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Written for Burke's Weekly. Three Links of a Golden Chain; 08. A DREAM OF AN INFANT TRIO IN HEAVEN. Inscribed to Mrs. F. R. S., of Covington, Ga. BY I.ENORE. near the close of yesternight, Vgtp Wh cn sleep had left my eyes, 1 Ilf) In Fancy’s vision clear and bright, I wander’d to the skies: OfAfg And as I moved on airy wing Along the starry way A gentle form to me did cling, And softly seemed to say: “ Dost thoti perceive the turbid waves Os Death’s dark rolling stream ?” I looked, and saw it lined with graves, And shudder’d in my dream ; And as I hover’d o’er the stream — Myself and sister clear, — She heaved a sigh, and on my hand I felt a crystal tear. Three little hillocks, side by side, Now met my anxious view. I did not strive her grief to chide, My heart was Sadden’d too. Tho’ two of them had long been made, The grass looked fresh and green; On one the impress of the spade Might still be plainly seen. From this sad scene she turned away, And said, “ 111 cease to sigh, We’ll find them in the realms of day,” And pointed to the sky : Then, lighted by the silver ray Os night’s bright crescent queen, Wo rose above the milky-way And all its glitt’ring sheen. Up there we found a planet bright, Far from this vale of tears, Whose brightness seemed to dim the light Os all the twinkling spheres; The freshness of its “ living green,” Oh how it charmed tho eye ! Such dazzling brightness ne'er was seen Beneath our azure sky. A lovely city, too, was there. Os amethyst and gold ; The beauties of that city fair This pen can ne’er unfold. To us its gates were open’d wide, That we might enter in, Where saints and angels do abide, Forever free from sin. Among them was a trio bright, Whose hearts had known no guile, Their lovely features beamed with light Beneath the Saviour's smile, “ Oh, see my darling cherubs there, The brightest of the seven. These are the golden links,” said she, “ That bind our hearts to Heaven.” Maeon, Ga. *»+ A Little Lamp. “A little lamp,” writes McCheyne, “is a very small thing; it burns calmly and without noise, yet it giveth light to all who are in the house.” And so there is a quiet influence which, like the flame ot a scented lamp, fills many a home with light and fragrance. u Eet your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” —— *©-«■ A mercy is none the less great be cause our wills are not consulted as to the time and manner of its bestowment. B uItK E’ S WEEK EY . Written for Burke’s Weekly. THE GIRAFFE. 0W man A ° ar rcu( i ers have seen a giraffe ? He is she tallest of all ani mals, and one of the r most beautiful. 11e is a native of Africa, and is Uffi found in no other part of the globe. It assimilates with the camel in the length of its neck, and in some other respects, and has been classed by some naturalists with the camel. Others consider that its proper place is between the ante lope and the stag. Its skin is beautifully spotted, somewhat resembling that of the leopard, and it is sometimes called the Came 1o p a rd, in consequence of its similarity in shape to the camel and in color to the leopard. The male giraffe frequently attains to the height of eighteen feet, the female be ing two feet lower. Ilis neck and legs are large, and his body short, but he is nevertheless one of the most graceful of animals. Properly speaking, he has no horns, but the two frontal bones are pro longed sometimes to the length of eight or ten inches, and have the appearance of horns. Ilis head is small and beautifully shaped, and his eyes are bright and ex pressive of gentleness. His mouth is like that of a stag, and his teeth are small and very white. His hoofs arc cloven, like those of the ox, and his tongue is long, rough and thin. This last member is somewhat remarkable: it is not only an organ of taste, but possesses nearly all the powers of the trunk of an elephant, and with it the giraffe is enabled to reach the small and tender leaves at a height fully twelve inches beyond its mouth, and which would otherwise be out of its reach. Gumming, the great African traveler and lion hunter, saw a large number of these beautiful animals, and furnishes many interesting facts concerning them. He thinks that the average size of a herd of giraffes is about sixteen, but be occa sionally met with droves of thirty, and on one occasion he counted forty togeth er. “ These herds are composed of gi raffes of various sizes, from the young giraffe of nine or ten feet in height to the dark chestnut-colored old bull of the herd, whose exalted head towers above his companions, generally attaining to a height of upwards of eighteen feet. The females are of lower stature, and more delicately formed, than tho males, their height averaging from sixteen to seven teen feet.” Some writers have discovered ugliness and a want of grace in the giraffe, but Mr. Cumming, after having seen them in their native wilds, considers them among “the most strikingly beautiful animals in creation; and when a herd of them is seen scattered through a grove of the pictu resque parasol - topped acacias, which adorn the native plains, and on whose up permost shoots the}’ are enabled to browse by the colossal height with which nature has so admirably endowed them, he must indeed be slow of conception who fails to discover both grace and dignity in all their movements.” Several giraffes have been exhibited in this country. Two very fine specimens were shown throughout the South about 26 or 27 years ago, the tallest being six teen feet in height. In his native land, the giraffe’s favorite food is the acacia tree, but there were three in the Zoologi cal Gardens, at London, some years ago, which were fed principally on hay, placed in high racks, with an occasional treat of carrots, onions, or lump sugar. “It is a peaceful animal, provided with neither means of attack nor defence. It shuns danger, is watchful of attack, and flies from it. Erect on its stilt-like legs, it sur veys the wide expanse of the sandy des ert, and no animal can approach it unob served. It defends itself with its feet when compelled to resist, and by its kick in <>■ it has been seen to beat off and dis courage even a lion.’ — An usher in an English school, see ing one of the boys with a thick lump in one of his die. as, asked “Quid est hoc?” To which the lad, sputtering out a large piece of chewing tobacco, replied “ Hoc est quid for which repartee the master forgave him. 171