chemists, yet the cost of such products 

 is so great as to preclude the possibil- 

 ity of the most precious of gems be- 

 coming at all common. The diamond 

 is the hardest of all known substances, 

 and will scratch any other mineral 

 across which it may be drawn. 



Three localities have successively 

 furnished the main part of the world's 

 stock of diamonds. A century and a 

 half ago, practically all the diamonds 

 came from India, where at one time 

 60,000 persons were employed in dia- 

 mond digging. Toward the middle of 

 the eighteenth century, when the dia- 

 mondiferous districts of India were be- 

 coming exhausted, the discovery of the 



precious gem in Brazilian deposits was 

 made. At present, the supply of dia- 

 monds from Brazil has much dimin- 

 ished, and the diamond fields of South 

 Africa, where is located the famous 

 Kimberley mine, produce the larger 

 part of the world's output of diamonds. 

 Among famous diamonds of the 

 world should be mentioned the Koh-i- 

 noor of the British crown, which, Hindu 

 legend relates, was worn five thousand 

 years ago by one of their national he- 

 roes. The largest known diamond, 

 weighing three hundred sixty-seven 

 carats, was found in Borneo, and is 

 now owned by the Rajah of Matan. 



FEBRUARY. 



FEBRUARY,— fortnights two,— 



Briefest of the months are you, 



Of the winter's children last. 



Why do you go by so fast? 



Is it not a little strange 



Once in four years you should change, 



That the sun should shine and give 



You another day to live? 



May be this is only done 



Since you are the smallest one; 



So I make the shortest rhyme 



For you, as befits your time: 



You're the baby of the year, 

 And to me you're very dear, 

 Just because you bring the line, 

 "Will you be my Valentine?" 



— Frank Dempster Sherman. 



The snow had begun in the gloaming. 



And busily all the night 

 Had been heaping field and highway 



With a silence deep and white. 



Ever)' pine and fir and hemlock 

 Wore ermine too dear for an earl. 



And the poorest twig on the elm-tree 

 Was ridged inch-deep with pearl. 



From sheds new-roofed with Carrara 



Came Chanticleer's muffled crow. 

 The stiff rails were softened to swan's- 

 down, 

 And still fluttered down the snow. 



— Lowell. 



85 



