nd cheese. But what are nymphs?"
"There was, in olden times, Frank, before the birth of Christ, and
among many people since there is a belief in a sort of fairies, or
fanciful existences. They thought that in each stream, and wood, and
grotto lived a beautiful young woman, invisible to common eyes, and
these lovely fairies were called nymphs. So it became common to call
any beautiful young woman a nymph."
"The best line in it," said Harry, "is, 'And, puzzling, set his
puppy brains.' That I can quite understand."
"Now," said Mrs. Chilton, "it is time to light the candles, and for
little boys to go to bed."
"I have still a little more to say to you about animals," said Mrs.
Chilton, one evening, to her two boys, "as you seemed pleased with
what I told you, some time ago, about dogs and cats."
A friend told me, the other day, that, when she was at Hopkinton,
where she went for the benefit of the baths, the mistress of the
hotel told her that their cat understood language; for that a
gentleman, who was there and was going fishing, told the cat to go
and catch him a frog. The cat disappeared, and, a little while
after, brought in a frog. She added, that the next day he told the
cat again to go and catch him a frog. The cat again set off on the
same errand, and brought in two frogs; but she had bitten off the
head of one of them, as if to pay for her labor."
"Do you believe that story, Puss?" said Harry. "See, Puss shakes her
head. Do you believe it, Mother?"
The authority was very good. I could not easily disbelieve it. The
more we notice animals the more we shall be astonished at them, and
interested in their history; the more we shall see in them evidences
of the wisdom and the goodness of the Power that created them.
I knew a good, great man who would never tread upon the meanest
flower he met in his walks; who would not wantonly destroy a shell
upon the sea shore.
When I was very young, I was walking in a garden with one of the
true lovers of God in His works: suddenly he bent his head very low,
and bade me bend mine also. "See," he said, "that beautiful web: do
not break it; the little creature who made it has worked very hard;
let us not destroy it."
This lesson was given many years ago. I have forgotten many things
since then; but this will last me through life, let it be ever so
long.
Who does not love good Uncle Toby who, when a troublesome fly
tormented and tickled his nose and sipped his
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