236 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



He saw that in Nature, from the greatest to the 

 smallest thing, there is no waste. Unseen and unnoticed 

 by us, every atom has its place and its part to fulfil. 

 Nothing is lost. ' In God's economy we trace this fact 

 everywhere. 



The waves of the mighty ocean are kept back by the 

 atoms of sand worn down from the lofty hills and rocks 

 by the action of the winds and rains and frosts of past 

 ages. The minute particles are brought down by melted 

 snows of the avalanche to the rivers, and by the rivers 

 to the seas. The ocean waves bear these sands, mingled 

 with their waters, to lay them softly down on the shore, 

 there to form a barrier against their own encroachments, 

 unconsciously fulfilling the dictates of their mighty 

 Creator's command, " Hitherto shalt thou come, but no 

 further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." , 



Atom by atom were the lofty hills built up ; atom by 

 atom are they laid low. By slow but constant action 

 they perform the great work of keeping back the 

 advance of the mighty waves of the ocean and forming 

 new land. 



Chemistry presents many wonderful examples of the 

 changes effected by certain combinations known to the 

 scientific searchers into the mysteries of Nature, but such 

 things are out of the sphere of my limited knowledge. 



Let us rather go into the forests, where we may realize, 

 not less forcibly, the truth of the words, " Something 

 gathers up the fragments, and nothing is lost." 



