he had never prayed before. When he rose his face was white, as with some great inward struggle; his head was erect, and there was peace on his brow. There had indeed been a fierce struggle, but it was over, and he was victorious. He passed on, following the windings of a little river called the "Silver Stream" which ran through the midst of the wood. Justly was it named "Silver," for it was clear and sparkling as crystal, and danced and laughed and rippled in the sunshine, over stones than which nothing could be whiter or purer. A short way up the mountain, on the outskirts of the wood, was a shady little dell, a favourite resort of the brothers; and towards it Harold bent his steps. 66 I'm as well here as anywhere in this wretched world!" was the passionate reponse. Harold laid his hand heavily on his brother's arm-it might have been for support-and said faintly, "Charlie, is it my disgrace?" For answer Charles flung himself down and sobbed and shook with a violence fearful to behold. Harold knelt down and laid his hand gently on his brother's head. "Charlie," he said gravely, "think how much worse it is for me than for you; and if I can bear it you ought to be able to. I can bear it patiently, for I feel sure that some day God will clear the innocent, and it may be soon." "And if it should be never?" whispered Charles. "It is not for so very long," was the quiet answer. But his heart belied his words and he shrank at the thought of the long years that must slowly pass by, day by day, before the end of his natural life. There was a long silence, then Charles spoke :"Harold, you are better able to bear trouble than I am. If I were in your place I should die, or kill myself. Oh, yes! it is much easier for you than it would be for me! Harold quickly turned his face away. "It is not quite as easy as you think," he said hoarsely. Suddenly Charles raised himself. "Listen!" he cried desperately, "You will hate and despise me, but I shall go mad if I don't tell you. I did it! Oh, Harold, Harold! how could I do it? I was a fiend, and I let you bear the blame!" With a great gasp and shiver at the sudden shock, Harold raised his hand to his head. In the first surprise he only realized that he was cleared, and a feeling of unutterable thankfulness filled his heart. Surging through his brain, ringing out loud and clear, came the words of the glorious anthem, "O, rest in the Lord, wait patiently for Him; and He shall give thee thy heart's desire." The colour came back to his cheek, the light to his eye. "Oh, Charlie," he whispered, "I told you it would come!" But Charles started up and seized his brother fiercely by the arm. Abject fear was in his face and attitude. "You would not do it?" he panted, with whitening lips. "I am desperate! I am mad! If you do it, I shall drown myself! Oh, Harold, you know I could never bear it!" Harold looked up. He did not see one from whose cruelty and injustice he had been suffering slow agony day by day; he only saw before him the brother whom he loved so passionately, and heard his voice pleading for what it was in his power to give. And he gave it. Charlie," he said, with trembling lips, "you may trust me. I will never betray you, Charlie." Then he broke away. On and on; he must get away-far away. The fierce, wild battle must be fought in the silence of solitude. Why was the cup of happiness given to him only that it might be dashed down just as he was raising it to his lips? He must not return home till all these rebellious feelings be crushed out. He dare not trust himself. He paused; he was on the mountain-top. The scene stretched out before him was beautiful. As far as the eye could reach rose mountains, with graceful undulating outlines, like a vast motionless sea; below lay the cool green valley, with the murmuring little river flowing through its midst, and noble trees on either side; and near him and all around were golden gorse and rich purple heather, and all the sweet flowers and ferns which choose the mountainside for their favourite habitation. All was silence; an awful hush prevailed. The only sign of life and motion was a little rabbit which came fearlessly out of its burrow and scampered joyously down the mountain. While Harold looked at the vast scene before him a new feeling stole over his soul (a feeling which all must have experienced who have ever been quite alone on the summit of a great mountain), a feeling of his own smallness and insignificance, and of the greatness and almighty power of God. What a harsh discord in the sweet harmony were the sinful passions raging in his breast! Peace was in the glory of the setting sun, peace on the lonely mountain; but in his heart unrest still reigned supreme. The situation inspired awe: the hushed calm soothed. With swelling heart he watched the everchanging beauty of the scenes painted in brilliant colours on the sky. His senses were soothed, his heart softened. Like one drowning, yet still struggling with the raging waters, he stretched out his hands and cried aloud for help; and the help he so sorely needed and so earnestly desired was not denied him. Henceforth submission must be his life's endeavour. Patiently he must wait, till, "when the evening shadows lengthen," the great Master call to him to lay his burden down. The sun sank lower, and still he lingered. Clouds of crimson blazed in the sky, and in the midst a vast golden archway. "It is the portal to the 'golden homes beyond the sunset,' he murmured softly. "What if the road be rough that leads me there?" Oh, gorgeous tints! Oh, sunset glorious beyond comparison! never shall the memory of thy sublime grandeur fade from the mind of one who, silently and afar off, stood gazing on thy majesty! (To be continued.) Columbus' First View of the West Indian Islands. COLUMBUS FIRST VIEW OF THE THE directions. Multitudes of the natives were seen emerging from nocence. The boats were lowered from each of the ships. Columbus took the lead, very richly dressed in scarlet robes, and with Castilian plumes. It is said that "distance lends enchantment to the view;" but as they drew nearer to the shore the scene grew more picturesque and beautiful. The dwellings of the natives were scattered throughout the extended groves. The gentle eminences and the valleys were filled with trees of new aspect, and with every variety of foliage. There was an abundant display of flowers of gorgeous hue, and such as the adventurers had never seen before. Fruits of great variety of form and colour hung from the trees. Columbus speaks particularly of the songs of the birds, which filled the air; of the pure and balmy atmosphere, and of the crystal transparency of the water. As soon as Columbus stepped upon the shore he fell upon his knees and gave thanks to God. The sailors gathered round their illustrious leader with sympathy and penitence for their mutinous conduct. Many wept, kissed his hands, and implored forgiveness. Those who had been most mutinous were now the most cringing and sycophantic, for they hoped to receive favours which would enrich and ennoble them all. With imposing religious ceremonies Columbus planted upon the shore the banner of Spain. In devout recognition of the goodness of God which had guided him thus far, he named the island San Salvador. He then exacted from the companies of the three ships the oath of allegiance to him as Admiral and Viceroy of all the realms upon which he was now entering. The natives gathered timidly around, and gazed awestruck upon these movements. It is said that when they first beheld the ships, moving apparently without effort and shifting their enormous sails, they supposed they must be monsters of the deep, or birds which had come on gigantic wing from their aerial homes. When the sailors landed upon the beach, with their glittering coats of mail, their strange attire, and their weapons of war, the natives fled in terror to the woods. But seeing that they were not pursued, and that no hostile movements were manifested, they slowly began to return. The commanding stature of Columbus, his lofty bearing, his costume of scarlet, and the deference which was paid him by all his companions, led the natives to regard him with the highest veneration. It is the invariable testimony that the natives generally thought the Spaniards had descended from the skies. One of the chiefs subsequently inquired how they came down, whether by flying or by descending on the clouds. As the two parties gazed upon each other the seen. 495 amazement was mutual. The spectacle presented to the THE POLITENESS OF FRENCH CHILDREN. THE following is the observation of an American traveller, concerning French children. Could he say as much for English boys? Politeness, with the French, is a matter of education as well as nature. The French child is taught that lesson from the beginning of its existence, and it is made a part of its life. It is the one thing that is never forgotten, and lack of it is never forgiven. French children do not go about clamouring for the best places, and sulking if they do not get them, and talking in a rude, boisterous way. They do not take favours and attentions as a matter of course and unacknowledged. The slightest attention shown them is acknowledged by the sweetest kind of a bow-not the dancing-master's bow, but a genuine one-and the invariable Merci, monsieur !" or madame and mademoiselle, as the case may be. 66 I was in a compartment with a little French boy of twelve, the precise age at which American children, as a rule, deserve whipping for their rudeness and general disagreeableness. He was dressed faultlessly, but his clothes were not the chief charm. I sat between him and the open window, and he was eating pears. Now an American boy of that age would either have dropped the cores upon the floor, or tossed them out of the window without regard to anybody. But this small gentleman, every time, with a "Permit me, monsieur," said in the most pleasant way, rose and came to the window, and dropped them out, and then "Merci, monsieur," as he quietly took his seat. It was delightful. I am sorry to say that such small boys do not travel on American railroads to any alarming extent. Would they were more frequent. And when in his seat, if an elderly person or any one else came in, he was the very first to rise and offer his place, if it were in the slightest degree more comfortable than the one vacant; and the good-nature with which he insisted upon the new-comer taking it was something "altogether too sweet for anything.' And this boy was no exception. He was not a show-boy out posting before the great American Republic, or such of it as happened to be in France at the time; but he was a sample, a type of the regulation French child. I have seen just as much politeness in the ragged waifs in the Faubourg St. Antoine, when the child never saw the blue sky more than the little patches that could be seen over the tops of seven-storied houses, as I ever did in the Champs Elysée. One Sunday, at St. Cloud, where the ragged children of poverty are taken by their mothers for air and light, it was a delight to fill the pockets with sweets to give them. They had no money to buy, and the little human rats looked longingly at the riches of the candy-stands, and a sou's worth made the difference between perfect happiness and half-pleasure. You gave them the sou's worth, and what a glad smile came to the lips! and accompanied with it was the delicious half bow and half courtesy, and invariable "Merci, monsieur." One little tot, who could not speak, filled her tiny mouth with the unheard of delicacies she had received, and too young to say Merci," put up her lips to be kissed. R MISSIONARY ADVENTURES, PERILS, AND ESCAPES, BY DESERTS, SAVAGES, AND SEAS. BY MRS. E. R. PITMAN, Author of "Heroines of the Mission Field," "Mission Work in Greece and Palestine," "Vestina's Martyrdom," &c. PART VIII.-Deliverance from Serpents. EPTILE life abounds in all hot climates; and among the trials of missionaries may be reckoned as neither last nor least those arising from poisonous serpents. India may be said to be the home of these pests, from the deadly whip-snake, to the huge boa-constrictor. They creep into every available corner, through the rush or mud walls of huts, and nestle in corners of rooms, lying in wait for unwary passers-by. The Government returns show an excessive mortality from this cause, as many as seventeen thousand persons perishing in a recent year from the bites and stings of serpents. In some parts of India, serpent-worship is carried As soon as a hole is recognized as one leading to a serpent's nest, the people round about it come night and morning with offerings of milk and rice, which they place before the holes; then, kneeling down, the worshippers pray the serpent, or serpents, to come out, and partake of the offering, and so be propitiated. Usually, the creatures learn to come out, and eat the food, when the deluded worshipper departs, thankful that he has been heard and accepted. In such cases, they multiply, greatly to the danger of the residents in that particular locality. on. But it is not only in India that snakes are treated as sacred things. In some parts of West Africa, they are worshipped also, and "snake-houses," small circular buildings, are built for their accommodation. So greatly are the reptiles venerated that they are waited upon by priests, and permitted, without molestation, to creep about the town, and into the houses of the people. It is an offence against the law to molest or kill them. Should a snake enter the mission-house in that town or district, the missionary dares not kill it, but must send for the priest of the snake-house to carry it away. Should the serpent be nestled on a chair, box, or couch, the article of furniture is taken away also, and must be redeemed by some present before the snake-priest will give it up. Few Europeans ever get reconciled to this institution. Writing from Barrackpore, Mr. Pearson says: "Several snakes have been caught in my house, and one Sunday morning I actually found one basking on the cushion before the communion rails, in the chapel. When a snake is seen, the whole house is at once in arms; the servants are seen running, stick in hand to give battle, and with a great outcry the intruder is despatched." Mr. Lacroix, on visiting Kristnapore, once found the village in a state of great consternation, on account of the presence of a large boa-constrictor in the mission school-house. An inundation had taken place, and probably the reptile had crept up to dry shelter, to escape the floods. Early one morning, while it was yet dark, the schoolmaster had gone to his rice basket to take out his accustomed allowance of rice, in order to cook it for breakfast, when he felt that his hand touched, not grain, but a cold slimy body. Darting back, he procured a light, and then discovered that an immense boa-constrictor hal taken up its position in the basket, and was coiled up, fast asleep. The people residing around the mission premises attacked the serpent with bamboos, but only succeeded in wounding and irritating it. Finally, feeling afraid of so formidable an enemy. they shut it up in the room and let it alone. Mr. Lacroix arrived shortly after, and hearing the cir cumstances, procured a rope. With this he went to the hut, and threw a noose over the boa's head, just as it was rearing itself to attack him. Dragging it out into the chapel compound, the missionary gave it over to the people, who beat it, as they supposed, to death. Having done this, they left it lying in the compound, with the rope still round its neck; but in about half an hour afterwards, shouts were again raised that the serpent still lived. Going to the compound, Mr. Lacroix found that the boa had recovered from its beating, and had wriggled itself nearly out of the noose, and would have got quite clear but that the rope had caught in the wound which had been inflicted on the reptile during its beating. Mr. Lacroix at once tightened the noose. and this irritated the creature so much that it darted spitefully at him. The missionary ran swiftly round the compound, to escape the fangs of the savage creature, while the other missionary obtained a second noose, and threw it over the boa's head. This being tightened, the creature was quickly put to death. It was only half-grown, but although young, it measured 18 ft. in length, and 22 in. in circumference. Mr. Gogerly experienced a remarkable escape from death by a serpent, while in India. He was Missionary Adventures, Perils and Escapes. awakened from sleep, once, in the middle of the night by a large serpent crawling over his body; and not having the presence of mind to lie quite still, or being too nervous, he started up. The reptile bit him severely in the arm, and then crawled away. He says, "At first I felt but little hurt, but soon a tingling sensation, reaching up to the shoulder, a parched tongue, and great thirst, made me long for The Cobra-di-Capello. morning, and as soon as it was light, I found the arm greatly swollen, with considerable inflammation round the small wound." With the assistance of another missionary, he resorted to the cold-water treatment, continuing the experiment all day. Providentially, this measure arrested the inflammation, and by evening, all danger was over. In this case the serpent could not have been a very deadly one. Many years ago, a Moravian missionary was labouring in Guiana alone, and in consequence he suffered many hardships and endured many perils. On one occasion he was attacked suddenly by fever, and returning to his hut, resolved to lie down and rest quietly for a few hours, hoping that thereby the fever would abate. As he entered his door, he saw a large serpent dangling from the roof of the hut. A struggle took place between himself and the reptile, but being very powerful and large it conquered the missionary at first, biting him in three places, and fastening itself in folds around his body. Feeling that his strength was going, he succeeded in tearing it from him, partially killing it, and casting it from him outside the hut. It proved to be a boa-constrictor, which kills by crushing its victim, and not by poisoning. The wounds were painful, but not venomous, and the missionary recovered in a little while from the effects of them. The probability was, however, that, had he not torn the creature from his body, it would have succeeded in strangling him, and then have swallowed him whole. These creatures kill their prey in this manner, and then, after covering the dead bodies with saliva, swallow them whole; but it is while lying gorged and helpless after these enormous meals, that the natives are enabled to kill them easily. The Rev. Barnabas Shaw, a Wesleyan missionary, experienced a remarkable escape from a serpent when in Africa. He had been ill for some time, and went to the seaside for a little time, in order to try the benefit of bathing. While there, Mrs. Shaw and himself were accustomed to sleep on a mattress under a bush, no other lodging being procurable. They had slept in this position for some nights, when the 497 wind shifted, and Mrs. Shaw decided to remove the bedding to a more sheltered spot. Scarcely had she commenced to remove the bedding when she discovered a large puff-adder curled up under the bolster. Mr. Shaw had been reclining for an hour near this same spot, and had not the wind changed, he would have slept on that part of the bolster. By the removal of the bed to another shelter, doubtless one, if not both lives were saved. An Indian missionary thus recounts several escapes which he experienced from snakes while in India: "My first residence in India was in an old house, of which the brickwork on the floor had been completely honeycombed by rats. How well I remember the servant running in one night to say that a snake was under the sideboard in the dining-room! I armed myself with a stick and saw the tail of the snake as it disappeared down one of the rats'-holes. It was a cobra; and the thought of having such a deadly reptile so near to us sent us to bed with a sickening fear. However, morning came and brought us confidence, and we saw no more of the snake. Some time after this, I had gone to a distant village to preach with a native preacher, and returning, I experienced a very narrow escape. I left the buggy in the main road, and we walked about half a mile to the village. Here we stayed preaching till the waning daylight bade us begone. We were walking back again to the buggy, when my companion suddenly gave me a push, which sent me reeling to the other side of the path; and it was well he did so, for there, just where my next step would have been, was a black snake, said to be the deadliest of its kind. A few blows from my walking-stick despatched the ugly reptile, but my escape was a very narrow I had another escape in Almorah. I was just stepping into an outhouse one day, when I saw what seemed to be a black stick lying on the ground, but a second glance shewed it to be a cobra, with erect and expanded head. Another step would have taken me within its reach. I kept my eye on it, and calling loudly to the servant for a stick, soon had the satisfaction of despatching it." one. of shooting the reptile dead. It proved to be a fullgrown serpent. An encounter with a cobra, related by Lady Barker, although not strictly coming under the head of missionary experiences, serves to prove the danger to travellers. She had made an excursion to the hills near Bellary, in company with several friends, and was compelled to spend two nights in a tent. While there, several adventures of a startling nature happened to them, one of the worst of which was the following. It was the second night of their sojourn under canvas, and all the other members of the little camp were asleep; but Lady Barker, whose nerves were considerably shaken, remained awake, uneasy and fearful, though she could not exactly say why. In spite of her determination to get to sleep, a strong presentiment of evil weighed upon her mind, and a restless uneasiness took possession of her. The moon was shining brilliantly, so that she could see the objects around very distinctly. A little favourite dog shared the tent, and every little while gave vent to short fretful, fearful barks, coming frequently to the side of the charpoy to whine to his mistress, as if in terror at some intruder. After one or two hours passed in this way, the dog's uneasy whining and terrified barking induced Lady Barker to rise and peer around the tent. Leaning over the side of the charpoy, she looked attentively at the spot indicated by the dog, and there, by the dim light of the lamp, saw dark, writhing folds moving, just below her bed; while almost touching her face, as she looked over, was the flat head of the cobra with its outstretched hood and forked tongue. Lady Barker seized the heavy plated candlestick, and flung it with all her might at the serpent's head; then screaming in fearful terror, she alarmed the party. Very soon they rushed in pell-mell and killed the reptile, which proved to be a full-grown cobra-di-capello. Lady Barker and her friends fled in terror from the spot, resolved never again to try tent life. The Rev. Henry Tindal, while travelling in Great Namaqua-land, in 1852, was bitten in his side, while sleeping in a hut, by a very venomous serpent, which had got into the folds of his sheepskin blanket. The people who travelled with Mr. Tindal were much alarmed, expecting him to die, and set about applying native remedies to the bite. They applied blue vitriol to the wound, and administered a weak solution of the same as an emetic. On the following day Mr.Tindal was so far reduced that he could neither stand nor walk, and the application of blue vitriol was changed for tobacco oil and sweet oil. A snake doctor then tried some of his remedies, but pronounced the previous treatment correct. Mr. Tindal was so reduced and full of pain that as soon as possible he was removed to his own stations, and it was only after the most careful treatment and nursing of weeks that he recovered sufficiently to be able to resume his duties. Upon one occasion Dr. Moffat experienced a very narrow escape from a tiger and a serpent. He says:-"I had left the waggons, and wandered to a distance among the coppice and grassy openings in search of game. I had a small double-barrelled gun on my shoulder, which was loaded with ball and small shot. An antelope passed, at which I fired, and slowly followed the course it took. After advancing a short distance I saw a tiger-cat staring at me between the forked branches of a tree, behind which his long spotted body was concealed, twisting and turning his tail like a cat just going to spring upon his This I knew was a critical moment, prey. not having a shot or ball in my gun. I moved about as in search of something on the grass, taking care to retreat at the same time. After getting, as I thought, a suitable distance to turn my back, I moved somewhat more quickly; but, in my anxiety to escape what was behind, I did not see what was before, until startled by treading on a large cobra di capella serpent asleep on the grass. It instantly twined its body round my leg-on which I had nothing but a thin pair of trousers-when I leaped from the spot, dragging the venomous and enraged reptile after me; and, while in the act of throwing itself into a position to bite, without turning round, I threw my gun over my shoulder and shot it. Taking it by the tail, I brought it to my people at the waggons, who, on examining the bags of poison, asserted that, had the creature bitten me, I could never have reached the waggons. The serpent was six feet long." if A missionary's wife in India, being about to take a journey to the hills, went into her dressing-room for some trifling article of apparel, when, to her astonishment and terror, she was confronted by a cobra, which reared its head and expanded its hood as about to attack her. Retreating hastily, she called her husband, who came with a thick bamboo, and after a chase killed it in the adjoining room. Knowing that these creatures generally travel in pairs, they instituted a search for the other, but were unsuccessful in their quest, until some days after, when a cobra nearly six feet long was discovered, quietly coiled up on the table of the dining-room, and was despatched by the servants. Another lady living in the adjoining compound, on going into her sitting-room one evening, after a walk, sat down in her accustomed easy chair to rest, before taking off her bonnet. It was providential that she did so, for a tremendous hiss and blow at the back of her bonnet warned her of the proximity of a serpent. Leaping from her chair, what was her terror to discover that she had sat down on the tail of a cobra, which was then hastily gliding away to its hole. Had not the blow been received in her bonnet, she would have died, without doubt, in a few hours. As she contemplated the danger from which she had escaped, she could not help owning with gratitude that kind protecting care which preserved her, both in uprising and down-sitting, from the deadly attack. A death took place in this same mission-family shortly after by the agency of these creatures. The wife of the native cook was bitten by a cobra while sleeping at night on her mat, and died before morning. The wife of a Moravian missionary had laid her infant child down to sleep and gone about some household employment. She worked steadily for some time, when suddenly it was impressed on her mind that the child was in some danger. The presentiment increased so terribly and overwhelmingly that she could not refrain from going to look at the infant in order to be certain of the facts of the case. She was horrified to see that a large puff-adder was coiled round the babe so tightly that death on the first movement seemed inevitable. She was herself almost petrified; but some women who had accompanied her bravely attacked the serpent, and killed it, thereby saving the child's life. (To be continued.) |