hundred years ago. But in Europe the Stone Age must have been at least four thousand years ago, and it had continued before that, nobody knows how long. They find stone implements in the earth of what is termed the Drift Period, which some think must be thirty thousand years old."

"I read of their finding some copper bracelets out in Ohio, in a mound there, which were thought to be at least a thousand years old," said Alford. "The Indians did n't make those?"

"No; those are thought to be the work of a people who lived in this country before the Indians came into it, mound-builders they are called. The Indians built none of those great mounds or ruined temples which are found in the West, and in Mexico and Central America."

"Are there any people in their Stone Age still?" inquired Wash.

"Yes, in the interior of Africa and in the southern portion of South America, also in the extreme northern parts of North America, there are tribes of savages still using flint arrow-heads and flint knives, and therefore still in their Stone Age."

"Boys who throw stones make use of stone weapons, don't they?" asked Alford.

"Correct, sir," said Mr. Henry, laughing. "Those little savages who go along the street stoning everything they see, are about four thousand years behind civilized times."

Humph! That's a new view of the case!" exclaimed Wash, who was a little addicted to casting a pebble now and then, but who did n't quite relish the idea of being classified as a "savage."

"What came next after 'stone'?" asked Alford.

"Bronze; the Bronze Age. Do you know what bronze is ?"

"It's copper, partly," said Alford.

66

Copper and tin," said Wash, more or less."

"two thirds copper and one third tin,

"That forms our bronze," said Mr. Henry. "But the bronze of the Bronze Age was of copper, tin, and various other metals, which happened to be with it, mixed in almost any way, I fancy. People in this age began to feel the need of something better than stone tools, and so took copper as the next best thing which came to hand."

"The old mound-builders, who lived here in America before the Indians drove them out, were in their Bronze Age, then?" said Alford,

"They are thus considered. When Cortez and Pizarro came to Mexico and Peru, about the year 1520, they found the native inhabitants using bronze tools and weapons. They were still in their Bronze Age. And there are yet many tribes scattered over the earth among whom bronze is in use. But the Bronze Age of Europe proper must have ceased from two to three thousand years ago. Europe, you see, is far ahead of the rest of the world in point of civilized development; though we don't know much about what may have gone on in Asia in prehistoric times."

"But we use iron for everything," said Wash, — “iron and steel, and steel

is made from iron. I see now why our age is called the Iron Age; it is because we've given up stone and bronze and taken iron."

"Yes," said Mr. Henry. "Iron is the symbol of civilization. The Stone Age is the age of the savage. The Bronze Age is the age of the barbarian. The Iron Age comes last and highest."

"What would you call that time before the Stone Age, when they used clubs and wooden tools?" I inquired.

"Of that early period, when man was still lingering with the brute, we know nothing. He has left no trace, no history. His meagre story is utterly lost, and was, perhaps, not worth preserving."

After having all the dirt taken away from about the "arch," Mr. Henry searched the whole place carefully; but found nothing further, save another "arrow-head" and a little piece of wrought bone about four inches long, and having a small hole near the larger end. He thought it had been made for a needle.

Bone Needle.

"Rather a hard thing to sew with, I to go with those spear-heads, though! one of those put through a fellow!"

should think,” said Wash.

"Does

Must be a horrible death to have

"Did bone tools come in the Stone Age?" Alford inquired.

"Yes, bone and stone went together." But Mr. Henry was as little able as we, to make out what the "cover" was for; he said he should have to write to Professor C―, of H—, and invite him to come and look at it. Johnny consented to give Mr. Henry one of the "covers," one of the arrow-heads, and also the bone needle; but he carried off all the other articles himself. If there was anything to be made off them he wanted to make it. And after all Johnny was no more mercenary than we have known many older persons to be, under very similar circumstances.

I went home the next week, but three weeks after got a letter from Wash, containing the following postscript:

"P. S. You remember the Indian chief's grave, and the stone things we found over in the old Pulpit, etc.; and how Mr. Henry said he was going to let Professor C― know about it. Well, the other day he and the Professor came, and we all went up there again. We found another stone thing which they thought had been a tomahawk. It was a three-cornered concern with a hole in it. Looked some like the bottom-part of a sad-iron. The Professor is a funny-looking old chap. He let on at a great rate about 'dolmens,' barrows,'' cromlechs,' and 'cairns.' Have you any idea what those are? They both thought that was an Indian grave. But I don't believe it! Where's the bones? And the Professor said those 'covers' were quoits! Did ever you know the Indians used to pitch quoits before? He gave Johnny a five-dollar greenback for the rest of the relics. Johnny 's on the lookout for rainbows now!

"W. A."

C. A. Stephens.

HERE had been a long-standing antipathy between the rising generation of

bathing allured to this Italian village. When or wherefore it had originated is a question to which no satisfactory answer can be returned, but it must have been at its height when the writer lived in the place.

During the summer months, it is true, we had little or no trouble with any one, for there were enough of us to keep the whole town in awe; the Via Reggian youth not being very remarkable for their courage, and never showing fight unless the odds were about three to one in their favor. But when the approaching winter had sent nearly every one back to winter quarters, and when the formidable array of juvenile John Bulls and specimens of Young America had dwindled down to a few stray families, then there began to arise complaints about kites torn, sports interfered with, and numerous other atrocities perpetrated by the natives of the village. I remember the favorite diversion of the little gamins was to climb trees and spit upon all the maledetti forestieri (cursed foreigners) that chanced to pass below.

So matters stood when, one afternoon, Tom Jones with his little brother Alfred, and Dick (my fraternal relative), and myself were out on the sea-shore flying our kites. Kite-flying, by the way, was the one great amusement of high and low, small and big, in Via Reggio. About fifty yards from us were a score or two of small stakes, to which were attached as many kites, the owners thereof having left them for a short time to indulge in "deep potations of the generous wine" at a neighboring refreshment-saloon. Now, Tom was smarting from the effects of a recent encounter with some of these fellows, in which his Sunday go-to-meeting suit of clothes had been wofully torn. He was of a rather spiteful disposition, and did n't care much whom he involved in troubie as long as he got his revenge. So what does he do now but sneak right up to the stakes, and cut the kite-strings! Of course the kites came tumbling to the ground.

"Now we must run for it!" he exclaimed, on rejoining us, "or we 'll be in a jolly fix if we 're discovered!"

But we were already discovered. With loud yells, about fifty boys rushed out of the tavern. What we were to do was the next question. Our assailants were just between us and the town, so escape to our homes was impossible. To wait till they came up, and show fight, would have been utter nonsense. Such a crowd as that could have overpowered us in less than no time, the oldest of us was only eleven, while there were some men among the others, and, if once they got hold of us in their present frame of mind, we well knew we should have to undergo their favorite mode of punishment, that is, a ducking in the nearest pond of stagnant water.

"I say!" cried Dick, "let's make for the little house in the woods!" The very thing! What he alluded to was a deserted hut in the forest, on the other side of the hill which rose directly in front of us. Towards this, then, we directed our flight. But our progress was necessarily very slow, for we had to drag little Alfred along with us; and the Italians were fast gaining on us. Louder and louder sounded their cries behind us, inspiring us to more frantic exertions, but in vain. We were nothing like a match for the others in the first place, and with Alfred's weight to carry in addition, the race was as one-sided as it could be. Our capture seemed inevitable, when, just as we had put the hill between us and our pursuers, a bright idea struck Tom.

"Al!" he cried, hurriedly, "just you get under that pile of brushwood, there's a good fellow, and we'll keep on. They won't notice your not being with us. When they pass you, run home and get some fellows. And if they do find you, we'll turn back, and see they don't harm you."

Alfred had sense enough to see that this was the only course to pursue, so he allowed us to cover him with the brushwood until he was entirely concealed. We then started off again just as the foremost of our pursuers appeared on the brow of the hill. The race, though it was n't at all even yet, was less one-sided than before. We dashed along at the top of our speed and reached the hut in a few minutes. Stopping for a moment to see that our ruse had been perfectly successful, and that Alfred had already started for home, we banged the door to, and hastily bolted it. Our pursuers were only a few yards behind us as we did so.

"Guess we 're safe now!" said Tom, drawing a long breath of relief, "at least until Al scares some fellows up."

"Better not be too certain of that, old boy!" I responded, as a loud thud against the door announced that the outsiders had determined to storm us.

In fact, there was very little reason for congratulating ourselves. The door was evidently too rotten to stand the blows dealt it for any length of time. There was no window by which to escape, no aperture at all, so far as we could see, except the door by which we had entered. Matters looked very gloomy just then. A louder crash than usual almost forced the door from its hinges. In a few moments it would certainly be burst open.

"The chimney! The chimney!” cried Tom, "let's go up the chimney and climb on to the old oak-tree."

No sooner said than done. We climbed up the chimney—which was a very wide one with a celerity that would have done honor to accomplished sweeps. Reaching the top, we seized the branches of a large oak-tree that grew conveniently near, and swung ourselves on the trunk. The forest was pretty dense at this part, and we easily made our way, squirrel-fashion, from tree to tree. We had n't gone far, however, when a loud crash announced that the door had fallen. This was hailed by a shout of triumph, speedily changed into a wail of disappointed rage.

Hastily selecting a tall tree, we had just snugly ensconced ourselves in the highest branches, when the Via Reggians came pouring out from the hut. Their quick eyes soon detected our hiding-place. They attempted to throw stones at us; but, finding that their missiles did n't go half-way, contented themselves for a time with hurling maledictions at us. These not seeming likely to hurt us, some of the boldest and biggest in the crowd commenced scaling the tree. They had climbed but a little way when, to our great joy (for this last manoeuvre disturbed us not a little), and still greater surprise, they suddenly slid down again with a loud cry. Then the whole pack betook themselves to flight.

The explanation of their mysterious conduct was soon forthcoming. With all sorts of execrations, Beppe, followed by about ten men, servants of neighboring foreign families, rushed upon the scene. The tables were now completely turned, and we had become the pursuers. But it was n't fun, for the big fellows ran away with such cowardly haste notwithstanding that theirs was by far the stronger side — that there was no catching them, and we did n't care so much for the smaller ones. sides, when we did get hold of any one, he bawled for mercy so piteously we had to let him go. So we speedily gave up the chase, and dispersed to our respective homes.

Be

But one thing always struck me as very peculiar. It was this, that we never met a boy afterwards, no matter how distinctly we recalled his features, who acknowledged that he was among our opponents. All swore in the most positive terms they knew nothing about it. As, however, I'm sure it was n't all imagination, I suppose the veracity of a Via Reggian is by no means unimpeachable.

CAMDEN, N. J.

W. S. Walsh.

THE JAPANESE.

PEOPLE always have something to talk about, and probably always will. The Telegraph, the Atlantic Cable, the great Pacific Railroad, have all had their time of interest, when their names were on every tongue, but "everything has its time to flourish, everything grows old," and everything loses its interest after a while. Subjects also of minor importance are discussed; the visit of the Prince of Wales, that of the Duke Alexis, and now, the Japanese. Having seen and been much interested in these last, I thought the Young Folks might enjoy hearing something of them.

Five young girls are here to be educated, having accompanied the Embassy to this country. The latter consists of one hundred and fourteen persons, who came here in order to bring our country into closer relations with Japan, and from here they are going to all the countries with which they have treaties. Sixty rooms in the Arlington Hotel were provided for them, but the young ladies are staying with private families in Georgetown.

The religion of Japan is Buddhism. There was, it seems, a Princess who lived thousands of years ago, but whose exceedingly pure life is still held up as an example to Japanese children. There are temples erected to the Goddess of Issa, where the children worship, and in these temples are placed a precious stone, a mirror, and a sword; which, “being interpreted,” signify that the children must always preserve their virtue and honor as they would a jewel, and that when they are deciding any. matter in which there is some doubt, they should look into a mirror and examine their own eye to see if their way is in accordance with what a pure heart would dictate, and then, if convinced of the right, it should be defended by the sword.

The five young girls are from the aristocracy of Japan, but are not princesses, as the papers have stated. Their native dress was discarded at their own request, as well as that of their parents and Mr. Mori, the Japanese minister to America, as soon as possible after arriving here. The native dress itself is not at all handsome, although the materials composing it are very rich. The underskirt is usually of brocaded silk without the least fulness. The tunic (or, as we would say, the overskirt, though it is not quite that either) is of the same material. The sleeves are flowing and open, and bracelets are worn above the elbow in summer.