KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



213 



us ignorant of the power possessed by a 

 kind, affectionate, and watchful nurse, to 

 alleviate our sufferings, whilst sick and 

 ailing — let us "take a leaf out of the nurse's 

 book;" and by evincing some of her solici- 

 tude, render the sufferings of our little 

 prisoners more endurable, and their incarce- 

 ration less irksome. It is a pleasing duty. 



AUGUST—AND ITS INSECTS. 



It certainly may be said that — some of the 

 most gorgeous of our insect tribes are on the wing 

 in August. 



Butterflies, like embroidered flowers, are 

 floating beneath the azure sky; and it is impos- 

 sible to watch these brilliant creatures, without 

 calling to mind their wonderful mode of growth, 

 and tracing them from the egg through their 

 various transformations. If there be one portion 

 of the works of the Creator more surprising than 

 another, I think it may truly be given in favor of 

 the insect tribe. The design, the persevering 

 agencies, and the admirable mechanism therein 

 displayed, are indeed wonderful : and are all so 

 interesting, that entomology may be said to be a 

 study more adapted than any other for in- 

 struction of the mind. The existence of a 

 Creator, full of contrivance, benevolent in his 

 purposes, and inexhaustible in adaptation, is 

 apparent on all sides. We see him in the handi- 

 work of Creation — from man, the King, to the 

 minutest of living creatures; both possessing the 

 utmost exactitude; and in thus beholding Crea> 

 tion's works, we are taught, by the evidence of 

 our senses, some of the attributes of Divinity. 



Nature, when studied in reference to its author, 

 becomes a vast note-book filled with instances of 

 love, wonder, and goodness; and every step we 

 take adds something to our knowledge. Let us 

 look for the " Nut Weevil," which is found in 

 the autumn (or late in the summer), about the 

 hazel-trees. Taking advantage of the state of 

 the nut, it bores a hole through its soft rind ; and 

 then deposits its egg. No injury appears to 

 be done to the nut thus selected. It grows, 

 and the kernel ripens; this last then becomes 

 the food of the maggot, that has been growing in 

 company with it. When the fruit falls, the grub 

 enclosed therein is fully hatched ; the nut has 

 become its home, ready and abundantly pio- 

 visioned. It then bores itself a door, being in 

 possession of a horny beak for that purpose. It 

 then buries itself in the earth, where it remains 

 for eight months. Here it slowly undergoes a 

 change to a chrysalis, sheltered and protected by 

 its position from injury. Finally, it assumes its 

 perfect shape of a brown fly, lays its eggs in nuts, 

 and dies. The lines I now quote from Darwin 

 on this insect, are well known, but they convey 

 an erroneous idea to the reader. 



" So sleeps in silence the Curculio, shut 

 In the dark chambers of the cavern'd nut; 

 Erodes, with ivory beak, the vaulted shell, 

 And quits on filmy wings its narrow cell." 



How very mysterious are these changes, and how 

 complete are the means to the end proposed! 

 The Deist who refuses his faith to Revelation, 



because it appears perfectly incomprehensible to 

 him, and involves circumstances beyond his 

 powers of reasoning, should seek out this insect, 

 and learn that mysteries belong not alone to the 

 revealed word of God. 



The Greeks sculptured the butterfly upon their 

 tombstones — the poetical and philosophical genius 

 seeing in its transformations a type of that futu- 

 rity, which they believed, but yet did not under- 

 stand. They placed it there, as a representative 

 of the soul. The image is beautiful, and touching 

 in the highest degree. Sharon Turner, taking 

 up the same idea, has expressed a belief that 

 " the Creator appointed insect transformation to 

 excite the sentiment in the human heart, of 

 Death being only an advanced step in the path 

 of life." 



Let us so view them; for it is certainly de- 

 sirable to people our walks with objects proper 

 for contemplation and reflection. Being thus 

 rendered mindful of the change that will come, 

 let us " keep our house in order." The man 

 whose intellect is so narrow, and whose imagina- 

 tion is so barren, that — 



" The primrose on the river's brim 

 A yellow primrose is to him, 

 And it is nothing more," — 



that goes through the world without perceiving 

 its beauties, or being benefited by the associa- 

 tions to which they give birth — such a man can 

 never feel that glow of devotion which comes 

 over the mind at the proofs which are perpe- 

 tually opening to us, of the watchful and inces- 

 sant care of a benevolent Ruler. 



Abington, Sept. 20. Francis Golding. 



THE SILK WORM. 



( Concluded from page 196.) 



The Italians, finding their trade rapidly de- 

 crease from the success of the new establishment, 

 were exasperated to vengeance, and vowed the 

 destruction of the men who had turned the cur- 

 rent of their business into another channel. They 

 sent an artful woman, in the character of a friend. 

 She associated with the parties, and was allowed 

 to assist in the preparation of the silk. Her in- 

 fluence was privately exerted on the natives who 

 had fled with Mr.Combe from Italy ; and, succeed- 

 ing with one, she prepared to exert her long-medi- 

 tated plan of revenge. The victim lingered in agony 

 for two or three years, when, the springs of life 

 being completely exhausted, he breathed his last. 

 Slow poison is supposed to have been the means 

 employed to deprive him of existence; but, al- 

 though suspicion was almost strengthened into 

 certainty, by the circumstances that transpired 

 on the examination of Madame — — — , the 

 evidence was not decisive, and consequently she 

 was discharged. Her associate had previously 

 fled to his own country. The other Italian, whose 

 name was Gartrevolli, continued at Derby, and 

 afterwards worked at a mill erected at Stockport, 

 in Cheshire, but he died in poverty. The funeral 

 of Mr, John Combe was celebrated in a style of 

 great magnificence. He died on the 16th, and 

 was buried on the 22nd of March, 1 722. 



The extensive fabric which contains the ma- 



