little water insects as well as a great big elephant.  I am sure you will allow there is nothing to boast of in this, and so if the contemplation of great things makes you incapable of attending to small ones, do remember that ’tis nothing to boast about or be proud of.  And take very great care you make no mistakes as to what is great and what is insignificant.  With which warning I close my remarks on the moral lesson, and proceed to that anagogical or spiritual meaning, which will I hope be my justification for dwelling so long on the subject, and my best introduction to a story of a serious though not of a melancholy character.  But first, my dear little readers, let me call upon you in the words which you hear in church: 

  “Lift up your hearts!”

and I would have you answer,

  “We lift them up unto the Lord.”

For it is indeed of Him—­the Lord of all Lords, that I now wish to speak to you.  He made the Sun and Stars and the great mountains of our earth; but He made also the smallest insects that crowd the air and water, and which are invisible to our imperfect eyes.

He rules the nations by His word, and “binds kings in chains, and nobles with links of iron,” as the psalm expresses it; but also not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge and consent.  Angels and Archangels worship around His throne, but His ears are equally open to the prayer of the youngest child who lifts up its little heart to Him!

The universe is at His feet, but the smallest events of our lives are under His especial superintendence and care.  Yes! nothing, however small and insignificant, that is connected with the present or future welfare of the smallest and most insignificant of his creatures, is beneath the notice of God!

Ah! here is indeed a lesson for the fancied Giants of the world!—­For, in this picture of Almighty greatness combined with infinite condescension, we see that real Perfection requires no Pride to elevate it.

But I said this anagogical sense was hard to be attained to and difficult of comprehension.

And is it not so?  Is it not very difficult to believe thoroughly that the great God whom we hear about, really and truly cares how we behave and what we do—­really and truly listens to our prayers—­really and truly takes as much interest in us as our earthly Fathers and Mothers do?

Ah, I am sure it must be very difficult, because so few people do it, although we should all be both better and happier if we did.  We should say our prayers so much more earnestly, try to keep out of sin and naughtiness so much more heartily, and, above all, always be contented with whatever happened; for who could be anxious, and discontented about their condition or circumstances, if they quite believed that every thing that happened to them was watched over and arranged for their good, by the wisest, kindest, and most powerful of Beings?  If you, my dear children, who have been reading the fairy tales in this book, were to be told that a most wise, most kind, and most powerful Fairy had suddenly taken you for life under her particular care, and that she would never lose sight of you by night or by day, how delighted you would be!