scious on the roof, an absurdly pitiful little figure in her ragged dress and pink silk stockings. It was six weeks before 'Mazin' Grace's burns were sufficiently healed for her to walk. Mr. Tracy, hearing of the fire on his farm, had driven home just in time to save the child's life. His porch was completely destroyed; but the old homestead, with its host of memories and associations, stood intact—a monument to the faithfulness of a very naughty little girl. Almost the first time 'Mazin' Grace was allowed to go out, she took Nell to the "Christian an' Debil" Society. She limped as she walked, for her feet were still tender from the recent .blisters; but, in spite of the pain, her smile was one of unalloyed bliss. Two pairs of sturdy little legs were keeping step in two new pairs of watermelon stockings. THE "JUMPER"-A SLED WITH ONE RUNNER. BY GALLOWAY C. MORRIS. THERE is a winter sport that is popular in the region about Lake George, and nowhere else, so far as the writer is aware, which would please many of the readers of ST. NICHOLAS who live in those regions where snow abounds. It is to ordinary coasting on the common sled what coasting on a bicycle is compared to running downhill on an express-wagon. The whole art and mystery and trick of the thing is to balance on a sled with only one runner while going at a rapid rate downhill. I have seen them used on hills with a gentle incline as well as on those quite steep; and I once saw one used on the terraces of Fort William Henry. I also know of one case where, some fifteen years ago, a boy, now a prosperous young business man, rode his "jumper" successfully down the long and steep tobogganslide at Saratoga. I doubt not that the quickness of perception and skill of action, developed VOL. XXX.-21-22. by such sport as a boy, has stood him in good stead in his business. At any rate, he has been as successful in one as in the other. But he also knew how to combine play with work. The youngest boys commence the sport on the curved stave of a barrel, which has only one advantage that suggests itself-it saves some wear and tear of cloth. Before very long the little fellow who starts on a barrel-stave will nail a block of wood on it so as to raise him up a little. He gradually gets that block a little higher to raise him more and more, until finally nothing will satisfy him but a well-made jumper, and he generally proceeds to make it himself, or his father helps him at it, for I know of no place where one can be bought. "Jumper" is the local name applied to a single-runner sled. In its perfection it is steelshod, as shown in the pictures that accompany this article- the steel being generally taken from a cross-cut saw such as the lumbermen use. This runner varies from one and a half to two inches wide, and the bearing on the snow is from three to four feet long, the front of the runner the harder it will be to keep it going in the desired direction as it passes over the little inequalities in the "track," which constantly tend to swerve it from its course as well as to tilt it over sidewise. The coaster's skill is exhibited in preventing either one of these things, for either of them is sure to result in an upset. It is not a particularly dangerous sport, for the fall, when it comes, is never a bad one, as sixteen inches is considered a good high seat, and this is about the height of an ordinary chair. It is the height of the one shown in the pictures. The balance is maintained by quickly meeting or anticipating by a rapid movement of the feet, and sometimes also of the hands, any impulse to go over to either side. But as a general thing a skilled. coaster uses only his feet for this purpose, and grasps the edge of the seat with both hands, as shown in the pictures, to enable him, by a judicious twisting on the seat, to overcome any tendency to swerve out of the desired direction, as well as to help him to make a turn when the track is a crooked one. In this region the track is generally a straight one downhill and out upon the lake; but I have also seen jumpers used on a road with a decided turn in it. THE BALANCE IS MAINTAINED BY A QUICK MOVEMENT OF THE FEET. being curled up somewhat like an old-fashioned skate. Just behind the center of the length an upright is framed into the wooden part of the runner, and on this upright a seat is firmly fastened. The height of the seat is entirely a matter of taste with the individual maker; but it will be readily seen that the higher the seat the greater the skill required to balance and to guide the jumper. Furthermore, the greater the length The illustrations which accompany this article give a good idea of the sport and of the way balance is maintained; and one of them shows the manner in which the jumper is carried THE FALLING OF THE VENICE BELL-TOWER. BY RUTH HURLBUT. (Illustrated from photographs taken at the time.) IN one of the world's most beautiful cities, this Christmas morning of 1902 will find hardly a trace of a noble landmark that has greeted every Christmas sunrise for a thousand years. For, as our older readers will remember, the famous Campanile, or bell-tower, of St. Mark's Cathedral, in Venice, fell crumbling into a heap of ruins on the 14th of last July. It was three hundred and twenty-two feet in height, and it was begun about 900 A.D.- though its marble top, and the figure of the angel which surmounted it, were added in the fifteenth century. The citizens of Venice deeply mourn its loss - and all Christian nations regret the destruction of the stately tower which rose above the chief square of Venice, alongside of the wonderful Church of San Marco and the superb Palace of the Doges. Our readers will be interested in the following account of the disaster, written by a young American girl who, with her sisters, was present when the tower fell, and who was fortunate enough to take photographs showing this historic catastrophe at almost the very moment of its happening. ST. MARK'S CATHEDRAL, VENICE. MONDAY the 14th of July was a beautiful sunny day, and all Venice was happy and expectant on account of the grand festa which was to take place on the following Saturday. No one could have imagined that this peace THE CAMPANILE. and calm were about to be shattered by such an awful disaster as the falling of St. Mark's beautiful Campanile. We started from the hotel rather early, intending to go to the bank for money. Our |