,,twilight ,,and ,,dawn ,,or ,,simple ,,talks ,,on ,,the ,,six ,,days ,,of ,,creation by ,caroline ,pridham 7,mrs4 ,l4 ,g4 ,wait7 ,,known ,,unto ,,god ,,are ,,all ,,his ,,works ,,from ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,the ,,world4 ,,the ,,lord ,,shall ,,rejoice ,,in ,,his ,,works4 ,,his ,,tender ,,mercies ,,are ,,over ,,all ,,his ,,works4 ,,contents4 ,,god',s ,,book ,,in ,,the ,,beginning3 ,,creation ,,ruin ,,and ,,darkness ,,first ,,day4 ,,light ,,second ,,day4 ,,the ,,ocean ,,of ,,air ,,third ,,day4 ,,the ,,world ,,of ,,water ,,the ,,earth ,,beneath ,,the ,,green ,,earth ,,fourth ,,day4 ,,sun1 ,,moon1 ,,and ,,stars ,,story ,,of ,a ,,deaf ,,boy ,,who ,,heard ,,the ,,sun ,,proclaim ,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,god ,,the ,,stone ,,book ,,fifth ,,day4 ,,the ,,moving ,,creature ,,that ,,hath ,,life ,,fowl ,,of ,,the ,,air1 ,,and ,,fish ,,of ,,the ,,sea ,,flying ,,fowl ,,creeping ,,things ,,sixth ,,day4 ,,the ,,animal ,,world ,,the ,,crown ,,of ,,god',s ,,creation ,everywhere1 everywhere ,a tale is told to me-- ,it is told in the sunny air1 ,it is told on the sparkling sea4 ,it is told in the forest brakes1 ,it is told on the purple hills1 ,by the silent mountain lakes1 ,by the singing and leaping rills4 ,in the meadows that stretch away ,as a sea of golden green1 ,with hedges of sweet white may ,and the reedy brooks between4 ,where ,i wander and run and rest1 ,the tale is told to me1 ,the sweetest tale and the best ,of all the tales that be4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the tale is the tale of ,jesus2 ,it is told in heaven above1 ,on the sea and the moors and the mountains1 ,in language of all the peoples1 ,the speech of love4 ,the morning star and the dayspring1 ,the sun and the cloud and the shower1 ,the grass and the rose and the cedar1 ,his glory and love are telling ,from hour to hour4 ,the birds in the green wood singing1 ,the sea that is wide and deep1 ,the sheep in the folds of the mountains1 ,the corn in the golden valleys1 ,and all beside4 ,all round me are glorious pictures ,of him who has made them fair2 ,through the long bright day ,i can see ,him1 ,and ,i fear not the silent darkness1 ,for ,he is there1 --,,frances ,,bevan4 ,taken1 by permission1 from ,hymns by ,ter ,steegen and ,others ,second series4 ,,introductory4 ,ten years have passed since this book was first published1 and in issuing a third edition it seems desirable to say a few words as to the object with which it was written1 and to explain why some additions and alterations have been made4 ,the earlier chapters remain pretty much as they were1 but the latter have been recast2 and the writer's original endeavour to show that the ,story of ,creation is not the ,story of ,evolution1 as set forth in many attractive but misleading books for the young1 has been more constantly kept in view4 ,it is hoped that by this means the end sought may be better reached1 and that the young readers may be furnished with the truth before they meet with false teaching on this important point4 ,the mind which has been carefully grounded in what is true may confidently be expected to detect and refuse what is erroneous1 however fair may be its show2 and if the need for early training on the lines marked out for us in ,scripture was apparent some years ago1 how much more imperative is it now1 when the authority of ,god and of ,his ,word is questioned on every hand8 ,it has been argued1 with some reason1 that the early chapters of these ,simple ,talks are too childish when compared with the latter part of the book2 but it may be said in excuse for this seeming inconsistency that the wish of the writer was to furnish assistance to mothers and those who train young children4 ,she therefore began at the beginning1 intending the early chapters to be read aloud1 with additions and omissions1 as the young listeners were able to bear4 ,these chapters1 therefore1 are full of repetitions1 of which the young mind does not weary1 but which are necessary as long as it can only receive here a little and there a little1 without overstrain4 ,the later chapters will be found more suited to children of larger growth1 who will be able to enjoy reading for themselves1 without needing the line upon line and precept upon precept1 apart from which it is vain to attempt to teach the little ones4 ,how imperfectly the work is done will be manifest to those who know anything of the subjects1 which are touched upon rather than explained4 ,the difficulty of deciding how much to tell1 and how much to leave untold1 has sometimes made the writer's task seem an almost impossible one2 but she has taken courage to go on by remembering a wise saying--that if we shrink from attempting any little work which comes in our way from the fear of making mistakes1 it is easy to make the great mistake of doing nothing at all4 ,if what has been a labour of love to the writer should be of some interest and profit to readers1 young or old1 that labour will be amply repaid4 ,the book is now sent forth again1 with prayer that ,he who said1 ,suffer the children to come unto ,me1 and who took them up in ,his arms1 put ,his hands on them1 and blessed them1 may be pleased to use it in ,his service and for ,his glory4 ,,evesham4 ,,twilight ,,and ,,dawn4 ,,god',s ,,book4 ,as the cold of snow in the time of harvest1 so is a faithful messenger to them that send him3 for he refresheth the soul of his masters4--,,proverbs xxv4 #ac4 ,the words of the ,lord are pure words3 as silver tried in a furnace of earth1 purified seven times4--,,psalm xii4 #f4 ,i wonder whether you are as fond of asking questions as ,i was long ago--so fond that ,i did not mind asking them when ,i well knew ,i could get no answers1 because ,i spoke to things1 not to people who could speak to me again8 ,still1 if any mere thing could be supposed capable of answering for itself1 ,i think a book might2 and so perhaps as you take this book of mine into your hand1 and run away to some quiet place to have a look at it1 you may be taking it into your confidence1 and asking it some such questions as these3 7a7 ,what are you all about8 ,are you a lesson-book8 7b7 ,have you any stories--real stories1 not made-up ones8 7c7 ,any pictures8 7d7 ,i wonder whether ,i shall like you8 ,does the person who made you like children1 and know the sort of things they care for8 ,now before you put any more questions to my book1 ,i will answer for it2 and that we may not miss any1 we will call them questions 7a71 7b71 7c71 7d71 and answer one at a time4 ,your first question 7a7--the first part of it at least--is what grown people as well as children have a right to ask of a book2 and it would be a poor thing for the book to answer1 ,oh1 ,i am about nothing in particular6 ,i can't quite tell you why ,i was written4 ,but most books are about something in particular1 and what that is you can best find out by reading them right through2 for many people miss their way in a book by beginning at the end and travelling backwards1 or beginning about the middle1 and not knowing whether to go backwards or forwards4 ,so you see ,i want you to find out for yourself the answer to question 7a71 only ,i will just say that the book is mostly about your own dwelling-place4 ,i do not mean your body1 though that is1 in one sense1 your dwelling-place2 neither do ,i mean your own home1 nor even that part of ,england where you were born4 ,by your own dwelling-place ,i mean this wonderful world which you see all around you1 where ,god has made so much for you to see and enjoy2 and learn about too1 that you may use and enjoy it better4 ,illustration3 ,,good-,,bye ,,to ,,the ,,swallows ,so you will find in this book something about the firm ground upon which you trod as soon as you were old enough to run about the fields and pick the daisies4 ,something too about the blue sky1 where the lark sings and the swallows fly2 and the great wide sea1 where the fishes live2 and a little about what the ,bible tells us of how all that you see around you came to be2 long1 long ago1 when everything was quite new and beautiful1 and ,god said that all that ,he had made was very good4 ,then it is a lesson-book8 ,i hear you say4 ,yes1 in one way1 and yet not quite all lessons1 for you will find some stories here too4 ,and now ,i must answer the 7b7 question about these same stories1 for ,i want you to know1 before you begin to read them1 that they are all true1 and there is no pretending or making-up about them4 ,question 7c71 about the pictures1 you can soon answer for yourself2 so now ,i have only the 7d7 question to answer1 and ,i can only say for my book1 that ,i do not know whether or not you will care for it2 but ,i do know that the person who made it loves children1 and very much likes teaching them and talking to them4 ,and that you may better understand that ,i know something about children1 ,i will explain that1 though ,i am only talking to you just now1 ,i shall tell you in this book the very same things which ,i told to some children who came every morning to do their lessons at my house1 three or four years ago--at least1 ,i will write down for you all ,i can remember of the talks these children and ,i had together1 and ,i will tell you the same true stories which ,i told them4 ,i used to ask them to give me their ears1 and ,i must ask you to give me your eyes2 for writing is different from talking1 is it not8 ,you cannot look up in my face and ask me questions as my children did2 and when ,i ask you a question1 ,i cannot hear you answer1 but am obliged to fancy what you would be likely to say4 ,still1 ,i think we shall be friends1 and get to know each other a little1 even by means of this dumb-show talk1 as ,i speak to you with my hand and you listen to me with your eyes4 ,and now ,i want to tell you about my children4 ,it was a beautiful morning in ,september when ,i opened the schoolroom door1 and found them1 all the seven1 sitting round the table1 waiting to begin school again1 for the long summer holidays were over4 ,i was afraid they would think it rather hard to sit still and do lessons1 especially when the sun was shining brightly and it was as pleasant a day as could be out of doors2 but as ,i looked at their bright faces1 ,i thought they did not seem as if they minded coming back to school so very much after all4 ,i wonder what you feel like1 when the holidays are over and your little work-a-day world begins again8 ,does it seem too bad to be true8 or are you just a tiny bit glad to have something that you really must do1 instead of all play and no work8 ,do you know--and you remember ,i told you ,i knew children pretty well--,i have actually met with girls1 and boys too1 who have sometimes1 especially on a very wet day in the holidays1 found this delightful having nothing to do all day long harder work than the most difficult of their lessons8 ,and now for the names of my children4 ,you would like to know them1 would you not8 for they are real boys and girls1 not children in a story book4 ,my eldest boy was ,ernest1 and he sat at the bottom of the table1 opposite the place where ,i always sat1 and where someone had put a chair for me4 ,next in age came ,charlotte1 ,ernest's sister2 and then ,chrissie1 the elder brother of ,eustace and ,dick4 ,i put ,sharley and ,chrissie together1 because they were both ten years old and did most of their lessons out of the same books4 ,next came another little pair3 ,may1 ,ernest's younger sister1 and ,eustace4 ,last of all1 the little ones3 ,ernest's youngest brother1 ,leslie1 and ,chrissie's youngest brother1 ,dick4 ,these little boys were only six years old4 ,now that you know the ages of my children you will be able to tell whether any of them were about your own age2 perhaps you may be older than ,chrissie and ,sharley1 or even ,ernest1 who was nearly twelve1 but ,i am quite sure that if you are younger than any of my elder children1 you will be able to understand some of the lessons which we had from the ,bible every morning4 ,before the holidays we had been reading in the ,new ,testament1 and had finished the ,acts of the ,apostles2 and it was settled that when they came back to school we should read some of the ,old ,testament1 and begin at the beginning4 ,the children remembered this1 and were just going to open their ,bibles and find the first chapter of ,genesis1 when ,i said that ,i should like to ask them one question before a word was read4 ,i should like you1 too1 to think about it1 and try to give an answer2 for my question-- ,why is the ,bible different from any other book8 concerns you as well as the children of whom ,i asked it4 ,they all said at once that the ,bible is different from every other book in the world because it is ,god's ,book4 ,yes1 that is the great difference2 the ,bible is ,god's own ,book1 in which ,he has spoken to us ,his own words1 and it is the only ,book in the world which tells us all the truth4 ,how wonderful it is to think of this1 that every child who can read1 and has a little ,bible of his own1 can learn what ,god has said6 ,will you try to remember when you open that beautiful ,bible1 which was given you on your birthday1 that there ,god is speaking--speaking to you just as much as if you were the only person in the world8 ,if you think of this it will make you very still and quiet1 that you may hear what ,he says to you4 ,when we say that ,god has spoken to us1 we mean that long ago ,he told those holy men whom ,he allowed to write ,his ,book exactly how ,he would have them write4 ,when you read in your ,bible1 you do not read what ,moses and ,david wrote out of their own minds4 ,god gave them ,his words to write for ,him1 so that we might know for certain1 not what they thought ,god meant them to say1 but what ,he really did say4 ,do you understand this8 ,perhaps not quite2 so ,i will tell you a story to make it plainer4 ,i know a boy who is very fond of running errands1 and a very useful boy he is4 ,if ,i give him a message he is off like a shot1 and back again with the answer almost before ,i know that he has gone4 ,so willing and quick a messenger is ,willie1 that it is a pleasure to send him anywhere4 ,but there is just one thing that has sometimes hindered him from being a really good messenger4 ,can you guess what it is8 ,you will soon find out if you remember that1 besides being willing and quick1 a messenger must deliver the exact message entrusted to him4 ,he must give it just as it was given to him if he would deliver it faithfully4 ,now ,willie prefers to give his messages in his own way1 and so1 although he is willing and quick1 he cannot always be relied on as a faithful messenger4 ,one day1 when his mother said ,willie1 run to the nursery and give ,nurse a message for me1 the little boy hardly waited to hear what the message was1 but ran upstairs as fast as his feet could carry him4 ,very quickly back he came and went on with his play--,i think he was just then building a fine house with wooden bricks4 ,now1 as the message was an important one1 his mother wished to be quite sure that it had been correctly delivered2 so presently she said1 ,what did ,willie say to ,nurse8 ,the right thing1 said he1 going on with his building1 quite unconscious that this was not enough for his mother1 who must know exactly what ,willie had told ,nurse1 or go upstairs to see whether she was doing what she had desired her to do4 ,you understand now1 ,i am sure1 that we could not be quite certain that we had ,god's message--and the ,bible is a message or letter from ,god to us--we could not be sure that we had it right1 if we did not know that ,he had given it to us in ,his own way and in ,his own words4 ,so1 then1 our question is answered4 ,the ,bible is different from any other book because it is ,god's ,book1 in which ,he speaks to us4 ,now ,i am going to ask you one more question4 ,if it is ,god who is speaking1 and if ,he speaks to you1 what must you do8 ,you must listen1 not only with your eyes1 when you read the words1 or with your ears1 when someone reads to you1 but with your heart4 ,do you remember what we are told in the ,bible about a child to whom ,god once spoke8 ,it was in the night that this boy heard ,god's voice calling him by his own name--the name which his mother had given him when he was a baby4 ,samuel had never heard the voice of ,god before1 and he did not know who was speaking to him in the quiet night4 ,but he did what he was told to do by one who knew that ,god was calling him1 and the next time the voice came he answered1 ,speak1 for ,thy servant heareth4 ,then1 when ,god spoke again1 he listened to the message which ,god gave him to give for ,him4 ,how near ,god was to this child6 ,yes1 ,he was very near to ,samuel as he slept2 but ,he is as near to you1 as you lie in your own bed at home4 ,he keeps you safely all through the dark night3 when you cannot even think about yourself ,he thinks about you and cares for you2 and ,he speaks to you by ,his ,holy ,word just as much as if ,he called you by your own name4 ,do not forget that it is really true that when you take ,god's ,book into your hands1 and open it1 and listen with your heart1 ,god is near you and speaks to you1 your own self4 ,for this reason1 when we read the ,bible1 as the children said1 ,we must attend1 or we shall not know what ,god has said4 ,and for another reason1 too1 we must attend3 that is1 because it is ,god who is speaking4 ,god's ,word is the only thing in this world that is quite sure2 but it is1 because it has come straight from ,him1 and ,he is the ,god of truth4 ,god's ,word can never pass away2 for ,he has said that it endures for ever4 ,god's ,word can speak1 even to a child1 and can make that child wise unto salvation1 through faith which is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,for it is of ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 that ,god has spoken to us in ,his book4 ,i think you will like this poem1 which speaks of a time when the ,bible was not only a rare1 but in most countries a forbidden book1 bought in secret1 and read in fear by those to whom it became all the more precious because it cost them so dear4 ,we are told that at this time the actual cost of a ,bible was #cj1 and that the wages of a labouring man were only #a-a_/b;d4 a day2 so that he would have to work fifteen years to pay for one copy of the ,word of ,god6 ,,the ,,vaudois ,,teacher4 ',oh1 lady fair1 these silks of mine ,are beautiful and rare2 ,the richest web of the ,indian loom1 ,which beauty's queen might wear4 ,and my pearls are pure as thine own fair neck1 ,with whose radiant light they vie2 ,i have brought them with me a weary way-- ,will my gentle lady buy8' ,and the lady smiled on the worn old man ,through the dark and clustering curls ,which veiled her brow1 as she bent to view ,his silks and glittering pearls2 ,and she placed their price in the old man's hand1 ,and lightly turned away2 ,but she paused at the wanderer's earnest call-- ',my gentle lady1 stay6' ',oh1 lady fair1 ,i have yet a gem ,which a purer lustre flings ,than the diamond flash of the jewelled crown ,on the lofty brow of kings3 ,a wonderful pearl of exceeding price1 ,whose virtue shall not decay2 ,whose light shall be as a spell to thee1 ,and a blessing on thy way6' ,the lady glanced at the mirroring steel1 ,where her form of grace was seen1 ,where her eye shone clear and her dark locks waved ,their clasping pearls between-- ',bring forth thy pearl of exceeding worth1 ,thou traveller grey and old2 ,then name the price of thy precious gem1 ,and my page shall count the gold4' ,the cloud went off from the pilgrim's brow1 ,as a small and meagre book1 ,unchased with gold or gem of cost1 ,prom his folding robe he took2 ',here1 lady fair1 is the pearl of price3 ,may it prove as such to thee2 ,nay1 keep thy gold2 ,i ask it not1 ,for the ,word of ,god is free4' ,the hoary traveller went his way1 ,but the gift he left behind ,hath had its pure and perfect work ,on that high-born maiden's mind2 ,and she hath turned from the pride of sin ,to the lowliness of truth1 ,and given her human heart to ,god ,in its beautiful hour of youth4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,whittier ,,in ,,the ,,beginning3 ,,creation ,thou1 ,lord1 in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth2 and the heavens are the works of ,thine hands3 they shall perish2 but ,thou remainest4--,,hebrews i4 #aj4 ,to-day let us talk a little about the very first words which ,god has spoken to us in ,his ,book4 ,you would like to find them in your own ,bible1 ,i daresay4 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth4 ,and we will find one other verse1 because it is the first verse of a chapter which also speaks of the beginning4 ,doth not wisdom cry8 and understanding put forth her voice8 7,prov4 viii4 #a74 ,now that we have read these verses2 ,i must tell you that ,ernest and ,chris and ,charlotte and ,may used each to learn a verse for me every day1 and say them in turn2 indeed1 they usually said two verses1 for ,i liked them always to repeat along with the new verse the one they had said the day before1 in order that they might not forget it4 ,i am glad to tell you that the verses were generally learned so perfectly1 and repeated so distinctly1 that it was quite a pleasure to hear them2 for even little ,may knew that if we repeat anything from ,god's ,book we must be careful not to put in any words of our own4 ,if we did1 we should be like ,willie1 giving the message in our own way1 should we not8 ,then1 every one of ,god's words must be remembered1 and none left out2 not even a little word like and or the1 which perhaps would not very much matter if we were repeating merely what men had said4 ,perhaps you may think this chapter about ,wisdom was a difficult chapter for my boys and girls to learn1 and not so interesting as some of those which you know4 ,i will tell you the reason why ,i especially wished them to learn it2 but ,i will first ask you to find in the ,new ,testament three verses which also tell us of the beginning-- ,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god4 ,the same was in the beginning with ,god4 ,all things were made by ,him2 and without ,him was not anything made that was made 7,john i4 #a-c74 ,the ,word is one of the names of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is a beautiful and wonderful name4 ,suppose you have been playing with something that has made your hands very dirty1 and mother says1 ,come to me1 dear1 and ,i will make them clean4 ,through mother's words you know what is in her heart2 you know that she loves you1 and wants you to be with her1 and fit to be with her4 ,so it is through the ,word1 the ,one who was with ,god in the beginning1 the ,one by whom everything was made1 that ,god has spoken to us so that we may know ,his thoughts about sin1 which made us unfit to be with ,him1 and ,his feelings towards the men and women in the world1 who are ,his creatures1 and yet have tried to find happiness away from ,him4 ,but it was because the chapter1 which my elder scholars were learning1 speaks of the ,lord ,jesus by another wonderful and beautiful name that ,i wished them to learn it4 ,he is called ,wisdom not only in the ,old ,testament1 where we are told in other verses of the same chapter 7,prov4 viii47 that ,he was from the beginning with ,god 7vv4 #bb-ca71 but also in a letter which the apostle ,paul wrote to some clever people who lived in ,greece long ago he speaks of ,him as the power of ,god and the wisdom of ,god 7#a ,cor4 i4 #bd74 ,i can remember that we had a good deal of talk after we had read the verse1 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth--those few words1 so quickly read1 in which ,god has told us what the wisest man of all the wise men who ever lived could not have found out for us2 for ,god alone can speak about what ,he did so very long ago1 before the sun shone1 or the grass and the trees grew1 or the birds sang in the branches1 or lambs played in the fields4 ,did you ever think1 as you watched the great sun going down behind the crimson clouds1 that there was a day1 long1 long ago1 when that sun1 in all its glory1 set for the first time8 ,i daresay you never thought of the beginning of the sun1 or of the first time that it set1 but were just pleased to see the sky so red and glowing1 and sorry when the beautiful sunset colours faded and the clouds became cold and grey4 ,or perhaps1 as you have shaded your eyes from his noonday splendour1 you may have remembered that it was ,god in heaven who made that wonderful sun to light up the sky1 and that he has been shining down upon this earth ever since2 but did you ever stop to ask such a question as this-- ,how long has that great sun1 which is now above my head1 been shining in the sky8 ,or1 again1 as he passed in glory out of sight1 ,how many beautiful sunsets have there been since he first began to rule the day and to rise in the east and set in the west8 ,ah6 so long a time that no thought of ours could measure it2 so many sunsets that we could never count them4 ,all we can know about it is that there was a time1 long1 long ago1 when the sun first set and a time when he rose upon the earth1 which was then so beautiful--fresh from the hand of ,god4 ,this world of ours is a very old world1 but there was a time when all was new2 not only the sun and moon1 but all that you see around you had a beginning--a birthday4 ,there was a time when no such things were1 and there was a time when they began to be4 ,now it is about this beginning that ,i want you to think a little4 ,illustration3 ,,how ,,pleasant ,,the ,,life ,,of ,a ,,bird ,,must ,,be6 ,as we open our eyes to-morrow morning and see the light come in at the window1 let us thank ,god that ,he has made ,his sun to shine upon us1 to send away the darkness and bring a new day4 ,and as the light grows and grows1 and we lie awake and listen to the morning songs of the thrushes and blackbirds and the chatter of the sparrows1 do not let us forget that ,god gave its own sweet note to every one of those warblers1 and that the air has been full of the songs of birds ever since the day1 so long ago1 when the first little lark flew up1 up1 up into the blue sky and sang its first song1 so full of gladness4 ,then1 as the pleasant sound of the lambs1 bleating after their mothers1 comes to us from the fields1 let us remember there was a day when that sound1 which you know so well1 was heard for the first time2 and as we go for our walk and look around us at the green fields and the trees with their leaves and blossoms1 and then far away to where the strong mountains lift their heads against the sky1 let us say to ourselves1 ,all these things1 which seem as if they had been there always1 had a beginning2 there was a time when there were none of them1 and then there came a time when they were there1 for ,god had made them to be4 ,while we were talking about this1 the elder children and ,i1 the little boys were very quiet2 but ,i was afraid it was all rather difficult for them1 so ,i asked ,leslie and ,dick to tell me what we mean when we speak of the beginning of anything4 ,i forget whether ,i got the answer from them or from one of the elder ones1 but ,i know ,i thought it a good answer when somebody said1 ,the beginning of a thing is the first of it4 ,then we spoke about the beginning of the table at which we were sitting--,i suppose we chose that to talk about because it was so close to us--how it was made of wood1 and the wood was once a tree2 and if it was an oak1 that giant tree must have been long1 long ago only a tiny acorn in its pretty green cup4 ,each of those children1 too1 as they sat round the table1 had had a beginning4 ,have you ever thought of this8 ,there was a time1 not so very long ago1 and yet you cannot remember it1 when your life had not begun4 ,and then your birthday came1 the first of all the birthdays2 that day when your dear father and mother thanked ,god for giving you to them to love and take care of1 and everyone at home was so glad because ,god had sent a little child to the house2 someone who had never been there before4 ,just think1 you were that little child2 only a tiny thing1 but as you opened your baby eyes to the light1 and stretched out your little clasping fingers1 your first cry1 and every movement of your little body1 showed that you were alive4 ,then1 by-and-by1 the nurse said1 ,hush1 baby is asleep6 and everyone moved about softly1 so as not to wake the little creature1 who had not been there yesterday1 the baby whose life had just begun1 the little traveller who had just started on its journey through time to the great eternity beyond4 ,but you knew nothing about this2 only your mother knew1 as she watched you in your sleep1 that one more tiny vessel had been launched upon that stream which flows on1 on1 till it meets the ocean which has no shore--the time which never ends4 ,i remember1 a very long time ago1 how fond ,i used to be of making boats4 ,not far from where ,i lived a real ship was being built1 and ,i used to watch how it was made1 and think that when ,i grew up ,i should like above all things to be a shipwright1 for ,i had heard someone say that was the name of the man who was building this beautiful vessel4 ,of course1 the boats which my brother and ,i used to make were only toy boats--we generally made them of paper--but however small they were1 we were very particular to give each of them at least three tall masts4 ,then1 when it came to sailing them1 we had to be content with any water we could find1 and generally these three-masted vessels made very short voyages1 from one side of a big tub to the other2 and though1 by rocking the tub1 we used to manage to make pretty stormy weather for them1 they generally reached the end of their voyage in safety4 ,it was quite another thing when we set our vessels afloat upon what we thought a real river1 like the ,thames or the ,severn2 but it was only a brown stream1 which1 ran along the bottom of a meadow1 and was crossed1 not by a bridge1 but by stepping-stones4 ,sometimes1 on a lovely day in ,june1 we were allowed to go down to our river1 and we used to sit for hours among the flags which grew beside it1 hidden by the tall reeds and the yellow flowers1 making little green boats out of the broad leaves of the flags1 while the sound of ,cuckoo1 cuckoo came from the orchard close by4 ,when we had made as many boats as we could carry1 each with a curly-whirly bit of a leaf for its sail1 we used to balance ourselves carefully on the stones--for we knew that if we got wet we should not be allowed to go to our river again--and launch our little fleet1 one by one1 on the brown water1 and then eagerly watch each green vessel upon its course4 ,we wanted them to sail across to the other side2 but ,i need not tell you that the river water was very far from being so calm as the water in the tub1 and ,i do not think many got safely over4 ,one little boat would start off very straight1 and then suddenly stop because it had run against some hidden rock2 the greater number1 in spite of all our efforts to steer them1 would get into the current1 and so be carried down the stream out of our sight2 while some at once turned on their sides1 got filled with water1 and became dismal wrecks4 ,i can remember well how happy we were in spite of all such disasters and losses6 ,but we should have been surprised indeed in those days if anyone had told us1 as we launched our boats1 and watched them sail away from land--to ,america or ,india1 or any of those far-away places where we used to pretend they were going--that we were like those boats of ours4 ,and yet it would have been true1 for we too had been launched2 the voyage of life had begun for us2 and every birthday that came found us a little farther from the place from whence we had started--a little nearer to the end of the voyage1 the place whither we were bound4 ,yes1 in this sense you and ,i and all the people in the world are voyagers on the stream of time4 ,but this voyage of our life--how long will it be8 ,that is one of the things which no one can tell4 ,god alone knows4 ,in one sense the story of your life may be soon told2 your little voyage down the stream of time may be very short1 and your boat may reach the great ocean of eternity before many birthdays have come and gone4 ,but in another sense it is a story without an end2 and this is what makes your beginning such a great thing to think of4 ,it is a beginning which has no end2 the part of you which is most really yourself1 must live on always4 ,you can never stop living for one moment2 for there is on board your little boat a wonderful passenger4 ,god has put into you a living soul1 which can never die4 ,but how soon ,god may call that soul back to ,himself1 away from the body1 where it lives now1 who can tell8 ,i am just now thinking of some young voyagers whose passage from time to eternity was indeed short1 but the story is so sad that ,i could not tell you about it if ,i did not remember what the ,lord ,jesus once said1 when ,he was teaching ,his disciples4 ,he called a little child to ,him1 and began to speak to them about such little children1 and one of the things which ,he said was this1 ,the ,son of man is come to save that which was lost 7,matt4 xviii4 #aa74 ,and again ,he said 7you will find this verse in the same chapter71 ,it is not the will of your ,father which is in heaven1 that one of these little ones should perish4 ,since even the very little children have gone astray from ,god1 so that the ,lord ,jesus spoke of them as lost and perishing1 how could ,i tell you this story1 if the ,lord from heaven1 ,he who called ,himself the ,son of man when ,he was here in this world1 had not come to save that which was lost8 ,this is the sad1 true story3 ,it was on a beautiful ,monday morning1 in the bright ,june weather1 that the scholars belonging to a large ,sunday-school in ,ireland were travelling with their teachers and friends from the town where they lived to spend the day at a lovely place by the seaside4 ,how proud and happy they were1 all these boys and girls1 as they marched through the town waving their flags and singing1 and how much they had to say about the grand time they were going to have6 ,you may be sure they liked a long holiday out of doors1 with games and races1 and buns and oranges1 as much as you do1 and so they got into the train in high glee4 ,but that train never reached the lovely place at the seaside4 ,before it had gone very far on its way there was a dreadful accident2 some of the carriages were crushed and broken1 as if they had been matchboxes1 and many of those bright boys and girls were killed all in a moment--the short voyage of their life was over2 oh1 how soon6 ,by-and-by some doctors came hurrying to the place where the ruined train lay1 and began to look about to find those who might not be dead1 only hurt4 ,it was a sad sight they saw1 and one they can never forget4 ,while they were busy1 giving help here and there1 someone noticed two little ones1 sitting on the green bank1 beside the wreck of the train4 ,a doctor went up to see if they were hurt4 ,no1 they were picking the daisies which grew among the grass2 they were too young to understand what a dreadful thing had happened4 ,were you in the train1 my dears8 said the kind doctor4 ,yes1 said a little girl of six years old1 we were in the train1 and she was too1 and she pointed to where another child lay quite still upon the grass2 not picking daisies--no1 she could not speak or move1 she was dead4 ,put your finger on your wrist1 and keep very still for a moment4 ,listen4 ,you feel something1 do you not8 ,something alive1 and it goes beat1 beat2 one1 two1 three1 like the ticking of a watch4 ,as long as you live1 that tick1 tick will go on2 but for this little girl it had stopped1 because her heart had ceased to beat4 ,when the doctor put his hand upon her wrist1 he could feel nothing moving there4 ,she is quite dead1 he said1 as he took her body up from the grass that it might be carried back to her home1 the home which she had left that morning1 so happy and gay4 ,at the ,sunday-school these children had been taught about the wondrous1 glorious ,saviour1 of whom you sometimes sing1 and we may believe that the spirit of this dear child1 redeemed to ,god by the precious blood of ,christ1 went straight from that wrecked train to spend its long for ever with the ,one who had loved her and given ,himself for her2 and that ,god1 who takes care of the poor little body which was laid low in the grave with many a sad tear1 will raise it in glory1 one day1 when death is swallowed up in victory4 ,but there were not only very little children in that wrecked train4 ,we are told of a boy who was terribly hurt1 but lived an hour after the crash came4 ,as he lay by the wayside1 a young girl with a pitiful heart came and knelt beside him4 ,i will pray you up to heaven1 she whispered4 ,i am going there6 said the dying boy2 ,lord ,jesus take me1 ,i am ready4 ,of another his poor mother said-- ,i asked him before he started--',well1 dear1 have you committed yourself to your heavenly ,father8' ',yes1 mother1 ,i have1' he said4 ,so ,i gave him my blessing and sent him off1 and that was the last time ,i ever saw him alive4 ,these boys did not think as they left their homes that morning that they would never return1 but they had learned to know the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as their own ,saviour1 and so when danger and death came1 they were ready to leave this world and go to ,him3 their boats were not wrecked2 they sailed right into port4 ,and now that we are coming to the end of our lesson for to-day1 let us think back1 and see if we can remember what it is all about1 and then we will mark the subjects 7a71 7b71 7c71 7d71 to help us to keep them in mind4 ,the subjects were-- 7a7 ,that very far away time which ,god speaks of as the beginning4 7b7 ,it is ,god alone who can tell us about this time4 7c7 ,god1 who made all that has a beginning1 ,himself had no beginning4 ,this means that there never was a time1 no matter how long ago1 when ,god was not4 ,if you think back1 back1 even to the time when there was no sky1 no earth1 no great ocean1 you can never come to a time when there was no ,god4 7d7 ,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god4 ,the same was in the beginning with ,god4 ,the ,word is one of the names of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who came to this world that ,he might show us how very much ,god ,his ,father loves us1 and who could say1 ,he that hath seen ,me hath seen the ,father4 ,for ,he who was once born a little child in this world and laid in the manger at ,bethlehem1 and who grew up in the home of ,joseph and ,mary at ,nazareth1 is the ,same who was in the beginning with ,god1 for ,he was ,god4 ,this is what ,god has told us about ,his great ,eternity1 when ,time1 with its days and weeks and months and years1 had not begun4 ,,time ,,and ,,eternity4 ,how long sometimes a day appears6 ,and weeks1 how long are they6 ,months move as slow as if the years ,would never pass away4 ,it seems a long1 long time ago ,that ,i was taught to read2 ,and since ,i was a babe1 ,i know ',tis very long indeed4 ,days1 months1 and years are passing by1 ,and soon will all be gone2 ,and day by day1 as minutes fly1 ,eternity comes on4 ,days1 months and years must have an end2 ,eternity has none4 ',twill always have as long to spend ,as when it first begun4 ,great ,god6 no finite mind can tell ,how much a thing can be3 ,i only pray that ,i may dwell ,that long1 long time with ,thee4 ,,jane ,,taylor4 ,,ruin ,,and ,,darkness4 ,through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of ,god1 so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear4--,,hebrews xi4 #c4 ,whatsoever the ,lord pleased1 that did ,he in heaven1 and in earth1 in the seas1 and all deep places4--,,psalm cxxxv4 #f4 ,there are three words which ,god has used to tell us about ,his work which we call ,the ,creation4 ,we read1 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth4 ,and ,god made two great lights4 ,and the ,lord ,god formed man4 ,created1 made1 formed1 these are the words2 and it is of the first of them we shall speak a little to-day4 ,before my children came1 ,i had been thinking how ,i could make it plain to the little ones that there is a very great difference between being able to create and being able to make anything4 ,it happened that when they came in they were all talking so fast1 of something which had greatly delighted them1 that it was some time before ,i could find out what it was all about4 ,at last ,sharley told me that as they were racing along with their hoops a strange dog had followed them1 and rubbed his nose against their hands1 wanting to make friends with them4 ,we are quite sure it is nobody's dog1 she said2 or at any rate it is a dog that has lost its master1 and has no home now4 ,so after lessons we are going to call it1 and get it to follow us home4 ,it is waiting for us outside the door this minute4 ,and ,i am going to make a kennel for it1 said ,ernest1 who was very fond of sawing and hammering away in the shed behind1 the house1 and wished to be a carpenter1 when he grew up2 at least1 ,i am going to try1 and ,i think ,i can4 ,i may as well tell you at once that this little stray dog soon got tired of waiting1 outside the door4 ,when lessons were over1 and the children went to look1 no doggie was to be found2 and as they did not know his name it was not easy to call him4 ,i have no doubt he found his own master and his own home again1 and was much better off there than he would have been in the best kennel ,ernest could have made1 with seven boys and girls to take him for a walk every day4 ,however that may be1 ,i tell you of this dog because it was while ,ernest was talking about making a house for it that ,i was saying to myself1 ,i wonder whether this plan of ,ernest's about making a kennel will help them to understand1 what ,i so much want them to learn1 about the difference which there is between the words make and create4 ,first of all ,i had to tell them not to talk any more just then1 but to repeat their verses4 ,then we read--more than once--for ,leslie and ,dick would not have liked to miss their turn1 and there were not enough verses for each to read one--what ,god has told us in the first five verses of ,his book4 ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth4 ,and the earth was without form1 and void2 and darkness was upon the face of the deep4 ,and the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be light3 and there was light4 ,and ,god saw the light1 that it was good3 and ,god divided the light from the darkness4 ,and ,god called the light ,day1 and the darkness ,he called ,night4 ,and the evening and the morning were the first day4 ,when we had finished ,i asked ,chrissie what it means when we read that ,god created the heaven and the earth4 ,why is the word created used8 ,would any other word have done instead of that one8 ,chrissie said no other word would do1 because to create means to make out of nothing4 ,he was right1 was he not8 ,the next question was1 ,why is create a word which can never be used except when we are speaking of ,god8 ,i don't know who answered1 but someone gave the right reason--,because only ,god can make a thing be when there was nothing before it2 nothing to make it out of4 ,this seems quite plain1 does it not8 ,but do you know there was once a boy1 who did not believe that he could not create things until he had tried to make something out of nothing1 and found that only nothing came4 ,he was quite sure he could create anything if he only told it to come2 so at last his teacher said1 ,you had better try4 ,he was only a very little boy1 so he thought he would try1 and up he got and stood as straight as he could on his chair1 while he said with a loud voice1 ,fishes1 be6 ,perhaps it was a good thing that this boy should thus prove for himself that it is only ,god who can create anything2 only ,god of whom it could be said1 ,he spake1 and it was done4 ,i did not tell this little story to the children1 but ,i said to ,leslie1 ,you heard ,ernest say just now that he was going to make a kennel for your stray doggie2 do you think he could make one8 ,leslie thought perhaps he might if he worked very hard2 and then ,i asked them all whether1 if he worked very hard1 day and night1 for a long1 long time1 ,ernest could create a kennel8 ,no1 indeed he could not4 ,he never could1 no matter how hard he worked4 ,everybody was sure of this2 for even little ,dick quite understood that if the cleverest and handiest boy in the world were told that he must make a box1 he could not even begin to make the commonest box unless he had something given him to make it out of1 and something too to make it with4 ,he would need wood1 they said1 and nails1 and a hammer and saw2 and if it were to be a nice box1 to last long1 he would want paint1 and a lock and key1 and hinges2 and if he wished everyone to know that it was his own box1 he must mark it with his name when it was finished4 ,now ,i am sure you quite understand that this word created1 which you find in the very first verse of your ,bible1 is a word which you must not forget to notice whenever it is used1 because it is a wonderful word1 which can be used only in speaking of ,god1 the ,creator1 and of the ,son of ,god1 by whom and for whom all the things that we can see1 and all that we cannot see1 were created2 and in whose power they stand together4 ,now ,i want you to read again very carefully the verses which we have read1 and to notice that we have only one verse to tell us what ,god did at the beginning2 this one verse explains that it was then that ,he created the heaven and the earth4 ,this is all that ,god has told us1 and it is just what we need to know2 for how could we ever have found out by what means this earth of ours came into being1 at the very first1 if ,god had not been pleased to tell us that ,he created it8 ,but what a happy thing it is just to listen to the account which ,god ,himself gives us1 telling how the heaven and the earth came into being6 ,one who simply receives ,god's word into his heart will understand more than the cleverest man who ever lived1 who tries by his own mind to search into the beginning of things1 and to account for all that we now see around us by any other way4 ,we read1 ,by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of ,god4 ,faith does not wait till it sees1 but believes what ,god says1 because ,he says it4 ,we may say that we cannot understand what creation is1 but we can find rest for our restless thoughts by saying ,yes to all that ,god has told us--and the very first line of ,his ,book explains all that we need to know about1 how the heaven and the earth came into being1 when it tells us that ,god created them in the beginning4 ,we read next1 ,and the earth was without form and void4 ,we are not told in the verse which follows anything more about the heaven2 that means the vast universe of which our earth is but a tiny part2 but of the earth we read two things which are very surprising1 when we think of what it is like now3 ,without form and void--what does that mean8 ,after ,i had explained to the elder children that these words1 which are used to describe the earth1 mean that it was waste and desolate and without order1 we looked for a verse in the ,new ,testament which tells us that ,god is not the author of confusion 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #cc72 and then we spoke about how we can be quite sure that the earth1 which is part of ,god's creation1 was not in disorder1 not a waste and desolate place in the beginning2 and we found in the ,old ,testament this other verse3 ,for thus saith the ,lord that created the heavens2 ,god ,himself that formed the earth and made it2 ,he hath established it1 ,he created it not in vain1 ,he formed it to be inhabited2 ,i am the ,lord2 and there is none else 7,isaiah xlv4 #ah74 ,the reason why we found this verse was because ,i wanted to show ,sharley and ,chris and ,ernest that there the same word is used about the earth as in the verse in ,genesis of which we had just been speaking4 ,the words in vain are the same which were there translated without form by the people who turned the ,hebrew1 in which most of the ,old ,testament was first written1 into ,english1 that we might be able to read it4 ,so you see how very important words are1 and learn that when ,god tells us in one part of ,his ,book that ,he created the earth not without form1 and in another part that it was 7or became7 without form1 the state of the earth as it is described in the second verse of the first chapter of ,genesis was different from its condition when ,god created it in the beginning4 ,between these two verses1 so close together in your ,bible1 ages upon ages may have run their course2 a distance of time may have passed so great that we cannot measure it by any thoughts of ours4 ,what happened between the time1 which ,god calls the beginning1 the time of the earth's creation1 and that time when what ,he created had become waste and desolate1 we do not know4 ,what this earth was like1 when ,god first created it1 we do not know4 ,how the plants and animals1 which now lie buried deep beneath the ground upon which we tread1 and shut up within the rocks1 lived and died1 we do not know4 ,how confusion and desolation came1 we do not know4 ,and why do we not know8 ,because ,god has not told us4 ,people have thought a great deal about it1 and they say that upon the earth itself may be read1 as in a book1 marks of the many changes which it went through during that far1 far away time2 but what we have to remember is that ,god does not tell us anything about it in ,his ,book2 it is with the days and weeks and years of ,time and the from everlasting to everlasting of ,his great ,eternity1 about which ,he does speak to us1 that we have to do4 ,god speaks to us1 the inhabitants of the earth1 of what it concerns us to know--and the first thing we learn about this earth upon which we live is that it was created by ,him4 ,the next thing that we learn is that the earth which ,he had formed to be inhabited was without form and void1 and darkness was upon the face of the deep4 ,this was the state of the earth which ,god had created1 when ,he began the work of ,his wonderful ,days1 and brought what had become a scene of desolation into order and beauty1 a place prepared for men to dwell in4 ,and now there is one more verse to find1 because it speaks about those ,,six ,,days in which ,god made 7not created7 the heaven and the earth4 ,in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is4 7,exodus xx4 #aa47 ,how wonderful it is1 is it not8 that ,god should tell us so much about ,his work6 ,he might have made everything in a moment1 by one word1 but ,he was pleased to take all these ,days1 and to tell us about the wonderful things which he made upon each of them1 and at the end of them all we read-- ,and ,god saw everything that ,he had made1 and1 behold it was not waste and desolate any more1 but very good4 ,i wish that ,i could look over your shoulder as you are reading1 and ask you whether there is anything you want to have explained4 ,ah1 well6 ,i cannot1 and1 perhaps1 if ,i could ,i should not explain to you nearly so well as father or mother would4 ,only be sure you ask questions1 if there is anything you do not understand1 that you may have it made plain to you4 ,i once told my children about a little girl ,i knew1 who very much wanted to know things1 but sometimes she went on ever so long without knowing1 just because she was too proud to ask2 she could not bear for people to find out that she did not know all that she thought a child of her age ought to know4 ,but children of any age cannot know things without being taught1 and so it came to pass that this child grew to be quite a big girl without knowing how to tell the time4 ,once1 when her mother said1 ,run and tell me what o'clock it is1 ,lucy ran off as quickly as if she knew all about it1 and then she stood at the foot of the stairs and looked at the clock1 and wondered why one hand was still and the other moved1 and how grown-up people knew what time it was by just looking at their watches for half a minute4 ,before she had found out any of these puzzling things1 all at once ,lucy heard her mother's voice calling1 ,lucy1 ,lucy1 and she ran back to her in a great hurry4 ,when asked why she had been so long1 this poor1 proud child made some excuse4 ,and then--,i am ashamed to tell it1 but it only shows what becomes of pretending to know1 instead of asking to be taught--she told her mother what she guessed would be about the right time4 ,her mother never thought she had been deceiving her2 but ,lucy went back to her play with a very heavy heart1 and a miserable feeling of how naughty she had been1 and how ,god knew all about it2 and this was not the last time that the wish to be thought clever--so clever as not to need to be taught like other children1 but to be able to find things out for herself--brought her into sad trouble4 ,after having heard the story of ,lucy and the clock1 my children knew how much ,i like them to ask questions1 and were sure that ,i would answer them if ,i could2 and so ,sharley asked me about something which she could not understand4 ,when ,god created the heaven and the earth1 did ,he create the angels too8 she said4 ,were there angels in the beginning8 ,now the first part of ,sharley's question ,i could not answer4 ,i could only say about it1 ,we do not know1 because ,god has not told us4 ,remember always1 that when ,god does tell you a thing you must believe it1 just because it is ,god who has said it2 and it is only by believing what ,god tells you that you can understand it4 ,but when you are quite sure that ,god has not told you about something which you would like to know1 you must never try to guess at it1 or make up something about it out of your own head4 ,our thoughts and fancies may seem very pretty1 and please us very much2 but we are quite sure to be wrong when we try to peep at what ,god has not shown us in the wonderful glass of ,his word4 ,but there is an answer to the last part of ,sharley's question1 and she found it in the ,book of ,job4 ,when ,god was taking a great deal of pains to teach ,job not to think himself wise or good--really not to think of himself at all--,he asked him a great many questions which ,job could not answer4 ,this was one of the questions3 ,where wast thou when ,i laid the foundations of the earth8 declare1 if thou hast understanding4444 ,when the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy8 7,job xxxviii4 #d-g74 ,from this question1 which the ,lord asked ,job1 we know that at the world's birthday1 when its foundations were laid1 angels were there1 rejoicing in ,god's works1 though we do not know when these sons of ,god were created4 ,angels are happy1 blessed creatures2 they are ,god's messengers1 who excel in strength and do ,his commandments1 hearkening unto the voice of ,his word4 ,all we are told about angels is very beautiful4 ,when the ,lord ,jesus was born1 you know it was an angel who brought to the shepherds of ,bethlehem1 as they watched their flocks1 the good tidings of great joy1 that to them was born a ,saviour1 ,christ the ,lord4 ,how glad he must have been to fly with such a wonderful message6 ,and how the multitude of the heavenly host must have rejoiced as they praised ,god1 saying1 ,glory to ,god in the highest1 and on earth peace1 good will toward men 7,luke ii4 #ad74 ,it is beautiful to see that angels rejoiced at the world's birthday1 and also at the birth of ,him who is the ,saviour of the world4 ,and there is joy in the presence of the angels of ,god--the ,lord ,jesus ,himself has told us of this--whenever anyone is sorry for his sins and turns to ,him4 ,and there is another thing very beautiful to think of about the angels4 ,they are ,god's ministers1 or servants1 who do ,his pleasure in serving ,his children here in this world2 taking care of them1 because they are so precious to ,him4 ,i want you to find the verse which tells us about this ministry of angels1 and then ,i will not ask you to look for any more references to-day4 ,it is at the end of a chapter in the epistle to the ,hebrews4 ,are they not all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation8 7,hebrews i4 #ad74 ,remember that in the ,bible the word minister means servant1 and so to minister means to serve4 ,and we must not forget that in the last book of the ,bible we read of a new song2 which no angel can sing1 for it is known only by the great multitude of the redeemed2 and though it will be sung in heaven1 it is learnt on earth4 ,angels may join in the mighty chorus of praise to which every creature will add its voice--but it is those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of ,christ who will lead that song and say1 ,thou are worthy1 for ,thou wast slain1 and hast redeemed to ,god by ,thy blood out of every kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation4 ,how much is told us in the first three verses of ,god's ,book8 ,we have read that this earth1 now so full of beauty1 was once waste and desolate2 there was no life there1 and no light--for darkness was upon the face of the deep4 ,how long this state of ruin continued we do not know2 but the next thing we are told is very solemn and wonderful--the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,then1 in the next verse we read1 and ,god said4 ,the ,spirit of ,god and the word of ,god are spoken of together here1 where we read of ,his mighty working in the past in bringing the earth out of ruin and darkness into light and life and beauty2 and it is by ,his word and ,his ,spirit that the soul is turned from darkness to light1 and is born again--born of ,god--now4 ,so that ,god has given us here a picture or type from which we can learn2 but ,i hope to tell you a little more about this another time4 ,just now ,i should like you to look for a very beautiful verse 7,deut4 xxxii4 #aa7 which compares the care of ,god for ,his chosen ,people to that of the eagle for her young2 because the word there translated fluttereth is the same which in the second verse of the ,bible is translated moved1 as we read1 the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters4 ,it is that ,holy ,spirit who alone can explain to us the meaning of such words1 for it is written1 ,the things of ,god knoweth no man1 but the ,spirit of ,god4 ,songs of praise the angels sang1 ,heaven with hallelujahs rang1 ,when ,jehovah's work begun1 ,when ,he spake and it was done4 ,songs of praise awoke the morn ,when the ,prince of ,peace was born2 ,songs of praise arose when ,he ,captive led captivity4 ,heaven and earth must pass away1 ,songs of praise shall crown that day2 ,god will make new heavens and earth2 ,songs of praise shall hail their birth4 ,j4 ,,montgomery4 ,,the ,,first ,,day4 ,,light4 ,where is the way where light dwelleth8 and as for darkness1 where is the place thereof8--,,job xxxviii4 #ai4 ,he knoweth what is in the darkness1 and the light dwelleth with him4--,,daniel ii1 #bb4 ,god1 who commanded the light to shine out of darkness1 hath shined in our hearts1 to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of ,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ4--#b ,,cor4 iv1 #f4 ,i want you to notice1 in the beautiful verses which speak of light1 that ,god does not at first tell us anything about ,himself4 ,he speaks to us of what ,he did when in the beginning ,he created the heaven and the earth1 and of what ,he said at the time when the earth lay in darkness1 buried beneath the waters4 ,in the midst of the silence and darkness a voice was heard1 the voice of ,god1 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be light3 and there was light4 ,this we read in the first page of ,god's ,book2 but it is very near its end that ,god makes it known that the ,one who made the light1 the ,one at whose word light came from darkness1 is ,himself ,light4 ,it is ,his very ,nature4 ,god is light4 ,now we learn from ,god's ,word that there are two kinds of light1 and two kinds of darkness2 let us talk a little about this4 ,we can well understand one kind of darkness1 because we can see it3 and we know it is caused by the absence of light4 ,it grows dark when the sun1 which makes our day1 has set to us1 and the night has come to wrap us round1 as it were1 in a curtain of shade that we may sleep quietly4 ,it is dark too1 not only by night1 but all the day long in the deep caverns where the miner must carry his lamp to light up those dismal places where the sun never shines4 ,this darkness1 like that which rested upon the face of the deep before ,god spoke that word which brought the light1 is caused by there being no light1 and as soon as the light comes the darkness goes4 ,the other kind of darkness we cannot see3 it has to do1 not with places1 but with people1 and we read about it very often in the ,bible4 ,it is that dreadful kind of darkness which has come through sin1 and has settled down upon the heart of every one of us4 ,this darkness ,god sees1 and ,he speaks about it in ,his ,word4 ,we find it hard to believe that our hearts are all dark when ,god looks at them2 that ,he finds no love to ,himself there2 no bright spot anywhere2 but ,god1 who is ,light1 as ,he looks straight down to the depths of those hearts1 and sees us through and through1 has told us the truth about ourselves1 as ,he sees us4 ,you do not like darkness better than light2 the night better than the day1 do you8 ,i remember how sorry ,i used to be when night came1 and how fond ,i was of saying to myself a verse ,i had learnt1 as ,i lay awake in the early morning and watched the dawning light-- ,i saw the glorious sun arise ,far o'er yon mountain grey1 ,and as he rode upon the skies ,the darkness went away2 ,and all around me was so bright ,i wished it would be always light6 ,yes1 we naturally love the light which is so cheerful1 and shows us so plainly all the beautiful things around us4 ,but that other kind of light which shines from ,god into our hearts1 do we like it8 ,no2 one sad thing that sin has done is to make us love the dark1 because we feel as though there we could hide away from ,god4 ,we know quite well that if ,god is looking at us ,he sees us right1 just as we are1 not as we like to think we are1 and this is why we try to forget that ,he is always looking at us4 ,i know a little boy1 who had done something naughty1 and had been hiding it all day4 ,no one saw ,georgie go to the cupboard and take a piece of sugar4 ,he had eaten it1 and had gone back to his play as if nothing had happened1 before his grandmother came back into the room4 ,all day long ,georgie kept in the dark2 a darkness which could not be seen ruled in his heart--but it was a darkness that might be felt1 and which made him miserable4 ,at last when bedtime came1 and he had said good-night to his grandmother1 upstairs in his little room his aunt knelt down beside him and began to pray4 ,presently something happened which showed that ,georgie was praying really himself1 while ,auntie said the words4 ,he looked up for a moment and said softly1 ,tell ,god about that sugar4 ,and then he went to bed1 oh1 so much happier than he had been all those long hours before he had come into the light1 and told the truth about what only ,god and ,georgie himself knew--nobody else in the world6 ,but while ,i say this ,i think ,i am forgetting what we so often forget when we do wrong4 ,satan knew about it1 and he had tried all day long to keep this little boy away in the dark1 hiding from ,god1 and to make him think it was not worth while to tell the truth about such a little thing as a piece of sugar4 ,if any such thought as that comes into your heart when you have done wrong1 do not listen to it for one moment4 ,remember that the darkness and the light are both alike to ,god4 ,and now ,i want to tell you about another boy1 older than ,georgie1 who was made very unhappy by the thought that he could not get away anywhere to hide from ,god4 ,but why did ,johnny want so much to hide from ,god8 ,had he been very naughty8 ,it was not because he had done anything very naughty just then1 but because something inside him--that voice that perhaps often seems to speak deep down in your heart--spoke to him and made him afraid4 ,he did not like that ,god1 who is ,light1 should come close to him4 ,when people saw him crying1 and said kindly1 ,what is the matter1 my boy8 poor ,johnny could only say1 ,god is looking at me4 ,he had just this one thought always with him--,god was looking at him1 and ,god could see what no one else could1 the real ,johnny1 and all the secret things which he could not bear that anyone should know4 ,but had ,god only just begun to look at this boy8 ,no2 all his life long--more than twelve years1 ,i think--the eye that never sleeps had been watching him4 ,johnny had tried to hide himself behind his play and his pleasures1 and1 as he grew older1 behind his carelessness2 but now he had learnt that none of the things which may hide us from ourselves and from others1 can hide us from ,god4 ,he could only feel that ,god was looking at him1 and in this way ,johnny learned something of the meaning of the words ,god is light4 ,that is what ,god has to teach us all1 and it would be a lesson too terrible for anyone to learn1 if that were all ,god has been pleased to tell us about ,himself4 ,but there is another part of ,god's message to us1 and it was when ,johnny had learned it that he was not afraid or unhappy any more4 ,it was because ,god was looking for him that ,he allowed this boy to have that dreadful feeling that there was someone1 from whom he could not hide away1 who knew him perfectly4 ,johnny learnt this lesson1 and then ,god taught him not only that ,god is light1 but that he need not be afraid to stand1 just as he was1 in the light which shows everything1 because of this other wonderful little verse which tells us that ,god is love4 ,and so at last ,johnny learned to say to ,god what king ,david said--after he had told ,god all the truth about what he had done1 and ,god had forgiven him--,thou art my hiding-place4 ,i have heard a very wonderful thing2 but ,i believe it is true4 ,it is said of light that it conceals more than it reveals2 that there is no hiding-place like light1 if it is only bright enough2 and the brighter the light is1 the more impossible it is to find what has been hidden there6 ,i remember when ,i first saw the electric light2 it was in the middle of the night1 as the boat on board which ,i had been crossing the sea which divides ,wales from ,ireland1 came in at the pier4 ,all around1 the whole scene was lighted up2 the dark water shone1 and the people came on shore and looked for their luggage1 and took their places in the tram1 no one thinking of such a thing as a lamp1 for all was clear as daylight4 ,but this light1 bright as it was1 lighted only a very little space2 as the train moved off we left it behind us1 and hurried on into the dark night4 ,how much more wonderful is the light of the sun which shines night and day1 always giving light to some part of the world6 ,but sunlight1 moonlight1 and electric light1 all these shine upon the outside1 upon what we can see4 ,god1 who is ,light1 shines upon what is within1 upon that heart which is by nature so dark that there is not one bright spot there1 so that if ,god did not shine into it no light could ever come4 ,have you ever seen1 when the moon has been shining over the sea1 making a long1 broad pathway of brightness1 a ship1 as it sails along1 suddenly come into that bright track8 ,it is a beautiful sight2 just for one moment every mast and sail all stand out with such distinctness that you say1 ,oh1 ,i can see her now perfectly6 ,then1 while you look1 she has crossed the shining path1 and you can but just trace her dim outline1 and know that a ship is sailing there4 ,illustration3 ,,crossing ,,the ,,shining ,,path4 ,when the ,lord ,jesus ,christ was in this world ,he said1 ,as long as ,i am in the world1 ,i am the light of the world4 ,he showed people plainly that ,he knew them in a way that no one else could4 ,some people were glad2 one poor woman1 who had been in the dark all her life1 went and told everyone about ,him1 and said1 ,come1 see a man1 which told me all things that ever ,i did4 ,others could not bear that that light should show them to themselves1 so we read that one day those who had been with ,him1 went but one by one1 until they were all gone4 ,which would you rather be like--the people who went away into the darkness1 rather than be found out by the ,light1 or the one who stayed1 and heard those words she could never forget--,neither do ,i condemn thee2 go and sin no more8 ,the only way not to be afraid of the light is to come to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who has said of every one that follows ,him1 that he shall not abide in darkness1 but shall have the light of life4 ,but hiding--hiding from ,god--only means getting deeper into the dark1 farther away from ,him who is ,light4 ,now that we have spoken of these solemn and important things--things which ,i like to speak to you about1 but which ,god alone1 who loves you so much1 can really teach you3--,i should like to tell you a little about the light as we see it all around us4 ,now1 what can we learn about it8 ,first1 we learn that it was called into existence by the voice of ,god4 ,god said1 ,let there be light2 and there was light on the ,,first ,,day1 but it was not until the ,,fourth ,,day that those great light-bearers--the sun and the moon--were made lights to the earth1 and set for signs1 and for seasons1 and for days and years4 ,but the question1 ,what is light8 is not one easily answered4 ,we can all understand that light is that which makes everything visible1 but you will perhaps be surprised to hear that it has taken a very long time even to find out how the light comes to us4 ,it is now generally believed that light1 which is one of the strongest powers in the world1 is caused by motion2 and that it is because every light-giving body is always moving very fast1 that it gives out light4 ,but no one can explain how this rapid movement began1 nor what that ether is through which the vibrations travel until they reach a wonderful little screen which we have at the back of each of our eyes1 by means of which we are able to see4 ,we may think of the air around us as a vast ocean1 through which waves conveying light and sound are constantly travelling4 ,when a sound-wave strikes the ear1 we hear2 when a light-wave1 moving like a water-wave1 reaches the eye1 we see4 ,light comes chiefly from the sun3 it is beautiful to think1 is it not8--of waves of light streaming always1 day and night1 from that wonderful sun so far away1 and coming1 wave after wave1 to paint beautiful pictures on our eyes6 ,for if you and ,i both look at the same lovely view1 we have each a picture of it--the mountains1 and sea1 and green fields1 and houses--all to ourselves2 and so it would be if1 not two people1 but two hundred were looking4 ,one thing about light of which we are quite sure is1 that it travels very quickly4 ,it makes its noiseless journey all round this great earth eight times in one second--in less time than it takes for my watch to give one tick2 and it comes all the long1 long way from the sun to the earth in less than ten minutes4 ,i spoke just now of the light painting pictures upon our eyes4 ,did you know that if there were no light there would be no beautiful colours8 ,where the sun shines very brightly1 in those parts of the world called the tropics1 it is not only very hot1 but travellers tell us that there the green of the leaves is darker than we are accustomed to see it1 and the colours of the flowers and of the birds' feathers are more brilliant than in our own country1 where the sunlight is never so strong4 ,then1 though the sunlight gives their lovely colours to the anemones and seaweeds1 as it shines into their homes in the shallow places near shore1 if you could go far down into the ocean depths1 where the light can hardly reach1 you would find the colours of any creatures1 or plants1 or shells that might be there soft and pure1 but not brilliant4 ,but how does the light make the colours8 ,it seems only white1 or perhaps gold-coloured1 in itself4 ,this is what ,i should like to explain to you1 for it is a very beautiful lesson1 and not difficult to learn4 ,when ,i asked the children if they could tell me what we mean when we say that a thing reflects the light1 ,chrissie said he had often seen the red sunset reflected by the windows opposite1 but he could not quite tell how to explain it4 ,we may read in books this explanation3 ,the reflection of light is the turning back of its rays by the surface upon which they fall4 ,and while we read this we must remember that the surface or outside of everything has some peculiarity about it1 which affects the light as it falls upon it4 ,the light of the sun is made up of seven colours1 though ,god has so perfectly blended them that we see only white light2 but all these colours may be traced in the seven-coloured arch1 which is a token to men of ,his mercy1 and a sign that while the earth remains seed-time and harvest1 cold and heat1 summer and winter1 day and night1 shall not cease4 ,the smallest portion of light which we can speak of is called a ray of light4 ,you have seen1 when what you call a beam of light comes in at a hole1 before the shutters have been opened1 how the little specks of dust glance up and down in it1 as if they were at an endless game of puss-in-the-corner4 ,but have you ever seen beautiful colours1 like those of the rainbow1 dance about the room--now on the ceiling1 now on the floor8 ,you can best see this lovely little rainbow by darkening the room1 and letting just one ray of light stream in through a small hole4 ,then take a bit of glass1 cut so that it has at least three sides--a drop of cut glass from the lustre on the mantelpiece will do--and hold it up between you and the light4 ,this little piece of glass1 which is called a prism1 because it has been sawn or cut1 will do a wonderful thing1 as you turn it about in the sunbeam4 ,the ray of light1 as it passes through the three-cornered bit of glass1 will be turned out of its straight path1 and this causes it to be split up into many colours1 so that you will have a tiny rainbow1 which can be seen beautifully if you allow it to fall upon a sheet of white paper2 and the colours are always arranged in the same way4 ,look6 in the centre of your rainbow there are green and yellow2 then comes red1 then blue1 then violet4 ,you can easily see these five colours2 and two more are counted2 indigo1 or dark blue1 and orange4 ,the only difficulty about saying how many colours you can see is this4 ,if you begin with the violet1 and count till you come to the red1 you will find that the soft hues are so blended1 or run into each other1 that it is not easy to see where one ends and the other begins4 ,i want you to make this little rainbow1 not only because the colours which it paints upon the ceiling are so pure and beautiful1 and it is so curious to see the bright band of red and blue and green dancing from place to place as you turn your bit of glass1 but because you can see in this way how a ray of light spreads itself out when it passes through this glass with three sides4 ,the colours are separated from each other because no two waves of light are of quite the same length2 some move slowly and others fast1 and the faster a wave travels the more it is turned aside out of the straight road4 ,this is a difficult subject1 but ,i think you will understand that if all rays were alike1 the whole beam would be bent2 but as some are more easily bent than others1 as they pass through the prism they are spread out4 ,long ago1 the great philosopher ,newton bought a prism1 and thus analysed or broke up the sunbeam1 and discovered what is called the prismatic band of colours4 ,he found that what seemed to be white light was made up of tints really infinite in number2 for though we count only seven prismatic colours1 they are shaded off1 one into the other1 as you see4 ,having thus broken up the beam of light1 ,newton1 by means of two prisms1 put together again the rays which he had separated1 and the sunbeam was white as before4 ,perhaps you wonder why we do not always see coloured light3 the reason is that the waves of light1 unless interfered with and turned out of their straight path1 all travel together in their rapid1 noiseless course1 and so remain unbroken4 ,you will find it very interesting to make the first of ,newton's experiments yourself1 and some day perhaps you will hear what wonderful things about the sun and the stars are being learnt in our own time by means of the spectroscope1 which is an instrument having a fine slit through which the ray is passed before it is allowed to fall upon the prism4 ,and now what do we mean when we talk of things being of different colours8 ,when we say of snow that it is white we mean that1 as the light falls upon the snow1 it is all sent back again4 ,the surface of the snow reflects all the light1 and keeps none4 ,the other day1 when ,i was buying some flowers to plant in the garden1 the woman who was selling them showed me a black pansy4 ,i am sure you would like to have this root1 she said1 black pansies are so rare4 ,illustration ,i did not buy the flower1 for ,i did not think it nearly so pretty as the purple and yellow pansies1 which seemed to look up at me with such knowing little faces2 but ,i was interested to see it1 because 7and are you not glad that it is so87 black flowers are very rare4 ,but why was this pansy black8 ,ah6 it was quite different from the snow2 it kept all the light which fell upon it1 and gave away none4 ,you see that ,god has given to some things the power of absorbing light and to others that of reflecting it4 ,if it were not so1 our world would be very different from the beautiful world which it is--as different as an engraving is from a coloured picture1 with fields1 gardens1 sea and sky all of varied hue4 ,almost all the flowers are so beautiful because1 while they keep some of the colours from the light which falls upon them1 they do not keep all4 ,now look at the flowers in that glass upon the table4 ,the lovely rose keeps part of its ray of light1 but gives us back the red2 the larkspur gives back the blue2 and those pure white lilies1 which show so fair beside the roses1 give back all the light in its bright whiteness just as it comes to them1 so that a poet1 who loved them well1 calls them those flowers made of light4 ,and the water in the glass1 why is it white8 ,because water is what is called transparent2 it does not drink in the light1 but lets the whole ray pass through it1 as it passes through the window-pane4 ,now my lesson about colours is over1 and ,i will tell you a story4 ,i don't know whether you have as good a memory as some of my children had1 and whether you remember my promise to explain to you about types4 ,i daresay you have heard this word used in more than one way1 and a word which has two meanings is rather a puzzle1 is it not8 ,i know how it used to set me thinking1 when ,i heard someone say of a new book that it was pleasant to read1 because of its good type2 the word was not new to me1 but ,i had heard it used in quite another way1 the way in which it is used when we say of the serpent of brass lifted up by ,moses in the wilderness1 that the dying people might look at it and live--that it was a type of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ lifted up upon the cross1 as ,he ,himself tells us it was4 ,i daresay1 if ,i could ask you1 you would tell me that type used in this sense means a picture4 ,that was what ,chris and ,sharley said1 but it was because ,i wanted the little ones as well as the elder ones to understand that meaning of the word that ,i told them this story which a friend of mine once told me1 and which ,i am sure you will like to hear1 ,we were saying just now how dark it would be in the deep mines1 far underground1 where no daylight can come1 if it were not for the lamp which the miner carries with him wherever he goes4 ,you may think you would rather like to go down a mine1 just for once1 if you were quite sure of being drawn up safely in the miners' cage1 but ,i think you would not go down1 if you thought you would have to stay even a whole week in such a dismal place4 ,my story is about a boy who had never been anywhere else1 for he was born in a mine1 and all his childhood1 while other children were running about in the fields1 looking up at the sky and breathing the fresh air which makes your cheeks so rosy1 this little boy might turn his bright eyes this way and that1 but no trees and houses and gay gardens were to be seen1 far or near2 for though he was five or six years old1 no one had ever taken him up to the top of the mine and let him see the sky1 and pick the daisies1 and feel the warm sunshine4 ,poor boy1 he was an orphan2 both his parents had died before he could remember1 and he had no one to care for him in the way in which your dear father and mother have always cared for you4 ,at last one of the miners thought what a sad life it was for a child to be always down underground1 and he began to take notice of the lonely little boy1 who had no father and mother to love him and be good to him1 and in the evenings1 when his work was done1 he coaxed the child to come on his knee1 and used to tell him stories about that wonderful world above ground which he had never seen4 ,do you not think it must have been very difficult for the kind miner to talk about the blue sky and the birds1 and the grass and trees1 and all the beautiful sights which most children know so well1 to a child who had never seen any of them8 ,it was indeed a difficult task1 but you know there is an old saying about difficulties which tells us that love will find out the way to overcome them4 ,the miner became very fond of his pet1 and he found out a way of making the things of which he spoke seem real to him4 ,he could show him pictures1 you will say4 ,that was what little ,may thought1 and it would have been a very good way2 but remember that there were no beautiful picture-books such as you have1 down in the mine4 ,how then could the miner teach his little friend about things above ground8 ,the only way in which he could do this was by means of things in the mine which the boy knew well1 and had been used to all his life4 ,so he would take his lamp1 and talk to him about it1 and show him how its tiny flame lighted up the darkness1 and then he would point upwards1 and say that far above ground there was a great lamp burning all day long1 and giving light to the people who lived in that upper world4 ,now you would say that a miner's lamp was a very poor picture of the glorious sun2 still1 this child saw that in the under world1 where he lived1 it made all the difference between light and darkness whether the lamps were shining or not2 so the lamp was like the sun1 at least in that respect1 though it was so poor and dim1 and such a tiny likeness of it4 ,in the same way--when his kind friend made the little boy look at the pails of water which were swung down into the mine1 and explained to him that above ground1 in that new world which he had never seen1 the water ran along quickly in great streams called rivers1 and that there was a great1 great world of water called the sea--though you might say that a pail of water in a mine1 water which would soon be used for the miners to drink or for cooking their food1 would give a very poor idea indeed of the mighty ocean with its rolling waves1 where the whales spout1 and the ships sail on their long voyages2 still1 poor as it was1 that water in the pail was a likeness1 a type of the rivers and seas1 was it not8 ,the children were interested in this little boy1 and they wanted to know how long he lived in the mine1 and what became of him afterwards2 but this ,i could not tell them1 for ,i never heard any more about him4 ,and now ,i want you not only to be interested in this story1 but to remember why ,i have told it to you4 ,you understand now1 ,i am sure1 that a type is a figure of something not present2 of course1 inferior to the thing it represents1 as the miner's lamp was inferior to the sun1 or a man's shadow on the wall is to the man himself1 but giving a true idea to a certain degree4 ,the light given by the miner's lamp was bright when compared with that given by one little candle in a cottage window1 and yet that feeble ray1 quietly shining night after night1 served to guide many a fisherman safely past a dangerous rock1 which juts out into the sea1 on the coast of one of the ,orkney ,isles4 ,it was a young girl1 the daughter of a fisherman1 who lighted that candle and kept it burning4 ,her father's boat had been wrecked one wild dark night on ,lonely ,rock1 and his body washed ashore near his cottage4 ,the girl1 in her grief1 remembered other poor fishermen1 and when night came on she set a candle in the window1 and watched it as she sat at her spinning wheel4 ,she did not do this once1 or twice1 but through long years that coast was never without the light of her little candle1 by which the men at sea might be warned off the neighbourhood of the terrible rock4 ,in order to pay for her candles1 this lonely girl with a faithful heart spun every night an extra quantity of yarn--for she earned her own living by her spinning wheel--and so the tiny flame was kept alight1 and she found comfort in her sorrow by doing what she could1 in her unselfish care1 for those in peril on the sea4 ,the meanest candle is a luminary in its way1 for it possesses light1 while the most brilliant diamond has none in itself1 and can give back only what it receives4 ,and now that our lesson about the ,,first ,,day is finished1 we must not forget what we have been learning4 ,god1 the ,creator1 alone in creation1 7a7 said1 ,let there be light3 and there was light4 7b7 saw the light1 that it was good4 7c7 divided the light from the darkness4 7d7 called the light ,day1 and the darkness ,he called ,night4 ,and the evening and the morning were the first day4 ,the astronomer ,proctor1 in his beautiful book1 ,flowers of the ,sky1 says that light is the first of all that exists in the universe4 ,and we are1 told that the action of light was necessary to prepare the way for all life2 but this is far too great a subject for us to speak of in this little book4 ,let us remember that ,god saw the light1 that it was good1 and that ,he made the division between light and darkness in nature which ,he uses as a figure in the ,new ,testament1 where we read that the children of ,god are called children of light1 and not of the night nor of darkness2 and where goodness1 and righteousness1 and truth are spoken of as fruits of the light1 in contrast with unfruitful works of darkness4 ,in all that is around us in this world which ,god made1 if we had eyes to see1 we should find pictures of the things which are unseen1 but yet very real2 so in the ,book which ,he has written1 ,he has given us pictures4 ,the description in verse #b of the waste empty earth1 with darkness upon the face of the deep1 and the ,spirit of ,god moving over the face of the waters1 is a picture of the condition of everyone born into this world4 ,in verse #c we have a picture of ,god as ,light shining into the dark and empty heart4 ,in verse #d we see that ,god separates good from evil4 ,now ,i want you to think of these things1 and as we have been talking of the words1 ,god is ,light1 ,god is ,love1 ,i am going to copy for you a hymn1 which speaks of them very beautifully2 my children know it well1 and often sing it4 ,god in mercy sent ,his ,son ,to a world by sin undone4 ,jesus ,christ was crucified2 ',twas for sinners ,jesus died4 ,oh6 the glory of the grace1 ,shining in the ,saviour's face1 ,telling sinners from above1 ',god is ,light1' and ',god is ,love4' ,sin and death no more shall reign1 ,jesus died and lives again6 ,in the glory's highest height-- ,see ,him ,god's supreme delight4 ,oh6 the glory of the grace1 ,shining in the ,saviour's face1 ,telling sinners from above1 ',god is ,light1' and ',god is ,love4' ,all who on ,his name believe1 ,everlasting life receive2 ,lord of all is ,jesus now1 ,every knee to him must bow4 ,oh6 the glory of the grace1 ,shining in the ,saviour's face1 ,telling sinners from above1 ',god is ,light1' and ',god is ,love4' ,christ the ,lord will come again1 ,he who suffered once will reign2 ,every tongue at last shall own1 ',worthy is the ,lamb' alone4 ,oh6 the glory of the grace1 ,shining in the ,saviour's face1 ,telling sinners from above1 ',god is ,light1' and ',god is ,love4' ,h4 ,k4 ,,burlingham4 ,,the ,,second ,,day4 ,,the ,,ocean ,,of ,,air4 ,dost thou know the balancings of the clouds1 the wondrous works of ,him which is perfect in knowledge8444 ,hast thou with ,him spread out the sky8--,,job xxxvii4 #af-ah4 ,when ,he prepared the heavens1 ,i was there3 when ,he set a compass upon the face of the depth3 when ,he established the clouds above3 when ,he strengthened the fountains of the deep4--,,proverbs viii4 #bg1 #bh4 ,who hath measured the waters in the hollow of ,his hand1 and meted out heaven with the span8--,,isaiah xl4 #ab4 ,in reading these beautiful verses1 let us remember that in the second of them it is the ,lord ,jesus ,christ who says of that time when ,god prepared the heavens1 ,i was there4 ,and now1 as we are going to think about what ,god did on the ,,second ,,day of ,creation1 ,i want you not only very carefully to read those verses in the first chapter of ,genesis which tell us about it 7verses #f-i71 but to keep your ,bible open at the place1 so that you may be able to refer to them constantly4 ,when we had read them together1 my children noticed that in these verses we find once more three words which are used to tell us about the work of ,god upon the ,,first ,,day4 ,you see these words1 do you not8 ,god said1 ,let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters4 ,god divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament4 ,god called the firmament ,heaven4 ,and there is one word which has not been used before3 ,and ,god made the firmament4 ,it is quite simple to see this1 but ,i daresay you want to know1 as all the children--even the elder ones--did1 the meaning of one very uncommon word which we find in each of these verses4 ,what does 'firmament' mean8 they said4 ,i told them that the word conveys the idea of something firm and strong and steadfast2 and then ,i asked ,sharley1 who has a reference ,bible1 to look in the margin1 and tell me what word she could find there which might be used instead of this uncommon one4 ,she found1 as you will find if there are references in your ,bible1 that the word is there translated expansion4 ,and what does that mean8 ,you can understand something spread out wide1 can you not8 ,those who turned the ,hebrew word into ,english long ago thought firmament--that which stands fast--was a better word than expansion1 which simply means what is stretched or spread out--as the heaven is spread above the earth like a curtain4 ,the expanse1 then1 which ,god made on the ,,second ,,day1 is what we call1 the sky1 as we look up and see the 444 tapestried tent ,of that marvellous curtain of blue and gold1 which is high above our heads1 and stretches away far1 far as our eyes can reach4 ,and this tent1 under whose shadow we dwell1 is not firm and solid1 but is really a globe of vapour1 which surrounds us everywhere1 and reaches1 not all the way up to what we call the blue sky1 but very much higher than any bird could fly or balloon float--as high as forty or fifty miles above the earth4 ,god has fixed its height2 if it were less1 every breath we take would hurt us2 if it were much greater1 we should be always tired4 ,but before we speak of this atmosphere1 or globe of air1 which surrounds the earth1 ,i want you to remember1 as you read of the work of ,god on the ,six ,days of creation1 that each one of these ,days led1 in a beautiful order1 to the next1 and that in all of them ,god was preparing the earth1 which ,he had created in the beginning1 for the creatures which ,he had not yet formed4 ,for each kind of creature a place was found fit for it to live in1 whether that dwelling-place was the earth1 or the great and wide sea1 or the boundless fields of air4 ,and each creature1 as it came from ,god's hand1 was fitted to live where ,god had placed it3 for every living thing the means of living was provided4 ,thus on the ,first of ,his ,days ,god called for the light4 ,what would the face of all the world be without it8 ,then on the ,,second ,,day ,he not only provided the place in which the happy winged creatures fly and utter their sweet songs1 but that by which all living things1 whether they were plants or animals1 should be kept alive4 ,i am sure you know that without air you could not breathe2 but perhaps you have never thought that without it no plant could live1 not even the smallest blade of grass4 ,every green thing lives by breathing the air1 and if there were no air which it could breathe1 it would soon die4 ,how freely ,god has given us this great blessing6 ,his air is all around us1 as is ,his presence4 ,when people wish to speak of what belongs to everyone alike they sometimes say1 ,it's as free as the air you breathe--this wonderful air1 which we cannot see1 but which helps to make the sky so blue1 without which no fire could burn1 no robin sing to its mate1 no lamb bleat after its mother1 no merry voices of boys and girls at play be heard4 ,god has indeed made it free to us2 but let us never forget that we are1 as ,his creatures1 dependent upon ,him for every breath we draw4 ,now while we speak of the way in which this world was created by ,god1 and fitted to become the dwelling-place of ,his creatures1 we may remember how the ,lord ,jesus spoke to ,his disciples1 after ,he had told them that ,he would be only a little while with them1 about the place ,he was going to prepare for them4 ,this reminds me of a little incident which ,i should like to tell you1 because it is so beautiful to know that the ,lord of glory1 who was allowed no place here1 ,he who ,wandered as a homeless stranger1 ,in the world ,his hands had made1 has indeed gone to prepare a place for those whom ,he has1 by ,his death and resurrection1 made ready to dwell there4 ,in a quiet market-town in the ,north of ,england an aged ,christian had invited a number of those of whom our ,lord says1 whensoever ye will ye may do them good1 to take tea with him and his friends4 ,after they had enjoyed what loving hands had made ready1 their host took out ,god's book1 and turning to the second verse of the fourteenth chapter of ,john's ,gospel1 read it1 and then said1 ,it comes to me in this way1 dear friends3 ,if our ,lord is preparing a place1 ,he wants a prepared people4 ,he then went on to say that we all need preparing1 that is making ready1 to dwell in the place of which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ spoke as ,my ,father's house--the place which was always ,his own home--and then he told once again the story which you have so often heard-- 444 the old1 old story ,of ,jesus and ,his love4 ,the ,lord often spoke to ,his own disciples about ,his ,father4 ,he said1 ,i came forth from the ,father1 and am come into the world3 again1 ,i leave the world1 and go to the ,father1 and when ,he spoke of leaving them ,he said1 ,if ye loved ,me ye would rejoice1 because ,i said1 ,i go unto the ,father4 ,but we know that those who had been with their ,master for so long did not rejoice when ,he spoke of going away3 their hearts were filled with sorrow4 ,when ,he said to them1 ,whither ,i go ye know1 and the way ye know1 ,thomas replied2 ,lord1 we know not whither thou goest1 and how can we know the way8 ,what did the ,lord say8 ,he said that ,he was ,himself the way to the ,father--,i am the way1 and the truth1 and the life3 no man cometh unto the ,father but by ,me4 ,but if the ,lord was going back to ,his ,father's ,house--the place which was always ,his home--,he was not willing to go alone4 ,he might have gone back at any time1 but if ,he would have those who could neither cleanse nor clothe themselves1 who were sinful and unfit for that ,home of love and light1 ,he must go by the way of death1 giving up ,his own life1 that ,he might make them ready to dwell with ,him in ,his ,father's house2 so that when ,he said1 ,i go to prepare a place for you1 ,he1 the ,son of ,god1 in ,his wonderful love1 was going to do that which alone could make anyone fit to enter there1 and be at home for evermore4 ,but then we sometimes go on as if we were to live in this world for ever1 and do not come to ,him who says1 ,i am the way4 ,or perhaps we think we can make ourselves ready by trying to be good--forgetting that the ,one who is ,himself the ,truth said1 ,the ,son of ,man is come to seek and to save that which was lost1 and that if the ,lord is preparing a place1 ,he wants a prepared people4 ,but we were speaking about the way in which ,god1 when ,he made this world in which we live1 prepared it for the creatures to whom ,he would give it to be their dwelling-place2 and especially of the globe of air with which ,he has surrounded the earth--that wonderful ocean of air in which we live and move1 just as the fish live and move in their ocean of water4 ,let us see if we cannot learn something more about the atmosphere4 ,but first of all let me ask1 ,what can you tell me about it8 ,you cannot see the air2 you can feel it1 and often hear it4 ,yes1 indeed we can4 ,how delightfully fresh it comes to us as we swing1 or when we are driving fast1 or sailing2 and how terrible its force is when the stormy wind rushes past1 driving everything before it6 ,it is then we can understand that the gentle air1 which yields to the slightest touch1 may be a very mighty power indeed4 ,and now ,i am going to tell you something about the air which may surprise you4 ,we often say of a thing that it is as light as air2 but air is not really light1 it is so heavy that it would press upon us and crush us1 just as a great hammer might crush your little finger1 only that this heavy weight of air presses quite evenly everywhere all through our body1 within and without1 upward as well as downward1 and yields at once when we move1 so that we do not feel its weight4 ,just think of the weight of water which lies above a little fish as it swims far down in the sea4 ,why is it not crushed by it8 ,just for the same reason2 the water is all round the fish1 as the air in our ocean is all round us2 and it presses so evenly that it cannot be felt in any particular part4 ,another very wonderful thing about the atmosphere is that what we call the air is made up of two airs1 or gases1 as different as possible from each other1 but mixed so as to make exactly that particular sort of air which is fit for us to breathe4 ,one of these gases1 named oxygen1 might well be called life-sustainer2 it forms about one-fifth of the air we breathe1 and is that part of it which makes our fires burn and our lamps give light1 and keeps us and all the animals alive4 ,the other gas is called nitrogen2 it is a dull gas1 with no life in it1 and remains behind when all the oxygen is taken out of the air4 ,but this part of the air is very useful2 it prevents the breathing of men and animals and the burning of fires and lamps1 from going on too fast4 ,if you had only the life-sustaining part of the air to breathe1 you would soon die2 and if the air was all made of that part which burns so well1 one spark falling upon it would be enough to burn up the whole world1 for no one could put the fire out4 ,these two gases are mixed in nearly the same proportions in all climates so as to make the beautiful pure air which ,god has given us to live and go about in4 ,there is another gas1 called carbonic acid1 made partly of oxygen and partly of carbon1 or burnt wood1 which might be called life-destroyer1 for it will put out light and make an end of life4 ,it is one of the most deadly poisons1 and forms the choke-damp which too often suffocates the miner2 but what we call fresh air contains such a very small proportion of this dangerous gas that it is harmless4 ,still we must remember that every time anyone or any animal breathes1 some of the air by which we live is taken away from that which surrounds us1 and some of this poisonous air is thrown into it4 ,if this is the case1 should we not1 by degrees1 find the air becoming less and less pure and fit for us to breathe8 ,certainly it would be so1 if ,god had not made a beautiful provision for keeping the air fresh1 which ,i will try to explain to you4 ,you may remember that the ,lord ,jesus1 after ,he had made the five barley loaves and two small fishes prove enough for thousands of hungry men and women and little children1 turned to ,his disciples1 and said1 ,gather up the fragments that remain1 that nothing be lost4 ,so1 in the world around us1 we may often see that ,god gives freely1 but does not allow what ,he has freely given to be lost or wasted4 ,now when you take a long breath1 and breathe in the air1 you presently breathe it out again4 ,but what you breathe out is not the same2 the part of it by which you live is gone1 and a poisonous air has taken its place4 ,then1 if every person in the world1 and even the smallest animal1 is constantly using up the good part of the air1 and breathing out that which has been spoilt for animals1 and would kill them if they had nothing else to breathe--why are not all animals poisoned8 ,what becomes of this air which has been spoilt for them8 ,is it good for anything8 ,ah6 there is a wonderful1 beautiful answer to these questions going on all day long1 surely and silently1 unseen by any of us4 ,this air which has been used by us1 and is no longer fit for our use1 feeds the plants and trees1 the grass1 and all living things which are not animals2 the plants1 through tiny mouths at the edge of their leaves1 breathe it in4 ,they grow by it2 and1 wonder of wonders1 all day long1 if only the plant is where the sun can shine upon it1 every green bit of it is busy making this same air fit for us to breathe again2 using up what it wants1 and what we do not want2 every fragment1 as it were1 being gathered up1 and nothing lost4 ,i used to think1 when ,i first learnt this beautiful lesson1 that every part of a plant was useful in purifying the air1 and also that plants are always busy at this purifying work1 and so ,i liked to keep geraniums and fuchsias in my room at night1 for ,i thought that while ,i was asleep they would keep the air fresh and sweet4 ,but now ,i know--for as long as we live in this world we can always be learning--that it is only in the daytime1 when there is light1 that a plant can keep the air pure1 by using up what we have spoilt for our own use1 and giving away what is good for us to breathe2 and also that1 it is only the green part of it that has the power to take out of the air the carbonic acid which we are constantly breathing into it1 using the carbon for its own food1 and giving the oxygen back into the air for our use2 the parts which are not green1 such as the roots and flowers1 breathe just as animals do1 and spoil the air for us instead of making it more fit for us to breathe4 ,you never thought1 did you1 that you help to feed the trees1 and to keep them alive and green1 and that the trees and grass in their turn help to keep you alive8 ,we were saying the other day how a ray of light will come through a little round hole in the shutters when they are closed1 or by any cranny through which it can force its way4 ,as long as that one ray is shining into the darkened room you may watch the little grains of dust1 like bright specks1 dancing up and down in it4 ,but someone opens the shutters1 the room becomes all light1 and you no longer see those tiny specks--and yet the dust is still there1 not only where you saw it1 but all over the room4 ,why could you see the dust just where the ray of light shone1 and nowhere else8 ,the light did not make the dusty specks1 they were in the room already1 but it showed them to you4 ,just so there are many wonderful things going on around us in earth and sky and sea--in what people call ,nature--which we cannot see or hear or feel2 for ,god is always working mightily and graciously1 unseen and unheard by us1 though ,he does allow us to know parts of ,his ways1 and to look with wonder upon many more which we cannot understand4 ,we are apt to think that all things continue as they were from the beginning of the world3 but in reality the earth is never at rest2 it has passed through many changes1 and still the old story goes on2 on the one hand there is change and decay1 and on the other that constant building up and repair by which the face of the earth is renewed4 ,nothing is lost2 nothing stands still2 and things which seem to have no relation to one another1 yet depend upon each other and work together in ways more wonderful than we could ever have imagined3 each is a part of the great whole1 and you could not take away any portion without spoiling the rest4 ,and now let us read again the #gth and #hth verses of our chapter4 ,and ,god made the firmament1 and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament3 and it was so4 ,and ,god called the firmament ,heaven4 ,and the evening and the morning were the second day4 ,what are the waters which were above8 ,they are those beautiful clouds which seem to float in the ocean of air4 ,i am sure you have often wondered at their pure loveliness1 as they sailed over the sky1 soft and white against the blue1 as the foam upon the sea4 ,it was such clouds as these which two little boys saw once when they were out driving4 ,they were sitting close together in the back seat1 and their father heard them talking about the sky4 ,look1 said one of the children1 ,god lives in the blue4 ,no1 ,georgie1 said his brother1 ,he lives in the white4 ,they were both right1 for ,god is everywhere4 ,a little child of whom ,i have heard used to think1 because she understood that brightness and glory go together1 that the stars were holes in the floor of ,god's dwelling1 to let the glory through4 ,in the book of ,job the clouds are spoken of as the treasure-house of the rain and snow1 and as the bottles of heaven1 and these names become full of meaning when we know that the water1 which falls from the clouds at every shower1 is constantly being drawn up again to fill them once more4 ,this is done by what is called evaporation1 and very much of the water which rises to the clouds comes from the sea1 along shore1 as well as from rivers and lakes4 ,have you seen a pond dry up in summer8 ,no8 ,then perhaps you have looked into the ink bottle when all the ink had gone1 and only some dry black dust was left in it4 ,what has happened8 ,all the water in the ink has flown away2 the heat has turned it into vapour1 which is lighter than air1 and so it has risen up through the air to form part of those snowy clouds which you love to watch1 when the light of the setting sun turns them to crimson and gold4 ,this change of water into vapour is one of the beautiful things which we cannot often see1 but which is always going on4 ,the rain from heaven falls upon the thirsty land1 making it bring forth and bud1 that there may be bread for us1 and food for every living thing2 and then1 when its work is done1 all that is not wanted goes back again1 and is stored up in the treasure-house of the clouds--nothing is lost4 ,i remember when we were speaking of this1 ,i asked my children what the earth would be like if all the rain that fell remained upon it4 ,chrissie was the only one who had an answer ready2 he said it would soon be a swamp1 and nothing could grow well1 and no one could live4 ,we can all understand that if there were no rain to satisfy the desolate ground1 the earth would soon be a parched desert2 but it is just as true that1 while the rain is such a blessing1 if ,god had not provided for its returning to the clouds1 the earth would indeed become a desolate waste of water4 ,i must tell you that little ,dick was very much interested about this1 and he remembered that he had seen1 in a place where the sun was shining1 the water going back from the earth to the clouds4 ,it went up in streaks1 he said1 and ,i saw it quite plainly4 ,generally we look up at the clouds1 but ,i remember once looking down and seeing them below me4 ,i had climbed a high mountain1 and just when ,i got to the top it happened that the peak was quite clear1 but around it1 a little lower down1 a wreath of white cloud was floating4 ,every now and then1 through a rift in the cloud1 ,i could see the beautiful valley below1 with its smiling fields and winding river1 and far away there was the sea1 with hundreds of green islands2 all this ,i saw for a moment1 as if through a soft thin veil1 and then the cloud closed again1 and shut out the view4 ,i can quite understand travellers saying how lovely it is when they sail through the air in balloons1 to get up into a clear still height1 and see the plains of clouds below them4 ,but there is one thing which makes voyages in balloons dangerous4 ,the higher people go1 the more thin and difficult to breathe the air becomes4 ,one celebrated traveller1 when he had got as high as seven miles in his balloon1 lost his senses1 and his companion was nearly frozen to death by the piercing cold4 ,this traveller tells us that about six or seven miles above the earth no sound can reach the ear to break the perfect stillness and silence4 ,this is because the air at this height is so thin4 ,on the top of ,mont ,blanc a pistol-shot can scarcely be heard even though it is fired quite close2 but if the same pistol were to be fired off in the next field you would hear it1 and put your hand to your ears because the report was so loud4 ,but what makes the report8 ,the pistol was fired into the air1 and hit nothing4 ,it was the air which was struck1 and which sent back the sound4 ,you remember learning how light is turned back or reflected4 ,just as the light-waves come back again1 so do the sound-waves2 very quickly if the reflecting surface is near2 after some time if it is far off4 ,you know what an echo is4 ,there is a lovely place where some children ,i know used often to go for a picnic4 ,what they cared for most in ,coombe ,dingle was a wood which they called the ,echo wood4 ,they would stand beside a gate1 and call across the fields1 and then listen4 ,very soon their own words1 and even their own tones1 were sent back to them4 ,the waves of air carried the sounds along until they reached a pine wood which shut in the field4 ,they struck the tall trees1 and were reflected1 or sent back again1 almost as clearly as when first spoken4 ,just in this way echoes of sound are1 like birds1 ever on the wing3 the whole air is alive with them4 ,the walls of our rooms give back the tones of our voices1 but we hear no echo1 because they are so near that the repeating of the sound comes almost at the same moment as the sound itself4 ,there are echoes on all sides of us1 and no sound is ever lost4 ,how can this be8 ,if you stand beside a quiet pool1 and drop a stone into it1 the stone sinks down to the bottom and lies there2 but from the spot where its fall broke the calm surface1 ring after ring ripples the water4 ,just so a single word dropped from the lips of a child into the ocean of air is carried on1 wave after wave2 so that1 as a great philosopher once said1 the air is one vast library1 on whose pages is for ever written all that man has ever said or even whispered4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,echo ,,wood ,there is a poem which you may know1 that begins with this line-- ,kind words can never die4 ,this is quite true2 but we might alter the first part of it a little1 and say1 ,no word can ever die4 ,not only the soft1 loving words1 but the rough1 angry ones1 which we may well wish we had never spoken1 all live in this vast library1 and tell their own story4 ,how much it ought to make us think about our words1 to know they can never be lost6 ,,the ,,red1 ,,red ,,sky4 ,in the early1 early morning1 beyond the islands green1 ,beyond the pines and palm trees1 and the purple sea between1 ,like the glow through a crimson window the morning rises slow1 ,and the isles lie dun in the glory1 and the sea is all aglow4 ,in the dim and misty evening the purple mountains stand1 ,and the glooms that hush the woodlands lie over all the land1 ,and high in dark blue heavens the red light bums and glows4 ,like the ,jasper of ,god's city1 like the deep heart of the rose4 ,oh1 why does morning dawn1 and why ends the golden day1 ,with the crimson glow and glory1 while the children kneel and pray8 ,is it thus that ,god would tell me before the day begins ,of the morn of the ,day of pardon1 the ,blood that has washed my sins8 ,the morn of the day of gladness1 the day of ,his love and grace1 ,when like the sun in his glory1 the ,lord unveiled ,his face1 ,and ,his love shone forth in beauty where all was dark before1 ,for the ,blood had been shed which saved me1 once and for evermore4 ,is it thus that ,god would tell me the evening draweth nigh1 ,when we pass beyond the mountains1 beyond the purple sky8 ,and then1 in ,god's great glory1 the golden gates ,i see1 ,and sing1 ',the ,blood of ,jesus has opened them for me6' ,,frances ,,bevan ,taken1 by permission1 from ,hymns by ,ter ,steegen and ,others4 ,second series4 ,,the ,,third ,,day4 ,,the ,,world ,,of ,,water4 ,the sea is ,his1 and ,he made it4--,,psalm xcv4 #e4 ,who hath measured the waters in the hollow of ,his hand8--,,isaiah xl4 #ab4 ,who layeth the beams of ,his chambers in the waters4--,,psalm civ4 #c4 ,he hath compassed the waters with bounds4--,,job xxvi4 #aj4 ,we have been learning something about the wonderful world of air1 in which we live and move about4 ,to-day we shall think a little of that vast world of water which is the home of so many of ,god's creatures4 ,i daresay you know a pretty song about the ocean1 beginning in this way 7it is meant to be sung by a sailor73 ,the sea6 the sea6 the open sea6 ,the blue1 the fresh1 the ever free6 ,without a mark1 without a bound1 ,it runneth the earth's wide regions round2 ,it plays with the clouds1 it mocks the skies2 ,or like a cradled creature lies4 ,the philosophers say that if our earth were quiet and at rest1 instead of being the never-resting traveller that it is1 the great mass of water would surround it everywhere1 just as the atmosphere does4 ,we cannot imagine such a thing1 but we can see many ways in which the two great oceans are alike4 ,both have their waves4 ,though we cannot see those in the world of air1 we can hear them1 as you know4 ,both are colourless in themselves1 yet blue in their heights and depths4 ,both are made of two airs or gases1 beautifully combined4 ,at first sight we might say that this is almost too strange a tale to be a true one2 for few things seem more unlike than air and water4 ,you will think it stranger still when ,i tell you that one of the gases which goes to form water is that same oxygen which gives life to the air we breathe1 and which will burn so fast if only a tiny spark comes in contact with it2 while the other is the gas called hydrogen1 the water-maker1 which also burns4 ,and yet these two fiery gases make the water which the brave firemen pump in streams upon a burning house to put out the flames4 ,how wonderful this is6 ,if you were to mix them together as carefully as you could1 using exactly the same proportion of each as is found in water1 you would make something very dangerous1 which might blow up with a terrible noise like gunpowder4 ,it is only when they are combined1 which means very closely joined together1 that they form water4 ,perhaps this is rather hard to understand2 but we have been taking only a very little peep into that page of what is called the ,book of ,nature1 which tells to those who will take the trouble to read it something about the chemistry of things--not so much how they are made1 for that is a lesson too great for us1 but what goes to the making of them4 ,and now we are going to read the verses in our chapter which tell us of the time when1 at the word of ,god1 the sea and the dry land were made4 ,and ,god said1 ,let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place1 and let the dry land appear3 and it was so4 ,and ,god called the dry land ,earth2 and the gathering together of the waters called ,he ,seas3 and ,god saw that it was good4 ,once more you have read these words1 ,god said1 ,god called1 ,god saw4 ,they are quickly read4 ,but who shall say how wonderful is that of which they speak8 ,god has been pleased in these few words to tell us what no one could ever have found out about the birthday of that mighty world of waters1 when it was gathered together unto the place which ,he had prepared for it1 and received its name from ,him4 ,i wonder whether you have ever seen the sea4 ,if you have1 you know it and love it so well that there is no need for me to try to describe it to you4 ,if you have not1 if your home has always been in the country among the quiet fields1 far away from the sound of the waves as they break upon the strand2 or if you have lived all your life in the town1 where the streets are full of noise and bustle1 and busy folk hurrying to and fro--then ,i think it would be almost as difficult for me to give you an idea of what the boundless ocean is like1 as it was for the kind miner to make his little friend understand all about seas and lakes and rivers1 as he talked to him over that poor little pail of water1 deep down in the dark mine4 ,ah6 you must see the great ocean-world for yourself2 you must sail over the crests of the waves1 and learn to swim and dive4 ,if you have never yet been to the seaside1 there is indeed a treat in store for you some day1 and ,i should like to be with you when that day comes1 and catch a sight of your face1 so full of wonder and pleasure4 ,i remember hearing of a little city sparrow of a boy who was taken with a great many town children to spend a long summer's day by the seaside4 ,when he first came in sight of the bay1 with its bright1 dancing waters1 and saw the tide rolling in1 wave after wave1 upon the yellow sands1 he gave one long1 satisfied look1 and then said1 ,how nice it is to see plenty of anything6 ,poor child1 these words of his told their own touching tale2 he had never1 in his parents' home1 known what plenty was1 and so his first thought about the great and wide sea which ,god had made1 was that there was enough of it and to spare--no stint there1 at any rate4 ,to another little boy1 the first sight of the sea brought this thought1 ,how great ,god1 who made it1 must be6 ,it is delightful to live1 as ,i did when a child1 within sight and sound of the sea2 but ,i suppose it is only those who really live upon the world of waters1 sailing away in a swift ship1 day after day1 for thousands of watery miles1 and seeing nothing but the two oceans1 the blue above and the blue below1 as that same sailor-song says1 who can really know anything of its vastness4 ,how strange it must seem1 to be neither a fish nor a bird1 and yet to live as it were between sea and sky2 each morning finding yourself farther away from land1 each night lying down to be rocked in the cradle of the deep1 and to hear the wash of the waves as the boat cuts her way through them1 and the sighing of the wind1 not through the trees on the lawn1 but among the sails and ropes of your floating home6 ,i have sometimes thought that the sight of water1 water everywhere1 during a voyage of three months1 must make one more ready to believe what we are told by those who have done what they can in the way of weighing and measuring--that upon our globe water is the rule1 and dry land the exception2 and also that1 although we read in geography books about the five great oceans1 yet the ocean is really one1 for it embraces the whole earth with an uninterrupted wave4 ,as we think of this wonderful wave which thus girdles the earth about1 constantly breaking against the shore1 yet always flowing back again1 at its appointed time1 into its own place1 we may well remember that ,,third ,,day of ,creation1 when ,god spake1 and it was done2 ,he commanded1 and it stood fast2 when ,he gave to the sea ,his decree1 that the waters should not pass ,his commandment4 ,in a ,psalm which has been called the ,psalm of ,creation1 because it speaks of the greatness and glory of ,god1 and of how the ,lord shall rejoice in ,his works1 we find a description of what happened at this time4 ,there is a beautiful verse which speaks of ,god covering the earth with the deep as with a garment2 and of a time when it was so covered and hidden that the waters stood above the mountains4 ,illustration3 ,,when ,,spring-,,tides ,,are ,,low ,and then we read how1 at ,god's word1 that waste of waters went into the place prepared for it1 and the dry land appeared4 ,at ,thy rebuke they fled2 at the voice of ,thy thunder they hasted away4 ,the mountains ascend1 the valleys descend1 unto the place which ,thou hast founded for them 7you will find the verse reads like this in the margin of your ,bible74 ,thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over2 that they turn not again to cover the earth 7,psalm civ4 #g-i74 ,i was very young when ,i learnt this long ,psalm2 and though ,i understood very little of it1 and certainly did not know that these verses spoke about what we have been reading of in the ,book of ,genesis1 ,i was very fond of repeating it1 and ,i especially liked the part which describes the great and wide sea1 wherein are things creeping innumerable1 both small and great beasts4 ,there go the ships3 there is that leviathan1 whom ,thou hast made to play therein4 ,of course ,i need not tell you that ,i did not know what the leviathan was2 but ,i liked the name because it was such a long1 difficult word1 and ,i have known other children who were particularly fond of strange and hard names4 ,as we grow older we learn many things2 and so--for ,i told you my home was by the sea--,i got1 in time1 to know the meaning of a very difficult verse2 that one which speaks of the bound which ,god has set1 beyond which the sea with its proud waves may not pass4 ,when the tide was coming in ,i used to watch the long blue waves with their foamy crests coming nearer and nearer1 and when ,i heard them break with a loud noise against the strong rocks ,i was quite sure that those stern barriers were the bound which kept them back1 and would not allow them to come any further4 ,but by-and-by ,i went to a place where the shore was quite different4 ,there were no rocky cliffs1 like giants1 guarding the land2 only a long reach of soft white sand1 with which ,i was never tired of playing--making forts with moats round them to keep off the enemy2 or gardens with straight paths1 and trim beds in which ,i planted sea-daisies and poppies4 ,it seemed as if there was nothing about this shore strong enough to keep back the great waves4 ,they rolled in upon the sand with an angry roar when the wind was high1 and swept away my castles and gardens in no time4 ,still1 even here there was a bound1 for the sea did not overflow the land2 and so ,i learnt that those waves1 which threaten to overwhelm everything in their resistless march1 are kept in their place by ,god1 who alone can say to the restless ocean1 ,hitherto shalt thou come1 but no further3 and here shall thy proud waves be stayed4 ,as the poet ,george ,herbert has beautifully said1 ,tempests are calm to ,thee2 they know ,thy hand1 ,and hold it fast as children do their father's1 ,which cry and follow1 ,thou hast made poor sand ,bound the proud sea1 even when it swells and gathers4 ,i do not mean that the waves1 as they rush like an invading army upon the land1 have no effect upon it4 ,look at the ,map of ,england1 and see how the outline of the coast on the east and south has been jagged and broken4 ,or go and see the ,needles in the ,isle of ,wight1 and you will learn how the constant dash of the ocean can hollow out not only caves1 but deep coves and spreading bays1 especially when the land against which it breaks is made of chalk1 or some of the softer rocks4 ,thus in the course of long centuries1 the seashore may rise or sink2 peninsulas may become islands by the narrow neck which united them to the mainland sinking into the water--but whatever the land loses in one place1 it gains in another1 by the quantity of sand and mud cast up by the waves4 ,many changes are caused by the restless sea1 but yet1 even in its wildest moods1 it owns the curbing hand of its ,maker2 it may ebb and flow1 but still keeps in its appointed place4 ,this ebbing and flowing1 which is caused by the coming in and going out of the tides1 was a great puzzle to me long ago4 ,i used often to hear the fishermen say at what hour it would be full tide2 but ,i saw no mark which could help them to fix the time1 and wondered1 when ,i found their words came true1 how they could know so surely4 ,when ,i was older ,i learnt1 what is very interesting1 that the gradual rising of the ocean1 which is called the flow1 and the gradual going back again of the water1 which is called the ebb1 do not happen at any chance time1 for nothing is by chance in ,god's creation1 but at regular intervals1 and in obedience to one of those wonderful rules made by ,god1 which people call the laws of nature--rules which never change as the rules which men make so often do4 ,and so we notice that for about six hours from the time when the tide begins to rise1 the sea gains upon the land1 either stealing on1 step by step1 over the pebbly beach1 and creeping tip the mouths of the rivers1 or1 when the winds are abroad1 rushing over the sand1 and dashing against the rocks1 as if it would sweep all before it4 ,no power upon earth can stop that steady onward march of wave upon wave1 until the unseen boundary is reached4 ,then we say1 ,it is full tide4 ,the mighty ocean seems to pause for a few minutes1 then some old fisherman1 who has known that shore all his life1 says1 ,the tide has turned2 and for six hours the gradual fall goes on4 ,at last the lowest point of the ebb is reached--a few minutes' rest1 and then the flow begins again4 ,to those who have seen it all their lives there is nothing strange about this1 but when some brave ,roman soldiers1 who were accustomed to conquer wherever they came1 saw for the first time this ebb and flow of the tide1 they were more frightened than they would have been if they had seen an army of savage men with spears and clubs rushing upon them with their fierce war-cry4 ,they were in the presence of a power which they could not understand1 and in terror they besought their general to lead them against foes whom they could face1 or to take them back to their own land6 ,by-and-by you will be interested in learning more about the tides1 but ,i will only tell you now that they are caused by the sun and moon4 ,two pair of waves travel round the earth every day1 the greater pair obedient to the moon1 which1 because she is so much nearer to us1 has a greater power of drawing the water to herself than the sun has2 the lesser pair obedient1 in like manner1 to the attraction of the sun4 ,this is all that ,i can tell you now about a very difficult subject1 and it is more than ,i told ,chrissie or ,ernest when we were talking about the sea2 but then you know we had not much time for matters hard to be explained4 ,one thing which ,i think we did talk about was the depth of the sea1 and ,i know there were some differences of opinion about this as well as about its colour4 ,first of all1 then1 ,how deep is the deep1 deep sea8 ,actually1 in some places1 five miles deep1 about the height of the loftiest of mountain-peaks4 ,i have heard that these far-away ocean-depths are very quiet and still--no rolling waves ever break their stillness1 and this is proved in a very beautiful way4 ,at the bottom of the ,atlantic ,ocean1 where overhead great billows which seem mountain-high are in ceaseless motion1 there lie beds of delicate shells1 so small that you need a microscope to see their beauty1 yet these shells are unbroken2 no storm ever reaches their quiet home2 they are among the lovely things which the ocean hides in its treasure-caves1 and they only come to light when the long line with a clip at the end1 which is used for deep-sea soundings1 brings them to the surface from those ,sand-strewn caverns1 cool and deep1 ,where the winds are all asleep2 ,where the spent lights quiver and gleam1 ,where the salt weed sways in the stream4 ,these delicately chambered shells were once the homes of creatures which lived in the sunless depths of the ocean1 for though it is totally dark at the bottom of the deep1 deep sea1 life is now known to exist at all depths below the surface of the ocean2 on the ocean-floor starfishes and their relations abound1 and some of those brought from a great depth are very beautiful indeed--telling to those who have eyes to see1 the same tale as the little fern buried in the coal--that it is the glory of every created thing to show forth something of its ,creator1 even in hidden places where no human eye can trace its loveliness4 ,i am sure when we speak of the treasures of the sea1 you are thinking of places where pearls lie deep1 hidden in the shell of the oyster--but ,i did not know until lately that not only iron and copper1 but also gold and silver1 are found in sea water4 ,and now what can we say of the colour of the sea8 ,i used to think that it was always a clear green1 but that was because the sea which ,i knew appeared to be that colour1 for ,i had seen it only near the shore1 where the bottom was fine white sand1 and the sunset light made the water shine like an emerald4 ,and so the sea was green to me1 and ,i was often puzzled and vexed to find that ,i could never catch this beautiful green water2 for you know that if you dip your bucket where the sea looks greenest or bluest1 all the lovely colour will seem to be left behind1 and your bucket-full will look as colourless as water drawn from a well4 ,where the sea is dark blue1 you may be sure that it is deep where it looks gold and purple1 the sun has tinged it with the glory of his rising and setting2 where it is grey and sad1 it takes its sorrowful hue from the rain-clouds overhead4 ,these are some of the reasons why the sea is of such different colours1 but the water is sometimes coloured1 to some extent1 by myriads of living things which give it a reddish tinge2 in the cold ,northern ,ocean1 where the icebergs are1 travellers tell us the sea is green because there its tiny inhabitants are green2 while those who have sailed in the ,south ,american waters tell of countless swarms of minute creatures which make them glow like fire on a dark night1 lighting up the crest of every wave as it rolls past the ship4 ,the sea is also coloured by those beautiful plants which we often call by one common name--seaweeds1 but which are almost as varied in their way as the land plants are4 ,columbus1 when sailing sadly through unknown seas in search of the ,new ,world of which he had dreamed so long1 came upon water so covered with long green weeds that it seemed like a floating meadow1 while his vessels could hardly make their way through the grassy tangles of what is now known as the ,gulf-weed4 ,i have seen the sea off the coast of ,ireland green for miles1 with long1 ribbon-like plants covering its sandy bottom1 sheltering1 and perhaps helping to feed1 the millions of crawling and running and swimming creatures1 many of them so small as to be nearly invisible1 which find their home there4 ,this sea-grass1 or ,zostera1 the only flowering plant to be found in the sea1 is very useful to the poor people who live near the coast4 ,they gather it when the tide is low1 and dry it in the sun1 and it serves them for nice soft beds2 though ,i should think they must always keep a briny1 fishy smell about them4 ,illustration3 ,o',,er ,,banks ,,of ,,bright ,,seaweed1 ,,the ,,ebb-,,tide ,,leaves ,,dry4 ,the ,irish fisher-folk also gather the common brown seaweed with pods1 which are really air-bladders1 and serve to keep it afloat4 ,i have many a time watched the women and children wading among the pools1 cutting it from the rocks with sickles1 and putting it into baskets1 which they carry home on their backs2 for this precious harvest of the sea is what they depend upon to make their potatoes grow well and yield a plentiful crop4 ,there is another kind of seaweed1 of a pretty purple colour1 which they eat1 and call it by an ,irish name which means leaf of the water4 ,but it is far away in the watery valleys of the great ,pacific1 where the sea is very calm1 that the ocean forests grow4 ,i have read that there giant leaves of the sea grow upon stems longer than those of our tallest trees1 and spread abroad like waving palms4 ,though you are not likely ever to see such seaweeds as these1 you will find1 wherever you may be1 though much more abundantly on some shores than others1 some of those beautiful weeds--green1 red1 or brown--which have their use as well as their beauty2 for they help to purify the water1 just as plants do the air4 ,perhaps ,i should not promise more than the brown ,tangle and the green ,ulva1 with its bright lettuce-like leaves2 for red seaweeds belong to deep water1 and are not easy to find4 ,many an hour have ,i spent peering and groping in the little pools at low water in search of these same much-prized rosy-tinted flowers of the sea2 and many a disappointment ,i have had1 even after a fortunate find1 in seeing how soon the lovely colour faded1 in spite of all my efforts to keep it4 ,we often speak of the salt sea or the briny ocean1 without perhaps thinking how it comes to be salt4 ,i used to think it was because there were vast salt mines at the bottom of the sea2 but that was only a guess at the truth4 ,let us think what happens when there is a heavy shower2 how quickly the raindrops gather force until they run down the street1 making gutters on each side6 ,but how unlike the muddy water in these gutters is the rain as it fell from the sky--how is this8 ,it is the same water1 but as it hurries along each drop picks up and carries with it its own little grain of sand or dust4 ,if tiny gutters are tinged by the mud which they carry with them1 how much more must this be the case with the great rivers which empty themselves into the ocean6 ,they carry with them not only sand and earth1 but the minerals and salts which are contained in them1 to form the bed of the ocean4 ,the salt which is thus washed out of the soil by streams and rivers is not evaporated1 but remains behind1 for the sea has no outlet through which it can again be carried away4 ,if you go to ,switzerland1 you will be able to see for yourself how a great river as it rushes along its course washes away the soil4 ,the ,rhone1 when it enters the ,lake of ,geneva1 is so laden with mud that its waters are brown and turbid4 ,for some distance you can trace the course of this brown water as it makes its way through the deep blue of the lovely lake1 not mingling with it--but by the time the river reaches the other end of the lake it has rid itself of its burden3 the mud has sunk to the bottom1 and the ,rhone flows out a clear stream4 ,this is a strange and beautiful sight which perhaps you may see some day4 ,have you ever noticed how often the sea is mentioned in the ,new ,testament8 ,we read of the ,lord ,jesus walking beside it1 and sailing over it in the boat with ,his disciples4 ,and ,i daresay you remember how ,he once sat in the boat upon the sea1 while ,he taught the people who were upon the shore4 ,the ,sea of ,galilee must have been calm and quiet then1 but it was not always so4 ,travellers tell us a great deal about the beauty of this lake1 when the sky is clear1 and the crimson bloom of the ,oleanders is reflected in the still water4 ,but they speak also of the sudden and dangerous storms1 which rush down from the mountains1 and turn the glassy lake into a raging sea4 ,in the gospel by ,mark we read of just such a storm of wind1 when the ,lord ,jesus ,christ was in the little boat with ,his disciples crossing over to the other side4 ,it was such a terrible storm1 that the waves dashed into the boat until it was filled with water4 ,and all but ,one were sore afraid ,of sinking in the deep2 ,his head was on a pillow laid1 ,and ,he was fast asleep4 ,yes1 amid all the tumult and alarm1 the ,saviour who was often weary in this sad world1 was sleeping upon the cushion of the boat4 ,he slept on until the disciples came and awoke ,him with their cry1 ,master1 carest ,thou not that we perish8 ,then the voice of the ,lord was heard above the rage of wind and water1 and their cry of terror1 as ,he rose and rebuked the wind1 and said unto the sea1 ,peace1 be still4 ,the proud waves obeyed that voice of power1 the wind was hushed1 and there was a great calm4 ,do you remember what the ,lord said to ,his disciples1 and what they said to one another1 as they feared exceedingly8 ,perhaps you wonder how anyone could be afraid1 no matter how dreadful the noise of the winds and waves might be1 when the ,lord ,jesus was there4 ,it is true that in that little boat1 tossing upon the dark stormy lake1 was the ,one who upholds all things by the word of ,his power1 the ,one whose word those stormy winds fulfil2 but the disciples1 though they had been so much with ,him1 were now to learn a little more who their ,master was1 and to find that there was no fear of perishing when the ,lord of life was with them4 ,they seem to have forgotten1 too1 that ,he had said1 before they launched the boat1 ,let us pass over unto the other side2 or they might well have afforded to be quiet when ,he slept1 for after ,he had said those words1 they were as sure of being there with ,him as if already landed4 ,how kind it was of the ,lord to put the disciples with ,himself1 and say1 ,let ,,us pass over2 and how safe and free from fear of harm are those happy people who have trusted themselves1 with all they are1 and all they have1 for this life and the long life that is to come1 to this mighty1 gracious ,saviour and ,lord6 ,one who knew this great happiness1 once wrote these beautiful verses about having ,christ in the boat as he sailed over the ocean of life1 with its many storms4 ,he said-- ,my bark is wafted from the strand ,by breath divine2 ,and on the helm there rests a hand ,other than mine4 ,one who has known in storms to sail ,i have on board2 ,above the raging of the gale ,i hear my ,lord4 ,once again in the same gospel by ,mark we read of a tempest coming on while the disciples were crossing the ,sea of ,galilee2 but this time their ,master was not with them in the boat4 ,he had told them to go to the other side while ,he sent away the crowds of people whom ,he had been feeding with the five loaves and two fishes--and then ,he had gone into the hill-country to pray4 ,the evening came on1 the sky growing dark much more quickly than it does in our country1 and ,jesus had not come to them4 ,still the disciples rowed1 and tried to get their boat to land1 and still the storm grew louder4 ,fierce was the wild billow1 ,dark was the night1 ,oars laboured heavily1 ,foam glimmered white4 ,how they must have longed to hear again that well-known voice rebuking the rough wind1 and saying to the angry waves1 ,peace1 be still6 ,but the tired disciples rowed on2 and ,jesus had not come to them4 ,they did not know what we know1 that their ,master was watching them2 ,he knew that they could not bring their boat to land1 and that they were worn out with toiling at their oars1 and were sad at heart too4 ,and so1 just at the darkest1 coldest hour of that night of fear1 the ,lord came to ,his beloved ones4 ,i have seen a picture of the weary men in their tossing boat1 and a shining figure which is meant for the ,lord ,jesus1 as ,he came to them1 walking upon the white crests of the waves4 ,but no picture can give a true idea of that wonderful scene4 ,do you remember how frightened all in the boat were before they knew that it was the ,lord8 ,they cried out for fear2 and in answer to their cry they heard their ,master's own voice talking with them1 and saying1 ,be of good cheer3 it is ,i2 be not afraid4 ,ah1 what a change was there6 ,sorrow can never be-- ,darkness must fly1 ,when saith the ,light of light1 ',peace2 it is ,i4' ,and now1 before we come to the end of this world of water chapter1 listen to a wonderful story of the sea1 told by the only one who could tell it--the heroine of the tale4 ,look at the map of ,scotland1 and you will find its most northerly county1 ,shetland of the ,hundred ,isles1 lying between the ,atlantic ,ocean and the ,north ,sea4 ,perhaps you know this part of the world mostly in connection with the pretty little shaggy ,shetland ponies which feed upon the young heather1 and are brought to ,england for children to ride2 but those who have visited it can tell very interesting stories about the wild country1 with its warm-hearted kindly fisher-folk1 and they often bring home with them beautiful shawls which the women and girls knit from the soft wool of their sheep4 ,they tell us that of the hundred islands1 about thirty are inhabited4 ,some are large1 but others so small that only one or two families live upon them2 and others are little more than rocks--the home of sea-fowl of every wing4 ,in the largest island you will soon find ,lerwick1 the chief town4 ,now look to the very south for the lofty cliff called ,sumburgh ,head1 and near it ,grutness ,harbour1 where they catch the grey fish4 ,it was from this harbour that a small vessel1 the ,columbine1 set sail on ,saturday1 ,january #cjth1 #ahhf1 intending to make the voyage--rough at all times1 but often very perilous in winter--along the coast to ,lerwick4 ,many a boat had perished on these cruel shores1 even since lighthouses have been placed to warn the seamen from the most dangerous rocks4 ,if you had asked the captain of the ,columbine about his route1 he would have told you that he must steer past ,cape ,noness1 then close to the ,isle of ,mousa1 with its ancient castle built in the time of the ,picts2 ,bressay ,island would next come in sight1 and then the tall lighthouse which guards ,lerwick ,harbour4 ,he might have told you1 too1 that upon that ,january morning he was starting with only one passenger on board--an elderly woman who was leaving her home in the south of the island to go and see a doctor at ,lerwick1 as she had been ill for some months4 ,the two men who formed the crew of the ,columbine returned the same day as they had set sail1 in an open boat belonging to their vessel4 ,they said it had been blowing hard when they started1 and they had not got more than four miles on the way when the captain was knocked overboard by a sudden jerk of the boom4 ,they quickly lowered the boat1 and rowed hard to save him2 but1 sad to tell1 all their efforts were in vain1 and they were at length obliged to give up the attempt as hopeless1 and were about to return to the ship1 when1 to their dismay1 they saw that she had drifted out to sea1 and1 with her helpless passenger on board1 was now far beyond their reach4 ,the men pulled with all their strength2 but the sea was so heavy1 and the ,columbine drifted so fast1 that the distance between them rapidly increased2 and at last they had to turn and make for the shore1 which they reached with difficulty in their little open boat4 ,they told their tale1 but nothing could be done to reach the drifting vessel4 ,towards nightfall1 some fishermen on the ,isle of ,mousa1 where opposing currents meet1 and the sea is white with foam1 saw the ,columbine pass1 driven along by the wind4 ,she was soon out of sight1 and was heard of no more upon the shores of ,shetland4 ,and what became of ,elizabeth ,mouat1 the sick and lonely passenger1 who shared the fate of the abandoned ship8 ,you must hear her story1 for1 wonderful to say1 she lived to tell it2 and ,i know those who saw her safe and sound in her ,shetland home1 and heard it from her own lips4 ,but she had been to ,norway meanwhile1 a much longer voyage than to ,lerwick4 ,below in the little cabin on that ,saturday morning1 weak from ill-health and very sea-sick from the rolling of the vessel1 ,elizabeth heard the alarm on deck caused by the accident to the captain1 but knew not what had happened4 ,presently she heard the boat suddenly lowered1 and a terrible fear took possession of her mind4 ,i am deserted6 she said4 ,the men have gone off and left me alone in the ship4 ,with the strength of despair she left her berth1 and tried to get on deck2 but just as she was about to mount the ladder1 it fell to the ground4 ,she had not power to lift it and put it in its place again1 though she tried hard and often4 ,but although unable to get on deck1 she was just tall enough to look out of the open hatchway2 and as she looked this way and that1 neither captain nor crew were to be seen1 only the little boat1 which the ,columbine was fast leaving behind2 and she knew that her worst fears were realised1 and she was indeed left alone4 ,presently she began to consider what it was best for her to do1 in her solitary condition1 as far removed from human aid as poor ,robinson ,crusoe upon his island4 ,there was plenty of food on board1 but it was impossible for her to reach it1 and she had with her in the cabin only a bottle of milk and two biscuits4 ,as night came on1 and the vessel still drifted1 carried by the wind1 she knew not where1 if ,elizabeth had not known how to cry unto the ,lord in her trouble1 how terrible her feelings would have been6 ,as she stood with her head just above the hatchway1 ever keeping her anxious watch1 and searching the horizon in vain for a sail1 the wild seas dashing over the vessel often drenched her through and through4 ,she knew that her cries could reach no mortal ear2 and still the masterless vessel drifted1 drifted on into the night4 ,but ,elizabeth had a strong ,refuge4 ,she quietly committed herself and the ship to ,him1 who is the confidence of all the ends of the earth1 and of them that are afar off upon the sea4 ,and when the long night wore through1 and morning broke1 again she searched the waste of waters with eager eye1 but in vain--no land was in sight1 no friendly sail showed white against the red dawn4 ,far as eye could reach1 nothing could be seen but the sky above1 and the heaving ocean below4 ,but from that time1 during the seven days and nights which followed1 ,elizabeth never lost hope4 ,when she told the story of those days1 she simply said that she put her trust in ,god1 and that she believed ,he would bring her safely to land4 ,for a whole week she never slept1 but every now and then stood up and looked around for the sail which never appeared1 or for the light which1 shining through the darkness1 should give token that help was at hand4 ,once indeed she saw the red light of a ship1 and her heart beat high2 but the vessel went on its way1 knowing nothing of the lonely voyager4 ,the two biscuits were carefully hoarded1 but at last not a crumb remained1 and for four days she was without food4 ,but in telling her tale1 ,elizabeth said that she suffered more from wet and from thirst than from hunger4 ,to allay her thirst1 she used to lick the drops of rain from the window panes4 ,at last1 becoming too weak to keep her constant watch1 she tied herself close to the hatchway1 fearing lest she might roll away from her post of observation1 and be unable to get back to it4 ,and so1 for eight days1 the ,columbine and her passenger--so weak and helpless in herself1 so strong in her trust in ,god--drifted over the wild waves of the ,north ,sea4 ,it was on ,sunday morning1 ,february #gth1 that a vessel which had lost her mast came ashore among the rocks near ,aalesund1 in sight of a crowd of ,norwegian villagers4 ,as she drifted in1 a woman's head was distinctly seen1 and a brave young fisherman1 taking a rope with him1 swam out to her1 climbed on board1 and found ,elizabeth tied to the hatchway1 still alive1 still confident4 ,she was drawn ashore by the rope1 and thus her long voyage to ,norway ended4 ,she found herself among strangers truly1 who spoke a tongue unknown to her1 but was kindly cared for at a farm-house1 until she was sufficiently recovered to be sent home to ,shetland1 where she received a letter which must have1 indeed surprised and pleased her4 ,it was from our gracious ,queen1 and contained a present for ,elizabeth of twenty pounds4 ,i am sure you will like to read the letter1 so here it is3 ,,windsor ,,castle1 ,march #bgth1 #ahhf4 ,the ,queen has been much touched by the account of the sufferings of ,miss ,mouat1 and was pleased to learn1 by her brother's letter of the #bjth1 that she is recovering her strength4 ,illustration3 ,,windsor ,,castle4 ,do you not think ,elizabeth must be very proud and pleased to show the ,queen's letter to those who ask her about her voyage to ,norway8 ,a ,norwegian gentleman1 writing about the place where the dismasted1 unpiloted vessel drifted ashore1 says3 ,had not the ,columbine been steered by an invisible but almighty ,hand1 she would never have got clear of the thousands of rocks4 ,so furious was the storm that all the boats not taken ashore went down at their moorings2 and yet the ,columbine escaped the network of rocks and skerries1 and picked out the only place where she could have beached6 ,elizabeth did not see the ,lord ,jesus walking upon the waves1 and drawing near to her in the dark night1 as the disciples did2 but surely she heard ,his voice through the storm1 hushing her spirit1 and saying to her1 as ,he did to them1 ,it is ,i2 be not afraid4 ,i know a little girl1 older than ,sharley or ,may1 who is fond of repeating a beautiful poem about the storm on the ,lake of ,galilee4 ,perhaps you would like to learn it for your next hymn4 ,it is called ,,to ,,yonder ,,side4 ,behind the hills of ,naphtali ,the sun went slowly down1 ,leaving on mountain1 tower1 and tree ,a tinge of golden brown4 ,the cooling breath of evening woke ,the waves of ,galilee1 ,till on the shore the waters broke ,in softest melody4 ',now launch the bark1' the ,saviour cried2 ,the chosen ,twelve stood by2 ',and let us cross to yonder side1 ,where the hills are steep and high4' ,gently the bark o'er the waters creeps1 ,while the swelling sail they spread2 ,and the wearied ,saviour gently sleeps1 ,with a pillow 'neath ,his head4 ,on downy bed the world seeks rest2 ,sleep flies the guilty eye2 ,but he who leans on the ,father's breast1 ,may sleep when storms are nigh4 ,but soon the lowering sky grew dark ,o'er ,bashan's rocky brow2 ,the storm rushed down upon the bark1 ,and waves dashed o'er the prow4 ,the pale disciples trembling spake1 ,while yawned the watery grave2 ',we perish1 ,master--,master1 wake2 ,carest ,thou not to save8' ,calmly ,he rose with sovereign will1 ,and hushed the storm to rest2 ',ye waves1' ,he whispered1 ',peace1 be still6' ,they calmed like a pardoned breast4 ,so have ,i seen a fearful storm ,o'er wakened sinner roll1 ,till ,jesus' voice and ,jesus' form ,said1 ',peace1 thou weary soul' ,and now ,he bends ,his gentle eye ,his wondering followers o'er2 ',why raise this unbelieving cry8 ,i said1 ,to yonder shore4' ,when first the ,saviour wakened me1 ,and showed me why ,he died1 ,he pointed o'er life's narrow sea1 ,and said1 ',to yonder side4' ',i am the ark where ,noah dwelt1 ,and heard the deluge roar-- ,no soul can perish that has left ,my res--,to yonder shore4' ,peaceful and calm the tide of life ,when first ,i sailed with ,thee2 ,my sins forgiven1 no inward strife1 ,my breast a glassy sea4 ,but soon the storm of passion raves2 ,my soul is tempest tossed2 ,corruptions rise1 like angry waves-- ',help1 ,master1 ,i am lost6' ',peace1 peace1 be still1 thou raging breast3 ,my fulness is for thee'-- ,the ,saviour speaks1 and all is rest1 ,like the waves of ,galilee4 ,and now ,i feel ,his holy eye ,upbraids my heart of pride-- ',why raise this unbelieving cry8 ,i said1 ,to yonder side4' ,mc,c,h,e,y,n,e4 ,,the ,,third ,,day4 ,,the ,,earth ,,beneath4 ,he hangeth the earth upon nothing4--,,job xxvi4 #g4 ,the pillars of the earth are the ,lord's1 and he hath set the world upon them4--#a ,,sam4 ii4 #h4 ,as for the earth1 out of it cometh bread3 and under it is turned up as it were fire4 ,the stones of it are the place of sapphires2 and it hath dust of gold4--,,job xxviii4 #e1 #f4 ,have you ever noticed that some words have two meanings1 both their own1 but giving us very different thoughts about the things of which they speak1 according to the way in which we use them8 ,it is so with our earth4 ,we may speak of it as the firm ground upon which we stand1 and may think of the wonderful time of which we are going to read in our chapter in ,genesis1 when ,god caused it to bring forth and bud1 and clothed all its waste places1 so that it has been ever since the green earth which is so fair to look upon4 ,this is the way in which we generally speak of the earth1 is it not8--but we may also think of it1 not as it appears to us1 but as a great globe hung up in the heavens by the mighty hand of ,god1 who hangeth the earth upon nothing2 for the pillars of the earth are the ,lord's1 and ,he hath set the world upon them4 ,if you could look at a star through a telescope1 ,i think the first thing that would strike you is that there is nothing by which it is upheld and kept in its place4 ,you might say1 as you saw it1 as it were1 hanging in the depths of the sky1 ,why1 it is hung upon nothing6 ,it is just so with our earth3 there is nothing that we can see by which it is supported1 no pillars for it to rest upon--but yet it is kept in its place4 ,god set it there1 and ,god keeps it there4 ,the ,hindu has tried to account for this in his own way3 he says the earth does rest upon something2 it is supported upon the backs of four great elephants and when he is asked1 ,where do they stand8 he replies1 ,upon the back of a huge tortoise4 ,this shows the folly of men who have tried to explain what filled the patriarch ,job with awe and wonder1 even before ,god had asked him those questions which ,he alone could answer4 ,where wast thou when ,i laid the foundations of the earth8 ,declare1 if thou hast understanding4 ,who hath laid the measures thereof1 if thou knowest8 or who hath stretched the line upon it8 ,whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened8 or who hath laid the corner stone thereof1 when the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy8 ,once in a time of great danger and trouble1 ,luther wrote thus to a friend3 ,i recently saw two miracles2 you listen to hear of something startling3 some great light burning in the heavens1 some angelic visitation--some unusual occurrence2 but you hear only this4 ,as ,i was at my window1 ,i saw the stars1 the sky1 and that vast and glorious firmament in which the ,lord has placed them4 ,i could nowhere discover the columns on which the ,master has supported this immense vault1 and yet the heavens did not fall6 ,and here was the other miracle3 ,i beheld clouds hanging above me like a vast sea--,i could neither perceive ground on which they reposed1 nor cords by which they were suspended1 and yet they did not fall upon me4 ,we find it difficult to think of our own globe as a star2 but so it is1 and when you go out at night and look up at the sky1 all covered with little points of light1 you may remember that our great earth1 with its mountains and forests1 seas and plains1 and all its cities and towns alive with busy men and women1 is but a tiny speck in ,god's universe2 many of those stars which seem so small1 as their twinkle1 twinkle comes from so far away1 are themselves suns1 larger than that mighty sun of ours which it takes the earth a whole year of days to travel round2 and all these wonderful worlds belong to ,him for whose pleasure they are and were created4 ,looked at in this way1 our earth is but one of a group of eight stars1 which have been called planets1 or wanderers1 because1 while other worlds1 which are called fixed stars1 keep constantly in the same position with regard to each other1 these planets are always moving4 ,they have two movements2 ,i think you know that our earth turns round upon itself1 as your top does when it spins1 and that in this way the changes of day and night come to us2 the other movement is that by which it1 along with the other planets1 travels round the sun4 ,this yearly journey round the sun which the earth takes is a long one1 but so swiftly does it move that it may be said rather to fly than to wander4 ,shut your eyes and count ,one1 two1 three1 four1 five2 in this little moment of time the earth will have got over a hundred miles of its journey4 ,you see it flies along faster than any bird2 and what a noiseless flight it is6 ,how is it that we do not feel it moving8 ,ah1 you must remember that the earth carries you along with it2 you know nothing about the rapid journey1 and yet you are a traveller in spite of yourself--a traveller round the sun4 ,all the planets1 like our earth1 move round the sun1 and are kept in their places by means of a wonderful power which we cannot see1 but which is one of those laws of nature1 as the rules which ,god has made for ,his great universe are sometimes called1 about which ,i told you that they never alter4 ,it is a law1 or rule1 that1 in the world around us1 the same causes always produce the same effects4 ,if you think a little about this1 it will become plain to you that it is so1 and if you observe carefully you will see that this rule is the same in connection with the smallest as well as the greatest things2 if it ever seems that it is not so1 be sure that this is only because you do not yet know all about what you have been observing4 ,and now learn a little about the beautiful rule by which the planets are kept in their places4 ,two hundred years ago1 ,sir ,isaac ,newton discovered that everything in the universe attracts or draws every other thing to itself1 and this power or attraction he called the force of gravitation4 ,i cannot do much more than tell you the name of this law1 but you will learn more about it one day ,i hope1 and see how simple and yet how wonderful it is4 ,an astronomer of our own day says1 in his ,story of the ,heavens1 that there are grounds for believing that the law of gravitation is obeyed throughout the length1 the breadth1 the depth1 and the height of the entire universe1 and a little observation and thought will enable you to see something of its working in the world around us4 ,do you remember my telling you how fond ,i was of swimming boats long ago8 ,when my brother and ,i used to launch our paper boats--not on the river1 but in that big tub in the yard--our great difficulty was to keep them from running each other down1 and becoming dismal wrecks before they had completed their first voyage4 ,we did not know why1 but it seemed as if the vessels of our tiny fleet would drift towards each other1 in spite of all our efforts to keep them apart4 ,have you not found it so with your boats8 ,it certainly was with ours1 but we should have been surprised if anyone had told us that as they ran against each other1 our paper boats were but obeying the law of gravitation1 each little vessel drawing the other to itself by a power which it had of attracting it4 ,knowing this rule makes many things plain4 ,if you throw your ball high into the air1 it is sure to come down again4 ,why8 ,because the earth1 which is a much larger ball1 attracts it to itself by the law of gravitation2 by the same law1 the drops of rain in a shower fall to the ground2 by the same law1 we and all the people upon the globe are able to stand firm on it2 by the same law1 the great earth itself1 the moon1 and all the planets are kept in their places4 ,but what is the mighty magnet which has power to draw the earth to itself8 ,it is that wonderful globe the sun1 which is more than a million times as large as the earth2 and though it is so far1 far away--at a distance greater than we can have any idea of--yet by its mighty power of drawing them to itself1 makes our earth1 as well as the other planets1 move round it in the most beautiful order1 and keeps them all in their places4 ,although ,newton felt sure that this unseen but resistless power1 of which he afterwards spoke reverently as the finger of ,god1 kept the moon going round the earth and the earth round the sun1 yet he was at first silent about his great discovery2 he worked and waited for long years1 until he had proved that it was not merely a happy guess1 but that he had really discovered the rule which governs the motion of sun1 moon and stars4 ,then he explained the reason why the moon is always moving round the earth1 and the earth and other planets round the sun1 instead of all moving on in a straight line2 it is because everyone of the heavenly bodies attracts all the rest1 and thus the smaller move round the larger1 all in perfect order and harmony4 ,illustration3 ,,sailing ,,the ,,boat ,you must not think that this force set them all moving2 it only governs their movements1 the earth pulling the moon to itself1 and the sun in like manner pulling all the planets with gentle but resistless power1 and keeping them all moving round himself--their glorious centre4 ,you will learn by-and-by what has been found out about the other planets4 ,all ,i shall tell you of them now is1 that they are1 like the earth1 quite dark in themselves4 ,the light they give is reflected light from the sun2 just like the light which comes to us from another planet1 which belongs1 not to the sun1 but to our earth1 and indeed is so near home that ,i am sure you can find out its name for yourself4 ,of the seven other planets which belong to the sun1 the nearest in size to our earth is one which shines with a lovely soft light1 and is sometimes the evening1 sometimes the morning star4 ,ask someone to show you ,venus2 and ,i think you will soon learn to look for her in the evening1 and to love her pure1 calm radiance4 ,this star is peculiarly beautiful in the early morning1 when she seems to shine alone in the sky1 and reminds us how1 in the last book of the ,bible1 the ,lord ,jesus speaks of ,himself1 and says1 ,i am the 444 ,bright and ,morning ,star4 ,what a beautiful name for us to know the ,lord ,jesus by6 ,there are some children who know ,him by that name1 and they are watching for that bright star to appear4 ,i will tell you of one4 ,her name is ,sharley2 but she is not ,may's sister ,sharley1 and ,i do not think she is quite so old4 ,this little girl had been obliged to go away from her home1 to stay for some time in the ,children's ,hospital4 ,this is a bright1 pretty place1 with pictures and flowers and toys4 ,but it was not at all like home to poor little ,sharley2 and as she thought of her mother and her sisters she sobbed and cried in her little bed1 and buried her head under the pink quilt1 and refused to be comforted4 ,a lady came to see her1 and brought her a picture-book2 but still she hid her face1 and cried1 ,oh1 do let me go home6 ,the lady tried to please her by showing her a stuffed squirrel1 and telling stories about how she had seen the merry little creatures1 with their bright eyes and red bushy tails1 running about in the beech-woods1 eating nuts4 ,but no1 nothing that she could do or say would win a smile or a bright look4 ,at last she noticed a little ,testament lying upon the tray across her bed1 beside the toys which had been given her to play with1 and she said1 ,is that your own ,testament1 ,sharley8 ,will you find the place and read me your favourite verse8 ,in a moment the little girl stopped crying1 and turned over the leaves of her ,testament till she came to the very end2 and she put her finger on the verse1 ,surely ,i come quickly4 ,amen4 ,even so1 come1 ,lord ,jesus4 ,as she pointed to the words the lady read them1 and then asked1 ,do you want ,him to come8 ,sharley did not speak1 but nodded her head4 ,why do you want to see ,him8 ,what has ,he done for you8 ,he died for me1 said the little girl4 ,and then she asked just one question1 ,if the ,lord ,jesus hasn't come before ,monday1 do you think mother will come and take me home8 ,i am glad to tell you that little ,sharley had not long to stay in the hospital2 she soon got well enough1 to be allowed to go home4 ,but ,i tell you about her that yon may see that she was not too young to know what the ,lord ,jesus had done for her1 and to be looking out for ,him to come--watching for the ,bright and ,morning ,star4 ,and now ,i want you to find one more verse about the earth as it hangs in the sky1 a very beautiful verse in the fortieth chapter of ,isaiah4 ,it is ,he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth1 and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers2 that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain1 and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in4 ,what is meant by the circle of the earth8 ,you have learnt that the earth is round1 like the sun and moon2 for you see how round the globe in the schoolroom is1 and you know that it is meant to be as like the earth in shape as it can be made4 ,besides1 you have read of sailors who have made voyages round the world1 and brought their ships back again to the very place from whence they set sail4 ,it seems quite plain to you1 now that you have been taught so much about the form of the earth1 that it must be round4 ,but ,i wonder whether you have ever thought that1 long before a geography-book was written or a globe was made--at a time when no one had ever sailed round the world1 but all the wise men thought the earth was flat 7except where the mountains and hills were71 and that if they could only travel far enough1 they would in time get to the world's end--,god had spoken of it as round4 ,he had spoken of ,himself as the ,one who sitteth upon the circle 7or arch7 of the earth2 and of the inhabitants thereof--all the people who have lived and died upon it--as grasshoppers2 creatures of a day4 ,when we learn something about other worlds1 and find out that this world1 so large in our eyes that we cannot think of anything to compare with it for greatness1 is yet so small that it is like a grain of sand in the vast universe which ,god created at the beginning1 we may well ask ,why did the ,son of ,god come down ,from the bright realms of heavenly bliss1 ,and lay aside ,his kingly crown1 ,to visit such a world as this8 ,why in a manger was ,he born1 ,who was the ,lord of earth and sky8 ,the answer to this question is to be found in the verse which you know so well1 where the ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself tells us that ,god so loved the world--this place which is a little city indeed compared with other worlds2 and the few men within it--all sinful people who had gone away as far as they could from ,him--,god so loved this lost world1 that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,the ,son of ,god gave up all that ,he had to buy back this lost world1 for the sake of the treasure which was hidden there4 ,do you know what that treasure is8 ,and now we will look again at a verse in the ,book of ,job1 which tells us something very wonderful about the inside of this great globe of ours1 upon the fair outside of which we live and move4 ,you would never have thought it possible that such a great ball could be weighed4 ,but by weighing and measuring--not with scales and weights1 you may be sure1 but by clever ways which are known to learned philosophers--it has been found out that our earth is very1 very heavy4 ,the philosophers thought it could not be so heavy if it were made of earth and rocks all through1 and they wondered what could be far down beneath the deepest mines1 in those secret places which they could not reach4 ,but long before these wise men had begun to weigh and measure1 and to guess and wonder1 ,god had said1 ,as for the earth1 out of it cometh bread--you know that in many places the surface of the earth is rich with waving corn--and under it is turned up as it were fire4 ,i remember well when ,i first heard about this fire always burning at the heart of the earth4 ,i had been told that the world was round like a ball1 and yet that people lived upon every part of it4 ,and when ,i turned the globe in the schoolroom round until ,i had found ,new ,zealand--that land which is just opposite our own country1 as you can see for yourself if you look--,i used to think how wonderful it was that the ,new ,zealanders should be there walking about under my feet1 as ,i had been told they were2 and a great desire came into my mind to make a way right through to them1 and see what they were like4 ,i believe ,i thought they were men who walked on their heads1 for in those days ,i much preferred guessing at things ,i did not understand1 to asking someone who knew how to explain them to me4 ,so you see ,i understood so very little1 that ,i actually thought that by getting up early and working hard it would be quite easy for me1 with my little spade1 to dig right down to the other side of this mighty globe6 ,however1 one day1 before ,i had made more than an opening to my tunnel1 ,i listened to a conversation about digging deep wells and mines4 ,i could not understand most of what was said1 nor did ,i know the meaning of any of the long words which ,i then heard for the first time2 but there was one thing which ,i did understand1 and this made me stop short in my work1 afraid to dig another spadeful of earth4 ,i had thought it would be so delightful to walk through my tunnel1 and come out at the other side where the strange ,new ,zealand people lived2 but now my great dread was lest ,i should get to the inside of the earth before ,i was aware of it1 when ,i had dug perhaps only a little hole2 for those who were speaking about it1 said how impossible it was to get very far below the surface1--or1 as they called it1 very deep into the crust of the earth--because of the great heat1 which makes the men who work in deep mines glad to throw off their clothes4 ,the deeper the bore1 the greater the heat1 they said2 and then went on to speak of this crust as if it covered the earth as the shell covers an egg1 so that ,i thought it might perhaps be broken just as easily4 ,and how dreadful it would be1 ,i said to myself1 if ,i could get to the inside of the earth and find it all on fire6 ,it was a pity that ,i did not ask a little about what surprised and frightened me so much1 and especially that ,i did not get someone to explain to me the meaning of this new word1 the crust of the earth4 ,i know now that it is the name that has been given to that part of the earth which is known to be firm and solid--the bed of the ocean as well as the dry land4 ,beneath this crust lies the inner part or kernel of the earth1 and no one knows of what it consists2 all that can be done is to examine the rocks which rest upon it1 and whether the lowest of these layers of rock has yet been reached1 we do not know4 ,if you have ever been to a quarry where the rocks have been blasted and cut away1 you have seen a little way down into this earth-crust4 ,i remember once1 when ,i was living in a country warmer than ,england1 seeing a beautiful sight4 ,it was a great quarry in a hillside4 ,in part of it men were busy1 cutting out the stone and carrying it away2 but all over one side1 which was no longer worked1 a beautiful vine had woven its lovely green leaves and purple clusters of grapes4 ,you would have thought1 perhaps1 that the side where the rough1 hard rock was hidden by the fruitful vine1 was the only part of the quarry worth looking at2 but the other side1 where the quarrymen were at work1 was very interesting to anyone who would take the trouble to notice how the rocks lay1 piled one upon another1 and especially to one who had learnt a little about the different kinds of rock of which the earth-crust has been made4 ,even if you have never learnt much of what is called geology1 by keeping your eyes open and your mind awake you may see a great deal in the stones which have perhaps seemed to you most uninteresting4 ,a block of granite from one of the ,dartmoor hills1 and a piece of slate from a ,welsh quarry--how different these two kinds of stone are6 ,we see this at once2 but they become much more interesting when we know that each has its own history4 ,the granite is one of the fire-made rocks1 so called because there are marks upon it1 like letters written long ago1 quite plain to those who have the skill to read them2 which show that though it is now so hard1 it was once soft1 as soft as iron becomes when melted by very great heat4 ,the mountains of ,devon and ,cornwall1 the ,grampians of ,scotland1 even ,mont ,blanc1 the ,monarch of ,mountains1 are made of the grey or red granite which takes such a beautiful polish when cut that it is much prized for buildings4 ,the piece of slate has quite a different history4 ,it is one of the water-made rocks1 in which so many fossils have been found2 while in the fire-rocks there are no remains of anything which ever lived4 ,the water-rocks are so called because water has had so much to do with the making of them2 for they have been very slowly formed by the gravel and grains of sand which have been washed down by streams and torrents1 and left behind in their course4 ,in these slate and sandstone rocks the wonderful fossil animals1 which are to be seen in the ,museum1 have been found4 ,a fossil means what has been dug out of the earth2 and numbers of animals are to be found buried deep in the rocks along the coast of ,yorkshire--huge creatures which lived on the earth long1 long ago1 of which the hard parts1 such as bones and teeth1 have gradually been turned into stone4 ,all this is very wonderful to think of1 and ,i am sure the poet1 who spoke of finding sermons in stones1 was wiser than he knew2 but what will you say when ,i tell you that one kind of rock--the chalk with which you are so fond of drawing upon the black-board--is made of shells1 most of them very tiny ones1 which can be seen only by a microscope8 ,what myriads of living things once made their homes in those little shells1 and what sort of life they lived1 we cannot tell2 but there the shells remain in the white chalk1 and the microscope will show them to you1 as it shows so many hidden wonders in this wonderful world1 where the very great and the very small meet on every hand4 ,only the other day1 ,may brought me a lovely branch of white coral4 ,look1 she said1 when baby was out for a walk1 a lady gave her this4 ,she thought it very pretty1 but she was surprised when ,i showed it to her through a magnifying-glass1 and told her that it had been made by a very tiny kind of jelly-fish2 a plant-animal some people call it1 of the same kind as the sea-anemone2 and she wondered still more when we found in a book a picture of a coral island1 and ,i told her that such little creatures have been busy ever since the world began1 constantly building up the coral-rocks4 ,these rocks1 which are strong enough to resist the force of the waves1 rise out of the sea naked and bare1 but are soon covered with green1 and become the resting-place of the sea-birds1 until at last they are like that lovely island1 fringed with tall cocoa-palms1 which we saw in the picture4 ,if it were not for the myriads of tiny jelly-fishes1 who work on and on1 each forming its own little bones from the lime it gets from the sea-water1 dying1 and leaving its skeleton behind for others to build upon1 there would be none of these beautiful green isles of the sea of which sailors love to tell us4 ,we were speaking of contrasts some time ago2 now for a contrast4 ,beside the coral1 with its lovely branching sprays1 we will put a piece of coal4 ,you think the coal very black and ugly1 not fit to be put alongside the white coral2 but let me tell you that there is that in the coal which was once far more beautiful than the coral--which is only a bare skeleton after all--could ever be2 for1 though coal and coral are alike dead now1 both were once full of life4 ,but the coal1 which is certainly more useful than beautiful at present1 has had a wonderful past4 ,besides the fossil-animals which are dug out of the earth's crust1 there are also fossil-trees and ferns1 and it is of them that coal1 which seems only like a black stone1 is made4 ,i have read that in a part of ,england where there are now great coal mines1 for a long time no one knew the worth of coal except some old women1 who said they could make their fires burn beautifully by putting those black bits of stone upon them4 ,how strange this seems2 and what should we do now if we had not these black stones to burn8 ,coal is generally called a mineral1 as all things which are dug from mines are called2 but it is really a vegetable4 ,you may perhaps pick up in some swampy place1 a piece of wood1 very black1 which breaks as you handle it4 ,look at it well1 for this wood is being turned into coal2 but for what was once a forest to become a coal-mine takes a very long time indeed1 with a strange history of change and decay2 yet it is true that the coal dug out of mines is nothing else than trees and ferns and mosses1 long ago buried by mud and sand1 and so crushed together that they have become like a piece of black stone4 ,the other day ,chrissie had what you would consider a rare treat1 for his father took him and his brother down a coal-mine4 ,they put on some of the miners' clothes1 and then got into the cage1 and were let down by a strong chain2 down1 down1 until they reached the bottom of the shaft1 as the tunnel from the mouth of the coal-pit to the place where men are at work below is called4 ,i have never seen a mine of any kind1 but if ,i ever find myself at the bottom of a coal-pit1 ,i think ,i shall use my eyes1 and see whether1 even in such a grimy place1 ,i cannot find something beautiful4 ,i shall hold my safety-lamp high1 and look carefully at the roof and sides of the mine1 for ,i have been told that in all coal-mines remains of the plants from which the coal is made are to be found2 so ,i should not be surprised to find here and there in the dark shining walls traces of leaves and branches2 and upon the hard clay which forms the roof1 beautiful patterns of ferns1 which lived long1 long ago1 and have lain buried for ages4 ,in a valley1 centuries ago1 ,grew a little fern-plant1 green and slender1 ,veining delicate and fibres tender1 ,waving in the wind1 crept down so low2 ,rushes tall1 and moss1 and grass grew round it2 ,playful sunbeams darted in and found it2 ,drops of dew stole down by night and crowned it2 ,but no foot of man e'er came that way1 ,earth was young and keeping holiday4 ,we can speak of the roof and the floor of a coal-mine1 because the coal lies in what are called seams1 between layers of slate or hard clay4 ,i cannot tell you much about the sedges and reeds and giant ferns1 the remains of which have been found in these seams of coal1 but ,i know that they are of the same kind as plants which are now found in damp and warm places1 though they were giants indeed compared with them4 ,some of these old-world plants would not grow in our country now1 but there are great mare's-tails1 just the same as the small ones which ,i have often found beside a pool of black water on an ,irish bog2 and ,i have read that some plants with stems fifty feet long1 which are found in coal1 are of the same kind as a pretty little moss which grows upon the mountains almost all over ,england4 ,you remember the story about the boy who was brought up in a mine4 ,now ,i want to tell you about a little girl who did not live in a coal-mine1 but was often taken there by her father4 ,her mother had died when she was a baby1 and as she grew older her father was her constant friend1 and loved his little daughter so much that he liked to have her always near him4 ,and so1 though she was only seven years old when he came to work in this mine1 he very often took her with him in the cage1 and she had leave to stay underground until his work was done and he could take her home again4 ,children can always find ways of amusing themselves1 and this child had a happy time in her strange nursery1 and many a merry game she played among the coal4 ,as she grew older her father allowed her to carry a lantern1 as the miners did1 and she would go fearlessly through the dark passages by herself1 until she knew all their windings as well as you know the paths in your father's garden4 ,but all at once this happy life came to an end3 three years had passed1 and she was just ten years old1 when a great sorrow came to this child4 ,as her dear father was going down the shaft one morning the chain broke1 and the cage fell to the bottom of the mine4 ,when his mates ran to the spot1 they knew at once that he had been killed by that terrible fall1 and slowly and sadly they took up his crushed and wounded body and carried it home4 ,the first thing that the dear little daughter knew about the accident which had made her an orphan child1 was when she saw the men1 who had worked with her father1 coming towards his cottage with their sad burden4 ,she at once ran to meet them1 asking when father would be home2 but the sight of their faces soon told her1 young as she was1 all the truth4 ,when first she understood what had happened she cried with a bitter cry1 for her father was all she had in the world4 ,then1 while the rough miners1 amid their tears1 tried to comfort her1 she suddenly knelt down on the grass where they had laid the body and prayed as her dear father had taught her to pray4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,miner',s ,,little ,,daughter4 ,what a touching thing it must have been to see the child kneeling there1 and to hear her1 in her great grief1 say three times over1 ,thy will be done6 ,one of the miners took her to his home1 and they all tried to comfort her4 ,at first it seemed as if she could not recover from the shock1 and they feared she would die of grief2 but by-and-by she began to try to help the kind woman--who was like a mother to her--in the care of her little children1 and at last she got courage to go down into the mine again1 to the very place where her poor father had been killed4 ,but she did not come now to run about and play hide-and-seek among the winding ways2 those days were over1 and the sorrowful time1 which had passed since then1 had taught her precious lessons4 ,her father's ,friend was her ,friend now1 and she loved to carry the ,bible1 which had belonged to her father1 down into the mine1 and while the miners were taking their dinner or their short rest1 she used to sit beside them and read them chapters and psalms1 and so became a little messenger to tell them of the love of ,god4 ,do you know a hymn about shining in this world--where so many kinds of darkness are found--for the ,lord ,jesus ,christ8 ,i do not know whether this child had ever heard of it1 but it is very sweet to see that the ,lord had taught her to shine--as the hymn says--first of all for ,him2 then in her little corner in that humble cottage where she tried1 in spite of her own sore trouble1 to be a cheer and comfort to the miner's wife2 and then ,he gave her a little corner in the dark mine where she might shine ,like a little candle ,burning in the night4 ,the rough men loved this gentle child who had known sorrow so early4 ,they listened as she read to them1 and used to say she was their good angel4 ,if we remember that an angel means a messenger1 we shall perhaps think it not a wrong name to give to her1 since she read to them ,god's ,book1 which is ,his message to us4 ,while we were talking about the earth-crust1 ,i daresay you were wishing to know1 as ,i did1 how thick it is--how far down the layers of rocks go1 and what lies underneath the lowest layer of all4 ,these are questions which cannot be answered2 for no one has ever been able to search so far into the hidden parts of the earth as to tell us what lies beneath those fire-rocks1 which are the lowest known1 although they are sometimes found upon the tops of mountains1 cast up by a mighty heaving of the crust1 such as happens when there is an earthquake1 or what is called the eruption of a volcano4 ,but what power could be strong enough to heave up solid rocks1 and to make the firm ground upon which we tread1 and upon which the houses are built1 waver to and fro like the restless sea1 so that the strongest buildings begin to totter and fall1 and the bravest men run for their lives8 ,it is the mighty power of steam--caused by the great heat far down below--which1 when it does come to any part of the earth's surface1 makes itself known in very terrible ways4 ,we do not often hear of earthquakes near home2 but in some of the most beautiful parts of the world they are so common that the houses are built only one storey high1 and of wood1 not stone1 because low houses are less likely to fall1 and wooden ones are easily built up again1 if overthrown4 ,i think you have heard of the boiling springs in ,iceland1 which burst through the ground1 shaking it and making it tremble2 just as the steam shakes the lid of the teakettle2 and rising almost to the clouds1 with a noise like fireworks2 and perhaps you may have seen the hot springs at ,bath1 from which a cloud of steam rises almost in the heart of the beautiful old city1 and which are believed to come from a depth of nearly a mile4 ,such is the force of this steam that even the bed of the sea has been heaved up by it into a burning mountain1 from which great stones are cast high into the air2 while down its sides flow melted rocks and metals1 forming the lava which1 when seen at night1 looks like a stream of liquid fire1 but quickly cools into a river of mud4 ,all these strange things tell us terrible tales of the great heat which is somewhere in the heart of the earth1 and help us to understand the verse which tells us all we really know about it3 ,as for the earth1 out of it cometh bread3 and under it is turned up as it were fire4 ,new ,zealand is a country where there are many hot springs1 and several mountains which were once volcanoes1 but were supposed to have died out4 ,one of these1 ,mount ,tarawera1 was situated in what was called the ,hot ,lake district1 because there were not only boiling springs1 but pools of hot water there4 ,the ,hot ,lakes valley was not only a lovely green spot1 but it was noted for the wonderful ,pink and ,white ,terraces1 which were so beautiful as to be one of the sights which people from all countries came to see4 ,imagine1 if you can1 basins of white and pink marble rising one above another1 filled with water of the deepest blue1 by a warm stream which kept flowing over them in a constant cascade4 ,you would have enjoyed a bath there1 ,i am sure1 and would have been interested to see the country-people cooking their food in some of the neighbouring springs where the water came from so great a depth that it was always boiling4 ,but this lovely place was full of hidden dangers2 for miles around these lakes the ground was hot and crumbling1 and in many places so thin that if you did not tread very carefully1 you might find yourself sinking into hot mud4 ,it was in ,june1 which you know is winter-time in ,new ,zealand1 in the year #ahhe1 that the people of ,wairoa1 a beautiful place where some missionaries had settled that they might teach the ,maoris1 were awakened at midnight by a heavy shock of earthquake1 accompanied by a fearful roar1 which made them rush out of their houses in terror4 ,the sight which greeted them was grand but awful4 ,ernest has a picture of it in his room2 but ,i suppose it would not be possible for any picture to give an idea of what the poor frightened people saw4 ,mount ,tarawera had been asleep for a hundred and twenty years1 so that it was supposed to have burnt itself out1 and to be no longer dangerous4 ,but it was awake now3 the fearful roar which had aroused the sleepers was caused by its having suddenly burst into flame2 and it continued to throw high into the sky fire and mud and stones1 while the inhabitants of the peaceful little village saved what they could carry1 and then fled away in their night-dresses4 ,as morning broke1 a dense pillar of ashes rose from the burning1 roaring mountain2 the school-house1 where sixty ,maori boys and girls used to be taught1 was struck by lightning2 and while burning1 overwhelmed with torrents of hot mud and stones4 ,sad to say1 the schoolmaster and most of his family were killed1 the two eldest daughters only being rescued from the buried house4 ,how well it is to know that ,mr4 ,hazard and the four children who were taken out dead from the ruins1 were ready1 quite ready for whatever might happen1 because they knew the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as their ,saviour6 ,god allowed them to lose their lives upon that dreadful day2 but for them the eruption of the volcano was only the chariot of fire by which ,he was pleased to take them away in a moment1 to be for ever with the ,lord1 who had loved them and given ,himself for them4 ,the darkness caused by the ashes which fell in a ceaseless shower for eighteen hours1 continued till noon the next day1 when it was seen that not only had the beautiful marble terraces vanished1 but the whole valley had been blown into the air by the tremendous force of imprisoned steam4 ,a traveller describing the scene of desolation says1,footnote3 ,miss ,gordon ,cumming on ,the ,eruption of ,tarawera in #ahhe4 ,even living birds were coated with mud1 while for some days after the eruption the poor bewildered cattle roamed about this dreary wilderness mad with hunger and thirst1 gnawing boughs of trees or decayed wood1 bellowing pitifully1 and with eyes bloodshot and nostrils choked with greasy slate-coloured mud1 which lay an inch thick all over their coats4 ,and of the smiling valley itself1 she says3 ,where1 but a few days previously1 the wild fowl were swimming securely among the reeds and sedges which bordered the quiet lakes1 there now exists only a chaotic wilderness of cones and craters all in hideous activity1 ejecting clouds of pestilential black smoke and showers of stones4 ,one large crater was in full action on the spot where the beautiful ,pink ,terrace had hitherto gladdened all visitors by its loveliness1 and another apparently close to the ,white ,terrace was throwing up masses of black dust and steam1 which rose in columns thousands of feet in height4 ,there is a verse in the hundred and fourth ,psalm which tells how ,god touched the hills1 and they smoke4 ,there are many burning and smoking mountains in different parts of the world1 besides those which have risen from the depths of the sea2 some of them have destroyed whole cities by hot streams of lava or showers of ashes2 there are some whose high peaks are covered with snow1 and yet from those snowy heights the fire sometimes breaks forth2 and there are others which are called extinct volcanoes1 because the fire no longer breaks forth from them as it once did2 but ,mount ,tarawera has taught us not to be too sure that a volcano which has been quiet for more than a hundred years is really extinct4 ,hot springs1 earthquakes1 burning mountains1 all tell the same tale3 somewhere beneath the earth's surface there is a quantity of heated material1 and these convulsions of nature which are so terrible in their effects come from the efforts made by it to escape from its prison4 ,a friend who had been in a ,south ,american city during an earthquake told me of the terror-stricken feeling which he experienced when he ran out of the house in alarm1 only to see buildings reeling and falling1 and to feel the solid earth itself rocking beneath his feet1 while from beneath came a rumbling noise1 and a sound as of the clanking of chains4 ,this trembling and rocking of the earth has led savage nations to speak of some monster underground turning his huge body4 ,shocks of earthquakes are occasionally felt in ,england1 and in the north-west of ,ireland sheets of lava show that volcanoes were once nearer home than we think4 ,the ,giants' ,causeway1 in the north of ,ireland1 and ,fingal's ,cave1 in the ,island of ,staffa1 off the north-west coast of ,scotland1 have been made by this lava having cooled and split up into beautifully formed columns1 which look like stone pillars4 ,,beautiful ,,things4 ,what millions of beautiful things there must be ,in this mighty world6--who could reckon them all6 ,the tossing1 the foaming1 the wide flowing sea1 ,and thousands of rivers that into it fall4 ,oh1 there are the mountains1 half covered with snow1 ,with tall and dark trees1 like a girdle of green1 ,and waters that wind in the valleys below1 ,or roar in the caverns too deep to be seen4 ,vast caves in the earth1 full of wonderful things1 ,the bones of strange animals1 jewels and spars2 ,or far up in ,iceland1 the hot boiling springs1 ,like fountains of feathers or showers of stars6 ,here spread the sweet meadows1 with thousands of flowers2 ,far away are old woods1 that for ages remain2 ,wild elephants sleep in the shade of their bowers1 ,or troops of young antelopes traverse the plain4 ,oh yes1 they are glorious1 all to behold1 ,and pleasant to read of1 and curious to know2 ,and something of ,god in ,his wisdom we're told ,whatever we look at--wherever we go6 ,,anne ,,taylor4 ,,the ,,third ,,day4 ,,the ,,green ,,earth4 ,the earth is the ,lord's1 and the fulness thereof4--,,psalm xxiv4 #a4 ,thou visitest the earth1 and waterest it3444 ,thou preparest them corn1 when ,thou hast so provided for it4--,,psalm lxv4 #i4 ,every tree is known by his own fruit4--,,luke vi4 #dd4 ,i want you to read carefully verses #aa1 #ab1 #ac1 and then #bi and #cj1 of our chapter in ,genesis2 for in them ,god has told us of ,his work upon the ,,third ,,day of ,creation1 when at ,his word the earth--no longer waste and bare1 as when it came up from beneath the waters--was clothed in garments of beauty2 dressed in living green1 as the hymn says4 ,i remember that when we began our morning lesson about the ,,third ,,day1 we noticed that ,god caused the earth1 which had no life in itself1 to bring forth that which was alive2 for every green thing which grows upon the surface of the earth1 no matter how tiny it may be1 is quite different from those rocks which form its crust1 about which we have been learning4 ,rocks and stones are without life1 but every blade of grass which you tread under your feet1 every blossom which scents the breeze1 is alive4 ,we had a good deal of talk about this1 for life is a very wonderful thing2 one of those secret things which belong to ,god1 and which no one has ever been able to understand4 ,but though we cannot know what this wonderful secret is1 we can understand how great a difference there is between living things and those which have never had any life in them4 ,if you were to take a pebble and hide it in the earth1 you might water it every day1 and the sun might shine upon it1 while you waited and waited till you were quite old2 but no change would come to the pebble1 ,if you dug for it you would find it a pebble still4 ,but with a plant1 how different6 ,see how those weeds in your garden grow4 ,you may cut them down1 or bury them underground--do anything indeed except pull them up by the roots--and still they will force their way through the soil which you pressed down so tightly over them2 their leaves will push themselves up into the light and air1 and their roots will strike deep into the earth1 for every bit of them is alive2 as the ,song of the ,crocus says-- ,my leaves shall run up1 and my root shall run down1 ,while the bud in my bosom is swelling4 ,long ago1 when ,i was a child1 ,i saw a field covered with beautiful white things1 smooth and rounded like the top of an egg1 which seemed to rise here and there from the grass4 ,they grew out of the ground1 but yet they did not look like any flowers ,i had ever seen4 ,i was told that the pretty white things were mushrooms1 and that ,i might gather as many as ,i could in my pinafore1 and take them home for breakfast4 ,you may fancy how delightful it was to search about in the dewy grass1 every minute finding a mushroom finer and whiter than the rest2 but what puzzled me was the wonder of it--how had they all come there8 ,they had grown up in the night1 ,i was told1 while ,i had been asleep in my bed2 and ,i knew it must be so1 for ,i had been in that field only the evening before1 and had seen nothing there but the sheep1 eating the grass and daisies4 ,the thought of these beautiful white things growing up so quietly in the night-time1 when no one could see them1 was very wonderful to me1 and ,i only wished that ,i might stay up all the next night in that field1 and see them come1 and find out how they grew3 ,i was sure ,i could keep awake all night6 ,but since then ,i have learnt that there are many1 many things about which we grown people1 as well as you children1 may ask questions1 and say1 ,how do they come8 and there is no answer ready for us except that old wise answer--,god has made them to be4 ,i daresay you may have a little garden of your own4 ,did you ever1 in spring-time1 make a hole in the soft brown earth1 and drop into it a little black round seed8 ,perhaps last ,march you put in a good many sweet peas1 and then covered each one up in its earthy bed1 and left them4 ,people told you not to forget to take care of your garden1 and so you often watered the place where the seeds lay hidden1 and at last you saw something very tiny1 but fresh and green and full of life1 where only the dark brown earth had been the day before4 ,you clapped your hands for pleasure1 and ran to tell everybody3 ,my sweet peas are coming up6 ,you see you can tell when the seeds are growing1 but you cannot tell how they grow2 you can water the ground where they are lying hidden from your sight1 but when you have done all you know how to do1 you must still leave them to ,god's care2 for ,he alone can make those little dark balls spring up and grow1 and blossom in sweetness and beauty4 ,what wonderful thing it was that went on underground so quietly1 while you were asleep or at play1 neither you nor ,i can tell2 and this dead-like seed coming to life and springing up into beauty is only one of the many things which go on in this world all around us1 seen and known only by ,god1 who says of the seed of ,his word1 sown by ,his servants--not in the ground1 but in the hearts of people--that it is ,he who giveth the increase4 ,we speak of vegetable life as well as of animal life1 for ,i am sure you have not forgotten that plants breathe through their leaves--they drink in water by their roots1 and some plants even show that they are sensitive to touch by shrinking if anything comes in contact with them2 but how a daisy1 with its hardy little stem and its fresh green leaves and crimson-tipped flower1 comes to grow out of the earth1 we do not know at all4 ,the beautiful leaves1 fringed with downy hairs1 are the lungs of the plants2 and just as the blood runs through the veins at the back of your hand1 the sap3 which is the life-blood of the plant1 runs through some fine veins which you see at the back of the leaf4 ,if this sap were to cease flowing up the stem1 the leaves and flowers would soon droop and die4 ,illustration3 ,,green ,,pastures4 ,look at the sheep1 cropping the grass so busily that they hardly lift their heads from the ground4 ,every time they breathe1 they give out air which feeds all the green things around them2 and as the green things breathe this air1 by the very act they purify it1 and give it back to the sheep1 fit for them to inhale again4 ,we see that when ,god made the world1 everything was prepared beforehand4 ,he did not cause the earth to bring forth living things1 until all that was needful to keep them alive was ready4 ,before the beasts of the field were made1 the grass1 which was to be their food1 covered the earth like a soft carpet1 and their table was furnished4 ,this is a lesson which we have already learnt1 when speaking of ,the ,ocean of ,air--but it is one of which we cannot be too often reminded4 ,and now ,i want to point out to you that in the eleventh verse we read of three kinds of living things which ,god caused the earth to bring forth4 ,let us look at them3 7#a7 grass2 7#b7 the herb yielding seed2 7#c7 the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind1 whose seed was in itself4 ,long ago1 when ,i first noticed these three distinct kinds1 ,i could not understand why there was a difference made between grass and the herb yielding seed2 for the grass in our fields in autumn is1 as little ,may said1 all full of pips4 ,this was her way of describing those beautiful seeds which hang so gracefully that we sometimes gather the long stalks and dry them for their beauty1 that we may have a winter nosegay when there are no flowers to be found4 ,i had forgotten my puzzle about this when1 not long ago1 ,i met with a very interesting book which explained that the grass which is spoken of in ,genesis as the first thing which the earth brought forth1 was not the grass of our fields4 ,if you look in the margin of your ,bible1 you will see that it is there called tender grass4 ,you might perhaps think there is not much difference2 but words1 which are the names of things1 are very strong for good or evil4 ,and especially in reading the ,bible1 it is important to get the very best ,english word that can be found for the ,hebrew words which we could not understand4 ,the verse has been more exactly turned from ,hebrew into ,english in this way3 ,and ,god said4 ,let the earth sprout forth with tender grass4 ,this word tender grass is not the same as that which is used in a ,psalm which the children were just then learning1 where we read that ,god causeth the grass to grow for the cattle4 ,it means rather the plant that shoots out of the ground1 and would apply to any green thing just sprouting4 ,it is thought that in the word are included all those plants such as mosses and mushrooms1 whose flowers are invisible1 and which multiply not by producing seed1 but by budding1 or by means of little living particles1 looking like brown dust1 which botanists call spores4 ,these flowerless plants are of much simpler structure than those which have root1 stem1 leaf and flower1 and produce plants of their own kind by means of their seeds4 ,if you look at the back of a common fern1 you will see brown specks1 not bigger than silkworms' eggs1 beautifully arranged upon it4 ,each of these is a collection of little cases containing spores1 which by-and-by will split open1 allowing the spores to fall into the ground4 ,then the spores are the same as seeds1 after all--you say4 ,no2 if they were seeds1 each would at once grow into a fern4 ,this is what happens1 as far as ,i can explain it to you3 from the spore springs a tiny leaf1 which roots itself1 and it is from this green leaf that the young fern actually grows1 until it1 as it were1 begins life on its own account4 ,the leaf dies down1 and the first frond of the new fern peeps above ground1 closely coiled up1 as you have often seen1 if you have been through the woods in spring-time4 ,the earliest forms of vegetable life1 then1 brought forth by the earth at the word of ,god were the plants which have no seeds3 botanists have divided such plants into groups--the seaweeds and lichens1 the mosses1 and the ferns4 ,of the seaweeds1 the lowest of all groups of plants1 we were speaking some time ago4 ,the lichens1 though such lowly plants1 are very interesting1 for ,i have read that every form of lichen is composed of two distinct plants--a seaweed and a fungus--so closely interwoven that you cannot tell where the one ends and the other begins4 ,the lichens range in colour from white to yellow1 red1 green1 brown--and some are as black as that rare black pansy of which ,i told you4 ,each kind has its own peculiar way of growing1 and these hardy little plants can live where no other plant can--on the hard black lava1 on naked rocks1 and even upon the highest snow-mountain4 ,next time you pass an old gateway or ruined wall1 and notice stains of yellow and brown and grey upon it1 remember that there the lichens grow2 tiny plants indeed1 whose beauties are revealed only by the microscope1 but each one of them made by ,god1 and given the means of living by ,him1 just as much as those giants of the forest of which travellers tell us such wonderful tales4 ,you may sometimes find a rock1 or the trunk of a tree1 encrusted with dry lichen1 and it is interesting to know that these plants when they decay form the first mould for mosses and ferns1 plants which botanists think of as higher in the scale of vegetable life than the lowly lichens themselves are4 ,the great family of mosses is found not only near home1 but even far away amid the icefields and the snow1 where the reindeer searches with its horns for the white moss which is its food1 and where ,sir ,john ,franklin and his devoted men gathered the black ,tripe de ,roche upon which they tried to live during those dark months when their ship lay fast wedged between 444 those icebergs vast1 ,with heads all crowned with snow1 ,whose green roots sleep in the awful deep1 ,two hundred fathoms low4 ,but prettier than these ,arctic mosses are those nearer home4 ,talking about them makes me think of a place where ,i wish you and ,i could go together some beautiful afternoon in winter4 ,it is a lovely little pine-wood near ,bournemouth1 to which some boys1 with whose friends ,i was staying during the ,christmas holidays1 wished to take me to see their favourite walk4 ,illustration3 ,,ice-,,bound ,once when we were starting for our run1 on a bright frosty morning1 and ,i was rather hoping ,i should be taken to the sea1 ,i heard them say to each other1 ,the ,pincushion ,wood2 that's it2 do let us go there4 ,i wondered what kind of place this could be but when we had scrambled through some heather and come to this pine-wood1 ,i saw at once why they had given it its name4 ,overhead1 with their needles against the blue sky1 were the pines in their dark solemn green1 but under our feet the ground was bright with moss which grew1 not on stones or trunks of trees1 but all by itself in round balls1 soft and firm and cushiony4 ,you may be sure ,i was delighted with the green pincushions3 we gathered a quantity of them1 and ,i took one home with me1 but though ,i watered it carefully1 it soon lost its beauty4 ,these moss-balls lay at the roots of the pines1 and we could pick up as many as we pleased2 but generally even the most delicate mosses grasp the soil1 and clasp their soft tendrils round the stones so firmly that you need a knife or a sharp stone to make them loose their hold4 ,one of the uses of moss is to protect the rocks from the frost1 and from the heavy rains which wash them away by degrees4 ,the roots of trees1 too1 are cherished and warmed by the closely clinging mosses2 and by holding the moisture from dew and rain1 they form where they grow a little bed of soft mould1 and so prepare the way for plants of larger growth4 ,do you know the ,trumpet-moss1 with its red cups each holding its own little dewdrop8 ,perhaps not1 for it is a rare treasure1 and needs to be sought for in its own haunts2 but there are many green mosses which are very beautiful1 and so common that we see them upon every garden wall4 ,there is the ,hair-moss1 the seeds of which are eaten by the birds1 while its delicate tendrils serve as soft lining for their nests3 it grows plentifully beside our streams2 but far away in ,lapland1 during the short summer when the flowers all at once burst into bloom1 it may be seen in full beauty4 ,the ,laps cut this moss in layers and dry it in the sun1 to form a soft rug for them to sleep under during their cold nights4 ,then there is the velvety moss which1 like the many-coloured lichen1 loves to creep over old buildings1 and make the ruined and desolate places bright with a beauty not their own4 ,speaking of mosses reminds me of a story which is told us by a doctor named ,mungo ,park1 who was nearly lost in an ,african desert about a hundred years ago4 ,day after day he had toiled on1 under the burning sun1 until he was almost in despair2 for he had been robbed and deserted1 and felt as if there was nothing left for him but to lie down and die in the wilderness1 or become a prey to the savage animals which ranged over the country2 and the remembrance of those at home in ,scotland who would never know what had become of him1 made him sick at heart4 ,as these sad thoughts filled the traveller's mind and took away all his courage1 his tired eye lighted upon a tiny tuft of moss1 showing green and fair even in the parched soil of the desert4 ,it was the ,lesser ,fork-moss which grows in our shady woods1 and beside our ponds and ditches4 ,we should perhaps hardly notice it unless we were shown its beauty by a microscope1 for it is one of the smallest and humblest of things that grow2 but as he looked at it1 tears of joy came to his eyes4 ,silently springing up in that thirsty land1 the tiny moss spoke to the lonely exile of the care of ,god for the very smallest of ,his creatures1 whether the restless brown bird of which the ,lord ,jesus spoke when ,he bade ,his disciples not to fear1 saying1 ,ye are of more value than many sparrows1 or the creeping moss which spreads from stone to stone4 ,in a moment all was changed for the weary traveller4 ,he felt that he was not alone in that great solitude1 for ,god who had cared for that tuft of moss1 and kept it green and fresh by means of some hidden spring1 surely cared for him1 ,his own child1 and would show him the right way out of that desolate place4 ,thus the burden and the heat were forgotten in happy thoughts of the faithfulness of ,god2 and he went on his way with new courage1 and soon found the path which he had lost2 but he never forgot the message which the little moss had brought him4 ,though the whole plant was not larger than the tip of his finger1 he managed to keep it safely through all his journeys by land and sea1 and had the pleasure of seeing it flourish under our cold skies just as well as it had done beneath the burning sun of ,africa4 ,if you are fond of poetry1 you may like to read some lines written by the poet ,mc,cheyne about this incident4 ,sad1 faint1 and weary1 on the sand ,our traveller sat him down2 his hand ,covered his burning head2 ,above1 beneath1 behind1 around1 ,no resting for the eye he found-- ,all nature seemed as dead4 ,one tiny tuft of moss alone1 ,mantling with freshest green a stone1 ,fixed his delighted gaze2 ,through bursting tears of joy he smiled1 ,and while he raised the tendril wild1 ,his lips o'erflowed with praise4 ',oh1 shall not ,he who keeps thee green ,here in the waste1 unknown1 unseen1 ,thy fellow-exile save8 ,he who commands the dew to feed ,thy gentle flower1 can surely lead ,me from a scorching grave4' ,the poem has many more verses1 but ,i think these the prettiest4 ,moss has been spoken of by a poet as the nest of time2 it has also been called nature's livery1 because the earth is clothed with it2 and ,i have read that ,mungo ,park's little teacher may be found upon many a wall near ,london1 and also clinging to those great stones which were once part of the walls of far away ,jerusalem4 ,it is nice to think that the little green plants1 which we have such reason to love--because they are brightest and best in the winter-time1 when all our ,gorgeous flowerets in the sunlight shining1 ,blossoms flaunting in the eye of day1 ,tremulous leaves1 with soft and silver lining1 ,buds that open only to decay4 have faded--grow all the world over2 even down in the mines of ,sweden the shining ,feather-moss is said to light up the darkness with a tiny glimmer of its own4 ,when we were speaking of the fossil animals which are found hidden deep in the crust of the earth1 you may remember that ,i told you that upon the hard grey-coloured clay which forms the roof of coal-mines beautifully traced patterns of ferns are sometimes found4 ,i have heard that half the plants the remains of which are found buried in the coal-measures are ferns1 but ferns which are now known to us as but three feet in height1 appear in those early times of our earth's history to have been grand trees with trunks three feet through1 and fronds of great length4 ,if you want to see tree-ferns growing wild now1 you must go to ,new ,zealand or ,australia1 or to the south of ,india3 but you may perhaps some day have an opportunity of looking at pictures of some of the giant mare's-tails1 and other plants with beautifully sculptured stems1 of which traces have been found in our own ,english coal-fields2 meantime1 look at the vivid word-picture which ,dr4 ,buckland has given of what he saw in a ,bohemian mine4 ,he says3 ,the most elaborate imitation of living foliage upon the painted ceilings of ,italian palaces bears no comparison with the beauteous proportions of extinct vegetable forms with which the galleries of these instructive coal-mines are overhung4444 ,the effect is heightened by the contrast of the coal-black colour of these vegetables with the light groundwork of the rock to which they are attached--for you must not forget that it is upon the roof of the mine that the impressions of the plants which have been turned into coal are found1 not upon the coal itself1 though even there they may be discovered by a microscope4 ,and now leaving the mosses and lichens1 ferns and mushrooms1 we will turn to the herb yielding seed1 and speak of the great family of grasses2 and to begin with ,i will quote for you two verses which were brought to me by the children when ,i had asked for texts about grass4 ,this is one3 ,if ,god so clothe the grass of the field1 which to-day is1 and to-morrow is cast into the oven1 shall ,he not much more clothe you1 ,o ye of little faith8 ,and the other is3 ,the grass withereth1 and the flower thereof falleth away3 but the word of the ,lord endureth for ever4 ,when we were speaking about the former of these verses1 ,i told them that by the grass of the field we must understand not only grass1 but the wild flowers which grow upon the green slopes of ,palestine in the spring-time1 when ,god ,lets ,his own love-whispers creep ,over hills and craggies steep4 ,they bloom but for a short time--from ,february to ,april2 for in ,may a burning wind from the desert sweeps over the flowery meadows1 and in one short day the grass has withered and its flower has faded4 ,all the grace of the fashion of it perishes1 and there is no more beauty in the fields till the return of spring makes them bloom again4 ,in a country where wood is as scarce as it is in the ,holy ,land grass and flowers are all cut down together1 and burnt to heat the ovens in which bread is baked4 ,the flowers of the field may live but a day1 and then wither on their stalks under the hot breath of the desert-blast2 or they may be cut down and cast into the oven4 ,but the ,lord spoke of them that ,he might teach ,his disciples that they must not be anxious about how they were to live in this world1 because ,god their ,father who so clothed the grass1 cared for them much more than for the birds1 and all the helpless living things which are never forgotten by ,him4 ,the flowers have no care4 ,those crimson lilies1 which shine like stars among the grass in ,palestine in the spring-time1 do nothing to make their own rich dress4 ,but ,god has thought it worth while to clothe them1 as well as the daisies of our ,english meadows1 in grace and beauty2 and fair and sweet as they are1 not for themselves1 but as the overflowings of ,god's brimming cup of love1 ,from ,his own word we learn to consider the lilies how they grow1 and receive through them the same lesson which the ,fork-moss taught the lost traveller4 ,for who but ,he that arched the skies1 ,and pours the day-spring's living flood1 ,wondrous alike in all ,he tries1 ,could rear the daisy's purple bud8 ,mould its green cup1 its wiry stem1 ,its fringd border nicely spin1 ,and cut the gold-embossd gem1 ,that1 set in silver1 gleams within8 ,then fling it1 unrestrained and free1 ,o'er hill and dale and desert sod1 ,that man where'er he walks may see1 ,in every step1 the stamp of ,god4 ,the verse which speaks of the withering of the grass1 becomes even more striking if we remember that grass in ,eastern lands often grows so tall as to reach to the saddle1 as a horseman rides through it4 ,but this tall grass withers away as soon as it is smitten by the burning heat of the sun4 ,the apostle ,peter speaks of all the glory of man as like grass which has withered2 and then1 in contrast with what so quickly perishes1 he reminds of what can never grow old or pass away--the word of the ,lord1 which endureth for ever4 ,while we were speaking of the verse in ,genesis which tells us that every herb bearing seed1 which is upon the face of all the earth was to be food for man1 ,i asked the question3 ,what are the grain-bearing plants8 ,every voice at once replied1 ,corn2 and certainly corn is one of the most beautiful1 and the plant which has in a special manner given bread to the eater4 ,but1 ,i continued1 are there not other grasses whose seeds supply food for us8 ,the children thought awhile1 and then said1 ,barley1 rye1 oats2 and presently1 thinking of other countries besides ,england and ,scotland1 someone ventured1 rice2 and ,chris1 remembering the tall ,indian corn which grows so abundantly in ,america1 suggested maize4 ,so we went on to notice 7,genesis #a4 #bi1 #cj7 that corn and grain of various kinds are the food specially prepared by ,god for man4 ,there was the green herb for the animals and birds and creeping things2 and for us1 the herb yielding seed4 ,how beautiful it is to see that at the very outset food was provided for man1 even before ,god had made him2 and that all through the long years which have passed from that time till now1 it has never been wanting4 ,it is true there have been terrible famine years1 when the wheat-harvest has perished1 or when the rice-crop1 upon which the lives of thousands of people in ,india and ,china depend1 has failed from want of water2 and the hand of ,god in judgment may at times be seen in these years of drought2 but through ,his goodness in giving rain from heaven1 and fruitful seasons1 the earth still brings forth food1 and will do so1 for ,god's own word assures us that while the earth remaineth1 seedtime and harvest 444 shall not cease4 ,it is cheering to think of this when we pass through a corn-field1 and admire the red poppies shining here and there among the wheat1 and the full ears of corn waving in the sunshine1 until the field looks like a sea of gold4 ,interesting too it is to see1 as ,ernest and his friend did the other day1 all that must be done ere those waving ears of corn become a loaf such as you see on the table every morning3 for in this country we do not feed on parched corn1 as it is described in that lovely story of ,ruth the ,moabite woman1 from whose line descended our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,son of ,david1 ,son of ,abraham4 ,as they were walking along the road1 the boy noticed a large piece of bread which someone had thrown away4 ,how wrong to throw away such a nice piece as that6 he remarked to a friend at his side4 ,indeed it was1 she replied4 ,whoever threw it away never thought how much it cost to make that piece of bread4 ,and she began to tell how the hard ground must be broken by the plough1 and smoothed by the harrow1 to make it ready for the seed2 then1 after the seed has been sown and covered up1 water1 air1 and sunlight are all needful1 that the roots may sink down deep into the earth1 and the green stalks shoot up into the light2 so that where there was once only the bare brown field may be seen first the blade1 then the ear1 after that the full corn in the ear--the harvest-field in all its glory4 ,as the ,sower's ,song says3 ,fall gently and still1 good corn2 ,lie warm in thy earthly bed1 ,and stand so yellow some morn1 ,for man and beast must be fed4 ,then come the reaping and the threshing1 and the winnowing and crushing of the grain1 and the making of the flour into bread1 and its baking4 ,all this must be done before our tables can be furnished with our daily bread4 ,illustration3 ,,with ,,the ,,reapers4 ,for the birds1 which neither sow nor reap2 which neither have storehouse nor barn1 ,god makes the grass to grow of itself2 but all those seed-bearing plants1 which ,he has given to man1 must now be cultivated4 ,rice needs a great deal of water that it may grow2 and corn1 if no care is given to its cultivation1 soon becomes but a poor and useless sort of grass4 ,it must be sown fresh every year in ground which has been made ready for it4 ,did you ever pluck one of the golden ears from a field of corn1 and sit down and count how many grains there were upon one slender stalk8 ,and then did you think that every little grain in that ear was itself a seed which1 just as the egg contains the bird that is one day to fly and sing1 wraps up within itself a young wheat-stalk with all the golden ears which may wave and rustle when next year's harvest time has come8 ,no longer then the one lonely seed dropped by the hand of the sower into the good soil prepared for it1 but many1 many grains instead4 ,so true is it that ,a grain of corn an infant's hand ,may plant upon an inch of land1 ,whence twenty stalks may spring and yield1 ,enough to stock a little field4 ,the harvest of that field may then ,be multiplied to ten times ten1 ,which1 sown thrice more1 would furnish bread ,wherewith an army might be fed4 ,and such life is there in seed1 that even grains of corn which had been hidden away for thousands of years--wrapped up in an ,egyptian tomb within a mummy like those you saw at the ,museum the other day--when sown still brought forth fruit2 not in ,egypt where they first grew1 but in ,england4 ,but those grains which had slept the sleep of ages would never have thus wakened into life and fruitfulness unless they had been sown in the earth2 for before we can see the full corn in the ear1 the one grain from which so many were to come1 must fall into the ground and die3 in darkness and silence and death the plant is born1 and begins to show signs of life4 ,did you ever think of this8 ,the ,lord ,jesus once spoke of it to two of ,his disciples1 ,andrew and ,philip4 ,i do not know whether they understood then that ,he was speaking of ,himself when ,he said the words1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die1 it abideth alone3 but if it die1 it bringeth forth much fruit4 ,much fruit--even that great multitude redeemed by ,his blood1 who shall be with ,him and praise ,him for ever1 as they remember how ,he died that they might live4 ,i hope that you belong to the happy company who shall sing that new song in heaven4 ,if you have known and believed the love of ,god in giving ,his own beloved ,son to die instead of you1 and the love of ,christ in coming into the world and laying down ,his life for you1 you can say of the ,lord ,jesus the very words which the great apostle ,paul said1 when he spoke of ,him as the ,son of ,god1 who loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,how much there is for us to learn1 and how much to admire1 in the wonderful works of ,god6 ,far1 far more than we have been speaking of to-day in the lichens1 covering the bare rocks with cloth of gold1 and in the leafy mosses which the birds weave into soft lining for their nests2 the palms1 pines1 reeds1 and grasses1 and the beautiful waving corn1 which is ,god's special gift to man4 ,but we must now turn to the third division of plants1 which is described as the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind1 whose seed is in itself4 ,there is a pretty poem which ,sharley learnt the other day1 beginning-- ,i praised the earth1 in beauty seen1 ,with garlands gay of various green4 ,when she had repeated it to me1 ,i asked1 ,what are the 'gay garlands1' ,sharley--flowers8 ,but no1 they could not be1 because the flowers are not green2 so ,sharley answered that she thought they must be beautiful trees with which the earth is covered2 for their brightly coloured leaves1 especially in autumn1 are as gay as wreaths of flowers1 with their many shades of red and brown1 as well as various green4 ,the more we notice the trees and flowers1 the more we wonder at their loveliness2 for ,god has made everything beautiful in his time1 whether the rich trees of autumn or the tender green of the spring-time1 when all the earth seems young again4 ,beautiful indeed this earth must have been2 still so fair1 even in its ruins2 when it came fresh from the hand of ,god1 prepared by ,him to be the dwelling place of ,his creatures2 but who can tell how fair it will be when every trace of sin and its sad work shall be gone for ever1 and the ,lord ,jesus1 the ,prince of ,peace1 shall reign over it8 ,and although it is all done so quietly and secretly1 and seems so natural to us that we hardly give it a thought1 even still more wonderful than their beauty is the way in which these trees1 yielding fruit after their kind1 whose seed is in itself1 go on constantly1 not only living1 but producing other living plants1 which increase and multiply1 each in its turn again producing more and more after its kind4 ,perhaps you save up your pennies1 as ,i did long ago1 until you have enough to buy a packet of flowerseeds4 ,as you unfold the packet1 and see the pictures of the flowers that are to be1 on the little papers inside--the scarlet poppy1 the yellow marigold1 the blue lupin1 and the many-coloured sweet peas--you almost feel as if you already saw these bright flowers blooming in your garden4 ,but open the little parcels one after the other1 and what do you find8 ,nothing bright or sweet or beautiful2 only little brown seeds1 tiny as grains of ,march dust1 or so light and feathery that your breath would blow them away4 ,do you then throw them into the fire1 and say they are no good8 ,not so4 ,you take the greatest care of these little grains4 ,you prepare the earth1 and make a soft bed for them1 then cover them up1 carefully marking the spot with the name of the flower whose seed you have sown there4 ,you water that bare place1 and wait to see green leaves push themselves up through the dark soil2 for well you know that within each tiny brown seed the flower that is to be1 lies hidden4 ,to see your seed grow1 and your plant live and bloom1 does not surprise you at all4 ,but how astonished you would be if1 in the spot where you had sown white candytuft1 you were to find yellow tulips6 ,such a thing can never be2 for the mother-plant from which the seed came must always produce plants of its own kind4 ,you never saw a bean grow into a cherry-tree1 or a pink change into a rose1 did you8 ,god gives the seed a body as it hath pleased ,him1 and to every seed its own body4 ,it is true that what are called varieties can be produced among cultivated plants1 as among birds and animals1 by change of food and climate1 and by care and training4 ,the same plant will soon look very different if taken from a dry1 sunny spot1 and placed in a damp1 shady corner4 ,i have heard that if plants are moved from their home on the seashore1 and placed in a dry1 hot place1 their thick1 fleshy leaves will in time quite change their character1 becoming thin and hairy4 ,in the same way a tree1 if given room1 will spread its branches wide1 but will shoot upwards if hemmed in on all sides4 ,it is important1 however1 to remember that man has never been able by his skill to produce a new kind of either plant or animal4 ,but we were speaking of your seeds1 so tiny1 yet so unlike each other4 ,these differences become much more apparent if the seeds are looked at through a microscope1 and the varieties in their way of growing are endless4 ,you know where to look for the tiny seeds of the apple-tree2 but may not have noticed1 that while they lie safely hidden inside the fruit1 the strawberry's yellow seeds are outside4 ,then some seeds1 such as peas and laburnums1 grow in pods4 ,some1 like the hips and haws1 we must look for between the stalk and the flower1 or in the place where the flower has been4 ,you may have seen a hawthorn-tree in the spring all white with its scented blossoms4 ,if you pass by the same place months later1 when spring and summer are past1 what a change6 ,where the sweet flowers had been1 the red berries1 which the birds like so well1 hang in clusters4 ,this is what has happened3 the wind has blown away the soft blossoms2 then the parts beneath them which held the seeds grew larger and turned into berries2 the sun shone upon them and dyed them their brilliant red2 and now they are quite ripe1 and ready for the birds' winter supply2 or perhaps one here and there may bury itself in the ground1 and become a young hawthorn4 ,the power of life in the seed is a very wonderful thing4 ,i have read of a grave far away in ,hanover upon which a very massive stone was laid1 and upon the stone were engraved the words1 ,this grave shall never be opened4 ,we know that the time will come when the seal of every tomb will be broken1 but even now it may be seen that those proud words were written in vain4 ,a seed which had fallen into the grave has grown into a tree1 which has actually raised and pushed aside the heavy stone to make room for itself and force its way into the light and air4 ,i wonder if you ever thought of the fruits which you so much enjoy1 as seeds8 ,such they really are4 ,almonds and grapes and oranges1 yes1 and the blackberries of the hedges1 are either the seeds of plants or what are called their seed-vessels1 because they hold the seed4 ,but fruits like apples and pears have a double use2 they were made not only to serve as seed-holders1 but ,god has given them to us for food4 ,and those horse-chestnuts you are so fond of gathering--next time you pick one up just stop and think that in the round smooth nut1 which you can hide in your closed hand1 lies the baby plant which may one day become a spreading tree like those you have seen in the park4 ,can you believe that such a mighty tree1 with its branches and leaves and blossoms1 is folded up in one small horse-chestnut1 such as that with which you were playing the other day1 whirling it round your head at the end of a string8 ,the life of a plant1 could it be told1 would be indeed a tale of wonder2 and ,i should like to try to tell you a little more about it1 as well as something about how flowers are made2 but as we have had so long a chapter1 we must end with another story1 the true story of what a flower1 growing alone in a yard1 just springing up in its green sweetness between the flagstones1 taught a poor man who was as lonely as itself1 and also very unhappy4 ,he was a ,frenchman1 and had been in prison a long time1 because the ,emperor ,napoleon considered him his enemy4 ,one day while he was walking in the prison-yard1 pacing backwards and forwards1 up and down the narrow space which was allowed him1 he noticed something green at his feet1 and stooping down to see what it could be1 found that a busy little plant was bravely pushing its way up between the crevices of the paving stones1 to reach such light and air as could be found in a prison-yard4 ,how could it have come here8 the prisoner thought4 ,a seed must have been dropped by some passing bird1 and the scent of water from some hidden spring must have caused it to bud and to send down the slender fibres of its roots1 with their little sponges1 to suck up all the moisture1 so that the plant should grow1 and shoot up those fresh green leaves which had attracted his attention4 ,if the poor prisoner had been happy and busy1 he perhaps would have thought no more of the little plant2 but he was very sad and lonely1 and he could not be busy as he had no books to read1 and all the occupations which he most cared for had been taken from him4 ,so this living thing was to him like a country in which he was constantly discovering some new wonder and beauty4 ,he loved to watch the lonely plant1 which was1 to his fancy1 a prisoner like himself2 and when at last the buds unfolded1 and the flowers--such sweet flowers with such gay colours--bloomed1 he was filled with delight2 he guarded his treasure with the most anxious care1 for if a hasty foot had trodden it down1 he would have lost a friend which had cheered for him many a sad hour4 ,but ,i have not yet told you what this prison-flower taught the lonely prisoner4 ,as day by day he watched the growth of that humble little plant1 ,god spoke to him4 ,he had spent his life without thinking much about ,god1 and when he had thought about ,him1 he had been like that poor proud man of whom ,god's word says that he is a fool1 although men may think him very clever4 ,he had many times said in his heart1 ,there is no ,god2 and he used to try to believe that there was no one greater or wiser than a man like himself1 and that all that he saw in the world--the mountains1 and sea1 and all the wonderful works of ,god--came of themselves2 or1 as he said1 by chance4 ,he had even written these words upon the wall of his cell1 ,all things come by chance4 ,but it was not by chance that he was allowed to see something of the work of ,god in one little flower4 ,as day by day he watched the leaves grow1 the buds unfold1 and then the blossoms open in all their fragrance1 he knew that ,god alone could work the miracle of life and growth which was going on before his eyes4 ,his proud1 scornful heart was bowed in the presence of a power at which he could but wonder1 for it was past all his understanding1 and he humbly owned that ,god had taught him by his pet plant lessons which the wisest men in the world could not have taught4 ,it was by means of the flower1 too1 that at last the prison doors were opened1 and a message came to tell him that ,napoleon had given him leave to go home4 ,it would take too long to tell this part of the story1 but you will not be surprised to hear that1 like the ,african traveller1 he could not bear to part with his cherished flower4 ,he carefully dug it out from between the stones1 carried it home with him1 and never forgot the simple but great lesson which he had learned while in prison4 ,we have been able to say very little about the green earth1 and the wonders of the work of ,god on the ,,third ,,day of ,creation1 but perhaps you will understand something of what a student of nature meant when he wrote1 ,the earth may be looked at as a vast seed-plot of life1 seen from the point of view of the ,great ,sower4 ,i think you will like these verses which were repeated to me by an old friend who remembered having learnt them from his mother's lips1 long ago4 ,they seem just fit to close our chapter about the earth in its verdure and beauty4 ,all the world's a garden1 ,god hath made it fair2 ,living trees and flowers ,he hath planted there4 ,rain and sunshine giving1 ,all ,his goodness prove2 ,there is nothing living ,but has felt ,his love4 ,every home's a garden1 ,clustering side by side1 ,each to others yielding1 ,flow'rets should abide4 ,word or thought of anger ,ne'er should enter there2 ,buds of loving kindness ,opening everywhere4 ,every school's a garden1 ,hedged and fenced around2 ,nothing vile or useless ,should within1 be found4 ,teachers are the gardeners1 ,sowing precious seed1 ,training up the tender plants1 ,plucking every weed4 ,every heart's a garden2 ,it should bring forth fruit2 ,but foul weeds and briars ,in its soil have root4 ,envy1 wrath1 and hatred1 ,malice1 strife1 and pride1 ,lies and disobedience1 ,and many more beside4 ,cast them out1 ,i pray1 ,lord1 ,and supply in place ,gentleness and goodness1 ,lovely plants and grace2 ,patience and longsuffering1 ,faith and hope and love-- ,these will bear transplanting ,to the world above4 ,,the ,,fourth ,,day4 ,,sun1 ,,moon1 ,,and ,,stars4 ,when ,i consider ,thy heavens1 the work of ,thy fingers1 the moon and the stars1 which ,thou hast ordained3 what is man1 that ,thou art mindful of him8 and the son of man1 that ,thou visitest him8--,,psalm viii4 #c1 #d4 ,the day is ,thine1 the night also is ,thine3 ,thou hast prepared the light and the sun4444 ,thou hast made summer and winter4--,,psalm lxxiv4 #af1 #ag4 ,truly the light is sweet1 and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun4--,,ecclesiastes xi4 #g4 ,one star differeth from another star in glory4--#a ,,corin4 xv4 #da4 ,when we had got as far in our reading of the first chapter of ,genesis as the fourteenth verse1 we noticed that it is very like the third2 for both verses begin with those wonderful words which none but ,god could say--,let there be4 ,but there is a great difference between the light of the third verse and the lights of verses fourteen and sixteen4 ,the sun is called the greater light1 and the moon1 which is so very much smaller1 the lesser light2 but in the language in which this part of the ,bible was first written1 these two lamps which give us light are called by a name which means1 not the light itself1 but that which holds it2 not1 as we might say1 the candle which gives light as it burns but the candlestick in which it is set4 ,let us read again carefully what ,god has told us about ,his work on the ,,fourth ,,day1 and ,i think we shall see1 as we noticed in the chapter on ,light1 that we are not told that it was upon that ,day that the sun and moon were created4 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night2 and let them be for signs1 and for seasons1 and for days1 and years4 ,and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven1 to give light upon the earth3 and it was so4 ,and ,god made two great lights2 the greater light to rule the day1 and the lesser light to rule the night3 ,he made the stars also4 ,you remember that in the whole of this chapter which speaks of ,god's work in creation1 the word created is used only on three occasions1 though in the verse which tells of the creation of man1 it is three times repeated 7verse #bg74 ,and now ,i want you to turn to the hundred and fourth ,psalm1 and notice the verses which speak of the ,days of ,creation3 you will see that light is spoken of in the second verse1 and in the nineteenth we read-- ,he appointed the moon for seasons3 the sun knoweth his going down4 ,those who know the ,hebrew language tell us that the word appointed in this verse is the very same as that which has been translated made in the sixteenth verse of the first chapter of ,genesis--so that we may read1 ,god appointed two great lights1 just as in the eighth ,psalm we read1 ,the moon and the stars1 which ,thou hast ordained4 ,we have seen that ,god could give light without the sun or moon2--an old writer quaintly says that before the sun was made the whole heaven was our sun--but ,he was pleased upon this ,day of ,his creation to command the light1 which ,he had called out of the darkness1 to gather round the sun1 so that he might1 as the great light-bearer in all his splendour rule the day2 and to cause light from that glorious sun to fall upon the moon1 so that she1 with her silvery shining1 might rule the night--both sun and moon thus giving light upon the earth4 ,may is fond of repeating a verse1 which ,i daresay you know1 about a little girl who1 when it was too dark for her to see any more1 folded up her work and put away her playthings with a good-night1 good-night to them2 for the time for working and playing had come to an end4 ,but1 the verse goes on-- ,she did not say to the sun 'good-night1' ,though she saw him set like a ball of light2 ,for she knew he had ,god's time to keep ,all over the world1 while others sleep4 ,yes2 this wonderful ball of light--so bright that the brightest light we know of looks dull when held up before its dazzling face--is ever1 night and day1 sending out rays of light and heat1 like streams from an overflowing fountain1 always making daylight somewhere4 ,when you lie down in your bed1 and settle yourself to sleep sound till morning1 your little cousins in ,australia and ,new ,zealand are just beginning to sit up in theirs1 and to rub their eyes1 and think it will soon be breakfast time2 and in the evening1 when their day is done1 yours will be just beginning again4 ,if there were any part of the world upon which the sun never shone1 how cold and dark and desolate that forsaken spot would be6 ,if no waves of heat warmed the earth1 not a seed could spring up2 no plant could live1 no tree bear fruit1 no flower lift up its head to the kindly light and show its fair colours2 for do you not remember we learnt that the colours of flowers all come from the sunlight8 ,without the sun1 the green earth would be changed into a frozen desert1 with nothing living or moving upon it4 ,in old times the clever ,greeks1 who knew nothing of the ,god who made this wonderful star--for the sun is really a star1 and the thousands of stars which we see on clear nights are suns1 some larger and some smaller than our sun--worshipped it as the god ,helios2 and the ,grecian philosopher who first ventured to say it was not so was tried for his life at ,athens for his impiety2 yet even he saw nothing in this wonderful light-bearer but a red-hot stone1 half as big as his own country4 ,if you have learnt better1 if you know that to us there is but one ,god1 the ,father1 of whom are all things1 and we in ,him2 and one ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by whom are all things1 and we by ,him1 you can think how good that gracious ,god has been in not leaving the world in the dark and cold1 but giving this great light to shine upon us1 and to cheer us by his warmth4 ,for though the sun is so very far away1 there is nothing hid from the heat thereof2 every little leaf1 every tiny creature that creeps upon the ground1 lives and grows in the life-giving rays of the sun1 and would perish without them4 ,have you ever stopped to think of what is more wonderful than this8 ,god1 who made the sun1 is ,love1 as the text you know so well1 tells us2 and ,his love is like ,his sun1 always shining down upon you4 ,all the love and kindness which you have known from the day when you came into the world1 a little helpless creature1 with no language but a cry2 all this love which surrounds you and has made your life so happy and bright1 comes from ,him2 for love is of ,god1 and ,god is love4 ,but it is only when ,god turns our hearts to ,himself1 so that we can say that we have known and believed ,his love to us1 that we can really thank ,him for it4 ,when one1 who knew what it was to have had his own dark heart lighted up by this great love1 was thinking of these things1 he wrote some words which ,i am going to write down for you1 for they deserve to be remembered4 ,the creation of the sun1 he says1 was a very glorious work2 when ,god first rolled him flaming along the sky1 he shed golden blessing on every shore4 ,the change in spring is very wonderful2 when ,god makes the faded grass revive1 the dead trees put out green leaves1 and the flowers appear on the earth4 ,but far more glorious and wonderful is the conversion 7that is1 the turning to ,god7 of the soul4 ,it is the creation of a sun that is to shine for eternity2 it is the spring of the soul that shall know no winter1 the planting of a tree that shall bloom with eternal beauty in the paradise of ,god4 ,mc,cheyne wrote like this because he knew that ,when this passing world is done1 ,when has sunk yon glaring sun1 the spirit1 that part of man which can never come to an end of its life1 will still be living somewhere2 and that those only who have been turned to ,god1 and are ,his children by faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 will live with ,him all through that great for ever which will go on when sun and moon and all that we can see may have passed away4 ,and now1 before ,i try to tell you a very little about the sun1 ,i should like to know whether you have ever learnt any astronomy4 ,my children thought it a hard name1 but its meaning is beautiful1 for it is only the ,greek way of saying1 the law of the stars4 ,astronomy is the science which teaches us about the heavenly bodies1 as the sun1 moon1 and stars are sometimes called2 and all that we can learn about them is very wonderful and interesting1 so that the more we know1 the more we want to know4 ,but the pleasantest way for you to learn would be if someone would talk to you a little1 especially about the stars1 and take you out of doors on clear nights1 and show you some of those which are best known1 so that in time you would learn to look for them yourself2 that would be a delightful way of beginning to learn4 ,i remember that ,i had a great wish to know about the different constellations1 or groups of stars2 ,i wanted to know where to find ,orion1 with his seven brilliant stars1 and those other seven stars which form the group called ,charles's ,wain2 from an idea that they are so placed as to give a rough sketch of a waggon and three horses2 and the wonderful cluster of the ,pleiades--for ,i had heard of all these constellations2 but ,i did not like the trouble of learning about them in difficult books4 ,one day ,i met a gentleman who was very fond of sailing about in his yacht1 and ,i thought he would teach me all about the stars1 for ,i had heard that sailors knew them well4 ,but1 to my disappointment1 ,i found that my new friend1 though he was very kind to me1 was not able to answer my questions2 he said he did not know much about the stars1 and that it was in the old times1 before ships were steered by the compass1 that sailors learned so much from watching them2 though the moon considered in reference to the fixed stars is of very great importance as enabling them to ascertain their position4 ,though it is a long time ago1 ,i can remember how surprised ,i was when ,i first understood that the sun was a star1 and that there are other stars very much like him1 but most of them so very far from us that it is not possible to measure their distance4 ,we do know how far our sun--the ,star of ,day1 as he is sometimes called--is from us4 ,perhaps it may help you a little if ,i tell you that the astronomers say that if the sun was as far away from us as the nearest of these stars1 he would appear but a point of light2 but ,i think you will best understand how great the distance is if ,i tell you that a train1 rushing along at full speed1 as you see the express go by1 and never resting1 day or night1 would take two hundred and ten years to reach him4 ,we cannot be surprised that very little is known certainly about a star so very far off1 and yet nearer to us than any of the little points of light which you see so thickly sown over the sky2 but we know that he is a great globe1 like our earth1 only twelve hundred thousand times as large--as much larger1 ,i told the children when we were having our lesson in astronomy1 as ,may's curly head was larger than the little blue bead which ,i put upon it4 ,but this great globe is unlike the earth in one respect2 for while it is in itself quite dark1 the sun which is used in the ,bible as an emblem of ,god ,himself shines by his own glorious light1 and though he is believed to be made of the same materials as our earth1 it is likely that they are in a state of very great heat4 ,astronomers1 who look at the sun through their wonderful telescopes1 and so get much nearer to him than we can1 tell us that we never see the sun himself2 but that what we look at is the bright garment of light which is wrapped around him4 ,they tell us also about great holes which sometimes appear in this bright covering2 and they believe that they have actually seen1 through these holes1 the dark globe which is the real sun4 ,these holes are called spots upon the sun1 and very dark they look upon his bright face4 ,the astronomers have long tried to find out what makes the sun-spots1 and some of them now think that they are caused by furious winds which make great rents in this bright garment2 for they tell us that there are sun-storms far more terrible than any storm that ever raged on sea or land4 ,it was while patiently watching the movement of these dark spots1 through the little telescope which he had made and set up in ,rome1 that ,galileo1 nearly three hundred years ago1 discovered that the sun moves round upon itself once during twenty-eight days1 just as the earth turns round on herself once in twenty-four hours4 ,but he lived in a time when it was believed that our earth was the centre of the universe1 and that to say that it was only one of many planets moving round the sun was to deny the word of ,god2 so to save his life1 he pretended to give up what he knew to be true1 and promised that he would never teach it again4 ,you remember that our earth has an atmosphere1 a globe of air which wraps it round4 ,we are told that the sun1 too1 has an atmosphere--a colour-globe1 as it is called1 because it is believed to be not air1 but fiery gas4 ,then1 outside this colour-globe1 is something very lovely2 that corona1 or crown1 of silvery light1 which can be seen only during an eclipse of the sun4 ,but what is an eclipse8 ,when the moon1 which has no light of her own1 passes directly between the earth and the sun1 so as to hide his face from us1 we say there is a solar eclipse1 or obscuring of the sun's light4 ,when the earth comes directly between the moon and the sun1 instead of the sun's light falling upon the moon1 she is eclipsed by the dark shadow of the earth passing over her face4 ,i think you may have watched an eclipse of the moon3 a solar eclipse is a much rarer sight1 and there is something awful about it3 as the darkness deepens1 the stars begin to shine out1 and it seems so much like night that the cocks and hens have been known to go to roost at midday4 ,it is then1 when the bright1 dazzling face of the sun is hidden1 that his lovely crown is seen1 as a ring of soft light appearing all round the dark face of the moon4 ,now let us think of some of the things that this wonderful ,star of ,day does for us4 ,in the first place1 he is the great source of light and heat1 as he shines1 not for us alone1 but upon all the other planets--those which are so near to him as to get more heat than we could bear1 and those which are so far away that it seems to us as if they must be very cold indeed4 ,but1 if we leave these distant worlds and think of our own1 how wonderful it is to know that1 as we learnt when speaking of ,light itself1 not from the sun alone1 but from every star1 waves of light and heat1 like tiny messengers from them to us1 are always speeding on their noiseless way4 ,they travel to us through space1 or rather through something finer than air or water1 which fills all the room between us and them--for no place in the universe is really empty4 ,you may be surprised to hear that these messengers come from the stars by day as well as by night2 but remember that they are always shining in their places in the sky4 ,we cannot see the starlight waves while the sun's great light is shining upon us2 but you know how beautifully they shine on clear nights1 when there is neither sunlight nor moonlight to quench their soft beams4 ,but after all1 the stars are so far away that we must think specially of our own star1 the sun1 as the source of light and heat2 he also makes for us all form and colour1 and gives us the pictures drawn by his light which we call photographs1 and which make us know something of people we have never seen1 and places which we may never visit4 ,you remember that sunlight also helps the plants to sift the air1 so that they take from it the part that suits them1 and leave behind the part that suits us--that precious oxygen which is so necessary for all animal life4 ,then we must not forget the work done by the heat-waves4 ,these are called dark1 because they cannot be seen4 ,they not only strike upon the land1 waking up the hidden seed1 and warming it into life1 but they are the great water-carriers4 ,when we were talking about the clouds we learnt that from every wet place1 as well as from the seas1 lakes1 and rivers1 water is constantly being drawn up1 so that we can see it again in the fleecy clouds which float across the sky1 and again when it comes down in the showers which water the earth--the tiny heat-waves are the messengers which perform this work of evaporation4 ,when we were speaking about the world of water1 we learnt that the moon is the chief cause of the tides1 by whose constant ebb and flow the ocean and rivers are purified2 in like manner the sun1 by causing the winds to blow1 keeps the air fresh and pure2 but this is a subject rather beyond us4 ,we can1 however1 remember that one more thing which the sun does for us is to tell us the time4 ,god gave him to rule the day 444 and to divide the light from the darkness1 and he marks how long our day is to be1 keeping time1 as ,may's verse says1 all the world over--for he is the great clock which tells the hours and the days--a clock which never needs to be wound up1 and which we can trust1 for it never goes wrong4 ,and he is a constant silent witness to us of the power and the goodness of ,god1 as day unto day uttereth speech1 and night unto night sheweth knowledge4 ,there is no speech nor language2 their voice is not heard--but the heavens declare the glory of ,god 444 in them hath ,he set a tabernacle for the sun4 ,if1 as we look at our watches1 we are certain that men must have made them1 how sure is it that ,god made this great time-keeper1 light-giver1 and life-sustainer--this mighty magnet that guides and controls the world of which it is the glorious centre6 ,the sun divides the light from the darkness by being seen by us or hidden from our sight4 ,if you watch1 after the sun has risen in the morning--and you can watch him in the winter1 when you are often up before he is--you will see that he seems to climb the sky1 always mounting higher and higher1 until he is shining right above your head4 ,then1 as the day goes on1 and it gets towards afternoon1 he seems to go down1 down1 until he sinks into the far away place where the earth and sky seem to meet1 and we see him no more4 ,it is while he is hidden from sight in the far west1 behind that line which we call the horizon1 that night wraps us in its deep shade2 for the sun1 the day-star is1 gone4 ,i wonder whether you have ever thought of this darkness1 which would be so dreadful did it last long1 as one of the blessings which ,god has given us4 ,the night is the time of sleep and rest for animals and plants1 as well as for weary men and women1 and children who can get tired even with their play4 ,god watches over you while you sleep--the darkness and the light are both alike to ,him--and you get up in the morning fresh1 and ready for a new day4 ,it is while we are in this world1 which is a place of toil1 and labour1 and sorrow1 that we need the rest and quiet which the still1 dark night brings2 but ,god has said that there is a rest for ,his people1 ,his ,sabbath1 which can never be broken2 and when ,he speaks1 in the last book of the ,bible1 of the bright1 golden city1 ,he says1 there shall be no night there4 ,not long ago a4 boy was dying4 ,he had been ill a long time1 and all through the hot summer nights he could not sleep1 for his weary cough kept him waking4 ,frank had not much to cheer him1 for his house was in a noisy street1 where the carts were constantly rattling to and fro2 and very little fresh cool air found its way to the room at the top storey1 where he lay on his bed1 often suffering and always very tired4 ,once1 when someone brought him some flowers1 he was so delighted that he buried his poor pale face in them1 and seemed as if he would drink in their sweetness4 ,oh1 ,i do love roses6 he said2 and the flowers came as ,god's own gift to him1 in that poor place where nothing green was growing4 ,but better than the flowers was the message which came with them4 ,the lady who sent them from her garden was sure that ,frank knew the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as his own ,saviour1 and that he was on his way to be with ,him1 and so she sent him those precious words which ,he spoke to ,his disciples at ,jerusalem1 but which belong also to every one who is a child of ,god through faith in ,him--,the ,father ,himself loveth you--this was the message which was sent with the flowers2 a beautiful message1 was it not8 ,but ,i wanted to tell you about the last day of ,frank's life in that poor room in the noisy street4 ,he was very weak and tired1 and could not bear to talk much2 but his father sat by his bed1 and read to him the last chapter of ,revelation4 ,when he came to the words1 ,and there shall be no night there2 and they need no candle1 neither light of the sun2 for the ,lord ,god giveth them light1 he stopped and said as well as he could1 for his heart was sore at the thought of the parting which was drawing so near1 ,frank1 my boy1 this is your last night2 you are going where there is no night4 ,it was even so4 ,before morning came1 ,frank's redeemed spirit had gone to be present with the ,lord4 ,do you know a hymn beginning ,oh1 they've reached the sunny shore1 ,over there68 ,one of the verses comes to my mind when ,i think of those last words which ,frank's father read to him4 ,the hymn speaks of the street of shining gold over there1 and then goes on-- ,oh1 they need no lamp at night1 ,over there6 ,for their ,saviour is their light1 ,and the day is always bright1 ,over there6 ,there will be no need of the sun to measure the time when that eternal day has come2 but now you know that his presence or absence makes our days longer or shorter4 ,in summer1 when he is sometimes above the horizon for sixteen hours1 what beautiful long1 light days we have6 ,but in winter1 when he rises late and sets early1 our days are sometimes not more than half the length of the longest summer day4 ,i remember we had rather a long talk upon a difficult subject1 after we had considered how the sun measures the length of our days4 ,we were speaking of the verse which tells us that ,god said1 ,let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night2 and let them be for signs1 and for seasons1 and for days and years4 ,i am afraid ,i did not make this clear to the children1 for it is difficult to understand how the sun makes one season different from another2 but ,i will just tell you a little about it1 and you may learn more by-and-by4 ,you know that there are four seasons3 the ,spring1 when the grass begins to shoot forth its fresh blades1 and the trees unfold their buds2 the ,summer1 when the roses bloom and the fruits ripen2 the ,autumn1 when the corn and fruits are gathered in2 and the ,winter1 when the earth rests1 often closely wrapped in a soft mantle of snow4 ,all these changes pass before our eyes4 ,but if we wish to understand how it is that the sun is the cause of one season being so different from another1 we must remember that as the earth takes its yearly journey round the sun it changes its place1 getting nearer to him or farther away from him4 ,in our summer-time the part of the earth where we live is turned more towards the sun1 and so gets more of the light and heat which have their home there1 than at any other time4 ,our winter days are so short1 because at that time we are turned from the sun more than at any other4 ,and in the spring and autumn we are not so much turned away from him as we are in winter1 nor so directly in front of him as we are in summer4 ,you must remember also what you learnt about the motion of the earth1 and how things are not what they seem4 ,you know that the earth turns round once a day1 though it seems as if it stood still1 and the sky1 with its sun and moon and stars1 turned round4 ,when you watch the rising sun1 remember that1 though it seems actually to climb the sky1 and to mount higher and higher as the day goes on2 and then1 when it is setting1 to go slowly down1 down1 behind the far away hills or the shining waves--it is all seeming4 ,just as1 when you are going along in a fast train1 the fields and trees and sheep all seem to be in motion1 flying past you2 yet you know that you are moving as the train moves1 and flying past them2 so it is not the sun moving across the sky which makes day and night1 but these changes are caused by the movement of our earth1 as she spins round upon herself like a great top4 ,you remember that ,galileo was accused of denying the truth of the word of ,god1 because the ,bible speaks in many places of the sun arising and going down4 ,his accusers forgot that ,god does not teach us astronomy1 but speaks in ,his word of things as they appear to our eyes4 ,we have seen that our earth1 with her faithful companion the moon1 is not only the traveller round the sun2 he is the great centre1 and around him all the moving-stars1 or planets1 travel in their varied paths4 ,but the moon has a little journey of her own to take besides this long one1 for she travels round the earth1 and takes nearly thirty days on her way4 ,you know that the moon is always changing2 you can never see it for two or three nights quite the same1 but it seems each night a little smaller or a little larger than when you last saw it4 ,when you looked out of the windows the other night1 just before you went to bed1 it was a very young moon indeed that you saw--not more than two days old1 as we say in reckoning the moon's age4 ,how small and thin it was--just like a curving rim of pale light upon the dark sky2 but as you watch this crescent--or growing--moon1 you will see it constantly getting larger and brighter1 until from being half-moon it has become full-moon1 for it faces the sun1 and is bright all over that part which is turned towards you4 ,when we speak of the face of the moon1 we mean that side which is always turned towards us4 ,but why does the gentle moon always turn the same face to us8 ,astronomers tell us that it is because she also turns slowly round on her own axis while she is travelling round the earth4 ,how this is1 ,i don't think ,i can explain to you3 but it is true that we can see only one side of the moon1 that side which catches the sunlight1 and that hardly anything is known about the other side4 ,next time the beautiful moonlight nights come1 remember1 as you watch all these changes1 that this waxing and waning of the moon comes to pass1 not because she really changes her shape1 but because1 as she goes round the earth1 we see sometimes more1 sometimes less of the bright part which is lit up by the sun4 ,the moon is dark in herself1 like our earth2 not like the sun1 and those stars which shine by their own glorious light2 if she had light of her own1 it would be full moon every night2 but all that soft brightness which makes everything look so beautiful in the quiet moonlight1 really comes from the sun4 ,when the sun has gone down1 as it were1 into the sea1 or has disappeared behind some distant mountain1 how do you know that there is any sun8 ,look at the moon walking in brightness1 and remember that it is only as the light of the absent sun falls upon her and is reflected from her face 7just as ,chrissie said he had often seen the light of the setting sun thrown back from the windows7 that she can shine at all4 ,illustration3 ,,yon ,,crescent ,,moon1 ,a ,,golden ,,boat1 ,,hangs ,,dim ,,behind ,,the ,,tree1 ,o6 ,little children love the moon4 ,i have seen a baby who could hardly speak1 clasp her tiny hands and call out1 ,have it6 have it6 as she saw it glow like a lamp behind the trees2 and we do not lose this love as we grow older4 ,when we remember that the sun is four hundred times farther away from us than the moon1 it makes our earth's silent companion seem very near by comparison2 but still you will not think the journey to the moon a short one1 when ,i tell you that if you could travel through the fields of air1 rushing along in a fast train1 never stopping day or night1 it would be eight months before you got to your journey's end4 ,and when you did get there you would have arrived at a more desolate country than you ever dreamed of--a place much like what we might imagine our earth would have become if there were no water1 no air 7for if there is air1 it is so thin that no creature like any we know could breathe it71 no greenness or beauty1 though there might be scenery grand in its awfulness4 ,have you ever looked through a telescope at the moon8 ,i have4 ,last summer ,i was staying at a seaside town1 and one evening ,i noticed a crowd gathered on the sands4 ,as ,i came nearer1 ,i found that a man was showing the moon and planets through his telescope to any who wished to see what they could see4 ,he was selling peeps through the telescope1 which was a pretty good-sized one1 at a penny a peep4 ,now1 though ,i had read a great deal about the moon1 and had seen in books photographs of what are called lunar landscapes1 ,i had never once had a chance of looking at her face through anything but a bit of smoked glass1 at the time of an eclipse4 ,so ,i paid my penny1 and when my turn came ,i stood upon the stool and had my peep4 ,i can only tell you that the moon did not look nearly so beautiful to me through the showman's little telescope as she did when my peep was over1 and ,i saw her once more sailing through the deep blue of the sky1 the queen of night indeed4 ,i had read that astronomers had found that the nearer their great telescopes brought them to the moon1 the more like a barren rock she became1 and when ,i had this nearer view of her than ever before1 she looked to me just as she had been described1 like a burnt-out cinder4 ,you know the shadowy figure which you can see1 sometimes more distinctly than at others1 on the face of the moon 7when ,i was a child ,i was told that it was the man in the moon671 this appearance is caused by deep valleys1 or by the shadows of terrible mountain peaks1 which were once volcanoes1 throwing out smoke and lava4 ,while ,i was looking through his telescope1 the showman pointed out to me two of the highest of these peaks1 and told me their names1 that is the names which the astronomers had given them2 for these rocky heights have been marked upon maps of the moon1 just as the ,welsh mountains are marked upon the map of ,england and ,wales4 ,upon these maps we can find ,mount ,tycho1 ,mount ,gassendi1 ,mount ,copernicus--all of them extinct volcanoes--and the name of ,apennines has been given to a vast mountain-chain2 and the heights of all these mountain peaks have been ascertained by measuring the shadows cast by them4 ,there are oceans and seas also marked upon these moon-maps1 but they were named at a time when it was not yet known that they were great plains2 for1 as ,i told you1 no trace of water1 cloud1 or even mist has been discovered there4 ,are you sorry to hear that the moon which looks so lovely to our sight1 is found by those who can get a nearer view to be such a weird and desolate place that it seemed as if only death reigned there8 ,i know ,i was1 when first ,i read about it1 and saw a picture of the moon1 and wondered at its bare mountain peaks1 with their rugged craters and dreadful precipices1 and its ,ocean of ,storms and ,lake of ,death1 as two of the sea-like plains have been called4 ,i wondered how it could have become1 as it were1 like a dead earth2 but this is one of the things which ,god has not told us about4 ,what ,he has told us is that ,he made this lesser light to rule the night1 and as she moves over the sky in her calm silent beauty1 she speaks to us of ,his goodness in giving not only the sun to rule by day1 but the moon and stars to rule by night1 those wonderful stars whose silent voice is ever making known ,his power1 and telling of ,his glory2 as the poet ,addison has beautifully said-- ,for ever singing as they shine1 ,the hand that made us is ,divine6 ,this is a long chapter1 but we have been speaking of a vast subject1 and before ,i close it1 ,i want to refer to two wonderful things about the stars1 to which ,god draws our attention in ,his word4 ,he tells us that one star differeth from another star in glory1 and astronomers have discovered that there was a deeper truth than they at first imagined underlying these words4 ,but what ,i specially want to speak of for a moment is the number of these heavenly bodies1 and their distance from us4 ,in the hundred and thirty-seventh ,psalm1 two verses are placed close together1 the one speaking of the power and greatness of ,god1 the other of ,his tenderness and compassion towards ,his creatures4 ,he healeth the broken in heart1 and bindeth up their wounds4 ,he telleth the number of the stars2 ,he calleth them all by names4 ,and in the ,book of ,job we read-- ,is not ,god in the height of heaven8 ,and behold the height of the stars1 how high they are6 ,there are wonderful things to learn about the colour of the stars1 some yellow like our own sun1 others of a dazzling whiteness1 and others giving out beautiful rainbow-coloured light4 ,but these wonders you must study by-and-by2 just now we will speak first of their amazing number1 as they appear to our eyes when by the help of the telescope we peer deeper and deeper into the blue depths of the sky4 ,when alluding to the stars in a general way we include the seven planets--one of them our own earth--which move round our sun1 and are as it were so near home that five of them may be seen without the telescope--though not more than three are visible at the same time--and also those myriads of fixed stars1 all of which are suns1 many of them much larger than our own glorious sun1 and removed from our ken by distances which our minds refuse to grasp4 ,i have been told that the number of stars which can be seen with the naked eye is five thousand1 but that only half that number are visible at the same time4 ,if you ask me how many can be seen with the help of the telescope1 ,i cannot tell you1 because more powerful glasses are constantly being made1 only to discover worlds beyond worlds1 ever new and more distant1 strewn in space like golden dust1 while stars hitherto invisible through the most powerful telescope can now be made to leave the impress of their rays upon the photographic plate--so that a great astronomer of our time can show us pictures of invisible stars4 ,god who made them1 ,god who has appointed to each its own path through the heavens1 and also guides and controls each world and system of worlds in its course1 so that in all ,his universe there is no jar1 no clash1 no being before or after time--,he alone can tell their number4 ,and when we consider their height1 their amazing distance from us and from1 each other1 the wonder only grows4 ,if we think of the worlds hung in space like our own1 our nearest neighbour among them1 the red planet ,mars1 is thirty-five millions of miles away1 while the grand planet ,saturn--the ringed world--though lighted up by our sun1 is so distant1 so high1 that the ever-hasting traveller whom we imagined some time ago rushing through space at the speed of an express train1 would take two thousand years on his endless journey4 ,yet ,saturn's rays actually come to our eyes from this vast infinity of distance--while the light of the nearest star--and you know we say quick as light--takes more than four years to reach us4 ,these things1 so far beyond our scanty thoughts to conceive1 are indeed too great for us1 but how simply the ,bible speaks of them-- ,by the word of the ,,lord were the heavens made2 and all the host of them by the breath of ,his mouth4 ,by ,his spirit ,,he hath garnished the heavens4 ,it is ,,he that buildeth ,his storeys in the heavens4 ,in the next chapter you will read a true story which ,i told my scholars as a reward for their attention while we had been speaking on a very difficult subject4 ,i hope you will be as much interested in ,john ,britt as they were4 ,here are some beautiful verses1 speaking of the way in which the heavens declare the glory of ,god1 and my story shows how they may utter forth a glorious voice to ears closed to every earthly sound4 ,the spacious firmament on high1 ,with all the blue ethereal sky1 ,the spangled heavens1 a shining frame1 ,their great original proclaim4 ,th' unwearied sun1 from day to day1 ,doth his ,creator's power display4 ,and publishes to every land ,the work of an ,almighty ,hand4 ,soon as the evening shades prevail1 ,the moon takes up the wondrous tale1 ,and nightly to the list'ning earth1 ,repeats the story of her birth3 ,while all the stars that round her burn1 ,and all the planets in their turn1 ,confirm the tidings as they roll1 ,and spread the truth from pole to pole4 ,what though1 in solemn silence all ,move round this dark terrestrial ball2 ,what though no real voice nor sound ,amidst their radient orbs be found2 ,in reason's ear they all rejoice1 ,and utter forth a glorious voice2 ,for ever singing as they shine-- ,the hand that made us is ,divine4 ,,addison ,,story ,,of ,a ,,deaf ,,boy ,,who ,,heard ,,the ,,sun ,,proclaim ,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,god4 ,this story is about an ,irish boy who was deaf and dumb4 ,do you know what that means8 ,thank ,god1 you who cannot know4 ,i have been in a school where every scholar was deaf and dumb4 ,these children had been patiently taught the finger language1 and they had also learnt to express themselves by the quicker language of signs1 so that they could understand a great deal1 and could do many clever things2 but it made me very sad to see so many of them at once1 for ,i knew that this world was to them a silent world4 ,they could see people speak and smile1 but never hear one sound2 they might watch the fingers of anyone who was playing the piano move quickly over the keys1 but not one note of music could reach them4 ,think how sad it must be never to have heard your mother's voice1 never to be able to speak to those you love except by signs1 which can tell so little of what you want to say1 even if they are understood4 ,ah1 you cannot tell how sad it is6 ,ernest and ,sharley and ,may were with me when we went to the school2 and when some of the elder boys acted little plays1 just as you might act dumb charades1 to amuse the visitors1 they were delighted with their cleverness1 and laughed heartily2 and ,i daresay the boys were pleased to see them laugh1 though they could not hear them4 ,these boys spoke very quickly on their fingers1 and wrote beautifully on the black board1 in answer to questions which they were asked4 ,i do not remember what these questions and answers were2 but ,i know we all thought some of the questions too difficult1 and wondered at the good and thoughtful answers which were given4 ,they reminded me of the reply to a difficult question ,i once saw a deaf and dumb boy write4 ,the teacher of his school asked the visitors who had come to see it1 to put any questions they liked to the boys4 ,some questions in history and geography and arithmetic were asked and answered2 and then a lady said1 ,ask them to tell what is the amount of the ,christian's riches4 ,there was a pause2 but presently a boy of fourteen stepped forward1 took the chalk1 and wrote this text as the answer3 ,having nothing1 and yet possessing all things4 ,i think he must have known what it is to be rich unto ,god4 ,it is sad to think that when the ear1 that gateway of knowledge1 is shut1 a poor child may1 for want of teaching1 and often for want of love and sympathy1 grow up almost like an animal2 his friends thinking him stupid1 because he cannot ask questions or tell anything that is in his mind1 until at last he really becomes stupid1 and his mind grows dull from want of use4 ,i am glad to tell you that a way has lately been found1 by which children who have never heard a sound may be taught1 not only to understand the speech of others1 but to speak themselves4 ,it is true that their talk sounds strange and unnatural1 and is not easy to understand1 but where this method is known it makes a wonderful difference in the lives of the poor children who have been so cut off from intercourse with others4 ,by carefully watching the lips of their teachers1 those who learn this lip-reading can tell what is said1 and ,i have seen them write it down1 just as you would write a dictation lesson2 and quite as correct1 though they only see the words1 and you hear them4 ,but before they have learned to understand in this way1 and still more before they have learned to speak1 great patience is needed1 both in teachers and children4 ,i have heard that in the schools where lip-reading is taught1 the children are forbidden to make signs to each other or talk on their fingers1 and so some of them learn this much better plan wonderfully quickly4 ,sometimes children become deaf after a fever1 sometimes from a fall or a heavy blow1 or from a fright2 some are born so4 ,i do not know how it happened in the case of this boy whose story ,i want to tell you1 because the lady who has written an account of him never knew him till he was eleven years old2 but ,i think he must either have been born deaf1 or have lost his hearing when he was a baby1 for he had never spoken a word1 and up to the time when his story begins he had never been taught anything4 ,his name was ,john ,britt1 but everybody called him ,jack2 not that it mattered to him what1 he was called1 for he had never heard his own name1 nor the shouts of the boys with whom he played1 nor the crowing of the cocks1 as they flapped their wings in his mother's yard2 all the world was dumb and silent to poor ,jack4 ,when he first came to the house of the lady who was to be such a kind friend to him1 ,jack looked a very stupid boy4 ,i am sure he was shy too1 for he had never before been in any house but the poor little cottage where he was born1 or the cottages of the neighbour folk2 and when this lady from ,england tried to make him understand that she wanted to be friends with him1 he kept looking round at all the fine things in her drawing-room4 ,some people would have thought him a very rude boy1 but she only watched him with pitying eyes1 and longed to teach him about ,god4 ,but how could she begin to teach him1 since he could not hear a word she said8 ,this was what ,may was most anxious to know2 and ,i could not tell her how the very beginning was made1 nor how ,jack liked his first lesson4 ,it must have been a very difficult task1 but you know what you have often heard1 ,where there's a will there's a way4 ,jack's lady greatly longed to do something for the poor boy2 she was deaf herself1 and was obliged to use an ear trumpet1 by which the voices of those who spoke to her were brought nearer to her ear1 and perhaps this made her pity one who had never heard at all1 more than she might otherwise have done4 ,but ,god had given her a feeling of love and tenderness towards him1 and a great longing and earnest purpose to help him1 and ,he showed her the way to put ,his truth within the reach of this poor boy1 whose life had been almost as lonely as if he had been1 shut up in prison1 and gave her faith and patience1 and courage to undertake what seemed a hopeless task4 ,one of the things she did was to get a box of letters1 and she held ,jack's hand while he copied them on a slate--,i think this must have been his first real lesson--and when he had copied the letters a great many times1 without any idea of what he was doing1 but just to please his kind friend1 she took the three letters ,d-,o-,g and put them together4 ,her pet dog was lying in his basket by the fire1 and she pointed to him1 and then pointed to the letters1 and after she had done this over and over again many times1 she saw that the boy was beginning to understand that the letters1 in some strange way1 must have something to do with the dog4 ,when this step was gained1 she threw the ,d1 ,o1 and ,g back into the box1 and ,jack had to pick the three letters out1 one by one1 and put them together again4 ,then1 when this word was quite learnt1 she taught him the names of other things which he knew--all in three letters--and last of all showed him how to make the letters on his fingers1 teaching him what is called the deaf and dumb alphabet4 ,all this seemed a pleasant game to poor ,jack1 and he little thought that he was being taught to read1 and to speak on his fingers while he was playing at it4 ,as time went on1 the boy became very quick at this game2 he knew how to write a great many words1 and to spell them in the finger alphabet1 and the more he learnt the more he wanted to know4 ,he now began to bring all sorts of things to his teacher1 spelling ,w-h-a-t1 what1 on his fingers again and again1 until she had taught him their names4 ,she saw that his mind1 which had been almost asleep1 was fast waking up1 and she prayed ,god to show her how to teach this child not only words and names1 but that fear of the ,lord which is the beginning of knowledge4 ,jack's lady well knew that though he was so clever and quick at learning1 he knew nothing about the ,god who had made him for ,himself1 nor about the ,lord ,jesus ,christ who had paid such a price--,his own precious blood--to redeem poor ,jack1 and buy him back for ,god4 ,she never forgot while teaching him1 that he had within him a priceless treasure of which he knew nothing--that immortal spirit which must go on living always1 somewhere--and so1 more and more earnestly her cry went up to ,god3 ,teach me how to teach this boy about ,thee6 ,at last the opportunity come4 ,one day ,jack pointed upwards at the sun1 and showed by signs that he wished to know who had made that great light in the sky--had his lady made it8 ,she shook her head1 as he next made signs for the names of two or three people1 asking whether the sun had been made by them2 and then she pointed to heaven and spelled ,g-,o-,d4 ,she told him three things about ,god3 ,he was great1 ,he was kind1 ,he was always looking at ,jack4 ,soon after this the boy came again with his eager ,what8 what8--and explained that he could not find out how the sun was made1 because it was so bright that he could not keep looking at it2 but he said he knew all about the moon4 ,it was rolled up into a ball and then sent across the sky1 just as he would roll a marble along the floor4 ,and the stars--he knew all about them too2 someone had cut them out with a pair of scissors1 and stuck them into the sky4 ,i need not tell you that the children1 who had just been learning that the stars are suns1 were much amused at this notion of ,jack's4 ,and now this poor boy began to search for ,god4 ,he came to his lady and told her that she was bad ,ma'am1 and had told what was not true2 for he said he had been everywhere to look for ,god1 he had even got up in the night to try to find ,him2 but nowhere1 in the streets or in the fields1 had he seen anyone tall enough to reach the sky1 so that he could put up his hand and stick the bright stars there4 ,and so he repeated many times1 ,god1 no2 ,god1 no1 until she could not bear to hear him2 for she knew that ,satan was trying to take away from him the thought of ,god1 and make this poor boy like the fool of whom the fourteenth ,psalm speaks1 who said in his heart1 ,no ,god4 ,jack's lady was silent1 for she knew not what to say2 but again she prayed to ,god to teach her how to teach him2 and then she did what the boy thought a very strange thing1 and ,i am sure you will think it so too4 ,a pair of bellows was hanging beside the fire2 she took them and began to blow the hot coals into a ruddy flame4 ,then suddenly she turned to ,jack and blew puff1 puff1 at his hand4 ,he did not like the cold air1 and shrank back4 ,when she blew again1 saying1 ,what8 what8 just as he had done1 he got angry and said she was bad1 and it made him cold4 ,she still pretended to be very much surprised that he should feel anything uncomfortable1 and looked all over the bellows as if in search of something2 then she blew again1 and explained that she could not see anything1 repeating just as he had done1 ,wind1 no3 wind1 no4 ,with joy and wonder she saw that her lesson had been understood4 ,putting two fingers side by side--the only way which he could think of to express likeness--,jack repeated over and over1 ,god like wind2 ,god like wind4 ,after this he often spoke of ,god2 once when he had been trying to look at the sun1 he shut his dazzled eyes and spelt on his fingers1 ,god like sun4 ,the lightning was to him ,god's eye2 the rainbow1 ,god's smile2 and of living creatures he would say1 patting them kindly1 ,god made1 ,god made4 ,about this time1 while ,jack's lady was still praying for him1 and asking ,god to show her how to teach him the sweet story of the love of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ his ,saviour1 a fever came to the place1 and the boy saw the strange and sad sight of many funerals passing along the road1 as one and another of those whom he had known when they were strong and well1 fell sick and died4 ,one day he spoke about them1 asking by signs whether they would ever open their eyes again4 ,without answering his eager question1 the lady took a piece of paper and began to draw1 and ,jack stood by looking at her4 ,it was a strange picture1 and she went on explaining it as she drew4 ,first ,jack saw a crowd of people--men and women1 boys and girls--and his teacher told him to look at them well1 for he1 ,jack1 was in that crowd--everybody was there4 ,then she drew a great pit1 and out of it came flames2 and she told him that all in that crowd were bad1 bad1 and that ,god was very angry with these bad people1 and said they must all go into that dreadful pit4 ,poor ,jack looked in her face with a frightened stare2 he knew that he was in that crowd1 that he was one of those bad people4 ,must ,i go there8 his anxious look seemed to ask4 ,still she did not speak1 but went on drawing1 and as she drew one man1 standing alone1 she told ,jack that ,he was the ,son of ,god1 come down from heaven--come to die instead of that crowd of bad people1 so that they might be saved from that dreadful pit4 ,then it was her turn to look anxiously into the boy's face4 ,had her poor ,jack understood the picture8 ,yes1 he had understood2 and his next question showed that he was thinking earnestly of what she had told him4 ,pointing to the crowd of people1 he said they were many1 very many2 but the ,man who come to die instead of them was ,one1 only ,one2 and then again he asked1 ,what8 what8 in his eager way4 ,how should this question be answered8 ,how should ,jack be shown that while all in that crowd of people had sinned--all come short of the glory of ,god--the ,holy ,one who came to do ,god's will and to give ,himself a ransom for them1 had glorified ,him on the earth1 and finished the work which ,his ,father had given ,him to do8 ,his teacher did not now draw a picture2 but she made one in another way4 ,there were some dead flowers in the room2 taking a pair of scissors1 she cut them up into little bits1 till they lay in a brown heap on the table4 ,jack watched her do this1 and then he saw her take from her finger her gold ring1 and lay it down beside the brown heap4 ,pointing to the dead flowers1 she said1 ,many2 pointing to the ring1 she said1 ,one2 and then asked1 ,which will you have8 ,with a laugh of delight1 ,jack made her see that he understood this picture also4 ,the brown heap of worthless1 withered flowers was like that crowd of people--many1 but all bad2 the ring1 all of gold--only one thing1 but so precious--was like ,him who died to save them2 and over and over again he spelt1 ,one6 ,one6 ,then presently1 as the thought came to him that he1 ,jack1 was in that crowd2 that he was one of the many for whom that holy ,one had given ,himself1 his heart was full2 he burst into tears1 and looking upwards he spelt again1 ,good ,one6 good ,one6 and ran for the box of letters that he might learn ,his name4 ,and so this boy learnt for the first time that ,name which is above every name1 the ,name of ,jesus4 ,it would take too long to tell you how ,jack learnt each day something more about the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,you see he had to be taught the story of ,his wondrous birth2 of ,his life in this world1 so full of deeds of love and power1 and words of grace and compassion2 of ,his obedience unto death1 even the death of the cross2 and how ,he was raised from the dead by the glory of the ,father1 and ascended up to heaven4 ,all this1 which you have heard so often1 was not the old1 old story to him1 but quite new2 the good news of ,god concerning ,his ,son2 and he did indeed receive the truth in the love of it4 ,his teacher still found that the best way of teaching him was to give him a picture of something which he could see2 and her account of the way in which he learnt the great truth of resurrection1 by her showing him how hyacinth-roots1 which seemed dead and worthless1 would put forth leaves in the spring-time1 and blossom in purple and red1 is very interesting4 ,after he had learned this lesson1 he could never stand beside a grave without asking reverently whether the one whose name was upon the headstone loved ,jesus ,christ4 ,about this time there came a great change in ,jack's life1 for he left his home and went to ,england4 ,the friend who had been so kind to him was going back to her home1 and could not bear to leave him behind1 so she asked his parents to allow him to go with her4 ,they did not refuse1 for they were very grateful to her for all that she had done for their poor boy2 and his mother said1 ,take him2 he is more your child than ours4 ,so ,jack went first to ,dublin1 where nothing he saw struck him with such wonder as the ships in the river2 and then he went on board ship and sailed over the sea1 and up the river ,avon to ,clifton4 ,in this beautiful place he lived for a year4 ,he became a good and faithful servant to his mistress1 and especially loved to wait upon and play with ,baby-boy1 a little nephew of hers of whom he was very fond4 ,but you must not think ,jack was always good4 ,he had a very angry temper1 and would sometimes go into a passion1 and cry in a very naughty way2 or else sulk so as to make not only himself but his kind and gentle lady miserable2 and sometimes he had to be punished for his bad ways4 ,but whenever he had shown this naughty temper1 the time came when he was very1 very sorry4 ,he would go and have what he called a long pray1 and tell ,god all about it4 ,i do not know whether it was at such a time that he spoke to his mistress about the red hand2 but before ,i tell you of this1 which has always seemed to me very beautiful1 ,i must try to remember for you part of an address to ,sunday scholars1 which my children heard just at the time when ,i was reading to them the story of ,john ,britt4 ,this address was given by an uncle of ,ernest and ,sharley1 and they were both there4 ,he spoke about how the eye of ,god looks us through and through1 searching right down into our hearts1 and seeing every bad thought there2 and then he spoke of ,god's book1 in which all about us is written down1 and of ,god's hand1 which writes all down in that book4 ,he said that when he was a child1 and thought of ,god's book1 it made him tremble all over to remember what must be written there about him2 and then1 speaking very earnestly to the little scholars1 he said1 ,think of your name at the top of a page in that book1 and then1 one after another--none left out or forgotten--every naughty word you have spoken1 every naughty thing your hands have ever done1 all written on that page6 ,when he had spoken for some time in this way1 ,ernest's uncle ,george said that if any of the children to whom he was speaking really did think of this dreadful page1 and did not try to hide away from ,god1 but went straight to ,him about it1 and said1 ,o ,god1 ,i am such a sinner6 that cry would be written down there too4 ,and we must never forget that because of the work ,jesus finished when on earth1 it is righteous for ,god to blot out the whole black list of every one who comes to the ,father by ,jesus4 ,i do not know who had told ,jack about ,god's book1 but one day when he was alone with his lady1 he began to speak to her very earnestly4 ,he told her that he knew that if he should die1 like those people who had died of the fever1 he would be put in the grave1 but that he would not stay there for ever4 ,he said that after he had lain there a good while1 ,god would call ,jack6 and he would answer1 ,yes2 me ,jack4 ,then he would stand before ,god1 and in ,his hands would be a very large book1 a ,bible book4 ,he said ,god would turn the pages until he came to one where ,john ,britt was written1 and then ,he would look to see if there were any bads written there2 but ,god would find no bads1 no no1 nothing1 none4 ,no bads8 said the lady4 ,have you never done anything wrong1 ,jack8 ,oh1 yes1 he said quickly1 much bads2 and then he went on to show her how the ,lord ,jesus ,christ had taken the book and had found that very page where ,jack's own name was1 and where all his bads were written down2 and ,he had put ,his hand all down that page1 so that when ,god looked at it1 none of ,jack's bads were there2 only ,jesus ,christ's blood4 ,then1 he said1 ,god would shut the book1 and ,jesus ,christ would say to ,god1 ',my ,jack6' ,perhaps you wonder what those bad things were which this boy knew he had done4 ,i will tell you of one thing which he particularly remembered4 ,once1 long ago1 when he was quite a little boy1 he had stolen a halfpenny from his mother2 this was one of the wrong things which he thought of as written down upon that page1 and he knew that without the precious blood of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,god's ,son1 even that one sin would have been always there4 ,and so he often told people about this1 and would smile with happiness1 and say1 ,jack very much loves ,jesus ,christ4 ,jesus ,christ loves poor ,jack4 ,good ,jesus--die--save poor bad ,jack4 ,there are some things which are told us in the ,bible which ,jack did not know4 ,he thought that when the last day was come1 all who were in their graves would be raised1 and all stand before ,god2 he was not afraid when he thought of that great day1 because he knew that perfect love which casts out fear1 but it would have been very sweet to him to have known that the ,lord ,jesus is coming for ,his own1 and that at ,his call the dead in ,christ shall rise first1 and then all the living people who are ,christ's at ,his coming shall be changed1 and all together be caught up to meet the ,lord in the air1 and so be for ever with the ,lord4 ,jack is one of those who have fallen asleep in ,jesus2 he died when he was a little more than nineteen1 and the shamrocks1 which he loved because he was an ,irish boy1 have long been growing green upon his lowly grave2 but when the ,lord calls ,his own to meet ,him in the air1 the deaf and dumb boy1 just because he is ,his ,jack1 will be sure to hear that awakening voice2 although he never heard any voice on earth2 and to answer to the call4 ,but ,i must tell you a little more about his short life4 ,when he was fourteen1 his mistress left ,clifton and moved to a very pretty house in the country1 and there ,jack was given a little room over the coach-house to be quite his own1 so that he might go there to write or draw1 when his work was done4 ,and now1 to his great delight1 he was trusted to take charge of a horse2 he took such care of it1 and kept it so clean and neat1 that before long another horse was given to his charge1 and he had also to look after the cow1 so that he must have felt that he was quite an important person4 ,you will be interested about his drawings when ,i tell you that he worked so hard at them1 because he had a wonderful plan in his head4 ,you must not think that he had forgotten his old home2 though he was so happy in ,england1 his great longing was to see his dear parents once more4 ,he did not wish to go back to ,ireland1 but he thought if he could only earn enough by his beautiful drawings to buy a little cottage and a cow1 he would send for them to come and live near him1 and then his joy would be complete4 ,he used to pray a great deal about this1 kneeling at the window1 that ,god might look through the stars into his heart1 and see how very much he loved the ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 and he used to say that he knew ,god had looked at his prayer1 just as you might say1 ,god has heard me praying to ,him4 ,five years passed in that quiet home1 and then the cough1 which had troubled him for some time1 grew much worse1 and he seemed to understand1 without being told1 that he was soon going to die4 ,when he came down one morning1 looking sadly pale and tired1 his mistress asked1 ,have you slept1 ,jack8 ,no1 he said1 smiling sweetly4 ,jack no sleep4 ,jack think good ,jesus ,christ see poor ,jack4 ,night dark1 heaven all light2 soon see heaven4 ,cough much now1 pain bad2 soon no cough1 no pain4 ,you can see that1 when he spoke on his fingers1 ,jack's way was to make his sentences short by leaving out all the little words1 much as children do when they first begin to talk4 ,during the few months of life which remained after he became so ill1 his sister ,mary was with him1 and his soldier-brother ,pat got leave to come and wish him good-bye4 ,for ,jack was really going to ,him whom having not seen he loved1 and at the last moment of his life his great comfort and joy was in thinking of the love of ,christ to him4 ,he would say1 over and over1 ,jesus ,christ loves poor ,jack1 and then speak of the red hand that had blotted out all his sins--those many sins which ,god would remember no more1 because good ,jesus ,christ had given ,his own life for poor ,jack4 ,the snow was falling fast when they laid the body of this dear boy in the quiet churchyard1 far away from his ,irish home4 ,his beloved mistress and his sister ,mary were there4 ,how wonderful it is to think that the first sound that will fall upon those ears1 deaf all his life long to every human tone1 will be the voice of the archangel and the trump of ,god1 calling him1 and all those who sleep in ,jesus1 to rise in their bodies of glory1 to meet the ,lord in the air1 and to be with ,him for ever6 ,then1 when the archangel's voice ,calls the sleeping saints to rise1 ,rising myriads shall proclaim ,blessings on the ,saviour's name4 ',this is our redeeming ,god6' ,ransomed hosts shall shout aloud ,praise1 eternal praise1 be given1 ,to the ,lord of earth and heaven4 ,,the ,,stone ,,book4 ,the heaven1 even the heavens1 are the ,lord's3 but the earth hath ,he given to the children of men4--,,psalm cxv4 #af4 ,speak to the earth1 and it shall teach thee3 and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee4--,,job xii4 #h4 ,be still1 and know that ,i am ,god4--,,psalm xlvi4 #aj4 ,we have been reading a little about the story of the heavens4 ,now ,i want to take you from the starry heights to the dens and caves of the earth1 and to speak to you a little about--not astronomy1 but geology1 as the science or study of the earth is called4 ,this is a very interesting study1 but one in which we may easily make serious mistakes2 for we have not here the firm ground under our feet which the ,word of ,god gives us1 and we must always beware of saying1 ,this thing is so1 therefore that other thing must be so2 or1 ,this thing is not1 therefore that other cannot be4 ,when we first began our talks1 we read that ,in the beginning ,god created the heaven and the earth--all that which is meant when we speak of the ,universe4 ,this is just what we need to know2 and how gracious of ,god the ,creator to speak to us about ,his own works1 and set at rest all the guesses and reasonings of our minds as to how and when this earth first came into existence6 ,then we noticed that there is a pause1 how long a pause we know not4 ,the silence of ,god1 as it were1 falls upon the scene2 we hear nothing more about the heavens1 and nothing of the earth between the time of its creation and its state as described in the next verse--a desolate1 watery waste1 upon which darkness brooded4 ,it is a great thing to know how to listen when ,god speaks to us1 and to be silent when ,he is silent4 ,by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of ,god2 this is what ,he has been pleased to tell us1 and we cannot go beyond it4 ,in the chapter called ,ruin and ,darkness1 we learnt a little about the crust of the earth2 and ,i told you that those who have studied it believe that they can read in it1 as in a book1 marks of the many changes which have passed over it since the ,creation4 ,as they search into its depths and bring out to the light of day remains of plants and animals which lie buried there1 they point to these footprints on the sands of time1 and tell us that our earth is very1 very old2 how old they do not say2 they can only guess4 ,but long before anyone began to lay bare the recesses of the earth and to ponder its age1 ,god had told us that it is older than our little minds can conceive1 for ,he created it in the beginning4 ,men of science also when they speak of the work of ,god on the ,,six ,,days of ,his ,creation1 say they could not have been actual days of twenty-four hours1 as time is now measured4 ,i have told you that in speaking of what ,god does we must never say a thing could not be2 but rather lay our hand upon our mouth1 or speak as ,job did when he answered the ,lord and said1 ,i know that ,thou canst do everything1 and that no thought can be withholden from ,thee4 ,but we may also remember that1 as ,god measures time1 ,one day is with the ,lord as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day2 for a thousand years in ,thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past1 and as a watch in the night1 ,i wonder--as we have read now four times1 at the close of each of ,god's wonderful days1 ,the evening and the morning were the first1 the second1 the third1 the fourth day--whether you have stopped to think why the evening is always put before the morning2 surely this way of reckoning time is very unlike ours4 ,is it not so reckoned because as light was made to shine perfectly upon the earth1 when ,god called it out of the darkness1 there was no dawning of that first day8 ,it began when ,god said1 ,let light be3 and light was2 then1 with the gradual disappearing of the light1 there was evening1 nothing being told us about the unfurled flag of night1 or the dawning of the second day4 ,this at least we know1 that whether in the beginning1 when the strong foundations of the earth were laid1 or during those periods of time when ,god was working to bring it into order and beauty1 no touch of man's rude hand interfered4 ,the goodness of ,god was seen in storing it with mineral treasures for his use2 covering it with vegetation which has lived and died and laid up vast abundance of coal2 peopling the air and the waters with birds and fishes4 ,but with all this man had nothing to do1 for one of the very last acts of ,creative ,power was that which called him into existence1 and set him1 as lord of all1 in a place so carefully and wonderfully prepared for him4 ,and as we look back over those ,days of ,creation of which we have been reading1 let us remember that each successive ,day led up in perfect order to making his dwelling-place perfectly fitted for him1 the creature of ,god apart from all others1 specially formed for ,himself4 ,as has been beautifully said1 when the sea was gathered into one place and the dry land appeared1 a secure footing was found for man2 when the waters above the firmament were separated from the waters below1 man1 the highest of all created things1 could look up--all was done in reference to him1 when as yet he was not4 ,we shall not read about the work of ,god on the ,fifth ,day in this chapter1 but ,i want you to turn to the account of it given in the first chapter of ,genesis1 and you will see that there for the first time in the ,story of ,creation the word life is used4 ,god speaks to us no longer of only inanimate or lifeless things1 such as the sea and the dry land1 the earth with its herbs and trees1 and the two great lights which were made to give light upon it4 ,he tells us now of creatures which live and move and have a being1 each after its kind2 each exactly fitted to enjoy life in the place prepared for it4 ,the story of the way in which ,god in ,his mighty and gracious working prepared earth and sea and sky to be the home of creatures which were yet to be brought forth and created1 is very wonderful4 ,but when we read of the moving creature that hath life1 and of every living creature that moveth1 we come to what is still more wonderful4 ,you remember in the history of the plagues in ,egypt1 that when the wise men tried to imitate what ,god was doing in sending ,his judgments upon the land1 there was a point at which they stopped1 and could go no farther1 ,this is the finger of ,god1 they said4 ,what was that point8 ,it was when they tried1 by their enchantments1 to produce one of the meanest1 as we should say1 of living things4 ,and so it has always been3 man1 the highest of ,god's creatures1 apart from all the rest1 is still a creature1 and he never has been able to usurp the power which belongs to ,god alone4 ,it is true that man can destroy animals1 and so hunt them down as to render them extinct2 he can also1 as we have seen1 by great care and skill and long patience1 produce what are called varieties of both plants and animals1 increasing the size of leaves and blossoms twenty1 thirty1 even a hundredfold2 but though he may talk of the formation of new flowers1 with endless shades of colour1 they are not really new1 but only varieties of those already existing4 ,you remember1 when we were speaking of the ,green ,earth1 we learnt that never1 from the beginning of his life on earth1 has man produced a new kind1 or species1 of either plant or animal4 ,we must never forget this4 ,god1 who said to the mighty ocean1 ,hitherto shalt thou come1 and no farther3 and here shall thy proud waves be stayed 7,job xxxviii4 ,,ii71 has also set a bound beyond which man1 however great his powers may be1 is not permitted to go4 ,life1 in all its forms1 from the lowest to the highest1 belongs to ,god4 ,but perhaps you are asking why ,i said that we do not in the ,story of ,creation read anything about life till we come to the work of ,god on the ,fifth ,day4 ,are not the trees and plants alive8 ,do we not say of a blasted tree or withered flower1 ,it is dead8 ,it is quite true that plants have a life which shows itself as we have seen in their growth1 and even in some sensitive plants1 by their shrinking from the touch4 ,in the wheat-fields the order of the unfolding of the life of a plant whose seed is in itself1 may be seen1 as we watch first the blade1 then the ear1 afterwards the full corn in the ear4 ,but this life is very different from that of the lowliest animal which has power to feel and to give expression to its feelings1 power to move from place to place1 and which shows in its own way of living an intelligence which is not seen in the very highest forms of vegetable life4 ,at the same time it is true that in their lowest forms animal and vegetable life approach each other so nearly that it is often difficult to say where the one ends and the other begins4 ,but without the plants and their ceaseless work1 as the sleepless universal providers of the earth1 as they have been called1 all animal life would fail and die2 for they are the means by which all the nourishment which is contained in earth1 air1 and water can be made of use both to themselves and to the animals4 ,and is it not very beautiful to see how ,god has made one part of ,his creation dependent upon another1 and all dependent upon ,him8 ,does it not show us ,his care for ,his creatures1 and especially for that wonderful creature--the last and best of all1 who was created for the earth and the earth for him--when we see1 as we have seen so constantly1 that before the inhabitants of earth1 air1 and sea came into being1 ,he had caused the earth to bring forth that which should give to every living thing the means of sustaining life8 ,i have called this chapter1 which does not speak of the work of ,god on any special ,day of ,creation1 ,,the ,,stone ,,book4 ,a wonderful book it is for those who can read it2 its leaves are the successive layers of the earth's crust2 its letters are not only the remains of plants1 but the fossil-shells and bones of animals imprisoned there1 which tell us that creatures1 all in some way unlike any we now know1 once lived and died1 and are still to be found1 not in their ancient forms in rushy mere of tangled jungle1 but in graves of stone and monuments of marble4 ,when we were speaking of the coal-mines ,i told you something about the remains of giant ferns1 sedges1 reeds1 and mare's-tails of far larger growth than any now known1 which have been found there4 ,you are familiar with fossil-plants1 but ,i do not think we have spoken much of fossil-animals1 which are found in all except the oldest layers of rock--the first pages of the ,stone ,book4 ,the children had been with me to the ,museum in the town in which we lived1 and had looked with wonder at the huge creatures whose skeletons have been built up bone by bone1 after being taken from their rocky tomb--for this earth of ours which has seen so many changes has been rifled of her treasures2 not the gold and silver1 coal and iron with which she is so richly stored1 but the wonderful specimens of ,god's work in bygone ages which ,he has allowed us to see2 so that we cannot doubt that such creatures once existed1 though we may know nothing with certainty as to the time of their first appearance in the sea and on the dry land1 and can only guess at the kind of life they lived4 ,you remember that we spoke1 in the chapter about the earth's crust1 of the fire-made rocks1 which were once in a liquid state from intense heat 7we could not expect to find any remains of plants or animals there1 and none have been found71 and of the water-made rocks1 which have been gradually accumulated by the action of water in wearing down the land4 ,these rocks lie in layers1 and fossil shells1 plants1 and bones of animals have been found in them1 as we have already seen4 ,but how did these fossils get into the rocks8 ,and how is it that they have been found in all countries and at all heights above the sea8 ,before ,i try to answer these questions1 ,i must tell you that when geologists speak of rock they mean everything which has gone to form the crust of the earth1 whether clay1 or loose sand and gravel1 or the hard heavy granite which some of us had seen crowning the ,dartmoor tors4 ,it is thought that the huge creatures whose bones have been found at different depths in the earth's strata were buried there when the rock which formed the layers was soft2 perhaps in the mud of lakes1 or in peat or sand at the mouths of rivers4 ,then1 as time went on1 their softer parts perished1 but the harder turned to stone1 thus forming the letters in the stony pages from which those who study the earth try to read something of its history4 ,then1 as sea-shells are found inland1 deeply buried in the hills1 it is thought that the land in which they were buried has been raised by earthquakes1 or thrown out by volcanoes3 or was altered in position at the time when the earth's foundations were overflowed with a ,flood1 and the waters stood above the mountains4 ,as geologists read the ,stone ,book1 like the writing of ,eastern lands1 backwards--as they search deeper and deeper into the crust of the earth1 they speak of its ,old life1 ,middle life1 and ,new life3 but we must remember that they do read backwards1 calling the older life what is really the younger4 ,and we must also bear in mind that many of the words used in what is called science--especially those relating to the study of the earth--betray our ignorance rather than prove our knowledge4 ,the marking off stages in the life-history of the earth1 and speaking of its ,old1 ,middle1 and ,new ,age has been done to help in the study of its crust4 ,nothing is known1 however1 with certainty about these different periods or where one ends and another begins1 and no one knows whether the first1 or oldest1 layer has yet been discovered4 ,one geologist says1 ,i have found it1 and presently another penetrates a little deeper1 goes a little farther back1 and finds one lower still4 ,nor can anyone say certainly where a fossil-fern or the mummy of an old-world fish appeared for the first time1 and though many plants and animals which are found in a fossil state have long been extinct1 yet there are many more which appear at a very ancient date and have continued unchanged to the present time4 ,there is a famous cliff in ,dorsetshire upon which may be read1 almost as upon a map1 the record of the changes which have passed over it during its life-history4 ,on examining the strata1 or layers which lie one above the other1 geologists find the first1 or lowest of all1 to be ,portland stone1 which was formed by the accumulation of lime at the bottom of the sea4 ,the second layer shows that this sea-bed in time became dry land1 and was covered with soil--what had once been the seashore gradually giving place to a forest4 ,but how do we know that such a wonderful change was wrought in process of time8 ,we have clear proof that it was so from the vegetable soil still remaining1 and the numbers of trees the remains of which are embedded in the rock1 many of them standing upright as when growing4 ,the third layer seems to show1 from the limestone and the fresh-water shells embedded in it1 that the level land where the forest grew sank lower and lower until it formed a hollow which in time became a lake4 ,the fourth layer1 which ends this strange1 eventful history1 gives evidence of the whole land having been again covered by the ocean1 and again raised above the waters6 ,if we were studying geology together1 ,i should like to take you with me to the ,museum1 and we would first look at the fossils which are believed to belong to the most ancient time of life upon the earth2 then we would pass on to those belonging to the second or middle stage1 and then to the third1 or new stage1 letting these wonderful stones1 taken from mountain height or deep sea bottom1 or from the depths of the earth itself1 tell their own eloquent story4 ,but what ,i should like you to remember is that geologists of our own time tell us that the lowest layer of the earth's crust which has yet been explored appears to be made of vegetable remains1 so crushed and altered by time and by the tremendous pressure of rocky layers lying above it1 that though it is probably of the same material as that which forms the coal-measures1 it resembles the blacklead of which pencils are made much more than the coal which you know is what has been formed by the decay of buried forests and jungles4 ,in this layer of graphite1 geologists with the help of their microscopes have searched in vain for any trace of what once was living1 but they think it may have been formed from the flowerless plants1 or even from those still more lowly1 too minute when living to be seen by the naked eye1 and consisting of one tiny bag or cell4 ,they tell us that these infant plants were followed by those of larger growth1 specimens of which are found in layers of rock and clay nearer the surface1 and are followed by remains of the herb yielding seed1 and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind--for mummies of seed vessels and fruits have been found in coal-fields in many parts of the world4 ,it is interesting1 too1 to see that as far as we can tell at present1 in the case of fossil-fish and other living creatures1 the lowest forms are found first 7that is1 farthest back71 and are followed by remains of creatures higher in the scale of life2 that is to say1 not so simple in structure4 ,in using the words higher or lower1 we do not mean that there is anything imperfect about the humbler creatures2 they are exactly suited to the life which has been given to them to live1 but their form is very simple compared with that of higher animals1 just as a three-legged stool is much more simple in its construction1 and is made of fewer parts1 than a watch4 ,i may tell you a little about these lowly creatures when we speak of the ,,fifth ,,day of ,creation1 and then you will see that they were all made according to a perfect goodly pattern or plan1 and each after its kind2 for if we read the pages of the ,stone ,book aright1 we shall see plainly written there that from the first beginnings of life1 as far as it is given us to trace them1 the goodness and wisdom and power of ,god are shown in the way in which the smallest creature of ,his hand is suited to the place appointed to it to fill1 by ,him who is good to all1 and whose tender mercies are over all ,his works4 ,but there is a great difference between what we may thus glean from the study of the earth1 and what is revealed to us by the clear teaching of the ,word of ,god1 as ,he tells us what ,he did in ,his wonderful work of ,creation1 and how ,he saw everything that ,he had made1 and behold it was very good4 ,when ,god speaks1 all is clear and simple and true2 and is to be understood by believing ,his word3 when we come to the thoughts of men about what happened in the far past1 especially when they try to settle not only the when but the how of ,his mighty working1 much is dark uncertainty4 ,should we then not study the letters of the ,stone ,book8 ,i did not say so2 ,god has made everything beautiful in its time1 and ,his handiwork in the past as well as the present is indeed worthy of our attention4 ,but in reading books about geology1 more perhaps than in any other study1 you need to ask ,god to teach you to hold fast by ,his ,word4 ,then1 if you read that many geologists now believe that there has been no special creation of fish or bird or beast of the earth1 but that all the many forms of plant and animal life have been unfolded out of a few simple forms1 just as the stem1 the leaf1 and the flower are evolved out of a simple seed--you will say at once1 ,that cannot be2 for ,god has plainly told us of both plants and animals that they were made each 'after its kind1' and therefore there can never have been such a thing as a fish developing into a bird1 or a bird into a lizard3 nor1 so far as ,i have seen1 is any such creature to be found in a fossil state4 ,i heard some time ago that a young man who was studying to become a doctor1 said to his father1 ,when ,i go to some of my lectures on biology 7that is the study of life71 the only thing that ,i can do when ,i hear things said that are quite contrary to the ,bible1 is to keep saying to myself1 ',it's not true1 it's not true4' ,i think this young man was right3 he had settled it in his heart that whatever he might hear1 he must think as ,god thinks4 ,he was like one who when just starting in life1 wrote these words on the flyleaf of his little ,bible--,man has faith in his compass1 yet he cannot understand it4 ,he takes it as his guide across the trackless ocean4 ,he relies implicitly upon it1 and well he may trust it4 ,this ,book is my compass4 ,i have faith in it1 thanks to ,god3 it explains itself2 ,i take it for my guide across the ocean of life--,i rely upon it4 ,man may jeer at my faith1 but my compass is vastly more reliable than his--still better may ,i trust mine4 ,,hidden ,,treasures4 ,the gems of earth are still within ,her silent unwrought mines2 ,there hide they1 all unknown1 unseen1 ,no sparkle upward shines4 ,the stars of heaven1 how few and wan ,are all we see below ,compared with what remain unseen ,beyond all vision now6 ,who knows the untold brilliance there1 ,the wealth1 the beauty hid8 ,like sparkle of a lustrous eye ,beneath its veiling lid4 ,so with the heaven of better stars ,of which these are but signs3 ,so with the stores of wisdom hid ,in everlasting mines4 ,h4 ,,bonar4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,day4 ,,the ,,moving ,,creature ,,that ,,hath ,,life4 ,this is the finger of ,god4--,,exodus viii4 #ai4 ,the ,lord 444 in whose hand is the soul of every living thing4--,,job xii4 #aj4 ,o ,lord1 how manifold are thy works6 in wisdom hast ,thou made them all3 the earth is full of ,thy riches4 ,so is this great and wide sea1 wherein are things creeping innumerable1 both small and great beasts4--,,psalm civ4 #bd1 #be4 ,we now come to the time when the empty water1 air1 and land were filled4 ,the work of ,god on the ,,fifth ,,day is spoken of in verses #bj and #ba of our chapter4 ,in reading them we noticed that in respect of the great whales1 or sea monsters1 the word created is again used1 as it was in the first verse2 and then1 as we read the twenty-third verse1 we had a little talk about the words now used for the first time in the story of ,creation1 and ,god blessed them4 ,how beautiful it is to see that as soon as ,god had caused the waters to swarm with swarms of living souls 7look at the margin of your ,bible as you read the twentieth verse7--as soon as we read of creatures to whom ,god gave a life different from that of a tree or a flower1 a life that could enjoy itself in the home prepared for it--all these living things were blessed1 that is1 made happy1 by ,him who called them into being6 ,god's world was a happy world for the humblest creature of ,his hand2 and if it is now a sad world1 where the groan of many a suffering animal goes up to ,him who hears the ravens when they cry--whose fault is it8 ,did you ever think how kind we ought to be to the creatures which1 innocent themselves1 have shared the sorrow brought into the world by man's disobedience8 ,i heard someone say the other day1 ,it is terrible to see animals suffer3 to see cattle overdriven1 and sheep dying for want of water1 and defenceless creatures cruelly used4 ,but when ,i see any of these things1 ,i have to feel--,i am to blame for that4 ,when ,i asked my scholars1 ,what is the meaning of abundantly8 ,sharley said1 ,it means enough and over4 ,do you like her answer8 ,as the sea everywhere1 even down in those depths where the sun's light cannot pierce through the masses of water1 is peopled by millions of creatures--every drop of water1 as we might say1 alive with life--,i thought it a good one4 ,a great poet has spoken of the multitudinous seas1 but whether this was in allusion to their wealth of life1 or to their myriad waves1 ,i do not know4 ,certainly in his time very little was known about the dwellers in the deep1 deep sea1 compared with what we may learn in the present day1 when the sounding-line has reached the bottom of the ,atlantic1 and actually brought up some of the clay that forms its floor--clay which is made up of the skeletons of myriads of creatures4 ,it was once thought that no life could exist in the ocean-depths1 but we now know that life is everywhere--in air and water1 upon the earth and within it1 in the lowest depths of the sea1 and on the highest mountain peaks1 in hot and cold climates1 and in the bodies of animals3 all around us--earth1 air1 and water--teems with life4 ,now let us read once more the simple words which tell us all we can really know about what is so wonderful3 ,and ,god said1 ,let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life 7or1 as it may be translated1 ,let the waters swarm with swarms of living souls74 ,we will not read farther to-day1 as ,i want to tell you in this chapter something about life in what are called its lower forms1 and we shall find that wherever we may look1 every creature is perfect in itself1 and perfectly suited to the life appointed to it by its ,creator1 and the home where ,he has placed it4 ,my children had learnt something about the two great divisions of animals1 those which belong to the great ,backboned ,family and those which have no backbone4 ,it is of the latter that we shall speak today4 ,you know that a fish has a backbone1 and that it is beautifully formed1 for you have often seen it2 but perhaps you have not noticed that a lobster1 though called one of the shell-fish1 is quite unlike the true ,fishes3 its skeleton is not inside1 but outside2 there are no bones within1 but all the soft parts are inside1 and the hard parts outside2 while the body of a fish is formed on just the opposite plan4 ,the fish is called a ,vertebrate animal1 because it has a backbone1 made up of numbers of separate bones called vertebras4 ,some of us know that this word comes from the ,latin1 and means that which turns1 because these many small bones are so beautifully jointed together as to be all perfectly moveable1 so that the long bone which they form is very flexible4 ,some snakes have more than three hundred of these vertebr1 and you know how they can coil and twist their glittering length4 ,the marks of a ,vertebrate animal are very easy to remember4 ,it must have this wonderfully jointed backbone1 and also what is called the skeleton1 which is a framework of bone4 ,a spinal cord 7from which this division of animals is sometimes called the ,chordate74 ,four limbs1 and red blood4 ,in these respects all the animals which belong to this division are alike1 though in general appearance they may be as unlike each other as a horse is unlike a bird1 or a crocodile unlike a herring4 ,few things in nature are more wonderful than the way in which this ,vertebrate plan has been fitted to animals differing from each other in all other respects4 ,now let us look at the marks of an ,invertebrate or ,inchordate animal4 ,it has no backbone1 and instead of a bony framework within1 to support the soft parts of its body1 it generally has a hard shell1 or thickened skin outside1 to protect the softer inner parts4 ,it has no red blood4 ,now1 just as plants have been arranged in different classes1 so animals are classified according to the various plans upon which they have been formed4 ,so1 besides the two great divisions of the ,vertebrates and the ,invertebrates1 the latter have been classed as-- 7a7 ,radiata1 or ,rayed ,animals--those whose parts all radiate from a common centre--such as the starfish1 red-coral1 sea-anemone4 7b7 ,mollusca1 or ,soft-bodied ,animals1 protected by shells--such as snails1 oysters1 limpets4 7,the members of this family are numerous indeed74 7c7 ,annulosa1 or ,ringed ,animals--those whose bodies are composed of many parts1 jointed together--such as crabs1 spiders1 bees1 ants1 centipedes1 shrimps1 and many more2 for this great family has relations among all the insect tribes4 ,it is very beautiful to see that ,god has formed ,his creatures on such different plans1 and though we shall be able to say very little about them1 ,i hope you will by-and-by study ,natural ,history1 and learn more and more of ,his care in fitting each for the life it has to live4 ,but remember that all these types of animals1 the ,radiates1 ,molluscs1 ,articulates 7as the members of the ringed family are sometimes sailed71 existed in the most ancient times3 they lived side by side1 as it were1 and were not1 as some philosophers would have us believe1 derived from each other4 ,each was after its kind1 and each species remains2 animals may alter from changes in their way of life1 but there is no passing from one kind to another4 ,now ,i think you will be interested to hear that in the ,stone ,book1 some of the most ancient letters are formed from creatures belonging to the ,invertebrate ,group4 ,we were speaking just now of the white clay brought up from the depths of the ,atlantic ,ocean by the sounding line4 ,the microscope shows that it consists of the imperishable part of creatures1 tinier than any you can imagine1 which had the power when living of extracting from the sea-water--as ,i told you is the way of the corals--the lime which formed their outer coat1 or skeleton4 ,these busy workers lived their little day1 and then as they died1 the shell-like coverings sank to the bottom of the sea1 forming1 as ages passed1 thick beds of chalk1 such as that of which the white cliffs of ,dover are built up4 ,then1 as the sounding-line searches still deeper ocean-depths1 it brings up a red clay1 and this again is shown by the microscope to be composed partly of very minute creatures of a reddish colour1 which live near the surface of the ocean1 but when they die sink to the bottom4 ,sponges1 too1 which form the home of great numbers of little radiates1 grow upon the ocean floor or near the bottom of the sea2 their tiny tenants1 like minute cells1 living upon still smaller creatures contained in the water which is held by the sponge4 ,and we are told that in some places the bottom of the sea is strewn with star-fishes and their relations1 some of them very beautiful in form and colour1 but all formed on the same plan of a central plate1 from which five arms or fingers radiate4 ,do we not better understand that the waters did indeed swarm with swarms when we learn even a little about these living creatures1 many of them so small that we should not be aware of their existence if we had no microscope to reveal to us their countless myriads8 ,the ,mollusca form a very large group of ,invertebrate animals2 they live on land as well as in the water1 but the aquatic species are much more numerous than the terrestrial1 and the deep-sea dredgings are constantly bringing to light new forms4 ,some of the shells which protect their soft bodies1 and are formed by the animals themselves1 are marvels of beauty1 and many of them are secured from injury by a waterproof coating4 ,a number of extinct animals1 such as ,ammonites and ,belemnites1 belong to this group--their shells may be seen in any good museum2 those of the ,belemnites1 as their name implies1 are shaped like a dart2 those of the ,ammonites1 like that of the beautiful ,nautilus of our times2 but the fisherfolk of ,whitby1 where they are found in numbers1 say they are snakes turned to stone4 ,but as we have been speaking so much of sea-creatures1 ,i think we will now leave the oysters1 cockles1 mussels1 and razor-fish1 and choose the familiar garden-snail as our specimen of the ,mollusca1 or ,soft-bodied ,family4 ,i fancy you need no introduction to that snug little householder4 ,often1 however1 as you have touched his soft horns1 you possibly do not know that the very house in which you first made his acquaintance has been his habitation ever since2 for young snails come from the egg with the shell upon their backs1 and they never quit that first house for a larger one1 for as they grow1 their shell-house grows too4 ,look at this empty snail shell1 and say whether ,god has not given a beautiful coat of mail to protect a creature without a bone in its body1 and so sensitive that ,give but his horns the slightest touch1 ,his self-collecting power is such1 ,he shrinks into his house1 with much ,displeasure4 ,but how does the house grow large so as to suit the growing tenant8 ,most shells are made from a part of the animal called the mantle1 and increase round the rim2 if the snail's house is broken1 its slime will harden over the injured part and repair it4 ,then1 when the cold weather comes1 and the snail prepares to bury itself underground for several months1 and take its winter nap1 it makes a strong cement of earth and slime1 with which it builds up the open part of its shell--but1 wonderful to think of1 the clever little mason leaves1 as it were1 one brick out of the wall1 and thus there is a tiny opening1 too small to let in the water1 but large enough to admit air sufficient to keep him alive during his long sleep4 ,now that our snail has been good enough to put out those four horns of his1 let us ask what purpose they serve1 and why they are placed' where they are4 ,the answer is very simple2 these feelers are to the snail instead of arms and legs2 and the upper pair have eyes at the end1 so that the wary little traveller1 as it drags itself along a broad cabbage leaf1 leaving a slimy track behind it1 can tell1 both by sight and touch1 what obstacles may lie in its path4 ,i don't know whether you have ever seen the eggs of snails2 ,i have not1 but ,i have heard that they are about the size of peas1 and are buried in the earth1 as the crocodile's eggs are buried in the sand4 ,of the many families of ,ringed or ,jointed ,animals1 we will choose the ,crabs and ,lobsters first4 ,they are encased in armour of shell1 and this has given to them and their relations the name of ,crustaceans1 or ,crusty creatures1 because what bones they have are outside1 not hidden beneath the flesh4 ,but unlike the snail's house1 which grows with the growth of its inmate1 and unlike our skeleton which grows as we grow1 this close-fitting armour does not increase in size1 nor is it elastic enough to expand1 but every year one coat of mail is cast off1 in a way not unlike the sloughing of the serpent1 to make room for a fresh soft suit4 ,this new suit soon hardens1 and the creatures embrace the opportunity to make a little progress in growing1 which they do by fits and starts1 not continuously2 for the shell1 when once hardened1 gives them no room to increase in size--they have to wait till next year6 ,the long pointed claws of the crab and lobster are easily broken1 and sometimes lost altogether1 so that the power which they have of growing new ones is a wonderful provision for their life among the rough rocks and tangled sea-weeds4 ,one of the crusty creatures you know well enough1 and you can find it without going to the seaside1 ,i mean the wood-louse1 which ,i used to hear called a carpenter when ,i was a child4 ,in damp places1 you can hardly turn over a mossy stone1 or pick off a bit of bark from a fallen tree1 without disturbing a whole colony of these slate-coloured creatures1 with their mailed coats1 made of ten rings1 or plates of armour4 ,they seem to know the use of their armour well enough1 for if disturbed you will see them either scurry off as fast as their many little feet can carry them--and they are able to run forward or backward at pleasure--or else roll themselves up into tight balls1 so that feet and head and feelers are all safe1 under the ringed shield which ,god has given them as a defence and protection4 ,many such creatures1 rolled up just as the wood-louse curls itself1 in tight balls1 have been found in a fossil state2 and there is a little petrified crustacean with wonderful eyes1 which has been found in the slate quarries of ,south ,wales4 ,it is called the ,trilobite1 because it is composed of three lobes or divisions1 and is an animal of the same kind as the lobster4 ,be sure you look for it1 if you are fossil-hunting in the ,museum1 for it is a most interesting specimen1 and has been found in rocks deep down in the earth's crust4 ,now1 next to this ,crab and ,lobster family1 come that of the ,spiders1 and then that of the ,insects4 ,perhaps you will say1 ,but what are spiders1 if they are not insects8 ,i know ,i used to think they were1 until ,i found that no creature can be reckoned one of that large family unless it has six legs--not even one more or one less4 ,now1 a spider has eight legs1 and it has no wings1 while all true insects have either wings1 or what seems to be the beginning of wings3 also although some spiders have as many as eight eyes1 they are all simple1 while the eyes of insects are compound2 that is1 great numbers are massed together at each side of the head1 like the facets1 or little faces1 of a precious stone4 ,as insects have fixed eyes1 which cannot move1 they would be very badly off without these many points of view4 ,i wonder whether you ever had a good look at a spider1 or whether you learnt when you were almost a baby to think it a horrid creature2 so that now1 when you might be watching it at its work1 your first notion is to get out of its way as fast as possible4 ,some creatures are really harmful1 and it is right to keep out of their way1 but it is never right to despise a single thing which ,god has made1 and when we think that the spider is one of ,his creatures1 one which ,he calls exceeding wise1 it does indeed seem a pity not to learn something about it2 and the best way to learn about spiders1 as well as all the rest of the animals1 is not only to read about them--though that is a very great help to begin with--but to observe and study their habits for ourselves4 ,ernest is fond of repeating a poem about ,king ,robert the ,bruce2 how1 as he noticed a spider six times fail to climb up its slender thread1 but succeed at the seventh attempt1 he took courage to make one more effort for his lost kingdom1 and succeeded4 ,this was long1 long ago2 but ,kings and ,commons have yet their tugs of war2 and for old and young it is still all honour to those who ,try1 try1 try till they win1 ,brave with the thought that despair is a sin-- ,who fights on ,god's side is sure to win4 ,there are a great many spiders1 of which we cannot now learn much more than the names which have been given them2 but the true story of their lives1 and the wonderful way in which they overcome all sorts of difficulties1 if rightly read1 would make us feel that many a lesson of patient toil may be learnt from such busy little weavers1 and engineers1 and divers4 ,here are a few of them3 ,the ,hunters--they live in crevices of walls and houses1 and have their name because they wander about constantly1 ready to steal upon any insect which may come in their way2 the ,vagrants1 who1 though they will run to catch their prey when it is in sight1 lie in wait for it1 rolled up in a leaf1 or hiding at the bottom of a flower1 just where the flies are sure to come for honey2 the ,water-spiders--they manage to live under water in a nest so nearly made of air1 though in the midst of the water1 that this spider has been looked upon as the inventor of the diving-bell4 ,then there is the industrious ,mason1 which bores a hole in the earth1 makes the walls of its little tunnel as smooth as if it worked with trowel and mortar1 and then hangs them with delicate silken curtains of its own spinning and weaving2 the ,trap-door spider1 so called because the mouth of its burrowed nest is fitted with a cleverly hinged door1 which the owner of the nest can shut with its claw when it leaves home2 the ,pirate1 which makes a leafy raft1 and skims along the water after the insects which suit its taste2 the ,gossamer spider1 which rises so high in the air1 and floats at its ease in its own balloon--and ,epeira1 the ,garden spider1 whose beautiful web1 covered with dewy diamonds1 we have all seen1 laid like some fairy lacework1 over the hedges1 on an autumn morning1 as if the little weaver had been early at its work1 as wise people usually are2 and1 as ,god has deigned to tell us1 ,he ,himself has been4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,garden ,,spider4 ,as we can only find time to study one spider1 this shall be the one1 for we have not to go far to look for it4 ,first let us consider why it makes its beautiful web1 so slender and so easily destroyed that it is used as an emblem of the hypocrite's hope which shall not endure2 and yet so strong when we think of the little creature whose cunning hands have woven it4 ,the spider lives upon flies and other insects1 but is itself without wings1 so that it would be impossible for it to catch its prey if it had not been given power which the animals on which it feeds do not possess--the power to lay snares2 this is why it takes such trouble with its beautiful web1 and makes the cords from which it is woven so fine1 and yet so strong4 ,the web is the snare in which the insects on which it lives are caught1 and from which they have no power to escape1 for as soon as the insect is entangled1 the spider1 in his hiding-place1 knows by the shaking of the threads that his prey is secure1 pounces upon it1 benumbs it by one prick of his poison-fang1 binds it fast with silken threads1 and carries it off to his dismal den1 as the verse about the spider and the fly calls the place where he lies in wait for any winged thing which may come buzzing by4 ,but this subtle and beautiful snare--how is it made8 ,where do the threads which form the silken meshes come from8 ,ah6 you have seen the cocoons which silkworms spin1 have you not8 ,the weaver-spiders get their threads just as the silkworms do1 from their own bodies2 each thread comes from an exceedingly small hole2 there are four of these holes in the spider's body1 and the threads are made of a sort of gum which is almost liquid1 but which becomes hard when it is exposed to the air4 ,the spider spins and twists its slender threads just as a rope-maker twists his ropes1 only using its feet for hands--for each fine thread in the web1 which you could break with one touch of your finger1 is made up of many finer ones1 and thus rendered strong4 ,the only tools which the spider uses for his rope-walk and in his loom1 are his own claws1 which are furnished with comb-like fingers1 and an extra claw1 for winding up the thread into a ball4 ,if you could watch the spider at his work1 you would see that he first marks the outline1 by passing this thread from one leaf or branch to another1 until the circle is as large as the web he intends to make2 then this circle is filled with lines1 which are woven from the outside to the centre1 and resemble the spokes of a cart-wheel4 ,a spider has actually been seen trying the strength of these cords which form the foundation of his web1 breaking any that are not strong1 and weaving others in their stead2 for he has a sure instinct which tells him that if the framework is faulty1 all will fall to pieces2 and only when1 by pulling each thread separately1 he is certain that each will hold1 does he begin to work from the centre1 and spin ring after ring1 the threads which pass from one spoke to another4 ,when all is finished1 the workman rests from his labour1 and may often be seen sitting in the place which he has left for himself in the middle of his own web1 watching with all his eyes for his prey4 ,a careful little fellow too is the spider2 he is not ashamed to mend as well as to make1 and you may see him busily repairing his broken net1 and may know1 by means of this little barometer1 what weather to expect2 for he is too wise to waste his silken threads and busy skill in making or mending a net for a coming storm to break4 ,when the spider works away1 ,be pretty sure of a sunny day4 ,very soon after the little spiders leave the silky ball in which they are hatched1 they begin to make webs of their own2 but ,i4 have heard that these first attempts look very irregular1 which shows us that although ,god has given them the instinct by which they set about weaving snares1 they learn1 as we do1 by painstaking and practice1 to make their work more and more perfect4 ,perhaps one reason why ,god has allowed us to watch the spider lay snares for his prey1 is to keep us in mind of the snares of which ,he tells us in ,his ,book4 ,there are many very important passages about snares to which we do well to take heed4 ,while ,i was telling you about the way the spider has of pulling each of the cords which form the foundation of his web1 one by one1 to make sure that there is no weak place in any of them1 ,i remembered something which a young girl once said to her mother4 ,alice had always been a merry1 happy child1 the light and joy of her home1 and she loved her father and mother and little brothers and sisters1 and the lambs and birds and flowers and summer sunshine1 and games and treats1 just as much as you do4 ,but as she grew tall1 ,alice was not so strong2 the child who1 when she was nine years old1 had climbed the dark brow of the mighty ,helvellyn--running on before all the rest1 until the guide called her his mountain-goat1 and actually getting first to the top of the mountain--when she was about seventeen1 began to fade like a flower1 and to grow weaker and weaker day by day4 ,footnote3 ,the ,master's ,home ,call4 ,memorials of ,alice ,frances ,bickersteth1 by her father4 ,her parents sorrowfully took her from place to place1 hoping that fresh air might give new life to their child1 and bring back the roses to her pale cheeks4 ,but nothing made her better1 and at last1 when they brought her home again from the seaside1 her father thought the time had come to tell ,alice that the doctors all said the same thing2 she might live a few months longer1 but she would never1 never be well and strong again1 for she was not only very ill1 but dying4 ,illustration3 ,,mountain ,,peaks4 ,it was lovely bright summer weather2 you would have thought the sunshine and the soft air would have made anyone well1 as ,alice lay on the sofa while her dear father read to her4 ,they had been reading the ,epistle to the ,philippians1 and when they came to the verse where the ,apostle ,paul says1 that to him to die is gain1 and to that other verse which speaks of departing to be with ,christ1 which is far better1 though he could hardly speak for tears1 he told her just what the doctors had said4 ,i do not know whether ,alice had ever thought of not getting better1 but long before her illness1 when she was strong and well1 she had come to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ--and now ,he was her ,saviour and ,friend1 so that her father was not afraid to tell her that she was going to ,him4 ,this is what she said1 as soon as he had told her3 ,dear father1 ,i am not afraid to go4 ,how ,i thank you for telling me4 ,then1 when the tears came at the sight of his grief1 she added1 ,it is only leaving you all2 but ,jesus will be there4 ,what should ,i do without my ,saviour now8 ,from this time ,alice very often spoke1 about dying1 but she always called it going home4 ,it was very soon after her father had told her1 that she said to her mother those sweet words which came to my mind when we were speaking of the little spider making quite sure that his threads were strong1 with no weak place anywhere4 ,i feel just like a sailor1 ,alice said4 ,when he is called to go aloft1 he tries all the ropes to see if they are firm4 ,i have been trying them all1 and1 mother1 they are all right4 ,another time1 when someone said1 ,you always looked happy1 ,alice1 she smiled and said1 ,yes1 but ,i am happier now4 ,and when he asked1 ,have you no fear whatever8 she replied1 ,none whatever4 ,but had this always been so8 ,ah6 no4 ,it is true that she had always been a loving child1 and had many bright ways about her which made people fond of her1 so that it was no trouble to her to win love from all around her2 but ,alice had a very strong will1 and liked to do just as she pleased1 and as she grew up she often showed that she was indeed far away from ,god1 and one of those lost sheep whom the ,lord ,jesus1 the ,good ,shepherd1 came to seek and to save4 ,but ,he had sought and found her1 and now ,he was gently carrying her home on ,his shoulder4 ,this is what ,alice herself said about it3 ,i used to be afraid of death2 but ,god has taken it all away4 ,i cannot understand people calling it 'being in danger4' ,once my sins seemed to me as a mountain-pile1 but they have all been laid on ,jesus1 and ,his blood is peace4 ,it is all done for me4 ,i have nothing to do but to keep clinging to ,jesus till ,i see ,him4 ,i wonder1 when she spoke of having had all her sins laid on ,jesus1 whether ,alice was thinking of that verse which says1 ,all we1 like sheep1 have gone astray2 we have turned every one to his own way2 and the ,lord hath laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,how well it was for her that she had learnt to know her ,saviour before the time of illness came2 for she was then so weak and so very1 very tired that she could not think much2 but only1 as she said1 keep clinging to ,him4 ,and as she grew weaker and weaker1 ,i am sure the ,good ,shepherd taught her that even if she could not cling to ,him--and it was no longer the weak clinging to the ,strong1 but the ,strong clinging to the weak--she was safe1 for ,he has said of ,his sheep1 ,i give unto them eternal life2 and they shall never perish1 neither shall any man pluck them out of ,my hand4 ,my ,father1 which gave them ,me1 is greater than all2 and no man is able to pluck them out of ,my ,father's hand4 ,i and ,my ,father are one4 ,alice had near her bed1 where she could always see it1 a beautiful picture of a shepherd with a lamb upon his bosom4 ,she was very fond of looking at it1 and saying how it made her think of herself4 ,if you see a flock of sheep going along the road1 and one of them is very weary1 she said--one day when she was very tired1 and her feet were very hot1 so that she felt as if they would never be cool again--you would not like to see them go on driving it1 but would wish to see the shepherd take it in his arms to the fold4 ,she asked that these works1 ,my ,beloved is mine1 and ,i am ,his1 should be put upon her gravestone1 saying that it was her favourite text2 and against her name in the family ,bible she wished them to write1444 so ,he bringeth them unto their desired haven4 ,when she was almost ,home1 her father spoke to ,alice about the many she had to love on earth1 and the many in heaven2 for two little sisters1 ,constance and ,eva1 were already with the ,lord4 ,looking up with a smile1 as if she really saw the ,one who had been her ,friend in life1 and from whose love death could not separate her1 she said softly1 ,whom have ,i in heaven but ,thee8 ,i think these were her last words2 a little before1 she had said1 ,it seems strange to be going where you can none of you come with me2 but ,he is there1 and that is enough4 ,if you are like the rest of my young friends1 you do not mind having the ,spider's history interrupted1 that we might think of this sweet story of ,alice1 and how she too tried the ropes1 and found them all right4 ,but there was one great difference1 was there not8 ,the spider's ropes are spun out of his own body2 they are twisted so strongly and firmly by his own feet2 but ,alice knew that if she was to be safe in life and in death1 nothing of her own was strong enough to hold by2 she could be saved only because the ,lord ,jesus ,christ had finished the work which ,god gave to ,him to do4 ,it was because ,alice knew ,whom she had believed that she could say she had tried the ropes and found them all right2 she knew they would bear any strain1 and so she could answer that question about being afraid1 and reply that she had no fear whatever4 ,i want just here to copy for you some beautiful lines1 written by one who fell asleep in ,jesus when he was quite young1 not yet sixteen2 they were found in his pocket-book4 ,oh6 ,i have been at the brink of the grave1 ,and stood on the edge of its dark1 deep wave2 ,and ,i thought1 in the still calm hours of night1 ,of those regions where all is for ever bright2 ,and ,i feared not the wave ,of the gloomy grave1 ,for ,i knew that ,jehovah was mighty to save4 ,i have watched the solemn ebb and flow1 ,of life's tide which was fleeting sure though slow2 ,i've stood on the shore of eternity1 ,and heard the deep roar of its rushing sea2 ,yet ,i feared not the wave ,of the gloomy grave1 ,for ,i knew that ,jehovah was mighty to save4 ,and ,i found that my only rest could be ,in the death of the ,one who died for me2 ,for my rest is bought with the price of blood1 ,which gush'd from the veins of the ,son of ,god2 ,so ,i fear not the wave ,of the gloomy grave1 ,for ,i knew that ,jehovah is mighty to save4 ,how happy it was for his parents to read these words in their dear boy's own writing1 after they had laid his body to rest in the grave which had no terror for him6 ,but to return to our ,spider1 or ,spinner1 as his name means4 ,you have not only watched him coming down from the ceiling upon his own strong rope1 spinning it longer and longer as he travels1 but have seen him crawling along the ceiling head downwards1 and perhaps wondered that he did not fall4 ,if you were to look at one of those eight feet of his through a microscope1 your wonder would be turned into admiration1 as you saw the beautiful little brushes by which he is enabled to cling fast to the smooth surface1 and walk along the ceiling as securely as you do on the floor4 ,and now ,i will leave you to read in some interesting book how prisoners have tamed ,house-spiders1 and about the ,water-spider which has been known to spin its nest in a tumbler of water1 and the great ,americans1 as large as sparrows1 which catch tiny birds2 for it is time to pass on to the ,insect family4 ,but ,i must first tell you a story about a ,tarantula1 a very large spider1 which lives in the south of ,europe1 as well as in tropical countries1 and makes holes for itself about four inches deep in the ground4 ,two officers from ,india agreed to spend their furlough together in a visit to ,australia1 the one for the sake of making researches in natural history1 the other for any chance interest or amusement that might offer itself in a new country4 ,the former1 ,dr4 ,prendergast1 was one day writing in his log cabin1 when a huge ,tarantula spider gently lowered itself from the roof by its slender cord1 and dangled in front of him4 ,ha6 said the naturalist1 making sure of the handsome specimen that had thus unwittingly come within his reach1 ,i'll have you1 my good fellow2 and taking a valuable pin from his necktie he made a dexterous shot1 and pierced him through the body4 ,to his dismay1 however1 the spider1 quite equal to the occasion1 turned and bit him so sharply that he drew back with a cry1 and before he could recover himself1 the ,tarantula had scrambled back up its rope1 bearing the pin with it1 and was again safe in its hiding place in the roof4 ,now as the pin contained a precious stone which ,dr4 ,prendergast had had set in order to carry it about in safety1 he was exceedingly annoyed at this loss1 and he and his companion searched the roof with care in the hope of finding it2 but all in vain1 and ,dr4 ,prendergast could only reproach himself with having made such a foolish experiment4 ,a few days later he was again writing in the same position1 when he beheld his enemy the spider once more descending from the roof1 and to his surprise and joy it carried with it the pin1 still sticking through its body4 ,this time our naturalist made no vainglorious display of his power as a marksman1 but beating down the spider with the nearest object at hand1 he again possessed himself of the lost treasure1 now doubly valuable on account of its extraordinary adventure1 and his mother1 for whom he was preserving the beautiful stone1 afterwards wore it1 set in a small brooch4 ,there are six orders of ,insects1 arranged according to their form1 and the number of their wings1 and one of each is chosen to represent the whole class4 ,first1 the ,beetle4 ,second1 the ,grasshopper4 ,third1 the ,dragon-fly4 ,fourth1 the ,bee1 the ,wasp1 and the ,ant4 ,fifth1 the ,butterfly1 and the ,moth4 ,sixth1 the ,fly and the ,gnat4 ,i wonder which of all these we had better discuss2 for there are such wonderful things to tell even of the tiniest creeping and winged creature1 that ,i only wish we had time for them all--the honey-making bees and the paper-making wasps1 the many coloured dragon-flies1 the moths1 the butterflies and the beetles--but as we must choose one out of this great family1 it shall be the wise and busy little ant3 for how are we to learn the lesson which ,god has given her to teach us1 if we do not1 as ,he bids us1 consider her ways8 ,before we attempt to do so by noticing her city1 so full of life and bustle1 suppose we ask ourselves for a moment how it is that we see so very few insects in winter4 ,did you ever stand very still1 in the silence of a clear frosty day in the country1 and wonder what made all around so strangely quiet8 ,one reason is1 that the myriads of insects1 whose hum and buzz make a good part of the noise and stir of a summer afternoon1 are all gone4 ,no whirring wings rush past2 there is no sound of dragon-fly1 or painted moth1 or musical winged bee to break the stillness2 all the insect-world seems dead1 or flown south with the swallows--though1 as there are still spiders' webs to be seen1 each delicate thread marked in sharp outline1 like the rigging of an icebound ship1 it would seem that there must still remain some unwary fly to be taken in the beautiful snare4 ,but are they all dead and gone1 those happy winged things that danced up and down in shady nooks1 or so lately shone like jewels in the sunshine8 ,where are the topaz-coloured butterflies that glanced from flower to flower1 the emerald tiger-beetles1 the ladybirds1 and the grasshoppers8 ,some of them are indeed dead2 their little life1 bounded by a few summer days1 was soon lived out2 they have laid their eggs1 making careful provision for the protection and food of the young ones which they will never see--for the eggs of insects will bear the cold which so soon proves fatal to their mothers--and their little hour of work in this busy world is finished2 but many more are only very fast asleep4 ,like the dwarfish ,esquimaux1 when their long dark winter comes1 and they draw their mossy blankets over them1 they are taking their winter rest1 and lie hidden safely in depths of soft moss1 or beneath the bark of some ivy-grown tree1 or deep in the lap of ,mother ,earth herself4 ,and with many of them1 before they wake to life again1 such changes will have taken place that they will come forth from their hiding-places like new creatures1 fitted to enjoy a new mode of living4 ,it is not difficult to see that this winter-sleep1 or torpor1 is no wasted time1 but a means by which ,god has ensured the lives of hosts of ,his creatures which1 having no extra clothing to protect them from the frost1 and no power of migrating to a land of sunshine and plenty1 would otherwise be liable to perish during the long season of cold and dearth4 ,so when ,bright yellow1 red1 and orange1 ,the leaves come down in hosts1 those insects whose life is in the herb of the field have the instinct 7that power1 as it has been well explained1 of doing without thinking what we do by thinking7 which makes them seek out some safe shelter or quiet hole1 and there give themselves up to sleep1 awakening only when the time of the singing of birds has come1 and all the green things are sprouting and budding1 and there is food for them everywhere4 ,those who have watched this mysterious slumber1 tell us that when it begins the insect is as if benumbed1 and will move when touched2 but that as the cold increases1 the torpor deepens1 until the little dormant creature seems no longer to breathe1 but lies to all appearance dead1 until the warmth of the sun shall break the spell1 and call it up to life again4 ,we are a long time reaching the ant-city1 but it would be quite an insult to the ,insect-family to give no thought to the most wonderful thing about it--the transformations by which many of its six-legged members pass through their three distinct stages of existence2 so it will be well to turn over a few pages in the story of the ,butterfly1 one of the family-branch called ,lepidoptera1 because its wings are covered with thousands of tiny scales1 which enclose the colouring that makes them as softly tinted as the flowers upon the nectar of which it feeds4 ,illustration3444 ,little butterfly1 indeed ,i know not if you sleep or feed4 ,when we1 by rough handling1 brush the bloom off a butterfly's wing1 we have really torn away these delicate scales4 ,let us suppose we have been so fortunate as to find a ,red-admiral1 the most gorgeous of ,british butterflies--often found late in the summer near nettles1 because its caterpillar used to like their leaves better than any other4 ,we will look at this beautiful insect and see what it is1 and then go back in its history and find out what it was4 ,it has six feet1 and its head bears two horns or feelers 7antenn1 they are called71 two large eyes which1 when seen under a microscope1 seem as if cut like precious stones1 and a trunk like that of an elephant1 which it can uncurl so as to suck the honey from the very heart of the flowers4 ,its legs are hairy1 and very little used2 its body1 light and slender4 ,of the broad1 beautifully-marked wings1 generally erect when at rest1 we need not speak1 for it would be impossible to describe them4 ,now for a page or two in the early history of this brilliant creature4 ,we will go back to the time when it was a tiny egg1 laid by the mother ,red-admiral shortly before her own death2 this egg soon develops into the larva1 or caterpillar--the word1 which means a mask1 expressing that the butterfly that is to be1 is thus disguised in its first form4 ,how admirable are ,god's orderings--the same spring sunbeams which1 as it were1 waken up the living creature sleeping in the egg deposited by ,mrs4 ,red-admiral1 also cause the green things1 upon which it will feed so voraciously1 to appear6 ,for the little worm is a tremendous eater2 it seems to do almost nothing else during its grub existence2 but eats and grows1 eats and grows2 constantly changing its skin for a new one in order to obtain room for itself1 while it is laying up a store against the time when it will be unable to take in food4 ,at last it really seems tired of eating1 and after it has cast its skin four times1 the fifth one becomes thick and hard1 and the caterpillar hangs itself by a fine silken thread of its own spinning to a twig1 and passes into its second stage--that of the pupa1 or chrysalis1 from which it will awaken1 a thing of life and beauty1 to live in the air instead of crawling4 ,illustration3 7,a7 ,,caterpillar2 7,b7 ,,chrysalis4 ,the name pupa or doll1 was given to the creature in this stage1 because long ago people thought the way in which insects are thus enclosed was somewhat like the way in which the babies used to be wrapped round in bandages or swaddling clothes3 it is also called a chrysalis1 because sometimes dotted with gold or pearly spots4 ,but the wonder of it is that inside that narrow shell lies an insect quite unlike the caterpillar which lay down to rest2 a creature with legs and wings beautifully folded1 all ready for use when the time for its release has come4 ,how little we dream1 as we watch a caterpillar crawling along a leaf1 of what lies hidden beneath its skin6 ,yet ,i have read of a naturalist who proved for himself that it was actually so4 ,having killed a full-grown caterpillar1 he let it remain for a minute or two in boiling water1 then gently drew off the outer skin1 and beheld to his delight a perfect and real butterfly4 ,but though ,i tell you of this1 ,i do not wish you to try the experiment1 as he warns us that it requires great care1 for the limbs of the butterfly are very tender and small1 and folded in a very complicated manner4 ,nor should ,i advise you to try hatching butterflies like chickens1 by enclosing some chrysalides in a glass shaped like an egg1 and placing them under a hen1 though it has been done successfully6 ,there seems no doubt that all the while the caterpillar sleeps within its chrysalis1 it is being made ready for the new kind of existence it is to enjoy2 and just as1 while the grub lay dormant in the egg1 its food was being prepared1 so while the butterfly that is to be sleeps in its dark tomb1 the flowers upon which it is to live are slowly unfolding to the light4 ,and now1 what words can describe the wonder of the third chapter of this story of life in its changes8 ,the pupa dies and falls to pieces1 ,an inner impulse rends the veil ,of his old husk1 and the butterfly comes forth1 a glorious creature1 a living flash of light whose home is in the sunbeam6 ,what a change6 ,no wonder that it has so long been looked upon as a parable and type of resurrection1 an image of what will come to pass when the ,lord ,jesus comes1 according to that promise which was a comfort to that little girl in the ,children's ,hospital1 for ,his own--whether they have fallen asleep in ,jesus1 or are living on this earth--and all they that are ,christ's at ,his coming shall be changed in a moment1 in the twinkling of an eye4 ,to both alike the ,lord will give a body of glory1 fashioned like unto ,his glorious body1 a body which knows not1 weakness or suffering or death--a spiritual body4 ,you remember--do you not8--that a type is but a very small and faint picture of the real thing2 yet1 when you see a butterfly1 and think of what it once was and what it has become1 let it preach its little sermon to you2 say to your own heart1 ,if that wonderful moment1 which is so soon coming1 were to come just now1 should ,i be one of those who are ,christ's at ,his coming8 ,would my body be changed and made like ,his glorious body8 ,should ,i 'be caught up together with them' 7those who 'sleep in ,jesus'7 'in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air1' and so be for ever 'with the ,lord'8 ,and now as we turn from the wonderful story of the butterfly1 in which we may1 as has been said1 see the resurrection painted before our eyes1 to the busy little ants2 let us see that it is the sluggards1 the lazy persons1 who are especially told to consider their ways4 ,to do this we must visit them in their own home1 which we shall find in some pine-wood1 like the pincushion-wood1 or in some grassy thymy spot1 covered with little green tufts4 ,each of these grassy hillocks is an ant nest1 and if you look inside you will find that it contains a great many tiny rooms1 connected by galleries4 ,some of the rooms are hollowed out below the surface of the earth2 these are the cellars where the baby-ants are kept warm in cold weather1 while in summer they are taken by their watchful nurses to the cool upper storeys4 ,now ,i have read that every ant-city has its wary sentinel1 to keep watch and ward1 and give warning of the approach of the foe4 ,and when he does give warning there is a great hurry-scurry in the town2 young ants1 whether in their larva or pupa stage1 must be carried down to the cellars for safety1 and all the provisions which have been collected and stored with so much care must also be removed to a secure hiding-place4 ,but who is to accomplish all this8 ,if you notice carefully1 you will see that it is a mistake to think of these insects as all of one kind1 and you may have heard that they have been divided by those who have studied them1 into three classes--males1 females1 and neuters4 ,it is about the neuters we will talk now1 for these busy1 unselfish little creatures do all that has to be done2 the whole work of the ant-city is left to them4 ,it is they who collect the food--and very clever hunters they are1 carrying their prey1 whether alive or dead1 right home to the nest2 it is they who build the nests with their chambers and galleries1 and bring up the little ones4 ,yet these earnest little workers have no wings1 and must toil along upon their feet1 while the ladies and gentlemen lead much easier lives1 and fly about at will4 ,still ,i do not think the workers are to be pitied1 for they know their work1 and do it in a very beautiful and unselfish way2 and we must not forget that when the earth was in all the freshness of its beauty--no serpent's trail1 no touch of fallen ruined man to mar its perfectness--the ,lord ,god took ,adam1 and put him into the garden of ,eden1 to dress it and to keep it4 ,as an old writer says--,what was man's storehouse was also man's workhouse2 his pleasure with his task 444 if happiness had consisted in doing nothing1 man had not been employed4 ,a child1 who has been set to watch beside the cradle of a baby brother or sister1 and wants very badly to be off to play1 may learn a lesson of patience from the way in which these little workers take care of the babies which are their special charge--for ,i suppose an ant's egg may be considered in its tiny way like a baby in its cradle4 ,these eggs are at first so small that you could scarcely see them1 and they would probably never become living ants if not diligently tended2 but under the care of their nurses they soon grow larger1 and at the end of a fortnight the baby ants creep out1 not bigger than grains of sand1 but with head and wings complete4 ,the first want of every living thing is food1 so the nurses begin to feed their charge by placing the little open mouths to their own1 and giving them the food which they have stored4 ,then ,i have watched them carrying them up and down1 that they may enjoy the warmth of the cellars or the air and sunshine of the upper rooms1 just as if they had a thermometer to tell them the exact amount of heat or cold that was needed4 ,and ,i must not forget to tell you that part of the duty of the nurses is to keep their babies white and clean1 and this they do not neglect1 but wash them with their tongues1 as pussy washes her kitten4 ,even when their nurslings are full-grown1 and begin to spin a silken cocoon round themselves1 and it would seem as if1 being no longer in need of food1 they might be left to themselves1 the untiring workers do not give up their charge4 ,we may see them carrying little oval bodies carefully about3 and these are the cocoons which they take to the top of the nest every morning1 and back again at night4 ,most wonderful of all1 they have an instinct which tells them when the perfect insect within the cocoon is ready to escape from its prison-house1 and also that it is not strong enough to force its own way through4 ,working three or four together1 very gently and patiently they open the silken covering1 just where the insect's head lies1 cutting the threads one by one until a hole is made1 large enough for the young ant to crawl through4 ,when at last released from what has been its cradle and its prison1 the tiny creature is still wrapped in a thin covering1 which the kind nurses remove4 ,they carefully stretch out the wings of the males and females1 and pile the empty cocoons outside the nest ready for building2 for waste and disorder are unknown in an ant-city4 ,nursery days ended1 the young insects are now shown all over the house1 conducted from one winding stair to another1 taught to know friends from foes1 fed and petted1 until they take their airy flight beyond the reach of the wingless caretakers of their infant needs4 ,by-and-by you will read more about how the workers1 by their busy toil1 ,raise such monstrous hills along the plain ,larger than mountains1 in proportion to their own small size2 you will read also strange stories of how they collect the eggs of those little green insects which you may see in such numbers upon a rosebud1 and tend them with great care--because these tiny aphides are their cows1 and they milk them by gently stroking them with their antenn1 and so obtain a kind of honey--also how the red and black ants occupy the positions of masters and slaves1 the blacks doing all the hardest work1 and being kept strictly indoors2 and how it is not all work1 even with the workers1 for they have been caught at play1 having high games of leap-frog and hide-and-seek6 ,interesting as is the mode of life among our ants at home1 not less so is that of those found in ,southern ,europe and in ,syria1 as well as in ,india4 ,they are called ,harvesters1 because they prepare their meat in the summer by gathering the seeds of grasses1 and storing them in granaries against the winter4 ,i have watched long trains of these ants going and returning with their loads1 keeping their own side as carefully as if passengers in ,london streets4 ,a naturalist who was watching such a train1 once strewed a number of grey and white beads about1 and waited to see what would happen4 ,one unsuspicious ant seized a bead and trotted off with it to the nest2 but not so a second time2 the mistake was soon found out1 and the 7to them7 worthless beads were left untouched by the wary workers1 who before they stored the seeds in their granary1 took off the chaff and left it in heaps outside1 to be blown away by the wind4 ,it has been thought strange that the seeds thus collected do not sprout and grow1 but for this moisture would be necessary1 and the ants keep their grain as free from it as possible1 spreading it out in the sun to dry1 and storing it in granaries1 underground like the nurseries1 but quite distinct from them4 ,if you have ever disturbed one of their nests1 you do not need to be told that ants1 as well as bees and wasps1 have stings1 with a poison apparatus like that of a serpent4 ,how wonderful are these tiny creatures made by ,god1 who has set them in their places in ,his creation1 and given them their work to do1 and the instinct which enables them so faithfully to play their part in the great world1 that they are set as a pattern for us to imitate6 ,how true it is that ,each shell1 each crawling insect holds a rank ,important in the scale of ,him who framed ,this scale of beings2 holds a rank which1 lost1 ,would break the chain1 and leave a gap behind ,which ,nature's self would rue4 ,and what may we learn from the ,harvester-ant1 who provideth her meat in the summer8 ,i think ,i can hear you answer1 ,a lesson of prudence and foresight4 ,surely this is so3 ,the ants are a people not strong but they prepare their meat in the summer2 on this account they have their place among the four things which are little upon the earth1 but they are exceeding wise1 and we do well to consider their ways and learn the lesson which they teach us4 ,before we quite leave the ant-city1 ,i should like to tell you that the eggs of ants grow while hatching1 to accommodate themselves to the increasing size of the tiny creature within them4 ,there are many interesting things to be observed about the eggs of insects2 as to their colour1 they are generally of that best adapted for concealment2 as to the way in which they are hatched1 ,i have heard that the mother insect--the ,earwig was the one mentioned--sometimes sits upon her eggs1 and that one of the spiders has been seen sitting upon the silken bag which contained its eggs1 and carrying it away if disturbed4 ,i ought to have told you that there are two great divisions of the insect family--those which suck liquid food through their proboscis or trunk1 such as flies and butterflies1 and those--such as the beetles1 bees1 and locusts--which bite and eat solid food with their jaws4 ,dearly as ,i should like to tell you about bees1 both solitary and social1 masons and carpenters1 we must not make this chapter longer1 so we will speak only of the ,locusts4 ,if ,i could let you have a peep into the box where ,i keep a specimen-locust1 which came to me by post from his native country1 you would notice his powerful jaws1 which are so strong that they inflict a severe wound2 but it is not on account of their bite that locusts have been used by ,god as ,his exceeding great army to punish those who hardened themselves against ,him2 but because wherever they alight in their countless myriads1 they devour every green thing1 turning a fruitful field into a barren desert in a few hours4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,locust4 ,did you ever see as well as hear a grasshopper8 ,the locust is an insect of the same kind1 and ,i have heard that ,african locusts in the first stage of their life are as green as grasshoppers1 but wingless--though they afterwards have very pretty wings4 ,they are described as crowding together1 standing upon each other in heaps four or five deep1 or gradually advancing over each other's backs1 eating all before them4 ,a flight of locusts is indeed a wonderful sight4 ,an ,african traveller once saw advancing towards him a dark cloud2 the seeming storm came nearer and nearer2 ah6 it was no snow-storm or hail-storm1 but a living cloud of locusts4 ,he thus describes it1 as it came upon him and his companions3 ,each flake of snow was a locust2 we stood with our backs to them1 and they struck us over the face and ears2 we had to protect our eyes with our hands2 the ground where the flight had settled was soon bare1 and the trees leafless4 ,can you wonder that such a storm-cloud should be dreaded beyond any other1 and that when the ,egyptian sky was darkened by it--and before them there were no such locusts as they--,pharaoh besought that ,god might be entreated to take away this death from him and from his land8 ,and they were not the only creatures used by ,god at that time to punish the proud and wilful king who refused to let ,his people go that they might serve ,him4 ,but we must now end this long chapter1 remembering that we have spoken of only a few of the living creatures which belong to the vast family of animals which have no body framework or skeleton2 you can read in larger books the wonderful things which are told about jelly-fishes and sponges1 bees and wasps1 flies and gnats1 and green tiger-beetles--for when we have made a beginning in these little talks of ours together about ,god's creatures1 it will be pleasant to go on2 so pleasant for some of us that1 having once begun1 the difficult thing will be to know where to leave off4 ,i wish ,i could show you some pictures which ,i have seen of fossil insects4 ,i believe white ants and dragon-flies1 and even a butterfly1 have been found among the rocky strata1 but those of which ,i speak were preserved in amber1 which is a clear yellow substance1 long thought to be a mineral1 but now recognised as the hardened resin of ancient pine-trees4 ,in this transparent sepulchre bees and wasps1 gnats1 spiders1 and beetles have been buried1 some uninjured1 and others with broken legs or wings4 ,they must have got into the sticky gum while it was moist1 and been unable to escape--and so have lain for ages in their transparent tomb4 ,i wonder whether these verses1 which came to my mind while we were speaking of the lessons we should learn from those creatures which faithfully use the wisdom given them1 are new to you4 ,never man spake like this man4 ,from everything our ,saviour saw1 ,lessons of wisdom ,he would draw2 ,the clouds1 the colours in the sky2 ,the gently breeze that whispers by2 ,the fields1 all white with waving corn2 ,the lilies that the vale adorn2 ,the reed that trembles in the wind2 ,the tree where none its fruit can find2 ,the sliding sand1 the flinty rock1 ,that bears unmoved the tempest's shock2 ,the thorns that on the earth abound2 ,the tender grass that clothes the ground2 ,the little birds that fly in air2 ,the sheep that need the shepherd's care2 ,the pearls that deep in ocean lie2 ,the gold that charms the miser's eye3 ,all from ,his lips some truth proclaim1 ,or learn to tell their ,maker's name4 ,,caroline ,,fry4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,day4 ,,fowl ,,of ,,the ,,air1 ,,and ,,fish ,,of ,,the ,,sea4 ,and ,god gave ,solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much4444 ,he spake also of beasts1 and of fowls1 and of creeping things1 and of fishes4--,i ,,kings iv4 #bi-cc4 ,the fowl of the air1 and the fish of the sea1 and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas4--,,psalm viii4 #h4 ,we have already seen that it was on the ,,fifth ,,day that the two great oceans--the world of air above1 and the world of water below--were peopled with inhabitants2 that ,god saw that it was good1 and that all these happy living things began their life blessed by ,him who gave it4 ,i wonder whether it will surprise you to hear that in some respects the inhabitants of these two worlds are alike4 ,perhaps if you think of a fish and a bird--say a herring and a sparrow--you will say two creatures could hardly be less like each other2 the bird has soft warm feathers1 and the fish has scales1 overlapping each other as the slates on the roof of a house do1 thus making a perfectly waterproof coat for its whole body2 the bird has legs and wings1 and the fish has neither2 the bird can chirp and sing1 while fishes generally make no noise4 ,but if you could look inside the feathers and the scales1 you would see that there is a likeness in the bony structure of these creatures1 otherwise so unlike4 ,both are vertebrate animals1 though the backbone of a fish is in some respects unlike that of a bird1 still the plan is the same1 and it has been truly said that among the many wonders of nature there is nothing more wonderful than this--the adaptability of the one ,vertebrate type to the infinite variety of life to which it serves an as organ and a home4 ,but when you said that the herring had neither legs nor wings1 you forgot to notice the fins1 by means of which it moves from place to place in its watery home2 as the bird1 on its strong wings1 makes its way through the fields of air4 ,birds too1 lay eggs1 and so do most fishes1 some of them even making nests2 so there are points in which they resemble each other1 are there not8 ,but while we know a good deal about the ways and habits of birds1 very little is known of the life of a fish2 for it is much more difficult to watch its way of living1 and what is known about animals has been learned by watching them patiently4 ,sometimes when you are in a boat sailing over very calm1 clear water1 you may look down and see the fishes darting here and there1 and you may even think that if the boat would but stop you could catch one in your hand2 but the only way in which you can really watch fishes sufficiently to see their mode of life1 is by studying the habits of those which have been caught and put into glass tanks in an aquarium1 where they live and move about just as birds do in their cages2 only the fishes' tank must contain water as well as air4 ,some time ago ,i went to an aquarium2 it was close to the sea1 so that there was no want of water to fill the tanks4 ,at the bottom there was sand1 and there were bits of rock1 among which brown and green seaweeds were growing1 in order that the prisoners might forget that they were shut up in a glass prison-house1 and feel as much at home as possible in their captivity4 ,there they were1 big fish and little fish1 flat plaice and long serpent-like eels--fish of all sorts1 of all shapes and sizes4 ,there were other creatures as well as fish2 lobsters and crabs and star-fishes2 and the anemones1 which blow flower-like1 and have such lovely colours that they are sometimes called sea-roses1 were waving their bright fringes to and fro1 and catching the shrimps for their dinner with those same soft fingers of theirs4 ,i should like you to see an aquarium such as this was2 but if you cannot just now1 ,i daresay you may have the chance of watching a gold-fish in a globe of water1 and noticing how it uses its fins to balance itself and steer its way through the water1 and its tail to move itself along so gracefully and swiftly2 how it has two pairs of fins1 which serve for legs and arms1 besides three others1 the use of which you cannot so well make out2 and how the boat-like shape of the fish helps it to cut its way so rapidly through the water4 ,if you keep drilled those two bright eyes over which ,god has made you officer1 you will notice something near the fish's eye which keeps opening and shutting like a little door4 ,that little door covers the gills1 and it opens and shuts every time the fish breathes4 ,but now comes a question which used to puzzle me--that is1 ,what does a fish breathe8 ,illustration3 ,a ,,crystal-,,walled ,,prison ,when ,i heard1 long ago1 that fishes cannot breathe if they are taken out of the water1 ,i used to think that they breathed the water2 for then ,i knew no better than the boy who1 when he had at last caught a minnow1 put it into a bottle with plenty of water1 and corked it up tight1 in order to keep his prize safely4 ,of course the poor little fish was dead before he got home4 ,it died1 not from want of water1 but from want of air2 for fishes draw in and send out the air through their gills1 which are to them what your lungs are to you4 ,those fringes which you see when the little doors open1 are the gills4 ,they are so red because they are filled with blood2 indeed1 they are made of a great number of little blood-vessels4 ,as the fish swims along with its round mouth open1 it does not swallow the water1 but lets it run over its gills1 and then out it comes at the little doors2 the red fringes take the oxygen out of the water1 and it goes into the fish's blood4 ,the water is the fishes' atmosphere1 and it is only from it that they can get air to breathe2 so that if the glass globe were broken1 and the pretty goldfish were let fall upon the carpet1 unless they were quickly put back into water they would gasp and die from want of air2 just as you would1 if someone held your head long under water4 ,so you see that the home of the fish is perfectly suited to it4 ,in the aquarium you would observe that while most of the fishes dart hither and thither1 there are some which never rise to the surface of the water4 ,these are the flat-fish2 and they keep at the bottom1 because for some wise purpose ,god has made them without the power of rising and sinking like others4 ,inside most fishes there is a bag filled with air1 as is the india-rubber ball which you delight to bounce so high4 ,the fish can make this little balloon larger or smaller1 just as it wishes to be itself lighter or heavier4 ,as it swims along1 it is usually about the same weight as the water2 but when it wants to dive1 the fish squeezes its air-bag tightly together1 which causes its body to become heavier than the water--for air pressed closely together becomes heavy1 and its own weight sinks it down4 ,when it wants to rise again to the surface1 it ceases to squeeze this bag1 the air in the little balloon expands1 and the diver rises again and floats or swims because its body is now lighter than the water4 ,is not this a very perfect and beautiful plan8 ,how true it is that ,god has provided for the wants of all ,his creatures1 and fitted them for the life designed for them6 ,but besides rising or sinking when they please1 fishes can turn themselves about very quickly4 ,to understand how they do this1 you must look at the long bone which runs right through the body1 from head to tail4 ,you will see that it is made1 like your backbone1 of a number of small bones which move upon each other so easily that they enable the fish to turn itself rapidly1 as you see it does4 ,the wonderful way in which these tiny bones are fitted together by what is called the ball and socket arrangement may best be seen in a large fish1 such as the salmon2 but a sardine's frame is made in the same beautiful way4 ,the scales1 overlapping each other as they do1 serve to protect the fish in its journey through watery ways1 and their smooth1 polished surface rendered slippery by a sort of natural oil1 helps it to move quickly4 ,we have imitated the scales of a fish in the way in which we arrange slates and tiles to keeps our houses dry4 ,you know how the slates on the roof of your house overlap each other1 so closely that no rain can get between them4 ,when ,i tell you that there are said to be nine thousand different kinds of fish in all parts of the world1 you will understand that even in a large aquarium you can see but few varieties4 ,in ,england alone hundreds of fresh-water fishes are known1 while those whose home is in the sea are much more numerous still4 ,it has been found that if fresh-water fish is taken out of its natural element and put at once into the sea1 it will die4 ,but there are some fish1 like the salmon1 which live in the sea1 but go up the rivers to lay their eggs1 and then back again to their proper home2 taking change of air1 as it were1 but taking it gradually1 and not plunging into a foreign country all at once4 ,some fishes are great travellers4 ,i have heard that what is called a shoal of herrings consists of millions of fish1 and takes up a place in the sea larger than the area of ,london4 ,this fish takes its name from an old word which means an army2 and the herring-army has to come a long1 long march--if we so speak of a journey through the paths of the seas--before it1 as it were1 encamps near our shores4 ,in winter the herrings are far away north1 within the ,arctic ,circle1 but in the spring they go south1 travelling in shoals1 six miles in length1 and three or four in breadth4 ,when one of these great shoals comes near our northern shores it divides1 one part travelling west1 the other east4 ,it is in ,september that the herring fishing begins1 and a busy time it is for the fishermen4 ,the fish are always caught at night1 and the darker the night the better chance there is of a good catch4 ,when ,i was a child ,i used often to stand and watch the boats setting out about sunset1 and many a time did ,i wish ,i might be of the party1 for ,i thought no treat could be greater than to be allowed to stay out all night and see the nets full of shining fish drawn in over the sides of the boat4 ,however1 the fishermen are too wise to take children with them1 for any noise frightens the herrings1 so the fishing is done in silence1 under the quiet stars4 ,if you saw a herring-net taken in1 you might forget yourself so far as to scream with delight at the sight of the fish flashing like silver1 and bright with blue and purple hues which no painter could copy4 ,but the rainbow colours1 like those you see upon a soap bubble1 are almost as soon gone2 they will have lost their brilliancy before the boats come in1 and the men begin to throw the fish on shore1 and to count them4 ,one fish1 the ,arrow of the ,sea1 is never so beautiful as when it is dying4 ,i have read that the ,romans--after they ceased to be a brave people1 and became idle and pleasure-loving--used to have these fish brought in before dinner and shown to the guests4 ,the gay1 thoughtless ladies1 as they clapped their hands with delight at the beauty of the quickly-changing colours--white turning to sky-blue1 and then to deep red--cared no more for the suffering of the poor fish1 gasping and dying before them1 than for the fading petals of a rose2 so hard-hearted can people become1 who think only of their own pleasure4 ,if poor ,jack had been there1 it would have made him grieved and angry indeed to have seen one of the ,god-made creatures treated so cruelly1 would it not8 ,you remember how he loved all living things1 and could not bear that they should be hurt4 ,from the ,gold-fish1 with their brilliant1 flashing scales1 you can form some idea of how brightly coloured the fish in tropical seas are2 but the most brilliant fishes have not always the most graceful forms1 nor are they so good for food as those better known to us4 ,it is very interesting to observe that the sea-creatures which live upon the surface of the ocean are bluish or quite colourless and transparent1 as some jelly fish1 which look as if they were made of glass1 and one kind of fish of which ,i have heard that its body is so transparent that the words of a book can be read through it4 ,others1 not very unlike1 but whose home is at the bottom of the sea1 have opaque and mud-coloured bodies4 ,we find that many creatures are of the same colour as their dwelling-place2 butterflies are bright1 like flowers1 insects living on leaves are green1 desert creatures are yellow or sand-coloured1 those which live among the snow are white or grey1 while the winter lasts1 though some of them change their coats during their short summer4 ,in this way the hunters and the hunted alike escape observation4 ,fish have been divided into different classes3 there are those which have bony plates instead of scales1 as the ,sharks and ,rays1 and many fishes which exist only as fossils2 and those called the splendid fish1 from the brilliancy of their coats of mail1 which lock together like ancient armour4 ,most of them are extinct species1 but the ,sturgeon is one of these armoured fishes4 ,then the ,mud-fishes form another class4 ,but by far the most numerous is that to which the ,bony-skeletoned fishes1 with scales like those of the ,salmon1 belong4 ,a few species are destitute of any bony or scaly covering2 and one of them--the ,electric ,eel of ,south ,american rivers--protects itself by giving a sharp electric shock to any creature that comes in its way6 ,the eyes of fish are sometimes large1 and they can see a long way1 and also hear very quickly4 ,turbot1 plaice1 and other flat-fish1 which have no swim-bladder1 lie with one side in the mud at the bottom of the sea or rivers--,can you guess in which side of the head their eyes are placed8 ,in the uppermost1 and sometimes both eyes are there4 ,you are right1 for there would be no use for an eye in the side turned to the mud4 ,as far as we know1 fish are not clever creatures1 but ,i have heard that some kinds1 kept as pets1 have learnt to know the sound of the dinner bell just as well as the lions and tigers at the ,zoo know their bell2 and you have seen how they rush about their cages1 and roar with hungry impatience when it rings4 ,i have read that some fishes of various kinds1 such as ,cod and ,ling1 kept for the use of the owners in a pond to which the tide came1 near a house in ,scotland1 and regularly fed with limpets by an old woman who had charge of them1 knew her voice1 and would put out their heads and crowd to the side of the pond when she came near1 and even let her take them up and stroke their cold backs2 but ,i doubt that you will find your gold-fish so intelligent and affectionate4 ,i must not forget to speak of the fishes which make nests1 for very few such have been discovered1 and they are considered curiosities of fish-life4 ,perhaps when we know more of the habits of the finny-tribe1 we shall find that some others provide for the safety of their young in a similar way1 but at present ,i believe the ,stickleback1 which not only makes a nest but takes care of his young brood until they are six days old and can find for themselves1 is the only one known in ,europe4 ,in ,demerara1 a fish called the ,hassar makes a floating cradle of grass or leaves for its eggs1 over which it watches carefully1 being ready to defend it bravely when attacked2 thus in ,australia1 an eel called the ,jew-fish was one day noticed swimming round and round a clear place among the reeds1 and it turned out that it was guarding a nest of stones which it had placed in the river bed4 ,there are one or two strange fishes which you will not see in any shop2 though if you have friends who follow the sea1 they may have told you of the ,sun-fish1 sometimes caught in the west of ,ireland2 very large and round it is1 of a silvery-white colour1 so that on dark nights1 when the fishermen have seen it shining as it swam1 just under the water1 it has seemed to them like the sun shining behind the clouds on a showery day2 and they have given it this name4 ,you may too1 have heard strange tales of another round fish1 called from its shape the ,globe-fish1 and from its skin the ,sea-hedgehog2 it is covered with sharp thorns1 and has the power1 by swallowing air1 of so greatly increasing its size 7without sharing the fate of the poor toad in sop's ,fable7 that it not only can rise to the surface of the water1 but float as long as it pleases4 ,then there are the blue ,flying-herrings1 with long fins1 which you would see if you took a voyage to ,australia4 ,these poor little creatures have enemies both in birds and fishes4 ,when the sharks want to make a meal of them1 they leap into the air1 using their long fins almost as a bird uses its wings1 and are able to keep up for some distance2 some say they can fly five hundred feet2 but alas6 when they are on the fin1 the sea-gulls are eager and ready to pounce upon them1 and they have to take refuge in the sea again4 ,with all their beauty1 they have a hard life of it1 constantly escaping away from the sea-gull1 into the shark6 ,and now1 when we have time1 ,i think both you and ,i shall be pleased not only to observe carefully the fishes which we see every day1 but to read about others2 about the sword-fish1 which has neither scales for its protection1 nor teeth1 but whose snout forms a bone1 four or five feet long1 set with sharp pointed teeth on each side--somewhat like a double-edged saw2 this bone is a most formidable weapon when used against large fish1 and is so strong that it has even pierced through the planks of a boat2 about the tiny ,sea-horse1 with its head so curiously like that of a horse1 and its wing-like fins2 about the ,whale1 which is not really a fish at all 7and why it is not will be something for you to find out71 besides a great many monsters of the deep of which ,i have not time to tell you4 ,we have already had a much longer talk about fish than my children had1 although it was while we were speaking about fishing1 and how the night is the usual time for it1 that we read two accounts of great numbers of fish being caught in the sea of ,galilee--not at night1 but in broad daylight4 ,one account is given in the gospel of ,luke4 ,you know that--the disciples1 ,simon and ,andrew his brother1 and ,james and ,john his brother1 were fishermen1 and used to launch their boats upon the ,sea of ,galilee1 and let down their nets into the deep blue water4 ,it was when they had been fishing all night1 and had caught nothing1 that they left their boats beside the sea1 and were busy washing their nets4 ,illustration3 ,,there ,,is ,,not ,a ,,breath ,,the ,,blue ,,waters ,,to ,,curl4 ,fishermen feel very downhearted and disappointed when the morning comes1 after they have been out all night1 and finds them with only a few fish in their boats3 but these fishermen had got one fish4 ,peter said1 ,we have toiled all the night1 and have taken nothing4 ,the ,lord ,jesus knew all about that long night of toil1 as ,he sat in ,peter's boat1 and taught the crowds of people who stood on the shore2 and ,he knew how disappointed those tired fishermen must be4 ,presently ,he spoke to ,peter1 and said1 ,launch out into the deep1 and let down your nets for a draught4 ,and ,simon answering said unto ,him1 ,master1 we have toiled all the night1 and have taken nothing3 nevertheless at ,thy word ,i will let down the net4 ,night is the best time for fishing1 and all night they had toiled in vain4 ,the empty nets were there2 but in ,simon's boat was the ,one who had made the fish1 and ,he caused them to fill the nets in such numbers that the slender cords broke1 and both the boats were overladen4 ,when ,simon ,peter saw it1 he fell down at ,jesus' knees1 saying1 ,depart from me2 for ,i am a sinful man1 ,o ,lord4 ,he felt what it was to be in the presence of the ,lord2 how unfit he was to be near ,him2 but yet he could not bear to let ,him go2 ,jesus said to ,peter1 ,fear not2 from henceforth thou shalt catch men4 ,what does it mean8 ,may asked1 when she had read this verse1 ,how could ,peter catch men8 ,to find the answer to her question1 we read in the second chapter of ,acts about the first time ,peter preached at ,jerusalem1 and how he told the very people who had taken ,jesus of ,nazareth1 and by wicked hands had crucified and slain ,him1 that ,god had raised ,him from the dead1 and made that same ,jesus1 whom ye have crucified1 both ,lord and ,christ4 ,we read that while he spoke of ,him three thousand people received his word gladly4 ,surely at that time there was a fulfilment of the ,lord's promise to him4 ,peter had indeed become a fisher of men--rescued from the cold waters of death1 caught away from the grasp of ,satan1 henceforth to belong to ,christ for ever4 ,but before this time there had been that other scene beside the ,galilean lake1 of which we read at the end of the gospel of ,john4 ,again after a weary night's fishing1 the disciples had taken nothing2 again1 at the word of the ,lord1 the net was cast over the side of the boat1 and drawn in full of great fishes4 ,the ,lord ,jesus1 after he rose from the dead1 was still the same1 always thinking of ,his dear disciples1 and caring for them4 ,you remember that ,he would not allow the crowds of people1 who had come from far to hear them1 to go back to their homes hungry and tired1 but that ,he made them rest on the green grass while ,he fed them with the loaves and the little fishes4 ,now ,he knew all about ,peter and ,james1 and ,john and ,thomas1 and those two others who had gone fishing with them4 ,they had been out all night1 and were very hungry1 and directly they came to land they could see that their ,lord had been thinking of how they would feel2 for all that they wanted was ready--a fire of coals on the shore1 and fish laid upon it1 and bread--and they heard the voice which was so dear to them1 that well-known voice which had once come to them across the stormy waves saying1 ,it is ,i2 be not afraid1 now bidding them1 ,come and dine4 ,and it was from those kind hands1 which had been pierced when ,he suffered the cruel death of the cross1 that they received the bread and the fish which was prepared for them4 ,what a wonderful time to remember6 ,i think ,peter must have been thinking of it when he said to ,cornelius1 ,we did eat and drink with ,him after ,he rose from the dead4 ,perhaps he also thought of another time when the ,lord asked for some food1 and they gave ,him a piece of a broiled fish1 and of an honeycomb4 ,and ,he took it1 and did eat before them--to show them1 while they yet believed not for joy and wondered1 that it was indeed ,himself who was standing among them1 risen from the dead4 ,you will find that there are a good many places in the ,bible where fish are spoken of4 ,i hope you will have in your list one which was given me by ,sharley only2 although ,i had expected that everybody would have found it4 ,it is mentioned in the gospel by ,matthew1 alone4 ,we are not told what sort of fish it was in whose mouth ,peter found the stater1 a piece of money worth about three shillings1 which was exactly enough to give1 as the ,lord told him1 to those who had come to ask for money to meet some expenses belonging to the temple4 ,every ,jew paid a fixed sum1 and this piece of money in the fish's mouth was just twice that sum4 ,how beautiful that the ,one who was ,god1 and had power over the fish of the sea1 to send them into ,peter's net1 or to make even a fish bring to ,him the coin which was wanted1 should put ,himself beside ,peter1 and say1 ,lest we should offend them1 go thou to the sea1 and cast an hook1 and take up the fish that first cometh up2 and when thou hast opened his mouth1 thou shalt find a piece of money3 that take1 and give unto them for ,me and thee6 ,ah1 but we know that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ was meek and lowly in heart and ,he loved to put ,his disciples with ,himself1 as children of ,god ,his ,father6 ,a writer who lived at the time when our ,king ,james's ,bible was translated1 speaking of the sea as the great pond of the world1 says1 ,we know not whether to wonder at the element itself1 or the guests which it contains4 ,as we have been learning a little of the ways of the inhabitants of the ocean of air1 as well as those that people the world of water1 let me close this chapter by quoting an ,american poet's beautiful verses3-- ,,to ,a ,,water ,,fowl4 ,whither1 midst falling dew ,while glow the heavens with the last steps of day1 ,far through their rosy depths dost thou pursue ,thy solitary way8 ,vainly the fowler's eye ,might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong1 ,as1 darkly painted on the crimson sky1 ,thy figure floats along4 ,seek'st thou the plashy brink ,of weedy lake1 or marge of river wide1 ,or where the rocking billows rise and sink ,on the chafed ocean side8 ,there is a ,power whose care ,teaches thy way along that pathless coast-- ,the desert and illimitable air-- ,lone wandering1 but not lost4 ,all day thy wings have fanned ,at that far height the cold1 thin atmosphere2 ,yet stoop not1 weary1 to the welcome land1 ,though the dark night is near4 ,and soon that toil shall end2 ,soon shalt thou find a summer home1 and rest ,and scream among thy fellows2 reeds shall bend ,soon o'er thy sheltered nest4 ,thou'rt gone2 the abyss of heaven ,hath swallowed up thy form2 yet on my heart ,deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given1 ,and shall not soon depart4 ,he who1 from zone to zone1 ,guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight1 ,in the long way that ,i must tread alone1 ,will lead my steps aright4 ,w4 ,c4 ,,bryant4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,day4 ,,flying ,,fowl4 ,gavest ,thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks8 or wings and feathers unto the ostrich8 ,doth the hawk fly by ,thy wisdom1 and stretch her wings toward the south8 ,doth the eagle mount up at ,thy command1 and make her nest on high8--,,job xxxix4 #ac1 #bf1 #bg4 ,the flowers appear on the earth2 the time of the singing of birds is come1 and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land4--,,song ,,of ,,solomon ii4 #ab4 ,it was on the ,,fifth ,,day of ,creation that the silence was broken by the voice of birds4 ,we are so accustomed to the various cries of animals1 the buzzing of insects1 and above all to the chirping and twittering and singing of birds1 that we can hardly imagine what a voiceless world would be like4 ,i have heard that far away in ,new ,zealand1 travellers who try to make their way through the great tangle of trees and creepers which is called the ,bush1 speak of the silence and loneliness of the dense forests as dreadful1 and they particularly mention that there is no voice of bird to be heard there4 ,very different is a place ,i know1 where1 although the trees in which they perch are by the roadside1 and noisy carts and carriages are coming and going all day long1 yet the sparrows overhead keep up such a constant chatter and flutter that once as ,i passed that way a countryman looked up at the trees and smiled1 and said to me1 ,plenty of company up there6 ,when ,i told the children this they were much amused1 and ,i am sure they thought it would be very dull never to hear the crowing of a cock or the quack1 quack of a duck--to say nothing of the soft cooing of doves in the wood1 and the sweet1 rich notes of the thrushes and blackbirds4 ,a ,frenchman1 who has written a very large book all about birds1 says that if we were not so accustomed to them we should think a bird flying through the air the most wonderful thing we had ever seen--and ,i think he is right2 but before we speak of these wonderful and beautiful creatures1 let us read once more the verses in ,genesis which tell us of their birthday1 beginning with1 ,and ,god said1 and ending with1 ,and the evening and the morning were the fifth day4 ,we have been speaking of the living creatures which the waters brought forth1 and now we must think a little of the winged fowl1 which were made to people the expansion1 and are sometimes called the fish of the air1 as the fishes are called the birds of the ocean4 ,of all the happy living things ,i think none seem so full of joy as the birds4 ,their very flight has such buoyancy and gladness in it1 and their songs seem always to be telling of happiness4 ,did you ever watch the sea-gulls flashing and darting about1 and then floating quietly above your head1 or the swallows in their rapid flight1 wheeling round and round1 and think how beautiful a thing it is just to see them on the wing1 fluttering1 soaring1 floating in that ocean of air which is their home8 ,illustration3 ,a ,,winged ,,fowl4 ,birds are marked off from all other vertebrate animals by the possession of feathers4 ,how wonderful is the wing of a bird2 spread wide when it is flying1 and folded up like a fan when it is resting1 perched upon the branch of a tree1 swaying to and fro in the sunshine4 ,but how sad it is to see such a wild1 free creature as a lark1 or even a thrush or a linnet1 pent up in a narrow cage1 where there is no room to stretch those wings so strong and light1 no swinging branch to rest upon2 but all the little prisoner can do is to hop from one perch to another1 and beat its wings against the wiry grate which shuts it in so hopelessly4 ,i suppose we don't think so much of captive birds as of other captives1 because a bird in a cage is such a common sight1 and when we hear it sing so sweetly it seems as if it could not be unhappy2 but when we say as happy as a bird1 ,i doubt if it is of birds in cages we are thinking after all4 ,the cage may be of gilded wires1 or of willow twigs2 but both are alike prison bars which keep the birdie back from the liberty to which it was born4 ,at least this was what an ,english sailor felt when he met a man carrying a cage full of birds4 ,he had been a prisoner himself1 away in ,france1 and had many a time longed to be free2 and now when he saw the birds in their gilded prison1 he was not happy until he had made a bargain and got them1 cage and all1 to do what he liked with4 ,what was the astonishment of the man from whom he had bought them1 when he saw the sailor open the cage door and let them out1 one by one1 until all the little prisoners were free6 ,as you have watched the birds in their flight1 ,i daresay you have wondered how they can keep themselves up in the air4 ,even the little wren has some weight2 much more the crows which make their nests in the topmost branches of the trees4 ,we say as light as a feather2 yet the downiest feather has some weight1 and will find its way to the ground if not kept up by wind or breath4 ,it is true that the feathered fowl1 as all kinds of birds are called in the ,bible1 are very much heavier than the air in which they float and swim1 using their wings for oars1 just as the fish use their fins4 ,but do you remember that little balloon inside the fish1 which enables it to rise through the water8 ,a bird is almost a live balloon2 as it flies1 it breathes air into every part of its body2 this air becomes heated1 and is kept warm by the feathers2 and as hot air becomes light1 the bird is so much lighter than the air which surrounds it1 that it can easily rise higher and higher1 until1 like the skylark1 its little quivering body seems almost lost in the far blue sky1 and its waterfall of song alone shows where it is4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,white ,,sea-,,gull1 ,,the ,,bold ,,sea-,,gull1 ,a ,,joyful ,,bird ,,is ,,he4 ,the bones of a bird are very strong1 but they are also very light2 if you look at the bones of a chicken1 you will see that some of them are hollow2 when the bird was alive1 those hollow places were all filled with air4 ,take a dead bird and look at the quills at the roots of the feathers2 and now watch that swallow as it darts so rapidly hither and thither4 ,the bird is able to fill each tiny quill with air1 so that its body becomes like a balloon1 and it rises high above the roofs of the houses2 then1 like the fish1 when it wishes to sink1 it can breathe out all the air again1 and so constantly change its weight1 and fly1 now high1 now low1 faster than any train can rush or ship sail4 ,there is a wonderful bird which sailors have seen a thousand miles from land4 ,it is called the ,frigate-bird1 and has never been known to rest on the sea2 it lives upon sea-creatures1 but makes its nest on shore4 ,each of its wings1 if stretched out as when the bird is flying1 measures more than the height of a man2 yet even such an enormous bird as this does not sink down by its own weight1 but flies mile after mile upon its strong wings1 every feather of which unites strength and lightness1 never resting till its airy voyage is over1 and it finds its nest4 ,it is said that when storms sweep over the sea1 this ocean eagle mounts upward until it has reached the calm which lies above the storm1 and so sails upon its untroubled way4 ,the feathers of birds are to them what its scales are to the fish1 and hair and wool to other animals--a protection4 ,they are not only light and strong1 but warm1 and by their means1 as a bird soars into colder regions of air1 it is protected from the cold3 while for aquatic birds there is a special provision--by pressing with their beaks an oil-gland near the tail they can waterproof their feathers6 ,now look again at your dead bird2 you will see that the wings and tail are formed of quills1 while the surface of the body is covered with short feathers--even the ear being protected by a little tuft--and all the spaces between are filled with the softest1 warmest down4 ,could any creature be more beautifully equipped for its journey through the fields of air8 ,then this soft1 warm1 light dress is renewed once or twice a year1 generally so gradually that the change is imperceptible--but you may have seen fowls and ducks straggling about the farmyard with half their feathers gone--on the principle of being off with the old coat before they are on with the new4 ,the eyes of both fishes and birds have an extra lid formed of very thin skin1 which can be moved quickly over the surface of the eye1 serving to cleanse it and protect it4 ,there are three thousand distinct kinds of birds1 but it would be impossible to learn about so many1 they have been divided into five groups--birds of ,prey1 ,perching birds1 ,scratching birds1 ,wading birds1 and ,swimming birds4 ,i must tell you that ,chrissie and ,sharley and ,may had learnt something about these groups from a book of which they are very fond2 it is called ,the ,first ,year of ,scientific ,knowledge1 and there are pictures in it of the different birds1 beasts1 and fishes which are mentioned4 ,now1 let us think of some of the birds in the first group4 ,birds of ,prey are those which hunt for their food1 and eat the flesh of other birds1 or of small animals1 such as rats1 and mice1 or of snakes4 ,all these birds--vultures1 hawks1 owls--have sharp hooked beaks1 and long claws1 also very sharp2 they fly quickly1 and soon overtake their prey1 whether they hunt by day or by night4 ,the two birds of prey most often mentioned in the ,bible are the ,raven and the ,eagle4 ,you remember how1 when the terrible flood1 which ,god sent upon the earth because of the violence and wickedness of men1 was over1 and the ,ark rested upon the mountains of ,ararat1 ,noah opened the window of the ,ark1 and sent forth a raven4 ,this bird of prey could find food for itself1 as it went forth to and fro1 until the waters were dried up from off the earth1 and it never came back to ,noah2 unlike the gentle dove who found no rest for the sole of her foot1 but twice returned to her refuge1 the second time carrying in her bill the fresh green olive-leaf plucked off1 which showed ,noah that the waters were indeed gone4 ,how wonderfully ,god1 who feeds the young ravens which cry to ,him1 used those birds of prey to bring to ,elijah bread and flesh in the morning1 and bread and flesh in the evening1 all the time that they were commanded to feed the prophet in his lonely hiding-place by the brook ,cherith4 ,the ,raven is the patriarch among birds2 it lives to be a hundred years old--beyond the age of man6 ,the ,eagle1 the king of birds1 is a large and beautiful creature with very strong wings1 and has its home in rocky places1 difficult to reach4 ,like all birds who live upon prey which they catch alive1 it is bold and fierce4 ,there is a verse which speaks of it as hasting to the prey4 ,eagles seize rabbits1 hares1 lambs1 and young deer1 and have even been known to attack a pony4 ,they often carry off ducks and wild birds to their rocky eyrie1 as food for their young ones4 ,the ,sea-eagle lives upon fish which swim near the surface of the waves2 it sees them afar off with its keen eyes1 and darts down upon them4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,owl ,,will ,,build ,,beside ,a ,,barn1 ,,or ,,in ,a ,,hollow ,,tree4 ,most likely you remember the story of the ,highland mother1 whose baby was carried away by a great eagle1 and how she climbed the steep rocks until she reached its nest1 and rescued her child4 ,her strong mother-love took away all fear of the dreadful height which even a young sailor feared to climb1 and of the wild birds who flapped their great wings at her1 and then fled screaming away2 but ,i need not say more of this ,scotch story1 which you may have so often heard1 so ,i will tell you of what happened once in ,switzerland to a little girl about five years old4 ,she was playing near her mountain home1 when a great eagle saw her1 darted down1 and was just catching her curly little head in its strong talons1 when a man with a gun1 not far off1 fired4 ,he had been watching the eagle1 but did not see the child1 or he would have been afraid to fire1 lest he should kill her4 ,when he came to pick up the dead bird he found the little girl beside it4 ,she had been saved by the shot which killed the fierce eagle2 but ,i have heard that when she had grown to be a woman the scars of deep wounds made by its talons upon her head could still be seen4 ,no doubt she often heard the story of how ,god had saved her from a double danger1 and by-and-by she felt that she must ask ,him to make her ,his servant all her life long1 ,god heard her prayer1 and allowed her to go as a missionary to a far-off land4 ,there is a beautiful verse in the thirty-second chapter of ,deuteronomy1 in which ,god compares ,his care for ,his people to the way in which the eagle cares for its young ones1 and teaches them to fly4 ,i do not know whether you know many of the second group1 the ,perching-birds2 but ,i am sure you have seen parrots1 and heard them too4 ,these clever1 gay birds must look beautiful indeed in their forest home in tropical countries1 as they flash and gleam in the sunshine2 but their screaming--you know what it is like if you have ever paid them a visit at the ,zoo--takes something away from their charm4 ,they have been called feathered monkeys1 because they are so well able to climb trees4 ,look at their dark grey toes1 and you will see that two of them are turned forward and two backward1 so as to enable them to take a firm hold upon branch or twig4 ,they have such hard bills because they live upon nuts and seeds4 ,you have seen how ,polly holds a nut1 and shells it with the sharp point of her beak1 keeping her eye on you all the time4 ,illustration3 ,,feathered ,,monkeys4 ,perhaps you would not think it1 but parrots are affectionate birds4 ,a story is told of one that was very fond of a servant girl in the house where he lived4 ,when she had a bad finger he would not leave her1 and groaned as he sat beside her bed1 as if he were himself in pain2 and when she recovered he became quite cheerful again4 ,but ,i think the account which ,dr4 ,franklin gives of the kindness of a parrot to its mate is more interesting still4 ,he says he knew two parrots who had lived together four years1 when the female became so ill from gout that she could not get down from her perch to reach her food4 ,for four months the male bird went on carrying the food to her in his beak2 and when at last she fell from her perch through weakness1 he kept constantly near her1 trying to raise her1 and showing the greatest care for her4 ,when she could no longer eat1 he tried in vain to open her beak1 so as to give her food1 uttering sad cries2 or stood with his eyes fixed on her1 mournful and silent4 ,from the time of her death he pined away1 and died a few weeks afterwards4 ,such stories are very beautiful1 because they show1 as a lover of animals once said1 what kindness ,god has put into the heart of ,his creatures4 ,of the ,scratching birds1 there is none which you know so well as the hen2 indeed this group is often called by a ,latin name1 which means that all belonging to it are of the hen tribe4 ,our fowls come from ,india1 but they have been at home in this country for a long time1 and are very common in ,palestine4 ,if you have ever seen a mother-hen taking care of her chicks1 calling them to her when she fears any danger for them1 and hiding them beneath her soft warm wings1 you will better understand the words which the ,lord ,jesus spoke when ,he beheld ,jerusalem1 the beloved city1 and wept over it4 ,think of these words when you hear the hen call her chickens1 and see them all come running to her1 and hiding away under her wings1 to be kept in safety from some foe which you cannot see1 but which she knows to be lurking near1 or perhaps hovering above1 ready to pounce upon a stray chick and carry it off4 ,illustration3 ,,hark6 ,you may often see the ,turkeys1 ,pheasants1 ,peacocks1 and other birds of this ,hen-family1 scratching up the gravel2 and you know1 ,i daresay1 that grain-eating birds have a little mill inside them called a gizzard1 which grinds their food for them4 ,birds of prey have no gizzards1 because their food does not need to be ground before they can digest it4 ,the ,wading-birds have long bare legs because they live in marshy places1 and long necks and beaks to catch the small animals upon which they feed4 ,snipe and ,woodcock have long tapering bills which are alive to the very points with what are called nerves1 so that they may be able to feel for worms as they dig for them in the soft sand and mud1 where they cannot see them4 ,two birds of this family1 the ,stork and the ,crane1 are mentioned in the ,bible in connection with a wonderful power which ,god has given to some birds1 by means of which they know when the time is come for them to leave a country where their food is over and gone1 and where the winter is too cold for them1 for a warmer land1 where they may find food convenient for them1 and from which they will know right well how to come back again when spring returns1 with its food and foliage4 ,such birds are called birds of passage2 the ,swallow is the one you know best1 and it also is mentioned in the verse in which so many migratory birds are grouped together1 ,the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times2 and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming4 ,it is ,god who bids these birds observe the time of their coming3 no one knows why they go south for the winter1 nor how they can tell their way over land and sea1 and come back again to the very place from whence they took their flight4 ,the ,stork must be to the ,people in ,palestine just such a guest of summer as the swallow is with us1 for it regularly arrives about the end of ,march1 and flies away in the autumn4 ,ships make their long voyages to the other end of the world and back with wonderful regularity1 but though the helmsman has a compass to guide him1 they do not arrive in port so exactly at their appointed time as the little swallow1 who has only the sense which we call instinct to guide it2 only its own light1 strong wings to carry it on its swift way1 flying a mile a minute--for even to its little bones and feathers1 every part of its body is filled with air1 rendering it the most buoyant of winged creatures4 ,i met with a beautiful passage about migratory birds in a book ,i was reading lately4 ,the writer says1 ,were they planets revolving round the sun1 their arrival could hardly be more accurately calculated by the astronomer4444 ,the little birds are guided in their flight through the waste1 lone wilderness of the sky1 and over wide seas1 without a compass or a map or a path1 by ,his counsel and will4 ,and they obey that guidance without the slightest inclination to swerve from it or seek a way of their own4444 ,migratory birds passing from ,africa to ,europe over the sea1 often alight on ships bound in that direction4 ,not unfrequently ship-captains tell us that they have seen birds of prey1 hawks1 and owls1 appearing on the masts on such occasions in the company of swallows1 goldfinches1 and chaffinches2 and yet the cruel birds never touched the innocent ones4 ,the migratory instinct seems to subdue for a season the predatory instinct4 ,i want to tell you more about swallows1 and especially a true but sad story of a tame one2 but first we will speak of one more group1 the ,swimming-birds4 ,you may have often noticed a duck's foot1 and seen how the web1 or skin between the toes1 can be folded up like a fan2 or spread out1 when the bird is swimming2 ,geese1 ,swans1 ,sea-gulls1 the beautiful great ,albatross1 all these and a great many more of this family2 they have a kind of water-wing1 which cleaves its way through the streams1 and most of them can also fly1 although they are heavy birds4 ,i have seen a flock of grey geese sailing on the sea1 and the same flock at sunset coming home by a quicker way1 looking like dark specks against the evening sky2 but it is only wild geese that will fly so far4 ,now then1 we have had five groups4 ,let us count them4 ,birds of ,prey1 ,perching birds1 ,scratching birds1 ,wading birds1 ,swimming birds1 and ,i think ,i must add one more2 for the ,passerine1 or ,sparrow group includes most of the small birds1 such as blackbirds and thrushes1 nightingales and swallows1 larks and magpies1 linnets and humming-birds1 and ,i cannot tell how many more feathered fowl4 ,illustration3 ,,fishing4 ,our story of a tame swallow must follow4 ,there are four kinds of swallows--the ,swift1 the ,chimney-swallow1 the ,house-martin1 and the ,sand-martin2 they all look much alike when on the wing1 but there are differences1 especially in the sort of nest which they build4 ,the house-martin makes its nest of mud1 lined with grass or feathers1 against the side of a house1 and there lays its beautiful white eggs4 ,a pair of martins built their cosy nest one summer beneath the eaves of a house in the country1 just under the window of one of the bedrooms4 ,swallows rear two broods every season1 and one brood was reared successfully in this nest1 but the second was not so fortunate4 ,late in ,september--and you know the swallows are off to ,africa in ,october--a servant found a poor little shivering bird on the steps4 ,it was plain that it had tried to fly from the nest1 with its brothers and sisters1 but had not been strong enough4 ,the poor birdie seemed almost dead when it was picked up1 but in the family there was a lady who loved all things both great and small1 and she fed the tiny martin1 and made a bed for it in a work basket lined with wool4 ,she was delighted when she saw it tuck its head under its wing1 puff out its little feathers1 and settle itself to sleep in her basket as cosily as if it had been at home in its parents' nest1 and she began to think that she might be able to keep this little deserted bird in an ,english home while all the other swallows had gone over sea for the winter4 ,i need not tell you that the little martin gave plenty of trouble and anxiety in his rearing2 but at last he got on so well that he was allowed to go out in the garden1 and sit upon his mistress's hand1 while he feasted on any spider1 gnat1 or fly which was caught for him4 ,it must have been a pretty sight to see the fondness of this pet bird for the kind friend who had saved its life4 ,he could not bear to be away from her1 but would sit on her shoulder while she was at work or writing1 and sometimes nestle under her chin2 tiresome enough in his tricksy ways of pulling at her thread and snatching at her paper1 but still always borne with1 because he was such a pet4 ,one day when his mistress was going out for a long walk1 and intended to leave her bird behind1 he insisted on going too4 ,and go he did1 perched upon her finger2 but on the way he became so clamorously hungry that she had to take him into a butcher's shop1 and get some meat for his dinner4 ,she often wondered how long he would stay with her4 ,the swallows had not yet gone2 and sometimes he would look up and see crowds of them skimming through the air1 and darting about overhead4 ,he would watch them1 even call to them and answer their wild cry1 then sweep round the room in imitation of their rapid flight2 but always came back again to his old place on her shoulder4 ,at last1 while there were still flies to be caught2 be became so grown up as to begin to catch them for himself1 though he had had no parent-bird to teach him2 but still he was a tame swallow1 liking to have his head stroked1 and enjoying his morning bath like any canary4 ,after all the wild swallows were off to ,africa1 the little tame martin began to feel the cold4 ,this wax what his mistress had been afraid would happen1 and she tried in every way to keep her pet warm4 ,she wrapped him in fur1 and used to pack him warmly in a little box and take him to bed with her2 but she was soon awakened by his creeping out of the box1 and nestling under her chin4 ,at sunrise he would career round and round her room1 then fly downstairs and begin to make himself very much at home at breakfast1 pecking at the butter1 and standing upon the edges of the cups2 but never so busy as not to dart to his mistress at the sound of her voice4 ,indeed he was so unhappy when away from her that she used even to take him railway journeys1 because she did not like to leave him behind4 ,this way of travelling1 however1 did not suit the little passenger-bird1 for he was always in a fright1 and glad to get home again4 ,but many a country walk he took with his mistress1 perched on her shoulder or her wrist1 much to the wonder of the country-folk1 who used to crowd around and ask questions about such a rare bird as a tame swallow4 ,sometimes they would shake their heads and say1 ,well1 well2 did ever anyone see the like8 ,i'll never shoot another swallow4 ,as the winter came1 all these pleasant walks were over4 ,the poor birdie began to droop2 it was impossible to keep him warm1 though he often crept under the parlour fender1 to get as close to the fire as possible2 and in spite of all that loving care could do1 before the end of the year his bright little life had been lived1 and all his clever tricks1 and airy flights and loving ways were over4 ,the lady missed her pet sorely2 and next summer when the low twittering of the swallows was heard again1 as they came back to their old home to build once more1 she watched them at their work with many a thought of her lost birdie4 ,this is why ,i said it was a sad story2 but we must not forget that the lady really saved the life of the poor bird1 when it had fallen from the nest4 ,if she had stolen it away from its parents1 and tried to keep it in our cold country when they had gone to ,africa1 she would have blamed herself1 and felt that she had been the cause of its death4 ,it is cruel to take young birds from the nest1 for it is a great grief to the parent-birds to lose their little ones2 and it is so difficult to rear them1 that they are almost sure to die1 in spite of the great care you take of them4 ,some boys are fond of collecting birds' eggs1 and know a great deal about them4 ,a collection of eggs--of all sizes and of all shades of colour1 from pure white to bluish green1 or speckled grey--is a pretty sight2 but if you go nesting1 be careful not to spoil the beautiful little cradle which the parent-birds have made with such labour and care4 ,and if you take one1 or even two1 eggs for your collection1 be sure not to touch the others1 or it may be that the birds will desert them4 ,i well remember the delight of finding a robin's nest when ,i was a child2 but my brothers and ,i were not allowed to touch the eggs4 ,we were told they did not belong to us1 and this certainly was nothing more than the truth4 ,it is beautiful to see ,god's care for all ,his creatures1 especially the helpless ones4 ,when ,he was teaching ,his chosen people in the olden times about things which are pleasing or displeasing to ,him1 ,he told them a good deal about how they were to treat the animals4 ,you would hardly expect to find anything in the ,bible about bird-nesting2 and perhaps you might think that if a boy found a nest with eggs or young birds in it1 he might take the young ones or the eggs1 and if he chose he might take the mother-bird also4 ,but ,god said-- ,thou shalt not take the dam with the young3 thou shalt in anywise let the dam go1 and mayest take the young to thee1 that it may be well with thee4 ,he who cares for the sparrow would not allow the mother-bird to suffer by perhaps seeing her little ones die while she was shut up in a cage1 too fluttered and frightened to help them2 and ,he would teach us to be merciful and tender-hearted towards those who cannot defend themselves or plead their own cause1 even as our ,father in heaven is merciful4 ,i should like you to read in some nice book all about birds1 a great deal about their ways1 and especially about the clever nests they build1 of which ,i have not time to tell you now4 ,also1 ,i should like you to find out all you can for yourself4 ,you may at least learn to know by sight and by sound some of our own songsters4 ,it is often said that ,english birds have sober plumage2 and so they have1 compared with the parrots and the humming-birds that flit about like living fires1 scarce larger than a bee1 and the wonderful bird of paradise1 which the natives of ,new ,guinea call ,god's bird1 because it shines with silver and gold--but still we have some very gay birds4 ,it is true that the goldfinch and the kingfisher are not often seen except in picture-books2 but our own little robin is a real beauty1 is he not8 ,and what can be gayer than the feathers of some of our cocks1 which strut about so proudly8 ,then1 the more you notice the songs of birds1 the more you will admire them4 ,the sweet notes begin before daylight in the spring-time1 and the cock-bird seems never tired of singing to his mate as she sits on her eggs4 ,by and by1 when they are busy with family cares1 feeding the little ones1 and teaching them to fly1 there is not much time for singing4 ,it is said that every bird has a different note or call4 ,i wonder how many you know8 ,i fancy ,i can guess3 the cock1 the rook1 the swallow1 the thrush1 the blackbird1 the lark2 if you do not know the notes or calls of all these1 try to learn them4 ,then1 with regard to the nests2 have you not seen rooks and cranes carrying in their mouths the twigs with which they build theirs in the top of very high trees8 ,and have you not watched these nests swinging about in the wind1 and wondered that they did not fall8 ,some of our birds build in holes of trees1 some line their nests beautifully with any soft thing they can find2 blackbirds and thrushes make theirs of mud4 ,but instead of describing how the nests of our ,english birds are made1 ,i will copy for you1 out of ,leslie's poetry-book1 a little poem1 which will help you to know where to search for the nests of different birds3-- ,the skylark's nest among the grass ,and waving corn is found2 ,the robin's in a shady bank1 ,with oak-leaves strewed around4 ,the wren builds in an ivied thorn ,or old and ruined wall1 ,the mossy nest so covered in ,you scarce can see at all4 ,the martins build their nests of clay ,in rows beneath the eaves2 ,the silvery lichens1 moss1 and hair ,the chaffinch interweaves4 ,the cuckoo makes no nest at all1 ,but through the wood she strays4 ,until she finds one snug and warm1 ,and there her eggs she lays4 ,the sparrow has a nest of hay1 ,with feathers warmly lined2 ,the ringdove's careless nest of sticks ,on lofty trees we find4 ,rooks build together in a wood1 ,and often disagree2 ,the owl will build beside a barn1 ,or in a hollow tree4 ,the blackbird's nest of grass and mud ,on bush and bank is found2 ,the lapwing's darkly-spotted eggs ,are laid upon the ground4 ,the magpie's nest is made with thorns1 ,in leafless tree or hedge2 ,the wild duck and the water hen ,build by the water's edge4 ,birds build their nests from year to year1 ,according to their kind2 ,some very neat and beautiful1 ,some simpler ones we find4 ,the habits of each little bird1 ,and all its patient skill1 ,are surely taught by ,god ,himself1 ,and ordered by ,his will4 ,the other day ,i saw a lark's nest4 ,it was made upon the ground2 for it is true that ,the bird which soars on highest wing1 ,builds on the ground her lowly nest4 and ,i had to move aside the grass before ,i could see it4 ,the parent-birds1 ,i daresay1 were somewhere near1 but ,i found only the little ones1 looking as if they were almost all mouth1 so widely did they open their yellow beaks4 ,if you find such a treasure1 and are very careful not to touch1 or even to peer and peep too much1 you may have the great interest of watching over the rearing of the little family2 seeing the parents bring them food1 and teach them to fly2 and then1 when the brood has flown1 the deserted nest will belong to you1 if you choose to keep it2 but ,i am afraid you would not care for a lark's nest1 for it is not beautifully finished1 as some birds' nests are1 but really only the dry-grass lining of a hole in the ground4 ,the eggs are brown1 like the bird itself1 which is so beautiful in its song--that lovely song which you can hear even when you can hardly see the tiny singer4 ,far in the downy cloud1 or but a speck in the deep blue2 for the lark will ,soar up and up1 quivering for very joy1 singing all the time1 till he is out of sight--yet never forget that low spot1 hidden with grass1 where his nest is4 ,you know why it is said that the cuckoo builds no nest at all1 don't you8 ,may has a verse which calls him a most conceited bird1 because from the time when he comes back from ,africa we hear him constantly calling his own name1 'coo-coo1 coo-coo6' ,still1 ,i don't think the cuckoo should be called conceited when it is we who have given it its name from the call which is natural to it2 but it is a most unfaithful bird1 and leaves its little ones to be brought up by others1 not taking the trouble to build a cradle for them1 nor will the mother sit upon her eggs4 ,i used to think the reason why we saw so few cuckoos was because this bird laid only one egg2 but ,i have read that she lays eight1 each one in the nest of some bird much smaller than herself4 ,the cuckoo is grey1 and about the size of a blackbird2 but her eggs are small1 not bigger than a hedge-sparrow's or a lark's4 ,she lays her egg on the ground1 and then lifts it with her bill into the nest which she has chosen4 ,the stranger bird is hatched first1 and always behaves as if the whole nest belonged to him4 ,he grows bigger and bigger1 until at last he throws the little sparrows over the side of the nest to make room for himself4 ,when the woolly bears --the caterpillars on which they feed--are all gone the cuckoos fly off to find them in ,south ,africa4 ,how different from this bird is the faithful dove1 who would not desert her little one1 even to save her own life6 ,i must tell you the story of the particular dove of which ,i am thinking4 ,when the famous city of ,pompeii--which had lain for eighteen hundred years buried beneath the ashes and mud which fell upon it during a terrible eruption of ,mount ,vesuvius--was brought to light again1 as the workmen were digging among the ruins of what had been a beautiful house1 in a niche overlooking the garden they found the skeleton of a dove4 ,they were not surprised that1 as the sky grew darker and darker upon that dreadful day1 and the soft1 choking shower of ashes fell more thickly1 many of those who ran for their lives should have lost their way in the darkness1 and fallen to rise no mare4 ,the skeletons of men and women had been found1 just as they had fallen while trying to escape2 but this dove1 with her swift wings1 why did she not flee away8 ,ah1 as they lifted her from her nest the secret was revealed3 beneath her lay the egg which the timid1 gentle creature1 so brave in her love and faithfulness1 would not leave4 ,if you ask me about fossil-birds1 ,i must tell you that very few have been found4 ,however1 if you go to the ,british ,museum1 look out for a large stone slab covered with footprints of birds4 ,it was taken from a quarry in an ,american valley1 and is a piece of sandstone1 which was once soft enough to receive the impress of the feet of the giant wading-bird1 probably much larger than an ostrich1 which once walked across it with long strides4 ,you will also trace upon it the tracks of smaller birds4 ,in ,new ,zealand very large bones of an extinct bird have been found1 but the most remarkable remains have been discovered in ,germany of a bird which has been given the name of ,lizard-tailed1 because it has a tail with vertebr1 from each joint of which feathers spring4 ,three claws are attached to the ends of the wing-bones1 like the single claw of the bat4 ,what is left of this specimen1 which is thought to have been about the size of a rook1 is to be seen in the ,natural ,history branch of the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 ,i mention this in case you should have a chance of visiting it there4 ,and now1 to speak of those birds which we know best1 ,i think there are none which seem to belong to us so much as these three--the thrush1 the blackbird1 and the robin2 for they are with us all the year4 ,the thrush begins to sing very early1 before there are any leaves for him to hide himself among1 while the robin's song is heard not only in autumn1 but in winter when all others are silent4 ,all these birds feed upon worms and insects1 not on grain and fruit like the larks and finches and starlings2 but they are very glad of berries in winter when they can get them4 ,the other day ,i met a little boy about seven years old carrying a basket with some dozen snails in the bottom of it1 and looking as if he had found a wonderful prize4 ,what are you going to do with them8 ,i said4 ,give them to our thrush4 ,he cracks the shells and eats them1 he does4 ,does your thrush sing8 ,i asked4 ,oh1 yes6 he replied4 ,you can hear him all over the house4 ,the song of even a captive thrush is sweet indeed2 but ,i would rather hear its voice in a choir of birds singing in the woods4 ,the blackbird's clear note1 like the thrush's1 may be heard very early in the morning1 and on still evenings1 as it sings darkling in some leafy bower4 ,its eggs are bluish green1 with dark spots1 while the thrush's five eggs are light blue4 ,there are white blackbirds--if such a thing can be--in the ,alps1 and occasionally in this country2 with us you may know the cock by its being very black1 while the hen is brownish-black1 and ,i think both birds are best known by the orange tawny bill4 ,but neither the blackbird nor the thrush is so pretty as the little bird with bosom red of which we are all so fond4 ,our thrushes now are silent1 ,our swallows flown away2 ,but robin's here in coat of brown1 ,and scarlet breast-knot gay4 ,some time ago ,i was reading the account which a boy1 who had always lived in town1 gave of his first sight of a robin-redbreast4 ,his master told him to write for his composition all about a holiday which the boys had had given them1 so he gave an account of how he had gone for a long day in the country with his father and his little sister4 ,of all the sights he saw that day1 none delighted him so much as to see a robin perched upon a clothes'-prop in a garden--for this bird always likes a high perch--singing with all his might and showing all his red4 ,this boy had read about robins at school1 and learnt verses about them2 but when he actually saw one1 and heard it sing1 he says it made him tremble all over with pleasure4 ,a lady1 who has told many interesting stories about what she has herself observed1 says that one day her gardener was struck by the strange conduct of a robin1 which the man had often fed4 ,the bird fluttered about him in so strange a manner1 now coming close1 then hurrying away1 always in the same direction1 that the gardener followed1 its retreating movements4 ,the robin stopped near a flowerpot and fluttered over it in great agitation4 ,it was soon found that a nest had been formed in the pot1 and contained several young4 ,close by was a snake1 intent1 doubtless1 upon making a meal of the brood4 ,this little story seems to show that the redbreast understood that the man who had been so kind was not only good enough but also strong enough to save his little ones from the danger which threatened them4 ,can you learn any lesson from it8 ,i have not time to tell you of all the feathered creatures mentioned in the ,bible1 which were found and written down for me in those nice little three-cornered notes1 some of which ,i still have4 ,you will not be surprised to hear that each contained one reference1 and some many more2 but the text about which we had most talk was found by ,chris--those words spoken by the ,lord to ,his disciples to show how precious they were to their ,father3 ,fear not therefore3 ye are of more value than many sparrows ,the boys wanted to know whether these birds were the same as our sparrows1 which are so common everywhere1 even in the busy streets ,london1 and so mischievous in the country1 eating the grain1 and stealing the peas1 and nipping off the young buds of the gooseberry-bushes4 ,illustration3 ,our little ,english ,robin2 ,the bird that comes about our doors ,when winter's winds are sobbing4 ,i could not answer this question2 so we got the ,bible ,dictionary and read there that a great many of our smaller birds1 such as the starling1 linnet1 goldfinch1 blackbird1 lark1 wagtail1 and thrush1 are found in ,palestine1 and that the ,tree-sparrow has been seen in great numbers on ,mount ,olivet2 while another kind1 the ,rock-sparrow1 is often found perched upon a large stone1 all alone1 like the solitary bird mentioned in the hundred and second ,psalm4 ,one1 of whose work among the poor of ,lancashire you may some day hear1 tells us that when he was on a visit to ,america in #ahgc1 he strolled one morning round a miniature park in ,new ,york1 glad to find shelter from the hot beams of the sun4 ,looking up1 he saw a great many boxes fastened1 some to the stems1 some to the branches of the trees4 ,surprised at this1 he asked a gentleman on one of the seats1 ,what is the meaning of those boxes suspended up there8 and he was told that twelve years before1 not a single leaf was to be found upon any of those trees1 now so full of beautiful foliage4 ,at that time1 a small grub called the inch-worm had the disagreeable habit of breeding in the bark1 climbing up the boughs and stripping them of every leaf4 ,thus it was in the orchards1 gardens1 and parks in many ,states of the ,union4 ,at length a thinking man who kept his eyes open1 suggested a remedy--to import several thousands of ,english sparrows1 providing them with little wooden houses1 and feeding them daily until they were settled in1 and contented with their new home4 ,thousands of beautiful little boxes were volunteered and fixed in the trees1 and thousands of young sparrows were brought over4 ,a ,state law was passed inflicting a penalty of one dollar--nearly five shillings--or a week's imprisonment1 on any person who killed one2 and most happy was the result4 ,the inch-worm was destroyed1 the trees became healthy and green1 and now the spirited little ,english birds hop and chirp in every garden and park in the ,union6 ,illustration3 ,,only ,a ,,little ,,sparrow4 ,a restless little ,house-sparrow would seem an unlikely bird to become tame1 but ,i have heard of one which was rescued1 having fallen from his nest1 and lived for two years on the happiest terms with his master1 who says of his pet bird2 ,he was only confined to his cage during the morning3 from midday until the next morning he was free to go about the house1 but was of course mostly kept to one room4 ,he always slept at the foot of my bed1 and as soon as it was daylight he would come up and creep into my arms1 and nestle there till ,i rose4444 ,i fed him on seed and sand1 but he had food with me besides1 such as a little potato at dinner-time1 and bread and butter at tea-time4 ,does this account of a tame sparrow encourage you to try to attach one of these little birds to yourself8 ,i am afraid it would not be possible unless1 as in the case of this birdie1 it was one taken from the nest4 ,the poem about birds' nests tells only of those made by our home-birds1 but we can read of wonderful nests made by those in foreign countries4 ,perhaps the most clever nest-builder is a tiny ,indian bird1 called the ,tailor1 because it actually sews leaves together1 using both its bill and its feet1 to make a safe hiding-place for its eggs1 no bigger than peas1 where neither snake nor monkey shall find them4 ,it first chooses a plant with large leaves1 then sews a dead leaf to the side of the green and living one1 and in the space between the two1 it lays its tiny eggs4 ,it gathers cotton from a shrub1 and with its long bill and slender little feet works away until it has spun a thread2 then1 using its bill for a needle1 it pierces holes through the leaves1 and sews them securely together4 ,should you not like to see such a wonderful nest1 and still more to watch the little tailor--more like a bee than a bird in size--at his work8 ,illustration3 ,,tailor-,,bird',s ,,nest ,i will tell you of one more nest2 it is of a very different kind1 and is made by a swallow which lives in the islands east of ,asia1 and is generally called the ,java swallow4 ,the other day ,i was reading how one of our princes was entertained in ,china1 and among the dishes on the table birds'-nest soup was mentioned4 ,it made me think of how1 long ago 7when1 as ,i told you1 ,i was so foolish as not to like to ask questions1 for fear the grown-up people should think ,i knew nothing at all71 ,i heard of this kind of soup1 and thought how disagreeable it must be to meet with bits of hay and moss in one's soup1 and what queer people the ,chinese must be not to mind it4 ,now ,i know that these nests1 which are sold in ,china for their weight in silver1 are made of a clear jelly which comes from the swallow's mouth4 ,the nests are built against the sides of rocky cliffs1 so that it is very dangerous work to procure them4 ,i do not know whether the ,duke and ,duchess of ,connaught liked the soup1 but it was offered them as a very great delicacy4 ,chrissie and his brothers have a canary1 and a very loud singer he is4 ,no doubt he was born in ,england4 but his family are foreigners1 as you know1 and come from ,madeira and the ,cape ,verde and ,canary ,islands4 ,but if1 as ,i have heard1 they were brought to this country so long ago as the time of ,queen ,elizabeth1 we cannot be surprised that they are so much at home with us now1 and will lay their pale blue eggs1 and hatch their yellow broods1 and live even thirty years in their pretty cages1 in which they certainly seem to be as happy as the days are long4 ,i hope if you have a canary of your own1 you are very careful to give it its seed and water quite regularly1 and to keep its little house as clean as a new pin2 for how sad it would be to neglect the happy little creature who is entirely dependent upon you for everything6 ,i once knew a little girl who had a present of a canary when she was seven years old4 ,i think she was realty too young to have the care of a bird1 but she was very1 very fond of her ,dick1 and used to bring him home groundsel and chickweed when she went out for a walk1 and often had the pleasure of standing upon a high chair and putting a lump of sugar between the bars of the cage as a special treat for her pet4 ,all went well until one morning1 when she opened the cage door and saw1 instead of the pretty1 pecking1 chirping birdie hopping from his perch to greet her1 just a soft yellow ball of feathers lying at the bottom of the cage4 ,ah1 the sad story was soon told--her pet had been starved to death1 and she had been the cause6 ,this was what nurse told her1 when she ran sobbing to her with the poor dead bird in her little hand4 ,it is very cruel of you1 she said2 you just went to your play1 and forgot all about your poor little ,dick1 and now he is dead2 you will never hear him sing his sweet song again4 ,the poor child was too sorry and too frightened to say anything1 and yet in her heart she knew she had not forgotten her birdie2 she was quite sure that she had filled his glass with seed and given him fresh water1 only the day before4 ,this was quite true2 but ,i will tell you what she had done1 and then you will see why ,i said ,i thought she was too young to have the entire charge of any living creature4 ,after filling the glass with seed1 she had put it back again1 as she thought1 into its place1 where there was a round opening for the bird to come and peck at the seeds4 ,but she had turned the glass round1 so that the back of it was towards this hole1 and the open part right away from her poor ,dick1 who might peck and peck against the hard glass1 but could not get one seed4 ,i think if nurse had known just how it all happened1 she would not have said this little girl was cruel for neglecting her bird2 but she was a very careless child1 and this thoughtless act cost her pet his life1 and his mistress many a bitter tear4 ,now for one more true story1 and then we must finish our chapter about feathered fowl4 ,you remember the little girl who was so nearly carried off by a great eagle2 this story is about a man whose life was saved by an enormous sea-bird1 whose wings when spread out measure about twelve feet across4 ,it is called the ,wandering ,albatross1 and often follow ships in the southern seas a long way1 looking very beautiful and majestic as it seems to float in the air4 ,one of these huge birds had been following a ship on board of which was a regiment of soldiers1 on their way home to ,england4 ,among them was one man1 who1 though he seemed to care for nobody1 and always laughed at those who read the ,bible1 was very1 very unhappy4 ,god's word says that there is no peace to the wicked1 and this poor man never had any rest or comfort1 and was constantly disobeying the officers and getting into disgrace4 ,he had no fear of ,god1 and so one morning1 when no one was near him1 he suddenly jumped over the ship's side into the sea1 thinking that he would put an end to his life and his misery4 ,but just as he sank beneath the waters1 ,god put it into the heart of this poor sinner against his own soul1 to cry to ,him for mercy2 and then in a moment1 in ,his great kindness1 ,he sent the answer to that despairing cry4 ,the great albatross1 always ready to pick up anything which was thrown overboard by the sailors came sweeping by4 ,the drowning man put up his hand and caught it by the leg1 and such was the strength of the bird that it was able to bear his weight until a boat from the ship came and rescued him4 ,i do not think ,i should like to tell you this story1 which has such a dark and sad beginning1 but for its bright ending4 ,it was a long time before this poor soldier recovered2 but when he was able to walk about the deck again1 all was changed for him4 ,he knew that ,god had not only1 in this remarkable way1 saved him from drowning1 but there was great peace in that heart which had been so full of trouble2 for he had learned to know the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as the blessed ,saviour who had loved him and given ,himself for him--so ,i think this is really a very beautiful story4 ,you will find many of the ,flying ,fowl of which we have been speaking mentioned in this poem1 which reminds us of how ,god cares for the wildest as well as the weakest of them all4 ,,who ,,provided ,,for ,,the ,,raven ,,his ,,food8 ,all the world lay still and silent in the morning grey1 ,and at once a thousand voices hail the glorious day2 ,for the great ,sun1 glowing crimson1 rises o'er the sea-- ',welcome ,day6' they sing together1 ',day that is to be6' ,oh1 how glad and sweet and joyous is that morning hymn6 ,whilst the golden day is stealing through the valleys dim-- ,thrush and blackbird1 lark and linnet1 doves that coo and hum ,wild delight and soft rejoicing1 for the day is come4 ,not a thought1 of care or wonder what the day will bring1 ,for the ,father careth for them in the smallest thing4 ,there upon the pathless mountains is their table spread1 ,all by ,god are known and numbered1 by ,his hands are fed4 ,some in deep and tangled forests where the berries glow1 ,some1 where children's crumbs are scattered on the garden snow1 ,some where1 through the river sedges1 ,mayflies glance and play1 ,some where mountain tarns lie gleaming in the hollows grey4 ,for the wild and hungry eagle1 for the wren so small1 ,all is ready--food and gladness1 free to each and all4 ,,frances ,,bevan4 ,taken by permission1 from ,hymns by ,ter ,steegen and others4 ,second ,series4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,day4 ,,creeping ,,things4 ,his hand hath formed the crooked serpent4--,,job xxvi4 #ac4 ,the ,lord thy ,god 444 who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness1 wherein were fiery serpents1 and scorpions4--,,deuteronomy viii4 #ae4 ,the wolf and the lamb shall feed together1 and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock3 and dust shall be the serpent's meat4 ,they shall not hurt nor destroy in all ,my holy mountain1 saith the ,lord4--,,isaiah lxv4 #be4 ,the creeping things which ,god caused the earth to bring forth on the ,fifth ,day are so unlike each other in many respects that we might at first sight wonder that they should have been grouped together2 but the more we study ,reptiles--so called from the ,latin word reptilis1 creeping--the more we see that there are many things which this great family of vertebrate animals have in common4 ,there are four chief divisions of the ,reptile family--,tortoises and ,turtles1 ,crocodiles1 ,lizards1 and ,snakes4 ,most reptiles have a tail and two pairs of limbs1 but1 as you know1 ,snakes are destitute of limbs1 and seem to move along by a motion from inside1 so that they have been said to walk on their ribs4 ,serpents are covered with horny scales2 ,crocodiles and ,tortoises have a bony covering4 ,the ,tortoise--so called from its twisted feet1 or its crooked way of walking--has1 as you know1 an upper and an under shell which covers its body like a coat of mail1 protecting it from every enemy except man4 ,this strong shell is1 like that of the snail1 a house for the tortoise to live in2 but this house is formed by arched bones1 and is part of the creature itself4 ,the four feet of the tortoise or turtle1 and a curious mouth rather like the beak of a bird--without teeth1 but with jaws hard enough to make a bite from it very painful--and a little scaly tail2 these are the only parts of the animal not covered by the shields of its bony shells4 ,the ,lizard has both limbs and teeth1 but no shell4 ,lizards are wonderfully active1 darting away at the least alarm1 so that it is not easy to catch them4 ,we may think of the ,crocodile of the ,african1 and the ,alligator of the ,north ,american rivers1 as enormous lizards2 though they are now placed in a class by themselves1 on account of their horny covering1 which is so strong that it is almost impossible to pierce through it1 and so smooth that a bullet will glance off from it4 ,serpents have neither shell nor limbs4 ,their vertebr1 as you will see1 if you look at any skeleton of a snake in the ,museum1 fit very beautifully one into the other2 and owing to this they are able to glide swiftly along the ground1 to coil their shining length round trees1 and to dart their heads in every direction4 ,in one respect ,tortoises1 ,lizards1 and ,serpents are alike--they all lay eggs1 only the shell is not made of lime and earth1 but is soft like leather4 ,they are also cold-blooded animals1 like fish4 ,of tortoises1 some live on land1 some in marshy places1 some in rivers2 turtles live in the sea1 their lungs being so made as to enable them to remain under water without breathing4 ,the common tortoise1 often kept in gardens1 is found in the south of ,europe1 and is generally not more than nine inches long4 ,its upper shield is exceedingly strong4 ,my brothers and sisters and ,i used often to stand upon the back of a pet tortoise which lived in our garden2 it did not seem to feel our weight1 but ,i remember finding it no easy matter to keep my feet together upon its smooth back1 and none of us could perform this feat unless the tortoise was pleased to stand still while we balanced ourselves upon him4 ,i can1 in imagination1 see this little tortoise of ours now1 not larger than a crab such as you see at the fishmonger's1 with its short legs and feet1 and its little tail1 all covered with scales1 sticking out between its upper and under shells4 ,how we used to laugh1 when we saw him draw in his head and feet under the shelter of the shell3 the only sign he gave of being annoyed at all our pranks6 ,we were told that our tortoise might not die for a hundred years1 and ,i have heard that some have been known to live twice that time2 it is a slow sort of life1 but we must not forget that1 in the poem about the ,hare and the ,tortoise1 it was slow and steady that won the race4 ,i cannot remember that we ever gave our tortoise anything to eat2 it must have catered for itself in the garden where it was so fond of burrowing and hiding away1 that we had many a hunt for it when it was supposed to be lost4 ,mr4 ,wood speaks of a small one which he used to feed with bread and milk4 ,he kept it1 not in a garden1 but in his own room1 where its favourite place was the rug3 for it enjoyed the heat so much1 that it made many attempts1 with its short legs and heavy shell1 to climb over the fender in order to get nearer to the fire4 ,i don't remember that our tortoise ever made any noise2 but this one1 shortly before it died1 went about mewing like a young kitten4 ,far from living to be a hundred1 ,mr4 ,wood's pet died so soon that he had no opportunity of seeing whether it would in time get to know him2 but a story is told of a tortoise who did take a fancy to one person1 and1 though he would attend to no one else1 would come creeping along at her call1 and tap the boot of his favourite with his beak1 in token1 we may suppose1 of his regard4 ,one lady1 who had a long-standing acquaintance with a tortoise1 having fed him for thirty years1 said he would come to her1 and to no one else2 which looked rather like cupboard love1 you will say4 ,you may have often admired the tortoise-shell of which combs are made1 with its beautiful wavy lines and markings2 it is taken from the outside of the shell of the turtle or sea-tortoise1 which is caught not only for the sake of its shell1 but because its flesh is so good to eat4 ,you may perhaps have seen1 as ,i have1 a small turtle at the door of a shop1 and wondered where it came from1 and what brought it there4 ,you may be quite sure that it has come a long way1 and that the poor creature is soon to be made into soup4 ,very awkward it looks1 poor thing2 for its proper home is in the water1 and not on the hard pavement2 its feet are rather like fins1 so that it may be able to make its way rapidly through the water1 and it only comes ashore to make its nest in the sand1 where it scoops out a great hole with its paddle-like feet1 and then covering its eggs over safely1 leaves them for the sun to hatch4 ,i have heard that as many as two hundred eggs have been found in one of these sand-nests2 but not all laid by one turtle2 for those who hunt for the eggs have watched a crowd of animals come ashore1 and have seen one of them dig a deep pit with its broad paws1 lay its eggs1 and cover them over2 then another has done the same1 until there have been several layers of eggs3 such a nest is a lucky find2 for turtle eggs are said to be delicious food1 though some ,i tasted were very strong and nasty4 ,illustration3 ,,turtle4 ,the turtles common in ,jamaica1 and other islands of the ,west and ,east ,indies1 are great creatures five or six feet long1 but they are not difficult to capture1 for when once they have been turned over on their backs1 the shell is so heavy that they cannot1 owing to the shortness of their legs1 turn themselves back again1 but lie helpless on the sand4 ,of ,lizards1 the second division of the ,reptile group1 ,i doubt if you have seen any1 except in the ,reptile-house at the ,zoo2 for although there are two kinds of these active little creatures in our country1 they do not often court our society4 ,the common lizard1 about six inches long1 with very bright eyes1 has a tail which is so brittle1 that if you were to catch hold of it1 it would break right off1 and its late owner would dart away to its hiding-place1 leaving the old tail in your hand2 itself growing a new one4 ,the ,sand-lizard1 also found in ,england1 is about twice the length of the common lizard3 it lives on sandy heaths1 and like the turtle1 lays its eggs in the sand1 to be hatched by the sun4 ,but neither of our lizards is so pretty as the little green one so common in the warmer countries of ,europe4 ,it may be seen on walls1 or by the wayside1 basking in the sunshine1 and now and then darting at a fly4 ,the whole species are1 like the butterflies1 summer creatures1 and hide themselves safely underground before winter comes4 ,in the ,reptile-house of the ,zoological ,gardens1 ,i have often stood to look at the largest kind of lizard2 for the ,crocodile1 that huge animal with its green glaring eyes1 and its armour made of bony plates with sharp ridges1 is but an overgrown lizard4 ,if you wish to form some idea of what it is most like1 you can look at one of the beautiful little newts which live in some pond or ditch near you1 and fancy it magnified many1 many times1 and then you will not have a bad notion of the crocodile1 the lizard of ,africa1 or of the ,cayman or ,alligator1 the great lizard of the ,new ,world4 ,illustration3 ,,crocodile4 ,the word crocodile means a creature which dislikes saffron2 so it would be of no use1 ,i suppose1 for us to offer that lazy-looking animal floating in his tank1 looking as lifeless as the trunk of a tree1 with his nose and a little ridge of his mail-clad back alone appearing above the water1 a saffron bun--to say nothing of his being a creature whose appearance does not seem to invite us to come to close quarters1 or to hold any communication with him4 ,but we have little idea of what these enormous reptiles are really like1 when we see them so far away from their native haunts4 ,it is thought by some that the leviathan1 spoken of in the book of ,job1 whose teeth are terrible round about1 is the crocodile2 for its mouth is larger than that of any other animal1 and is armed with very sharp teeth4 ,dr4 ,smith tells ,footnote3 ,nile1 ,dictionary of the ,bible1 p4 #fba4 us that crocodiles were once so plentiful in the ,east1 that the great river of ,egypt swarmed with them1 and the ,egyptians1 who made almost everything into a god1 worshipped them and made mummies of them1 as they did of birds1 cats1 and snakes4 ,i have often thought that when the mother of ,moses long ago laid that child who was fair to ,god in his bulrush cradle among the reeds by the river's bank1 her heart must almost have failed her as she remembered the terrible crocodiles2 but she had faith in ,god1 and ,he suffered no wild beast to molest that little ark4 ,the crocodile feeds upon fish1 and any animals which he can catch1 when they come to the banks of the ,nile and other ,african rivers to drink4 ,though it is clumsy in its movements on land1 it makes its way swiftly through the water by means of its tail2 sometimes it opens its terrible jaws1 gives a great yawn1 and then shuts them again with a sound which is heard far away4 ,mr4 ,arnot1 a missionary in the heart of ,africa1 tells us that the crocodiles in the great river ,zambesi drag the game which they catch under water1 and so drown them1 and then hide them under the river's banks4 ,he says1 ,i used to watch these animals come up with perhaps a quarter of an antelope1 and by firing at their heads ,i compelled them to drop their supper1 ,which my men picked up from their boats4 ,the crocodiles' eggs are about the size of goose-eggs1 and are said to be good to eat4 ,herodotus1 the ,father of ,history1 tells a curious story about the crocodile and the ,nile bird4 ,he says1 ,when the crocodile takes his food in the ,nile1 the interior of its mouth is always covered with flies4 ,all birds with one exception flee from the crocodile3 but this one bird1 the ,nile bird1 far from avoiding it1 flies towards the reptile with the greatest eagerness1 and renders it a very essential service4 ,every time the crocodile goes on shore to sleep1 and at the moment when it lies extended1 with open jaws1 the ,nile bird enters the mouth of the terrible animal and delivers it from the flies that it finds there4 ,the crocodile shows its recognition of the service by never harming the bird4 ,i have heard that the flies which molest the crocodile are gnats1 and their devourer a kind of plover4 ,near ,karachi1 in ,india1 there is a swamp caused by hot springs1 which is inhabited by crocodiles4 ,there are over two hundred in the tank1 which has been walled in1 as they are considered sacred creatures4 ,buffaloes stand in the water unharmed1 but any other animal which came within reach would be instantly devoured4 ,a rash young ,englishman once made the tour of this tank1 alive with crocodiles1 by walking on their horny backs6 ,alligator is only the ,spanish name for all lizards1 so called in allusion to their having legs like arms4 ,the great ,american lizard1 known by this name1 is not so large as the crocodile2 it loves heat1 and will bury itself in the mud in cold weather4 ,it feeds mostly upon fish1 and will drive them before it in a shoal1 until they have got into some creek or narrow bend of the river1 and then stun them by blows of its great tail4 ,mr4 ,waterton1 who knew the ,south ,american rivers so well1 tells us that he once came upon what he thought a pretty sight--a number of young alligators1 about a foot long1 playing about on the sand like so many rabbits4 ,he also tells a story1 which might have had a sad ending1 saying ,footnote3 ,life of ,charles ,waterton1 p4#ef that when he was anxious to secure an alligator1 which he much wished to stuff1 with its tough skin uninjured1 he would not allow his men to shoot at him1 but actually jumped upon his horny back and rode him along the sandy river-bank until the poor creature was tired out1 and the daring rider secured his prize4 ,i daresay yon would like to see the picture which one of his friends made of him1 riding upon his dangerous steed4 ,we may form some idea of this naturalist's feat from what he tells us in another part of his book about his wanderings4 ,one ,sunday afternoon1 he says1 when a good many people were standing about on the banks of the ,orinoco1 never dreaming of danger1 a great ,cayman came suddenly out of the river1 seized a man1 and carried him off beneath the water1 so that he was seen no more4 ,how sad it would have been had ,waterton shared a similar fate1 in his effort to get the alligator's skin6 ,life is a precious gift from ,god1 and no one has a right to risk his life in a rash foolhardiness1 which is very different from the true courage which does not shrink from facing danger if the life of one more helpless than himself is in peril4 ,but while we know that no one has a right to give up his life unless at ,god's desire1 and that it is wicked in ,his sight for anyone to risk losing his life unless at ,god's command1 we must not forget that there is no risk for those who count not their lives dear to them for ,christ's sake4 ,he spoke some solemn words about loving and hating life1 which ,his servants should ever remember4 ,you will be interested to know that the alligators' eggs are laid in a nest made of grass on the banks of a stream1 and that they often travel for miles across forest or prairie from one stream to another4 ,the nest is raised higher and higher by a fresh layer of grass1 cut with the great water-lizard's sharp teeth1 every time more eggs are laid1 until it is as high as a cock of hay4 ,the eggs take a month to hatch2 but as soon as the young alligators are out of the shell1 they are quite able to run about and get their own living4 ,a gentleman who was looking after some building in a lonely part of ,south ,america1 ,where on the mighty river banks1 ,la ,platte and ,amazon1 ,the ,cayman1 like an old tree trunk1 ,lies basking in the sun4 caught a baby-alligator1 and made it so tame that it would follow him about the house like a dog4 ,it must have been a strange sight to see this little creature1 born in a rushy swamp1 scrambling upstairs after his master2 but stranger still to see him lying on the rug before the fire1 with his head resting upon the cat1 of whom he had become so fond that he was restless and uncomfortable when she was not near him4 ,he was fed on raw meat and milk1 and was shut up in cold weather1 like the tame swallow1 in a box lined with wool2 but1 alas6 one frosty night the poor little pet was forgotten1 and next morning found him dead1 killed by the cold4 ,how often we find that the stories of pet animals1 especially wild ones which have been made unnaturally tame1 have had a sad ending6 ,the ,blind-worm1 so called from its small eyes--and yet these tiny eyes are brighter than some larger ones--is a kind of lizard without legs1 and is1 on that account1 sometimes included in the ,snake-family4 ,we may come upon it in hot weather1 among the furze bushes upon the common1 or the stones of some old ruin4 ,it feeds upon a little grey slug1 and is like the common lizard in being so brittle that you can hardly take hold of it without breaking it4 ,there is one more lizard which ,i have seen next door to the crocodile tank at the ,zoo3 a very curious little animal1 almost of the same colour as the stick along which it walks1 so slowly and silently that you may stand and watch it for some time without being sure that it is moving at all2 though its eyes1 which can move in different directions at the same moment1 and its long thin tongue1 so clever at catching the insects on which it feeds1 are constantly in motion2 but for its eyes and tongue1 the ,chameleon looks as if it were as dead as the withered branch to which it clings4 ,the name of this lizard means ,ground-lion1 but it is very unlike the king of beasts both in appearance and disposition4 ,the chameleon is found in ,spain1 in ,sicily1 and in ,syria2 its home is in the branches of trees4 ,many stories used to be told of the way in which it would change colour1 not exactly by blushing like a human creature1 but by becoming green1 yellow1 and even black when angry or calm1 or when in sunshine or shade2 but naturalists who have kept a careful watch upon it do not believe that all that has been said about this is true4 ,there seems to be no doubt1 however1 that it changes its colour according to its surroundings--a means of protection given to a creature otherwise very defenceless4 ,illustration3 ,a lizard's body1 lean and long1 ,a fish's head1 a serpent's tongue4 ,serpents--so called from a word which means that which creeps--are constantly used in the ,bible as emblems of deceit and treachery4 ,the words1 ,more subtle than any beast of the field1 may well come to our minds as we watch a serpent1 with its limbless body1 winding along with that soft1 gliding motion to which we have given the name snake-like4 ,in the serpent's eyes1 too1 though they are often so beautiful that we cannot but admire them1 there is some of this same dangerous subtlety--an untrust--worthiness which makes us shrink from looking at them4 ,there are many varieties of this large family2 some1 like the rattlesnake1 cannot climb or swim1 but crawl along the ground1 the terror of unwary travellers who may tread upon them in the dim forest-paths2 others are ,water-snakes2 some1 like the ,boa and ,python1 are dreaded1 although not venomous1 because1 of their enormous strength1 and power of crushing their victims in their close embrace2 others1 like the ,cobra1 for their deadly bite2 while many--we might almost say most--snakes are quite harmless1 for it has been reckoned that not more than one in ten is venomous2 and none but the giants of this family are dangerous1 except for their poisoned bite4 ,the skin of serpents is covered with what are called false scales1 which do not overlap each other like those of the fishes1 but only seem to do so2 and these scales are said to help them to move along rapidly4 ,most of them are beautifully marked and spotted1 and some shine like gold in the sun1 while others have pale1 soft tints2 but these lovely colours fade in death1 just as those of fish do2 so that a snake in all its glittering beauty can only be seen when alive4 ,they often change their skins1 creeping out of the old and appearing ready-dressed in the new4 ,a traveller along the banks of the ,nile has often found these cast-off skins in the fields2 they are always turned inside out1 for the old skin1 which is very soft1 folds back as the snake slips out of it4 ,illustration3 ,,spotted ,,snakes ,i suppose the first thought of all of us1 on finding a snake in the grass1 would be1 ,is it a venomous one8 ,so ,i think you will like to know that poisonous snakes are rare in ,europe2 and ,mr4 ,wood ,footnote3 ,natural ,history p4 #eba4 tells us that the ,viper1 which is our only venomous serpent1 is one of those least dangerous to life1 although far from a friend to those who shrink from pain4 ,it may be known by dark spots down the back4 ,when we speak of venomous serpents1 we mean those whose bite is to be dreaded1 because it conveys a tiny drop of poison1 which mingles with the blood1 and often causes intense anguish1 ending in death4 ,in poisonous serpents1 the venom lies in a little bag at the root of a long sharp tooth1 pierced by a narrow tunnel1 through which1 at the moment when the bite is given1 the poison flows into the wound4 ,if these poison-fangs--one on each side--are taken out1 the bite of the most dangerous serpents becomes harmless4 ,the ,indian serpent-charmers of whom you have heard know this1 and before they allow themselves to be bitten by the deadly cobras1 with which they are so fond of playing their feats of jugglery1 are careful to extract their sharp poison-fangs4 ,snakes seem to have a higher degree of intelligence than is possessed by reptiles generally1 and they can be trained to be as playful and friendly as kittens2 as you will allow when you have heard a story which ,i have read1 about some tame serpents which lived in a cupboard1 and were allowed to crawl about a gentleman's drawing-room and lie coiled up on the tables and in the arm-chairs--besides being on the most familiar terms with his children4 ,but we were speaking just now of the ,viper1 and you remember in the account of the ,apostle ,paul's stay at ,malta how the people who had been so kind to the shipwrecked company looked at him when the viper crept out of the bundle of sticks which he had gathered and laid on the fire1 and fastened on his hand8 ,they expected that he would have swollen--for that is one of the effects of the poison--or fallen down dead suddenly2 but the ,lord ,jesus1 when ,he was on earth1 said to ,his disciples1 ,behold1 ,i give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions1 and over all the power of the enemy3 and nothing shall by any means hurt you4 ,and when ,he was going back to ,his ,father1 ,he said to those who believed on ,him1 ,in ,my name 444 they shall take up serpents2 so we are not surprised that ,his servant shook off the beast into the fire1 and felt no harm4 ,we must not forget1 that although ,god may now allow what we call a violent death to come to one of ,his children1 whether by the bite of a serpent or by some accident1 nothing can possibly happen to them by chance2 and whatever dangers ,he allows them to fall into or saves them from--all that comes is the very best for them that could happen3 because we know that all things work together for good to them that love ,god4 ,though you may admire the spotted snakes at a safe distance1 in their cages1 ,i know you will not be sorry to hear that in ,england we have but two kinds--the ,ringed or ,grass snake1 which has no poison-fangs1 and is perfectly harmless1 feeding upon the frogs which it finds in the marshy places which are its home1 and upon mice and young birds2 and the common ,viper or ,adder1 which has two poison-fangs1 but is not ready to use them1 unless it is trodden on1 or otherwise provoked4 ,this snake is found in woods1 and is fond of basking in the sun4 ,it hatches its young before their birth2 so that the viper's brood have not to make their way out of the shell before they can run about4 ,it is sad that dogs1 and sometimes children1 have been killed by its bite2 but it has not generally been fatal to men4 ,these snakes are fond of cream1 and will wind their way into the dairy1 and skim the milk-pans1 and sometimes visit hen-roosts1 and suck the eggs4 ,the most terrible of the venomous snakes are the ,cobra of ,india--called by a ,portuguese name1 which means hooded2 a very grand-looking serpent1 which holds its head high1 and gives a loud hiss as it rises to strike its prey2 and the ,rattlesnake of ,south ,america4 ,the ,cobra de ,capello is a land-serpent1 but can swim1 and climb trees4 ,it is treated with great respect in ,egypt and ,india2 and the people of ,ceylon say that it belongs to another world1 but has come to pay them a visit4 ,they worship it in their temples1 and their priests feed it with sugar and milk1 and never allow it to be killed4 ,i believe serpents are not now worshipped in ,egypt2 but they once were4 ,they are constantly represented upon ,egyptian monuments1 which are as old as the time when the children of ,israel were in ,egypt2 and on one of them may be seen three men1 who are being offered as sacrifices to a serpent which is represented coiled around the seat of the sceptred king1 as if protecting him4 ,the cobra loves music2 and it is upon these serpents especially that the snake-charmers like to show their skill4 ,they take them about1 coiled up in baskets4 ,when the performance is to begin1 the lid of the basket is opened1 and the charmer1 seated on the ground1 begins to play upon his pipe4 ,instantly the beautiful snake lifts its head1 expands its hood--a loose skin about the neck which it makes large or small at pleasure--and creeps out1 waving its body gracefully while the music lasts1 and when it ceases1 dropping down again into the basket4 ,some people have power to charm serpents2 ,i have read a story of a man who1 by his music cleared a house of the snakes which infested it2 having got into the empty rooms1 and hidden themselves in the crevices in the walls4 ,it was a strange sight to see them creep from their hiding-places at the sound of the pipe2 but sometimes serpents are deaf both to the voice and music of the charmer--like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear2 which will not hearken to the voice of charmers1 charming never so wisely to which ,david compares the wicked4 ,since the bite of the cobra is so deadly1 it is well that travellers are not likely to meet it2 for in the day-time it sleeps in the depths of the forest1 gliding silently out at night in search of food4 ,the bold naturalist1 of whose alligator-ride you have heard1 says that he never saw any snake pursue a retreating prey2 so that when a man1 threading the mazes of a forest1 sees a serpent gliding towards him1 he has but to turn into a side path1 and be safe4 ,but if a snake is trodden upon1 or otherwise roused to anger1 it will dart forward upon its enemy1 in self-defence2 also1 if one of the enormous snakes comes upon a man1 it may seize him before he has time to run away4 ,waterton1 however1 did not know what fear was2 and instead of being paralysed with terror at the sight of serpents1 once ,footnote3 ,life of ,charles ,waterton1 p4 #ee4 caught a large one1 the ,bush master1 and holding it by the throat so as to make it impossible for it to bite1 walked home with its folds coiled round him4 ,he showed his courage at another time quite as much by rescuing a little bird out of the very mouth of a snake in a tree1 as by the famous alligator exploit4 ,illustration3 ,,rattlesnake4 ,the ,rattlesnake of ,south ,america takes its name from its warning rattle1 a sound made by some loose bones at the end of its tail1 which knock together when it moves1 and so give fair warning of such a dangerous foe being in the neighbourhood4 ,its bite has been known to cause death in two minutes1 and when it does not kill immediately1 it produces a dreadful burning feeling all over the body4 ,horses and dogs show very great terror if they see these snakes2 but the country folk are not so much afraid of them as you would expect1 for they know that it is the habit of the ,rattlesnake to glide away at the sound of footsteps1 and as long as the warning sound is heard1 they feel safe4 ,if the rattle is silent1 it means danger1 for the snake is about to spring4 ,a ,frenchman tells us that he once disturbed a mother rattlesnake1 and saw it coil itself up1 open its mouth wide1 and allow the five little ones which were lying beside it to glide in1 and hide themselves there4 ,he was very much interested1 and waited behind a tree to see what would happen next4 ,in about a quarter of an hour he saw the little snakes come out again2 but when he once more showed himself1 they hid as before1 and the mother quickly glided out of sight4 ,the ,puff-adder of ,africa1 when roused1 will breathe in air and puff itself out to an extraordinary extent4 ,being1 like all these cold-blooded creatures1 very fond of warmth1 it often comes at night to fires made by herdsmen or travellers2 and so it happened that a traveller in ,south ,africa1 sleeping soundly one night beside the fire1 wrapped in his cloak1 was awakened by a weight on his chest1 and found to his horror that a puff-adder had coiled itself up inside his shirt4 ,his first thought was to seize the unwelcome visitor and throw it from him1 but remembering that it probably would only injure him if disturbed1 he had the presence of mind to let it remain in the warm nest it had found for itself1 until1 roused by a light1 it slowly uncoiled itself and crept away4 ,of the serpents which are dreaded--not for their bite1 for they have no poison-fangs--but for their great strength and daring1 and for the way in which they coil round their victims1 crushing them to death in their terrible embrace--the most dangerous are the ,python of the ,old ,world1 and the ,boa-constrictor of the ,new4 ,in one respect all serpents are boa-constrictors1 for a very small one has been seen in the act of thus crushing a bird2 but the great boa which inhabits tropical ,america is a giant1 which has been known to swallow even a buffalo whole1 after it has crushed it to mummy1 and broken all its bones4 ,boas can swim and climb2 they will catch fish as they come near the surface of the water1 and drag them ashore2 or hang by their tails from some forest tree1 and thus lie in wait to seize any animal which may be passing4 ,they are now very shy of men1 and not much feared by them2 but these great snakes used to be worshipped as gods by the people of ,mexico1 and some of their serpent-idols have been found in ancient temples--showing how much they were once dreaded2 for it is the habit of men to worship what they greatly fear4 ,the ,python1 a snake very like the boa1 is an object of horror to the people of ,south ,africa2 yet they are unwilling to destroy it1 because they believe it has an awful power1 and say that no one has ever been known to injure a python1 without being severely punished in some mysterious way4 ,i have read an account of an adventure which a ,dutchman had with one of these serpents1 which ,i must tell you1 because of the part played in it by his little dog4 ,you shall have the story in his own words3--,i had in my cabin a large and strong cage1 enclosing a python of considerable size1 but which appeared to be dull and inanimate4 ,we were lying off the coast of ,borneo1 where ,i was detained for some days4 ,when ,i came again on board1 ,i had not taken many steps before my little dog seized me by the trousers and endeavoured to hold me fast4 ,i shook him off and proceeded1 when the dog seized me again1 and ,i again roughly forced him from me4 ,at this juncture my attention was directed to several hatchet-marks on the deck1 and ,i instantly inquired the meaning4 ,the answer was1 ',the snake1 sir6 the snake is loose6' ,and so it proved4 ,the reptile had cast his slough1 and assumed with renewed beauty all its natural energy4 ,it had forced itself out of the cage1 and after doing some damage below1 found its way to the deck1 spreading consternation among the men2 by whom1 as it appeared1 it had been slightly wounded1 hatchets having been used for its destruction4 ,hence the marks on the deck1 and hence the fear of the dog1 and its anxiety to detain me from advancing into danger4 ,with some precaution ,i proceeded to the spot where the snake was said to have ensconsed himself1 and soon observed him lying in coils4 ,the instant he saw me1 he raised up full half of his length1 and glancing around as if uncertain whether to attack or fly1 commenced a succession of violent undulatory movements1 the head alternately towering aloft and touching the deck4 ,at last1 spying an opportunity1 he dashed along with inconceivable rapidity to the other end of the vessel1 whither he was pursued2 again he displayed the undulations as described1 and again darted to another part of the deck4 ,all felt excited1 not without a misgiving that some accident might take place4 ,in this manner the chase was continued1 the story goes on to say1 until the snake received its death-blow from a cutlass4 ,he measured seventeen feet4 ,i repented of my roughness to the dog1 thus his master concludes1 and he was henceforward a great favourite with the men1 who appreciated his fidelity and intelligence4 ,we read in the ,epistle of ,james that every kind of beasts1 and of birds1 and of serpents1 and of things in the sea1 is tamed1 and hath been tamed of mankind2 and ,i have read of some snakes kept as pets by an ,english family1 which were not only perfectly tame1 but seemed to be exceedingly fond of those to whom they belonged4 ,an artist named ,severn who visited this family says he found himself in company with a large boa-constrictor1 a python1 and several smaller snakes4 ,he felt a good deal alarmed when the master of the house was called out of the room1 and he was left with the boa--a great serpent as large round as a small tree--coiled on an arm-chair beside him4 ,presently two little girls came in with their mother2 they at once went to the boa1 calling the huge snake pet names1 and allowing it to twine itself around them4 ,he says1 ,the children over and over again took its head in their hands and kissed its mouth1 pushing aside its forked tongue in doing so4 ,the animal seemed much pleased1 but kept turning its head continually towards me with a curious gaze1 until ,i allowed it to nestle its head for a moment up my sleeve4 ,nothing could be prettier than to see this splendid serpent coiled all round ,mrs4 ,mann while she moved about the room1 and when she stood to pour out our coffee4 ,it was long before ,i could make up my mind to end the visit1 and ,i returned soon after with a friend to see my snake-taming acquaintance again4 ,the snakes seemed very obedient1 and remained in their cupboard when told to do so4 ,footnote3 ,romanes' ,animal ,intelligence1 pp4 #bfj1 #bfa4 ,although ,i tell you this strange story1 ,i do not think ,i should like to make a pet of any serpent1 however tame it might be2 because it was this creature1 more subtle than any beast of the field which the ,lord ,god had made--which that enemy of ,god and of the souls of men1 who is spoken of in the last book of the ,bible as that old serpent1 called the ,devil1 and ,satan1 which deceiveth the whole world1 used as an instrument1 when he came to tempt ,eve in the garden of ,eden4 ,the word ,eden means pleasure2 and when we were talking of that delightful place--that garden which ,god planted1 and where ,he put the man whom ,he had formed--the little ones were asked to tell all they knew about it4 ,leslie's answer was1 ,it was ,god's garden2 and ,eustace and ,dick told of the two trees which were there1 the tree of life also1 in the midst of the garden1 and the tree of knowledge of good and evil4 ,it was of this tree that ,sharley and ,chris spoke1 when they answered the question-- ,there was something in the ,garden of ,eden to remind ,adam and ,eve that they were ,god's creatures1 subject to ,him4 ,what was it8 ,it was the tree of knowledge of good and evil1 they said2 for the ,lord ,god commanded the man1 saying4 ,of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat3 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 thou shalt not eat of it3 for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die4 ,another question which the little boys had to answer was this-- ,what was the first sin8 ,when ,eve and ,adam plucked the fruit4 ,this was the answer given by all4 ,i want you to think about it4 ,adam and ,eve owed everything to ,god1 for ,he had created them in ,his own image2 and had blessed them1 and given them dominion over the fish of the sea1 and over the fowl of the air1 and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth1 and had put them in the beautiful garden which ,he had planted4 ,how dreadful that they should disobey the only command ,god gave them1 and thus sin against ,him6 ,but had not ,eve sinned against ,god1 even before she put out her hand and took of the fruit thereof1 and did eat2 and gave also unto her husband with her1 and he did eat8 ,chrissie said that when the serpent asked ,eve that question about what ,god had said1 she ought not to have taken any notice2 and ,sharley thought that the first beginning of the sin was listening to the serpent at all1 and that the devil now puts it into our hearts to ask1 ,is there any harm in doing it8 when he wants to make us listen to him1 and forget what ,god has said4 ,and then we all agreed that the way to answer ,satan is in ,scripture words4 ,i think ,sharley was right in saying that the first beginning of the sin in the ,garden of ,eden was when ,eve listened to the serpent--lent her ear to one who dared to ask such a question as ,hath ,god said8 ,the next step in the road which led away from ,god1 ,eve took when she answered that daring question2 the next1 when she believed the lie of the serpent1 instead of the word of ,god4 ,the devil is a liar1 and when he spoke to ,eve he tried to make her think that ,god was not so good to ,his creatures as ,he might be1 for ,he would not allow them to have the very best thing in the garden--that forbidden fruit4 ,the great enemy of ,god envied ,his creatures their happy place where they received everything from ,him1 and were dependent upon ,him for everything2 and ,god allowed the man and woman whom ,he had made1 to be proved2 and1 when weighed in the balance1 they were found ,,wanting4 ,and so we read in ,god's book how by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin2 and so death passed upon all men1 for that all have sinned4 ,as ,eve gave her confidence to the serpent1 she lost confidence in ,god1 and went on to believe that when ,god had said1 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die1 and the serpent said1 ,ye shall not surely die1 it was the serpent that spoke the truth4 ,how dreadful it was for ,god's creatures to look to the devil for happiness1 to give up ,god who created them1 and take ,satan for their master6 ,instead of happiness they found only shame and misery4 ,the serpent had said that their eyes should be opened1 and they should be as gods1 knowing good and evil4 ,we read1 ,and the eyes of them both were opened2 but ,god in ,his word tells us of those whose eyes the ,god of this world hath blinded4 ,they had no power to choose what was good2 and tried to hide away from ,god4 ,and so the first man was driven out of ,god's garden1 and there has never been any way back to it at all6 ,no way back to ,god either1 for ,adam or for his children1 except through ,christ1 the ,second ,man1 the ,lord from ,heaven4 ,it was of this wonderful way1 of ,him who is the ,way1 that ,god spoke when ,he told the serpent that the ,seed of the woman should bruise his head4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ was the ,seed1 the ,one who loved us and gave ,himself for us3 the ,one whom ,god so loved the world as to give1 that whosoever believes in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life2 the ,one who once suffered for sins1 the just for the unjust1 that ,he might bring us to ,god4 ,we have been learning something of how dreadful the bites of serpents are1 how full of deadly poison3 and we have been reading how1 by listening to the old serpent1 the poison of sin--having our own will1 and thinking hard thoughts of ,god--came into the hearts of ,god's creatures1 bringing sorrow1 and shame1 and death with it4 ,how beautiful that the righteous ,one in whom was no sin1 and who come to take away our sins1 should tell us that ,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of ,man be lifted up4 ,the serpent of brass was not kept in ,moses's tent2 it was lifted high1 for all to see it4 ,god1 who knew ,his people's sin1 and had sent those fiery serpents to bite them1 had ,himself told ,moses to make that serpent of brass1 and those who were bitten had only to look at it and live4 ,if they looked at their own hurt1 or at each other1 or at ,moses--all was of no avail2 but it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man1 when he beheld the serpent of brass1 he lived4 ,god--who knew that every one of us born into this world is born away from ,him1 and with the dreadful poison of sin1 like the serpent's bite1 in us--gave ,his only begotten ,son to be lifted up1 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,and ,he tells us to look at ,him and live1 just as the poor sinful people1 dying of the serpent's bite1 looked at the serpent of brass1 and their deadly wound was healed4 ,god has told us to look straight to ,his ,son1 dying for sin1 dying in our stead2 but it is not our looking that saves us1 it is the blessed ,saviour whose name is called ,jesus1 for ,he shall save ,his people from their sins4 ,i must not forget to tell you that many of the extinct animals whose skeletons are to be seen in museums belonged to the class of ,reptiles4 ,we read that ,god created great whales--or sea monsters--and remains have been found of enormous lizard-like creatures4 ,one has been called the ,fish-lizard2 it seems to have had a crocodile's head1 with a body like that of a small whale4 ,another had a long swan-like neck1 the body and tail of a quadruped1 and paddles like a turtle4 ,another1 called the ,winged-lizard1 had bat-like wings and dreadful jaws armed with numerous teeth4 ,all these ,saurians are believed to have frequented the sea or rivers2 but another called the ,great-lizard1 was a land-animal1 as was the ,forest-lizard1 and a monster kind of ,toad with very curiously formed teeth4 ,but no description will give you an idea of the size of these creatures1 though ,i may tell you that a party of gentlemen dined inside the body of one great extinct lizard at the ,crystal ,palace1 where models1 not very accurately made1 of the most remarkable ancient animals are to be seen4 ,i think my first thought when ,i see the actual remains of these old-world monsters1 with their terrible jaws1 is that of thankfulness that they have passed away from sea and land4 ,but we know that ,god who created them saw that it was good1 and in the ,book of ,job we may read ,his description of mighty and terrible creatures which show forth ,his power4 ,we were speaking of a monster toad whose fossil remains have been found2 and ,i must tell you that before we had done with the ,creeping ,things1 ,i was asked a difficult question4 ,to what class do the frogs and toads and newts belong8 ,are they ,vertebrate animals8 ,do they belong to the land or the water8 ,i said they certainly do belong to the great ,backboned family1 and are placed in a class by themselves1 as they are neither ,mammalia1 ,birds1 ,fishes1 nor ,reptiles1 properly speaking1 and are called ,amphibia1 because they live1 as it were1 a double life4 ,illustration3 ,,brown ,,frogs4 ,they have gills1 which enable them to breathe in water1 to begin with1 and lungs which enable them to breathe in air1 later on4 ,they are mostly without scales1 and do not need to drink1 because they imbibe moisture from the air through their soft damp skin4 ,when you see a frog hopping across your path1 you see a creature which has known many a change in its life1 for frogs are among those very interesting animals which undergo what are called metamorphoses4 ,we have met with this word before1 and may remember that it is used to express the change from one form to another which is wrought in some living creatures in the course of their growth4 ,i daresay you imagine as ,i once did1 that all young animals are like their parents1 only on a smaller scale2 for you see that a young horse1 or elephant1 or whale1 a pup or a kitten1 is at its birth in all respects just what it will be when full-grown1 only smaller4 ,so it is with the reptiles and the birds--the young ones1 when hatched1 are like the parents4 ,but in the case of frogs and newts1 and also most insects1 the young ones do not merely increase in size as they grow1 but pass from one stage of growth to another1 each different from the former1 until like the butterfly when it emerges from the chrysalis1 they reach what is called their perfect state--and these metamorphoses or changes are very curious and interesting indeed4 ,when ,master ,froggie was a young tadpole1 some pond or ditch was his home1 for he was an aquatic animal2 but now that he is full-grown he has passed into another way of living3 he breathes1 or rather swallows air1 and must1 as he swims about with his beautifully webbed feet1 come to the surface of the water now and then1 or he would die4 ,i am sure you know the frog well enough1 and you may even have heard the harsh croak from which it has its name1 as you have passed some damp meadow or weedy pond1 on a summer evening4 ,but ,i wonder whether you know frogs' eggs when you see them8 ,my brothers and ,i did not1 long ago1 when we used to fish with sticks in a pond by the cross-roads for what we called bunches of grapes6 ,the grapes were little balls of jelly with a tiny black spot in each1 and we never guessed that they were really eggs1 and that the little black spot in the slimy covering would one day actually turn into a live1 leaping1 croaking frog4 ,if we had had the patience to watch1 we should have seen that little black dot grow and grow1 until it seemed to have become a creature almost all tail1 with the head and body still only a tiny ball4 ,by-and-by we should have seen legs and feet begin to appear1 and as the legs grew longer1 the tail become shorter1 until it quite disappeared4 ,meanwhile1 other changes which we could not see would have taken place2 instead of the gills1 which made the tadpole a water-breather1 ,master ,froggie would have acquired lungs1 like any land animal2 the aquatic would have changed into an arial1 the herbivorous into a carnivorous creature1 so that we may well say it has lived two lives4 ,the beautiful little newts' life-history is much the same1 only that their transformation is not quite so complete1 for they never lose their lizard-like tails1 but remain little crocodiles to the end of the chapter4 ,be ye therefore merciful1 as your ,father who is in heaven is merciful4 ,turn1 turn thy hasty foot aside1 ,nor crush that helpless worm2 ,the frame thy wayward looks deride ,none but our ,god could form4 ,the common ,lord of all that move1 ,from whom thy being flow'd1 ,a portion of ,his boundless love ,on that poor worm bestow'd4 ,the light1 the air1 the dew ,he made ,to all ,his creatures free1 ,and spreads o'er earth the grassy blade ,for them as well as thee4 ,let them enjoy their little day1 ,their lowly bliss receive2 ,oh6 do not lightly take away ,the life thou can'st not give4 ,,gisborne4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,day4 ,,the ,,animal ,,world4 ,every beast of the forest is ,mine1 and the cattle upon a thousand hills4--,,psalm l4 #aj4 444 ,god 444 who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth1 and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven4--,,job xxxv4 #aa4 ,who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward1 and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth8--,,ecclesiastes iii4 #ba4 ,now that we have come to the last of those wonderful working-days of which ,god has told us1 ,i want you--just as we all did when we had reached the ,,sixth ,,day in our readings--to read over again all the verses in the first chapter of ,genesis down to verse #bf1 and to notice carefully the words which ,god has used in speaking to us about what ,he created and made4 ,and ,i want you especially to think of those two words of which we were speaking a little while ago--,god created1 and ,god made4 ,before ,god speaks to us of the ,,first ,,day1 with its evening and its morning1 ,he tells us that in the beginning ,he created the heaven and the earth4 7,day ,i47 ,then--we do not know how long after--,god spoke1 and commanded the light to shine out of the darkness2 so that where the dark had been the light now was4 ,and ,god saw the light1 that it was good1 and divided it from the darkness4 ,the light ,god called ,day4 ,then after the night had passed1 the light returned1 and there was morning4 ,and the evening and the morning were the ,first ,day4 7,day ,,ii47 ,again ,god spoke1 and that great globe of air which surrounds the earth was formed--the blue sky above us1 and the clouds1 the treasure-house for the rain4 ,and ,god called the firmament1 or expansion1 ,heaven4 ,and the evening and the morning were the ,second ,day4 ,upon this day we do not read of anything new being made2 and it is not said1 ,and ,god saw that it was good1 as after the work of the other days4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,joy ,,of ,,harvest4 7,day ,,iii47 ,again ,god spoke1 and the dry land appeared'2 so that upon this ,day there were already in existence earth and sea1 air and water1 day and night4 ,and ,god ,himself saw that all was good in the world which ,he had made4 ,then ,he adorned the earth with verdure and beauty1 and brought out of it grass1 corn1 fruit-trees2 each after its kind1 ,and ,god saw that it was good4 ,and the evening and the morning were the ,third ,day4 7,day ,,iv47 ,again ,god spoke1 and the two great lights1 sun and moon1 were set to give light--day and night--upon the earth1 and to order the seasons4 ,and ,god saw that it was good4 ,and the evening and the morning were the ,fourth ,day4 7,day ,v47 ,again ,god spoke2 living creatures swarmed in the waters1 and winged fowl flew in the open firmament of heaven4 ,it is now1 in connection with air and sea being filled with living beings1 to which ,god gave not only the same power to grow and multiply with which ,he had endowed the trees and the herbage1 but in addition to it1 power to move from one place to another at will1 power to enjoy1 and to go in quest of that which seems to them desirable1 that we have again the word1 ,god created1 and also a new word1 never before used about day or night1 earth or sea1 sun or moon1 tree or flower--,god blessed4 ,you remember how we noticed1 when we were reading about the work of ,god on the ,fifth ,day1 that as soon as ,he had made1 not stones or plants1 but fishes and birds1 ,he blessed them4 ,god made these living creatures happy1 each in the place suited to the kind of life ,he had given it4 ,and again of this ,day's work we read1 ,and ,god saw that it was good4444 ,and the evening and the morning were the ,fifth ,day4 ,now let us read verses #bd and #be very carefully4 ,these verses tell us of part of ,god's work on the ,sixth ,day2 and we notice that this ,day begins1 like the former ones1 with those three words which we have read so many times in this chapter--,and ,god said4 7,day ,,vi47 ,i wish you to stop at the end of verse #be because there the account which ,god has given us of ,his creation of the world ends4 ,all was now complete2 and all was very good in the eyes of ,him who had made and fashioned it4 ,the rest of the chapter speaks of a distinct part of ,god's ,creation1 when man1 who was to be over it all1 was made2 a part of the ,creation1 but head and ,crown of all2 a being distinct from any other inhabitant of earth1 air1 or sea1 because created in the image of ,god4 ,the old writer who speaks so quaintly about the great pond of the world1 and the guests which it contains1 exclaims with wonder when he thinks of the tenant which ,god1 when ,he had made the great house of the world and furnished it1 brought in to possess it4 ,he says3-- ,but1 oh ,god1 what a little lord hast ,thou made over this great world6444 yet none but he can see what ,thou hast done2 none but he can admire and adore ,thee in what he seeth4444 ,other creatures ,thou madest by a simple command1 man not without a divine consultation2 others at once1 man ,thou didst first form1 then inspire2 others in several shapes1 like to none but themselves1 man after ,thine own image 444 others with qualities fit for service2 man for dominion2 other creatures grovel to their earth1 and have all their senses upon it1 this is reared up towards heaven4 ,we talked a good deal about this2 for ,i wished that ,eustace and ,leslie1 and even little ,dick1 should understand something of the great difference which ,god has put between those creatures--the cleverest and best of them--who live their little life in the sea or on the earth1 and then pass away altogether1 and even a little child who does not know its right hand from its left1 and cannot take care of itself perhaps nearly so well as a bird or a beast1 but who has within it what ,god has given to no bird or beast1 a spirit which can never die1 a spirit which must some time return unto ,god who gave it1 because it belongs to ,him4 ,no beast will have to give an account of itself to ,god2 for to these creatures of a day1 ,he has given their bodies1 so wonderful and beautiful1 and the breath by which they live2 but not that deathless part1 the spirit1 because of which every man is responsible to ,god1 and knows that he is1 even though he may never have read in ,god's ,word that every one of us shall give account of himself to ,god4 ,let me tell you how a missionary explained this1 not long ago1 to a king far away in the heart of ,africa4 ,he had been talking to him about the stars and the sun2 and the king presently asked where ,god1 who had made the sun1 dwelt1 and what ,he did with people after they were dead4 ,the missionary says1 ,i answered that ,god was not confined to one place as we are2 that when man's body died1 the spirit of him who was a child of ,god went above1 and dwelt for ever in the presence of ,god1 and those whom ,god knew not here in this life were cast out into a place of sorrow and burning4 ,but why does ,god do so8 the king asked4 ,what reason has ,he for putting man from ,him8 ,the missionary explained that ,god is righteous1 and must punish those who are guilty in ,his sight4 ,but1 said the king1 we did not know the laws of ,god here4 ,how can ,he punish us for not keeping them8 ,illustration3 ,,kaffirs ,,of ,,various ,,tribes4 ,the missionary answered that ,god had put ,his law in their hearts1 so that they all knew what was right and what was wrong4 ,you know1 he said1 when a man lies to your face and steals from you1 that he injures you2 and call him bad and wicked4 ,so when you tomorrow do the same thing1 ,god judges you with the same judgement with which you judged your fellow-creature yesterday4 ,yes1 replied the king1 that is true2 that ,i understand4 ,we shall think more by-and-by about the great difference which ,god has put between man1 whom ,he created in ,his own image1 and every other creature1 but ,i want you never to forget it4 ,in reading of the beautiful life which ,god gave to the fishes and the birds1 and to those beasts that ,he commanded the earth to bring forth1 about which we are going to speak a little today1 we must always remember1 while we admire the wonderful gifts and powers which they have from ,god1 that ,he has put the widest possible distance between us and them4 ,we shall see that many of these animals are much stronger than the strongest man2 that to some of them ,god has given senses keener than ours2 and to others1 in an especial degree1 that great gift called instinct1 by which the little swallow finds its way over sea and land1 the ants prepare their meat in the summer1 the beaver makes dams across the stream1 and the little prairie dogs build pleasant towns1 where they can all live together1 one of them always keeping watch lest any enemy should surprise the workers4 ,all these are beautiful proofs of the kindness and faithfulness of ,god towards the creatures ,he has made2 and we may admire them1 and learn all we can from them2 but never imagine for one moment1 that man is only a grander and more wonderfully made sort of animal1 as a lion is superior to a mole1 and a mole to a worm4 ,just as ,god has told us there would be1 there are now some people who think they know better than to believe what ,his ,word says about this1 and who try to think that there never was such a wonderful animal as man has grown to be1 and are not ashamed to talk of his ape-like ancestors4 ,but among all the fossil-animals which the earth has kept so safely1 ,i need hardly tell you that not one specimen of an animal between a monkey and a man has ever been found4 ,as has been well said1 those who speak in this way have to convert a four-handed ape into an erect man1 a screaming baboon into an articulating1 speaking being2 brutal instinct into reason1 will1 conscience2 a thing that perishes into that which believes in ,god1 and whose soul is immortal4 ,mr4 ,frank ,buckland1 whose interesting books ,i hope you may one day read1 had a great many strange pets2 among them a remarkably clever monkey4 ,he studied the habits of this monkey very carefully and describes some of the things which it did by instinct--a sense which no one can understand1 given by ,god to guide those living creatures upon whom ,he has not bestowed reason--and he also tells most amusing stories of the way in which it imitated what it saw him do2 but he found that this monkey never reasoned about things1 as even a very young child will4 ,it could use its own powerful head and hands to defend itself1 if attacked2 but he never saw it make a weapon to use against its enemies4 ,it was very glad to get near the good fire which its master had made1 and would spread out its hands and warm them in the blaze2 but it never made a fire for itself4 ,and though ,mr4 ,buckland laid plenty of wood close to the fire1 and watched to see what a creature so fond of heat would do1 he found that the monkey sat by the fire and allowed it to go out2 for although he shivered with cold1 he did not understand that by putting fresh wood on1 the heat which he had so enjoyed would be kept up4 ,so it is with animals generally2 they do things by instinct or by imitation rather than through reason2 though we often see them look as if putting this and that together4 ,and we know no animal able to tell its thoughts by speaking1 though some birds have been trained to repeat words4 ,in that charming book1 written for ,french children ,the ,first ,year of ,scientific ,knowledge1 man is placed first among animals1 as the most wonderful of them all1 but the author is careful to explain that he is there treating only of man's body2 as1 were it otherwise1 it would be needful to allow him a particular division all for himself4 ,we see that in ,god's ,book man is put last1 and that he is not counted with the other living creatures at all4 ,you may say that men are born1 and eat1 and sleep1 and breathe1 and grow old1 and have bones1 and a heart1 and blood running through their veins2 and so it is with beasts1 and birds1 and fishes4 ,but ,god speaks to us of the spirit of a beast--its natural life--which goes downward1 in contrast with the spirit of man1 which goes upward1 and returns unto ,god who gave it4 ,it is because of this immortal part1 that the life of a man is not to be compared with1 or put beside1 that of a beast that perishes4 ,put your hand upon your heart for a moment4 ,you can feel something there1 going beat1 beat1 and you know that as long as that beat1 beat goes on you are alive4 ,if it were to stop you would die1 for no man has power to set it going again4 ,now1 you can also feel the beating of the heart of a dog1 or of a little frightened bird as you hold it in your hand2 and you know that when its heart ceases to move1 its little hour of pleasure or pain is over1 for there is nothing in the dead body of a bird1 as there is even in a dry seed1 that will make it spring up and grow again--all its life has gone4 ,even as ,i am writing this for you1 a sparrow1 picking up crumbs of bread1 comes hopping close to my feet4 ,the crumbs feed his little life1 and you know that he would soon die1 starved to death like many a poor birdie in its cage1 if he could get no food4 ,you1 too1 would die if you had nothing to eat2 that is1 your body would1 but not what has most right to be called you2 that never-dying spirit which has lived in your body as its house--it would still be alive--alive to ,god3 for all live unto ,him4 ,so different are you from the beasts that perish that we will turn to the ,book from which alone we can know the truth1 and there let us notice1 first1 that when man was to be made1 it is no longer1 ,and ,god said1 ,let there be3 and there was2 but instead1 the wondrous words are written1 ,and ,god said1 ,let us make man in our image1 after our likeness4444 ,so ,god created man in ,his own image2 and again we read1 ,the ,lord ,god formed man of the dust of the ground1 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life2 and man became a living soul4 ,we are now going to study some of the wonderful works of ,god in the animal-world1 and ,i hope to be able to tell you some interesting stories of what creatures who have not language1 and cannot reason in the way in which we can1 have been able to do by instinct and intelligence4 ,it is very pleasant to read the accounts given by other people of what they have observed1 but even better still to learn to use our own eyes4 ,try this plan1 and you will be surprised at the many curious and beautiful things about the ways of animals which you can find out for yourself4 ,you remember1 when we were talking about fishes and birds1 we found that they both belong to the great group of animals called ,vertebrate1 from having a backbone made of many pieces beautifully fitted together4 ,we are now going to speak of the last class in that great group--the ,mammalia1 so called because they feed their young1 not as birds do1 with insects or grain1 but with milk4 ,they are chiefly four-footed beasts of the earth1 and are covered with hair or fur4 ,in this class extremes meet2 we find the great elephant and the playful little squirrel1 the kingly lion and the timid mouse which is said to have set him free when snared in the hunter's net4 ,to this class also belong the land-monsters of bygone days1 whose skeletons you may see in museums3 such as the ,mammoth1 or hairy elephant1 found in the ,british ,isles1 and also over half the globe2 the ,mastodon1 another elephantine extinct monster1 whose remains are found in ,america2 the ,woolly ,rhinoceros1 with two large horns on his face1 dug out of the frozen soil of ,siberia2 the ,great ,irish ,deer1 whose antlers measured #i feet from tip to tip2 and ,giant ,sloths of ,south ,america1 inhabitating the same region as the ,sloths of to-day4 ,but we must leave the unnumbered1 unremembered tribes of buried creatures which once trod this earth2 and speaking only of those now alive1 ,i must tell you that in the first ,division of the great class1 ,mammalia1 naturalists place the ,quadrumana1 or four-handed creatures4 ,this name is given to all monkeys2 because their great-toes are like thumbs1 so that they can take hold of the branches in the forests where they spend their lives1 quite as well with their feet as with their hands4 ,i need not tell you what they are like1 for you know something of the noisy1 chattering1 mischievous creatures1 from watching them at the ,zoo4 ,but you have never seen the enormous apes which live in ,africa and the forests of ,borneo4 ,of these the ,orang-outang--its name means man of the woods--is the largest4 ,he is as tall as a man1 and very strong1 with long arms1 which almost reach the ground as he stands4 ,from the pictures ,i have seen1 ,i certainly should not like to meet this man of the woods at home1 seated in the sort of nest which he makes for himself in the trees4 ,but these great1 fierce-looking creatures can be tamed2 and ,i have read of one who might be seen walking in the garden1 arm-in-arm with his keeper2 and of another who would sit at table and imitate everything which he saw people do4 ,he would pour out his tea1 put sugar and milk in it1 and then hold his cup and saucer1 and drink the tea1 all very cleverly2 for no animals are so good at imitating others as monkeys are4 ,remember this1 if you are fond of copying what other people do and say1 be sure that you copy only what is worthy of imitation4 ,illustration3 ,,too ,,clever4 ,here is an amusing traveller's tale about some monkeys which carried their love of imitating very far2 as you will say when you have read ,,the ,,sailor ,,and ,,the ,,monkeys4 ,once1 in the hope of honest gain ,from ,afric's golden store1 ,a smart young sailor crossed the main1 ,and landed on the shore4 ,and leaving soon the sultry strand ,where his fair vessel lay1 ,he travelled o'er the neighbouring land ,to trade in peaceful way4 ,full many a toy had he to sell1 ,and caps of scarlet dye2 ,and such things as he knew full well ,would please the native's eye4 ,but as he travelled through the woods ,he longed to have a nap1 ,and opening there his pack of goods1 ,took out a scarlet cap1 ,and drew it on his head1 thereby ,to shield him from the sun2 ,then soundly slept1 nor thought an eye ,had seen what he had done4 ,but many a monkey dwelling there1 ,though hidden from his eyes1 ,having well watched the whole affair1 ,now longed to win a prize4 ,and while he slept each one did seize ,a cap to deck his brows2 ,then climbing up the highest trees1 ,sat chattering on the boughs4 ,the sailor waked1 his caps were gone1 ,and loud and long he grieves1 ,till1 looking up with heart forlorn1 ,he spied at once the thieves4 ,with cap of red upon each head ,full fifty faces grim1 ,the sailor sees amid the trees1 ,with all eyes fixed on him4 ,he brandished quick a mighty stick1 ,but could not reach their bower1 ,nor could he stone1 for every one ,was far beyond his power4 ',alas6' he thought1 ',i've safely brought ,my caps far o'er the seas2 ,but could not guess it was to dress ,such little rogues as these4' ,then quickly down he threw his own1 ,and loud in anger cried1 ',take this one too1 you thievish crew1 ,since you have all beside4' ,but quick as thought the caps were thrown ,from every monkey's crown1 ,for1 like himself1 each little elf ,threw his directly down4 ,he then with ease did gather these1 ,and in his pack did bind2 ,then through the woods conveyed his goods1 ,and sold them to his mind4 ,i daresay you could tell me the story of the monkeys who washed their hands and faces in pitch1 and so were caught4 ,but from all the stories which are told about monkeys1 ,i fancy that we think of them too much as clever1 and noisy1 and mischievous1 and sometimes very ill-tempered and revengeful2 so ,i want to tell you something of their good and gentle ways1 and especially of their love for their little ones4 ,i used to watch a mother1 in the monkey-house at the ,gardens1 nursing her baby--a tiny grey thing1 with its hair parted down the middle1 and the funniest1 most knowing little face of its own4 ,she nursed it in the tenderest way1 with such a loving expression on her face the while4 ,then ,i have read of an ,american monkey driving away the flies which teased her little one2 and of another good mother who was seen washing the faces of her family in a stream4 ,and they are kind not only to their own2 for if a poor little monkey is left an orphan1 it is sure to be taken care of by some other monkey's father or mother4 ,a gentleman who was coming home from ,india tells this story3 ,there were on board two monkeys1 one older than the other1 but not its mother4 ,one day the little one fell overboard4 ,the other at once jumped over the side of the vessel to a part of the ship where she could stand1 and holding on by one hand1 with the other she held out to the poor little drowning monkey the end of the cord by which she was tied up1 but which was then dangling from her waist4 ,it was a wonderful plan for her to think of1 was it not8 ,but the cord was too short1 and the little monkey was saved by a sailor who threw it a rope1 which came near enough for it to catch at and cling to4 ,i remember being told by a brother of mine who had once shot a young monkey1 that he could not forget the reproachful look which the poor mother gave him1 and he never again would shoot one4 ,he said the little wounded monkey cried like a child4 ,if you have ever seen a bat1 you will think it strange to class these winged creatures with monkeys1 and it does at first sight seem a mistake that they should be among the ,mammalia at all2 one would expect to see all winged things in the ,bird family4 ,but the bat is rightly placed in this division1 and you will understand why it has been classed with the ,quadrumana1 when you have carefully examined those soft1 fan-like wings which you can spread out with your fingers4 ,if you could take a bat in your hand1 and look at it from head to foot1 you would notice three things very unlike a bird about it4 ,in the first place1 it has no feathers1 but is covered with very soft grey fur2 it has no beak1 but sharp teeth--so sharp that ,i advise you to keep your fingers out of their way2 then1 look at its long ears6 ,it certainly cannot be a bird4 ,besides being reckoned among the four-handed creatures1 a ,greek name has been given to bats1 from the curious way in which their fore paws1 or hands1 have been lengthened out into wings2 it means hand-winged4 ,now1 keeping this name in mind1 gently unfold the wing3 the small bones which you feel1 over which the soft grey web is stretched1 are really the fingers of the animal1 very long fingers they are1 and the web is the skin of the back and breast which has been drawn over them1 so as to make this strange hand-wing4 ,if you cannot examine a live bat1 perhaps by studying this picture of one1 you may understand better how this soft1 dusky wing is made4 ,illustration3 ,,flitter-,,mouse ,,on ,,the ,,wing4 ,the bat is what is called a nocturnal animal1 because it cannot bear the strong light of day1 and flies about at night in search of its food4 ,we sometimes hear it said that a person is as blind as a bat1 but that is because when bats are taken1 contrary to their nature1 into the sunlight1 they are so dazzled by it1 that they fly blunderingly hither and thither1 in their efforts to get away from it4 ,they have very sharp eyes1 but they do not use them by day1 but sleep all day long1 hitched to a stone in a wall1 or to a branch in the woods by their hind legs--always choosing a dark place1 and folding their wings around them like a curtain4 ,i remember being very much afraid of bats when ,i was a child4 ,an old castle by the sea swarmed with them1 and when my brothers took lighted pieces of wood and went into the dark1 deserted ruin to rouse the sleeping bats and see whether they could not catch one1 the way in which the poor dazed creatures flew at our faces in their blind efforts to escape frightened me very much1 and when one was caught and put into my hand ,i disliked the creepy feel of the soft wings too much to keep it long4 ,i knew nothing about bats then1 and was silly enough to think that they were horrid and frightful creatures--words which we should not use in speaking of anything that ,god has made4 ,now that ,i have learnt a little about them1 ,i fancy ,i should not mind going into that old castle1 and having another look at them2 but still ,i do not think ,i should care to have one for a pet4 ,perhaps you think no one would2 but ,i have read of a tame bat which knew its master1 and loved to be stroked and petted as much as a dog would4 ,indeed it behaved very much like a dog1 for it would climb up its master's coat and rub its head against him--more like a cat1 you will say1 in this--and lick his hands4 ,when its master sat down1 the bat used to hitch itself up to the back of his chair1 and it would take flies and insects from his hand4 ,but ,i have no doubt he was always a dull pet in the daytime2 for it really is his time for sleep1 and we cannot change the nature of animals1 and ought not to try to do so4 ,talking about sleeping1 ,i must not forget to tell you that a bat is like a dormouse in one respect3 it does not fly away to a warm1 country when the cold is coming1 and the insects are getting scarce1 but goes off to sleep in a barn1 or belfry1 or cave1 and sleeps on all through the winter1 needing neither food nor drink4 ,there are many different kinds of bats about which you can read in ,natural ,history books2 one kind eats fruit1 not insects4 ,the bat is about the size of a mouse1 and feeds its young1 as the mouse does1 with milk4 ,when we were speaking of the animals mentioned in the ,bible no one thought of the bat2 but it is referred to among the birds or winged things1 which might not be eaten by the ,israelites2 also in ,isaiah ii4 we read that in that day when the ,lord alone shall be exalted1 a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold 444 to the moles and to the bats--for they especially haunt waste and desolate places4 ,now we must leave the ,four-handed family1 and come to the largest class among the ,mammalia--the ,quadrupeds4 ,as all four-footed animals1 no matter how unlike each other they may be in other respects1 belong to this family1 you may imagine what a very large one it must be4 ,naturalists have divided the ,quadrupeds into different classes1 and at the head of them they place the ,carnivora1 or flesh-eaters1 so called because they are beasts of prey1 catching birds and smaller animals alive1 and eating them4 ,the animals of the ,cat kind--lions1 tigers1 panthers1 jaguars--are the most beautiful as well as the most dangerous of this class4 ,they have long and sharp teeth1 and very long claws--five on the forefeet and four on the hinder-feet--and these claws are kept sharp by being guarded within a soft sheath when not wanted2 so that all these cat-like creatures tread very softly4 ,you have often noticed how pussy can stretch out her claws when she wishes to climb or to scratch1 but you know they are most often hidden within this velvet sheath4 ,if you have ever watched your cat creeping cautiously nearer and nearer to her prey1 and then suddenly springing upon the poor little mouse or bird1 you will know exactly how such great and terrible cats as lions and tigers spring upon their prey1 whether it be a cow or a sheep1 a man or a child4 ,of all of them1 none is so fierce as the ,tiger1 tiger1 burning bright ,in the forests of the night1 which is found now in only one quarter of the world--in ,asia1 especially ,india--and is so bold that he will fight with a lion4 ,illustration3 ,,tiger ,,and ,,crocodile--,,the ,,tug-,,of-,,war4 ,no beast has such a beautiful skin2 but you may not know that this wonderful coat is made for use as well as for beauty4 ,a writer who has observed very carefully says1 ,however lovely nature frames or fashions a plant or a bird or an animal1 it is never for ornament1 but for some actual purpose or use4 ,it is a good thing to bear this in mind1 and to try to find out the uses of the beautiful things which you see4 ,the stripes of the tiger are so very like the long grass--taller than a tall man--of the jungle1 is its home1 that the hunters1 mounted on their trained elephants1 cannot see him1 unless he betrays his hiding-place by some movement4 ,tiger-hunting is a very dangerous sport1 and many tigers are killed1 not in the chase1 but by being taken in pitfalls by the natives4 ,i am sure you know a great deal about the king of beasts1 and ,i need not describe him1 since you have probably both seen him and heard his terrible voice4 ,still1 we can have little idea1 from seeing lions in this country--very likely born in captivity--how majestic the king is in his forest home in ,africa4 ,those who have heard his roar echoing through the forest1 say that it rolls along like distant thunder1 and that when he is angry his eyes flash with a gleam almost like lightning4 ,his strength is so enormous that one blow of that soft paw1 which looks so harmless1 will break the back of a horse1 or knock down the strongest man2 and he will carry off a young cow as a cat carries off a mouse4 ,young lions are very pretty1 and as playful as kittens4 ,i have seen a happy family all in one cage--a great ,african lion called ,hannibal1 with a very royal look2 a lioness and her four cubs1 playing with a retriever pup6 ,the cribs looked very much like big puppies1 and had such innocent1 gentle little faces1 that you would have liked to pat and pet them4 ,you will not be surprised to hear that the lion was the one chosen by all the little boys1 when they answered their question about animals mentioned in the ,bible4 ,they all found the story telling how ,david1 when he was a shepherd boy1 killed both a lion and a bear1 when they had taken a lamb from the flock1 and rescued the helpless little creature out of the very mouth of the lion--and how he said to ,king ,saul1 ,the ,lord hath delivered me out of the paw of the lion that strong paw which can knock a man down1 and out of the paw of the bear1 ,he will deliver me out of the hand of this ,philistine2 and1 strong in the ,lord and in the power of ,his might1 he went to meet the boastful giant of whom everyone was afraid4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,lonely ,,lion ,,leaves ,,his ,,lonely ,,lair4 ,i also had references given me to ,daniel in the den of lions and to the sad story of the prophet who disobeyed the word of the ,lord1 and was slain by a lion4 ,will you see whether you can find the name of one against whom a young lion roared8 ,and the ,spirit of the ,lord came mightily upon him1 and he rent him as he would have rent a kid1 and he had nothing in his hand4 ,and also the name of one of ,king ,david's mighty men1 who went down 444 and slew a lion in the midst of a pit1 in time of snow8 ,there are no lions now in ,palestine1 but they were at one time often seen there2 they made their lair in caves among the mountains1 and on the reedy banks of the ,jordan4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,leopard4 ,other wild beasts--which are really great cats--are the beautifully spotted ,panthers or ,leopards of ,africa and ,asia1 the fierce and cunning ,jaguar of ,south ,america1 and the ,puma1 sometimes called1 without much reason for the name1 the ,american lion4 ,wild cats were once common in ,england1 and it has been thought that our home-cats are their descendants1 only tamed2 but ,i believe this is not true1 and that our cats came from the ,east4 ,it is generally thought that they are not very affectionate animals1 or rather that their affections are set upon places more than upon people2 but they are certainly very fond of their own kittens1 and very proud of them when they first begin to walk high1 which ,i suppose answers to a baby's beginning to run away4 ,mr4 ,wood1 in ,the ,boy's ,own ,book of ,natural ,history1 tells a pretty story about a baker's cat1 which was so fond of him1 when he was a young man at college1 that she used to come regularly morning and evening to have her breakfast and tea with him4 ,he says1 ,she continued her attentions for some time1 but one morning she was absent from her accustomed corner1 nor did she return till nearly a week had passed1 when she came again1 but always seemed uneasy unless the door were open4 ,a few days afterwards1 she came up as usual1 and jumped on to my knee1 at the same time putting a little kitten into my hand4 ,she refused to take it back again1 so ,i restored it to its brothers and sisters myself4 ,a few hours afterwards1 on going into my bedroom1 ,i found another black kitten fast asleep on the bed4 ,fancy this mother being so anxious to show her kittens1 and so sure that her friend would be pleased to find one in his bed6 ,next to the ,cat family comes that of the ,dog1 and in this family ,wolves1 ,jackals1 and ,foxes are placed1 as well as ,dogs4 ,i had some texts about wolves given me by the boys1 but ,i do not think we shall have time to speak of them now4 ,wolves and jackals and foxes are very much like dogs run wild1 while dogs in many respects are like these wild animals become tame2 so much so1 that it is believed that the friend of man has altered a good deal in the thousands of years during which he has been his constant companion2 he has become less fierce1 but has also lost some of the independence which once belonged to him1 and is very much behind foxes and jackals in knowing how to take care of himself and get his own living4 ,we ought to treat with great respect and kindness a creature which we have in this way made dependent upon us1 and one which gives us its affection so freely1 and is so glad even of a kind word or look from its master or mistress4 ,dogs have a good deal of dignity1 and their feelings are very easily hurt4 ,perhaps you think it is saying too much for a doggie to talk of its having feelings that can be hurt1 but ,i assure you dogs have feelings1 and very keen ones too4 ,the master of a little ,skye terrier found that a reproachful word1 or a look of displeasure1 would make him miserable for a whole day2 he never thought of such a thing as beating him2 but once1 when he was away from home1 his brother1 who did not know the dog1 kindly took him out every day for a walk in the park4 ,one day1 when he wanted him to come on1 he gave him a blow with his glove4 ,the dog1 who had been playing about with a friend he had met1 stopped and looked up at him in surprise1 as if he would have said1 ,if you knew whose dog ,i am you would never treat me so1--then turned and ran away home4 ,next day he was again taken out by his master's brother1 but when they had gone a little way he stopped1 looked in his face as much as to say1 ,you remember what you did8 and then trotted home2 he could never again be induced to go out with the person who had so offended his dignity4 ,this sensitive little ,skye could not bear to see anyone hurt1 and when driving with his master would pull his sleeve1 and try to check him every time he touched the horse with his whip4 ,a little white1 curly dog1 whom the children knew well1 had a great objection to his ,saturday bath1 and would get out of the way when he saw it was coming4 ,tippoo submitted to be washed when he found there was no escape2 but a little dog belonging to a lady used to make such a fuss over his weekly bath that at last none of the servants would run the risk of being bitten and snapped at by him4 ,his mistress tried threatening him1 then beating1 then keeping him without his dinner2 but all was of no use until she made up her mind to see what taking no notice of him would do4 ,the doggie found it very hard when his dear mistress came home1 and he ran out with his joyful bark to welcome her1 to see her turn her head away from him just when he was longing for a pat or a kind word2 and ,i fancy the lady found it hard too1 constantly to disappoint all his little efforts to attract her attention2 but she went on for more than a week1 showing her pet in this way that something was wrong1 and there is no doubt at all that the wise little creature knew what it was4 ,he looked very miserable all the time1 and at last crept quietly to her side1 and1 as she says in telling the story1 gave a look which said as plainly as any spoken words could have done1 ',i can stand it no longer2 ,i submit4' ,then1 after patiently bearing the washing1 without snapping or fighting1 he came in wagging his tail with a joyful bark1 as much as to say1 ',it's all right now'6 ,i am sure you have read or heard accounts of the large ,newfoundland dogs2 of whose courage in saving children who fall into the water1 many beautiful stories are told2 and also of the dear1 faithful ,collies with their pointed noses1 who know all their master's sheep1 and will drive them wherever they are told to go2 and even1 when two flocks have got mixed1 will separate them with the most wonderful patience and cleverness4 ,a ,scotch shepherd1 who loved poetry1 and made some verses about the skylark1 which ,sharley and ,may repeat1 tells a story of one of these dogs which ,i am sure you will think worth remembering4 ,the collie's name was ,sirrah1 and his master prized him greatly4 ,when the shepherd first bought him he was scarcely a year old1 and1 he says1 knew so little of herding that he had never turned a sheep in his life2 but as soon as he discovered that it was his duty to do so1 and that it obliged me1 ,i can never forget with what anxiety and eagerness he learned his different evolutions4 ,he would try every way deliberately1 till he found out what ,i wanted him to do1 and when ,i once made him understand a direction he never forgot or mistook it again4 ,sirrah's master once had charge of a flock of seven hundred lambs1 and one night the whole flock broke up into three divisions1 and ran away in the dark1 so that the shepherd could not tell where they had gone4 ,the night was so dark that he could not even see ,sirrah1 much less tell him how to find the lost lambs2 but the dog knew exactly what had happened1 and had no doubt at all about whose duty it was to get the flock together again4 ,all night long the shepherd sought in vain1 not being able even to discover what direction either of the three flocks of truant lambs had taken2 but in the morning he suddenly came upon his dog1 guarding the whole flock--all the seven hundred brought back1 and not one of them lost4 ,i have been told that while a trained sheep-dog is so valuable to his master1 and can be so trusted by him1 one that has been allowed to grow up without any teaching or training is of little worth4 ,the training must begin while the collie is young1 and an old hand at it says1 ,the first thing to learn your pup is to mind at the word4 ,from this beginning the dog goes on until he seems almost to read his master's thoughts in his face1 and to watch each movement of his hand and each glance of his eye4 ,of one of these dogs his master says3 ,i have known him lie night and day among from ten to twenty pails full of milk1 and never once break the cream of one of them with the tip of his tongue2 nor would he suffer cat1 rat1 nor any other creature to touch it4 ,sheep-dogs become very much attached to each other1 as this story shows4 ,two ,scotch collies were fast friends1 going everywhere together until one of them died1 and was buried on the top of a hill4 ,the other watched the spot1 and when no one was by1 actually scratched at the new-made grave1 and dug up the body of his comrade4 ,afterwards1 when it had been buried again1 and heavy stones laid round the place1 he still kept watch there1 howling piteously and eating nothing1 until he died upon the grave of the friend he had loved so well4 ,but while there are so many beautiful stories of the loving and faithful and tender and true ways of dogs1 we must not forget that they sometimes show cruel and revengeful tempers1 as well as something of that low kind of cleverness which tries to deceive1 and on account of which the fox has such a bad name4 ,only the other day ,i was told about a dog who actually killed a pretty little kitten from pure jealousy1 because he could not bear to see his mistress pet and fondle it4 ,he had been the pet for a long time1 and when this new favourite came1 he showed his dislike in many ways4 ,one day ,flossie--the little kitten--was missing1 and could nowhere be found4 ,at last1 something about the dog's guilty look made his mistress sure that he knew better than anyone else what had become of her4 ,so she looked at him very severely1 and said1 ,turk1 you know where little ,flossie is4 ,show me directly4 ,turk walked straight to the waste-paper basket1 which was under the table1 and began to take the paper out1 bit by bit4 ,at the bottom of the basket lay the poor little furry pet1 killed by the dog in a fit of jealousy6 ,how sad it is to think what sin has done1 how even in the animals it may be seen that they belong to a world where the man1 whom ,god made head over them1 turned away from ,him1 and distrusted and disobeyed ,him4 ,but since ,i have told you of ,turk's cruel jealousy1 ,i must not forget a very pretty story of a dog who saved the life of a kitten which was to have been drowned4 ,when he saw the poor little thing thrown into the pond1 he swam after it and brought it back1 laying it at the feet of the groom who had thrown it into the water4 ,the man took the helpless creature up and threw it back again1 and again the dog rescued it4 ,a third time it was thrown into the water1 and a third time saved from drowning2 but now the dog brought it to the opposite side of the pool1 carried it home in his mouth1 and laid it beside the fire to dry4 ,in this case which would you rather be like--the man or the dog8 ,the children often say that our ,tippoo1 the little white dog of which ,i told you1 does things just like a person2 he will contentedly eat what he does not care for1 because he expects to get something he likes1 as a reward4 ,if he has been naughty1 you can generally know it by his face1 and he will hide away under the sofa1 until brought out from his refuge1 and made to show what he has been doing4 ,he cannot bear to be laughed at2 nothing hurts his feelings so sorely1 unless indeed it be seeing a little child petted3 this is almost more than he can bear4 ,but he behaves better than ,psyche1 another little ,maltese terrier of my acquaintance1 who used to fly at anyone who dared to kiss her mistress4 ,poor little ,psyche's was a sad end1 for she was killed by a carriage while crossing the street to get to her mistress4 ,dogs have all sorts of ways of making their wants known1 but ,i think you will admit that a little dog called ,button was particularly clever in his way of doing it1 when you hear how he managed4 ,he used to have goat's milk for breakfast1 and one morning1 when he thought breakfast-time had passed without any being brought to him1 he made up his mind that he had been forgotten2 so he went to the closet where the china was kept1 fetched the cup in which his milk was always given him1 carried it in his teeth1 and laid it down at the feet of the maid who used to milk the goat for him4 ,i think he had earned his breakfast1 don't you8 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,goat--,,nan4 ,another dog1 who has a drinking-trough of his own1 draws attention to it1 if it is allowed to go dry by scratching at it1 till someone fills it with fresh water4 ,may knows a very pretty story in verse about a little dog called ,music1 who did all she could to save a greyhound1 ,dart1 from drowning1 when he had gone down beneath the ice while trying to cross a frozen river4 ,it must have been a touching thing to see her standing on the broken edge1 and stretching out her paw1 like a hand1 to save him1 while she as the poem says1 444 makes efforts and complainings1 nor gives o'er ,until her fellow sank1 and reappeared no more4 ,faithful1 loving little ,music failed to save her friend2 but a ,scotch dog was the means of saving the life of his master1 as he was crossing a river on the ice4 ,when the crash came1 and he sank1 he had the presence of mind to support himself by means of his gun1 which lay across the broken ice4 ,the dog1 after making attempts to save his master1 seemed to understand that the only thing he could do for him was to leave him1 and go in search of help4 ,so off he ran to the next village1 and pulled at the coat of the first man he saw1 so earnestly1 that he got the man to follow him1 and was in time to save the life of the drowning man4 ,but more remarkable still is the story of a strange dog who seems to have been sent by ,god to protect a poor miner's house in his absence4 ,in a very lonely place in ,cornwall1 the house of a miner is situated among the rocks4 ,only he and his wife lived there1 and the poor woman was often left alone far into the night1 as her husband's work kept him very late4 ,one evening a large dog came up the hill to this cottage1 and began to make himself at home there1 and to make friends with the miner's wife4 ,at first she petted him1 but when it began to grow dark1 she thought he ought to be going to his own home1 and used every effort to send him away4 ,but the dog would not be turned out1 and at last the lonely woman allowed him to stay with her4 ,late at night1 a noise of footsteps was heard1 and she ran to open the door1 as she thought1 to her husband4 ,but the dog sprang past her into the darkness1 and she heard the sound of a great struggle1 and then the footsteps again passing down the path4 ,the dog presently came back to her1 but after a time she began to be alarmed lest he should have attacked and frightened--perhaps injured--her husband1 as he was returning home4 ,lighting a lantern1 she unbarred the door1 and went out into the dark night1 still attended by the strange dog1 who seemed resolved not to leave her4 ,they soon met the miner on his way home1 and the dog1 far from springing upon him1 went up to him1 and then--without a word1 ,i was going to say--disappeared into the darkness4 ,the miner's wife could never find out anything about him1 but she felt quite sure that it was ,god who had sent this strange protector to take care of her in her loneliness4 ,now this must be nearly our last ,dog-story1 or we shall never have done1 for there is no end to the wonderful tales which are told of the sense and kindliness and courage and faithfulness of these creatures who are so rightly called the friends of man4 ,you remember that wolves1 foxes1 and jackals are placed in the ,dog-family2 and if you notice the wolves at the ,zoological ,gardens1 you will see in how many respects they resemble dogs4 ,it is when they go about in great numbers1 as they do in the east of ,europe and ,asia1 that these animals are such dreaded foes1 and devour so many defenceless sheep and cattle4 ,do you not think this a wonderful account of a traveller and a wolf taking shelter together in a storm and lying down side by side8 ,it is called ,,father',s ,,story4 ',little one1 come to my knee6 ,hark6 how the rain is pouring ,over the roof1 in the pitch-black night ,and the wind in the woods is roaring4 ',hush1 my darling1 and listen2 ,then pay for the story with kisses2 ,father was lost in a pitch-black night1 ,in just such a storm as this is6 ',high up on the lonely mountains1 ,where the wild men watched and waited2 ,wolves in the forest and bears in the bush1 ,and ,i on my path belated4 ',the rain and the night came together ,came down1 and the wind came after1 ,bending the props of the pine-tree roof1 ,and snapping many a rafter4 ',i crept along in the darkness1 ,stunned and bruised and blinded1 ,crept to a fir with thick set boughs1 ,and a sheltering rock behind it4 ',there1 from the blowing and raining1 ,crouching1 ,i sought to hide me2 ,something rustled1 two green eyes shone1 ,and a wolf lay down beside me4 ',little one1 be not frightened2 ,i and the wolf together1 ,side by side1 through the long1 long night1 ,hid from the awful weather4 ',his wet fur pressed against me2 ,each of us warmed the other2 ,each of us felt in the stormy dark1 ,that man and beast was brother4 ',and when the falling forest ,no longer crashed in warning1 ,each of us went from our hiding place ,forth in the wild1 wet morning4 ',now1 darling1 kiss me in payment1 ,and hark6 how the wind is roaring2 ,surely home is a better place1 ,when the stormy rain is pouring6' ,the ,fox1 as you know1 is found in most parts of ,england1 and in many other countries4 ,he is a sly1 clever hunter1 living by day in the hole which he hollows out for himself1 and prowling about at night1 stealing from hen-roosts1 or pouncing upon some unwary hare or rabbit4 ,the ,jackal1 which is perhaps more like a wolf than a fox1 and lives in ,africa and parts of ,asia1 is also a great devourer of game and poultry4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,fox ,,taking ,,to ,,the ,,water4 ,the ,arctic-fox1 which is found in the far north1 is grey during the summer1 but turns white as snow in winter1 and its coat then becomes so thick as to cover even the soles of its feet4 ,it is interesting to notice that those creatures whose home is in the far north are clad in grey or white1 for animals which are hunted either as prey or for the sake of their fur1 often take the colour of the ground1 whether it be covered with snow1 as in the ,arctic regions1 or brake and heather1 as upon the moors and furzy coverts where our own hares and foxes hide4 ,now we come to the bears1 which are found all the world over except in ,africa4 ,the ,brown bear1 which is a peaceable creature1 feeding on honey or fruits1 is still met with in the ,alps and ,pyrenees1 as well as in the north of ,europe1 but it has not lived in ,england since before the ,conquest1 at a time when wolves were quite common with us2 especially in ,wales4 ,the ,grizzly bear is a very different animal2 its home is in ,north ,america1 and it will hunt down a man with such determination that it is very much dreaded by the fur-hunters4 ,the white or ,polar bear belongs entirely to the ,arctic regions1 so that ,i have often wondered that the great creature which looks so innocent as it dives for the bread which is thrown to it by visitors at the ,gardens1 or plays with its ball in the water1 does not die during our hot summer months4 ,i have heard that the reason why the soles of its feet are so hairy is because in its northern home it is constantly travelling over icefields1 sometimes climbing the lofty bergs--and the long hair prevents it from slipping4 ,if so1 this is but one more instance showing how perfectly the animals are fitted for the life which they live in their natural state4 ,and now we must pass from this group to another great ,division of the ,mammalia--the ,herbivorous animals1 which live1 not on the flesh of birds or beasts1 which they hunt for themselves1 but upon grass and green things4 ,in the first class the ,gnawing creatures are placed2 you can always know them by their teeth4 ,perhaps you remember how different the front teeth of a rabbit are from those long1 sharp ones which pussy shows now and then when she yawns4 ,by constantly gnawing their food1 the teeth of squirrels1 hares1 rats1 mice1 dormice1 and all animals called ,rodents1 or ,gnawers1 would soon be worn away1 but that1 unlike our teeth1 they never cease growing while the creature lives4 ,the most interesting of these creatures is the ,beaver1 with its webbed hind feet and broad tail4 ,i hope you will some day read about the mud-built houses1 and the clever dams which beavers make across the rivers4 ,mr4 ,wood says that when they have been tamed they will still go on building dams across one corner of the room in which they are1 and collecting boots1 brushes1 books1 all sorts of things1 and putting them together industriously2 for they still have in captivity the same instinct which teaches them to dam the stream where they build1 so that the entrance to their houses may always be below the surface1 and never be barred by the ice1 during frost4 ,the teeth of horses are differently formed from those of the gnawing animals3 at the back they are massive1 and act like grindstones1 crushing the grain which they eat4 ,the ,horse-family includes the patient ,ass1 and the beautifully marked ,zebra of ,south ,africa4 ,i need not tell you that all these animals have only one toe1 with that hard and strong toe-nail which is called the hoof4 ,the ,ruminants1 or animals that chew the cud1 are cows1 sheep1 and goats1 deer1 giraffes1 and camels4 ,you have often noticed a ,cow when lying down in the field1 going on eating1 although she seems to have no food before her4 ,this is because she has already eaten plenty of grass1 very fast1 and now that she is resting1 she brings what she has1 as it were1 laid up in store1 back into her mouth1 and chews it over again4 ,i think there are no animals so often mentioned in the ,bible as oxen1 sheep1 and lambs1 goats and kids2 and they are the only creatures1 except the turtle dove and the pigeon1 which were offered as sacrifices1 from the time when ,eve's second son brought of the firstlings of his flock1 and of the fat thereof1 and the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering4 ,all creatures that chew the cud have two toes1 or are what is called cloven-footed4 ,the ,camel1 whose home is in the dry and thirsty desert1 has the power of storing up water1 and bringing it back into its mouth for several days after it has drunk it4 ,this enables it to make long journeys1 without needing a brook by the way4 ,its feet1 too1 are just fitted for the sandy wastes which it has to tread4 ,the one-humped camel is found in ,africa1 and the two-humped1 or ,bactrian camel1 in ,asia4 ,the ,llama of ,south ,america is like the camel in some respects1 but1 as you know1 is very much smaller2 ,i knew one which had a disagreeable habit of spitting at those who came to call upon him1 and ,i have read or others doing the same4 ,we read of ,abraham having camels1 and of ,john the ,baptist wearing clothes made of camel's hair1 and that ,king ,solomon had deer4 ,the beautiful ,giraffe1 found only in ,south ,africa1 is like the camel in some respects1 and the deer in others4 ,that long neck which it arches so gracefully when you offer it a bun1 enables it in its forest-home to feed upon the leaves of trees2 so you see it is for use1 not only for beauty4 ,there could hardly be a greater contrast to the giraffe than the ,elephant1 with its short neck and large body2 but what the giraffe can do with its long neck1 that1 and a great deal more1 the elephant can do with the wonderful trunk which is his nose1 his hand1 his trumpet1 and we might almost say his mouth1 as he could neither reach his food nor drink except by its help1 his neck being so short4 ,there are only two kinds of elephants1 the ,asiatic and the ,african1 the latter having very large ears1 and the former only being tamed2 the ,african elephant is hunted merely for the sake of its ivory tusks4 ,in a delightful story book1 called ,friends in ,fur and ,feathers1 we had all read a very interesting account of a young elephant called ,kornegalle ,jack1 which became exceedingly attached to his master4 ,i wonder whether you know it8 ,if you do not1 perhaps you might have the book for your next birthday present1 and read a great deal about elephants1 as well as other animals1 whose names only we have time1 to mention now4 ,but you will say1 perhaps1 that we have forgotten one kind of animal1 for we have not said a word about ,pigs4 ,well1 ,piggie has not been forgotten2 but it seems difficult for him to find just his own place among the classes of ,mammalia1 for he is like several of the quadrupeds in some particular1 but unlike any one of them altogether4 ,you cannot put him with the ,ruminants1 and yet he has cloven feet2 he has the same number of teeth as the horse1 and his snout is rather like1 in a small way1 the trunk of the elephant2 then1 in his wild state1 he might almost be reckoned among the beasts of prey1 for the wild ,boar1 with its terrible tusks1 is a most formidable creature to encounter4 ,of all the families of the ,mammalia1 that of ,rats and ,mice is the most numerous4 ,there are two kinds of rats1 the black and the brown4 ,i do not know to which kind ,willie's ,ratto belongs1 but ,i have heard many stories of his clever tricksy ways1 and of how well he knew his name1 and obeyed his master4 ,a rat1 however clever1 is not an animal which ,i should care to pet and tame2 but ,i know a very interesting story of one which seemed to be the means of taming a poor man who was so wild and miserable that he cared for nobody4 ,this man had been transported for life1 for some of his wicked deeds1 and he was so savage that even the companions who worked with him were afraid of him1 and hardly dared speak to him4 ,once1 as he was at work in the woods near ,port ,philip1 felling trees1 with a heavy chain around him lest he should escape1 a rat1 chased by some boys1 ran towards him1 and nestled inside his shirt4 ,there the frightened creature lay1 in its place of refuge1 close to that hard heart which cared for no fellow-man2 and as the poor lonely convict felt its fluttering1 a strange feeling came over him towards the trembling thing which had thus trusted him4 ,he asked leave to keep it as a pet1 and from that time the rat followed its protector everywhere1 faithful and loving as a dog2 and from caring for his little rescued friend1 the man who had been so savage and hard1 became more gentle1 and no longer needed to be chained1 and kept almost as if he had been a wild beast4 ,there is a sad ending to this story1 for at last the rat was killed by a bough falling upon it1 and its death caused such grief to its master that he never spoke again2 but ,i do not know his history to the very end1 and ,i hope that even through seeing the gratitude and faithfulness of one of the creatures whom ,god had made1 he may have learnt that the ,god against whom he had so hardened himself was ready to forgive and to receive him1 for the sake of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who came to seek and to save that which was lost4 ,we must not forget the ,toothless animals1 of which the ,ant-eater is the best known4 ,they live upon insects1 chiefly white ants1 which they catch by tearing open their houses with their strong claws1 and then rolling their long tongues among them4 ,the tongue of the ant-eater is covered with a kind of gum1 to which the ants stick1 and when there is room for not one more1 the living mouthful is swallowed4 ,perhaps your cousins in ,australia sometimes tell you about the great ,kangaroo1 or ,old man1 as they call him in that part of the world4 ,by means of his very long and powerful hind legs1 and strong tail1 he can leap great distances1 so rapidly as to outstrip a greyhound4 ,there are many species of kangaroos1 but they are all much alike1 and belong to the order of ,pouched animals2 so called because instead of rearing her young in a nest which she has made for them1 the mother carries them in a bag4 ,the little creatures at their birth are more helpless than most young animals1 and this pouch is their home for some time1 and their refuge in danger1 even after they have grown beyond the need of her constant care4 ,australia has no animals like those of other parts of the world1 except the dog and the bat2 but only one of these pouched animals--the ,opossum of ,america--is not found there4 ,this creature is very like a monkey1 and the one best known in the southern states of ,america is about the size of a cat1 and very mischievous--as it sleeps during the day and prowls about at night1 in search of birds1 eggs1 and fruit4 ,it has the power1 which some animals possess1 of pretending to be dead1 when in danger of being caught2 and thus it often escapes4 ,seals and ,whales must also be classed among the ,mammalia1 although they are especially formed to live in the water4 ,whales1 though so much like fishes that they used to be classed with them1 have warm blood and do not breathe through gills2 so they have to come to the surface of the water every now and then1 in order to get air4 ,by-and-by1 when you read more1 you will understand how it is that the whale1 though it breathes as you do1 is able to stay under water as long as half an hour at a time4 ,now1 at the end of this long chapter about the ,mammalia1 let us see what we have been noticing about them4 ,they are put first in the ,vertebrate ,group1 though we have spoken of the birds and fishes before them1 because they were made on the ,fifth ,day4 ,they are generally--for we must not forget the whale--covered with hair or fur1 and they feed their young with milk4 ,first of the classes into which the ,mammalia are divided1 we place the ,four-handed creatures--apes and monkeys4 ,second1 the ,hand-winged2 the bats4 ,third1 the ,flesh-eaters2 many of them beasts of prey of the ,cat-kind and of the ,dog-kind4 ,fourth1 the ,herbivora2 animals which feed upon grasses4 ,fifth1 the ,horse-tribe4 ,sixth1 the ,ruminants2 animals which chew the cud4 ,seventh1 ,elephants4 ,eighth1 the ,pig-kind1 including the ,hippopotamus which is believed to be the creature called ,behemoth4 ,ninth1 the ,pouched animals4 ,tenth1 ,seals1 including the ,walrus4 ,eleventh1 the ,whale-tribe4 ,in saying good-bye for the present to this wide field of interest1 shall we make up our minds to observe for our own selves the animals which we see every day1 and to notice particularly how beautifully they are formed so as to live in the way which is1 as we say1 suited to their nature2 and also to read some of the many interesting books on ,natural ,history1 where we shall find pictures of the different orders of animals1 and learn all sorts of curious things about their habits8 ,god does not tell us what we do not need to know1 just how he fed the beasts of prey1 and all the flesh-eating creatures which1 in their present state1 live upon birds or animals which they catch alive2 but ,god does not say either that there was any death in the ,garden of ,eden1 or that the creatures which ,he had just made1 each after its kind1 and all very good1 preyed upon those weaker and smaller than themselves4 ,it has been found that it is possible now for those beasts whose claws are fitted for catching their prey--and their long sharp teeth for tearing to pieces what they have caught--to live upon green things2 and we know from the chapter we have been reading together that ,god at the first gave them every green herb for meat4 ,perhaps some of us have already read this beautiful poem in ,scattered ,seed1 but ,i will copy it for others who may not know it4 ,,god ,,is ,,love4 ,all the earth1 about us1 ,all the world above1 ,tell the old sweet story1 ,whisper1 ',god is ,love4' ,every wayside blossom ,lifts its little voice1 ,every bright-eyed daisy ,bids our heart rejoice4 ,surging1 seething torrent1 ,bubbling1 sparkling spring1 ,hum of insect nature1 ,birds upon the wing1 ,evening's flush of beauty1 ,morning's streaks of light1 ,noonday's radiant glory1 ,all in praise unite4 ,see ,his kind provision ,waving in the grain1 ,shining in the sunbeams1 ,falling in the rain2 ,parching days of summer1 ,cool the dewy fall1 ,hoary frost of winter1 ,sheltering snow o'er all4 ,swift o'er trackless region ,runs the lurid flash1 ,sounds from hill to moorland1 ,deep resounding crash1 ,towering peak and cranny1 ,eagles' dizzy height1 ,dignity and splendour1 ,all reveal ,his might4 ,nature's varied voices ,chant the sweet refrain1 ,echo o'er the mountain1 ,linger on the plain1 ,thunder in the ocean1 ,whisper in the shell1 ,murmur in the breezes1 ,sighing in the dell4 ,shall our lips be silent8 ,shall our lives be still8 ,tune our hearts1 ,o ,father1 ,to perform ,thy will2 ,fill our souls with rapture1 ,fill our hearts with praise1 ,give us grace to follow ,gladly all our days4 ,m4 ,a4 ,e4 ,,the ,,sixth ,,day ,,the ,,crown ,,of ,,god',s ,,creation4 ,the ,spirit of ,god hath made me1 and the breath of the ,almighty hath given me life4--,,job xxxiii4 #d4 ,in ,him we live1 and move1 and have our being 444 for we are also ,his offspring4--,,acts xvii4 #bh4 ,i will praise ,thee3 for ,i am fearfully and wonderfully made4--,,psalm cxxxix4 #ad4 ,ye are bought with a price3 therefore glorify ,god in your body4--#a ,,cor4 vi4 #bj4 ,before we speak of the last work of ,god upon the last of those wonderful days of which we are told in the first chapter of the ,bible1 let us read the verses about it1 from the twenty-sixth to the end of that chapter1 and to the tenth verse of the next4 ,and then let us read the eighth ,psalm1 unless indeed you can repeat it1 as my little scholars once could--and ,i hope they have not forgotten it now4 ,i think the first thing we noticed as we read was1 that after the verses which speak of the beasts and creeping things which ,god made on the ,,sixth ,,day1 there is1 as it were1 a close to the history1 and then a fresh beginning4 ,we read1 ,and ,god saw that it was good4 ,there is a full stop there2 and again we read--now for the eighth time--the three words1 ,and ,god said4 ,but this is not all2 a very wonderful expression1 which had not been used in connection with any part of the work of ,god1 is employed to tell us of the creation of the man who was placed by ,god as the head of all that ,he had made1 the one to whom ,he gave dominion1 after ,he had made the earth1 and brought it all into order4 ,god had said1 ,let the waters bring forth4444 ,let the earth bring forth living creatures4 ,and ,god made the beast of the earth2 but before man was created ,he said1 ,let us make man in our image1 after our likeness4 ,of no other creature could it be said that he was made in the likeness of ,god1 and of no other do we read that he was formed by ,god of the dust of the ground1 and that the ,lord ,god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life2 then1 and not till then1 did man become a living soul4 ,the body was made of earth1 but the soul came immediately from ,god4 ,the more we learn about our own body1 that wonderful and beautiful house in which we live1 the more we shall see1 in what ,god thus formed from the dust of the ground1 to call forth our admiration2 but the body of the first man1 although fashioned with such perfection in all its parts1 did not live until ,god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life4 ,let us never forget how great a difference ,god has put between man1 about whose creation ,he took thought1 and who was made in ,his image1 to whom ,he has given speech1 reason1 and a deathless soul1 and all the creatures concerning which we read none of these things4 ,and now let us learn just a very little about the way in which ,god has formed what ,his word speaks of as our house or tent--the dwelling-place of the soul and spirit4 ,it would be strange indeed if we did not care to know something about our own home2 but our body is not only the house in which we live1 it is also the means1 through those five senses--the eye1 the ear1 and the organs of touch1 taste1 and smell--which have been so well called the five gateways of knowledge1 by which we learn all that can be known by us of the world outside us4 ,more than this1 it is the wonderfully perfect instrument1 and implicitly obedient servant1 by which all that we do is performed4 ,but the science that teaches us all that is known about our bodies is a very difficult study1 and there are many hard names to master1 even at the very outset4 ,for instance1 when we speak of the bony framework--that skeleton which1 as you know1 belongs to us in common with the vertebrate animals--there is a great deal which you would find very difficult to remember4 ,still1 as ,i daresay you have found out1 the more we learn1 even of difficult sciences1 the more we can learn1 and little ,may 7though1 to be sure1 she is now four years older than she was when you first made her acquaintance7 has learnt a good many of the hard words4 ,she could show you upon her own round arm1 just where the bone which reaches from the shoulder to the elbow begins and ends1 and tell you its name1 and the names of the two bones which reach from the elbow to the wrist1 and of the wrist-bones1 and of those which you can feel in the palm of your hand1 and the finger-bones4 ,but when you hear that you have more than two hundred bones in your body1 you will be inclined to agree with me that it would take both of us some time to learn even their names1 much more to know all about them4 ,the spine consists of twenty-four short bones1 each with a little ring4 ,these vertebras are piled up one upon the other2 for ,god has made our bodies upright2 our faces1 are lifted upwards1 and our eyes look straight before us4 ,these twenty-four little bones are closely and strongly bound together1 and between each one and its neighbour there is something so soft and elastic that we can bend our heads1 or move in any direction1 without the slightest strain or jar4 ,the head is most wonderfully built up1 like an arch1 of several bones beautifully joined in a very strong and perfect way which carpenters call dove-tailing4 ,we can understand why the head1 which is so much exposed1 and is almost entirely occupied by the brain1 should be so carefully protected2 for thought1 memory1 will1 and what we can best express as consciousness of our being1 all depend upon it4 ,passing from head to foot1 we find that our feet1 which are not large1 yet must bear the weight of the body1 are also made upon the arch-principle1 which has been found1 like the hollow bones of the bird's wing1 to combine lightness and strength4 ,the twenty-six bones are so fitted together that this wonderful arch is quite elastic1 as you can prove by moving your own foot up and down4 ,the joints1 where two bones which are to play upon each other come in contact1 as they do at the elbow or shoulder1 are made in different ways4 ,the elbow only moves to and fro like a hinge2 the hip and shoulder1 like a ball and socket1 move every way4 ,you do not need to be told that each kind of joint is found just where it is needed for the work it has to do2 for there is no mistaking or misplacing in ,god's workmanship1 as there so often is in the very best of ours4 ,i cannot at present tell you anything about the muscles1 except that it is by their means that we move arms1 legs1 head1 eyes--every part of the body1 for bones cannot move of themselves1 but are acted on by the muscles4 ,nor can we learn much about the nerves1 because the subject is very difficult to understand4 ,they come from the brain in the head1 and from that part of it which runs all down the backbone1 through the little bony rings of the vertebr2 and they are protected1 because they are so very delicate1 and so precious to us1 by a strong bony sheath4 ,at first these nerves are like coarse twine1 but they divide and divide until they become as fine as threads of white silk--almost as fine as the stronger part of a spider's web--and they go all over the body1 reaching to the very tips of the fingers4 ,the first pair of nerves goes to the nose1 for smell2 the second to the eye1 for sight2 and so on for hearing and taste4 ,these are the nerves called sensory1 which carry to the brain sensations from outside the body4 ,the motor nerves are those which take orders from the brain1 to be instantly obeyed by the muscles4 ,in the hand1 which has twenty-seven bones--one more than the foot--and is a more wonderful tool than any which ,god has given to the lower animals1 wonderful as their tools are1 the sense of touch is stronger than in any other part of the body4 ,suppose you put your fingers upon something very hot or very cold4 ,quick as thought1 as we say1 you draw them away again4 ,but before you did so1 what had happened8 ,the nerves at the tip of your finger had sent a telegram straight home to the brain1 ,too hot6 or ,too cold6 and the brain had telegraphed back to the fingers1 ,keep out of the way of it6 whatever the hot or cold thing may have been4 ,to think1 even for a moment1 of these lightning messages running backwards and forwards1 to and from the brain1 gives us some little idea how very wonderful the brain itself must be1 and also how ,god has made one part of the body to depend upon another4 ,apart from the brain1 the ear would be conscious of no sound1 whether the soft wash of the waves along the shore1 or the mighty roll of the thunder through the sky4 ,on the other hand1 none of these voices could reach the brain if ,god had not planted the ear1 and formed it so perfectly to receive the waves of sound which1 striking upon its delicate little drum1 cause it to vibrate1 and so are passed on by the nerve which takes messages to the brain4 ,for it is the brain which takes charge of every impression conveyed to it by eye1 ear1 hand1 nose1 or palate2 but how these impressions conveyed to the brain give rise to what we call thoughts and ideas--this is one of the secret things which belong to ,god1 and of which ,he has not allowed the wisest man to say1 ,oh yes1 ,i understand all about it6 ,and there is another secret thing which cannot be explained4 ,the heart has been called the fountain of life1 because by it the blood1 which is the life of the body1 is kept in continual motion1 and sent to every part4 ,how little we think of it6 ,but whether we are waking or sleeping1 at work or at rest1 this busy fountain still goes on playing4 ,we may hear the throb of it1 as it strikes against the chest1 in its ceaseless working2 and we may count these regular beats1 and find that there are about seventy-five of them every minute4 ,it has been calculated that during an ordinarily long life there are three thousand millions of beats without a break4 ,but what has set this fountain at work8 and what keeps it going night and day without any thought or care of ours1 all our life long8 ,of all this it can only be said1 ,we do not know2 we cannot find out4 ,god in ,his wisdom has so ordered it4 ,many years ago a doctor1 who had observed very carefully1 and thought much about what he observed1 found out that every time the heart beats1 the blood rushes from it into a great curved tube called an artery1 and so passes through tubes which1 like the nerves1 are constantly becoming finer and finer1 to every part of the body4 ,he also discovered that the blood takes its journey back again to the heart by a different road3 it does not return through these tubes1 but through softer ones1 called veins4 ,thus far he could go1 and the story of the circulation of the blood is very interesting2 but the cause of the heart's perpetual motion1 and the blood's continuous flow1 this he could not discover4 ,is it not wonderful to think that this rapid motion of the fountain within us goes on so noiselessly that even a baby whose little heart has only just begun to beat1 is not disturbed by it1 as he sleeps in his cradle8 ,to all the higher animals ,god has given both heart and brain4 ,he has also given them1 in more or less degree1 that mysterious sense of which we have spoken before1 and of which we have had so many proofs2 a sense which is not at all dependent upon reason or intellect1 but is found in a less degree in men than in animals to which reason has not been given4 ,we have before noticed that by instinct and memory all the wants of the brute creation are met2 ,god has given them all that they need to teach them to live1 each in its own life1 after its kind1 and to provide for their young ones2 but ,he has not given to the beasts that perish the power of1 as we sometimes say1 putting this and that together1 nor1 as far as we know1 of learning by experience2 although it does seem as if the spiders1 in making their webs1 improve by practice4 ,instinct teaches every living thing to get its own food1 choosing that which is suited to itself1 and rejecting that which is not4 ,it teaches the bird or the insect to seek out a fit place in which to deposit its eggs1 or to make a nest or homie for them1 even before they are laid2 and it can teach even such a free creature as a bird to leave for a time its airy life1 and to sit patiently upon its eggs1 even carefully turning them1 as if it knew that the life of the unfledged nursling within the shell-wall depended upon its being kept warm4 ,instinct leads the butterfly1 as we have seen1 to lay its eggs upon the leaf of the very tree upon which the caterpillar1 when hatched1 will feed--though its own food has been taken from flowers4 ,instinct guides the swallow in its flight1 as it leaves us in the autumn for the shores of ,africa2 and the redwing on its way from its summer home in the far ,north to winter in our warmer country--each arriving in its appointed season4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,swallow4 ,and so1 as we study the habits of birds and beasts1 we see how instinct everywhere guides and directs them2 but what this sense is we cannot tell4 ,it has been well remarked1 that all that can rightly be said of it is1 that it is a guide which ,god1 in ,his care for ,his creatures1 has given them1 and caused them to obey4 ,we also noticed in reading these verses that until man was formed1 there was no lord over the ,creation1 but that to ,adam ,god gave dominion over all2 nothing was expected1 and he was owned as head1 ,god ,himself bringing the creatures to him that they might receive their names from him1 though ,adam himself was still under ,god1 and every benefit with which the ,creator loaded him1 only left him so much more bound to own ,his right over him4 ,as ,god has made us for ,himself1 ,he has given to every man1 even the rudest savage1 something within him which reminds him of ,one to whom he of right belongs2 however far he may have got away from ,him1 or may have tried to satisfy his conscience--that eye of the soul--by seeking to please some idol-god which he has made for himself4 ,god has also given proof of ,his eternal power and ,godhead by the things that are made--,his glorious works in ,creation4 ,listen to what a ,red chief1 far away in ,north ,america1 said to a missionary the other day3-- ,i have long lost faith--this was his confession--in the old paganism4 ,they know ,i have not cared for the old religion4 ,i have neglected it4 ,and ,i will tell you1 missionary1 why ,i have not believed in our old paganism for a long time4 ,illustration3 ,,north-,,american ,,indians4 ,i hear ,god in the thunder1 in the tempest1 and in the storm2 ,i see ,his power in the lightning that shivers the trees into kindling-wood2 ,i see ,his goodness in giving us the moose1 the reindeer1 the beaver1 and the bear2 ,i see ,his loving-kindness in giving us1 when the south winds blow1 the ducks and geese2 and when the snow and ice melt away1 and our lakes and rivers are open again1 ,i see how ,he fills them with fish4 ,i have watched these things for years1 and ,i see how every moon of the year ,he gives us something2 and ,he has so arranged it that1 if we are only industrious and careful1 we can always have something to eat4 ,so1 thinking about these things which ,i had observed1 ,i made up my mind years ago that this ,great ,spirit--so kind and so watchful and so loving--did not care for the beating of the conqueror's drum1 or the shaking of the rattle of the medicine man4 ,so for years ,i have had no religion4 ,missionary1 what you have said to-day fills my heart1 and satisfies my longings4 ,it is just what ,i have been expecting to hear about the ,great ,spirit4 ,i am glad you have come with this wonderful story2 stay as long as you can4 ,footnote3 ,from ,by ,canoe and ,dog-,train1 p4 #aai4 ,nothing more than the fact that man was made1 not like even an angel or an archangel1 but in the image of ,god1 is needed to show how far beyond and above every creature he was2 and1 as no creature owed so much to the ,creator1 none was responsible to ,him in the same way4 ,no one had any right over him except the ,one who had made him for ,himself1 his ,creator1 without whom he would not have been4 ,the ox knoweth its owner1 and the ass his master's crib4 7,isa4 i4 #c47 ,god has made the animals faithful and affectionate1 and there are many true and touching stories of the way in which they have attached themselves to those who have cared for them4 ,a dog will devote itself to its own master1 and even give its life for him2 but no mere animal has that within him which can have to say to ,god and be in relationship with ,him4 ,and how sad it is to think that the only creature of ,god who could know ,him is the one who has turned away from ,him and listened to the spoiler6 ,at the beginning ,god could say of all ,creation very good2 though there is a wonderful beauty still--beauty everywhere if we have eyes to see it--,he cannot say very good where decay1 pain1 sorrow1 death are all around2 where we grow weak and old1 and even while we are young and strong1 the most pleasant things tire us2 where hatred and envy1 shame and fear--all the sad feelings brought by sin--exist in the heart of the last and best of ,his creatures1 to whom ,his voice and ,his presence once brought only joy4 ,by one man sin entered into the world1 and death by sin4 ,and who can say how terrible has been the change thus wrought8 ,sad indeed is the wreck which ,satan has made of ,god's fair ,creation1 but a sadder wreck still is the man whom ,he made upright2 and yet the day is surely coming when round and round the throne of ,him that liveth for ever and ever shall echo and re-echo the words1 ,thou art worthy1 ,o ,lord1 to receive glory and honour and power2 for ,thou hast created all things1 and for ,thy pleasure they are and were created4 ,god does not mend things1 but replaces what has been spoilt or marred by something far better4 ,even the poor earth1 so ruined by sin and its consequences1 ,he will not mend2 but ,he will make new heavens and a new earth 7never more to bear the marks of the spoiler's hand7 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 ,but before the new heavens and new earth are created1 a great deal will take place upon this earth of which we have been speaking4 ,the ,jews1 now scattered in every land1 will pass through much trouble1 the lost tribes will be found and restored1 and the ,lord will put down all ,his enemies1 and reign in righteousness as ,king over ,his once again united people ,israel4 ,there will be a thousand years of wonderful peace1 and ,jerusalem will be the centre of earthly blessing2 for ,he says of it1 ,the name of the city from that day shall be ',jehovah ,shammah' 7the ,lord is there7 7,ezek4 xlviii4 #ce72 and again1 ,they shall call thee 'the city of the ,lord'2 and ,thou shalt call thy walls ',salvation1' and thy gates ',praise' 7,isa4 lx4 #ad-ah74 ,those who know the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as their ,saviour now1 will be with ,him when ,he thus reigns over the earth1 for they will be caught up to be with ,him for ever1 before the time of trouble 7followed by earthly blessing7 begins4 ,in those thousand years of peace even the animals which have so long suffered through man's sin and oppression will share in the rest of that happy time1 and ,god's ancient people ,israel1 once more dwelling safely in their own land1 will sing many of the ,psalms in ,his ,word for joy and happiness4 ,the following hymn speaks of that good time which is surely coming3-- ,hail to the ,lord's ,anointed1 ,great ,david's greater ,son6 ,hail1 in the time appointed1 ,his reign on earth begun6 ,he comes to break oppression1 ,to set the captive free1 ,to take away transgression1 ,and rule in equity4 ,he shall come down like showers ,upon the fruitful earth1 ,and love1 joy1 hope1 like flowers1 ,spring in ,his path to birth2 ,before ,him on the mountains1 ,shall peace the herald1 go1 ,and righteousness in fountains ,from hill to valley flow4 ,kings shall fall down before ,him1 ,and gold and incense bring2 ,all nations shall adore ,him1 ,his praise all people sing2 ,for ,he shall have dominion ,o'er river1 sea1 and shore1 ,far as the eagle's pinion ,or dove's light wing can soar4 ,o'er every foe victorious4 ,he on ,his throne shall rest2 ,from age to age more glorious1 ,all blessing and all-blest2 ,the tide of time shall never ,his covenant remove2 ,his name shall stand for ever1 ,that name to us is ,love4