A NEGRO preacher, touched with the "higher criticism," once elaborated a new theory of the Exodus—to wit, that the Red Sea was frozen over, and so afforded the Israelites a safe passage, but when Pharaoh with his heavy iron chariots attempted to cross he broke through and was drowned. A brother arose and asked an explanation of that "p'int." Said he: "I's been studyin' g'ography, and de g'ography says dat am de place whar de tropics am, and de tropics am too hot for freezin'; de p'int to be 'splained is 'bout breakin' through de ice." The preacher straightened himself up, and said: "Brudder, glad you axed dat question, for it gives me 'casi'n to 'splain it. You see, dat war a great while ago, befo' dey had any g'ographies, and befo' dere war any tropics."—Sel.