The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-16
About Little Things.

Uncle Frank asked all his little friends
into his office, one afternoon, where were
some wonderful things. There were
Nicky and Mosey and Johnny and Josey
and Totty and baby, all gathered around
his table upon which stood an instru-
ment, shaped something like spy glass.
Uncle Frank said it was microscope.
A microscope is an instrument by
means of which we see things which are
not visible to the eye alone, or, as those
who use microscopes say, not seen by the
naked eye."
You know your grandpa and grandma
use spectacles to see with, and when they
happen to lose or misplace them, they
say, Why, have lost my eyes where
can they be?" They only mean that
they cannot see, as you and I can, with
out their glasses.
Now, microscope does the same
thing; we can look at things about which
we could otherwise know nothing
Uncle Frank, first placed drop of
pond-water under the microscope, and told
us to look. And what did we see? 1t
seemed as if we were looking into world
peopled with an immense number of
strange and awkward creatures. Some
were round, like wheel, and are called
for that reason, wheel-animalcules 3"
Some had the appearance of monitors,
those famous gun-boats which were built
by our government during the civil war.
Then we caught sight of a strange animal,
which Uncle Frank called water-bear,
and it was laundering about like a pig,
shaking his head from side to side, and
carrying off piece of green substance
almost as large as himself.
Uncle Frank said it would take many
thousands of them to make spot as large
as the head of pin.
He KIT showed US the eye of fly.
Now the eye of that little buzzing fell
low is not a single eye, but what is called
compound; that is there are thousands of
eyes put into one, so that the animal can
see in almost any direction and they are
very beautiful.
Then he exhibited to US your old
friend the mosquito. What a horrible
fellow he was 1 should not want two
such fellows at night singing around my
head were they as large as they looked
While we were thus engaged, friend
of Uncle Franks came in, and asked us
if we would not like to see some wonder
fully small printing. Of course the little
folks were in great delight.
Then the gentleman put under the
microscope piece of glass, which seemed
perfectly free from the least speck but,
on looking carefully at it, we observed a
tiny spot in the centre, which was about
as large as one of the periods, or punctua-
ton marks at the end of one of these
sentences l am now writing.
But what wonders did we behold
There was the beautiful Lords Prayer,
clearly and distinctly seen, as large as
the printing of this paper you like to
read so much, and as beautifully printed,
too. How it was done was impossible tc
say but the gentleman told us it was
not done with types at all but by kind
of photography. You all know what
photograph is. Well, it was similar to
that
After our EXPLANATIONS of delight were
over, we were informed that it would
take about hundred and thirty thou
sand of such kind Of printing to cover
piece of paper an inch square and this
would furnish us with enough letters to
print over eight Bibles. What wonder
tul things there are in this world
The microscope will tell you many
more wonders-about the world we live
in, the life around us in the air we
breathe, in the water we use, and in the
food we eat. All these minute beings
help make up this great universe of ours;
and we feel better by seeing such things,
and learn to live wiser and happier, and
that we are not to live only for ourselves,
but for those around u.s. Well Spring.