330 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



created things around them. Birds, beasts, flowers, 

 trees, mountains, brooks, stars, moon and sun, clouds, 

 rain and snow, waving crops of gathered grain, all were 

 seen by them with interest and pleasure, and made to 

 speak for them some truth or lesson of daily life. 

 Well, if all these things have in them a sacred thought 

 for us, shouldn't we try to find out what that thought 

 is ? I have often taught you out of this Revelation of 

 Inspiration "' — and he laid his hand upon the Bible ; " I 

 have asked another to teach you this afternoon out of 

 the Revelation of Creation. If it be true that we may 

 find 'sermons in stones,' I think it is equally sure that 

 we may find sermons in insects. I have therefore great 

 pleasure in introducing to you my very dear friend, Mr. 

 Fielding Mayfield.'' 



There ! the Doctor's seci-et was out. Yes, I had at 

 last consented, after much hesitation, to talk to the 

 young people about some of the Bible insects. All 

 other difficulties being removed, the Doctor had over- 

 come my scruples as a layman against seeming to con- 

 duct a religious service by declaring that he was to be 

 and would be the officiating clergyman, and that I 

 surely might, at his appointment and request, address 

 the children. It was my own suggestion that the mat- 

 ter be kept secret, for I wished thus to avoid the attend- 

 ance of hiuch curious people as might have been attracted 

 simply by the luiusual naturi> of the address. 



The announcciinent was followed by a buzz of whis- 

 pered wonder and expectation. As I sat opposite some 

 of th(^ members of the old-furiu family, T could note 



