The letter 4" it has b-en shown is a picture of a cross-bar laid midway over the two horns of a bull, representing what was in ancient times' the first sign of the Zoliac. Since th bull was called Aleph, the picture became a symbol for the vowel occurring in other words sich as Abib, the first of the Jewish months and that in which the Passover occurred. The letter "A" became a representative of. origins because the bull was used for the number 1000 in Chaldean calculations. The bull censed to be the first sign in the Zodiac about B.C. 2540. The Semitic c-nquest of Babylonia happening before this gave occasion for comparative vocabularies. became the first sign in the table of sounds which was ori at that carly date. In China at: present the delta of the Yangtzekiang is the richest part of the country for culture, and also for the education of nent schola it Where agriculture flourished, there the art of writing originated, and there alto. grew up the comparative vocubuluries which suggested in slow succession syllabic writing best and then alphabetic writing as the result of picture writing. The cause is in the fertility of the soil given to it by alluvial formation and in trade facili ies afforder by the river. The farmer can r sign some of his sons to study because he gains more than he spends. This was the reason that the people of Babylonin devo-lord, one after the other, the great intel lectual products, werd picture, syllable and alphabet, which make up the art of writing.
In the art of write g asin spoken languages laws must inevitably make their Appearance because of the long succession of centuries which have elapsed since the first written symbols were invented. Professor Kay has in the English Cyclopedia and in his hook The Origin of Lenguage the following diagram ths) Thin) looked buoyant considering that he lad just had a moral victory, although an expensive one, in the law courts. Mr. Samson Fox won his suit against Mr. Jerome for libel, and was awarded a farthing damages. This comparatively useless coin of the realm it cost him between seven and ten thousand pounds to obtain, so that I} daresay he will have it framed as a curio. He might have bought one cheaper. Mr. Jerome's costs were equally heavy; so that he may feel like retaining photograph-of the farthing which has cost him so many senting to Mr. Fox. The photograph would thousand pounds for. the pleasure, of pre: remind him incidentally of the dangers attendant on the endeavour to stand between the investing public and reckless company promoters, There is general sympathy with Jerome.
MR, GEORGE BURGIN, one of the two joint secretaries of the; Vagabonds, is one of the most industrious hard-working writers we have, and -g" rapidly. winning: that recognition and {substantial reward that, are sure.to.come to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.