"SERMONS IN''— ANTS. 339 



face— more than a hundred hands shot iiji, and as 

 many Bibles of various sizes and styles were held aloft. 

 I suppose my surprise was shown upon my face ; the 

 audience were infected by the speaker's attitude, and 

 looked on silently at the strange scene. The children's 

 faces were wreathed with smiles ; the superintendent 

 looked up from his seat with a well-pleased counten- 

 ance, and broke the stillness with the explanation : 



" We have a ' show of Bibles ' every Sunday, sir. It 

 is one of our ways of teaching the children to own and 

 use their own Bibles." 



"Many thanks," I said, "for this beautiful lesson. 

 It is a new sight to me, and came as a great surprise. 

 I never thought to, have such an answer to my ques- 

 tion. I shall not need to ask this school again, how 

 many have Bibles ? ]S"ow let us see what these Bibles 

 have to say about ants ? 



"Turn to the sixth chapter of Proverbs," 

 There was a rustling of leaves, like the moving of 

 wind through the tree-tops, as the young hands turned 

 over the pages of the Sacred Book. The sound gradu- 

 ally died away, as one after another the children found 

 the place, until all was still. 



"Now, please, read together the 6th, 7th and 8th 

 verses. The Doctor will lead you." 



The old clergyman arose, and the scholars, well used 

 to reading in concert, read with him, as witli one voice, 

 the following words : 



" Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways 

 and be wise: which, having no guide, overseer, 'or 



