CHAPTER XIII.

_Conclusion._

I hope my readers are satisfied, by this time, that Inquisitive Jack, in pursuing the study of insects, was not wasting his time. It not only gave him a great deal of pleasure, but he obtained from it much useful information. He went on, from one step to another, until he understood the whole science of insects, which is called _Entomology_.

But I have told you the story of our curious little friend, not so much to recommend the particular study of insects, as to show the utility of habits of observation and investigation. You have seen, by the story I have told you, that, by means of these habits, Jack not only enjoyed a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction, but that he became a very learned man; but I must tell you, what I have before intimated, that his whole attention was not confined to insects. He observed and investigated plants and flowers, and thus became a botanist. He studied into the habits and nature of birds, and thus became an ornithologist; and, in short, he mastered the whole field of natural history. Perhaps I shall, some time or other, give you an account of his proceedings in relation to some of these matters.

[Illustration]

The Close of the Year.

Look at the picture! It is winter――and the old man is toiling through the deep, deep snow. A heavy burthen is on his back; the sky is dark and gloomy; the scene around is desolate and chill. We can easily fancy that the heart of the aged traveller is heavy; that his limbs are weary; that a damp, cold moisture is upon his brow, and an expression of bitterness and sorrow around his lips; yet he plods stoutly on――and why should he not? If he were to despair, he would but make the snow his pillow, and the sleety drift his winding-sheet. Beside, he is not alone. A cheerful friend is with him; a humble one indeed, yet one that will not desert him, whether in sunshine or storm, in summer’s joy or winter’s sorrow.

There is something of truth and nature in this scene, and old Bob Merry feels that it may be properly placed at the head of his annual goodby. I cannot but entertain the idea that the old man in the cut, may stand for my representative. He has his burthen, and I my cares; he is making his way through the heavy drift, and I too am stumping it on, amid obstacles and difficulties. He has his cheerful friend, beckoning him on, and I, old and decrepit, am attended by the angel of Hope, which ministers to me, even when all beside have deserted me. That hound in the picture may seem to tell the weary and wayworn traveller of the home that is at hand, of the bright hearth that burns for him, of the warm hearts that are ready to receive him. And Hope, the comforter, tells me too, that there are some bright firesides where Bob Merry is a welcome guest; where his monthly visits are not a tax, but a pleasure; where to him the latch of the door is free and the string never pulled in.

These are my fancies――and though they may be but the dreams of a conceited old man, I will still cherish them. Real or fantastic, they lighten my heart, cheer my steps, and give me courage to pursue my journey.

And now, my gentle readers, we are at the close of the old year! May it find you good and happy. We are at the threshold of the new year; may this, too, find you good and happy. What better wish can I utter? And will you continue for twelve months more, the acquaintance which we have so long sustained? Come! Black Eyes, Blue Eyes, and Grey Eyes――one and all――let as pursue our rambles, and I promise still to exert myself for your pleasure and profit! I have some of Bill Keeler’s stories, which I have picked up, and which I intend to give you. I have some curious adventures in South America; some stories of the Old Man in the Corner, and other nuts to crack for you. So, girls and boys, come along!

Our Correspondence.

The following letter we insert with much pleasure:――

RINDGE, N. H., Oct. 27, 1843. MR. MERRY:

I have taken your Museum the past year, and like it very much. I should like to have you put in another anecdote about Bill Keeler. Will you be so kind as to put in the following Riddles, if you please, to gratify a boy ten years old?

1.

It is in the bolster, but not in the bed; It is in the grave, but not in the dead; It is in the rock, but not in the stone; It is in the marrow, but not in the bone.

2.

I’m captain of a company That counts full twenty-six; And also with a party five I deign to intermix; With Adam I was seen to stay, But Eve I do not like; I’m always found throughout the day, But never in the night.

Your affectionate friend, SAMUEL B――――.

We have received answers from Mary G. D., F. W. B., J. F. T., and some others, to our Twenty Questions about Animals, in the October number of the Museum. Most of them are correct. As a specimen of the letters on this subject, we insert the following, adding a few notes of correction:――

BRISTOL, Oct. 25th, 1843. MY DEAR MR. MERRY:

In the last number of your Museum, you wished your little readers to send you the answers to twenty questions given to us. I am quite a small boy, but I thought I would try to answer them; and those that I may answer wrong I should like to have you correct in your next number, and oblige a little friend and subscriber, who is yet too young to write for himself.

_1st question._ The five most remarkable quadrupeds in Africa are the Lion, Zebra, Hippopotamus, Camelopard, Hyena.(1)

_2d._ The three most famous animals in Asia are the Elephant, Rhinoceros, and Lion.

_3d._ The Elephant is the largest quadruped, and is a native of Asia.

_4th._ The Giraffe is the tallest animal in the world, and found in Asia(2) and Africa.

_5th._ The Ostrich is the largest bird, and found in Asia and Africa.

_6th._ The largest kind of serpent is the Boa Constrictor, and found in Asia.

_7th._ The smallest bird is the Humming-Bird, and found in America.

_8th._ The largest animal is the Elephant,(3) and lives in Asia.

_9th._ The Orang-Outang most resembles man, and is found in Borneo, one of the East India Islands.

_10th._ The Horse is the most useful animal to man.

_11th._ The Bison is the largest quadruped found wild in America.

_12th._ The Grizzly Bear is the most fierce and formidable wild quadruped in the United States.

_13th._ The Rattlesnake is the celebrated poisonous serpent that belongs to the United States.

_14th._ I think the largest bird of prey in the world is the Eagle.(4)

_15th._ To the question, what are the two most remarkable animals of New Holland? I don’t know but one; that is the Kangaroo.(5)

_16th._ The Eagle is the king of birds.

_17th._ The Butterfly is the most beautiful of insects.

_18th._ The Bee is the most useful insect to man.

_19th._ The Dog seems most attached to man.

_20th._ The Lion is the most powerful known quadruped.

Now, Mr. Merry, I have got through, and I should like very much to know if I have answered them right, and especially to know the other remarkable animal of New Holland.

Your little friend and subscriber, E. M. G.

(1) Not _Hyena_, but _Rhinoceros_, of which there are two kinds in Africa, the one-horned and the two-horned.

(2) The _Giraffe_ is not a native of Asia.

(3) The largest animal is the _Whale_.

(4) The _Condor_ is the largest bird of prey.

(5) The other most remarkable animal of New Holland is the _Duck-billed Platypus_, a small quadruped, with fur like a beaver, and a bill like a duck, living chiefly around the water.

Transcriber’s Note:

Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like this_. One footnote was moved to the end of the article.

Words may have multiple spelling variations or inconsistent hyphenation in the text. These have been left unchanged unless indicated below. Obsolete and alternative spellings were retained. Misspelled words were corrected. Obvious printing errors, such as backwards, upside down, or partially printed letters and punctuation, were corrected. Final stops missing at the end of sentences and abbreviations were added.

The following items were changed:

Added word “to” … to throw my hat off my head.…

The article “Truth Triumphant” was moved to the end of the May issue so as not to interrupt the preceding dialogue between Ann and Lucy.

“Kitty” changed to “Nancy” ... But Nancy is a rational creature ...

Added missing page number to entry for Eccentric Characters in the Table of Contents, Volume 6.