The works of the Creator which we see around us, and his protecting care experienced by us every day, and the spiritual blessings which his holy Book informs us of, and puts us in possession of, these are all intended to raise our hearts to the praise and the worship of such a Benefactor: and our daily intercourse with our fellow-creatures is intended to exercise us in charitable feelings towards them,and thus the Christian character is to be completed: -here is love to God and love to man; and "love is the fulfilling of the law."

V.

THE BUTTERFLY.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

SIR,

ON reading the article on the Butterfly in your Number for April, it called to my remembrance a few lines on the same subject, which I met with in manuscript as much as sixty years ago, when I was twelve years of age. I will endeavour to write these down as well as my imbecile mind, feeble frame, imperfect recollection, and trembling hand will admit.

Whate'er we find around may justly raise
Our admiration, and command our praise;
Perfection and surprising beauty shine,
To light our reason to a hand Divine;
Our mighty Maker's over-ruling care,
Wisdom and power, his creatures all declare,'
Or great, or small they be, in water, earth, or air.

J. C.

}

See to the sun, the Butterfly displays

His glittering wings, and wantons in its rays;
In life exulting o'er the meadow flies,

Sips from each flower, and breathes the vernal skies,
When yesterday, a crawling worm it lay,
Where every foot might tread its life away.

Who raised it thence, and bade it seek the skies?
Gave its rich plumage, and its brilliant dies?
'Twas God-who in this insect lets thee see
The wondrous change that is ordained for thee.
Thou, too, shalt leave this reptile form behind,
And mount the skies, a pure ethereal mind;
There range among the stars, all bright and unconfin'd.

EXTRACT FROM MR. SUMNER'S

SERMONS.

A VOLUME of Sermons has lately appeared, on the Festivals of the Church, by the Rev. J. B. Sumner. As far as we have had time to look into them, they appear to us to be truly excellent. Our attention was at this season naturally directed to the Whitsunday Sermon, from which the following extract is taken.

66

Imagine a person who has passed many years, in a way which the Scripture calls 'living without God in the world;' that is, very much as he would live if no God had been revealed to him: for he has not made the service of God the business of his life, nor the will of God the motive of his actions: trusting, as I may justly express it, to chance the everlasting condition of his soul, even if he has not polluted it with gross sin, and rendered it unfit for an inheritance in the kingdom wherein dwelleth righteousness.' How many are living in this state, we know too well. Many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ: whose god is their belly, who glory in their shame; who mind earthly things'

"But it frequently happens that what may be justly called a new turn, an entire change takes place in the mind of a person who has been living according to this description. He is brought to perceive, what before he had denied, that he is guilty in the sight of God; for that, though born his creature, he has been, in fact, rebelling against him. He perceives that he has an immortal soul, the salvation of which is of more importance to him than all the world beside; and this makes the name of the Redeemer welcome to him, which before he had listened to with cold indifference. Before, perhaps, he made a mock at sin;' at least he thought slightly of it; but now, his conscience is tender, and, instead of fancying that he has nothing to confess, he rather doubts whether he can ever be forgiven. Before, the word of God had no interest for him: now, he thinks it more to be desired than gold, yea than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb.' Before, the service of the church was disliked, perhaps neglected altogether; now, his heart is always with those who worship God in his holy temple. Before, his prayers, if he uttered any at all, were an unmeaning, heartless, form; now he prays indeed.

"And what is this change, if it be not the work of the Holy Ghost? What is it but a proof, not only that he exists, but that he visits and searches the inmost recesses of the heart?"

SWIMMING.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor.
MR. EDITOR,

IN the Quarterly Review, No. 68, p. 43, (in the review of Bernardi's Treatise on Swimming) the

following hint occurs, which may be the means of preventing some fatal accidents from cramp.

"A swimmer seized with cramp should immediately turn on his back; and by continuing for a little to jerk out the affected limb in the air, taking care, however, not to raise it so high as to disturb the equilibrium (balance) of the body stretched flat on the surface, he will soon find its natural powers restored. To advance in this position, he must push with the flat of the feet, without regarding an occasional dip of the head under water. He must not attempt to prevent this by dropping down a leg, as a person is naturally disposed to do; which, so far from producing the desired effect, will infallibly occasion the body to sink. The limbs must, on the contrary, always be kept stretched to their full extent, and then there is no danger to be apprehended. The arms may likewise be used in swimming on the back, in which case they act like oars, while the legs are either laid across each other or used to assist.'

Any person who had courage, and presence of mind enough, to lay himself flat on his back in the water, would not sink; his nose and mouth would remain above water, and he could then breathe. It is in fact, this presence of mind, added to practice, which makes a swimmer. The human body naturally floats, the greater part being, indeed, under water; but it is practice which must teach us to keep the right part above.

ANON.

PASTURAGE OF BEES.

IT is of great consequence in the management of Bees, that they should be in a neighbourhood where they may be supplied with an abundance of good

Pasturage of Bees.

279

pasturage, as upon that will depend the harvest of wax and honey.

If Dutch clover is not growing abundantly in the neighbourhood, the keeper of bees should, if possible, crop some ground with it himself, as it is one of the grand sources from which bees collect their honey in the spring, and indeed during a considerable portion of the principal gathering season.

Yellow trefoil also though not so great a favourite with the bees as Dutch clover, is nevertheless a valuable pasturage for them, in consequence of its blossoming earlier than clover.

These, however, do not come first. The earliest resources of the bee are the willow, the hazel, the ozier, the poplar, the sycamore, and the plane. The catkins of several of them afford an abundant supply of farina, and attract the bees very strongly in early spring, when the weather is fine. To these may be added the snowdrop, the crocus, laurustinus, &c.

Gooseberry, currant, and raspberry trees, likewise, with sweet marjoram, winter savory, and peppermint, should not be far off. From the early blossoming of the first two, and from their yielding an extraordinary quantity of honey, they form the first sources of spring food for the bees, and in all probability furnish them with the pale green pellets, then seen upon their thighs.

The peach, nectarine, &c. are also valuable, on account of their blossoming early.

Apple and pear trees afford a second course for the bees, after their early feast of currants, gooseberries, and wall-trees.

Alder buds and flowers are also particularly grateful to bees; the former are said to afford honey for six months together. The maple and the lime also afford it for a considerable time.

The bean is generally frequented by crowds of