The furious animal missed the throat and jugular vein; but the horse was
so dreadfully torn, that he was not at first expected to survive. The
expressions of agony, in his tears and moans, were most piteous and
affecting. Whether the lioness was afraid of her prey being taken from
her, or from some other cause, she continued a considerable time after
she had entered the hovel roaring in a dreadful manner, so loud, indeed,
that she was distinctly heard at the distance of half a mile. She was
eventually secured, and taken to her den; and the proprietor of the
menagerie did not fail to take advantage of the incident, by having a
representation of the attack painted in the most captivating colours and
hung up in front of his establishment.'"

My dear old grandmother quite expected to see "the lions" when she
reached London, but she was not quite prepared to meet a lioness even
half way.

A TERRIBLE CHRISTMAS EVE.

BY LUCIE E. JACKSON.

I was always a very fearless girl. I do not say I never knew what fear
was, for on the occasion I am about to relate I was distinctly
frightened; but I was able to bear myself through it as if I felt
nothing, and by this means to reassure my poor mother, who perhaps
realised the danger more thoroughly than I did.

Norah says if it had happened to her she would just have died of fright,
and I do think she would have, for she is so delicate and timid, and has
such very highly-strung nerves. Mother and I always call it our
adventure. I, with a laugh now; but mother, always with a shudder and a
paling of her sweet face, for she and Norah are very much alike in
constitution. She says if I had not been her stay and backbone on that
occasion she must surely have let those awful French people rob her of
all she possessed. But I am going on too fast.

It happened in this way. Father had some business to transact in France
in connection with his firm, and had gone off in high spirits, for after
the business was finished and done with he had arranged to do a little
travelling on his own account with Mr. Westover--an old chum of his.

We had heard regularly from him as having a very good time till one
morning the post brought a letter to say he had contracted a low fever
and was lying sick at a wayside inn. He begged us not to be alarmed for
his friend was very attentive, and he hoped soon to be himself again.
Mother was unhappy, we saw that, but Norah and I tried to cheer her up
by sayin