of tendons, or cords, placed in its legs for that purpose. The weight of the animal's body gives that force which is necessary for the claws to retain their hold, and thus the creature is enabled to sleep in safety. This remarkable property of the tendons, this uniform posture of the roosting bird, cannot be the effect of chance, but of contrivance; and when we plainly see a contrivance adapted to any particular purpose, we are quite sure that some intelligent person has been employed in designing and perfecting that contrivance. You said, just now, that the wheels and pinions of my watch must have had a maker, and a clever one too." " "I am perfectly sure of it, mamma. I am not more sure that I am alive." Mrs. Beaufoy laid her hand upon Harry's shoulder, and in an earnest, affectionate tone of voice, said, "Listen to me, my beloved child. You have hitherto believed a fact to be true, if I told you that it was so, because you cannot recollect that I have ever deceived you; and therefore you have no reason to doubt my word. But did it ever occur to you that it is possible I may, in some things, be myself deceived--that I may draw a wrong conclusion from some particular fact, and that on some subjects I must necessarily be ignorant? "I never thought about your ignorance, mamma; though I have often wondered how you can know so many things that I have no notion of you tell me about them. But I now recollect till that sometimes, when I ask you a question, you "I do not know." say, 66 "And sometimes I am mistaken, Harry, and suppose I know a thing, which, on further examination, I find to be different from what I had supposed it to be. Now there is one subject, my dear child, on which you ought not to trust me, or any other human being. You ought to be sure of this fact for yourself: so sure, as not to leave the possibility of a mistake." "Can I be so sure of any thing, mamma? You often tell me not to be positive. "Very true, Harry. In cases that admit of doubt, it is always right not to be positive; but when you said just now, that you were 'perfectly sure,' my watch was made by somebody, I did not reprove you; because that is one of the cases in which our knowledge amounts to certainty." "I understand you, mamma; but what is the subject on which I am not to trust even you?” "It is the existence of that almighty and benevolent Being, who is the first great cause of all that our eyes behold the contriver, and maker, and preserver of every thing. You believe that there is such a Being, because I have told you SO. I also tell you that there are many subjects on which it is possible for me to be ignorant or mistaken, and it is of the greatest consequence to you to be sure that this is not one of them. therto I have treated you as a child, but I now speak to you as a friend; because your mind has Hi acquired sufficient strength to examine this wonderful truth for yourself. You may, if you please, acquire the certain knowledge that there is a God, and that he loves and rewards those who endeavour to serve him. You tell me sometimes that you love God, that you are grateful to him for the blessings you enjoy ; but you have no idea of the love, and gratitude, and reverence you would feel for him, if you could perceive and understand the proofs of his goodness, power, and wisdom, which every where surround you. The impression produced on your mind by what I have told you of the Almighty, is very faint, compared to what will be made by your own reflections-your own reasonings-when you come to examine these proofs of his goodness and power for yourself." "But, at my age, can I. examine and understand these proofs, mamma?" : "Yes, many of them and quite as easily as you examined the construction of my watch. You could not distinctly understand the use of every wheel and pinion; but you clearly perceived the connexion of the barrel, and the chain, and the fusee; and how they were put into motion by the uncoiling of the spring. You were quite sure that an artist had been employed in contriving these things; and you said that the inside of a watch never appeared so beautiful and curious before. You will experience the same feelings of delight and admiration in a far higher degree, when you examine the contrivances of : the great Creator. It is true that you will not perceive and understand them all the wisest man that ever lived has not been able to do this. But you will see enough to be certain, that infinite power and wisdom are continually employed in producing order, and beauty, and happiness. The consciousness of knowing but little, will not make you doubtful of what you do know it will be clear to you as the uncoiling of the watchspring.' Harry kissed his mother with unusual affection, and went to bed. "How kindly she talks to me,' thought he, as he laid his head on the pillow; "not as a child, but as a friend.' Yes, those were her own words. I know I should like to be her friend! And she says that these wonderful things may be as clear to me as the uncoiling of the watch-spring. She never deceived me and I will do my best to understand them.” B 2 CHAPTER II. "We trace Thro' all the fabric, Wisdom's artful aim AKENSIDE. THE next morning, when Mrs. Beaufoy went into the kitchen to give orders for the day, she desired the cook to cut off a leg of one of the fowls, in the usual place; taking care not to divide the tendon at the joint, but to draw out the part which runs up that division of the leg which is frequently called the drumstick. With this in her hand, she returned to the parlour, where she found Harry waiting for her as usual. "Oh mamma, what are you going to do with that leg of the fowl ?" "To show you, my dear, that the curious mechanism of which we were speaking last night, is not a matter of opinion, in which it is right we should be diffident; but a fact, of which we may be certain from the evidence of our senses. Here, take this into your own hand, and examine it. I have had a piece of the tendon left, on purpose that you might see the manner of its operation." Harry then began to pull the tendon, and saw that, every time he stretched it, the claws contracted as they had done the evening before. "I 1 |