ETCETERA. 21 1 



less lunatic which goes about the house collecting par- 

 ticles of rubbish and dust, which it sticks about its person. 

 Or turn to the evening lamp and contemplate the hundreds 

 of flimsy little bodies which dot the white globe, stuck fast 

 by the smear of oil which the servant's fingers left when he 

 " cleaned " it. They are mostly after the pattern of a mos- 

 quito, or gnat, but smaller and more fragile. They came 

 into winged life this afternoon ; a vision of glory dazzled 

 them and they pursued it : now they are in the pillory and 

 will remain there till death releases them, for in nature 

 there is rarely any place for repentance. 



Floundering about on the table-cloth is a small water- 

 beetle, which was as happy as the day is long while it 

 remained in the well. But it had wings, and was am- 

 bitious to use them ; and now it is in sore trouble, learning 

 in the school of experience the hard lesson that when you 

 arc well off it is best to be contented. I pick it up and 

 drop it into the finger-glass, and in a moment its trouble 

 is forgotten, its penitence has vanished, and it is swimming 

 round and round as full of glee as if the butler were not 

 already on his way to toss the contents of the finger-glass 

 out upon the ground. There are pretty ball-room moths, 

 too, dancing round the lamp in a wild whirl of fascination 



