THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
55 
We take up/’ began Doctor Dean, “ a hand¬ 
ful of these slimy growths, and the first strong 
impulse is to throw them back into the water 
with disgust; but let us resist this rash impulse, 
and there will be a rich reward for our self-con¬ 
trol. A little inspection of the mass in hand 
will reveal, even to the unaided vision, wonder¬ 
ful outlines of beauty and curious forms of 
adaptation, begetting a strong desire to enjoy 
the richer treasures which we are sure lie hid¬ 
den among these limp filaments. We hold a 
tangled mass of confervoid algce. Dissatisfied 
with the partial revelation to the natural eye, 
we adjust a minute portion of the collection un¬ 
der the microscope. Marvellous transformation ! 
The repulsive network of slimy vegetation ar¬ 
rests our attention by unexpected and brilliant 
forms of beauty, and we start back to examine 
our adjustment, lest we have mistaken the object 
placed under our instrument; but no, there is 
no misplacement before our lens, only a vast 
misconception of Nature’s handiwork has been 
suddenly wrenched from the mind, and a place 
given to a new birth of thought. And now, 
while glowing with this delightful impulse, let 
us give careful inspection to the wonder-reveal- 
