276 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Pol 



the honey was derived by the bees chiefly from the flowers of 

 the Kalmia latifolia. Xenophon, in his "Anabasis," mentions 

 that some of his soldiers were singularly affected by honey 

 which they took in Asia Minor. Some of them seemed as if 

 intoxicated, others were much excited, and others lay on the 

 ground as if about to die. The poisonous lurks in the pleasur- 

 able, not only in matter but in morals also. How often when 

 enjoying apparently harmless pleasures, men unexpectedly be- 

 come the victims of moral evil ! Wickedness seldom comes to 

 us in its essential bitterness. If it did, we should shun it. It 

 generally insinuates itself in some form of attractive sweetness, 

 and frequently by means of unconscious agents as innocent as 

 the bees. MU. 



Polished People. 



Scarcely any gem reveals its true beauties in a natural state. 

 The diamond in the rough is most unattractive, and would be 

 thrown away by a casual observer as a worthless pebble ; its 

 perfections are hidden under a hard crust, which can only be 

 removed by its own powder. The deep velvet hue of the 

 sapphire, the glowing brilliant red of the ruby, the soft clear 

 green of the emerald, and the delicate strata of the onyx, alike 

 only display themselves in their true character after the lapidary 

 has used his skill in cutting them into facets and polishing 

 them ; and on the perfection of this operation depends in a 

 great measure the beauty of the gem. As it is with these, so it 

 is also with human gems. A human " diamond in the rough " 

 is a most unattractive lout. If he is to be ever valued as his 

 inherent qualities deserve, he must be polished by culture and 

 good society. Few people have " the seeing eye " to recognise 

 human "jewels" so long as they remain in a coarse condition; 

 but when they have become smooth in their manners and 

 polished in their language, their value is applauded by every- 

 body. There are, of course, plenty of polished stones which are 

 not gems, and plenty of polite people who are of no moral 

 worth. But that does not diminish the necessity that gems 

 should be polished, and that geniuses should be refined. DI. 



