The Microscope. 265 



voyages upon the ocean, the ooze brought up by the 

 sounding lead from the deep bed of the ocean ; they 

 seek in every hidden place for the minute in the 

 animal and vegetable kingdom. 



But in all their search, did they ever find one 

 mark of imperfection ? As they ply still greater 

 and greater power with their improved instruments 

 is not the charm which so holds them to their work 

 the new beauties which every new specimen rev. 

 to them? In one there is beauty of structure ; in 

 another, of outline and sculpture; in another of 

 Ltld in anothtt :;>tati<m; so that the mi- 



ist dwells in a world of enchantment, a world 

 unknown to common men, a world of wonders by 

 itself, but a world as perfect in all its parts and as 

 plainly proclaiming divine wisdom and skill as the 

 suns and planets that circle in space. Among all 

 these patient observers we have yet to find the first 

 one who claims that his microscope has revealed 

 anything but perfection. To every object of beauty 

 he applies the glass with one expectation that 

 greater beauties will be revealed by its magnifying 

 power. In all the works of man, it brings out im- 

 perfections ; in all the works of nature increa 

 beauty, without a single exception in the whole his- 

 tory of microscopic investigation. 



If we advance one step further, we find the radiate 

 division of the animal kingdom, the corals, jelly-fishes, 

 and star-fish tribe. The coral animals, by their 

 beautiful forms and brilliant colors, form gardens in 

 the ocean, so beautiful that it is not strange that 



