e timid little beastie.

There the two little guinea-pigs enjoyed a happy life on fine days and
grew to be friends at last, grunting little confidences one to the other
and going to sleep side by side. They had to be watched and their
liberty a good deal curtailed when we found a weasel began to appear
upon the scene, and as it is proverbially difficult to catch a weasel
either awake or asleep, he has not at present been captured. I much fear
if he ever attacked the little Peruvians they would stand a poor chance
of their lives, for they have no idea of self-defence and would fall an
easy prey to such a fierce, relentless persecutor. Perhaps the gardener
may devise some way of trapping the wary little creature, so that my
little friends may dwell in peace under the shady tree.

As the winter came on the cold prevented Fluff going out-of-doors, and
he led a most inactive life. I don't think he ever had more than two
ideas in his little brain--he just lived to eat and sleep, and was about
as interesting as a stuffed animal would have been. He is the only
instance of any animal I have ever known who seemed to be literally
without a single habit, apparently without affection, without a temper
good or bad, with no wishes or desires except to be let alone to doze
away his aimless life.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

HOW TO OBSERVE NATURE

There is all the difference between taking a walk simply for exercise,
for some special errand, or to enjoy conversation with one's friends,
and the sort of quiet observant stroll I am going to ask my kind readers
to take with me to-day.

This beautiful world is full of wonders of every kind, full of evidences
of the Great Creator's wisdom and skill in adapting each created thing
to its special purpose. The whole realm of nature is meant, I believe,
to _speak to us_, to teach us lessons in parables--to lead our hearts
upward to God who made us and fitted us also for our special place in
creation.

In the nineteenth Psalm David speaks of the two great books God has
given us for our instruction. In the first six verses he speaks of the
teachings of the book of nature and the rest of the Psalm deals with the
written Word of God.

We acknowledge and read the Scriptures as the book which reveals the
will of God and His wondrous works for the welfare of mankind, but how
many fail to give any time or thought to reading the book of nature!
Thousands may travel and admire beauti