THE MISTLETOE. BJ 



to, and it is difficult to assign a reason why this 

 should be the case. In winter the trees appear as 

 if they were covered with rooks' nests, when seen 

 from a short distance, and it is evident that they 

 are rapidly decaying. 



Persuaded, as I am, that every thing has been 

 created for some good and benevolent purpose, 

 I was not long in discovering what appeared to me 

 to be the intended use of the mistletoe, and if my 

 supposition is correct, it aifords another proof of 

 the care of Almighty God for his creatures. The 

 seeds of this plant ripen very late, viz. between 

 February and April, and are not willingly fed upon 

 by birds as long as they can procure the berries of 

 hawthorn, hollies, ivy and other winter food. No 

 sooner however does a late frost set in, and the 

 ground become covered with snow in the Spring, as 

 is often the case, than birds flock to the mistle- 

 toe, and find a ready resource thus left them 

 when all others have failed. If its berries ripened 

 early, and were a favorite food of birds, the bene- 

 volent design of the Great Creator would not have 

 been as effective as it is by the present beautiful 

 organization of the plant. If we thus see the 

 birds of the air provided for by the merciful and 

 kind arrangements of our heavenly Father, we 

 have every reason to place ourselves with confi- 

 dence in His hands, and to trust to His care. 



Having had my attention thus drawn to the mis- 



