THE FOUR SUB-KINGDOMS. L. Mamma, I have been thinking very much about the three kingdoms since last Tuesday. You know you told us, when we talked about the Creation, that God did not make all three parts of the world at the same time. He made the Minerals first, then the Vegetables, and then the Animals: and now, do you know, I think I can see the reason for it-it is because they all depend upon one another! If the animals had been made first, they would have died, because there were no vegetables to eat. If the vegetables had been created next, they would have died because there were no minerals to feed upon. And when the minerals were made-no! they would not have died W. No! but I never thought of that before. Animals feed on vegetables, and vegetables feed on minerals. Here they are, mamma! They are doing it now! Look at this flower-pot of Lucy's, with the China rose on it. The little rosetree is living on the earth, and these little insects round the buds and stalk, are living on the tree. The mineral gives life to the vegetable, and the vegetable to the animal. Ion. Yes; what wonderful things are going on in that flower-pot now!-more life is being made there every day. This life seems to be going up from the earth, or somewhere, through the roots, stalk, and different parts of the plant, even to the very smallest part of each little insect. The tree and insects too, all spring up from the earth-the mineral part. W. Yes; and will go back to the minerals again. The insects will be changed into earth again; Lecause, you know that when animals die, their bodies change into dust; and so do the vegetables change. Ion. Why, then, the three kingdoms are always changing; they go round and round like one great wheel, I suppose. M. That is true. I will talk to you of some of the changes which happen. Suppose a gas called oxygen were to meet with another gas called hydrogen-these two gases might unite and form water. The water might sink into the earth, and become food for some vegetable. The vegetable might form food for some animal, say a sheep. The sheep might die on a mountain; and, as it decayed, its particles would form earth, water, and gas; and thus go back again to the mineral kingdom. W. How things do change, mamma! Well, I wonder what I shall be soon. I belong to the animal kingdom now, I'm sure-feel me! M. Ah! and you belong to the SPIRITUAL KINGDOM, too, Willie ! You'll have to go to a kingdom which none of us have seen yet. I hope, Willie, that you are preparing yourself for it; for, mind! you'll never change there! L. You said to us, once, mamma, that whatever we may be when our bodies die, that we shall be for ever! M. Ah, think all of you! It is a solemn thought. Then, you'll never change! L. Now, mamma, that we have learned of these three kingdoms, what are we to do next? M. We have to take one of them the animal kingdom, and divide it into sub-kingdoms; but this we have already done. I think, however, that to-day we will talk about these sub-kingdoms for a little while, before beginning anything else. You may remember that, in the first Natural History lesson, I said we ought all to notice God's works, because of the beautiful order there. One way in which you may observe order, is when many things are made upon the same plan. What a difference of size there is in the Backboned Animals! yet, the greatest and the smallest of them are alike in those things which cause them to be called "backboned animals." Suppose, now, that you could bring together the EMPEROR OF RUSSIA, the smallest MOUSE in his empire, and the EMPEROR OF CHINA; and then make them describe themselves. They would say, "We are all made on the same plan--for we all have a backbone, a spine-we all have four limbs,we all have red blood-and" W. And so "We are all brothers!" M. No, Willie-they are not brothers, but they should say that they all care for one another. The Emperor of Russia is not too great to care for a mouse, for the King of kings cares for it! But, the Emperor of Russia is greater than the mouse, because of his soul. And that great difference, perhaps, makes God care for him, or for us, more than for the mouse! Ion. Then I see another thought, mamma-Man was made last, perhaps because he was God's highest work. First were made Minerals -without life; 2nd, Vegetables-with life; 3rd, Animals (the lower animals) -with life, and consciousness; 4th, Man-with life, consciousness, and a soul! That seems to be a sign of order. I wonder whether the Angels were made next. Don't we become angels after we die? M. Yes; but we will not run away from our subject now. I was saying that in the first sub-kingdomTHE BACKBONED ANIMALS-there was order, because animals of different sizes were made on the same plan. If you look again at these animals, you will see how those in widely different places are alike. You may bring from one end of the world, an Australian dogand from the other end, a Seal. You will then find that the Creator has been in these widely distant parts, and has made both animals on the same plan. Again-if you notice the second sub-kingdom, you may find in the earth springs of boiling water, containing living caterpillars, and beetles*-or, you may find animals of this sub-kingdom living in the frozen seas of the North Pole. Yet, though you may find them in such different conditions, they all have an external skeleton, six limbs, and white blood, they are all JOINTED ANIMALS, and are made on the same plan. Look at the third sub-kingdom! Ages, and ages ago, there lived a shell fish called the Trilobite. In the present age there lives a shell fish call the Nautilus. In these distant ages-with thousands of years between-the eternal Creator is here. He made both animals with a soft body, and a mantle, and with the other distinctions of the SOFT-BODIED ANIMALS-both the Nautilus and the Trilobite-at these very different times, were made on the same plan. Look at the fourth sub-kingdom! Ages ago there lived animals whose Dr. Carpenter. requires a better one. The Almighty never changes-He is the great unchangeable I AM! Dear Children!-Learn to love the book of nature. There you will learn to know that there is a God -to feel that He is "our Father" and to see and believe the truth he has revealed to us in His word. From all the works of our Heavenly Father, which are round about you, will you feel that He is omniscient, and omnipotent-that He knows all things, and can do all things-and that, having this great power, He with more wonderful wisdom and love makes “all things work together for our good." THE COTTON-TREE AND THE BOOK. FAIR befal the cotton-tree! Bravely may it grow, Bearing in its seeded pod Cotton, white as snow. Spin the cotton into thread; Thou hast worn it; little child,- Spring and grow from thee? Yes! God's gracious gift of mind Made the cotton-tree Speed forth knowledge, peace, and love, And ten thousand cotton-trees Spring up fresh and fair, THE SAXON KINGDOM. ALFRED THE GREAT. P. You will like to hear about King Alfred. I have many pleasant things to tell you. I said, you may remember, that when he was a little boy, he went with his father to ROME. There the Pope Leo anointed him as future king, just as the prophet Samuel anointed King David. At Rome he gained much knowledge, but he learned much more when he came back to his mother, I'm sure she was a good mother, for she took very great pains with him. Every day she used to show him one of her prayer-books, and all its beautiful printings. He liked to look at the red and blue and black letters in it; and although it was a Latin book, and one which he could not understand, he soon learned to read it. His mother then gave him some more books, so, he read them all, and became very fond of reading. he would be a great king too, and that men should one day talk about his glory. But, when he grew older, he began to think how he should make this glory, and what "a glory" was. Then, as he thought, he found that there was a true glory-very different from the one he could make by fighting. He found out that the glory of killing belonged, not to kings, but to brutes, for, not any man could even fight so much, or get so much of that kind of glory, as a lion. Indeed, do you know that now, when men speak of the glory of the bravest King of England, they only say he was as fierce as the King of the brutes-for, he was "Lion-hearted." W. And a man's heart is the best part of him! P. But Alfred looked up higher; and, from the world above, he found deeper thoughts-He was to be a King! Then he tried to know the glory of the King of Do you know what that is? He also liked to listen some-kings. times to some of the men who would come and play harps, and sing songs; just as you like now to sit at the parlour window, and hear the men play the "tink-a-tink things," as Ada calls them. Ada. And, to give them a penny afterwards. P. Ah! but the old bards whom Alfred listened to, sung him fine songs. He stared at them, and opened his little mouth, and listened long, as he heard them sing about Saxon heroes, and the glories of men who were brave. Soon, he learned to sing those songs himself, and to play the tunes on the harp- and often when he sat down in the evening to sing and play, he thought that The glory of the King of kings is to send "PEACE on earth, and goodwill towards men," and to live in the hearts of those who love him, so this is the proper glory for all kings. This, too, was Alfred's glory-to bring peace-to do good to his people-to be praised by those who loved him-and such glory, like that of The Eternal One, will last for ever. Now, hear of what he did. In the year 871, he was made King of England, when he found it to be overrun with Danes, as I told you before. These men were almost masters of the island, and they would not go away unless he I could drive them out. It does not seem to me right that he should fight or kill them-but it appeared, then, to be the only thing that he could do. He fought very many battles with them, but greater swarms of Danes came over, until the Saxon people were so frightened, that many of them chose rather to be slaves, than to defend their country. Alfred was therefore obliged to give way. But, in the midst of all his troubles he never forgot the glory of doing good. I have heard that, one winter, when he and his wife had only a single loaf in their house, a pilgrim knocked at his gate to beg for bread. Alfred then gave the poor man the half of his only loaf, and, turning to his wife, he told her that "GOD, who could feed five thousand with five loaves, could make that half loaf to be sufficient for them." At length, he was in great danger from the Danes, who wanted to kill him, and he was obliged to hide himself in secret places. So he put on the dress of a country servant, and engaged himself to a poor farmer to take care of his cows. I dare say you have heard before, how he was told by his mistress to mind some cakes, and was scolded for not cooking them well. His mind was so full of thoughts of his kingdom that he forgot his new duties. He thought of nothing but how he should save his people from the cruel Danes-until he was roused by the farmer's wife, who said that the cakes were spoiled, and that he was a lazy fellow. Whilst he was thus obliged to hide, news were brought to him that there was hope of defeating the Danes, who had become very careless, because they thought he was dead. Then he dressed himself as a harper, and entering the camp of the Danes, he sang them some songs, and pleased them very much. He saw in the camp, the Danish chief GUTHRUM. He noticed that he and other chiefs of the Danes spent their nights and days in feasting and drinking, thinking themselves safe from all harm. Then he noticed, and perhaps he counted, all their tents, -and found out which would be the best place to make an attack. So, one night, he collected all his friends, who made up a large army they fell on the Danes suddenly-awakened them-astonished them-and defeated them. They killed many, and made the others prisoners, with their great chief, Guthrum. Very soon afterwards, Alfred subdued all the Danes in the island. He might now have punished them; but, he knew that true glory came not from doing harm, but from doing good. So, instead of leading Guthrum to death, he taught him the way to eternal life. This chief and many other Danes learned about Jesus Christ, and became Christians, whilst the rest were allowed to return to their own country. Then, Alfred began to make glory for himself by his good deeds to others. He had enough to do, and was never idle. He knew that time was a good thing, so he divided his time very carefully. He gave one part of the day to prayer and study, another part to business, and, another part to exercise, food, and sleep. He wished to be very exact and particular, so, he caused candles to be made, each of which burned a certain number of hours, |