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"Then we should soon starve," the farmer quietly remarked; "bacon and corn-bread is the usual food; or rarely deer or turkeys- as for bears, they are becoming natural curiosities: I have only shot three during the six years I have lived here."

"Then Fisher probably did not speak the truth about the merits of the land," the young German remarked, somewhat despondingly.

"That's another story," the farmer cried; "but you must convince yourself about that, and, if he did not exaggerate tremendously, you will even find your expectations surpassed. Beside this, there is a lesson you have yet to learn in America: every farmer praises the neighbourhood most in which he lives, and I do not see why I should prove the only exception, especially as I have good reason on my side. But how is it? Shall we write to Charles Fisher to send your things up? the Indian can take the letter with mine." Sechingen seemed irresolute: he had fancied a life in the woods something very different. Should he here lay out his money on dead land, covered with gigantic trees, and in the end, not be able, perhaps, to cultivate it. Should he cut himself from all communication with civilized beings, with the exception of a couple of neighbours at the most?

"Hem!" he said, after a long pause, "I do not know-if I were to go back to Little Rock, and then

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Well, if you have not made up your mind yet," "the farmer quickly interrupted him, "we'll let the matter rest; I see how it is, the things can remain down there, and if our neighbourhood pleases you, why it will be time enough then to fetch them, and the few necessaries a farmer requires in the woods. To-morrow you shall see a portion of our country, and may be assured that I will not show you the worst."

The Indian, who, in the meanwhile, had been refreshed with food and a large glass of whisky, and had received from Sechingen payment for his trouble, now rolled up his blanket that had been drying at the fire, in which he placed two large lumps of bread and bacon, cast a lingering look on the green bottle, that had been again put back in the cupboard, and started

homeward along a path that led into the country road, by which he would be able to reach Little Rock dry-footed.

Sechingen soon felt himself at home, and, contrary to his expectations, his hard bed seemed so agreeable to him and so satisfactory, that he slept soundly till the next morning, and on waking, was forced to confess to himself that it requires very little to make a man happy and contented, when he is free, and can follow his own good pleasure without let or hindrance.

A breakfast, prepared after the American fashion, was then devoured, and Sechingen fancied that they would start immediately; but the farmer intended to point out to his guest, before they went to visit the land, the difficulties which clearing it entailed. Under the pretext, therefore, that he must cut down some firewood, he took the young man some hundred yards into the forest, showed him an oak of about three inches in diameter, and begged him to fell "the little stick," as he must learn everything, and promised to fetch him in a quarter of an hour.

Sechingen, who had long wished to try his strength on the "giants of the forest," joyfully seized the heavy axe, and his blows, after the farmer had shown him how to hold the instrument in the most advantageous manner, soon sought their echo in the neighbouring hills.

Klingelhöffer, who had clearly seen that the young man's head was still filled with the romance of a woodman's life, and therefore, wished to bring him back to the rough, home-made reality, walked laughingly to his own house; but what he had foreseen, occurred in a very short time. Sechingen certainly hewed for some time at the tree; but the tough wood would not yield to his irregular blows, only now and then a splinter would fly off, and he was at length obliged to confess, tired to death as he was, and his hands covered with blisters, that the word "clearing" looked capitally on paper, but was not at all suited for him. Thus much he saw, that if he stopped there the whole day he would not be able to fell the tree. Klingelhöffer found him sitting terribly defeated at the foot of the oak, and he seemed so occupied in looking at his bleeding hands, that he did not hear him approach. The farmer sought to console him about his

ill-success, and told him that many persons who were used to work all their lives, found great difficulty in managing an axe at first.

This did not comfort Sechingen much, and, glad of an excuse to give up his unlucky task, he followed his kind host to his house, mounted one of his horses, and rode with him into the woods.

The merry sunshine had now dispelled all the gloomy rain-clouds, and its quickening beams fell freshly and cheerily through the glistening and shining leaves. The whole forest exhaled such fragrance, the clear sky lay so pure and smiling over the glorious landscape, that Sechingen almost forgot the fatigues he had endured; and, at length, could not refrain from remarking to his comrade, what a different impression the back-woods made yesterday and to-day upon him.

"The old story," the latter said with a laugh; "in cloudy weather we look at the world through clouded glasses; and when the sun shines and the birds sing their joyous strains, the whole sky seems hung with Eolian harps. Yes! it is glorious here in the woods, and I believe my heart would break were I forced to bid adieu to them; but there is a gloomy side to the picture, of which you have, till now, seen very little. Still there is nothing perfect on earth, and so long as the good qualities are not outweighed by the bad, we ought not to complain."

They rode for several hours, through the woods, and Klingelhöffer took great trouble in explaining to his guest the different sorts of land, and the vegetation by which they should be distinguished; but Sechingen, who had never paid much attention to land or agriculture, did not trouble himself much about it, but continually looked round for game, and, in consequence, not unfrequently, came into most unpleasant contact with projecting branches and creeping plants. At the same time, his spirited little horse continually jumped over logs or roots that came in its way, and his rider found great difficulty in keeping his seat.

Mid-day approached, but still Klingelhöffer displayed no signs of returning, for he asserted, and with perfect truth, that, as they were out in the woods, the stranger could see as much as possible; besides, he

would employ the opportunity for looking after his cattle which fed here in the neighbourhood, a thing which would occupy too much time for him to ride out expressly for the purpose.

Sechingen had gradually become terribly hungry, and his limbs ached from the unusual exercise; but Klingelhöffer did not seem to notice it, rode through deep ditches, up and down steep banks, galloped over spots when Sechingen would have liked to dismount and lead his horse, and showed himself as perfectly at home in the trackless woods, as if he had been walking about his own house. Suddenly-and he had just been speaking of starting homewards, and the tired rider seemed to breathe fresh life-the dogs began barking at a little distance off, and the farmer, rising in his stirrups, listened to the well-known sounds with most excited attention. For a few seconds all was silent, and then the barking began again, and the farmer, who now knew that the dogs had put up some game in the woods, felt his old zeal kindled.

"Hurrah!" he cried, and turned in saddle towards his companion; "the dogs are at work, and we'll let our horses gothe little exercise will not hurt them." Without waiting for an answer, he dug his spurs into his horse's flank, and away he galloped in the direction in which the dogs were heard to bark. Sechingen was forced to follow, if he would not be left alone in the forest, and his own horse, which had seen its companion gallop away with much impatience, scarcely felt the light and almost involuntary pressure of his thigh, when it followed the traces of the farmer in wild and impetuous bounds.

Sechingen was a practised rider and sat very well in the saddle; he also understood perfectly the management of a well-broken horse, but galloping through a thick wood, when loaded with every implement for shooting, was more than he had ever attempted before. His powder - horn, couteau de chasse, and shotbelt, were soon entangled in the branches and creeping plants, and at length, when his horse suddenly shied at a snake that lay in the way, he was torn from his seat by a projecting branch and thrown violently on the ground. The horse seemed to take no further notice of him, and Sechingen soon found him

self-as even the barking of the distant dogs had ceased-alone in the forest, and ignorant what direction to follow.

For an hour, at least, he wandered about in increasing fear and under that horrible oppressive feeling that ever lays hold on a person who has lost his way; his fine cloth coat was torn to rags by the thorns, his powder-horn lost, his couteau de chasse had been also dragged out by some bough -for the sheath hung empty by his side his cap was nobody knows where-his face and hands were bleeding, and every bone in his body ached. In utter exhaustion he at length lay down at the foot of an oak-for he could not go on without a rest. "This, then, is my first view of the backwoods," he said to himself in his ill-temper, "where you cannot raise your head without your face being scratched by some terrible thorn-bush-and the trees-why, it would occupy a man's life to cut down half a dozen of these colossal fellows; and then the ground is so overgrown with roots that it would be impossible to drive a stick into it not to say drag a plough through it.

No! I am not fit for such a business I fancied it much more romantic. Budding trees-flowery plants-fragrant wood -giant trunks, extending their branches to the sky-the devil take them altogether; I shall be only too glad when I sit once more at a covered table and can drink a cup of hot coffee-and now lost, too, in this terrible wilderness!"

He sprang up in desperation in order to look for some track that would lead him to an inhabited spot, and suddenly heard, at no great distance, Klingelhöffer's loud "Hallo!" In his delight, he quickly fired his rifle; but that did not prevent him from employing all his remaining energies in uttering as loud a cry as he could in the present state of his throat, to point out the spot where he could be found. Klingelhöffer soon stood by his side, and, although at the first sight, he could not refrain from laughing heartily at his guest's tragi-comical appearance, still he soon felt sorry, and did everything in his power to console and cheer him.

He said it was a beginning, though a very bad one, and had at least one benefit, that he would be able to bear all that followed with a good heart. Sechingen, however, did not appear at all disposed to

wait for anything that might follow, and. tired to death, he allowed the farmer to place him on his own horse. He had, according to his assertion, not a whole bone in his body, but was as hungry as a wolf, his head and teeth ached, and besides that, he had lost everything which was not actually a portion of himself.

When they at last reached Klingelhöffer's dwelling, he recruited his wearied body with food and rest. Nothing in the world, however, would have induced him, on the next morning, to undertake a second excursion, in the first place, to look for the lost articles, and, secondly, as the farmer remarked with a smile, to become better acquainted with the land. He affirmed, by all that was good and great, that he knew more of the land than he wished, and, when morning dawned, was firmly decided on returning to Little Rock. As an excuse, he certainly stated that he wished to visit the Eastern States before he settled in the woods, but it could be easily seen what caused this change of mind.

Further persuasion was useless, and Klingelhöffer, therefore, offered to accompany him on horseback along a portion of the country road, so that he might not have to walk the forty-four miles. In the afternoon, then, when his guest had slightly recovered from his fatigue, they started, and the worthy farmer rode so far with him, that they reached a roadside station before dark. He then took leave of him with a hearty shake of the hand.

"I'm only sorry," he said, "that your fancy for settling has received such a sudden blow at starting; but I do not give up all hopes but that you will seek the Far West once again. It was a great change from Germany to Arkansas, without any preparation; but when you have spent some time in the Eastern towns, you will long once more for the healthy forest breezes. Do not forget, in that case, that you will always be welcome in my cabin. So now, good bye! remember me to the Germans in Little Rock, and do not stop there longer than you are compelled, for there are better places in the United States."

With these words he threw the bridle of the led-horse over his arm, and rode away again into the forest.

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CONSUMPTION AND THE ITALIAN CLIMATES.

CONSUMPTION, AND THE

Sechingen remained standing thoughtfully on the road for a long while, and his eye rested on the green woods, in which his new friend had disappeared; with a shake of his head he thought on all that he had experienced in so short a time. This then," he at length said, with a deep sigh, "this is the quiet, cheerful, farmer's life-this is the patriarchal retirement of the back-woods! I was scarce twice four-and-twenty hours in them, and how do I look now? My clothes are torn, the old hat which Klingelhöffer gave me, no rag-picker would accept at home, and still I must feel glad that I am not forced to go about bareheaded. My knife, handkerchief, powder-horn, and shot-belt, are lost, and my face and hands are as much scratched as if I had been sleeping a whole night in a quickset hedge. Besides this, all my bones ache-I have a terrible cold, and corns over my whole body from my hard bed. No, my good Sechingen, so much I see that you are not suited for the woods; they look very pretty when you have not any trees to cut down; they are very pleasant to read about, but it is very poor sleeping in them; and as for riding, may Heaven defend me from a second trial. No! you must not be a farmer-you can read Cooper's Romances-admire Indians, if your shoemaker does not spoil the idea-and can, as far as I am concerned, that is mentally, follow the wild-bear and buffalo; but as long as there are no turnpike-roads and hotels here, I'll go to New York or Philadelphia. And my present journey," he continued his self-discourse, as he turned slowly and walked along the country road-measure, "well, at any rate, it was a very good lesson, and if nothing else, an attempt at settling."

COTTON IN AFRICA.-Thirty varieties of cotton have been found growing spontaneously in Africa. A missionary says he has stood erect under the branches of a cotton tree in a Goulah village, so heavily laden with bolls that it was propped up with forked sticks to prevent it from breaking under its own weight. The cotton was equal to that of any country. The natives manufacture cotton goods extensively.

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ITALIAN CLIMATES. HOWEVER agreeable to the senses warm air, sunny skies, and luxuriant vegetation may seem, they afford no proof of salubrity, nor of the beneficial effect of any climate. Madeira, with all its sanitary fame, is no exception to this rule. Malta is subject to great vicissitudes of temperature, and to the baneful effects of the sirocco and libeccio-African blasts. The climate of the south of France is rendered most injurious to consumptive invalids by the influence of the mistral, the scourge of Provence. The mortality from consumption, amongst the natives, shows this. Nice, which exhibits the luxuriant vegetation of the tropics, is subject to great alternations from heat to cold, and the deaths by phthisis are numerous, even amongst the inhabitants. The climate of Italy, however delightful to persons in good health, affords no immunity from pulmonary disease. Northern Italy, which has been hitherto overlooked by the profession, affords, in my opinion, two of the best localities for the residence of pulmonary invalids throughout the Italian peninsula-namely, Como and Venice. Invalids residing in Italy will find the summer climate of Lake Como the best adapted for pectoral affections. The transitions of temperature are more gentle here than at any other station in Italy, and its climate approaches nearer to equability than elsewhere. Venice presents peculiar advantages. The climate of this singular city, is, in a great exempt from those violent atmospheric perturbations which are the bane of the Neapolitan seaboard: whilst it possesses mildness of character and equability. Genoa is admitted by all writers to be one of the most unfavourable localities in Italy for pulmonary complaints. Florence is equally prejudicial. The climate of Pisa is far too relaxing, humid, and murky, to be beneficial in tuberculous disease. The Roman climate, if mild, is sedative and depressing; and, owing to its mildness, to malarious emanations, cannot prove sanative, particularly in a malady characterized by depression of the vital force, and accompanied by vitiated nutrition.

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OUTLINES OF POPULAR
SCIENCE

FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES.

(A SKETCH OF PROFESSOR FARADAY'S LECTURES TO CHILDREN.FIFTH ARTICLF-CONTINUED.)

ing it, be simply exposed to high degree of heat in closed vessels, then the carbon is no longer dissipated in the form of gas, but remains behind as charcoal. It is evident that the charcoal in question will vary as to purity, in proportion as the body which yielded it might be more or less pure. Generally speaking, the amount of such impurities may be estimated by burning away the charcoal, in open air or oxygengas, and estimating the remaining ashes. These will represent all such impurities as are not volatile. No charcoal, as we commonly find it, is absolutely pure,—but it may, nevertheless, be regarded so for the greater number of purposes. That very interesting form of carbon termed plumbago, or black-lead, is composed of carbon nearly pure. It may contain portions of iron, although the best specimens of plumbago do not, but it never contains lead. Hence the term black-lead is totally without expression or significance. From charcoal and black-lead, we make a stride, indeed, to that precious form of

BEFORE altogether leaving hydrogen gas, let us once more have recourse to the bottle with perforated cork and tobacco-pipe shank. Let some hydrogen be thus developed once more, and when developed in flame, very slight illumination will result, owing to the result of combustion being so totally free of all solid matter. If, how ever, a little powdered lime, or powdered magnesia, substances themselves incapable of combustion, be sprinkled into the flame by means of a sieve, the handle of which is stuck with a mallet as before, so that a shower of small particles may fall into the flame, then the latter will begin to evolve much light. Now wherefore is this? Lime is not combustible, neither is magnesia,-but either is susceptible of becoming red-hot, glowing-in-carbon in one sense-that useless form in candescent, as chemists term it, and when in this state is capable of evolving light, precisely in the same way as a glowing piece of brick would have done under similar conditions.

We now bid adieu to hydrogen considered specially in relation to itself. We begin the investigation of carbon,-that beautiful element which comes before us in so many shapes, from the most humble to the most costly; ministering to the humble and familiar duties of a combustible for our grates, our furnaces, and stoves,aiding, in the form of plumbago, blacklead, the artist to give those familiar, yet delicate, tracings-black-lead pencil marks, or finally, laying aside all its more common manifestations-all its most common properties, glittering in the sceptered diadems of emperors and kings. If a portion of animal or vegetable substance be set on fire and allowed to burn, in oxygen gas or atmospheric air, then the carbon flies off in the condition of carbonic-acid gas. This result we have already seen on many previous occasions. If, however, the treatment be modified,— if the animal or vegetable substance, instead of being burned in contact with oxygen-gas, or a gaseous mixture contain

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another, the diamond. What person unacquainted with the extraordinary changes which bodies can assume,-what person, in other words, ignorant of chemistry, would ever have dreamed that charcoal and the diamond were in essential nature the same? That they are essentially the same has now long become unquestioned, though, why one should be black and opaque, whilst the other is crystalline, colourless, brilliant, and translucent, none can tell. The very origin of the diamond is mysterious. It is found in the earth like a mineral; but there are many reasons for assuming that it really is of vegetable origin. A great philosopher, who has devoted much of his long and useful life to the examination of light and of transparent bodies, believes the diamond to be nothing more than a congealed drop of resin or gum. At all events, diamonds must once have

not

been liquid or pasty, for small fragments of vegetables and of little insects are occasionally found in their substance. If, then, the diamond be really carbon, nothing but carbon, why can we crystallize carbon and make diamonds? That question is more easily asked than replied to. Chemists have not yet succeeded in getting diamonds out of coal,

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