m. There is nothing now in itself common or unclean, nothing in itself
that contains a peculiar sacred virtue; but that which is next and nearest
ourselves is capable, by inexpressible degrees, of all good, having been
framed by God Himself. So often we seek far off what would have come to us
and been ours, had we but sat still, waiting, acting with a simple heart.
We mark out to us high deeds, we would fain search out somewhat great and
painful to accomplish,--as if there were not small matters enough, and
pleasant ones,--ay, and the most difficult, toilsome ones too, with their
secret crowns and garlands of reward,--all bounded within the poorest
threshold!--Now, my little youths and maidens, having listened so gravely
to the old man's discourse, go like children and play yourselves homeward:
there, and here you have need of all reverence, obedience, and
thoughtfulness."

Whether or not old Wendel's hearers appreciated the particulars of his
lesson, we are not aware; but from the excitement in the village having
after that taken a decided turn, we may suppose that, on the whole, it was
not without its use there and round about the place. And so, if more
perfectly expressed, and when rightly and fully understood, the doctrine
implied by this and numberless similar facts in human history might be in
many another community.

TAXIDERMY IN ROME

In turning over the voluminous records of our travels abroad, we pause
more particularly at those passages of our journals which relate to the
study of Natural History. In these occur frequent references to agreeable
pedestrian rambles undertaken alone, or in the company of unaffected
friends, in France and Switzerland, Italy and its islands: of whole days
spent, and twilight at last surprising us still bending over the
unexplored treasures of unexhausted museums. Of Paris winters cheerfully
passed in the _enceinte_ of the class-rooms of the Sorbonne; of pleasant
occasions in which our ears refused to take cognisance of the sound of
town clocks and dinner bells, while our eyes were so agreeably forgetting
themselves amid the profusion and variety of southern fish and bird
markets. On this, if on any portion of our by-gone life, we look back with
sadness indeed, but with a sadness unembittered by regrets; our only
sorrow here being, that we knew not earlier in life those studies of which
it may be pre-eminently said, that while they "delight abroad they hinder
not at home.