XITT. 
AN ANCIENT FAMILY. 
“Ortp Neptune’s a spendrift! See the 
‘sand dollars he’s thrown away! And here’s 
a devil’s pincushion! What does theology 
say about that?” asked Tom merrily. 
“Theology and science take that spiny 
thing,” answered the minister, “ and read in its 
eventful history ‘by what wonderful, what un- 
expected roads God arrives at the completion 
of his designs. One does not discern the slight- 
est resemblance of form between the little 
slow-swimming dome (the infant sea urchin) 
and the spmed and -boxed urchin which crawls 
over the rocks.’ 
“So accustomed are we to the thoughts and 
to the skill of the Creator as manifested in 
his works, we are indifferent to the lessons 
they teach or to the prophecies they may con- 
tain. So much for your text, Tom! 
“The sea urchin has several names besides 
the one which you bestowed upon it. Sea 
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