CHAPTER V.

WHAT VENUS SAW.

A LAMB STORY.

THE

HE next evening found me planted ready

at my glass before the sunset or even twilight had commenced, much to the amusement of her starry ladyship, whose brilliant face was just beginning to be a little turned away from me.

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Well, you are determined to be in time!" she laughed. "The Sun would not take it as a compliment your being in such a hurry to get rid of him even for my sake, did he but know!"

I was suddenly surprised by seeing the planet's face nearly obscured by some moving object. I continued to hear her voice, but could not see her face. Very unwillingly I got up from my position where I had so well settled myself,

to examine the other end of the telescope. There I found the cause of all the mischief in a blundering old green beetle which had somehow mistaken his way, and alighted on the lens. After lifting him carefully off on to a geranium leaf, a liberty that he resented by immediately flying away, I re-stationed myself with many apologies to Venus for the delay, begging her to proceed with the story she so kindly promised to tell me.

"I suppose you would like to know what it is about, therefore as I must give it a name, I shall call it

"A LAMB STORY.

"In ancient times," began Venus, "great services were held in my honour, and the scent of the quantities of flowers with which my statues were decorated was sweet to me. I always loved flowers; the rose and the myrtle are, you know, especially dedicated to me: so it is that I like looking into your churches at the times when fair young girls and children wreath and decorate them with garlands and bouquets. Some little time ago, I peeped into a church which was being

dressed for one of the spring festivals of your English religion. All was finished, even to the brass goblet on the pulpit filled with exquisite yellow tea-roses for the clergyman's special gratification, when one of the children looked up to a little lamb bearing a cross, and having a glory behind its head, which was carved on the top of the stone reredos.

"What a pity!" she exclaimed, 'that we could not put something round that lamb!'

"It is too high,' said her sister, 'quite impossible to reach !'

"And with the others, they went away, leaving the church in its silence and perfume.

By and bye the lamb began to feel very sad that it was not decorated, when everything else was so beautifully embowered in sweet spring flowers, and it alone was untouched.

True emblem am I of the Divine Lamb who suffered neglect, and was denied all the loveliness and flowers of life,' mourned he, and he

wept very bitterly.

"I was truly sorry for him,' said Venus, 'for his wish to be decorated for his Master's day was

so innocent, and natural. I looked again, and saw a bright little angel fly to the lamb, and throwing its arms round his neck, say, 'Fear not, and be comforted, for thou shalt be beautified tomorrow, exceedingly, with a glory greater than all the loveliness of these dear earth-flowers!'

"Then it vanished, and the lamb felt happier, wondering how it would be.

"The next day, when the church was crowded with worshippers, and the choir were pouring forth the grand, and joyful words, ' And the glory

of the Lord shall be revealed!' there flashed on to the lamb a ray of brightest sunlight, illuminating the cross, and the glory with a radiancy that was quite dazzling, and there it stayed till the service was ended. 'Now!' he thought, 'I am adorned with a glory like unto His glory and as He would have me!'"

Venus here wished me "good-bye," saying at the same time that it would be useless for me to look for her at present, as her face would be so turned away, and so little of her orb would be visible, that it would be nearly impossible to talk with her.

I was very sorry for this, for she was so kind, and her voice delightful to listen to.