THE FATHER. FROM THE NORWEGIAN OF BJORNSON. Eight years had passed away since Thord's last visit to the priest when, one evening, a noise was heard outside the pastor's study, for many people were about to enter, and Thord was the first. said: "You come numerously attended tonight." "Yes! I have come to ask you to call my son's banns; he is going to be married to Karen Storliden, the daughter of Gudmund, who is standing here." "She is the richest girl in the district, I have heard." assumed indifference, pushing his hair back 'People say so," the peasant answered, with from his forehead. The minister sat still a few moments, as if in thought, and then he silently entered the signatures. Thord put three dollars on the names in his books, and the men affixed their table. "I am not entitled to more than one," the priest said. "I know that, to be sure; but he is my only child, and, therefore, I wish to make you a present." The pastor took the money, and remarked: "This is the third time you have come to me on your son's behalf, Thord!" "Yes! and, now, I have nothing more to do for him," answered the peasant, as he clasped his pocket-book. Then, bidding good evening to the priest, he left the room, and his friends followed him. * * * That day fortnight Thord Overaas and his son were rowing across the fjord to visit the Storliden family, and make the necessary arrangements for the approaching wedding. It was a still summer's evening, and there was not a ripple on the water. "This thwart that I am sitting on seems to be out of its place," said the son, as he rose to put it in proper order. At that moment the bottom board of the boat, on which he is standing, slips from under him, he throws out his so, and, uttering a loud cry, he falls into the arms to recover his balance, but he fails to do water. "Catch hold of the oar," cries the father, rising, and pushing it towards him. But all his efforts are ineffectual, and, after many a fruitless endeavour to grasp it, he grows stiff. "Wait a little," shouts Thord, anxiously, as he rows hastily towards him. But the son falls backwards, and, with a last, long look at his father, slowly sinks beneath the troubled surface of the water. Thord could not realize what had happened; he could not believe that it was so, for it seemed so like some fearful dream. He kept the boat still, and gazed on the spot where his son had sunk, as if he expected to see him rise once more. Then a few bubbles rose to the surface, following each other at short intervals at last, one larger than the rest came slowly up, it burst, and the water was as bright and The priest looked up, and recognising him, * In Sweden and Norway, the young, who are candidates for confirmation, are carefully instructed and examined beforehand by the minister of the parish in which they reside. They are placed in the church, and receive the rite according to their order of merit in the examination. Parents always make the clergy-glassy as before. man a present to remunerate him for the trouble he has taken in preparing their children, but Thord's pride in his son induced him to offer ten times as much as a peasant or wealthy farmer usually gives. For three days and nights people saw the father rowing round that spot without taking food or sleep. He was dragging for the body Rather more than a year had passed since that day, when the pastor heard, at a late hour one evening, some one in the hall who seemed cautiously feeling for the handle of the study door. He rose and opened it, and a tall man entered the room, whose emaciated appearance, stooping frame, and white hairs, spoke but too plainly of suffering and sorrow. The priest looked at his visitor for some time before he recognised him. It was Thord. "You come very late," the pastor remarked, as he stood before him. "Ah! yes! I am late, indeed," Thord rejoined, as he took a chair. The clergyman also resumed his seat, and seemed to wait for Thord to continue. A long silence ensued, but at last it was broken by the peasant, who said, "I have brought something with me which I wish to be given to the poor; and with this he rose, put some money on the table, and then sat down again. The priest counted the money. "It is a large sum," he said. "It is the value of half my farm. I have sold it to-day." The minister sat in silence for some time, but at last he said, in a kind tone, "And for the future you are going to be?" "A better man than I have been," hastily rejoined Thord. They sat awhile, Thord gazing on the floor, and the pastor with his eyes fixed on Thord. At last the minister rose, and said quietly, but impressively, "I think, Thord, that your son has at last proved a blessing to you indeed." "Yes! so I think myself," the peasant answered; and as he looked up and met the pastor's earnest gaze two large tears welled from his eyes and trickled slowly down his hollow cheeks. PUZZLES. A DOZEN QUIBBLES. 1. How must I draw a circle round a person placed in the centre of a room, so that he will not be able to jump out of it, though his legs should be free? 2. I can stretch my arms apart, having a coin in each hand, and yet, without bringing my hands together, I can cause both coins to come into the same hand. How is this to be done? 3. Place a candle in such a manner, that every person shall see it except one, although he shall not be blindfolded, or prevented from examining every part of the room, neither shall the candle be hidden. 4. A person may, without stirring from the room, seat himself in a place where it will be impossible for another person to do so. Explain this? 5. A person tells another that he can put something into his right hand. which the other cannot put into his left. 6. How can I get the wine out of a bottle if I have no corkscrew, and must not break the glass, or make any hole in it or in the cork? 7. If five times 4 are thirty-three, what will the fourth of twenty be? 8. What two numbers multiplied together will produce seven ? 9. If you cut thirty yards of cloth into one yard pieces, and cut one yard every day, how long will it take? 10. Divide the number 50 into two such parts that, if the greater part be divided by 7, and the less multiplied by 3, the sum of the quotient and the product will make 50. 11. What is the difference between twice twenty-five and twice five and twenty? 12. Place four fives so as to make six and a half. WHO'S WHO? D's father is B's brother, A and B are the children of C, CONUNDRUMS. 1. Why is the Boy's Own Magazine like a good echo ? 2. When may a man be said to be a fourhanded animal ? 3. What is the difference between a rash man and a Chinese official ? 4. Why is a dandy like a mushroom? 5. Why was Beethoven like opium? 6. What is the difference between Charon's boat and the oldest hen in existence ? CURIOUS EXPERIMENTS. 1. Submit a little gold and silver leaf to the action of a galvanic battery, either of which will burn with great splendour, and afford a beautiful spectacle. 2. Submit a piece of charcoal newly made out of hard wood to the same process, and the light produced will seem to vie with the light of the sun. 3. Put a little fresh calcined magnesix in a tea-cup upon the hearth, and suddenly pour over it as much concentrated sulphuric acid as will cover the magnesia. In an instant sparks will be thrown out, and the mixture will be completely ignited. 4. Put two ounces of Glauber's salts, in powder, into a tea-cup of cold water, stirring them together, and the water will dissolve only a portion of the salts, but if heat be applied the whole will be dissolved. If the liquor be left to cool, the salt will be seen to shoot into crystals. This little experiment beautifully illustrates crystallization. 5. Mix a spoonful of good alcohol with a little powdered strontia, and set fire to the mixture. The whole will burn with a flame the colour of carmine. 6. Pour boiling water on a little red cabbage sliced, and when cold decant the clear infusion. Divide the infusion into three wineglasses; to one add a solution of alum, to the second a little solution of potash, to the third a few drops of muriatic acid. The liquid in the first glass will turn purple, in the second green, in the third crimson. 7. The Magic Glass.-Take a wine-glass, fill it with water, and place a moistened card upon it; if the glass be then carefully inverted the water will not escape, as the pressure of the atmosphere upon the outside of the card will enable it to support the water. 8. Expanding Bladder.-If the neck of a bladder containing a small quantity of air be closely tied up and held to the fire, the swelling of the bladder by the rarefaction of the air within it shows what is called the expansibility of air. 9. Dying Taper.-Light a small taper, place it upon a plate, and having poured a little water upon the plate, invert a glass over it. In this situation the taper will burn for some time, but as soon as the air is consumed will be extinguished. 10. Which you Please.-Take a tumbler, and put into it carefully a strong syrup of sugar and water, about one-third up the glass. Put on the top of the syrup about the same quantity of milk. They will not mix if this is done carefully, the milk floating on the surface of the syrup; on the surface of the milk pour some wine, which, in its turn, will float and not mix. Thus you have three different liquids in one glass totally separate from each other. You may undertake to drink any one of them without disturbing the rest, and perform this apparently impossible feat by taking a straw, putting it carefully into the syrup, milk, or wine, and drawing up the liquor through it. This trick is as curious as the conjuror's inexhaustible bottle, and a good deal more ingenious. OUR BOYS' NOTES AND QUERIES. THINGS WORTH KNOWING. THE EARWIG.-Many people are very much afraid lest one of these insects should get into the ear of themselves or their children, and penetrate the brain; but they are frightened unnecessarily; for if an earwig should get into the ear, it would be very glad to get out again; and if it cannot get out at once, though it is not a pleasant inmate, the drum-head of the ear will effectually prevent the progress of the insect. Still further, it may either be killed or dislodged with ease, by means of a few drops of oil. It is probable that this insect had originally the name of earwing, its wing bearing a strong resemblance in form to that of a human ear. Earwig, therefore, is, most likely, a mere corruption of that name. THE FIRST BRIDGE.-The earliest mention of a bridge is made by Herodotus, called "the father of KEEL-HAULING.-Ducking at the main yard-arm was one of the punishments inflicted upon seamen in the reign of Charles II., and was thus performed :A rope was fastened under the arms, about the middle, and under the neck of the offender, who was thus hoisted up to the end of the arm, and was let fall with great violence from thence into the sea, WE propose opening up a correspondence several times. If the offence was very great he was drawn under the keel of the ship, and, whilst there, a great gun was fired over his head; hence the phrase, "keel-hauling." between our boys; and for this purpose to devote one page every month to questions asked and answers given by our correCURIOSITIES OF ARITHMETIC.-An Eastern prince spondents. The questions will be published was so much delighted with the game of chess, which each month, and answers invited; and it is had been devised for his amusement, that he desired hoped that, by this medium of intercommuni- the inventor to name his own reward. The philosocation, much valuable information may be pher, however, was too modest to seize the opporelicited, and a large amount of interest excited,tunity of enriching himself: he merely begged of his All letters should be addressed to the Editor royal master a grain of corn for each square on the chess-table, doubling the number in proceeding from of the BOY'S PENNY MAGAZINE, 248, the first to the sixty-fourth square. The king, honourStrand. The questions and answers should ing his moderation, made no scruple of consenting to be clearly given, and in as few words as possi- his demand; but on his treasurer making the neces ble. Our advice to all our correspondents is-sary calculations, he was somewhat surprised to find Take time that your letters may be the shorter. that he had engaged to give away the impossible The following Questions have been sub- quantity of 87,076,425,546,692,656 grains of corn, equal to the whole contained in 16,381 towns, each having mitted, and we publish them in the hope that 1,024 granaries of 174,762 measures, each consisting of some of our intelligent correspondents will be 2,768 grains. ready to furnish the desired information. 1. Explain the difference between Solar and Sideral time? F. L. W. 2. Furnish some facts with regard to Hereditary Headsmen. Sanson, junior. 3. What was the origin of the story of Robinson Crusoe ? W. M. M. 4. Which is the best treatment for parroquets? J. M. D. 5. Any information acceptable on American bank bills. J. T. 6. A complete list of Danish postage-stamps. W. H. G. MOCHA. This Arabian town is the principal port frequented by Europeans in the Red Sea. Its great article of export is coffee, which is universally ad mitted to be of the finest quality. It is grown at some distance in the interior, in sheltered and secluded valleys, whence it is brought down to the port on the backs of camels. The quantity exported is said by M'Cullock to be "4,000 tons, or perhaps more.' There is not much of the bean consumed at Mocha; the Arabs, either from economy or preference, generally use an infusion from the husk. Every Arab lady, when she visits, carries on her arm a little bag of coffee; this is boiled at the house where she spends the evening, and thus she enjoys society without putting her friends to expense. CHAPTER II. piece to spend, or the host will give you credit. Guess, indeed; much time I have for guessing, HEN Krautz-that mouths fill our Whad accepted the charge of the martyred and the bakery to look after, and the shop to woman, and undertaken to rear her childwhen Krautz reached his home he found his better half in no very amiable mood. She had been busy all the morning-she was always busy, she said-morning, noon, and night; busy doing the work of two, thinking for two, planning for two, contriving for two, for as for Krautz-this was Krautz's wife's expressed opinion-he could no more help himself than a stranded herring. Krautz was a baker by trade, but a lounger by taste, and he did little if he could help it except drink and smoke, unless under the direction, immediate and imperative, of the lady who bore his name. Home at last, boor!" was her greeting. "Home at last, sweetheart," he answers cheerily. "Whither should the good man come but home? I have been abroad for a purpose this morning-guess ? " "I have no time to waste in guessing, and it heeds not either; smoke and strong water, strong water and smoke, so long as you have a mind, and customers to satisfy, and debtors to pay. Look into the faces of your children, and then say what you think of yourself." 'Well, they look hearty enough." 66 And so, to say the truth, they did. 66 Hearty-yes, but small thanks to you." "Well," but Krautz ventured to remark, you look after them so well that I should spoil the batch if I tried my hand at all. But see, I have brought you something." "Brought me something-yes, brought me yourself, full of smoke and strong waters." "More than that; look here." He threw open the cloak which covered him and screened the sleeping child from the cold. He held the child towards her, saying "It is to be as ours, as one of the two in God's acre; be a mother to it. I promised its dead mother to rear it as my own. His wife burst into a storm of reproaches. Had they not enough of their own? Was it not difficult enough to keep a roof over the heads of their own children that he should take the charge of an orphan child? He only made answer that he was paid to do it; but added, that if he had not received a single coin he would have acted the same. It was seldom that he asserted himself so boldly, and on these rare occasions his wife attributed his unwonted courage either to the fact of his having taken an additional quantity of strong water, or, as she concluded now, the possession of some important secret. Clearly enough, Krautz was not over sober now, but very much in earnest. So his lady took the child from his arms, laid it in a little cot, spread the table for the evening meal, served the hot soup, filled his horn cup with his favourite liquor, and absolutely smiled upon him. Krautz was silent for a long time. "This is how it was, good wile." She smiled encouragement, and he went on: "I was at the execution to-day." She assented blandly, and listened to his story. She exhibited little emotion at the recital, but clinked her cup against that of her lord when he offered so to do, after tavern etiquette, and echoed his "to you, to me," in friendly fashion. And so," he said, as he finished his story, "it was not a bad day's work." Indeed, no; though you have not told me yet how much the purse contains." 66 Ah, no; I have not looked.". She checked the angry expression that was about to escape, and said in a half-chiding, half-laughing fashion, "Krautz, Krautz, you will never be a business man-never!" He looked at her good-humouredly, threw the purse across the table, and said : "There, count the coin. I think I'll take a little more." He stretched his hand to the strong-water bottle as he spoke, and his wife offered no opposition. She was far too busy either to notice or to care what he did. She had emptied the contents of the purse into her lap, a goodly heap of shining gold, and was counting it with business-like rapidity. "Two and two's four and three's seven, and four's eleven, and five's sixteen; ten, ten, ten, forty-six; ten, ten, ten, seventy-six ; five, seven, ten, ninety-eight; two, one hundred ! One hundred golden pieces!" "Not a bad morning's work," says Krautz. "No; but there is much to do with it." Well, it will not cost more than-what did you say-pieces to bring up the boy?" "Who spoke of the boy?" she said, sharply. "I did," he answered; "and I say again that it will not cost more than-what's the number of pieces ?-to bring the boy up just as we bring up our own." "Who said it would?" she asked, abruptly, slowly counting the pieces back into the purse. "I said there was much to do with it; so is there, boots for all the children, warm winter clothing for the girls; I must have a new Sunday kirtle and hood; then there is the miller to pay, and the bakehouse to repair; the two boys must go to a better school-they get nothing but thrashing where they go now, not bad in its way but not better than they could get at home;-then I have promised the girls new skates, and myself a pair of Friesland ramshorns وو "And what am I to have?" asked Krautz. "The satisfaction," his lady answered, with all the dignity which is supposed to be characteristic of a Roman matron, "the satisfaction of seeing your wife and family respectable." Krautz gave a long low whistle, and took another pull at the strong water. Suddenly his wife uttered an exclamation. "What is this-what does this mean?" In casting the money into her lap she had failed to notice a small roll of paper tied with blue silk,-in returning the coin to the purse she found it, and looked at it with alarm. But the alarm was momentary; the next instant she had untied the string, and was reading with difficulty these words: You who have taken my child, and promised in God's presence to rear him as your own, as you shall answer at the great day, hold in your keeping the leaves enclosed-they consoled me and made me happy in the hour of my trial-give them to my child when he is a man, give them to him with his mother's blessing; or, if he die, lay them next his heart, and bury them with his body. As you hope for peace in this world, and look for happiness in the next, attend to these my dying words, and may God, the Judge of all, have you in His keeping." There were a dozen or more parchment leaves bound up with the letter, and two locks of hair; these locks of hair, one a deep rich brown, the other very fair, were tied with silk ribbon. On one was written, "Mother," on the other, "Father." But that which excited the most attention was the parchment leaves. They had been evidently cut out of a volume, and they were, though neither Krautz nor his wife knew it for certain, the Gospel and First Epistle of St. John. 66 Whatever these may be," said Krautz's wife, "they can do no good, may do much harm, and shall be destroyed." Destroyed," repeated Krautz. No, not if I keep the money." "You know nothing of business, good man Krautz," she answered, "leave all to me." and "Business or no," said Krautz, "I know I am sworn to do for the boy as for my own, I would not wrong them, God knows! How do you wrong the child by keeping back by destroying this idle fancy of a heretic's disordered brain-but there, it is vain to argue with smoke and strong water! Let us keep it for to-night, and talk of what we shall do with it in the morning." 66 Good," said Krautz, "a bargain is a bargain, I'll keep the purse and the papers." 'Nay, they are better with me." Krautz took another pull at his horn cup, and then standing up, and leaning most of his weight on the table, observed very sternly, "Then we must divide the property-you keep the papers, I the purse; and, by the way, it may be useful to me at the tavern-I have a little score, and I am going round that way." "Not to-night, Krautz, if I am a living lawful wife-score to settle, and trust you with this!" 66 'As you like," said Krautz. 'Give me the papers, you shall keep the purse.". ་་ "There." Krautz's wife uttered this word |