Voice of the Intangible. V

114 IMPROVEMENT ERA to his amusement — when he had taxed the utmost limit of his patience to stand there without change of thought, or change of scene, and be a real fence, and nothing but a fence, one minute longer, he thought it emergency enough to justify, if not the calling of the Navajo nation, then at least one solitary shepherd boy who might be as lonely as himself. Since the first day, the Navajo boy had been by his flock like a part of them, but when young Rojer reached a fixed resolution to call him, behold he was not there. The sheep huddled without a shepherd in the shade of a giant cottonwood. Was it Navajo dinner-time? By noble efforts Ben had left his own lunch still in the saddle-pockets. While the cow-boy strained his vision at every doubtful object near the big tree, a turbaned head appeared above the bank below, and a young Navajo, perhaps thirteen years of age, began to climb the hill. His meager garb, for he had removed most of it before wading the river, proclaimed his parentage to be of the better class. It also indicated that the San Juan was about three feet deep. When Bowse had been persuaded to withdraw his objections, the brown visitor came slowly up to within three feet of Flossy's nose. Something in his face, or his walk, or his shepherd-like bearing, plainly courted friendship ; but the young cow-boy looked mutely down from his saddle into the dark brown, eyes turned searchingly up to him. The cow-boy resolved to speak second. "You herd cows ; I herd sheep," began the brown boy, in his native tongue. "I ride horse ; you walk," observed young Rojer, in the same barbarous dialect, for though he feit like gripping the brown hand in a hearty shake of good-fellowship, he remembered that dignity is the prime virtue a Navajo demands of all who win his affections. At first, slightly embarrassed by this cut, the dusky features brightened with : "My horse is fat ; your horse is poor." Then with a hearty look of we-are-still-on-equal-footing, he raised his index fingers, side and side, as a challenge to wrestle. Ben's skill as a wrestler had never been such as to inspire him with vanity, especially in the "catch-as-catch-can" fashion which Navajo boys always prefer. As to a hold, the "uskee's" (boy's") trousers, if anything he wore might bear the name, were, to say the least, somewhat scanty. The slight band at his waist would never do for a hand-hold, and his plump form would be hard to grasp, like a fish in the water. Young Rojer had considered the matter nearly to refusal, when something in the big brown eyes reversed his notion : they must be friends, but no Navajo would be friendly save to the game; the dignified, the brave. The soul looking out through

VOICE OF THE INTANGIBLE 115 those ciark eyes and that ruddy, boyish face, had a greater attraction than any of the many dusky faces Ben had seen. He swung down from the saddle and removed his spurs. The scuffle had only begun when the hair on Wag-tail's neck became a shaggy pompadour, and one-half muttered word in dog-talk demanded a full explanation. When pats and caresses of assurance had satisfied the canine mind that it was only a tomboy frolic, the rough-and-tumble engagement went on, until the cow-boy found himself on the ground, looking up at a genial smile of tan. Unless it were a tie, one wrestle could not be favorable to both, and the "uskce's" looks proposed a second trial even before they reached their feet. He plainly felt a generous desire to see the contest break even, but the white boy, fearing his own slipperly hold on dignity, suggested a foot-race ; and when the shepherd assented, he peeled off his jumper and shed his boots with one or two other dispensable cumbrances in a twinkling. His A NAVAJO FAMILY AT CLOSE RANGE pulse of competition leaped high. A certain superior feeling had become visible through the tan of the shepherd's features, and young Rojer knew he must win the race, or this high-born "uskee" would stalk back to his flock with exalted dignity. A sand-slope became the race-track, a mark on the ground its starting, and a scrub squaw-bush its outcome. They trotted up to the line holding hands ; when they crossed it, each one threw the whole sum of his thirteen years' growth into the task

116 IMPROVEMENT ERA of getting ahead. They fairly reached with hands and feet for the goal, and the sand flew back in waves behind them. Inch by inch the white boy took the lead, and had two full steps advantage when they shot each side of the bush. "Si vckiss" (my brother), panted the brown boy, slowing down to a walk, and eagerly offering his hand for a shake. His image and tone of genuine friendship captured Ben's heart whether or no. While they climbed the hill in silence, each tried from the corner of his eye to discover the other's charm. By Flossy they sat facing each other, closs-legged on the sand. "Why did you come?" ventured young Rojer in Navajo. "I saw you two days ago; I saw you one day ago," the shepherd began in his dove's-tongue idiom ; "I saw you today. I said, my friend, perhaps. I came to see. You — what do you say ?" "I say, si velciss," and the cow-boy surprised himself with his ready fervor. "Good," quoth the Navajo. Ben's success thus far added only to his fear of saying too much or the wrong thing. He must clinch this friendship without delay. "You — what is your name?" he queried. "Jimmy," came the answer in plain English, and a plagued expression played around the brown eyes. "Am I your brother?" complained the cow-boy, with an injured air, "and yet I must not hear your name?" (for a Navajo preserves his native name as a sacred thing for his best friends only. ) "Si vekiss," affirmed the shepherd, gesticulating with his hand, "I don't lie ; I am Baneehlizhen." He dropped his head ; he had disclosed a great secret. Again a trying silence and Ben's turn to speak. But while he studied, the other, as if to bask in the friendship newly inaugurated, said, "I eat bread and mutton." "I eat bread and beef," added young Rojer, automatically. The inevitable invitation to dinner found them still facing each other, cross-legged on the sand. Silence gave color to the dignity of the moment — a dignity looming large among the principles of Navajo gospel. They could see the sheep huddled in the shade — they could see the whole stretch of ground along which Ben had become a temporary fence. Reviewing the scene and masticating at the same time, they stole chary glances at each other's face, as men who feel the dignity of each other's presence. Jimmy, for we must be careful of his other name, his sacred name, broke the silence as he arose. "You — where is your house?" "By the cliffs," and with his hand Ben indicated the direction and the distance.

VOICE OF THE INTANGIBLE 117 "My house," cooed the shepherd, leveling his finger at the "hogon" across the river. The cow-boy looked and nodded. "I go to my sheep," concluded the shepherd, at the same time offering his boyish brown hand. "Vekiss," he said, earnestly, feeling Ben's ardent grip, "Si vekiss," and he made at the same time a Navajo motion with his left hand, signifying time without end. With one expressive word and nod, young Rojer affirmed his good will and good wishes, and watched the sturdy little fellow disappear over the bank. When Ben and his father rode home next day, having done enough work for the J. B. outfit to cover the expense of delivering their steers, Ben told all about his new, brown brother, and Fred Rojer listened with pleasure and approval. (to be continued) "Thy Will be Done" "Thy will, O God, not mine, be done." So spake the Lord in agony, While in that dark and deep despair, Alone in drear Gethsemane; Repeated o'er upon the cross Of cruel, bleak Mount Calvary. Come unto me, thou gift divine, Of faith in God, that I may see The wisdom of a Father's love, Who loves while yet he chastens me; That understanding him while here Prepares me for eternity. Oh, give me light thy will to know; Oh, give me strength thy will to do; That I may merit here below Thine approbation pure and true; That I may rise from living death To walk in life forever new. Thy loving care is infinite, Extended to us, every one; Oh, help us each to understand To ne'er thy Godly wisdom shun. There'll be no fear nor sorrow when We learn to say, "Thy will be done." ST. GEORGE, UTAH. ANNIE G. LaURITZEN.

Some Developments in Modern Chemistry BY DR. ROBERT STEWART, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY OF THE UTAH AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE [Dr. Stewart, the author, is recognized as one of the leading chemits of the West. His investigations and conclusions along the line of chemical agencies in the soil have brought him international notice. Recently he read this hurriedly-prepared article before the Woman's Club of Logan. The science of chemistry enters directly into the preparation of many of the things that we wear, and of the most of the things we eat. We believe, therefore, that this article should be of timely interest to all readers of the Era. — The Editors.] As we attempt to trace the beginnings of chemistry and its predecessor, alchemy, we find that its origin is shrouded in mystery with the origin of the human race. In the recorded history of any of the earlier civilizations, we find that there was some few people who had a little knowledge of what we speak of as chemistry and chemical reactions today. Some of the more common chemical compounds, such as common salt, were probably known, in prehistoric times. A great mass of empirical information was possessed by the different ancient peoples, but these empirical facts were not correlated into a compact science until comparatively recent times. There was a lack in earlier times of experimental investigation, and in place of this the so-called learned men were given to the treacherous task of speculation, and as a result, in the absence of experimental investigation, very little accurate scientific information could be obtained. In fact, until the latter part of the eighteenth century, it was supposed that all matter consisted of four elementary substances, such as fire, earth, water, and air. All matter, therefore, consisted of these four elementary substances, united together in some mysterious way in certain different proportions. The elements as we now know them were not known as elementary substances. We find in studying recorded pages of history that the word "chemia" was used in the fourth century. The ones who practiced this profession were concerned with the purification of gold