THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER, 
149 
true riches of the sea, like God’s works every¬ 
where, must be ‘ sought out of all them that 
have pleasure therein.’ 
“ The glory and beauty of God’s works are 
not dependent on massiveness of structure. 
The minute Serpula puts the whale into the 
shade, and the Spirobus outvies the dreaded 
devil-fish. And herein is a hint that may be 
followed. We are searching for the wonderful 
and the beautiful, and, having found so much to 
fill our cravings in a drop of water taken from 
a pond, whose surface and surroundings were 
so repellant, the drop shall be the initial in 
commencing a study of ocean-wonders. Dark, 
dread, and full of monsters that have no peers, 
the ocean is a picture too grand for comprehen¬ 
sion or enjoyment; but a drop from its vast 
waves will not stagger our imagination. There¬ 
fore let us turn to it for a solace and an inspira¬ 
tion. 
“It has long been known to the geologist 
that chalk-hills, beds of marble and marl, and 
even masses of flint and bog-iron ore, are com¬ 
posed largely of minute shells more or less 
perfect in form, and fashioned after the most 
beautiful patterns. Along the shores of the 
