PERSONAL REMINISCENCES. 29 



animal, vegetable, and mineral worlds were fairly repre- 

 sented in the pictures, and the result was a laugh a 

 friendly adieu, and a replenishing of the treasury. But 

 I have left the best for the last. To prove the truth of my 

 description of the circulation in a leaf, I took with me my 

 microscope, and, when the lecture was over, I showed this 

 deeply interesting object to a select few of the visitors, 

 amongst whom was a venerable minister a dear old 

 man, with a face like that of an angel. Falling in love 

 with him at first sight, I said, " Well, how did you like 

 my story ? " 



" "Very much," was the reply; "but ' (oh, that 

 little word "b-u-t," how much it sometimes includes!), 

 " but how many superlatives you used ! " 



" True," I answered : " who can help superlatives, as 

 you call them, when speaking of the works of the Most 

 High? Now, my dear sir, come and see, and tell me 

 what you have to say about the circulation in the leaf 

 now under my microscope." 



He looked at it, then at me ; then the dear old eyes, 

 which long since have had something better to look upon, 

 looked brightly around, and when I said, " Well, what do 

 you think of it ? " " Think ! " he answered, " why, I think 

 it's perfectly ravishing ! " 



" Well, come now," I exclaimed, " who ever heard me 

 use such a ' superlative ' as that ? " 



On another occasion I was explaining to a friend the 

 wonders of my favourite object, the tongue of the house- 

 fly. He was one of the many unbelievers I have had to 

 deal with. He wouldn't believe what he couldn't under- 

 stand ; and I made a convert of him very speedily with 

 my silent tongue of Husca domestiea. When the exhi- 

 bition was ended, " Well," I asked, " how are you now ? " 

 " Perfectly flabbergasted!" was the exclamation. Then I 



