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For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage.

Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks, and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & Co.

Single Numbers of THE LIVING AGE, 18 cents.

OUR FIRST-BORN. SHE came, an angel in our sight, We took her as a gift from Heaven; She gave our home a new delight,

Our hearts' best love to her was given.

We harvested her every look,

And watched the wonder in her eyes; What constant loving care we took, How patiently we soothed her cries. Her lineaments how closely conned;

Each parent sought the other there, Foretelling her brunette or blonde,

With golden, or with raven hair. Her tiny hands, her tiny feet,

A sculptor's dream, despair and aim; Did even Nature form more sweet

In frail perfection ever frame?

Her name, a lily name of love,

To match her loveliness of life; Or some dear name one, now above, Has left with fragrant memories rife. We watched her grow from day to day, More sweetly than a flower in June, More swiftly than a leaf in May

Unfolds itself to greet the noon.

The mandate of her outstretched hands, When first she knew a loving face, Was mightier than a queen's commands, And dearer than her proffered grace.

Her keen delight, her artful ways,

When the faint light began to dawn, Great pictures fade, but memory stays O'er little scenes that love has drawn. Then came at length the crowning bliss; How oft, the babe upon her knee, The mother sighed with yearning kiss, "When will my darling speak to me! The first sweet sounds of broken speech,

The first dear words that love inspires, How weak to these, the heart to reach, The music of a thousand lyres!

The eager questions, quaint replies,

The awakening of the childish mind, The queries that perplex the wise,

The griefs and joys that children find.

And so she grew still more and more,

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Our angel guest, our gift from Heaven, Our first-born child, for whom the store

Of love waxed more, the more 'twas given.

Nor this alone; but, like the cruise
That fed of old the prophet guest,
No danger now that we should lose
The mated love of either breast.

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THE LANGUAGE OF THE SEA.
WHERE'ER, beneath the scudding clouds,
The good ship braves the blast
That, roaring through the quivering shrouds,
Flies furiously and fast-

Where Stars and Stripes and Union Jack,
To every sea-gull known,
Career along the ocean's track,

Our English holds its own.
Our English tongue to every shore
Flies onward, safe and free;
It creeps not on from door to door,
Its highway is the sea!

Oh! glorious days of old renown

When England's ensign flew,
Nail'd to the mast, till mast fell down
Amid the dauntless crew-

When Rodney, Howe, and Nelson's name
Made England's glory great,

Till every English heart became

Invincible as fate.

God rest the souls of them that gave Our ships a passage free,

Till English, borne by wind and wave, Was known in every sea!

Our ships of oak are iron now,

But still our hearts are warm;
Our viking courage ne'er shall bow
In battle or in storm.

Let England's love of freedom teach
The tongue that freemen know,
Till every land shall learn the speech
That sets our hearts aglow.

Long may our Shakespeare's noble strain
Float widely, safe and free;
And long may England's speech remain
The language of the sea!
Academy.

WALTER W. SKEAT.

TWO LITTLE FEET.

OH life, so prodigal of life!
Oh love and destiny at strife!
Oh earth, so full of busy feet!
Oh woods and hills and all things sweet!
Was there no room amidst you all
For two more feet, so soft and small?
Didst envy me, where thousands sing,
The one bird that made all my Spring,
My dove, that had so many ways
Of making beautiful life's days?
No room! Or rather it
may be

Earth was too small t' imprison thee.
God only knows. I know I miss

Thy sweet caress, thy loving kiss,

The patter of thy dear small feet,

Thy hand in mine through lane and street; While all that now remains to me

Is just a precious memory.

Two little feet, 'neath earth's brown sod,
Two white wings somewhere safe with God.
Chambers' Journal.
LAURA HARVEY.

From Blackwood's Magazine. THE RUSSIANS ON THE PAMIRS.

THE Russian advance towards India has been compared to the opening of parallels against a besieged city. The first parallel, a line of observation, was the old Caspian and Orenburg frontier of half a century ago. The second, from the south of the Caspian along the Persian and Afghan frontier to the head-waters of the Oxus a line of menace. A third parallel is now being attempted, from the northeastern corner of Afghanistan along the north of the Indian Empire—a line intended to cut off communications and check a sally of the garrison. Such are the strategical aims we assign to the recent display of restless activity by Russia on the Pamirs and in the direction of

eastern Turkistan.

A brief survey of the present position of central Asia will help to an understanding of the opportune nature of Russia's recent movements. Obtaining her own way along the Russo-Persian frontier, and working by assimilation rather than by absorption, she has as yet failed to make any impression save one of hostility upon the Afghans. The new boundary, jealously guarded as it has been by the ameer, has steadfastly repulsed all advances; and Abdurrahaman's well-known severity has restrained his lawless subjects from affording pretexts for Russian interference in a manner that is marvellous to those who remember what was the condition of Balkh-Turkistan not very many years ago. Repelled all along the line from the Zulfikar Pass to Khwajasalar on the Oxus, the superfluous activity of the Russian adventurers has been driven to find an outlet in another direction. It is no small triumph for the British government that it should have so far succeeded in circumscribing Russia's action, in regions where her activity was full of danger to the peace of Asia, as to force it to seek an outlet in a locality so futile as the Pamirs. But there are other reasons in the air why Russia should at present cast her eyes eastward from Khokand and Samarkhand. Her keen perception has not failed to notice the growing troubles of China, the internal turbulence of the Chinese,

and the difficulties in consequence created between the Peking government and the great civilized powers. The possibility tion in Chinese waters has for some time of a European and American demonstrabeen in prospect may even yet become a political necessity. In the interchange of diplomatic views which has taken place among the powers, Russia has, we believe, been careful to keep aloof from any proj ect for coercing the Chinese. When the moment arrives for the powers to call China peremptorily to account, Russia has her own card to play. What her aims are on the Primorsk frontier we do not profess that as soon as China finds her hands full to know; but there can be little question elsewhere, Russia will endeavor to make herself mistress of eastern Turkistan.

For some years past there have been sig

nificant indications in the straws that float

upon the surface of her Asiatic currents, of workings in that direction. Not the least notable of these was the selection of General Kuropatkine for the central Asian government. As long ago as 1876 Kuropatkine made himself thoroughly ac

quainted with eastern Turkistan when he visited Kashgar as chief of the embassy despatched by General Kauffmann to Yakub Beg; and while there he distinguished himself by compiling a very exhaustive work on the country. Afterwards, when occupying a post on the general staff at St. Petersburg, Kuropatkine's duties were specially devoted to eastern Turkistan and the Trans-Oxus region; and his intimate knowledge and experience of the countries beyond the Himalayas mark his selection for the most important post in central Asia with a significance which we cannot afford to overlook. The whole conclusions of Kuropatkine's work on Kashgaria pointed to a desire on the part of Russia to annex Yarkand-Kashgar.

We saw in Kashgaria [he says] a powerful Mussulman State, to which as to a centre would be drawn the sympathy of the popula tion, not only of the weak Mussulman States which had preserved their independence, but also that of the population of the provinces which we had conquered. The importance of Kashgaria, in our eyes, was moreover increased in consequence of the attempts of the

At the time of Kuropatkine's mission there seemed every prospect of a Russian occupation of Kashgar being early and easily brought about. But the death of Yakub Beg, the reconquest of Kashgar by the Chinese, and the check administered to Russia over Kuldja, compelled the latter to keep her designs on eastern Turkistan in the background. But she has been all the while waiting for her opportunity, and there is reason to believe that in the increasing embarrassments of China she descries that opportunity in the im

English to draw this country to their side, so | have been of much account to her. Such as to incorporate it (1) in a neutral zone of Kara-Khirgiz as are to be found in this countries which was to separate Russia from region are tributary to the Russian govIndia, and (2) to acquire in Kashgaria a fresh ernment, who confirms the election of market for the sale of their manufactured their khans, keeps peace among the differgoods.* ent tribes, and finds frequent employment for the men in pioneering and exploring expeditions. In 1887 the Russians had a post established at Sufi-Khurgane, at the mouth of the Taldik Pass; and we may expect, when Captain Younghusband's full reports are received, to hear of outposts much farther south than that. Practically there is nothing to restrain her energy in that direction until she reaches the Hindu Kush. We believe that a superstition exists in the Foreign Office that Russia is confined by an agreement to the north of Lake Victoria, on the Great Pamir and the Panjah River. We much fear, however, But what, it may be asked, has all this that this pact, like so many of the late Lord to do with the Pamirs question? Well, Granville's central Asian "agreements," the Pamirs question, like most other was more the expression of a pious wish questions, has two sides to it, and Kash- on the part of the British government that gar-Yarkand is one side, Badakshan-Wa- Russia would pause there, than a binding khan is the other, and a very important obligation that can stand the wear and tear side this latter is, as we shall see later on. of time and circumstances. It is conMeanwhile let us bestow a little consider- tained in a despatch from Prince Gortchaation on the Pamirs themselves, on Rus-koff in January, 1873, accepting the Afghan sia's relationship to them, and on the boundary which Lord Granville had sug advantages which an established footing upon them would afford her.

mediate future.

In 1865 the subject of the Pamirs was mooted in a conversation between M. Stremoouchoff, the then director of the Asiatic Department at St. Petersburg, and Mr. Saville Lumley, when, in view of the complete annexation of Khokand, the Russian minister discussed the chances of Russia having to enter the mountains south of that khanate, at the same time ridiculing a possibility of any advance on Kashgar through the mountains. Russia was accordingly allowed to extend her sway up the defiles of the Alai Tagh and on to the Kizil Art ranges, embracing the whole of the Pamir Khargashi, with its great lake of Kara-kul. To this acquisition as a natural adjunct to her conquest of Khokand no exception can justly be taken, though it does not seem as yet to

Translated by Major W. E. Gowan, Her Majesty's

Indian Army.

gested. Now, as Russia never took the slightest subsequent account of Lord Granville's boundary or of its own assent thereto, and as the agreement has been effaced in all other respects, it can hardly be supposed that it will weigh heavily with her upon the head-waters of the Oxus and the shores of Lake Victoria. The agreement was keenly criticised at the time by the government of India, and most of its objections have been fully sustained since then by the conduct of Russia. Moreover, when the government of India very soon after pressed upon Lord Granville to make proposals to the Russian government to have the frontier on the northern and western borders of Yarkand defined

a proposal which would have led to a further delimitation of the Pamirs - the

Foreign Office evaded the request. Russia has thus been left with a free hand on the Pamir steppes, and it is idle now to raise an outcry because she has availed herself of it.

husband with great kindness, while that officer was on his exploring expedition to the regions beyond the Karakorum and Mustaj passes, in the course of which, it may be remembered, he first encountered Captain Grombtchevski on the Tajdambash Pamir.

Of much more importance than any are troops at Gilgit; but Kunjut is a petty imaginary line drawn through the Pamirs state lying towards the eastern side of is the clear recognition which her Majes- the Baroghil Pass that may occasion some ty's government, both in London and Cal- trouble to Colonel Durand. M. Bonvalot, cutta, have of the presence of the Russians who was unable to penetrate into Kunjut, upon the Roof of the World, and of the dif- was told that the khan had killed his own ficulties which may arise in consequence. father for wishing to make over the counOn this occasion, at all events, we have not try to the English, and had sent messenbeen caught napping. If the Prjevalskys, gers to the Chinese Taotai at Kashgar the Pevtsoffs, and the Grombtchevskis with proffers of friendship, who sent him have been active, so also have the Young-back presents in return. Yet two years husbands and the Davidsons and other ago the khan received Captain Youngofficers, including those unobtrusive but valuable men, the native officials of the Indian Surveys. Within our own sphere, and not a little out of it, we are quite as well informed about the debatable ground as Russia is, and quite in a position to discuss with her disputable points of central Asian geography. And we have already turned our knowledge to practical account. If General Medinski led an expedition into the Pamir in 1883, we on our side completed a military survey of the passes leading into Kashmir, and soon followed this measure up by advancing our outposts to Gilgit. Sir William Lockhart's reports on the passes of the Hindu Kush is not likely to be made public, but we may assume that while it guarantees us from an attack in force being delivered against India by way of Kashmir, it leaves open the possibility of annoyance in that quarter annoyance that might amount to absolute danger in the event of an Indian army being engaged in high Asia. Meanwhile our post of observation at Gilgit is our main security in this direction. We have already been able to make our influence felt by the petty chiefs of the Chitral and Baltistan country, and we shall in no long time establish order and security up to the gates that lead to the higher waters of the Oxus. The Hansa and Nagar chiefs who successfully defied the maharajah of Kashmir's authority, and who holds the mouths of two important passes, will be checked by running a military roading almost to the whole of the plateaux through their territories. The Chitral chief's loyalty is testified to by M. Bonvalot, who was stopped in his country until permission to advance could be received from Simla. Yassin is another chiefship that may be counted upon as long as there

We may thus conclude that all has been done that is immediately neces sary to close the southern mouths of the passes leading from the Pamirs to Kashmir, and that these routes are sealed against Russian explorers, as Captain Grombtchevski recently had occasion to experience. This is all the more necessary, as the reports of recent travellers have shown that the difficulties of some of the passes, great as they are, have been much exaggerated. In addition to the explorations of MM. Bonvalot and Du vergne, an English lady and gentleman, Mr. and Mrs. Littledale, crossed the Baroghil Pass a year or two ago, under circumstances that presented no overwhelming difficulty; and it is reported that a horseman can gallop through it from Wakhan to Chitral without drawing bridle. Where such travellers can penetrate, the Cossack is not likely to be impeded; and a vigilant guard upon all the southern exits of the Pamirs will henceforth be the important work of our agent at Gilgit.

But to return to the Pamirs themselves. The reports of extensive annexations having been already made by Russia, amount

between the Altai range and the Hindu Kush, must, we are inclined to think, be a premature alarm. That Russian parties, more or less strong, have been freely crossing the Pamir steppes within the last few years, especially during the past summer,

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