1102
THE
COCHINEAL.
New York:
General Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Union;
Depository, Press Buildings, No. 46 Lumber-Street,
in rear of Trinity Church.
Printed at the Protestant Episcopal Press,
No. 46 Lumber-Street.
THE COCHINEAL.
As I was one day studying in thesame room with my little son, a childof ten years old, he turned towards me,and pointed to a little insect which wascrawling on a sheet of paper.
"Look, papa," said he, "look at thatinsect; how small it is! See how itmoves its feet—how wonderful that Godshould have made this little creature!"
Father. It is a little cochineal.[A]—Wait;I will bring my microscope, andwe shall see many more wonderfulthings.
Child. Make haste, or it will flyaway.
I put the insect between two glasses,and thus prevented it from escaping,without restraining it from moving its[Pg 2]limbs. To the naked eye, it did notlook at all remarkable: its back was ofa brown colour, spotted with black andwhite, and the under part of its bodywas gray. But no sooner had I placedit in the focus of the microscope, than Iwas filled with wonder and admiration.The back, which before appeared unworthyof notice, now displayed themost perfect and beautiful appearance.The colour, which appeared brown tothe naked eye, now presented a varietyof feathers or scales of the same sizeand shape, polished, brilliant, distinct,and arranged in far more exact orderthan the tiles on the best built roof. Theground was formed of beautiful whitescales, surrounded by a border of polishedblack and blue scales of the samedescription. A black line divided theback into two equal parts.
"How marvellously wise and powerfulis the Lord!" exclaimed I. "Whowould believe that so many beauties,and such a variety of exquisite workmanship,had been bestowed on this[Pg 3]little, despicable insect? Oh, how greatis our God!"
The child was impatient to judge forhimself. He approached the microscope,and gazed in silence for some moments.At length, raising his head, and fixinghis eyes upon me with an expression ofwonder and astonishment—"Oh! papa,"exclaimed he, "is not this beautiful?How beautiful!" repeated he, raisinghis hands. "How powerful God mustbe to give this little insect, which attractsso little attention, such a beautifulcoat! Did you see its scales, its neck, itshead, and its glittering horns? It lookslike glass on polished gold. How beautiful!how beautiful!"
Father. My dear boy, since our heavenlyFather is so great, so powerful,and so wise; since he takes such careof this little insect which crawls uponthe ground; think how great must be hiscare of his own children, whom he lovedso much as to give his well-beloved Sonto die for them, that they might be saved,from eternal death!
[Pg 4]Child. Yes; our Saviour himselfsays that his children 'are of more valuethan many sparrows;' so they must beof more value than this little insect: andsince it has received,