female that he kept. He says: "A 

 few months sufficed to teach my young 

 lynx her name, 'Lucy.' When, during 

 a hunting expedition, I would call out 

 this name, together with those of nu- 

 merous dogs, she would always respond 

 to her own name, but to no other. Her 

 training had been very easy and had 

 reached such a point that when she was 

 engaged in a passionate, but forbidden 

 chase of hares, sheep, or poultry, and I 

 called her, she would stop instantly and 

 return, like a guilty dog. crouching low 

 on the ground and pleading for mercy. 

 When she was too far away to hear our 

 voices, the report of a gun was sufficient 

 to call her back in breathless haste. 

 Lucy took part in all my autumnal 

 hunting-trips. When she got sight of 

 a poor hare she at once engaged in hot 

 pursuit, and, in spite of her great ex- 

 citement, she always had enough rea- 

 soning power to gauge the distance and 

 to approximate the difference between 

 the hare's speed and her own. She 

 would obey only my brother's and my 

 own summons, and showed no respect 

 to any other persons. When we were 

 both absent for a whole day, nobody 

 could control her, and then, woe be 

 untothecareless chicken or the thought- 



less goose! During our absence she 

 would, as soon as it became dusk, climb 

 on the roof, lean against the chimney, 

 and go to sleep. As soon as our car- 

 riage came into the yard, late at night, 

 she sprang to the stairs in a few bounds. 

 If I then called her name she would 

 come to me quickly, put her strong 

 fore-paws on my shoulders and, .purring 

 and rubbing herself against me, she 

 would follow me into the room and pre- 

 pare to pass the night on the bed or the 

 lounge.". 



The fur of the lynx is very valuable. 

 The Scandinavian specimens are 

 counted among the largest and finest. 

 Siberia and Russia furnish many thou- 

 sands of skins. The flesh is said to be 

 very palatable. It is light colored and 

 tender, like the best veal, and is free 

 from the disagreeable taste so common 

 in game. The lynx was known to the 

 ancients but was exhibited much more 

 rarely in Rome than the lion and leo- 

 pard, because even then it was so much 

 more difficult to take alive. The one 

 that Pompey exhibited had been cap- 

 tured in Gaul. The life of the wildcat 

 in the natural state was shrouded in 

 mystery which left room for many 

 fables. 



CHRISTMAS ONCE IS CHRISTMAS STILL. 



PHILLIPS BROOKS. 



The silent skies are full of speech, 



For who hath ears to hear; 

 The winds are whispering each to eacn; 

 The moon is calling to the beach; 

 And stars their sacred wisdom teach 



Of Faith and Love and Fear. 



But once the sky its silence broke, 



And song o'erflowed the earth; 



The midnight air with glory shook. 



And angels mortal language spoke, 



When God our human nature took 



In Christ the Savior's birth. 



And Christmas once is Christmas still; 



The gates through which He came, 

 And forests wild, and murmuring rill, 

 And fruitful field, and breezy hill, 

 And all that else the wide world fill. 



Are vocal with His name. 



Shall we not listen while they sing 



This latest Christmas morn. 

 And music hear in everything. 

 And faithful lives in tribute bring. 

 To the great song which greets the King 

 Who comes when Christ is born? 



233 



