrounded by berme," he aaid calmly. That which be here ought to alarm no man of well-balanced intelleoc. It le known that I have come this way, by the people at the inn—, No : I did nob tell bifem. But Fraser know I was coming, and he will aearoh for me. Ramon knew I was coming here, and I have nothing to do but sib and wait till I hear voices ; and then a shout will do the net. Horace cannot be long." "Good heaven I" he ejaculated after a pause, suppose the poor fellow should tread upon the broken place and fall I—No fear. It was covered when I Dame along. Ib le all open now." He leaned against the aide of the cave, thinking of his misfortune, and listening for step or voios to break the terrible ailence around him; but all was perfectly still; and think how he would, he could not keep book an occasional shudder ab the idea of passing a night where he wee. "Couldn't] bo darker than day," he said wish a laugh to restore his courage ; and then he began to think aboub Helen, a right aubjectr, which lasted him for long enough, bill the increasing pain and etiffnese of his injuries turned the current] of his thoughts to hie rival; and then like a flash, a suspicion came to him : "What did Horace say?—The man was treacherous and false I Great heaven, have I fallen into his trap T' He tried to argue the thought away ; bub the idea was only strengthened. Ramon had been so anxious for him to come there —for both of them. The path had evidently been altered, by accident or design. Wae it design, and the contriver's idea to rid himself of two men he detested at one stroke 4 —No ; the thought was too horrible, and he would not harbour it. Vain effort : it grew the stronger ; and ea the time sped on, and the hurt produced a feverish sensation of half•delirium, Digby found himself fully believing that Ramon had contrived this pitfall; bhab there was no escape ; and that, freed from hie presence, the treacherous Spaniard would renew his advances to Helen. The agony increased, and with the mental suffering name a wild feverleh horro which grew upon him till his brain throbbed ; a nose of confusion, which be oould not overcome, increased; and at last—long after he had fallen—he felt that he could bear no moue, and all was blank, TO BE CONTINUED. Soienoe for Children. A pretty experiment bo interest the child- ren is to make a little hammock from a piece of mnalin. Attach four threads to impend it by ; soak for awhile in very salt water and let 11 dry ; then place in it an empty eggshell and en the hammock on fire. The muslin will be consumed, but the ashes left will be composed of crystals of salt thea will hold together andkeep theahell amain the delicate frame -work, Ib is possible to have an entire egg instead of the shell, bub prudence would suggest its being boiled hard in advance, as accidents are always liable to occur. Ib always seems worth while to occasion• ally try various simple eoientifio experiments to give the little folks a glimpse into the wonders of soienoe and then lab them read up the why and the wherefore bhemeelvee. To illustrate the difference of sound coming through air or water, ring the dinner -bell in a tab ofiwater and an how it is altered from its usual tone. To show the power of air fill a tin oan with water, tie mosquito netting over the top, hold a piece of writing paper on top with one hand and turn the oan up- side down ; now hold Ib steadily and draw bhe paper slowly away ; the water will nob pour out unless there is a hole made in the bottom of the con that is uncovered so the air can peas in from above. An attraobive and interesting article of home decoration, whioh the ohildron will be pleased to see growing day by day, is made by simply placing a little common salt and water in a glees. In a couple of Jaye a mist will be seen on the glace, and in a (short time the tumbler will be thickly covered with beautiful salt crystals. The crystals may be alteree ib oolor by adding to the salt water name red ink or a spoonful of blueing, whioh will tint the surface beautifully. If a par- tlonlerly pretty result is desired use a vase instead of a plain tumbler. Plane a dials nn. derneath as the crystals will run over.—De- troit News. Religious Celebration, The people of Lachine have just observed by a religious celebration the two hundredth anniversary of the moat frightful massacre in Indian annals. In the year 1689 the Fronoh under Denouville were at war with the powerful Iroquois tribes ; but advances had been made with a view to peace, The Hurons, who were the friends of the French and the enemies of tho Iroquois, heard of the projected peace with gloomy antioipa. tions. Their Chief " The Rat" set out for Fort Frontenao to learn the particulars. On arriving be professed pleasure at the Doming caseation of hoatiiitiea, and at onoo left for the plane at which the Iroquois ambassadors or negotiators would land. Placing himself in ambush he felt' upon the Ircquoie and killed a number of them. To those who were left he declared that he had been sent to do this deadly work by the Fronoh. There. upon the remnant returned to plan venge- ance. A large party of Iroquete warrior° was deepatched with orders to fitly retaliate, On the night) of August 4, in the dense dark• non accompanying a dorm, the Indians wept down upon the village of Laohine and killed all bub about a hundred of the in. habitants. Those who did not escape they took anon the river and submitted to the most terrible tortures. Meanwhile the Frenoh on the Laohine shore could discern the fires which were burning their com- patriots and could hear the screams of the viotims. History presents no more horrible massacre than that of Lachine. A National Bird Wanted. It has been euggeetod that when a nation. al flower hair been eeleoted we ought to have a new national bird,"beoanoo the eagle to nob essentially a United States bird." We aro not away up he ornithology, but if the mosquito ie an Amerioan citizen of the cseen• tial degree we should like to [rut him in nomination.—(Washington Post, FJIOM TAB PACIFIC, Great Increase in the flsQn,on OiIPul tiro Bear, VicroltrA, B.C., Aug, 23—Tho "Colopisb" this morning printed the ralmon pack of Bretieh Columbia to date, totaling 376,000 oases, being 127,000 cane above the largest peek of any previous year, Of this amount the northern oanueries contribute 100,000 nen, the remainder being from Fraser river, The fish are still running freely on the latter and 801E0 oaunorice will pack fall salmon. Ib ie estimated that the year's peak will reach 420,000 omen. This has all been sold at from $5.50 to $6,50 and calculating at $6 per case, matron a tolial value of over $2,• 500,000. The Fraser canneries have from ten to bhirty thousand oases eaoh. Work and Play. Not one hard -worked fellow In ten thou- sand knows how to play when he yes a chance. The firsb thing is to atop work. Easy enough, if you had the privilege? Not by any means. The habit of planning and think- ing Is still on you, You cannot lob go your duties of yesterday. You are worried aboub how your eubebitute is going to manage the job you left in his hands. You fear he will bungle it, and you love your work. You are aura he will make you more trouble in the and than you oan repair in a month when you get back. You have a suspicion that he may try to eupplanb you, and you may return to find him a favorite with your employers, or that he has stolen away your bast onatomere If you are a professional man you, begin to plan lots of things for which, for months past, you have been wanting a labours day, Yon load yourself up with a roan of odds and ends nob at all in your line ; things your wife wants done, or your eon's errands, or the unusual tasks of some good friend, all of which fret you, becauee yon are nob used to them, vastly more than your legi- timate duties would. Stop work, mother of the children, if you gob away for a week. Leave the fall mewing till you get to it. Do not take any aouain'a errands. Why should you borrow your eldest daughter's baby when you go into the oonnbry? Let James, boy stay with James. You want rest. Stop your contriving as to the autumn's schooling, Go, you greyhead, with your good man—off on a genuine, old• fashioned courting day's excursion, Sib under the trees at the farm -aide, and dream on the mountains, Try to take an interest in trifles. Be entertained with your hum band's fishing stories, count his trout, hear him tell hie tale of bear's tracks that he traded upon the mountains, Talk small balk, aboub bhe horses that your husband likes, about the championship at lawn - tennis, which the young folks are mo excited over. Sib you, my queen, the mother of us all, on the seat under the big maple, while father and unolo Jerry play the antique croquet—they are too old for tennis—and give your whole eon' to the shote they make, to the diepu tee as to wickets passed, and be as completely occupied with 11 as if it were the gravest bueineae of life I appeal to my readers if mother's umpiring of a game is not the greatest addition fu the world. Alae, that so many of our dear wives and mothers so load themselves up with work, on vacation, that they get no advantage from it, and, truer than slang, they make us all tired! Play is play. Take out all money value, No man is so big a fool ea he who proposes to make a dollar while ab play. Playday is the time to spend a dollar, not to save it ; surely nob to make it, Thebaeebail "play- er" on a professional eine is not playing, he is working ; to watch the game is play bo the rest of u;, but to him ib is simply toil ; he may enjoy it, as any man ought to enjoy his work ; but the foot tomb ho is earning his money by ib destroys Its character for recreation, to him. A merchant who taken along a trunk of samples on a pleasure trip just spoils it. Ho willbe all the time think. ing aboub the customers in the village whom he ie going to steal time to attack. He will disturb the whole party by bending the trip to meet] hie business plane. He will pub everybody onb of patience by hie Yankee thrift, that musb melee a dollar while others are spending their dollare, His "playfel. lows" (?) will begin to accuse themselves ae lazy, taughb by his ladustrioua example, for they at least are not making anything. Oh, thou unmitigated nuisance, a companion of a vacation day trying to" makeexpeneee I" I would not go a mile from town with you. You are too uneasy to live. Yon worship money like an idol. You are nothing bub an old slave, and you know it. Stink to your shop and die. Ab all events, do not ask any mortal man to go with you on a la da p A play -day should amuse. Do not make hard work of your play. Do not half kill yourself with your first day's horsebaok, riding, or passing the ball, or trying the gymnastics of some game that uses you all up for the remnant of the two weeks. Do not expose youreolf to whioh you are en- tirely uueoouetomod. Look out for heat apoplexy, otherwise called sun -stroke. Stop when you have had enough. A great dune is he who nye, " I shall not have another chance for a twelvemonth," and eo goes on with some game, some mountain climb• ing, when it no longer mune him, but is actually downright bard work. Fun, in. nooenb, harmless, pure furs—that is the thing for vacation. To make work of itis abomin. able. What is play to one in work to another. I will not be drawn into something thab I do not like, amply to amaao the other fellow who does like it If he wants to leave the hotel and camp oub on tho mountains, I have no objection. I will go. Let him not urge me, 1f he vera at work I might un• selfishly help him if I decline to assist his amusement by what to me is no amusement, I do not like to eat with my flagon, tear my good olothes, or fight musquitoeo in the woods, I prefer to sib on the veranda, boots polished and linen unruffled, while I smoke a cigar and read a good story, or the papers. Let every man play hie play. I wish you all the privileges of a day of delight, Ib ie well to remember that one is never so happy an when he is making others happy. To contribute to the laughter of pretty ohildren ; to red the weary heart and hands of a good wife and mother ; to bring a smile into the won face of the invalid, or to comfort an unhappy soul; these are the noblest joys, if one be only himself noble enough to enjoy euoh high thinge. Ab leant, let ue hero none,—[New York Weekly. Really Disgusting, Mrs, Manage (laying down morning paper In dieguat): 'This catering to servants is going too far.'' Mr, M.: "What now 4" Mrs, M. ; "All the papers aro full of advertisements of Cook's exohreione, It'e. ridiculous putting such idoae in their heads at a time when they eau leash be spared I" A late fancy among sports is to wear in enameled soarfpina the colors of a favorite horse or stable in pennant fashion, TEN THOUSAND YEARS. That Was lite Age Assigned 01 u,mbol,Cto the Famous Dragon Tree al Orahlva. With an antiquity rivaling, probably ex. °oodles, that of rho pyramide of Egypt, and a reputation scarcely inferior, ib is remark- able, Buys the London Globo, how little notice tae been taken of the death of the colossal dragon tree of Orotava. Thin gigantic, hoary.headed vegetable veteran died almoeb suddenly a few years ago, and may be said, like the doaeon'a old masterpiece, to have gone " to pieces all at onoo—all ab onoo, and nothing first—just au bubbles when they buret, After a babyhood cf centuries, de. oadee of maturity, and a deoadonoe of ages, ib does seem pitiable that the departure of this wonder of the world should have evok- ed little or no comnmab, In accordance with the new theory that planta feel and have a hereafter, ib may be that the old dragon Gree is receiving elsewhere its meed of praise and reward for a long and reapeoted life, Though called a tree, in truth the renown- ed ourioeity of Orotava was noshing of the sort. Ib was a kind of gigantic bloated asparagus and a near blood relation to the fragile, delicate lilies of our gardens. But even Solomon at his leaab glorious epoch would never have been jealous of this phe- nomenon, for the dragon Woe is at every period of Its strange growth a monstrous, uncouth thing—a creepy, evil•supgeeting, out of•all•time oreature, lib companion of ungainly pterodactyls and gigantic eaurlans, with some of whioh the ancient specimen of Orotava may have been poreonally acquaint- ed in its younger days. With its blood•red Bap exuding freely, though with onrdling stemma's, at every wound, its ebrange crown of stiff, strong, swordlike leaves at the and of every oolopus•lbke arm, and its scale -clad trunk, ib is not diflioulb to trace the origin of its nam9 The tree which bears the gold- en apples ie indigenous to the Caaariaa, and little fanny was required with an Imaginative people to turn this montrone vegetable growth into the guardian dragon. Did it not bleed thick red blood ? did it, nob bristle with swords, and was nob its abode on the isles of the bleat far beyond the gates of Godes, in the veritable garden of the Heeperidee? The ancients always spoke of one dragon guarding the golden fruit because the monster of Orotava was evon then removed from all its comrades in size, bulk, and ghastliness. Tho old Guanohce venerat. ed the monster, though they were broughb up under its shadow and mueb have been well ocouetomed to its peculiarities, They regarded it as poseeteed of animal life, and deified it, in its hollow trunk performing Druidical rites, and they use its blood -red cap (the dragon's blood of commerce) for embalming their dead. When Alonzo de Lugo, the conqueror of 'Teneriffe, Dome to Orotava in 1491 he spared the tree, bub scandalized at the profane myetoriee which had taken place in ire interior, he converted its hollowness into a chapel for holy mase. Humboldt, in 1799, gives its height as ',ap- pearing" about 50 or 00 feet, and its circum- ference at the roots Rn 45 feet, and the diameter of the trunk at ten feet from the ground " is still 12 English feet," and he computed its age at 10,000 years, The open- ing was so large that a table was placed in it round which fourteen persons could seat themeelvee, and a ateiroaeo in the interior conducted the visitor up to the height whence the branches sprang. Slow indeed must have been its growth, for 400 years atter the vleit of bhe firet navi- gators Lc Dru measured the tree most care- fully, proving bhab during that long period the increase had only been one foot et the base, the other dimensions being praobioally identical. Since Humboldt's account the famous dragon tree of Orotava woe visited by nearly all the travelers, historians, monks, peddlers, and soldiers who had the mildest globe. troalma propensity . In 1819 an arm was wrenched off in a storm, and aboub some forty years ago some unscrupulous persons out off a huge piece of the hollow trunk and present- ed it ro the Kew museum. Another storm In 1867 broke off the upper parb, leaving the trunk alone standing. A traveler at that lime says the ground underneath was oovered with pieces of broken branches, some being eighteen feet in olroumferenoe. When the land where the tree was growing came into the possession of the late Marquis del Sato zal he nursed the aged vegetable with loving care, hllod up the gap in its trunk with ma- soury, and did all theb was poeaible to pro. long its , xiatenoe. Piazzi Smyth, who saw it in 1856, measured the trunk, and found it 60 feet high above the ground and 48i feet in circumference at that level, and 24 feet in airoumferenoe at a height of 14; feet. He says: "Proudly it mina its antique arm above everything around. Bub how it is hampered I An indigenous wild laurel tree is absolutely in contact on one aide and a Lombardy poplar le almost touching on the other, while there are euoh numerous peach trees, oleanders, and oranges between and all about that there is hardly a mingle point from which we oan get a fair view. The old tree, moderately credited with 6,000 years of life, has gone the way of all trees, but most felioitouely the Marquesa del Souza] hoe planted on its exaob site a seed. ling derived from its most ancient pyogen, itor, and this youngster is now a healthy plant some four feeb high, looking—in shape only—exactly like a find, long carrot, lightly stunk in the ground by its toper end, and surmounted by a crown of award -shaped leaves. The visitor to Orotava still climbs up the steep hill above Pun to visit the beautiful garden of the Marquesa del Seuzal and Bee the spot where the historic tree formerly stood. This baby dragon will pro- bably not flower for twenty or thirty yeara yet, and it will only branch after ib has blossomed. In a neighboring garden there is a dragon whioh has not yet blossomed, and yet it is more then forty years old. In botanical language the dragon tree is draccena dream, and ie described as having a treelike atom, whioh, when thdbree is very old, becomes muds branded, each brsnoh being terminated by "a crowded head of lanceolate linear entire leaves of a glaucoma - green color, whioh leaves embrace the atom by their base, and on falling oft ab maturity leave a ringlike cicatrix or soar." In old ago endorse warts appear, and one from the old Orotava tree has been preadrved, whioh is ae large as a good•oized cocoanut, being like that fruit In shape and he rough exterior, Though no parttoular caro has hitherto been taken in the Canaries to rear these curious trees, there are still a few fair - nixed epcofmons for visitors to see, one of the oldest extant being probably that at the gates of the cemetery at Iood, Ib is mention- ed in the ancient ohronielee of the conquest of the island of Tone/life, and, standing in solitary grandeur, it is the beet specimen to study. There le one other good example at Iood de los 'inn whioh may he is even older. These dragon trues, however, aro small and absurdly young when compared with the old veteran which until reeontly gofuarthdeeHd thoapeoridao, golden apples in the Garden Dent's haven't gone out of fashion yet. They are en easy and at the lama time eiin- phatxo way of tolling young and old what is wrong for them to do.