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and "chain mail," all wrought in the strongest possible manner, making each man a genuine "iron clad," impenetrable, excepting in the eyes, to all minor weapons, save by crashing blows from battle

axe or mace!

What muscular development, what gigantic strength, must those old warriors have possessed, even to have borne the weight of this cumbrous armor, to say nothing of precipitating themselves into the midst of the fray, and hacking away at each other with those ponderous weapons! It is a marvel where they found steeds sufficiently strong to sustain the weight of their accoutrements, and to travel over the dangerously conditioned roads of those times into the thick of battle! Well! that there were giants in those days" we of the more delicate physiques and finely-strung nerves must acknowledge. What a contrast do those old warlike equipments, so heavy and cumbrous, present to the light, adjustable, and yet terribly effective instruments of conflict used at the present day!

GUNPOWDER AND CIVILIZATION.

Truly we must believe, hard though it be to make the admission that the "invention of gunpowder has advanced civilization! That ponderous machinery of war, by which in hand-tohand struggles those old warriors hacked and hewed at each other, cutting and slashing right and left, must, in sheer brutality compare unfavorably with a "Sharpe's Rifle," or "Colt's Revolver," or the distant range of a park of artillery or siege battery! Not that one would speak approvingly or complacently of any mode of human destruction brought into exercise, when human life is e'en so short for a primary lessoning, ere we enter upon another state of development in the hereafter.

A DIGRESSION UPON NATIONAL TONICS FOR

OVER-REFINED CIVILIZATION.

Noting the strong physical constitutions of our ancestors who once wore the armor and wielded the weapons now such objects of curiosity to the beholder, we are led to query as to the probable neces

sity of an infusion of this physical stamina among the enlightened peoples of our own or coming generations. National life, like that of families, seems to need an intermingling of opposite elements for the healthful development of its physical powers. Past history is full of examples proving this necessity. A people slowly emerge from the darkness of barbarism carrying with them an abundance of hardy, physical vigor, step by step rising in the scale of order and civilization, until, arrived at a period of refinement, effeminacy and corruption ensue; a stronger muscular people become their conquerors, infusing a new and more healthful growth throughout this effete civilization, preserving and adding to its vitality for another century or two. Or, as in some cases, distracted by internal feuds and decimated by war, a people from the height of refinement become scattered and demoralized; possibly pestilence and famine step in and finish the work of national destruction, and the remnant gradually lapse back into a state of barbarism, in time again to repeat the same history of the past, in the various processes of change, growth, improvement, and decay, as the cycles of destiny move on. Ill to the nation that permits refinement to degenerate into luxury, effeminacy, and corruption!

THE ROOM OF CROWN JEWELS. ·

In this repository of precious metal and jewels belonging to the Crown' of England, we listened to the same monotonous story repeated to visitors the year round after the fashion of the parrot who goes through its role of "poor Poll! pretty Poll!" etc. No doubt the woman gets dreadfully tired of going over the same treadmill daily; of repeating the old lesson learned by heart. It would certainly be a great relief to her audiences and possibly to herself, if she might improvise a little by way of change, to prevent utter stagnation of ideas while pursuing her business in this line. It was a satisfaction, however, to find a woman holding the situation, which we hope is sufficiently remunerative for a comfortable support.

and some kind of leggings like gaiters, together with a broad white frill or ruff about the neck, completed the picture, giving one an idea of the dress of "Ye olden tyme," when the king's archers manned those high battlements and shot down their arrows upon the invading foe beneath.

THE TUNNEL OF THE THAMES.

The apartment of Sir Walter Raleigh we found more cramped and unwholesome than we had expected. His bedroom was a mere crib, windowless, damp, and vaultlike. Something of a change for this "flower of chivalry," from the spaciousness and beauty of his own mansion, where those prosperous years of his earlier married life had been spent in companionship of his wife, the once beautiful "Miss Throgmore," one of the queen's After visiting the Tower, we descended maids of honor! With true womanly to this famous tunnel which, although it devotion behold her sharing the priva- has been pronounced a failure by some tions of her husband's long captivity, in- who ought to be wise enough to decide terceding, pleading, using all her efforts understandingly, we believe scarcely deand quite a fortune to gain the liberation serving of the verdict. What if the carof her noble lord, doomed at last to share riage-way has thus far been found im a felon's fate! How touching this in- practicable for use on account of the great tense wifely devotedness! How it light- depth of descent before the bed of the ed up the narrow prison with a holy tunnel is reached? What if it has not glow, as we thought of the beauty of her proved a paying investment as a whole? character as displayed in the dark days As a most marvellous triumph of human of their married life! With his wonder- ingenuity and skill over immense natural ful genius, his brilliant qualities, and the obstacles, controlling and turning the forcourt-life in which his earlier manhood ces of nature, it is in the highest degree a was spent, a dependent upon the smiles success! Fancy one's self crossing the of the capricious though politic queen, Thames River under its flowing waters no wonder that his career in after-life, through a tube of masonry in the very bed during all those perilous adventures and of the channel! Surely, this is not a temptations of a discoverer in the New failure, damp and oozy though the pasWorld, was not wholly unstained; but sage may be, while on either side, and that he deserved his fate who can for a above your head the deep waves are rollmoment believe, or refuse to drop a tearing, and perchance now directly over the of regret at thought of the gallant Raleigh consigned to the cruel block, where so many other martyrs to popular prejudice, dark superstition, and despotic hate have yielded up their lives? No wonder that when a prisoner had once passed the fatal "Water Gate" by which all offenders were conveyed to the interior of the Tower, every hope of release died out, and the prospect of decapitation was the only termination of their confinement to be expected.

DRESS OF ANCIENT ARCHERS.

The costume of the guardsmen is quaint and interesting. This consists of a short frock similar to those worn centuries ago by the royal archers, made very full and confined at the waist by a band of the same material; a full crowned hat or rather bonnet decked with streamers,

place where you stand a large ship is sailing with its freight of merchandise and human lives!

Truly Brunelle in overcoming such apparently insuperable difficulties in the way of his undertaking proved himself a master spirit, a real magician, evoking a wonderful charm by which modern Londoners, like the Israelites of old, are enabled to walk through the waters dry shod unto the other side! Yes, and more wonderful still, the waters "a wall on one side and on the other," flowing also many feet overhead! case a miraculous exercise of divine power producing instant effect to the saving of the people of Israel and the destruction of their haughty foes, while the other, wrought out slowly and toilfully, despite of early failures and drawbacks, 1 wrought out, we say, by the natural

The one

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Ascending the long flight of stairs leading to the realms above, namely, to the city street, we were accosted by a specimen of humanity which in Paris Victor Hugo would call a gamin," a streetchild, or lad, who, homeless, picks up his living anywhere or any way, without friends and without home. None of your Dickens's Poor Joes," always forced by policemen those city guardians to" move on" until the end is reached, a pauper's grave! No, none of your pitiful, stolidly miserable ones, that wring one's heart with the thought of man's injustice, but a stout, merry ragamuffin, older at his years than some of the gray-haired, content with a roughand-tumble life like a Spanish mendicant, - happy, because possessing nothing to care about.

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Give a feller a penny to keep his face clean?" he said, with a happy, off-hand familiarity.

"Will you do it?" was asked.

Oh, yes," he responded with a goodnatured smile, receiving the coin, and. rogue as he was probably kept the dirty face for the next application. Lilfred's Rest.

M. C. G.

THE Church of the Unity SundayschoolRev. Mr. Hepworth's - has adopted the new edition of "The Altar," taking three hundred copies, and it is used there with great success.

MY LILY OF THE VALLEY. By Abby E. Remington. WHERE the beloved disciple's words Gild like a glory all the page, And "perfect love" exalts the heart Beyond the wisdom of the sage, Pressed close between the precious leaves, Unlooked upon by careless eyes, A little crushed and faded flower, My lily of the valley lies.

No blossom from the tropic isles,
No Eastern rose of fragrance rare,
-No violet, or asphodel,

Can in my thought with this compare. I cherish for the giver's sake

This simple flower; 'tis more to me Than all the wealth of Ophir's mines, Or unsearched treasures of the sea.

THE DAISY.

By Mary C. Peck. GOD's Smile had called the angels home, From realms of earthly shade, When, with his brothers round the throne, Love bowed his head and prayed,

"Father in heaven, I pray that sin

May leave earth's sunny bowers, For evil spirits walk within

The paths that once were ours.

"Error and grief and sin long years

The flowery vales have trod, And angel eyes grow dim with tears; For man forgets his God.

"Send down, I pray thee, from on high Some flower fair to see,

Which, pointing ever to the sky,

Shall teach him faith in thee."

And so the Father sent to earth
The little daisy fair,
Behold a plant of heavenly birth,
It springs up everywhere.

An emblem of God's holy truth,
The daisy points above,
And in the ear of careless youth
Still whispers, Faith and Love.

A SERIES of four new juvenile books are being prepared by Tompkins & Co., which will be very acceptable to the lit tle folks.

MARRIED IN CALICO.

By M. C. G.

"WHAT! married in calico? don't mean it, Hal!"

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Fact, though!-saw it with my two eyes, you little grimalkin! Now, what have you to offer upon the subject of home retrenchment?"

"Offer! it's ridiculous. Goodness to gracious! actually married in a common printed muslin! (Hetty, dear, please pass me the scarlet worsted. Don't you think it will look sweetly in this border?) Now, Cousin Hal, be a good old Turk, toss away that villanous cigar, sit down and tell us all about it. Don't you see we are in an alarming state of curiosity to hear the particulars of the tragedy?" And the two young girls settled themselves cosily into the sofa corners, industriously plying their crochet needles in their eager expectancy to hear the news of the late marriage.

Hal did as he was bidden, and throwing himself upon a low ottoman near them gave a descriptive account of the doings at St. Mark's that morning, much to the amusement of his fair auditors.

"And in church too!" cried Nell, arching her brows; "well! if I was ever about committing a folly of that sort, it should be under my own vine and figtree; I wouldn't carry the absurdity into the sanctuary to create a sensation there; would you, Het?"

Quiet Hetty responded to these sentiments, and calmly counted the stitches around a scallop.

"Joined the Woman's League; wears domestic fabrics from principle; married in calico to set an example for such weak sisters as you, Nell!" And bold Hal caught both the busy hands and peered saucily into her face. "Now confess, pussy-cat, that you and Hetty here have set your names to this anti-extravagance, home-encouragement document."

Hetty and Nell exchanged smiling glances.

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A pair of ripe red lips said, "You horrid old muff!" but a pair of roguish black eyes looked otherwise; and what wonder if the elated young man interpreted the latter in his favor? Besides, hadn't she his engagement ring upon her finger?

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Apropos of this movement for patronizing home manufactures exclusively, Hal, you ought to have witnessed the "And what if we have? I for one scene in at Tattenall's yesterday, when sha'n't be married in calico! If everHetty and I were shopping; we were on silly enough to lose my liberty in the the point of going into convulsions; matrimonial cause, it shall be a grand af- weren't we, Het? You know Miss Jufair; the victim shall be sacrificed with dith and Jerusha Jobson, over the way?

Well, they were in the store inquiring THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY THE DEATH OF A

of Phil Warbridge for domestic linen; he showed them a coarse article; they threw up their heads at that; must have something very fine, with glossy finish, etc. And, would you believe it, that young sinner sold them a yard of dollar and a half Holland for an American fabric! and, innocent goosies as they were, they were delighted with their purchase, and went home in blissful ignorance of the hoax practised upon them. Wasn't it scandalous, and they belong to the Loyal League too!"

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Shocking," said Hal, eying the ceiling with mock gravity; "I hope you two disciples of the new order will not allow yourselves to be deceived in that way."

"Of course not; don't you suppose we know the difference between our own and foreign goods?"

The young gentleman had a wickedly mischievous look in his eyes about this time.

"But you ought to have heard Nell reprove the clerk as we passed his counter," said Hetty; "she turned to him and with one of her queer looks asked, Friend Phil don't you think you have sold yourself to the Arch-Enemy altogether too cheap ?'"

"Capital!" cried Hal, laughing heartily; "why, Het, we shall persuade her into the calico for a wedding-dress yet!"

"Never; so you need not cherish that fond delusion! "

"But, Nellie," meekly responded Hetty, “you know you have your new white mull, that's not made yet.

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"Bravo! bravissimo!!" cried Hal, jumping up and tossing the ball of worsted into the air, catching it as it fell. Hetty, we'll all stand up together yet! Darling Nell, when shall I engage the clergyman?" Lilfred's Rest.

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THE "Quarterly" for April has been published, and contains a fine selection of articles. Single copies 80 cents.

THE "Hours of Communion," by Rev. E. H. Chapin, can be sent anywhere by mail for thirty cents.

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