, say that
they pass at pleasure by means of the cave to their native land. The
truth seems to be that they usually live in the inaccessible precipices
of the eastern side of the rock, where there is a scanty store of monkey
grass for their subsistence; but when an east wind sets in it drives
them from their caves, and they take refuge among the western rocks,
where they may be seen hopping from bush to bush, boxing each other's
ears, and cutting the most extraordinary antics. If disturbed, they
scamper off with great rapidity, the young ones jumping on the backs and
putting their arms round the necks of the old, and as they are very
harmless, strict orders have been received from the garrison for their
especial protection.

Gibraltar derives its chief importance from its bay, which is about ten
miles in length and eight in breadth, and being protected from the more
dangerous winds, is a valuable naval station.

SANTA CLAUS VISITS THE VAN JOHNSONS.

Swing low, sweet chariot--
Goin' fur to car' me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot--
Goin' fur to car' me home.
Debbil tought he would spite me--
Goin' fur to car' me home,
By cuttin' down my apple-tree--
Goin' fur to car' me home;
But he didn't spite ah-me at all--
Goin' fur to car' me home;
Fur I had apples all de fall--
Goin'--

"Oh, jess shut up wiff yo' ole apples, Chrissfer C'lumbus Van Johnson,
an' lissen at dat ar wat Miss Bowles done bin a-tellin' me," said Queen
Victoria, suddenly making her appearance at the gate which opened out of
Mrs. Bowles's back garden into the small yard where her brother sat with
Primrose Ann in his arms.

The Van Johnsons were a colored family who lived in a Southern city in a
small three-roomed wooden house on the lot in the rear of Mrs. Bowles's
garden, and Mrs. Bowles was their landlady and very good friend. Indeed,
I don't know what they would have done without her, for when she came
from the North, and rented the big house, they were in the depths of
poverty. The kind lady found them work, gave them bright smiles, words
of encouragement, fruit, vegetables, and spelling lessons, and so won
their simple, grateful hearts that they looked upon her as a miracle of
patience, goodness, and wisdom. And as for Baby Bowles--the
rosy-cheeked, sweet-voiced, sunshiny little thing--the whole family,
from Primrose Ann up to Mr. Van Johnson, adored her, and Queen Victoria
was "happy as a queen" whe