The Lake County star., 1877-05-10
FOR THE CHILDREN.


SNrssHhs 9di-GO uy ~ 'I'fir
"There, I have caught him at last
What beauty! and Ineyer could
catch q butterfly before."i 'I'9
The words were uttered In an excited
tone by little Katie Kirkhsm, a. she
grasped In both her hands q lovely but
terfiy which she had been chasing In
the garden for nearly half an hour.
"What have you there, Katie ?" ask
ed her father, looking up from his
book : "let me see."
"a butterfly, papa" replied Katie.
running to the garden chair where her
father sat. II am afraid 1t will fly
away IL open my hands," She eau
tiously unloosed her grasp, and Mr..
Kirkham took the little creature In his
hand. ........... ..0t.lI ~, -
"No, Katie, 1t will never fly again.
That little glad life which was passed
80 happily In the sunshine, is at an
end forever. You have crushedi IL to
death.u
30, papa, I didn't mean to! I only
wanted to catch 1t. !! didn't think
about Its being happy" lom
"But your not thinking has taken
away life that you never can restore,
ifyou try till your hair Is gray. How
did It become butterfly, Katie?"
why, God made 1t, OF course; he
made everything" t ,ar ~,
eyes, but how did he make It?
What was II before 1t was butterfiy?"
. ~ don't know. Was 1t Anything,
papaY' ... /"
II will tell you something about it's
history. First of all another butterfly
laid u tiny egg,. several eggs In fact,
but we have only to do with one. Well,
from this egg there came in time q wee
little. grub, and the little grub crawled
about land nibbled cabbage leaves till
it grew into fine large caterpillar"
but / want to hear about the
butterfly, papa" interrupted Katie,
"not about ugly grubs and catterpil-
lars. l thought you were, going to
say little baby butterfly came out Of
the egg"
"B1t 1t didn't, 80 couldn't tell YOU
so. We shall find how II did come
all in good time. Well our friend the
ugly caterpillar had rather q dull
time of 1t, only able to crawl along; it
could not fly about, you know, like the
butterfly. But at last 1t found q new
occupation; it began to spin for itself
a silky case, or tied itself to twig by
q silky cord, and here 1t lay or swung
for some time In what Is called the
chrysalis state, till, when the bright,
warm weather came. the cocoon burst,
and out flew a beautiful butterfly"
20, papa, how wonderful! / had
no idea caterpillar could turn into q
butterfly. Do you think II remem-
bered while it was flying about, that
it once was caterpillar, only able to
crawl?"
"No, don't suppose IL did, dear; It
could not think, you know, either
about the past or future; IL only en-
joyed the sunshine of its little hour.
But now look at the wings. What
are they made Off"
Katie looked, and gently touched the
wing. "How soft and dOwny It feels
what is it, papa?"
Feathers. We will look at It un-
der my microscope, and then you
will see that the wings are covered
with very small, but quite perfect
scales. Come into the library, we
have just time to inspect 1t before din
ner."
Katie followed her father into the
house, and watched while he put the
butterfly under the microscope, and
then eagerly looked through the glass.
I1oW Uedutitul, sue crleu Lney
are real little scales! Papa" she ad-
ded, turning round, ,'hOw wonderfully
wise and kind God must be to take SO
much trouble over little butterfly Z"
"Ah my child, I am glad you have
found that out. You speak very diff
ferently from the careless way in
which you said just now: "God made
1t, of course; he made everything
The earth is full of his wonders. II
you keep your eyes open, you will find
his wisdom and love displayed in
everything that lives. But there Is
the dinner bell, 80 you will have my
text without the Sermon"
"Well, papa,u said Katie, earnestly,
~ never will kill or hurt any living
thing again, at least, not on purpose
and 1 shall never see butterfly with
out thinking about how 1t wasmade."
-Edrly Days.