"Exactly so," said Mrs. Myrtle, "without them, the smooth skin of the mouse, or the shiny feathers of the bird, would slip out of her paws, which would be too soft and velvety to hold anything."

Mrs. Myrtle's Lessons on Natural History.

"Now hold back her head, and open her mouth gently, and see what sort of teeth she has got."

"She has four terrible ones at the corners," said the children, "which must pierce like spears. She has back ones too, for eating with; but I suppose she kills and tears with the four long ones."

"Feel her tongue now," said Mrs. Myrtle.

"We need not do that," replied the children, "she often licks our hands, and we know that her tongue is rough. What is that for?"

"It is that she may lick all the small particles of flesh clean off the bones, supposing that these should be too big for her to swallow. One thing more only I shall point out to you just now, and that is her eyes. Do you know which part is the pupil ?"

"Isn't it the little round black thing in the middle ?" asked Bessie.

"Yes; and that is just an opening for admitting the light. Now, if a great glare of light were to come into her eyes, she could make the pupils quite small, so as to shut it out. On the contrary, when there is very little light, she dilates, or opens them wide, in order to catch all that there is. It is this which enables her to find her food during the night; for the night is her natural time to be stirring and providing for herself. She cannot really see in total darkness: but in what appears darkness to us, she catches, in those wideopen pupils, all the scattered rays of light. Her hearing too is very quick. I believe you will never catch her in so sound a sleep, but that if she hears the smallest rustling or chirping resembling that of a mouse or bird, she will instantly raise her head and listen.

is

"I have often seen her do that," said Bessie. "It very curious to see her wake up in a moment, prick up her ears, and seem to listen with her whole body."

Now dears, when I tell you that there is no other part of her body but is exactly and beautifully fitted for the same end, that is, to enable her to provide for her wants, you will see that her way of life is not of her own choosing. When you are old enough to learn more about Pussy you will know that all her muscles, all her bones, and all her intestines,—that is, her inward parts, are as exactly made and put together, for one and the same end, as those which you can understand a little about even at present."

Mrs. Myrtles Lesson's on Natural History.

THE CHILD AND THE RILL.

Gen'-tle
Wa'-ter

Sip'-ping
Hap'-pi-ness

Beau'-ti-ful
Spark'-ling

I will tell you a story.

There was a little boy whose name was Harry; and his papa and mamma sent him to school. Now, Harry was a clever fellow, and loved his book; and he got to be first in his class. So his mamma made a nice cake for him, and sent it to the school. It was very large, and stuffed full of plums and sweetmeats, and iced all over with sugar. When little Harry saw it he jumped about for joy; and he hardly stayed for a knife to cut a piece, but gnawed it like a little dog. So he ate till the bell rang for school, and after school he ate again, and ate till he went to bed; nay his bedfellow told me that he laid his cake under his pillow and sat up in the night to eat some. So he ate till it was all gone. But presently after, this little boy was very sick and ill; and somebody said, Harry has had a rich cake, and ate it all up very soon, and that has made him ill. So they sent for Dr. Camomile, and he gave him I do not know how much bitter stuff. Poor Harry did not like it at all, but he was forced to take it, or else he would have died.

Now, there was another boy, who was one of Harry's school-fellows; his name was Peter Careful. And Peter had written his mamma a very neat pretty letter -there was not one blot in it all. So his mamma sent him a cake. Now Peter thought within himself, I will not make myself sick with this good cake, as silly Harry did; I will keep it a great while. So he took the cake up stairs. And he locked it up in his box, and once a-day he crept slily up stairs, and ate a very little piece, and then locked his box again. So he kept it several weeks, and it was not gone, for it was very large; but behold! the mice got into his box and nibbled some. And the cake grew dry and mouldy, and at last was good for nothing at all. So he was obliged to throw it away, and nobody was sorry for him.