enclose you a cheque for fifty pounds. It is a loan which you may repay when you can." This was not the only kindness he showed the rising young naturalist. It was through his liberality that Agassiz in 1833 was enabled to begin the publication of his great work on Fossil Fishes. He also was the means of his emigrating to the United States in 1846. attention to the mineralogy of the country, but verified the prediction he made to the Empress before leaving St. Petersburg, that diamonds would be found in the gold washings of the Ural Mountains. By this journey also he was able to dispel many erroneous notions about the country, but its chief result was in preparing the way for future investigations. From his return until his death Humboldt resided in Berlin. In order to prepare himself for the publication of Returning to Berlin, Humboldt divided his time his Central Asiatic trip he visited Paris in 1830 and between publishing some of the results of his Asiatic 1831, being entrusted on both occasions with a diplo-expedition, a great work on "The History of the matic mission to Louis Philippe. This visit to the city he loved so dearly is specially memorable for an act of kindness which he showed to Agassiz, then a young and poor student. Learning, through Professer Mitscherlich, that Agassiz was about to give up his studies through sheer poverty, Humboldt at once despatched his servant with the following note: "My friend, I hear that you intend leaving Paris in consequence of some embarrassments. That shall not be. I wish you to remain here as long as the object for which you came is not accomplished. I Geography of the New Continent," and attending lectures at the University with the young students. There is something at once touching and inspiring in this picture of the grey-haired and world-famous old man taking his place among young students in order that he might pursue studies which he thought he had neglected in his youth. But the crowning work of Humboldt's life was not yet commenced. In his seventy sixth year-a period at which most literary and scientific men would have resigned the pen and place to younger men-he set about laying the foundations of " Kosmos," a work which by itself was enough to task the energies of a lifetime. Having to attend the King every evening from nine to eleven o'clock, he would write until one or two o'clock in the morning. The first volume was published in 1845, and the fifth and last was finished in 1858. "The idea of a work which should convey not only a graphic description but an imaginative conception of the physical world, which should support generalisation by details, and dignify details by generalisation, had floated before his mind for upwards of half a century. Scarcely had he finished his last Herculean task when he bowed himself beneath the stroke of death. In 1857 he had a slight apoplectic stroke, but it was not until the winter of 1858-9 that his strength began to decline. Up to the very day on which he died, May 6, 1859, his mind was clear and vigorous. A few moments before the close, the window blinds were opened and the full blaze of the sun fell into the room. "How grand those rays," he said softly, "they seem to beckon Earth to Heaven." Thus, in his ninetieth year, and with his mental ear as eagerly open as ever to the voice of Nature, Baron von Humboldt, one of the greatest intellects of which the nineteenth century can boast, passed away from earth. And now they must turn their backs on the broad expanse of blue, and turn their faces eastward and northward towards the far-off "Promised Land." A new life opened before them, a life of transition and toilsome wandering, which was destined to teach them truths which all the pagan wisdom of Egypt could never have supplied. Yesterday, they were in the midst of colossal temples and sun-burnt obelisks, of shouting crowds and the splendour of Old World cities; to-day, they are camped in the wilderness, ringed round with rugged mountains, behind whose barren peaks the sun ever rose and set, and under whose silent shadows they moved on, night and day, alone with their leader and with God. "Forward!" was the word of command; and forward the whole multitude went, till they lost sight of the friendly sea, and the great desert with its sands and solitudes lay stretched out before them. Three long days they journeyed, and the dust was dry beneath their feet; the hot winds blew up the sand in eddying clouds, and the strongest grew weary with the thirst and heat, and still " they found no water." 66 And then the reaction, which invariably succeeds great changes, came over the minds of the people, and they clamoured fretfully against their guiding chief. What shall we drink?" they cry. The Patriarch, in his turn, appeals to a yet higher power, and anon we see the pilgrim host kneeling at the branch-sweetened fountain of Marah. And then onward once more, nearly half a day's journey, till they saw the well-shading palms of Elim, tossing THE GREAT VICTORIES OF BIBLE their fronds against the cloudless blue. DAYS. REPHIDIM. Camped in the Wilderness. SRAEL was free. The long weary years of slavery were ended, and the foam of Red Sea billows glittered between them and the oppressor. They had looked down from cliff and beach on the wrecked splendour of the Egyptians, and with the emotion which only freed slaves can feel, they had watched the mailed corpses and the broken chariot wheels of the pursuer cast up by the returning tide. Here, for a brief space, the vast company rested, and then man and beast, refreshed by the pleasant sojourn, plunged once more into the desert. Here the murmurings broke out afresh, and a cry was raised for bread and for meat. The Patriarch intercedes on their behalf, and the Providing Hand strews the plain with manna, and drives the desert birds to every tent door. Again they are on the march, and again the cry goes up for water. The cliffs of Horeb echo with their loud complainings, and Moses, fearing the angry ingratitude of the people, entreats the Lord. The rock is smitten, the waters flow, and the multitude settle down to enjoy the first great halt in their weary pilgrimage across the sands. They were now in the beautiful palm-grove adorning the valley known to modern travellers as the Wady Feiran, a very oasis in the mountain wilderness, and the stay in such a delightful spot must have been hailed with joy by every Israelite, old and young. But there were other claimants to the possession of the place, temporary though it might be. A wild pirate horde had long ago taken up their abode round about, and were ready to brook no interference with their hereditary rights. This was the tribe of Amalek, kinsmen to the cliff-dwellers in Petra, and one that prided itself on being "the first of the nations." Aroused by the tidings that six hundred thousand stalwart men, with an innumerable company, had advanced up the rocky defile and encamped in the palm-grove, the chiefs of the tribe met in hurried council, and (according to Josephus) messengers were despatched to the various nations round about, to request their assistance. The co-operation of rival clans was be sought against a common enemy, whom they judged best to attack at once, while still in an unorganised state. And thus, relying on succours which (if they came at all) came too late, Amalek prepared to match her strength against Israel and the God of Battles. When the news reached Moses that the hill-tribes intended to oppose, by force, his passage through those regions, he was much troubled, for the Amalekites were known far and wide as a warlike race, and the Israelites, fresh from the bonds of Egypt, were almost strangers to the use of the sword. Moreover, he knew that defeat meant destruction, and a hurried flight was impossible, with such a heavily encumbered crowd. Probably, in his extremity, he applied for direction to that source which, through all those forty years of wandering, was never closed against him; for he seems suddenly to have grown resolute and confident. The people, says the Jewish historian, were summoned together and exhorted to be of good cheer, and to trust in the God who had already done so much for them. And now came the momentous question: Who will lead them to battle? It was a critical matter to decide, but the choice of the Patriarch was a wise one. The whole available force of fighting men was arrayed, and from these a young warrior, valiant in heart and devoted to the service of God, was selected as leader. This was Joshua, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim; a man as yet almost unknown, but destined to figure prominently in the history of his nation, whom no soldier ever served more faithfully than he. With the greatest possible alacrity, the new commander went through the camp, choosing such men as seemed best fitted for the enterprise, and marshalling them on the plain with such weapons as they could procure. The sacred version of the story gives no account of the plan of battle, but Josephus, our next best authority, says that the main body of his countrymen confronted the enemy, while a detachment, well armed, was stationed round the wells in the palm-grove, whither the women and children had been removed for safety. Before sunset, Moses made known to his new lieutenant his arrangements for the morrow. "Go out, fight with Amalek," said he ; "to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." And so the two parted for the night-probably a sleepless night for both-while the darkness brooded over the two armies that, on the morrow, were to meet in deadly strife. The night went down, the stars faded, and the dawn lit up with crimson fire the granite crags that towered above the winding pass. The dark rockwalls, festooned with the green trails of the caperplant, were dappled with light and shadow, and the dwarf palms, now stirring in the light breeze, shook the dew from their shaggy boughs. And with daybreak came the call to battle. By a skilful movement, the Amalekites outflanked their opponents and fell upon their rear, cutting off the stragglers and assailing the weaker portion. We are not told how many Israelites fell under this sudden attack; probably it was no large number, but it is difficult to believe the statement of Josephus, who states that not a man of them was killed during the whole engagement. As soon as the leading body, however, was apprised of the danger which threatened their rear, they turned on their assailants and the fight became more equal. And all this time, Moses was standing on the brow of the heights that overlooked the field of battle. He had firm confidence in the ability of the, as yet, untried young warrior to whom he had entrusted the command, but he had a still firmer faith in the gracious care and the almighty power of God. And so, although his patriotic heart heaved with emotion at the sight of his struggling countrymen, he could await the issue without anxiety and without fear. With his hands stretched out towards heaven, he stood supplicating the Divine help, and so long as he did this the Israelites fought valiantly, and faced without fear the trained forces of the robber chief. But when those hands drooped and the prayer ceased, the enemy drove back their opponents and carried everything before them. The undimmed eyes of the aged patriarch observed the effect produced, and, calling on his two companions, Aaron, his brother, and Hur, the husband of their sister Miriam, he bade them support his hands now grown weary and ready to fall. At once a change is visible in the vale below; there Victor's Pony. is a rallying cry from the young general, and, with an answering shout, his men throw themselves once more upon the foe. This time the assault is successful. The swords of the freed bondsmen smite down the heathen; spear and javelin pierce the shining shields of Amalek and break through the armoured throng. Every shaft from the Israelite bows seems to find its mark, and sullen, furious, and discomfited, the pirate host is swept back up the pass. The broad red sun is dipping behind the hill-tops, but the combatants notice it not. From rock to rock, from barrier to barrier, the Gentile host, now thinned by death and flight, is borne onward, and not until the sudden descent of the Eastern night, does Joshua sound the recall. And now the victors are returning, tired and exhausted, but with elated hearts, conscious that the great danger that threatened their very existence as a nation is no longer to be feared. The camp fires are lit ready for their return, for the news has already case. VICTOR'S PONY. A Tale of the Franco-German War. OT all the wounded were taken at once on the litters; each party had an experienced leader, who promptly decided how to deal with every Some, after a slight dressing, were encouraged to help themselves to the doctor's station; some were left for the meanwhile as hopeless cases, and those received chief attention who seemed most likely to be saved by medical aid. But it was painful to have to choose, to hear the earnest cries "A moi! A moi!" and the mad reproaches of others who screamed out that they were being left to die like dogs. Yet it was hard for them to be patient, lying so long in fevered pain before any kind hand brought a drop of water to their parched lips. Victor made himself active in this work, and partly forgot his own feelings in carrying so much comfort How gratefully some to his poor countrymen. of them thanked him for those draughts of water, and how the looks of others spoke for them! The carnage here had been chiefly among the French the red breeches were dotting the fields like spots of blood. By degrees he became used to the look of the that must be passed over minute by minute, corpses lying singly, in lines, in groups, limp and extended, or contorted and twisted up in the last agony, as Some lay on their faces, but each had met his fate. most on their backs as if asleep, yet with wide staring eyes and open mouths; others were bent upon the ground, tightly clutching earth and grass in their stiffened fingers. Many wore a calm, peaceful look, their death must have been instantaneous; while on the features of others were stereotyped the most frightful expressions of rage, pain, and hatred. One poor wretch was doubled up; his hands seemed to have been tearing at his breast, as if to search for the wound. Next him a German soldier lay smiling in death, with his head pillowed upon a Bible, which he to pieces, and almost at the feet of the image lay among a score of other unknown corpses; and over the ignorant Mohammedan with the rest was planted a little cross, hastily made of the wood of some old cigar box tied together with string, as the sign of our hope in a time when it shall no more be man's glory to hate and destroy. There was another victim of the fight that excited Victor's special compassion, a great shaggy dog, the pet of some regiment, which had been harnessed to their big drum, but drum and dog had been both put hors de combat. The side of the drum was smashed in, the disabled dog lay beneath the wreck of its load, whining piteously, licking its gory paws, and fixing such imploring eyes on the two-legged animals in whose service it had come to such a pass. The boy was for cutting it loose and having its hurts seen to, but one of the ambulance men called him off, growling out in German something to the effect that with so many men to look after, there was no time to fellows lay quietly enough now, side by side, trying even to chat with one another, as far as the difference of language would allow. You would hardly have thought these the same men who, a few hours back, had been at such fierce blows. Their national character peeped out even here. The Germans, for the most part, seemed calm and resigned, while some of the French tried to be gay, noisy, careless. Many of these, however, were terribly depressed: their defeat weighed upon their spirits and gave them less chance of recovery than in the case of the victors. Alexandre still had his hands too full for talking, so the boy looked about for himself to see what he could do. In one corner a Protestant pastor of the neighbourhood knelt in prayer with some of the men; in another a Prussian officer was pressing the feeble hand of a mortally wounded comrade. More than one of the Germans was reading his Bible. A pair of Frenchmen lying next each other were playing waste on a beast. How the poor creature howled when they turned away! All the afternoon Victor was thus busy on the field of battle, where he grew to overcome in some measure his natural repugnance to the sights in which it abounded. Towards evening, tired out, he re-entered the roadside house, to see if he could be of any assistance to his brother-in-law. Here things had now been reduced to something like order. The wounded were being cared for as well as possible under the circumstances, and many had been removed to the nearest village, yet from time to time fresh sufferers kept arriving on the ambulance litters. Alexandre was in the barn, packed closely from end to end with rows of men, lying wrapped in cloaks or whatever other coverings could be procured, with their knapsacks for pillows. French and Germans, mixed together without distinction, the poor dominoes. Others were smoking, filling the place with a cloud which helped to drown the sickly hospital odours that might else have prevailed. A kind of sister of mercy, a deaconess from Wurtemburg, who had been so quick in appearing upon the scene, moved up and down between the rows, attending to the little wants of the men with that gentleness in which woman excels "when pain and anguish wring the brow." Then appeared a German in plain clothes, who had clearly some business there, for he brought a great box of cigars to distribute to his fellow-countrymen. Some of the French looked longingly at their more fortunate neighbours. "Give them some too!" cried the good-natured fellows. They could afford to be generous, and the cigars were shared among friend and foe. Victor had a happy idea. He went into the |