destroy our vegetables. For my own part, I am glad to see them in my garden, knowing as I do how much benefit they do to me."

"Well," said the man, throwing away the stone which he had ready for another fling, "then let him live, but I did not know they did any good."

"Nay, my friend," I said, "your leaving the poor crippled animal to die a lingering death would now be more cruel than to kill it outright; don't you see that you have broken every bone in its body, and so covered it with stones that it cannot get away, and it may have to suffer for many days? The kindest thing you could now do would be to put an end to its misery; but let me intreat you never again to put to death any of God's creatures, merely because you think they do no good."

I was so shocked at the man's conduct that I had no pleasure in my walk. It made me quite unhappy to think how careless people are about the poor animals which God has put under their care and made for their good. I hope my young readers will remember that it is always mean and cowardly to hurt any animal for our own amusement. God has made them all, and He would not have made them if they had not been of some use in the world.

QUESTIONS:-1. What is meant when it is said that the man was "greatly excited"? 2. How did he show his agitation? 3. Why was he throwing stones at the toad? 4. Is the toad of any use? 5. What does it live upon? 6. Where may toads often be found? 7. Why was the man asked to put the toad to death? 8. Why should we not torture any animal? 9. When is it right to put an animal to death?

sys'-tem, plan, method.

How has the bee got all the knowledge she

possesses? She has not gained it by experience.

She has not tried first one plan and then another for her curious works, and then fixed upon that which, on the whole, she thought to be the best. This could not be. She was not taught these skilful arts by other bees, older and wiser than herself.

No; each little bee as well understood at the beginning of her life how to perform her allotted task, as she did at the close. She is made with instruments ready for her work, and she uses them properly. She begins the work of her life in the right way; and in the same way she carries it on with the most perfect order and system, till in a few short months it is all ended.

The wondrous power which this little insect enjoys to direct all its work, is called instinct. It is given to her, and to other insects, and to the lower animals, by the Creator of the world. This gift is all the teaching which they need. It is their guide in all things, and it keeps them from mistake.

Thus the bee is taught to prepare the wax, to build her cells, to collect the honey, and to store it away. Thus she is taught to arrange the various cells where the queen bee is to lay the eggs, to produce the workers, the drones, and the royal young. Thus the queen herself knows where to place the eggs; and the nurse has now only to take care of them.

The bees are also taught to divide their

labours; the wax-makers, the nurses, and the honey-gatherers, each class attending to their own work. Without gaining that skill from practice which is called experience, and without teaching from other bees, the little creature goes on to do always what is best for itself, best for the family of bees in which it lives, and best for man, who is to enjoy much of the fruit of its labours. It goes on regularly, and builds in the very same way now, that bees built thousands of years ago.

All classes of animals have instinct, which teaches them many things which they require to know, in order to preserve their lives, to provide for their young, and to defend them; but none of them seem to be so well furnished with instincts so various, so refined, and perfect as the insect races. No wild beast of prey, no bird, nor fish, can weave a net to catch its enemies or friends, and keep them for its food, so cunningly as can the little spider. And what larger animals can be thought of, which, living together in one society, build cities for themselves, with streets and dwellings in regular order, and warehouses for provisions, and there lay up a store sufficient for the wants of all those that dwell in the city, in a future season! Which of them can be compared with our wise little insect, the bee, who does all this, and much more? The crafty spider, with its web, has indeed singular wisdom and skill, but it can never be thought equal to the wonder-working bee.

QUESTIONS:-1. How has the bee not got all her knowledge? 2. What do we require to do, to get knowledge that the bee does not? 3. How is this? 4. Are we not so clever as the bee? 5. When we learn to write, what is the difference between our first copy and our last? 6. What is the difference between the bee's first honeycomb and its last? 7. What power, then, have we that the bee has not? 8. What name is given to the power by which the bee knows how to work? 9. Have other animals the like power? 10. Name some animals that show much instinct. 11. Who gave it to them? 12. Tell how bees divide their labour. 13. Describe how other animals are taught and guided by instinct.

A POOR boy, fifteen years of age, belonging to my parish, applied for the place of footman in my service. His good conduct, when I had seen him in the time of sickness, had so engaged my