by the coal
gives each person on board your ships a rate of progression night and
day of twenty-four horses."

"And, if it does--what then?"

"Why, it is too much," returned the Student. "All the coal in the
world will be exhausted in something like four or five hundred years;
and so, while there is yet time, I had better go somewhere where coal
is a secondary consideration. What shall I do?"

And then the Secretary advised the Student to take a ticket to the
Centre of Africa--and the Student followed his advice. But the day
before the boat started, the Student once more appeared.

"I am afraid," said he, "I must ask you for the return of my money. I
find that it will be useless for me to go to the Centre of Africa, as
the Sun is about to cease giving warmth."

"Dear me!" cried the Secretary, "I was under the impression that the
Sun was timed to last about one hundred millions of years?"

"It may have been in the far distant past," returned the Student,
sadly, "but recent statistics fix the termination of the Sun's
existence at a much nearer date. There is no doubt that the Sun
will not last more than four millions of years, or five millions at
longest. Now give me my money!"

And (of course) the bullion was promptly returned.

* * * * *

[Illustration: BROKEN BONDS.

_La France_. "IS IT POSSIBLE!--BUT SIX MONTHS AGO!--AND NOW--"]

* * * * *

LETTERS TO ABSTRACTIONS.

NO. XII.--TO PLAUSIBILITY.

DEAR OLD PLAU,

Hear you have been seen about again with GENIALITY. Poor GENIALITY, it
may be admitted, is often something of a fool when he is by himself,
but when you and he begin to hunt in couples, you are a deadly
pair. I once knew a St. Bernard dog--you will perceive the analogy
by-and-by--who lived on terms of friendship with a Skye terrier.
By himself _Rufus_ was a mild and inoffensive giant. He adored the
house-cat, and used to help her, in a ponderous way, with the care
of her numerous family. Many a time have I seen him placidly extended
before a fire, while puss used his shaggy body as a sleeping box, and
once he was observed to help that anxious tabby-mother with the toilet
of her kittens by licking them carefully all over. At every lick of
_Rufus's_ huge prehensile tongue a kitten was lifted bodily into the
air, only, however, to descend washed and unharmed to the ground. But
out of doors, in the society of _Flick, Rufus's_ whole natu