what would have been a short fight, could the animal have recovered only a second of life. he went in with hearty good will, to | animal, I will mention that the strongest man in the squadron attempted to carry the head and skin on his shoulders into the presence of General Bedeau, who desired to see it, but the moment that the load was placed on his back, he sunk under the burden, and we were obliged to have it transported in a handcart." "We returned to the douar to pass the night, and on the morrow every man, woman, child, and dog, that lived on the mountains, swarmed around Lakdar's douar, and filed into the woods where the lion was lying in state, on his leafy bier. In spite of this rein forcement of arms, the body was so Scene in a Country Schoolhouse. heavy, and the woods so thick, that it was found impossible to move it from the place where it was lying, and we were obliged to skin it in the woods, which was done by willing hands, amid shouting and gestures and songs of victory. "Lakdar asked me, as a favor, to let him accompany me to Guelma, to enter the city with me as the bearer of the trophies. I consented, and he, to enjoy the delight of his triumph to its fullest extent, stretched the lion's skin on a mule, with the head in front, and then mounted himself in this novel saddle. The poor mule was the picture of the ass with the lion's skin, mentioned in the fables, and not only his brethren, far and near, shunned him as they would have done the plague, while they brayed sweet accompaniments to our march, but the poor beast himself, when by chance he looked askew, ran and capered, till Lakdar proved the experience of ages, that royalty's throne is no easy seat to maintain. THE happiness of a wife and the cultivation of a vine depends on the "To give an idea of the size of the care of a man. WHO taught the pretty little bird In which herself and family She gathered grass from the green field, With her small beak and tiny claws And soon there were three pretty eggs, And by-and-by you might have seen, What were the names of these young birds? 'Tis God that taught the parent bird To build so nice a dwelling, To weave her wondrous little nest, And if God cares for little birds, HE spring-time we spent at "Famous Farm" was very severe. The cold winds continued to rage until we began to think they would never abate. The sky constantly wore a gray, sullen look, as if frosty old Winter had seated himself aloft, and meant to wield his icy sceptre all the rest of the year. The very clouds that came above the horizon occasionally looked as if they had been caught up by surprise and frozen into huge balls, ready to drop down upon the bare tree-tops that swung petulantly beneath, rattling and shrieking and battling with the fitful winds, as they rushed through the forest, bending here a Maple, tearing up by the roots a Beech, and breaking with a snap the old Oaks, that came crashing to the ground with a thunder that sent the unruly winds scurrying off to commit new ravages, down in the valleys where the brooks lay-tossing their silver spray over the gray rocks, dashing it high in the air, to fall again upon the dry moss and withering grassroots; then flitting with light and vagrant footsteps, darting here and there among the dry brambles, making them clatter, clatter, till the folded leaves, that were daring enough to lift thémselves above the brown earth, shrunk deeper into the whirling dead leaves that served them for blankets-shrunk back so far, that we, who knew pretty well all their haunts, have been quite disappointed many a time, when we were almost certain that a green leaf would disclose itself if we peered carefully beneath into these hiding-places. Ah, how we did yearn to see the first violet! When would the dull weather go away, and let the warm sun woo forth our favorites ? of trees, away in, out of the reach of wind, we had earnestly searched; and in all our rambles we had certain spots that we visited, because we knew that the bravest of the Spring flowers would make their appearance there. 9 Every secret nook, beneath the roots | young blades, ambitious of early rising, and anxious to exhibit themselves to sky, and air, and bird, and beast, in their new robes of Spring. The trees were standing erect and still, smiling gaily upward at the sun, as they presented their young, first-born children to his care; while slowly, unwillingly, the last breath of Winter floated in the still air, melting, in spite of itself, under the soft compulsion of the coming time, bathing all these younglings in a warm breath, which softened even the husky, dry shells which had held them prisoners so long, and brought them plump, plump, to the ground. For a long time our patience was tried. The poor birds, too, who had all their lives been accustomed to build their nest early in the season, grew restless. Some of them did build as soon as the leaves commenced to come out on the trees, but then they were half afraid to lay eggs. They perceived plainly that if they commenced, they would have nothing but trouble. It did not matter that they lined their nests with wool, and all soft things they could find about the "Farm"that they selected the largest trees, the most impenetrable thickets, the most cosy holes in the fence corners, or in the old barns—the biting winds follow-lifted in the dim, still woods, as they ed everywhere. At last, one morning, the sun came out triumphant, shining down with glistening rays, which penetrated like keen. tongues of flame the desponding earth -startling with the warmth the halffrozen veins of both trees and plants, making the dull brown buds on the branches, and under the dead leaves, dance out as it were, showing the light green of Spring under the rusty coat, while we joyfully threw up our windows, and sat down to bask in this genial sunshine. Down the hill-slopes the poor, old dry grass was being pushed aside by All at once we were in wonders by the exquisite singing of bird voices! The air seemed suddenly to be budding music! The sunshine seemed flooded with melody. The melting of a frozen cascade, and its many voices, as they were by the same charm all unloosed, splashed, dripped, darted over the peb- Snatching a scarf, and throw the pleas? them th ful li us the joyful promise of warm days, and the coming of all other charming things. The very next day, our friend B brought me some wild flowers, but not before we had been out, and discovered our proteges had been up in time to fulfill our prophecies, that they would be the earliest blossoms out. mornings, many a time have we found their tracks, like babies' hands in shape, pointing in this and that direction, now down the stream, now across, now upand of all sizes, as if a large family had spent the evening there, in a grand frolic. But it was no frolic to the spring, for they tossed down the sand, and leaves, and twigs without mercy; and so we, in pity, would rid it of these things as much as we could, and reap our reward in seeing the clear water bubble up, in its shady nook, under the overhanging rocks or trees, and go swiftly down to Now commenced, very shortly, our rambles in all directions, in search of new acquaintances among birds and flowers. These last were easily made, for they crowned every mossy rock, dwelt in sunny nooks, peered out from beneath the shade of great roots, gleam-supply the brooks with cool baths for ed in recesses of old stumps, and amid the wrecks of fallen trees; shoved aside the brown dry leaves, and stood alone in the open spots in the woods, nodding to us as we passed, or shaking their willful bright heads in mockery at their semblance in the quiet brooks that wound themselves soberly amid the opening parlance, aye, the gay discourse of all these flushing scenes. Now our labors of love commenced, too, among the springs which fed these sober brooks. The impetuous winter had tossed sticks and leaves into these poor springs until they gasped for breath-and the coons and squirrels, possums, and all the other scamps that came down to drink, had not helped the matter much. As for the coons (or raccoons, as they are properly called).. they were very mischievous. They came down moonlight nights, and we are very sure they danced and paddled in the very bed of the brook; for in the the thirsty flowers and tired birds, who had been hard at work all day building nests and preparing for the little people they were going to have. The young squirrels, too, must have water; and if the spring could not breathe, what would they do? They were too timid, and their mothers could not run the risk of permitting them to go off through the woods to the spring: and if the brook was dry, what could be done? All this we thought of, and so we never neglected the springs ! We had heard the song of the WoodThrush in the deep woods west of the house one evening, and were convinced that he had a nest there. Accordingly we started the next day to find out where he lived, and learn when he expected his brood of young would be of the proper age to make friends with. This bird, we knew, like all the other thrushes, of which there are at least five varieties, was extremely wary. He |