THE MOUSE. 227 



ty of grain for their support, he found shortly after an. 

 hundred and twenty mice, all produced from this ma- 

 ternal stock. Indeed, as the enemies of this animal 

 are numerous and formidable, nothing but this amaz- 

 ing fecundity can save it from utter destruction. 



In contemplating the prolific nature of these dimi- 

 nutive animals, the mouse and the rat, some reflections 

 on the wonderful plan of creative wisdom will readily 

 occur to your mind. These I have already suggested 

 to you in the general view of the animal world, and 

 future observations will often recal them to your con- 

 sideration. We have already observed that mankind 

 use every art, and contrive every possible method for 

 the extirpation of the rat and mouse ; and that not 

 only the cat but every animal of the weazel kind, as 

 well as a multitude of others, are their implacable 

 enemies, persecute them with unceasing hostility, and 

 combine with man for their destruction. Infinite 

 wisdom, however, has, in bestowing on these crea- 

 tures an extraordinary fecunditjr, counteracted all the 

 efforts used for their extermination. Their depreda- 

 tions in our houses, our barns, and our granaries, in- 

 duce us to esteem them noxious and troublesome ani- 

 mals; but are we sure that they answer no beneficial 

 purpose ? Are we certain that they do not prevent 

 the propagation of some other creature more noxio.us 

 than themselves? This, my dear Sir, although yet 

 undiscovered, is not impossible. Our short-sightedness 

 floes not permit us to penetrate the all-wise designs of 

 the Creator. On reviewing his work, he "saw that it 

 was good," Gen. chap. i. And as he created every 

 species of animal life for some wise purpose he has 

 with equal wisdom taken measures to prevent their 

 extinction. 



There are several varieties of the mouse, which for 

 brevity's sake we shall omit, and proceed to some- 

 thing more interesting. They have all a pretty near 

 resemblance: The principal difference is in the 

 Fhrew-mouse, which with a body of the same shape 

 and colour, and nearly of the same size as that of the 

 rest of the kind, has the head and nose shaped like 

 L 



