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ye 162
alarm of seeing the savage animal leap from his
perch into the water, and make directly towards us,
swiraming with a swiftness and vigor that showed
he was more angered than hurt. . .
“All was now confusion and dismay. Even the
boldest and coolest were fearfully excited. We
knew how to manage whales, but had not served
an apprenticeship at attacking polar bears.
“ ‘Give way, lads! give way! as you value your
lives, give way !’ shouted the boatswain. .
“It needed no urging to make every man do his
best; but a single minute’s labor convinced us that
we could not escape in this manner—for though we
were sending the little boat over the light waves at
. its greatest speed, we could see that the bear was
gaining on us at every stroke. . -
“Tt was now arranged that a party should keep
at the oars, and all the rest be ready with our axes,
knives, pistols, &c., to assuil the monster as soon as
e should come within reach. Our guns, already
discharged, were useless, nobody seeming to think
it worth while to reload them. -It was my lot to be
stationed at the stern, armed only with an axe.
As I stood and watched the gradual approach of
the bear, coming nearer and nearer, shaking his
- head, showing his teeth, and growling savagely be-
tween each lap of the cross-waves, I thought it not
improbable that I should be the first to feel his
. vengeance. But I felt no disposition to shrink
| from the danger, and stood prepared to do my du-
ty. Pale I was unquestionably, but I knew I was
calm externally, and I grasped my weapon with a
firmness and determination that I flatter myself did
me no little credit.
“On came the beast, his eyes looking like balls
of fire; and as he came up within a few feet, 1
swung my axe for a blow at his skull. But at
this moment some of the men behind me discharged
their pistols at his head, which disconcerted him a
little and checked his progress. The men at the
oars, encouraged by this, now pulled with a will,
t and began to increase the distance between the
boat and the animal, which now seemed undecided
whether to continue the pursuit or beat a retreat. _
4 “There is no doubt, if we had kept steadily on,
that we might have escaped—as the bear, without
being further molested, would probably have re-
turned to the iceberg; but the very instant he
showed hesitation, we all became fixed in a resolve
to conquer at all hazards.. Besides, two- other
boats were now putting off from the ship, and we
were not disposed to see another party triumph in
our place. We hada harpooner with us, who was
anxious to try his skill, and we now gave hima
chance. With the precision of a master of his art,
he hurled his weapon through the air, and buried
"it just back of the fore-shoulders of the beast.
With a howl of pain and rage, the bear half-leaped
from the water, and then plunged forward for his
revenge, fairly lashing the waters into foam.
ye saw there was no chance of escaping by
flight now, and therefore did not attempt it. E
man seized upon some weapon and prepared to
fight to the death. As the furious beast came near
enough for my blow, I struck with all my might,
aiming for his skull, just as he wasin the act of
seizing the gunwale with his teeth; but at that mo-
ment the boat rocked, my foot slipped, my mark
was missed, and I was pitched head-foremost into
the water, almost into his very clutches. Fortu-
nately for me he was so intent upon attacking the
men collectively, as not to perceive there was one
“already in his power; and retaining my presence of
mind, and being a good swimmer, I immediately
dived, passed under the boat, and scrambled in
again near the bow.
“The fight meantime had become quite desper-
ate on both sides. The men, being huddled to-
ether in asmall space, were having as much as
they could possibly do, with all their weapons, to
eep the ferocious beast from crushing or upsetting
the boat, or lacerating them with his teeth and
claws ; and the bear, on his part, being determined
upon his revenge at all hazards, was making con-
stant efforts to throw himselfinto the boat. By
one bold, rapid movement, he did succeed in get-
ting one foot over the gunwale,when, before he could
make good use of this advantage, one of the men,
with his axe, chopped it squarely off. This seemed
rather to madden than daunt-the brute, and he
continued his assaults with more fury thaa ever.
“At length, when covered with blood and wounds,
his efforts began to slacken, as if growing too weak | ,
to maintain the unequal contest, and we were be-
ginning to congratulate ourselves that at last the
victory was ours. Just at this moment, by what im-
pulse or power Inever could conceive, the dying
monster, with a hoarse, awful roar that almost rings
in my ears yet, suddenly leaped half way out of the
water, and came down with his fore-quarters upon
the stern of the boat, crushing it as if it were a
mere cockle-shell, knocking down two of the men,
and seizing one poor fellow in his teeth, pitched
the rest of us into the sea, and some of us into his
yery clutches. .
“Shouts and screams, and a scene of wild confu-
sion then ensued, each man seeking to save him-
self, regardless of every other! A wild, appalling
shriek carae from the poor fellow whose bones were
crushed in the jaws of the monster! No human
power could save him. No one knew whose turn
it might be next, and each man struck off for the
approaching boats, to save himself.
“The bear did not follow us. As if satisfied with
his revenge, he remained almost stationary, growl-
ing over and crushing bis victim, till ‘the two
boats picked up the rest of us on the way, drew uj
near him and poured in a volley, which almost rid-
dled him, and ended the contest.
“Then we collected the mangled remains of our
oor comrade for decent burial, and towed the
slaughtered monster to the vessel, every man se-
cretly thinking he would never be caught in an-
other-foolhardy attack upon the lord of the polar
regions.” ' : :
=
0
A QuakeR, upon being asked why he did not
yenture to go to an election, at which the proceed-
ings were very riotously. conducted, and give
nate
a ere
THE YOUTH’S:-
vote, replied: “Friend, I do not see why I should
endanger my own poll to benefit another man’s.”
——+08
HAVE YOU WOUND UP THE CLOCK?
I have a plan in my head that I think may be
useful; a plan that will suit the inmates of a small
house and a great one; a laborer’s cottage, and a
king’s palace. The plan is this—to make common |
things and common events useful; to turn our!
every day household affairs to advantage. Why:
should we not get a lesson of regularity from the
clock, of zeal from the fire, of polish from the
tables, of steadiness from the chairs, of cleanliness
from the broom, and of purity from the pump wa-
ter? Now let me ask, Have YoU WOUND UP THE
CLOCK ? oe ~ oe
I think that the circumstance that one. man is
rich while another remains poor—that one man is
surrounded with comforts while another is com-
fortless—that one man is a man of energy and en-
terprise and another a man of apathy, unequal to
any undertaking, depends pretty much upon this,
that one has and the other has not wound up the
clock. .
Attention to duties at the right moment—the
proper preparation for the work you have to do—
which is the winding up process—and then con-
tinued, persevering attention given to its execu-
tion, this is what makes successful men in the
world; and it is only men of this kind who accom-
plish anything for themselves or for mankind.
Look out, then, boys and girls, that like the clock
wound up, you are prepared for the faithful daily
performance of the great life work before you.
SCRAPS FOR YOUTH.
LITTLE MAY AND THE OLD MAN.
One sunny day, fair little Ma:
Went through the woodland near;
jong by brook and stone,
Without a thought of fear;
Though she had never known the way
Until she found it out that day.
Outside the wood a path she took
That to the meadow led;
And there she saw, with Book in hand,
ad 5
+ Aman with hoary he:
His smile was sweet, his eyes were blue;
He said, “Young lady, whence come you?”
“[’'m little May ; from
'o take a summer w:
May I sit down upon the bank ?
I'd like with you to talk.
What is that book within your hand?
‘an I its meaning understand 2”
home I came
alk;
“Sweet lady, ’tis a blessed book,
Which makes my old eyes sce
In that calm sky which hangs above,
blessed company.
Three children have 1 living there,
And I expect their home to share.”
‘And will it show to
good old man, as well as you,
hat glorious company ?”
“Dear lady, yes; the sight is one
hat may by any eye be seen.”
Said little May, with wondering eyes,
“ ill i me,
“Please read your book here by the brook.”
And so the old man rea
Sweet words that filled her with surprise,
Until she softly said, .
“J did not know there is a place
Where we can see our Saviour’s face.”
“Te came to earth,” the old man said,
“To dic for you ani oa
“Why did He die?” “That we might join
glorious company.”
And still the old man read his book,
‘And still sung on the chiming brook.
He read how Jesus pat His arms
Around each little child,
And how, with hands upon their head,
i Dig
Ja
He blessed each tender little form
By faithful mother to Him borne,
And little May, fall many a day,
Passed through the woodland’ Ione,
And always found the good old man
Upon his mossy stone ;
And by the little sin ing brook,
He read from his delightful book.“
Bible Society Record.
“PROUD OF THAT AS LONG AS YOU
LIVE.”
An army correspondent of the Methodist says,
that when our army left Virginia to follow Lee into
Pennsylvania, as they entered Maryland, “Old men
and women too, stood in their doorways, with tears
of joy in their eyes, invoking blessings upon the
brave fellows who were pressing forward to drive
the haughty invaders from their Nor did
their gratitude show itself in words only.
distributed refreshments to the weary and hungry
soldiers as long as they had any thing to give.
noticed a venerable man, whose thin, gray hairs
and feeble frame marked him as being far advanced
in years, leaning against his gate-post with a tin
cup in his hand and a pail of water before him.
When some thirsty soldier would step aside from
the ranks to drink, the old man’s countenance
would light up with a smile of satisfaction, and I
could hear him as I passed along uttering words of
good cheer and encouragement to the boys. ‘I
am too old to fight,’ said he, ‘but my heart is with
you.” Little children, too, some oF whom could
scarcely walk, carried around pitchers and cups of
water, and appeared delighted when any one would
i ea drink. A little bright-eyed fellow offered
is
-
is | pouring the refreshing draught down his dry and
1is cup to a soldier who seemed exhausted by fa-
tigue. The man seized it with avidity, and after
fo
COMPANION.
dusty throat, said, as he returned the cup to its
little owner: ‘God bless you, my boy, for that.
You'll be proud of that the longest day you have
to live.’ And so he will be. this was indeed
a pleasant experience to men who had been accus-
tomed for two years to be greeted only with frowns
and sneers on their loig and weary marches in Vir-
ginia, and many a one among that soiled and way-
worn multitude, as he journeyed on, uttered a se-
cret vow to fight as he had never fought before.”
+++
THE FAITH OF CHILDHOOD.
It is easier for young persons to exercise faith
than for older ones. It is one of the penalties an-
nexed to continued impenitence, that the heart
having a bitter experience of the deceptions and
fraud common in the world, loses the simplicity of
trust in God. How natural faith is to childhood,
is clearly shown in the following incident, from the
Children’s Friend :
A little girl whose mother had always told her
the truth, and in whom she trusted, went with her
one day to a large town. The child had been used
to live in the quiet country, and the bustle and the
noise were alarming to her, for she was not strong ;
and her head ached, and her limbs grew weary, as
they entered the town. A great crowd was gath-
ered together to see some show in the street, and
Lucy pressed her mother’s hand, for her heart beat,
and she was frightened. “Do not be afraid, Lucy,”
said her mamma, “I will not take you into danger ;
you are quite safe; keep my hand; nothing shall
hurt you.” And the child believed her mother,
and was happy. Well, this was faith in a mother
whom she could see. It would be harder to trust
in one she could not see.
Clouds had been gathering for some time, and
soon the rain fell. - The mother looked at her little
delicate girl, and said, “Lucy, dear, I dare not take
you any further; I must go, for I have business to
do elsewhere. I must leave you in this shop;
don’t you go away from it, and I will be back as
soon as I can; but my errands will take me some
time.
The child looked into her mother’s eyes, and
said, “You won’t forget me, I know.”
And, after a kiss and a blessing, the mother left
her under the care of the master of the sho,
At first she was amused by seeing the gay rib-
bons measured, and the ladies coming to do their
shopping ; but after a while, she began to long to
see her mamma, and to hope that she would come
before dark, for it was winter time. She had a
bun to eat, and was not hungry; but she was tired.
A little girl, older than herself, now came into the
shop, and they began to talk. Lucy told her how
she was to wait there for her mamma, and how
glad she should be when she came.
_ “Perhaps she will forget you,” said the little
gr,
“I am sure she will not do that,” replied Lucy.
“How can you be sure P may, you know.”
“She promised,” was the child’s reply; ‘she
never broke her, promise yet.”
Another hour passed away. It seemed like a
day to the weary little one. The gay. customers
had gone home, and the shopmen were putting
away the goods; the gas lamps were lighted, and
still the mother had not returned. A woman came
into the shop at this moment whom Lucy knew.
She lived near her father’s house, and, seeing the
little girl, offered to take her back in her pony gig.
“No, thank you,” replied the child; “mamma
will come for me; I must wait.’
At length the mother came; and O what love
was there in her kiss to the trusting, patient child!
The confidence of faith she had shown pleased her ;
and when they were once more by their fireside at
home, and Lucy was nestling in her bosom, her
mamma told her that this was the very kind of
trust which God required of His children—to try
no means to save themselves but according to His
Word ; to believe alone on the Lord Jesus for sal-
vution, and to trust to His promise, which says
that “whosoever believeth shall not perish, but
shall have everlasting life.” Without such faith it
is impossible to please God.
+r
THE REFORMED BOY.
The other day we read a story in the police re-
ports of one of the daily papers of our city, and
now copy it, hoping the moral it enforces may be
of benefit to our readers.
Years ago a boy was arrested for robbing a
drawer of the amount of about three dollars. “He
was arrested by policeman Russell. The youth
stoutly denied the accusation, though the cireum-
stances of the case seemed to weigh heavily against
him. man who was robbed had ‘recently
buried her husband, She had to struggle against
. 5 . * & *
adversity to maintain a home for herself and chil-
This she did by selling cakes, candies,
sapruce-beer, &c, The three dollars, though small,
were a heayy loss to her. ‘ -
The boy, who was only about ten years of age,
was known to have been in the practice of sticking
a small hook into a watermelon, or cantaloupe, and
by means of a string pulling it to him when an op-
portunity should offer. But robbing the till out-
right he denied in the most positive manner, and
insisted on his innocence. ‘
Seated in the private room after the hearing,
detective Russell, knowing that important arrests
had been made from various hints thrown out by
lads similarly circumstanced, had a private inter-
view with the youth in question. .
“You know you stole that money,” said he.
“I didn’t do no such thing,” replied the lad.
“Come, come, my son, you'll die in prison yet ;
you are on the bad road that leads some people to
the gallows. That woman is fretting herself to
death about the loss of that money.” :
“I don’t care. I can’t help it. I didn’t take it,”
still continued the boy.
“Suppose she'd die, don’t you think that your
conscience would chide you? " You know you stole
& watermelon from her,”
“Well, that wasn’t money, was it ?” a
“No, but it was a beginning. Now, come, tell
us all about it, “How much did you give Jimmy?”
‘“Ididn’t give him nothing; I didn’t take the
money, I tell you,” still persisted the boy.
‘he conversation was kept up foran hour. To
all the questions propounded by the shrewd officer,
the lad seemed to have a ready answer. He was
smart. He did not look like a bad boy: He was
rather more intelligent than the ordinary run of
thieving youth. . ef |
the officer finally operated so much upon the
lad’s feelings that, after a deal of trouble, the boy
burst into tears and acknowledged the charge. He
had not only stolen the money, as charged against
him, but had purloined other sums, which he had
hid in a board-yard up town. The officer being
thus on the track, the money was recovered and
restored to the loser. _—-
e boy was fully penitent under the suggestions
of the officer, and promised reform. He fulfilled
that promise well, and rose to something like dis-
tinction. He became a Sabbath school teacher,
and some time after the present rebellion broke
out, entered the volunteer corps, and fought his
way up to some promotion.
A short time since, a good-looking soldier, with
his arm in a sling, entered the Continental. After
walking about that palatial establishment for some
time, he observed Mr. Russell, who looks pretty
much the same now as he did twenty years ago.
The soldier officer stepped up to him with extended
and, and casually remarked, “I guess you don’t
recognize me, sir; you are Mr. Russell, are you
not ??
“Tam, sir,” said Mr. Russell, respectfully, at the
same time gazing at the stranger thoughtfully,
It was not long before they mutually understood
each other, and had a long conversation. The sol-
dier of the present was, nearly twenty years since, }
the boy who “hooked” a watermelon ‘as his first
offence, and then helped himself to the contents of
atill, He is now a highly honorable man, and ad- .
mits that the kindness of officer Russell made
such an impression on his youthful mind that he” ‘”
has never forgotten it.
This little story is not without its moral.
working on the better feelings of the boy, the
officer brought him to a sense of his wickedness,
and made him resolve to leave off his wicked ways.
Kind words are better than severe punishment. ‘
BEFORE AND AFTER, . My
Willie was not a healthy boy, and his father sent
him to board in the country, where he could have
plenty of fresh air, and milk, and fruit. Some
twenty rods from the house where he boarded was
a beautiful spring of very cool, pure water, and be-
fore Willie’s father left him he made him promise
that he would bring a small pail full of water from
that spring every day of his life. His father knew
that he was idle, and not fond of exercise 3 he knew
also that he was truthful, and would never break’
his word. So he went home to the city, feeling
sure that Willie would take a nice little walk ever
day. And Willie did so, but when do you thin ‘
he took it? It is a law that always holds true that.
we are happier after we have done our work than
———+e, ef.
we are before. So if Willie had brought the wa-
ter before breakfast, he would have been happier
for it all day. But he did not know this; so he
brought it the last thing at night, sometimes when
he was very tired and could hard)
.
ut he always brought it at last,
he had this tought hanging over him like a cloud, i
“Rain or shine, light or dark, cold or hot, I must
bring that pail of water before I sleep.” Ifhe had ,
brought it in the morning, all his play would have
come after the work. Now. it came before the
works And that is not half as pleasant. .
Willie had a sister named Grace, who was ‘
much like him. When Grace was twelve years olf
her mother said. “Hereafter you must always make
your own bed,” and Grace soon learned to make it
very neatly. She had a very pleasant chamber ;
when it was in order it was the Prettiest room in
the house. And how large a part of the time do
you think it was in order every day? Just about
five minutes. All day long Grace avoided her °
room as much as possible. If she looked in for a
moment, if she even thought of it in her play;
there was a cloud upon her pretty face. It was
the shadow of the tumbled bed. “O dear, I must
make it by-and-by,” she said, and so the shadow
stayed. ue
ne bright morning Grace made her bed before
breakfast. She was going to see Willie, and so
she must make it then or not at all. And the sun
looked in upon the white spread and smooth pil-
lows, as if he had never seen such a sight before.
He saw something else, too, something equally
strange, twenty miles away. It was Willie bring-
ing water from the spring. His mother had write
ten, “We are coming early, and shall want a
draught of that sweet spring water as soon as we * =.)
All that ay the children were happy with .
a new happiness. Their work was done; that was
a very pleasant thought. It was so pleasant that
they did not like to lose it; they learned that play
and privilege are sweetest after work. “When I
do my work early,” said Willie, “I do it because I
choose, not because I must. I like that a great ey
deal better.”—Springfield Republican, a
———+9+ ____
- A&A GOOD IMITATOR.
One of the most astonishing things in connection
with the parrot, a green Amazon, happened at a
dinner party recently. One of the guests was a
gentleman who stammered very much; and it was
observed that when the latter spoke, the parrot was,
particularly attentive. After dinner the stammer-
ing gentleman sauntered up*to the parrot’s cage,
and said, “Well, P-p-p-polly, what's o'clock ?”
Upon which the parrot immediately replied, “P-p-
p-past four!” imitating the stammerer 80 capitally
that its possessor could not forbear laughing as
heartily asthe rest. Opposite the parrot’s residence
My
yon