inconvenience, unless you should be indolent, and lose the power of pleasurable exertion for want of making use of it."

"I do not intend to do that, I promise you: and, after all, papa, I am not sorry for this stiffness. It will soon be well, and I have enjoyed a great deal of pleasure while you were explaining the action of the muscles."

"Show him in an insect or a flower,
Such microscopic proof of skill and power,
As, hid from ages past, God now displays,
To combat Atheists with in modern days."
COWPER.

MR. BEAUFOY had lately purchased an excellent microscope, and he promised Harry, that the first time he was at leisure, he would show him some of those wonders which are invisible to the

naked eye. One morning he came into the parlour with a tumbler of water in his hand, in which the quick eye of Harry detected some little, mov

ing objects. "Oh, papa," exclaimed he, "do not drink that water: there is something alive in it!"

"I know it; and I have brought these little creatures here on purpose to show them to you. They are young tadpoles; and, when we have done with them, you may carry them to the pond in the next field, where they may grow into frogs, at their leisure. So saying, Mr. Beaufoy set down the tumbler, and, unlocking the case of the microscope, began to prepare it for use.

"I can see these tadpoles without the help of the microscope," said Harry : "I thought the use of that was to show us things which are too small to be examined by the naked eye."

"You thought rightly, Harry. There is, however, some difference between seeing a thing and examining it. Your unassisted sight cannot discern all that is worth looking at in a tadpole."

66

They seem to be very active little things; but they are not pretty. I think I could find much more beautiful objects for your microscope," replied Harry, who continued to amuse himself by watching the motions of the tadpoles, notwithstanding their want of beauty, till his father interrupted him by saying, "Come here, Harry, and look through the instrument. I have now placed one of these creatures in a proper situation: tell me if it resembles those in the tumbler."

Harry had never till now looked through a microscope, and he was rather embarrassed by his own long eye-lashes. "Do you see any thing?" said his father, wondering that he made no remark.

"Yes, papa, I see a bright light; but something keeps coming across it, like the legs of a great, black spider."

"A black spider! there is not the

smallest resemblance.

boy be thinking of!"

What can the

Mrs. Beaufoy, who guessed the cause of his perplexity, now laid down her work, and came to the table. She desired Harry to close one eye, and gently to touch the instrument with his hand, so that he might obtain a resting-place