Cir] AND SYMBOLS. 45 



wise. "We must not always judge a creature by its shell, or a 

 man by his reputation. The reputation which a man acquires 

 is somewhat analogous to the pholas shell. It depends a good 

 deal upon the kind of place where he has to work. Some 

 men's reputations get much deformed by constant contact with 

 harsh, objectionable, and unfriendly influences. Other men's 

 reputations become beautiful because of the propitious and 

 happy circumstances which surround the men. Yet the real 

 character of all the men may be identical. We can detect the 

 pholas by his life and habits. We detect a true man in the 

 same way. Many men have had a hard time of it in boring 

 their way through the adamantine social rocks. We must take 

 that fact into account when we are considering their external 

 appearance and reputation ; and we must not doubt but their 

 real character is just as good as that of the smooth courtier 

 who has lived an easy life in burrowing in the luxuriance of 

 palaces. H. 



Cheering Trifles. 



A sombre night may, unless you are in an objectionable bed, 

 be made less sombre by even the presence of insects. In 

 Canada you may often see the whole air, for a few yards above 

 the surface of a large field, completely filled with fireflies on 

 the wing, thicker than stars on a winter's night. The light is 

 redder, more candle-like, than that of our glow-worm, and, 

 being in each individual alternately emitted and concealed, 

 and each of the million tiny flames performing its part in mazy 

 aerial dance, the spectacle is singularly cheerful. Thus, and 

 in many other ways, Nature provides us with cheering trifles 

 which often enliven the mind when there is nothing else at 

 hand to break the gloom or divert the thoughts. A sparkling 

 crystal, a sweet flower, a gay bird, a child's song, will often 

 create thoughts which will flit with cheerful brightness across 

 man's melancholy mood, and make him grateful for the diver- 

 sion which they have afforded to his musings. no. 



Circumstantial Men. 

 The independent man has an appearance which marks him 



