rope-walking is not so general as it is in some countries of
Europe, where it is quite common to see acrobats walking on ropes
stretched from the top of one high building, or steeple, to another.
In Venice, for instance, rope-dancers have often skipped and played on
ropes reaching from the summits of two of the loftiest towers of that
beautiful city.

The Turks were once noted for their great proficiency in rope walking,
but they have been equalled by Japanese, European, and American
performers. Many women have been famous in this line, and a Madame
Sacqui, a Frenchwoman, was such an expert artist that one of her
countrymen likened her to a "Homeric goddess" (although I do not know
how Juno or Minerva would have looked on a tight-rope), and asserted
that her boldness and agility were the glory of the First Empire! This
infatuated Frenchman must have considered glory to have been very
scarce in his country in Madame Sacqui's day. There was a French baby,
however, who surpassed this lady, for the little one walked on the
tight-rope before she could walk on the ground, and afterwards became
famous enough to perform, in 1814, before an assembly of kings--the
allied sovereigns of Europe.

The public performers of different kinds of gymnastic feats often make
a great deal of money; but they sometimes break their necks, and
frequently injure their health by over-exertion.

So that exercises for health and amusement are the only kinds of
gymnastics that I recommend.

BUYING "THE MIRROR."

Miss Harper came into the room where George and Mary Conly and Ella
Lee were playing with jack-straws. They had played everything else
they could think of, and, feeling tired, had quietly settled
themselves down to jack-straws. They could have amused themselves from
morning until night out of doors without being weary; but Mr. Conly's
house was in the city, and had such a tiny bit of a yard that only
fairies could have got up a frolic in it. When they were in the
country there were so many things they could do, and when they were
tired running about, there was the see-saw on the big log under the
old elm.

[Illustration]

But they were not in the country now, and children have not the spirit
to keep up their sports in the house as they do out of doors. So,
when Miss Harper appeared with a book in her hand, George and Mary
sprang up from the table in delight, and exclaimed:

"Oh, cousin Fanny! are you going to read to us?"