58 
THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
infinite fulness ‘satisfieth the desire of every 
living thing.’ 
“If we pass from fresh to salt water vege¬ 
tation, a more wonderful array of plant life 
is brought under notice, stretching from the 
most minute growths to the gigantic sea-weeds, 
many hundreds of feet in length, and of forms 
and colors of most exquisite shapings and 
shades, dazzling the beholder. But so many 
things await our attention that we must pass 
them, only pausing to mention that they were 
the first-born of the vegetable world, and are 
replete with marks of divine skill and adorn¬ 
ment—a study for a life, and a rich compensa¬ 
tion for all the time and care given to their 
investigation. 
“ Wherever a watery influence is found, the 
green covering of rocks, old logs, shells, and 
whatever else lies submerged or damp, there 
flourishes in luxuriance and beauty some mi¬ 
nute order of confervoid life. Often marvellous 
in structure and modes of propagation, with 
endowments of surpassing grace and brilliancy, 
these orders may well hold the admiring atten¬ 
tion of the curious and wonder-loving, notwith¬ 
standing their uninviting localities. 
