Strong in the comfortable conviction that he was the prize to he won by Miss Malden his own time, he was not inclined to Press forward. with unseemly haste. He omitted to avail himself of the oft repeated invita- tion to “drop in to lunch,†contenting him- self with a. weekly visit to Brook St. on the Mr. \Vegswood, on his side, was not seri- ously disturbed by Mrs.Ma.lden’s disclosures. Conscious of his eligibility, and serene in an excellent opinion of himself, he found it impossible to believe that a girl brought up as Alicia. had been could seriously think of accepting the hand of a. poor fellow like Arthur Memlowson while she had the re- motest prospect of capturing AugustusVVegs- wood. She might be fond of him, certainly; she might even love him. But he only re- garded Arthur’s supposed success as a temporary check, unlikely to exercise any lasting influence upon his own suit. The letter she received from him on the evening of that memorable Friday answered no purpose save to strengthen her determin- ation to bury his criticism out of sight. It did nothing to allay the storm that raged against the candid writer, and his delicate hints at her dormant genius appeared to Alicia only grudging acknowledgements of his own lack of discrimination. Neverthe- less, her pride had sustained a. shock whose effects were evidenced in her changed de- meanonr ; and as she kept her secret reso- lutely locked in her own brea.st,Mrs.Malden was perhaps justified in arriving at concluâ€" sions which, had she confessed them, would have astonished nobody more than Alicia, herself. “ At Eden’s Gate,†had been the loving labour of months; Miss Mulden had lingered ed over it with an affectionate all-absorbed interest which grew in ratio with the pro- gress of her work. Balls, parties, theatres, social amusements of every kind, faded into nothingnessbeside the delights of novel-writ- ingr ; and indeed were regarded by the auth- oress us tiresome interruptions, to he escap- ed whenever possible. And then, when the last word had been written, and only a pub- lisher was wanted to launch it upon a. career of dazzling brilliancy, to be told in so many words that “ it would not print ;†that there was no plot, and that the characters were all alike ! .. So far from having conceived an attach- ment for Mr. Meadowson, Alicia’s feeling for the young gentleman just now was not. dis- similar to that a. tigress may be supposed to entertain for the slayer of her cub. Arthur hm]. if anything, under-estimated the result his i1" nk criticism would produce. "’ I do earnestly trust that Alicia has not compromised herself with Arthur Meadow- son,†mused the ambitions mother, When the hang of the hall door told that the visxtor had gone. “ Mr. \Vegswood is by far the most eligible man we know. Twelve thou- sand at year and every prospect of a. seat in the House of Lords ; for his uncle is certain of his peerage when the present government goes out. †“ Come in any day,†urged Mrs. Maiden with warmth, as the young man hesitated, seemingly lost, in the abyss of “ engage- menis" to which he stood committed. “ You will always ï¬nd us at lunch at; half-past one, if you happen to be in this direction.†Mr. \Vegswood was sorry, but had an 011- gagcmeut. “' I’ll look in again soon,†he said “Let’s see. Fellow has so much to do in Season, don’t you know? Really not his own master. It s impossible to knoyw" â€"â€" T‘(1‘roing already !" she exclaimed. “‘Von’t you stay and see Alicia? She will be down diggctiyfj' Mr. \Vegswond sighed heavily, and glanc- i115r at his watch, rose. ' “ DOB/mi think she really caresmcaredm for Meadowson ‘2†he inquired after apuuse, looking very hard at his boots as he put the qiiesmon. “ I am now certain of it, Mr. Wegswood ; and I will tell you my reasons. Alicia. in- sisted on remaining at home on li‘riilay last, though I was particularly anxious to take her to Hurlingham. When I returned, I heard that; Mr. Meadowson haul been here ; and the same evening he wrote to tell me that he had obtained this appointment at 3â€". Now, ever since Friday, Alicia has been in ii state of melancholy and depression from which nothing seems to rouse her. There can be only one reason forthisâ€"lmme» 1y, his going away.†i “ She always liked him â€"~()h} es ; I can’t dm‘bt that she cares for him.†7‘ You surely don‘t think~ Fellow with out {shilling !†V “ T he ‘t'ruth is,†answez‘edqus.Jl\Ialden, who could pardon slight mannerisms in the proprietor of twelve thousand pounds a. year H“ the truth is, he was very devoted to Alicia. I only obseved it lately, and I hoped he might ï¬nd employment that would entail separation before mischief was done. †The young brewer was; perfectly well aware of the lady’s meaning ; but he deemed 1t politic to invite explanation, which he did by raising his chin and arching his eyebrows. .rn- . .‘- “I liked â€Arthur Meadowson,†said Mrs. Maiden after a short silence. “ But Mr. Wegswood â€â€"-â€"and she dropped her voice to nearly a. whisperâ€"“between ourselves, I Will admit that I am greatly relieved at, his departure. It was Mrs.Malden’s afternoon “at home ;†but the day was wet, and her only visitor so far was Mr. \Vegswoml,whothercfore reaped, in the undivided attention of his hostess, the reward of his courage in defying the weather. Alicia was not present ; but from the glances her mother and the caller cast from Lime to time towards the drawing-room door, it seemed that her appearance was momentarily expected. Mr. \Vegswootl disclaimed the debt of Mrs. Multlen’s thanks. To do anything for one of her friends had. given him 1.110 great- est, gratiï¬cation. “ He, goes to Bâ€"â€"â€", does he not 1’†inquir- ed the lmly. “ Gone,†answered Mr. \Vegswood. “ l’our beggar I Must have been awfully hard 11]). J umpcd at i1 when I told him he’d get three lmndreda your. Positivelyjumped at. it. But I did get, it raised a trifle.†“I m afraid he has had a tenible stlumrle to m Lke both ends meet,’ ’assented Mrs. Mal- den. “ i was so glad to hear that you had sue- a mud in ï¬nding a. nice appointment for Arthur Meadowson,†said Mrs. Malden. :‘ "“11 "111er allow me to le11k ynu for your Kmduess. Mr. \Vegswood. I take an 1nLer~ est in him. for his mother was a very dear friend of mine in the old days.†THE STORY OF A STORY. CHAPTER. II. By EDWARD “ I don’é know, Gwen,†she sa'd with a melancholy shake of the head. ‘ am half inclined to tell Ellen to burn it.†Miss Pollock was as good as her word. On the following morning she paid an early visit to Brook Street for the express purpose of recommending Mr. VVegswood as godfather to the novel. She found Miss Maiden broodâ€" ing over her “Idyll†in a very dejected frame of mind indeed ; and recognising that she stood in urgent need of comfort, she rose to the occasion, and painted the attractions of the new scheme in glowing colours. But Alicia was not to be thus easily led from her vale of despair. Mr. \Vegswood went down to the Club for a. pool that night in the highest good-hum- our with the world, not excluding the auda- cious Arthur Meadowson, who had thus left him the key to Miss Maldcn’s heart. “ How could the man have been such a muff '1†he asked himself for the twentieth time as he stepped out of his hansom. “ Deliberately cut his own throat.â€"VVell, I shan’t be so foolish ;and if money can do it, her book shall come out before the Season is over. “ Capital ! agreed Mr. \Vegswood, de~ tecting in the proposal a. royal road to Miss Malden’s good graces. “ See her as soon as you can, and tell her you have learned that I can command publisher. Then, when she mentions it, I’ll manage the rest.†“l'must consider it,†said Mr. \Vegswood with awful steruness. “ Fellow who does thing like that mustn’t escape too easily. Not at. all sure that I oughtn’t tell \Vatson to turn him outâ€"not. at all sure, don’t you know ‘2†“ I wish I could devise some means of consoling Alicia,†said Miss Pollock, after Arthur had been repmbated as his crime re~ quired. “ She is quite disheartened about her book.†“ I’ll tell you what I will do,†said Miss Pollock, who was eager to help her friend, and took natural interest in the work whose development she had watched. “I’ll tell Alicia that you know Mr. Twinkleby ;zmd suggest that she should ask you to read the book and arrange for its publication.†“It would only bring him back here again, urged Miss Pollock. “and Alicia would not like that. Perhaps, too, the knowledge that she will never have anyâ€" thing more to do with him is punishment enough.†“ \Vonder if she would let me see it? remarked Mr. \Vegswood. “ Twinkleby the publisher is friend of mine ; might be of use.†Mr. \Vegswood listened to the story, in- berpellating only indignant ejaculations un- til Miss Pollock had ï¬nished. Then he gave rein to his wrath : and it required all the young lady’s persuasive power to exact from him a promise not to telegraph Arthur’s em- ployers to dismiss him summarily the very next day. l Miss Pollock was by no means sure she had any business to tell any one ; she always made it a, point of honor to keep secrets. But on Mr. \Vegwond’s representation that he knew the Maidens so very well, and might also be regarded as Meatlowson’s hene~ factor, Aliss Polleck consentfll toimpart the secret, on the distinct understanding that he tnhl it to nobodyâ€"41% (:ven Alicia. herself. She meant, of course, that he wasn’t to let Alicia. hear he knew about it. Mr. \Vegs wood bound himself by sacred promises ;und Miss Pollock, after a little further display of unwillingness, acquainted him with the facts. At this dreadful threat Miss Pollock near " Rcal‘ljy †quelied Mr. \Vegswood. “ Didn t hear tlmt, or, by Joxe. ' I’d nevah â€"11eva11 have given him that billetâ€"“ hat’ 5 he done 9†Miss Polulock confessei that; something had lmppcned just before Mr. Meadowson left, which gave Miss Malden very good reason for feeling incensed with him. “ Doesn’t she now? I was under the im- pression that she was very unhappy about his leaving town.†When dinner was well advanced, and the roar of conversation around them made con- ï¬dential discussion possible, Mr. \Vevswood asked her whether she hadn’t always looked upon Mr. Meadowson as M iss Malden’s close friend. “ She used to like him very much,†ad mitted Miss Pollock. The kindly Fate who watchesover theinter- ests of men without inquiring whether they deserve her aid, solved the difï¬culty for him the same evening by giving him Miss Gwen Pollock to take in to dinner at the house at which he dined. Mr. V‘Vegswood knew his partner intimately, and was well aware that she was Miss Malden’s “ dearest friend ;†he therefore had no hesitation in asking her assistance to understand the riddle. Miss Pollock was a dark-eyed little girl with a vivacious, engaging manner, whose ï¬rst article of social faith was the preiseworthy theory that it is a girls duty to make herself agreeable to all mankind. “Isuppose it depends on himself,†re- plied the lady coldly; and Mr. “regswood retired from the attack ina condition of mystiï¬ed disappointment. a “Ihope he will get on.’ ventured gentlenmn. “ I was very glad {’0 get the post for him poor as it; is,†said Mr. Wegswood in con clusion, t11inking_of_the _emolg1ments. “ I was exceedingly pleased too,†rejoined Alicia, gloating over the banishment of the would~be destroyer of her dreams. Mr. VVegswood was about to say that Miss Mulden’s friendship was the most certain guarantee of moral worth that mortal man could enjoy, but checked himself in tune, and diverged into ussevermions of the unspeak- able plea-sure he had derived from being the instrument of starting his friend in life. “ I never knew you thought so highly of Mr. Meadowson,†she remarked. “Isn’t he a, greayt {timid of yours ‘3" inquir- ed M 1‘. \Vegswood with an impressive air. :11Y “Not particuimlv.Am1 iflhc w,eie that would be no mason for my one else liking him. regulation diiy ; and not until he saw that Alicia was beginning to recover her wanted spirits (lid he seek Opportunities 0f ingrati~ ating himself. Though the reverse of clev- er, Mr. \Vegswoonl possessed a small Vein of tact, and one afternoon when the lady hail accepted his attentions with less iudifl'erence than usual, he endeavored to lay the foundations of a closer undeusm-ml- ing by singing gentle praises of the musent Arthur. Somewhat to his surprise, Miss Mulden pulled him up short in the midst of his eulogy. D. CUMING‘ the With a conï¬dence in Mr. Twinkleby’s resources that was touching, Mr. Wegswood Miss Malden was not proof against these reassuring assertions ; she placed the man- uscript unreservedlv in Mr. W egswood’s hands, and charged him, if he found in the later chapters anything that needed correc- tion, to let her know. I A \Vhether that novel was one of those whose ‘ intrinsic beauties are only patent when read ‘aloud in a musical voice, or whether Mr. ‘Vegswood’s perceptive faculties had ac- quired preternatural acuteness from being sparely exercised. we cannot take upon ourselves to decide. \Ve can only say that when from sheer exhaustion Miss Malden ceased reading, her listener’s enthusiastic admiration was beyond the power of language to express. If the auth- orcss would only allow it, he said, he would return at once to his chambers and devote the rest of the day to the perusal of the remainder. To~m0rrow he would, with his own hands, take the manuscript to Pater- noster Row, and arrange for its immediate conversion into three-volume form. Mr. VVVegsvvvood made the necessary reply, and taking the chair Alicia indicated, com- posed himself to enjgy “ At Etiep’s Gate.†“ Mamma. is busy this afternoon,†she said, “ and we shall not be disturbed here ; so, if you have no engagements for an hour or two, and have patience to listen, I’ll begin at the beginning and read on till you cry ‘ Hgld, enough 3’: V Forewarned by Miss Pollock, Mr. V‘Vegs- wood made no reference to the object of his visit before Mrs. Malden ; but when she left him to the care of her daughter, which . she did as soon as lunch was over, he was requested by the latter to join her in the li~ brary, where she wished to obtain his ad- vice on asmarll matter of business. Alicia found it less easy to take him into conï¬dence than she had Mr. Meadowson ; but she at- tributed this to the new method of pro- cedure she adopted. She had asked Mr. Meadowson as a favour to read her book ; this time she desired to imbue her con- ï¬dant with a sense of indebtedness by con- ferring a less delectable privilege upon him. And when she had explained what she want- ed and how she had come to ask his assistance. she was not surprised to ï¬nd that Mr. \Vegswood saw difï¬culties in the way. He really did not th 11k he could approach Mr. Twinkleby with a book of whose contents he was totally ignor- ant ; of course, the mere fact that the writâ€" er was Miss Malden would justify his recom- mending it ; but Twinkleby was sure to ask if he had read it himself. Besides, he must confess that he had hoped Miss Malden would allow him to read the book in her own hand- writing ; it would be doubly interesting to him in its embryo shape. Miss Malden was somewhat perplexed ; but ï¬nally she com- promised by consenting to read a. few chap 1 ters aloud. i “ I’ve come to beg for lunch,†he said as his hostess greeted him. Mrs. Maiden was charmed ;a,nd Alica, mindful of the fact that she was about to place him under a. profound obligation to her, was unusually gracious. A11 hour later he drew up his horses be- fore Mrs. Mulden’s door. If he felt rather dilapidated after the festivities of the pre- Vious 111'ght,bhe1e was 110 outwald token of ;his ccustomzuy lanluid bemimr always sugg resï¬ed to tne 1ibnld that he had only just got out of bed or was just, about to return thither, so rising at noon made no appreci- able difference. “ I’ll go up to Brook Street at once,†he said to himself as he dragged on hisdressing- gown ;‘ ‘and I’m much mist yaken if I don’t walk over for the lace .10“. Mr. \Vegswood growled sleepily, and tore open the note. Then, to the utter dismay of his serving-man, he hounded out of bed like a galvanized acrobat. “ Mail plmaton in half an hour, Barker!†he said with energy.â€"Never mind breakfast. Tell Miss Pollock’s messenger not to wait.†“ Any answer, sir?†inquired the servitor, observing that his master showed no inten- tion of opening the missive. There was no more patient man-servant in Dover Street than Mr. Barker, but when his employer re- mained between the sheets till this time of day, he felt that duty compelled him to offer gent/1e protest. “ Messenger’s waiting, sir,†hinted Bar ker, after an interval of ï¬ve minutes. That gentlema‘ï¬, having retired to rest at four o’clock in the morning, was still recup- erating in bed, when shortly before noon his servant entered with 3. letter. And having gained this carefully qualiï¬ed assent, Miss Pollock took her leave, return- ing home at once to write news of her achieve- ment to Mr. Wegswood. “ I’ll See,†said Miss Maiden more cheer- fully. “Next time Mr. \Vegswood comes I1e1',c I will mention that you told me of his acquamtance with Mr. Twinkleby; and ifhe is nice about 11;, he shall arrange the matter for me.’ “ Very well†pursued Miss Pollock tri- umnhantly. ‘ You agree with me that the best way to prnve your disdain for hisjudg- ment is Lo gemhe book printed ‘3†Miss Maldel supposed so. “ Then, if you will take my advice, you will ask Mr. \V‘gswood to give it to Twinkleâ€" Dy at once ; †:zLying which, Miss Pollock rose, to signify that she considered she had proved her casc. How many men, thought the young lady, ï¬nding themselves in possession of a manu- script novel, could exercise sufï¬cient self- contml to refrain from reading it? It was expecting too much of weak human nature. h “He will vant to read it,†objected Alicia. not. you “I’d rather he did not see it till it is printm ,†said Alicia; “things looks so much bette1’_in prim.†“ I dal‘ésa he would take it direct to the publishers, 1f you asked him,†murmmed Miss Pollock doubtfully , “ but I must say, Alicia, it seems a. good deal to ask of any 1112111. The idea of ‘joining hands,†even i_n.a. metaphorical 31159, with the brutal ‘Cl'ltlc had ins eï¬'ect 0; Miss Malden. “ No,†.she answered withdecision ; “ most certainly 110a. 1y shricked ; but controlling her uflOtions I with an effort, she sat; down w‘~u 1161')†round Alicia. and subjected I‘ to ‘1 severe i but kindly examination. “ 3453119 to under- V stand that the auLhoress proposed to pay that M 1'. Meadowsou the exgravagantly ‘ high compliment of accepting Ins so-callcd 1 opinion as jinn}? , 1 Alicia. signed; she really didn’t know.â€" “ all, then, to but it in another wayâ€"was Alicia going to Oh! hands with Mr. Meadow- son and condemn the novel because he did? Yes; I shouldhe surprised if he did “But you would allow that, wouldn‘t; A Silician doctor named Rieger, who claims to have found a. cure for diphtheria, offers to sell the secret to the German Gov- ernment for $30,000. Emperor William de- sires Prof. Koch to test the remedy. of the Vproducts of the countfy from which the article comes, and as Canadian poultry and eggs are comparatively new to that market, it is of the utmost importance that no inferior articles should be sent, but that they should be packed and shipped in such a manner as to be most acceptable to the market and inviting to the consumer. Eggs and Poultry in England. Mr. John Sanders of Kemptville, Out, Who was sent by the Dominion government to England to make inquiries regarding the egg and poultry business there, has return- ed. In his report to the Finance Minister he says that the market is practically un- limited for all manner of farm produce, and particularly of the produce 01 the barnyard. He states that fowls should be prepared for the English market as follows : Both turkeys and geese must, before being killed, be starved 24 hours, or at least until the crop is entirely empty. Turkeys should be bled in the neck and the head and feathers left on and entrails drawn. Geese should be ibied in the same manner, but the feathers should be picked off, except those on the wings, leaving the down on the body and the entrails in. Geese must not be scalded, but simply rough plucked. All poultry should be killed the day before delivery to the Canadian purchaser, so that the animal heat may he completely gone. Fowlsshould be packed in cases, each of 'whieh should contain not more than "200 pounds weight, say 18 or 20 fowls. Each package should be marked with the number of birds, the weight of the package and whether it contains cocks or hens. Regard- ing the important question of prices, Mr. Sanders says that geese sell wholesale for 1'2 cents a. pound, turkeys at 16 cents and fowls at anywhere from 30 to 60 cents a pair. Eggs were always in demand and the price laid down invariably higher than could be got in the States, He says: “I observed that nearly all the eggs placed on the British market from European countlies Were packed in long straw, usually bright and clean, but in a few instances not so. My own opinion is in favor of packing in clean ‘cut straw, and from the experience I had some years ago I intend using it in future shipments. The eggs should be packed in cases large enough to contain 1‘2 long hunv dreds ; that is, 1‘20 dozen. This size of packages necessitates their being handled by two men, and the experience of European shippers shows that there s a much smaller percentage of breakage than if packed in cases that can be handled by one man. These cases have a. central divisional board, so that they can be sawn into when required for the retail trade. The usual commission for Selling is 5 per cent. , although I found some houses willing to sell for 3 per cent. As the sale and prices of all food products in the English market are largely influenced ‘by the reputation The publisher promised, and Mr. \chH Wood took his departure. The same even- ing Miss Malden learned from his lips to-a her ladder of fame had been ï¬rmly plantbe. (TO BE CONTINUED.) V “ Oh, by the way, Twinklcby,†he said as 11d shook hands, “ I almost forgot. Lady particularly requestx that no alterations of any kimlbe made. You’ll see to that 1’†Mr: \Végswood wrote the cheque, and as the publisher was beginning to evince unâ€" mistakable signs of impatience, stood up to go. “ but if you are going to n lesponsible, and haven’t your wit1_1 you, it does not matter.†“ You can give mea cheque for ahundred on account,†replied Mr. Twinkleby, who, on principle, never declined such an offer; “ \Yell, if that’s the best you can do, the delay can’t be helped. I’ll tell her she must have patience. \Vant any money against, expenses ?†W to arrange for its appearance in the ‘ r d on that day fortnight. And having caused the Maldens’footnlan to summon a hansom, he drove home to his chambers with the manuscript .‘n much the same con- dition of mind as Arthur Meadowson had nursed it in the Brompton ’bus a. few weeks previously. a ‘ He sat “down with the intention of read- ing the rest of the book ; but before he suc- ceevleil in ï¬nding the place at which Alicia. had left 0H, Barker interrupter] him by an- nouncing the arrival of visitors ; and the re- sult was that “ At Eden’s Gate†was laid aside unread, to allow Mr. \Vegswood to fulï¬l his duties to society. As he had pledged himself to place the hook in Mr. Twinklehy’s hands on the fol- lowing (lay, he was now unable to read is before doing so. )Iiss Maiden’s wished must be considered before his own, and she would be deeply disappointed if he failed to keep his word. So, with rare self-denial, he packed up the manuscript, and took it into the city without having bettei‘ed his acquaintance with it by another line. Not that this was of the least importance, as he had made up his mind to give the novel to the world before he had learned its name ; we only mention the fact to show how bravely some men can overcomea tempta- tion to which Miss Pollock imagined the noblest must succumb. Mr. W'egsword did as he was requested and proceeded to explain the nature of his mission. A frieiidâ€"vladyâ€"had written a. novel;he wished to oblige her, and had brought the manuscript himself, that he might arrange with Twinkleby for its publi- cation. If Twinkleby would kindly take the business off his hands, and turn out the book in the highest style of art, sending in the bill to himself, that was all he required. Mr. Twinkleby expressed his willingness to undertake the matter and put it in hand at once. Since thelady was going to pub- lish it at her own expense, all delays contin- gent on the production of Works brought out at the publisher’srisk would be avoided. “ How long before it’s ready ‘2 Two Weeks “ Hardly. Let’s say six weeks for a novel of ordinary three-volume length. I couldn’t get ifliqperz}. flay: sopnejr."> He discovered M r. Twinkleby’s ofï¬ce with some difï¬culty, for the purlieus of Paternos- ter Row were to him foreign ground ; and hzwmg sent in his card, he was ushered up- stairs into a. ver small room, lighted from above by a. skylight, wherein the publisher sat. surrounded by little heaps of manu- script. -v- . ... u u - 1 1 r r "‘drulloo, \Vegswood l†he exclaimed, nod- ding at the parcel. “ Has your pen run away with you too? Put it; down on that chair, will you; there’s no room 011 the table.†977 to make yourself your chequeâ€"book 1 Articles t't Horses ................ Cattle ........ Sheep ......... Mutton ......... Pork ............. Bacon and hams ..... Beef, salt/ed ..... Beef. fresh ..... Meats, canned. .. Meats, all other. Lard .................. Tallow and stem-inc. , Butter ...... Cheese. Poultry ....... Eggs ..... .. . . . Wheat ................ Barley ........... . . . Oats ......... . ......... Peas .................. Flour ................ Potatoes ......... gniolns ........... pp es .......... Flaxseed .............. Flgx. drgssed and un- drdssed Wool . . . . The statistician of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. S. C. D. Roper, has issued a. couple of bulletins that contain some inter- esting information for Canadians. Taking the three years ’87, ’88 and ’89 together, the total imports from the United States into Canada amounted to $5,842,272. Theleading items are :â€"â€"-Pork, $992,421 ; lard, $635,869 ; corn, $1,266,910; floor, $993,227. The ex- ports from Canada. into the United States were $16,561,447, ofwhich the leading items were :â€"Horses, $1,887,558 ; sheep, $1,188,- 030; eg 5, $2,345,715; barley, $1,721,475. The tab es further show the percentage that the exports of agricultural products from Canada. and the United States bear to the total imports of Great Britain of those arti- cles, and is as follows :â€" I But the more immediate cause of the pre- sent excitement is, no doubt, the religious notions which the Sioux Indians have been 'persuaded to accept concerning a coming Indian Messiah. Recently a so-called pro- phet has appeared among them, prOIessm to have communion with Heaven, an holding out to the red man the pl‘OSwal‘tS Of a veritable golden age. By appealmg ‘10 their superstitious fears and selï¬sh. desires, by promising them immunity from the ven- geance of the white man, against whom he assures them the powers of earth and sky will contend until the whole race, with the exception of about five hundred, will .be destroyed, he has succeeded in bringing them into a frame of mind in which they are ready to commit almost any atrocxty. Hundreds of them cordially believe that the whites are to be buried deep in the earth ; the buifaloes to return in enormous herds, with the antelope and wild horses ; all dead [Indians of the past to be brought back to ‘life to take the room on the earth made vacant by the annihilation of the white man ; and that in order to bring about this happy state of things the Indians are only required to industriously make medicine and to carry on the ghost dances, which many of them are doing most vigorously. Enlightened people may smile at the simple credulity of these semi-savages, but the fact that they are capable of being duped in this way has a serious side as well. They can never be regarded as safe citizens so long as fanatics can so easily use them for their purpose. To thoroughly civilizrc and Christ- ianixu them is the only way to secure their future obedience. Like as with philosophy a little of which is a dangerous thing, so with religious knowledge, a. little super- added or mixed with old superstitions is practically of no avail in improving the character of the citizen. Teachers, not soldiers, are needed in dealing with these troublesome tribes. Let the work of en- lightenment proceed and the place for the impostor will soon be done away. A despatch from Omaha, Nebraska, dated Dec. 4th, states that the “ hostile Indians of Pixie Ridge agency are making use of every moment’s delay on the part of the military to move on them by strengthening their now almost impregnable camp in the dread- ed Bad Lands. The 500 or 600 squaws with them are working day and night digging rifle pits about the camp. â€This is someâ€" thing very unusual if not Wholly unpre- cedented 011 the part of the Indians prepar- ing for war.†Evidently these Indians are determined to make a bitter ï¬ght when once they begin. If now an explanation be sought for this unfriendly feeling, it will be found to be due to a variety of causes. In the ï¬rst place, account must be taken of a large body of ugly Indians who have all along continued to exist among these North- western tribes, and who, jealous of the progress of civilization, have never become reconciled to the changed condition of things, which, of course, they ascribe to the invasion of the white man upon their domain. Then there are those who look with pride upon their past traditions and ways, and who consequently regard with feelings of mortiï¬cation their present de- pendent position. W'ith this class of men the motive for warlike enterprises is never wanting. Moreover, there are many, par- ticularly among the Sioux Indians, the present malcontents, who have conceived the idea, and not altogether without cause, that by assuming a hostile attitude they will be able to extort more money and rations from the government. That this feeling obtains among these North-west- ern tribes would appear from a. remark recently made by a member of one of the friendly tribes. “Our people,†said the In- dian, “ are friendly ; but we should be glad to see the Sioux go on the warpath because then the Government would give us all more ponies, more blankets and more ration I†The irreconcilable Sioux chiefs, and many who are ostensibly friendly, continually point to the results of practical beneï¬t to the tribe which have proceeded from their battles with the whites. “ See 1†they say to their young men, “ see what we have done for you. Look at those buildings yonder full of blankets, calico, flour and sugar. See the cattle in the corral there waiting for your knives. See our ponies and guns. They are the price the Great Father pays for our friendship. Look at the timid Ponca. Look at the Omaha with his head down. Look at the dirty Crow. They work for their living. They are cow- ards, and crawl when the White man speaks. So he puts a plough in their hands and they follow it ; a spade and they dig. They are women. But the Sioux holds up hishead and frowns when the Great Father does not treat him well.†It is not diï¬icult to see what eHect such arguments , addressed by old chiefs to young braves, would have ;and were there no other influence the presentdif- ii‘gplty would not be altogether inexplic- a e. ‘ Interesting Information. The American Indians. Percentage of Percentage of Imports from Imports from Canada. United States. ...... 1.97 1.89 ...... 16.51 381:8 ...... 5.45 0. 4 ...... nil. 0.18 ...... 0.11 38.09 a ..... 1.75 78.25 ...... nil. 99.51 .. .. 0.01 94.36 58.06 6.11 1.63 ...... 0.10 98.50 'ine.. 0.05 29.93 ...... 1.45 2.69 ...... 40.02 36.40 002 . nil 20.35 . nil . nil 2.11 0.01 1.11 49.20 0. 69 78. 20 0.01 0.11 54.7.9 3610 0.59 2.37’ nil