34 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



in consulting the historian on those subjects you 

 must take the traveller to your assistance : they 

 each throw light on the other ; and each be- 

 comes doubly interesting, when we read with 

 the view of comparing the past and the present, 

 and of tracing the progress or the failure of arts 

 and civilization." 



And now, dear Mamma, I smile when I think 

 of your reading this philosophic page in my jour- 

 nal. So, adieu 5 for this day ! 



llth. In these fine evenings there is a soft 

 calmness in the air that is delightful ; last night 

 we enjoyed it till the sun's last faint rays had 

 retired, and not even a streak of red appeared in 

 the west. Before we came home I had the 

 pleasure of seeing the glow-worms light their little 

 lanterns 



Stars of the earth and diamonds of the night. 



But, I must say, our fire-flies of Brazil are 

 much superior to them in brightness. Indeed, 

 all the productions of nature here are less bril- 

 liant ; the birds, insects, and flowers of Brazil 

 are quite dazzling, compared with the dull things 

 that I see in this country. But I am told that 

 this deficiency in beauty is more than made up 

 by some greater merits. For instance, the sing- 

 ing of the birds here in spring is said to be so 

 sweet und so various, that I feel a little childish 



