answered--that some power superior to nature hears and grants the
request of the sincere and humble Christian, and that this same power in
some mysterious way provides for all.

A devout Clergyman sought every opportunity to impress upon the mind of
his son the fact, that God takes care of all his creatures; that the
falling sparrow attracts his attentions, and that his loving kindness is
over all his works. Happening, one day, to see a crane wading in quest
of food, the good man pointed out to his son the perfect adaptation of
the crane to get his living in that manner. "See," said he, "how his
legs are formed for wading! What a long slender bill he has! Observe
how nicely he folds his feet when putting them in or drawing them out of
the water! He does not cause the slightest ripple. He is thus enabled
to approach the fish without giving them any notice of his arrival."
"My son," said he, "it is impossible to look at that bird without
recognizing the design, as well as the goodness of God, in thus
providing the means of subsistence." "Yes" replied the boy, "I think I
see the goodness of God, at least so far as the crane is concerned: but
after all, father, don't you think the arrangement a little tough on the
fish?"

Even the advanced religionist, although disbelieving in any great amount
of interference by the gods in this age of the world, still thinks that
in the beginning some god made the laws governing the universe. He
believes that in consequence of these laws a man can lift a greater
weight with than without a lever; that this god so made matter, and so
established the order of things, that--two bodies cannot occupy the same
space at the same time; so that a body once put in motion will keep
moving until it is stopped; so that it is a greater distance around than
across a circle; so that a perfect square has four equal sides, instead