rapid and strong was his swoop, that he buried himself out of sight when he struck; but the next moment he merged into view, and, flapping his wings, endeavored to rise with his prey.

11. But this time he had miscalculated his strength; in vain he struggled nobly to lift the salmon from the water. The frightened and bleeding fish made a sudden dive and took the eagle out of sight, and was gone half a minute.

12. Again they arose to the surface, and the strong bird spread his broad, dripping pinions, and gathering force with his rapid blows, raised the salmon half out of water.

13. The weight, however, was too great for him, and he sunk again to the surface, beating the water into foam about him. The salmon then made another dive, and they both went under, leaving only a few bubbles.to tell where they had gone down. This time they were absent more than half a minute, and Beach said, he thought it was all over with his bird.

14. He, however, soon reappeared, with his talons still buried in the flesh of his foe, and again made a desperate effort to rise. All this time the fish was shooting like an arrow through the lake, carrying his relentless foe on his back.

15. He could not keep the eagle down, nor the bird carry him up; and so, now beneath, and now upon the surface, they struggled on, presenting one of the most singular yet exciting spectacles that can be imagined.

16. It was fearful to witness the blows of the eagle as he lashed the lake with his wings into spray, and made the shores echo with the report.

17. At last, the bird, thinking, as they say "West," that he had "waked up the wrong passenger," and loosening his clutch, soared heavily and slowly

away to his lofty pine tree, where he sat for a long time, sullen and sulky the picture of disappointed

ambition.

18. Beach said, that he could easily have captured them, but he thought he would see the fight out. When, however, they both staid under half a minute or more, he concluded he should never see his eagle again.

19. Whether the latter in his rage was bent on capturing his prize, and would retain his hold, though at the hazard of his life, or whether, in his terrible swoop, he had struck his crooked talons so deep into the back of the salmon that he could not extricate himself, the hunter could not tell.

20. The latter, however, was doubtless the case, and he would have been glad to have let go long before he did. The old fellow probably spent the afternoon in studying avoirdupois weight, and ever after that tried his tackle on smaller fish. As for the poor salmon, if he survived the severe laceration, he doubtless never fully understood the operation he had gone through.

THE MAGPIE AND THE MONKEY.

1. "DEAR madam, I pray," quoth a magpie, one day, To a monkey, who happened to come in her

way,

"If you'll but come with me

To my snug little home in the trunk of a tree,
I'll show you such treasures of art and virtu,
Such articles, old, mediæval, and new,

As a lady of taste and discernment like you,
Will be equally pleased and astonished to

view.

2. The monkey agreed at once to proceed;
And, hopping along at the top of her speed,
To keep up with the guide, who flew by her
side,

As eager to show, as the other to see,
Presently came to the old oak tree.
Then, from a hole, the magpie drew
The things she wished the monkey to view:
A buckle of brass, some bits of glass,
A ribbon dropped by a gypsy lass;

A tattered handkerchief edged with lace,
The haft of a knife, and a toothpick case;
Half a cigar, the neck of a jar,

A couple of pegs from a cracked guitar,

Beads, buttons, and rings, and other odd things.

3. At last, having gone, one by one, through the whole,

And carefully packed them again in the hole,
Alarmed at the pause, and not without caws,
The magpie looked anxiously down for ap-
plause.

The monkey, meanwhile, with a shrug and a

smile,

Having silently eyed the contents of the pile, And found them, in fact, one and all, very vile, Resolved to depart; and was making a start, When, observing the movement, with rage and dismay,

The magpie addressed her, and pressed her to stay:

"What, sister, I pray, have you nothing to say, In return for the sight that I've shown you

to-day?

Not a syllable

hey? I'm surprised

may

well I

That so fine a collection, with nothing to pay, Should be treated in such a contemptuous way."

4. At length, when the magpie had ceased to revile, The monkey replied, with a cynical smile: "Well, ma'am, since my silence offends you," said she,

"I'll frankly confess that such trifles possess, Though much to your taste, no attraction for me. I'd not stir an inch, nor round about go,

One moment to pick up such vile farrago.

Dear madam, you collect mere rubbish and rags; Why not gather for use, and replenish your bags With things that are really a comfort and blessing,

And reserve, if you need them, for future subsistence,

In order to lengthen and sweeten existence,"

any

5. The monkey's reply for I must, if I'm able,
Elicit some practical hint from the fable-
Suited the magpie, and suits just as well
Quarterly, monthly, or weekly miscellany,
Whose contents exhibit so often a hash,
Oddly compounded, of all kinds of trash,
That no wonder editors, who have to select them
To suit public taste, would gladly reject them.

MACDONALD'S PASSAGE OF THE ALPS.

1. IMAGINE an awful defile, leading up to the height of six thousand five hundred feet towards heaven; in summer a mere bridle path, and in winter a mass of avalanches. The road follows the Rhine, here a mere rivulet, which has cut its channel deep in the mountains, that rise frequently to the height of three thousand feet above it.

2. Along the cliffs that overhang this torrent, the

path is cut in, the solid rock; now hugging the mountain wall like a mere thread, and now shooting in a single arch over the gorge, that sinks three hundred feet below. Silent snow peaks pierce the heavens in every direction, while dark cliffs lean out on every side over the abyss.

3. This mere path crosses and re-crosses the gorge, and often so high above it, that the roar of the mad torrent below can scarcely be heard; and finally it strikes off on the bare face of the mountain, and leads up to the summit. But in winter, this same gorge is swept by a hurricane of snow, and is filled with the awful sound of falling avalanches, blending their heavy shock with the dull roar of the giant pines, that wave along the precipices.

4. Rocks, rising in huge masses straight up into heaven; pinnacles, shooting like church spires above the clouds; gloomy ravines, where the thunder clouds burst, and the torrent raves; still glaciers, and solemn snow fields, and leaping avalanches, combine to render the Alpine gorge one of the most terrific things in nature.

5. Added to all this, you feel so small amid the mighty forms that tower away on every side around you, so utterly helpless and worthless amid these great exhibitions of God's power, that the heart is often entirely overwhelmed with the feelings, that struggle in vain for utterance.

6. Over such a pass was Macdonald ordered by Napoleon to march his army. It was the latter part of November; and the frequent storms had covered the entire Alps, pass and all, in one mass of yielding snow. The cannon were placed on sleds, to be drawn by oxen.

7. The ammunition was divided about on the backs of mules, while every soldier had to carry, besides his usual arms, five packets of cartridges and five days' provision. Guides went in advance,