Ble] AND SYMBOLS. . 29 



Wyman examined fourteen of these fishes (Amblyopsis Spelcem), 

 and in three or four of them only was he able to detect an eye- 

 ball beneath the skin. These he dissected, and found that the 

 eye was wholly covered by areolar tissue, and was not organised 

 to receive images of external objects. Now, it is universally 

 affirmed that light is one of the greatest blessings in the world ; 

 and it might be supposed that if it could be made to penetrate 

 into any such recess as this cave it would be a vast benefit. 

 Yet what waste of energy it would be to break through the 

 rocks and open the rayless waters to the sunlight ! For here 

 you have creatures which do not need light ; " eyes which see 

 not," and lives which are independent of the sun. That which 

 would be an unspeakable blessing to others would be no bless- 

 ing here. To labour to light up this place would be as un- 

 necessarily disappointing as are the labours of those educa- 

 tionists who carry the blessings of music to unharmonious souls, 

 of reasoning to addle-pated dolts ; of poetry to blockheads ; of 

 Christliness to hypocritical formalists. Blessings are relative 

 things. It is absurd to judge that the same thing will benefit 

 all. It is waste time to attempt to carry the light of knowledge 

 to creatures whose natures are disqualified for its reception. 

 The spiritual eyes of some men are not organised to receive 

 impressions. All, therefore, that we have a right to expect 

 from such individuals is that they will harmlessly fulfil their 

 destiny in the darkness which is natural to them. MU. 



Blessings Neutralised. 



The world is full of instances of blessings which are 

 neutralised by surrounding circumstances. Springs of fresh 

 water are often found rising up in the sea. Nevertheless the 

 sailor dies of thirst, because the properties of the fresh water 

 are merged in and rendered inert by the sea, so he wails with 

 the Ancient Mariner, 



" Water, water everywhere, 

 But never a drop to drink." 



In social life we may see people blessed with ample riches, but 

 the benefit of them is rendered inactive by reason of disease or 



